A Scripta

After the movie, Rowena shooed her ghoul out and proceeded to speak in conversational Latin, a dialect that came from Iberia.  Kalius smiled, understanding everything she said. 

 

"The Sabbat has been quiet since Josef persuaded them to leave.  There was no strategic value in your house, Dimitrius."

 

"I've staked enough of them and their spies," Dmitrius said.  "They attacked at a moment of weakness.  Someone's actually read Sun Tsu."

 

"Rumors are that you went into torpor."

 

"I've heard.  They'll be dispelled soon enough."

 

Rowena looked at Kalius.  "What about him?"

 

"I can take care of myself," Kalius said in the same language. 

 

Rowena blinked.  "How do you know--"

 

Dmitrius chuckled, "I told you, Rowena, that he's my lover from Lucerna."

 

She looked at him, her head tilted curiously.  "Fascinating."

 

"The world is full of magic, Rowena.  I have seen it in action."

 

"Can you truly take care of--"  She suddenly moved off the couch from across the room with speed that rivaled Dmitrius', and Kalius reached out instinctively with his hand and caught her punch to his head.  She was very strong, but not as strong as Dmitrius.  She was mere inches away from him.  Under the perfume she wore, Kalius smelled decay, something he hadn't smelled with Dmitrius since he had been influenced by Grim's spell.  She had unnaturally sapphire blue eyes, and perfect white teeth.  She smiled at him, and removed her hand.  "--yourself," she completed.

 

"Yes, I can," Kalius said, bringing his arm down.  He had felt the surge of power, but it wasn't the same as Ares' power.  While Ares' power was like fire coursing through him, the power Grim had given him felt like molten lava, slower but hot.

 

She sat back.  "I can approve of this one," she said, looking up at Dmitrius.

 

Dmitrius raised an eyebrow.  "And you didn't approve of any others?"

 

She made a dismissive wave.  "They were dinner."

 

"True, that."  Dmitrius hugged Kalius.  "To be released of the confines of the blood, to have humanity back..."

 

"Don't wax poetic, Dimitrius.  You'll be composing sonnets again."

 

Kalius looked up at Dmitrius and smiled.  "You composed sonnets?"

 

Rowena nodded.  "To music."

 

"Rowena, that was in the 1500's."

 

"He went up against the Toreador pansy - who was that idiot?"

 

"Khurshed the Sun."

 

"Ugh, he was awful.  Flowers and trees, and birds singing...Dimitrius - well, Dimitri then - composed dark sonnets wishing to join his true love in, what did you call it, 'the black empty garden'."

 

"Well," said Kalius, and squeezed Dmitrius' thigh, "he did recite poetry for me."

 

Rowena looked up at Dmitrius with a slightly evil smile.  "Erotic poetry?"

 

He coughed embarrassedly. 

 

The door opened, saving him from further embarrassment.  A pretty woman peeked her head in.  "Mistress, one of your charges is here."

 

"Is it Mars?"

 

"Uh...yes."

 

"Ugh," she got up disgustedly.  "He doesn't fit in my feeding patterns anymore."

 

Dmitrius said, "I thought you were going to kick out that leech."

 

"I did.  He keeps coming back.  It's the Bond."

 

"Want me to get rid of him?"

 

She suddenly smiled.  "Yes, I think that would be good."

 

Kalius and Dmitrius followed her down the spiral staircase to the foyer.  Rowena walked up to a waifish young man and glared at him.  He seemed to cower under her gaze, but then quickly regained himself.  Dmitrius started walking forward, an arm around Kalius' waist. 

 

Rowena's voice carried through the foyer.  "What do you want now?"

 

"A few hundred dollars."

 

Said Dmitrius, "To get your next hit?"

 

Mars looked up at Dmitrius.  "I thought you were gone."

 

"I was."

 

Mars nodded at Kalius.  "New ghoul?"

 

"No," snapped Kalius.

 

"He is my Erastes," Dmitrius said.  "My partner and lover."

 

The waif laughed.  "You have any idea what you're getting into, man?  You'll be one of them in a month.  Dependent on them." 

 

Kalius advanced.  "I don't think so."

 

Dmitrius said, his voice a low rumble, "Why don't you get out while you still can?"

 

"Oh, sure, chase me out."  He started to the door.  "But I'll tell the papers - and the Sabbat - all about you."

 

Dmitrius suddenly smiled.  He turned to Rowena.  "Shall I perform my duties as your Sheriff?"

 

Rowena smiled.  "Oh, since the Prince's sherrif is...busy.  And you know what to do."  Rowena turned her back on him.

 

"Wait," said the young man, suddenly looking from one to the other and slowly going into panic mode, "what're you going to do?"

 

Dmitrius kissed Kalius and whispered in Greek, "You may not want to watch this."

 

Kalius looked up at him.  "I will watch, Eranamous."  Dmitrius smiled at that, and then turned to the young man. 

 

In a flash, he was across the room, suddenly standing between him and the door.  "It has been found that you threaten to expose the Masquerade.  The punishment for that is death."

 

"What?"

 

Dmitrius grabbed the young man and pushed him toward Rowena.  "Lady, is this your servant?"

 

"I know him not."

 

Mars tried to pull away.  "Wait, wait!"

 

Dmitrius' fangs descended and he bit savagely into the man's neck.  His screams filled the foyer, as Dmitrius moved his head back and forth over his neck, exposing a huge gaping wound and causing the maximum amount of pain possible.  Kalius watched, his arms crossed.  Rowena had turned around to watch also.  Some of her servants did, and some didn't.

 

No blood escaped the body to drip on the pristine white tiles or even on the man's clothing.  Kalius watched as the man's face went white, and his eyes lose their light.  Dmitrius didn't let go until a good five minutes went by.  He lifted his head, his fangs and mouth bloody, and the wound in the man's neck huge and ugly.  Kalius watched Dmitrius let the body slip out of his hands and thud to the floor.  Dmitrius focused his eyes on his lover, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

 

Rowena swept out of the room, as if she should have been wearing a gown.  "Dispose of that," she ordered.  Three servants bent at Dmitrius' feet and removed the body.  Dmitrius walked across the room and stood before Kalius, his head bowed.  Kalius smiled, and pulled him into an embrace.  Dmitrius smiled and relaxed, returning the hug. 

 

Rowena put in another movie, The Fountainhead.  She sat down and watched, discussing the finer points of how the self-made man thought he  was more important than the group.  Kalius and Dmitrius let her talk. 

 

Dmitrius could hear the birds, and knew that sunset wasn't too far off.  Rowena started fading, summoned a young man and drank from him.  She got up, her eyelids heavy.  "Shall we retire, Dimitrius?"

 

Dmitirus could stay up until the sun cleared the horizon.  He held onto Kalius as they went down a set of metal stairs to a deep, deep cellar.  At the end of the set of stairs was a room decorated in Tudor style, except for the lighting, which was electrical but simulated torches.  There was a TV down there, and a man wearing a shoulder holster sat in front of it.  "Good evening, mistress," he said, looking over his shoulder.  "Sheriff."

 

"Evening," Dmitrius replied.  On the other side of the room was a huge metal door that looked like a bank vault's.  Beyond that was a beautiful casket on a pedestal, and a futon next to it.  Dmitrius kissed Kalius as Rowena headed to the casket.  "Have a good day, love," Dmitrius said.

 

"Sleep well, eranamos."

 

One last kiss and embrace, and Dmitrius went into the room.  He closed the door from the inside, and Kalius heard locks click into place.