I could tell by the energy in the air that this was going to end badly. It was a combustible situation from the very start. Now she is livid, and I have a very unpredictable Seraphine in the living room standing guard over her giant adopted baby. She was suspicious of Barima from the very beginning and I am curious to see how she reacts to a furious Barima. I trail Barima while being invisible so she cannot see or hear me.
Barima snatches a knife from the kitchen and hides it up her sleeve. I grin to myself. What are you planning to do with that, Barima? Barima enters the living area casually now, trying to mask her rage. Sera sensed her though before her shadow ever hit the doorway and watches her every move. Sera is already wondering where I am. Barima looks anxiously over her shoulder, then nears the couch on Axar's side.
She lunges for Axar's arm and Sera slams her away. I smell blood as I see red dribble from Sera's shoulder. She stabbed her. Sera jumps before her, blocking the shocked and frightened boy.
"You wanna see what our kind can do little boy?" Barima sneers. She opens her mouth to release a powerful wail. Sera moves herself and Axar aside, not seeming to be stunned as Narius was by Axar's cry. Barima chuckles and stalks towards the duo. Sera steps chest to chest with her, eyes darkening as she stares up at the slightly taller woman.
"Back off. Leave the kid alone. I am not sure what your problem is, but you can take it up with an adult. I'm not trying to fight you. Do not touch me again."
"You think you are brave? You think you can hang with a banshee?" The woman slaps Sera's face with force that would likely break a human's neck. "You can't handle me bitch. Step down and let me have the boy." Sera's eyes are completely obsidian now.
Barima opens her mouth to produce another violent scream and Sera snatches her jaw and holds it open. Barima pries frantically at Sera's claws but can't budge her iron grip. Sera jerks the jaw harshly and quick, the loud popping sound only muted by Barima's cries of agony. Sera slings her to the side and walks to Axar, now normal eyed again and worried about having scared the boy. This is all the opportunity Barima needed as she rushes Sera's retreating back with her knife in hand. Sera senses her and bends backward to catch her and slam her down in one of the most bizarre moves I've ever seen.
Barima lands violently on her head, neck angled awkwardly. Blood gushes from her forehead and the knife falls. Sera produces a weird low whine as her hands shake. She tries to tear away the hold she has on Barima, but she can't let go. Horns, claws and teeth have emerged now as Sera shakes her head and struggles. She mounts the back of the little green eyed monster who's jealousy started this. She has secured her head in a lock, one hand travels along Barima's temple. Feeding. She is feeding again. I silently materialized and pull Axar to me, so he cannot see what I know is about to happen.
Sera continues this weird spastic battle, body jerking as her control goes back and fourth. Tears coat her face as she relents and dips her head to Barima's. Her long forked tongue slips out and laps the blood from Barima's temple. She involuntarily moans and a light rumble breaks her chest. Barima's terror fills the air around us as she realizes her mistake. Sera might be a half breed, but she is the Devil we don't know. She has underestimated her and pushed too far.
Sera's restraint so far is impressive. I lull Axar into a trance so he cannot hear what is about to go down. Seraphine is so lost in hunger she has not noticed us on the far side of the room. Barima whines and gurgles beneath Sera and I can watch the predatory instinct take over the human in Sera that had worked so bad to hold it back. She latches into the side of Barima's throat and guzzles avidly. Not losing a drop.
Barima's cries fade as her body convulses violently, color draining from her golden skin. She tries so hard to free herself, but Sera holds her with slightest of ease. Almost a mockery of Barima's strength and desperation. Long oxblood nails scratch and dig into the carpet leaving little paths where her fingers receded. Sera has drained her completely now. No vital signs are present and Barima is grey and dull, withered beneath a very vibrant Seraphine.
Sera sits straighter, back arching as she tilts her head back and hums to herself, still in her demon. Her long tongue flicks out to clean her face and a bad of drool rolls down her long neck and disappears into her cream blouse. Her hands run along her shoulders and chest sensually and a sigh emerges from her now clean lips. She rolls Barima over and sniffs her, perhaps searching for missed blood or lingering energy. Upon finding nothing, she stands and gingerly kicks the woman flinging her body half up onto the couch.
She tends to her stab wound with her tongue, sliding the cream sweater off her delicate shoulder. One eye dark and the other light and bright. Beautiful. I smile over Axar's head at her, arousal flaring in my body. So perfect. She senses it and looks to me curiously. Her body moves so unnaturally, yet sensual. It's poetry in it's own right.
"Come here." I plead to her. I will Axar to sleep as I knead his scalp and he drops in my arms as I walk him to the other couch. "I need you Seraphine. Let me have you." She inches away when I grab towards her, letting me know that she's returning to herself unfortunately. She continues to stand in the livingroom surrounded by plants, and crystals. Apothecary jars of herbs, salts and natural elements line a bookshelf behind her, with a few ironic hardbacks of protection spells. Sera runs her hands through her jade locks and she sits down in the floor with her knees pulled in.
She doesn't say anything, but she cries and punches the wooden floor boards up in violently rage as splinters and shards fly. She throws herself onto her side and curls up. She's so disgusted with herself. She hasn't dared to look at us yet, probably due to shame.
"Sera. Look at me." She tucks her head farther into her arms and curls up smaller. "It's alright. She was going to kill you and Axar. She stabbed you, was going to stab him. You protected us."
"I killed her. I ate her. She cried. I heard her dying thoughts, but I couldn't stop. I let her stab me, slap me. I didn't even want to fight. I held back as hard as I could and it didn't work, why?" She cries. I crawl now on the floor to her, making myself small too so I do not set her off again. I wrap myself around the back of her body, and I inspect her shoulder.
"You did, but that is normal. It is how our kind works. We feed from blood or energy. We can hear thoughts, even while our prey dies. I was going to stop you, but you needed this. You needed to see how dangerous you could be and how little control you'd have. You'd be powerless to stop yourself. You did that, without even trying. You have no idea how powerful you are or will be. This is why I've tried to make you stay. You need me, Sera. You need me to guide you, and help you as much as I need you." She continues to sob and whimper as I drive my point home. "Think of Axar, how scared you made him. You traumatized him. I had to void his mind and let him sleep. A child shouldn't see this."
She remains silent and continues to sob. I lick her shoulder clean and I tub her shoulders as I feed, taking all scrumptious sorrow away. I roll her to face me and I maneuver her leg over my hip and tuck her upper half under my chin and into my torso. We lie wrapped up together for a few minutes, my hand making circles on her back. I turned down sex earlier, sex and a feed from a pretty woman. Just because nobody compares to Seraphine. Nobody makes me feel the way she can. Their essence is not enough. I could eat from a village and still crave for her.
"I need up." Sera whispers, breaking the silence between us.
"Why?" I cup her face, she removes my hand.
"I need to fix my mess. I've got a dead woman here...that needs a proper disposal at least. I also have a kid now who's going to hate me and no longer trust me. I-I've fucked up..."
"He will not hate you. I will make sure that he understands. As for Barima, I will dispose of her. On our way home, I'm going to stop to get Axar some things and extra food. Kid eats like a horse. You are staying with me from now on, whether you agree or not. It's for your own safety. I want you to calm down, and think about if there's anything you'll need."
I leave her and scoop Barima up exiting out the back door. I walk with the body for about a mile when I come across a murky marsh. Green algae blankets the top and lush grass and cattails emerge from within it's depths. Well enough. I shrug to myself and toss Barima from my shoulder into the marsh. I watch with a morbid humor as she vanishes beneath the dark, frothy water. I still don't remember her, but I'm glad to be rid of the jealous little fool.
I walk back to the house to join Sera and Axar, my mood exceptionally jovial. I have Sera all to myself now. I was right to go with my gut earlier, as this worked out just as I had hoped. Now Sera will see what she is and cling to me for guidance afraid to stray. I can work with all of this, especially Axar. I will manipulate him into lashing out at Sera, and then I'll come save the day. It was well worth the trip here.