Lover

[Nella Fantasia]

Eve had been so deep in thought, she didn't hear Samir enter or even walk up to her. She continued to finger the marbles, her thoughts drifting over to the king and the rest of Namor, what she would do when she finally took the throne, and who would be punished in the most severe of ways for their betrayal.

"My Lady?"

His words startled her so much, Eve jumped, spinning around quickly. Probably too quickly for she knocked into the table, causing the marbles to roll and hit the stone floor one at a time. Plink. Plink. Plink. Her heart leaped to her throat as she heard the noise, terrible memories flooding over her. Suddenly to her he didn't look like the Samir she knew; but like a vampire.

"No!" Eve shouted, grabbing a hold of his shirt on his chest and pushing him away.

 

[MissCellaFane]

Samir was caught off guard at her outburst, taking a step backwards in surprise as she shoved him with her good hand. His brow furrowed. What was wrong with her? She was acting as though she expected him to attack her! Had the bonding ritual really changed nothing? She was still going to be wary and suspicious of him? Well, he wasn't going to take it anymore.

Frustrated at always having to defend himself, he slammed the apple onto the table behind her, causing more marbles to fall off the table. "Stop it, Eve!" He shouted, grabbing her good arm to keep her from striking out at him again, not even caring if that made her even more fearful. "Just stop it! What is the matter with you!? What did I do to make you fearful of me!? I've done nothing but be your faithful companion and yet you treat me like a villain simply waiting for the right time to turn on you!"

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Samir's outburst didn't help any. As he advanced towards Eve, slamming the apple down on the table, it made her jump. Her good hand went for the edge of the table to steady herself, but it was only there for a second before Samir grabbed it firmly, causing a shot of pain to go up her arm. She winced, not only at the sudden pain but from his yelling. She had never heard him yell at her before!

"But you are!" Eve yelled back, not really knowing what she was saying herself. She attempted to free her arm by fiercely pulling at his grip, to no avail. "I've seen it! I've seen it with my own two eyes! You're going to betray me just like everyone else!" With that final burst of energy, she was able to pull away from him, but it knocked her back into the table.

 

[MissCellaFane]

He could tell he'd frightened her. She struggled to free herself from his grip and for a moment he pitied her. Only able to fight him off with one hand, her struggles were quite ineffective. "But you are!" She yelled back at him. "I've seen it! I've seen it with my own two eyes! You're going to betray me just like everyone else!"

So she did believe it of him! Even though he'd been right, the fact that she admitted it still stunned him. His grip relaxed somewhat and she was able to free herself. She fell back against the table, caught off balance by her sudden release. He recovered quickly, placing his hands on the table on either side of her, trapping her between the table behind her and the wall of a vampire in front. It was time to stop playing games. His face inches from hers, he stared into her eyes, his dark ones ablaze with indignation. "What do you mean, you've seen it?" He demanded in a low growl. "I wasn't aware you could predict the future." He added sarcastically.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

For once Eve's eyes dared to even show a hint of vulnerability as Samir pinned her against the table...just like her dream. Her hand went up to his shirt, gripping it tightly...just like in her dream. And she felt confused, weakened by his forceful presence, so much so that she doubted she could defend herself...just like in her dream. Her blue eyes widened as she stared into his dark ones. She saw that fire, and it was probably then she realized he wasn't some puppet she might be able to control like she had once thought.

She struggled to get her thoughts together, her own surprise and fear making it hard for her to concentrate. "It was exactly like this," Eve finally said, slowly in a whisper. "I had a dream. It was like this." She knew she was repeating herself, but it was still so hard to think. She could feel her blood rushing, her heart beating, and she wondered if he could feel it too. "You came up to me, pinned me back against a table, and-" She stopped, her gaze moving away from his eyes and down to his lips where she knew fangs hid behind.

 

[MissCellaFane]

Samir would never, in a thousand years, have guessed this was the reason she feared him. A dream? She clutched at his shirt and he could feel her hand trembling, her eyes wide and vulnerable. He'd never known her to be vulnerable. Her voice was barely a whisper. "You came up to me, pinned me back against a table, and-"

His heart leapt. And what? What had he done to her in her dream? He saw her eyes dart to his lips and immediately understood. He'd bitten her. He'd stood over her, just like he was doing now, and unleashed the blood-thirsty beast within him. No wonder she was fearful. He should have realized. Yes, she acted tough and unafraid. But he had had enough experience with humans to know that he would always be feared. Always.

His face relaxed slightly, his eyes losing some of their fire as he stared at her. Her face was white, the scars on her face prominent in the moonlight behind her, her whole body tense. A vein in her temple pulsed rapidly, betraying her wildly beating heart. "Eve." He whispered, his voice no longer threatening, but stern. He had to make her understand. "You have every right to be afraid of me. My kind has always been known for their ruthlessness and violence. And when you found me, I was no different from them." He gazed into her eyes, still keeping her trapped so she had no choice but to look at him. "But I happen to believe you changed me. Meeting you, being allowed to help you in your mission, showed me there was more to my life than the endless bloodshed of victims. Believe me when I say, I would never, never, harm you." To make his point, he eased back away from her, ever so slightly, letting his arms drop to his sides so that she would be free to move if she wanted. "Never." he repeated, cursing himself for what he was. But there was nothing he could do to change that. There was no going back, and if Eve wasn't willing to accept him for what he was, then he would have no choice but to leave her. For he was unwilling to live his life trying to be a companion to someone who was constantly watching him, waiting for him to sink his fangs into her flesh.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Eve suddenly felt stupid. She knew it was only a dream, and although dreams may hold more to those who truly believed, to her they were nothing but that...dreams. She should have known Samir would never turn on her. She'd never even considered it until she stepped foot onto this land. By coming here she had unleashed the memories, fear, and doubts in her that had once been when she was a little girl. Being away she could be strong, but here her heart was so vulnerable.

She physically and mentally relaxed, but didn't let go of Samir's shirt, although her grip lessened considerably. She stared at him, her heartbeat slowing to a regular rate. It was hard for her to believe, yet she wanted to, her heart wanted to so badly.

After a few minutes had passed, Eve took a small step forward, hesitating, then continued until she was close to him again. Then she leaned forward, resting her forehead on his chest and closed her eyes. She might have actually found someone, someone, who wouldn't betray her; who actually remained by her side. And she didn't want that feeling to go away.

 

[MissCellaFane]

Samir stared at her for the longest time, waiting for her reaction. Would she yell? Run away? Slap him as she had Roden? She hadn't let go of his shirt, but he noticed her grip had relaxed somewhat. Perhaps that was a good sign.

Finally, she moved, stepping forward until she was directly in front of him, having to tilt her head upwards to see into his eyes. And then, to Samir's great surprise, she closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his chest. For a moment, he was too shocked to move. She had never initiated any kind of contact with him before. Could he possibly have finally convinced her he was no threat?

He swallowed, looking down into her hair. And then slowly, hesitantly, he slipped his arms around her back, pulling her to him. He rested the side of his jaw on the top of her head, closing his eyes. Relief began to flood through his chest when, as he tightened his embrace, she didn't pull away. Finally she believed. He didn't know how he had convinced her. But finally, there was one person in this world who would see him for who he was and not what he was. Whether she would still feel this way in the morning, he wasn't sure. But for now, at least, she trusted him and it felt good.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

At first Eve tensed when she felt Samir wrap his arms around her. But then she realized he was only...holding her. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she pressed more into him. In response, Samir's hold became tighter. It was hard for her to explain those feelings at that moment. She couldn't remember having been held like that for a long, long time. In fact, the last time anyone had touched her so gently was her mother who had kissed her goodbye being plummeting from the tower.

It felt so liberating, so secure. Eve didn't want it to end. She parted her lips and inhaled his scent, which was sweet. So very sweet. "Samir..." She whispered, not too sure if she was actually expecting him to respond or just saying his name in the moment.

But whatever it was, it caught her attention. She realized what she was doing, and although she had to admit she was enjoying it, it was still...extremely foreign to her. Slowly she pulled away from his arms, staring up into his eyes. She found her cheeks growing red, flushing significantly, and she quickly turned away from him, back to facing the table.

As Eve kneeled down to pick up the marbles, she cleared her throat and then spoke, her voice louder than it had been in awhile. "I need to get this done..." It was obvious she was a little embarrassed. Just a little.

 

[MissCellaFane]

Samir thought he heard her whisper his name as she sighed, leaning into him. He smiled, her small frame tucked against him. It was then she stiffened slightly and began to pull away slowly, not afraid, but simply a little embarrassed. Her cheeks flushed as she looked up at him, her eyes searching his. He let her draw away from him and offerred her a reassurring grin. This, however, only seemed to make her blush deepen and she turned away, clearing her throat. "I have to get this done." She said, kneeling down to pick up the marbles that had fallen off the table.

The spell of the moment broken, Samir found himself clearing his throat as well as he remembered what it was he had come upstairs to give her. The sling for her arm. He bent down and picked up the sling that he had dropped onto the floor. "Here, let me do that." He said, his voice sounding loud to him after the whispers of the last few moments. He began picking up marbles with his right hand and held out the sling with his left. "I made you something for your arm. Put it on. It'll help, I think."

 

[Nella Fantasia]

"Here let me do that." Eve bit her bottom lip as Samir began picking up the few other marbles she hadn't gotten to yet. Granted, he was being helpful, but after showing off how intense her vulnerability was, she just wanted to do things by herself.

As she was about to stand, a hand suddenly came into her view with a white cloth grasped in it. "I made you something for your arm," Samir said. "Put it on. It'll help, I think."

Eve looked over at him and slowly reached out her hand to grab it. She then quickly stood to her feet, setting the marbles down onto the table and looking over at the white cloth. It was a sling. She glanced at him and smirked. "You always do know what I need."

Throwing it around her left shoulder, she attempted to slip her arm through before realizing she couldn't move it. So, she allowed the sling to just rest on her shoulder while trying to force her dead arm into the hole...with no luck. Frustrated she looked over at him again.

"Do you mind?"

 

[MissCellaFane]

Samir fought back the sudden urge to laugh, but couldn't help the twinkle in his eye as he looked up at her from his kneeling position on the floor. It must be killing her to ask him for help. Usually she was so independent.

He stood, grabbing the pullstring bag from the table that she kept the marbles in and letting the marbles in his hand fall into the bag before pulling it shut. He tossed the bag onto the table and reached for her dead arm. He opened up the sling and carefully placed her arm into it, gently adjusting the strap on her shoulder so that the sling fit more snugly. As he did so, he couldn't help but feel that if only they had had this conversation earlier in the day, she wouldn't have felt the need to perform the ritual and she would have full use of both arms. But then, perhaps it was because of that ritual that she had felt the freedom so speak with him so openly and he had been able to convince her of his loyalty.

When the sling was properly adjusted, he stepped back, admiring his work. He then met her gaze. "So? Any luck finding something to help with that poison?"

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Eve watched as Samir helped her arm into the sling, feeling weak, and suddenly missing her arm. At first she didn't think it would be so bad, but she had forgotten the loss of her pride. Independence was going to be harder now than before.

When he was finished, he stepped back to admire his work and Eve could start feeling the color in her cheeks rising. Then, to her pleasure, he changed the subject to something that she was much more comfortable with -- deadly potions. She allowed her body to relax, able to forget momentarily about the last several minutes of awkwardness.

She looked to the poison on the table and sighed. "No. It would have been disgraceful for anyone dealing with black magic in Necromion to lessen the affects of a dangerous drug. It literally just doesn't exist in my knowledge or spell book. I might need a little more help." Her eyes turned to meet his. "I might have to find a sorcerer here in Namor."

 

[MissCellaFane]

Samir was grateful she let him change the subject. While it was a great relief to have finally settled the mistrust between them, their mission still loomed before them and it was best to concentrate on it now.

He let out a sharp breath through his nose at her statement as if in disbelief. "Finding a sorcerer in a city this large shouldn't be a problem. Finding a sorcerer with enough skill to alter that poison correctly?" He shook his head, letting the question answer itself. He stepped past her over to the table where the flask of poison sat. He picked it up, running his fingers along the smooth surface of the flask, eyeing the deep purple liquid inside. "And then there's the added task of convincing him to do it and keeping him quiet about it afterwards."

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Of course Eve had thought of that, but what other options did she have? This was her only chance to get rid of that pig! If she didn't do it now, she might never again have the chance.

"I know. I know." Eve fingered the edge of the table, staring at it. "But I don't know what else to do. I could always try to attempt it, but it wouldn't hurt to at least look first." She looked up at Samir, making eye contact. "Especially now. The festivities are going on. We'll hardly be noticed."

 

[MissCellaFane]

Samir nodded. He saw her point. They only had a limited amount of time before the festivities ended and then their treks through the city would draw more attention. He glanced out the window, eyeing the night sky. Two of the moons had yet to rise. The night was still young. "Then let's get going. I'll get my cloak."

He turned and made his way downstairs, not needing to look back to know that Eve was following him. He didn't need his cloak, of course, as it was night now. But some people, if they looked close enough, might be able to recognize the difference in his eyes, might catch a glimpse of his fangs if he were to speak. He couldn't chance that. He slipped his cloak over his shoulders and, before pulling the hood over his head, gave Eve a small wink. "Are you ready?" He asked, when his face was hidden again.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Eve grinned when Samir agreed, well into the idea of going out to search among the party goers. She quickly began to follow before realizing the vile of poison still rested on the table. Turning back, she grabbed it, her spell book, and the several other ingredients she had taken out from her pouch and put them in a safe place around her waist. It wouldn't do good for someone to come in only to find all her prized possessions.

Once she was sure they were secure, Eve took the stairs two at a time, coming into the main living area only to find Samir putting on his cloak. He turned to wink at her. "Are you ready?"

Her heart jumped. She loved when he was excited as she was. Of course, he kind of had to be. She didn't know of anyone else who would travel all the way to the forbidden city as an attempt to kill the king. It would have been so much boring if she had come alone.

"Of course," Eve said with a smirk as she followed him outside.

She only took a few steps before suddenly stopping, looking over at him with her eyes wide. "That's it!" She then moved closer to him to whisper just in case anyone was around to hear. "I remember someone who might be able to help. Come on." With that she quickly moved.

 

[MissCellaFane]

Samir followed dutifully. He had no idea where they were going, but knew Eve did. She led them down a few alleys and across some of the busier streets. As they moved into a slightly rundown part of the city, Samir noticed that in this city, those who preferred the night life here were people of the drunk and disorderly persuasion. A couple of bar fights had been taken out into the streets, both men intent on beating one another to a bloody pulp. He noticed quite a few black market deals going on outside one well-lit tavern, the inside of which was full of scantily-clad women and inebriated men all cheering loudly at some sort of entertainment going on inside. Samir kept a careful eye on his surroundings, not nervous, just watchful. These people were nothing compared to the troublemakers in Necromion.

Eve, however, seemed oblivious to all this, so intent was she on reaching her destination. Finally she stopped outside a dimly-lit apothecary. The wooden sign hanging above the door was cracked with age and covered in ancient runes, in the center of which was a carving of a serpent wrapped around an hourglass. Samir stopped as well. He could barely see a tall, skinny man locking up store cupboards through the dirty windows. "A friend of yours?" Samir asked Eve, eyeing the man through the glass.

 

[Nella Fantasia]

Eve stopped abruptly once they reached their destination, staring at the man inside intensely. He was still here, so that was a good sign. It might mean the other man she was searching here had remained in Namor as well. Maybe. He hadn't been caught and banished with her and her teacher. He was able to escape without detection. She couldn't say if it had lasted for these twenty years or not. It was almost too much to hope for.

"A friend of yours?" Samir asked.

"Not really. But he could end up being." Eve went to the corner, close to the door, and leaned into the wall. She glanced at Samir. "I need you to go inside. Tell him you're looking for Newlyn. He should know who you're talking about. Get his whereabouts, even if you have to threaten it out of him. But just try not to make a scene. I really don't want to have to kill him."

 

[MissCellaFane]

Samir grinned beneath his hood. "Your wish is my command." He murmured. He didn't like the idea of leaving her out here by herself, but figured it wouldn't take long for him to get the information he needed.

Entering the apothecary, his sense of smell was assaulted with the scents of spices and herbs, the air thick and musty. The skinny man looked over at Samir and grunted. "We're closed."

Samir stopped a few feet from the counter and said, "I'm not looking for goods. I'm looking for information. I was led to believe you might know the whereabouts of a certain sorcerer....Newlyn?"

He saw the man's eyes shift slightly at the name and knew instantly that he was correct. "You believe everything you hear then? I don't know any Newlyn, son. Perhaps you'd better find more reliable sources."

"No, my sources are fine. Now tell me about Newlyn." Samir asked again.

The skinny man stopped his task and walked to where Samir was standing, the counter between them. "I told you, I don't know any Newlyn. And we're closed."

Brave little man, this. Samir couldn't help but be amused. He was twice this guy's size and yet the little man was staring him down. With lightning quickness, Samir reached out and grabbed the man's tunic, pulling him so his upper torso was hanging over the counter, the man's shocked face inches from his own. "And I told you, I'm not buying anything!" He growled. "Now tell me what I want to know or you just might find you won't be selling anything ever again."

The man's eyes grew wide. "All right! All right! I might know something! Let go of me!" He hissed indignantly.

Samir let his grip relax somewhat, but kept ahold of the man's shirt. "Keep talking."

"Well," The man said, hesitating. "I said I might know. But it's going to cost something."

"Yes. Yes, I believe it will cost something." Samir said simply, enjoying the man's impertinence. He gripped the man's shirt again, this time with both hands and lifted him into the air, smashing him down on his back on the counter and sliding him along it, knocking off vials of liquid and bowls of powder onto the ground causing quite a mess. When they reached the end of the counter, Samir let the man's head drop off the side and then pinned his shoulders to the counter with one hand while he brandished his dagger in front of the man's face with the other. "Let's see." He said conversationally. "I think an ear should be enough payment. Or perhaps an eye, if that isn't enough."

The man struggled against Samir's grip. "Fine! Fine! I'll tell you what you want to know, now let go of me!" He shouted, his tone of voice still slightly irritated even though it was clear he was afraid.

Samir let the man up and watched as he straightened his tunic before speaking. "If it was that important to you, you should have said so." The man said, then, seeing he was on dangerous ground, he went on. "Newlyn is staying in an old abandoned fort ruin on the south side of the city. I don't know what he does there, but he likes to keep to himself and people around these parts believe that fort is haunted so they don't go knocking."

"Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Samir asked, turning and striding towards the door. "Sorry about the mess." He added. He heard quite a few choice swear words erupt from the skinny man's mouth at Samir's back before the door closed. Samir put his hand on Eve's shoulder, steering her south. "I've got it. Let's go."