SERAPHIC BLISS

31. A Monumental Warzone

"Does she usually cry like this?" asks Myla , pressing two elegant fingers to Ken's forehead.

Elizabeth holds her at arm length , wincing as she opens her mouth completely with newly developed teeth, pearls in miniature and says "She is teething , i think Martha hasn't noticed yet. It's normal"

"Can't we tranquilise her?"

Elizabeth sighs , wistfully and continues moving the small bundle of furious discontent on her lap. Vincent is currently sitting on a singular armchair as far away from Kendra as possible. His legs crossed and eyes narrowed at the sound.

With a lot of convincing , Martha had agreed to let Elizabeth and Vincent handle Kendra while they went to celebrate their one year anniversary for a quiet dinner.

She cries an awful lot , as it turns out.

Kendra Woodward is incomparable to the red faced new born they met a few months ago , she is blessed with thick blonde hair , similar to Elizabeth which grow upwards in celestially stubborn curls. There is a distinct Woodward about her expression , a wide nose , soft blue eyes , a thin mouth-like Martha's gene pool and a pointed chin.

Myla occasionally drops in , helping them find the inhuman breathing cadaver who delivered a human organ a few months ago to Elizabeth's residence. Till now , they have came to no conclusion , Myla is now a familiar face , that lingers around for tea , sarcastic remarks and sexual innuendoes towards both , Vincent and Elizabeth.

"Tell me , Elizabeth. Do you ever dress up? I mean , besides the jumpers and geeky t-shirts? You have exceptional bone structure" she whistles lowly "those collarbones"

Elizabeth awkwardly caresses Kendra's hair in order to calm the child "last time i dressed up , really dressed up was when i was getting married oh and when i was hoping to confront my father about the deliberate death of my own child-but i was kidnapped by someone" Her gaze narrows down to Vincent who shifts his eyes , in order to avoid the confrontation.

"We are still looking for him Mr. Cushing , my resources are limited after...."

Myla crosses her legs and cuts him off mid sentence "After you abandoned Lucas's his lover and treated her poorly? And believed a newcomer? Who you know very little about? I'm surprised you're not incapacitated"

Vincent scoffs "lover? He doesn't love , he obsesses and after he's done solving the mystery , the bodies don't even get a burial. And i am left behind to clean up the messes. I'm surprised she is still breathing"

"Oh , " Myla takes a drag from her freshly lit cigarette "Victoria's alive alright , more than alive. He returned the funds he had taken , and , the dress-she wore to slaughter her first rival , in front of him, a twisted definition of love , I'd say. With a letter too-which could be implemented as a poem at this point. " She exhales the smoke "If I'm being honest , those two , are far from lovers , they are something else...."

Elizabeth observes her through low lids "She is not with him?"

"no , she is not. He is Iran and probably will be for some time , assassinations , murder and all" She smiles "It was quite the drunken weekend , when she received it. "

"Is she still....?"

"Furious to the brink of Homicidal? yes "

Vincent interrupts , "I don't understand , that's unlike him. He wouldn't-"

"On the contrary , it's like the phrase Americans like to include... 'expect the unexpected' ? That man , it seems from the letter has truly mastered the arts of Romantics-and well....creative murder" she lifts her fingers to her lips to take another drag "but that's besides the point"