Chapter 14: Ch .9.

Iris had to hurry, time was not on their side. The execution was scheduled a week after the blood moon and if she wanted to save Gabriel, she had to move and fast. She couldn't go out and acquire the list of items the witch requested on her own, she would be short on time if she did so, all she could manage was to recruit a few willing individuals to procure the items for her.

Iris recounted the items mentally, Burgmansia poison, Sekhemet or Bashaa's blood, phoenix ashes and blood for her to feed after the ritual. Easy enough right?

All she had to do was recruit a few people first. She let out a sigh as the short and heavily tattooed vampire left the witch's house and made her way towards southeast D.C.

It was a rough neighborhood but what better place to hide an entrance to a paranormal underground city?

The abandoned subway entrance was dim, the walls filled with graffiti and gang signs. The air was heavy with a foul odor , rodents roamed freely between the rails of the abandoned tunnels.

The city had been built ages ago, by the first generation of immortals, those like Bashaa, before the offspring mutations began. Each century a generation would draw back into the underground and let another surface, thus keeping their existence a secret and maintain durability.

Over the centuries the foundations of the city began to crumble, no one had noticed until the damage was irreparable. Between high humidity and natural disasters, most of the city collapsed onto itself; trapping everyone within its walls to starve and perish. What few remnants of the original immortals slowly withered away without their loved ones to keep them company through eternity. The once bright dawn of an everlasting existence turned bitter and penombrous. One at a time those who survived chose to die rather than be alone without their families.

Bashaa was one of the few immortals that survived and had the ability to turn mortals, with a slight twist to their immortality. As the races grew and varied, the newborns decided to rebuild their underground Utopia on top of the crumbling remains of the previous generation's Dystopia.

Now, more than a few millennias later, the city thrived and thrummed with exuberant life. The constant monitoring of the infrastructures and constant supervision insured that this subterranean Elysium wouldn't cave in and bury them under rubble and decay.

Iris skipped down the steps two by two, trying to get into the city before nightfall. She stopped as soon as she got to the landing before the second flight of stairs. She glanced around hastily, time was running out and there was no one in sight and even if there were, who would believe them?

She nodded resolutely more to herself than to anyone else and pulled her backpack tightly against her back, tightening the straps to hold the bag in place and took off in a sprint. The black haired vampire jumped halfway down the staircase and accelerated her speed, the sprint turning to a full on run before flitting at the speed of light.

In no more than a few seconds Iris had left the abandoned tunnels and ventured in to the bowels of the inner city, a maze of winding and unwinding passages greeted her. The maze of solid rock walls and reverberant echoes would surely overwhelm any unwelcomed mortal trespasser, but any paranormal being would be led straight to the city gates like a beacon.

Deeper into the labyrinth of Ulqu Ālu, the tattooed vampire came to a tunnel junction, her brief hesitation caused her to ram shoulder first into the wall juncture. The sheer velocity of her flitting and the violent impact caused the raven haired woman tumble and fall into the rising river tide that was submerging the underpasses.

A loud crash and crack resonated in the emptiness and a anguished moan soon followed. The vampire sat up hesitantly, a sharp pain flaring all along her right side. She'd tried to ease the impact but it didn't do much.

"Just fucking great!" Iris grumbeled unenthusiastically brushing her sodden hair back with her uninjured arm. With a loud sigh she lifted her right arm despite her muscles protesting with vehemence. The hit had definitely broken her shoulder and quite a few ribs, making it hard to breath but there was no time to sit and nurse her injuries.

The sickening crack of bones popping and rearranging filled the atmosphere, tormented groans and searing pain marred Iris's features while her skeletal structure rearranged and healed properly.

With a final grumble she stood up and closed her eyes, attuning her senses to the low thrum of activity further down towards the city. She stilled her breath and her heart, letting her senses take over. She took everything in, every smell and every sound. She loosened her nerves and took off once more. This time trusting her base instincts while she locked her thoughts away in a garden of serenity inside her own mind.

The ins and outs blurred and merged into a haze, left and right, it all became one. Several moments later Iris stood in front of the massive city doors. The scarlet red gates contrasted by the shimmering gold patterns of intertwining vines glared down menacingly.

She flitted inside without hesitation heading straight for the closest dingy filthy bar where most mercenaries would be huddled. It was that or the closest brothel. Iris scoffed, they were the superior races and yet their underground was closer to a midieval city rather than a twenty-first century capital of the supernatural it was supposed to be.

She stopped right outside the establishment in question and scoweled, loyalty wasn't something to be expected here but she marched in nonetheless.

As soon as she'd stepped in through the door, all eyes were fixated on her. Crude catcalls, unabashed vulgarity and rowdy remarks erupted which only caused her scowl to deepen.

She took a deep breath and with an authorative voice she bellowed "ENOUGH!" Iris's jaw was set and her brows furrowed, nostrils flaring in disdain. Here is where the scum came to die. A slow, painful, alcohol induced death.

A hostile quietness settled over the hole-in-the-wall bar. No man, mortal or otherwise liked to be bossed around by a woman, especially one that they underestimated. Someone like Iris.

The vampire took the opportunity to lay out her offer while the quiet lasted. Still with a firm affirmative voice she began

"I'm looking for a willing and able team, people with a special set of skills" she scanned the room, seeing a large portion of the mercenaries with peaked interest. At least those that were not in a drunken stupor.

"The tasks are daunting and will challenge you but the pay will be worth your while if you choose to volunteer. I'm short on time so this will have to be fast and swift" she explained adamantly "I'll be in the inn across the bar for the next few hours. Come see me if you see yourself fit" and with that she exited that abomination of a bar and checked into her room across from it.

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Alexandra's mind was buzzing and her knees turned into jello as the redhead's lips danced across her alabaster skin. Asha had started laying kisses along the blonde's jaw then proceeding down the column of her neck, to her slightly prominent Adam's apple. Alex had tilted her head back subconsciously, moving her hands to grasp at Asha's hips, tugging the vampire incredibly closer until there was no space left between them.

Fire seemed to ignite between the two as their tongues dueled back and forth, each trying to set the pace though neither succeeding to control the passionate liplock. Treading backwards until she was trapped between Asha and the kitchen island, Alex let out a low whimper when the redhead nipped the skin near her collarbone. A vivid blush began to rise, covering the blonde's neck and cheeks whilst she struggled to keep in control of her body and emotions.

She knew what was happening, whom she was kissing, but in her mind it didn't matter that much at the moment. The overpowering sweet taste of Asha's lips against hers was rather intoxicating. Her skillful tongue deleved into the depths of Alexandra's, exploring every ridge and surface driving the mortal closer to the edge of her sanity.

The proximity was doing away with Asha's self control, slowly she was losing herself in the melody that was Alex's subtle yet very enticing moans and groans. The redhead lifted Alex onto the marble kitchen island before wedging herself between the blonde's legs. The redhead's lithe fingers traced random patterns on Alex's outer thighs causing teasing shudders to run rampant up the blonde's spine.

Alexandra was tempted, she'd be lying if she denied it. She wanted Asha but she didn't trust her feelings, a gut feeling told her she was hiding something but something at the back of her mind nagged her to trust the woman unconditionally.

Asha felt her mate hesitate, she tentatively pulled away then coyly stepped back half a step, creating some semblance of separation between them.

"I'm sorry Alex I didn't mean for it to get this far" the redhead sheepishly admitted only to have Alex shake her head vigorously " no no! I was just as much a part of that kiss as you were"

A tense silence loomed overhead for the two as they both avoided eye contact, looking past one another to fix their sights on a nearby wall or kitchen appliance.

The thickening of stillness was tangible until Alexandra broke out of her shell shyly "so, breakfast?" She asked almost in a whisper.

The redhead nodded twice and pulled away, turning towards the kitchen counter. She piled as many plates as she could carry and confidently strode towards the table, setting plate after plate in front of Alex.

Asha hadn't known what Alex did or didn't eat so she'd resolved to make a little of everything. Starting off with scrambled eggs with basil and dried mint leaves, bacon strips with a hints of seasoning, a noticeable stack of extra fluffy golden pancakes topped with butter and some syrup to the side a steaming mug of black coffee straight up to wrap the whole thing up.

Alex stared at the table in front of her, mouth agap.

"I didn't even realize I had pancake batter in the apartment, or mint and...what is that basil?" She wondered with an arched eyebrow

Asha chuckled "no and yes, no you didn't have batter, the pancakes are made from scratch and yes that's basil. Again you didn't have any so I borrowed your housekeys and paid a visit to the 24/7 store down the block" the redhead vampire Elder elaborated while sitting across from the blonde.

With her sleep toussled hair and deshevelled look, Alex still had a certain appeal about her that went beyond perfect hair and wrinkle-free clothes.

"Well I don't know what to say aside from thank you" Alex paused for a brief second "I really don't know how I can repay you, for everything"

"No really! It's my plea-" Asha was interrupted but the intro to Gorgoroth's possessed. Asha tilted her head back in an exasperated sigh, shook her head dismissively then answered the phone

"Yes Amira?"..... There was silence for a few seconds, the low murmur of a voice barely discernable but nonetheless there

" definitely not!" Another pause "it's none of your business, speaking of, don't you have something else to do besides pestering me?" A barking fit of laughter was heard on the other side and Alex couldn't help but tune in onto the one sided conversation.

She took the opportunity to glance down at the redhead's for, noticing she was still shirtless but the leather pants and high heeled demi-bottes (high heeled ankle booties) accentuated her long luscious legs.

"Really don't you have work to do? Go to a class or something?" Asha was still occupied with her conversation which Alex was secretly glad for.

A very prominent dip in the redhead's hips caught the blonde's attention next, the 'V' highlighting the curve of her hips and chiseled nature of her abs, which were slightly defined just not overdone.

As she trailed her gaze upwards towards full B or C cup breasts where her stare lingered a little too long before continuing along, only to be met with twinkeling emerald orbs, glistening with humor.

The conversation had gone quiet but Alexandra was to busy appraising the redhead to notice and now she'd been caught hand in the cookie jar.

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Author's Notes:

Okay I am back my lovelies! I'll be working on the chapters little by little, I know you guys like consistent updates but please do bare with me *pouts*

Hope you enjoyed this update, its probably just a filler for now but its an update at least!

PM me if you have any suggestions or intake on the story, Vote & Comment if you really really wanna show the writer and the story some support!

As always, Pinterest link is on my author's page, go ahead and drop by to check out the pictures that go along with this story, the pics are property of their respective owners but I'm just trying to give a visual feel as to what I see in my head.

Love you all,

~~Reddy~~