Hellfire

Interval Seventeen

Lucius stood gazing at the mountain of rubble that had once been the Swansong, his eyes tracing the smoke lifting up in pillars from the remains and the bats of various vampires streaking across the night sky. He could smell blood with the dust, the tar-like ash of the parasite that still tried to cling to his lungs and slacken his magic, and the sense of death hung heavily in the air. Within that mountain, the melted remains of the parasites and sorcerers lay quietly. Lamia were currently working with the rubble, digging tunnels and shifting every inch in search of the dead for the vampires to identify. It was vital. The witch may have been so broken he'd found nothing in her, but that didn't mean the other parasites wouldn't hold anything that would point to whoever had done this.

He breathed heavily, letting out a rush of mist. Despite knowing that identifying the one who had made that parasite was vital, every inch of him was just desperate to go back home and be close to Susan again. It made him tense, making him itch to prowl and flex, his teeth full and his body full of sexual wanting. He needed to be by her. Her touch haunted him, his tongue hungering her blood, and a strong desire to prove he knew and meant every word he'd said was dogging him. She had denied him, not out of disinterest, he felt her initial flood of pleasure when he spoke of his love for her, but out of fear and her instinctive reaction to protect herself.

Lucius tightened his jaw and growled softly at the fear written over her. It upset him she saw herself as the same monster that had destroyed the Swansong. She feared the vampire in him and herself, the violent attraction and desire for blood, and feared his addiction, his intentions, his feelings, and what she was now. He wanted to shred those thoughts from her, reassure her she was not that creature she painted herself as, that she was beautiful and fiercely loving, but he knew it was impossible. Old and new traumas clouded her thicker than ever, whispering to her she was the now the villain who had slaughtered her family and that she'd do the same to theirs – that his drive to eat her was the same drive that made him share himself. Despite all her fire, Susan was fragile and defended herself by closing herself away until she could no longer ignore the problem, something Lucius was very aware of. He couldn't force her to trust his decision or love who she was now. He could only patiently shadow her in her self-acceptance, and turn his focus onto what he could do - showing her his love was true and he posed no threat to her like he did before.

He tongued his swollen teeth, sensing the difference in his hunger so clearly. It wasn't the addiction, he knew that for certain now. The pain that had plagued him for years was lifted, and instead nothing but sexual hunger gripped them, desperate to bite into her, taste her, and fill her with his lust. But he couldn't, not for a month. He was a patient man, but his body hungered hers desperately. He'd already gone over two weeks without her in any form - no blood, no bites, no sex. A further month was going to test his control heavily, especially knowing he could seduce her so easily, but it was something he was determined to do. A ferocity was in his blood. Finally, he could fight her openly rather than hide in the shadows.

Oliver appeared by him, smiling widely but it failed to reach his eyes. A guarded air was about him.

'Boss.' He welcomed and paused only briefly, clearly expecting Lucius to say something but was met by silence. 'We've found the dead,' He continued hesitantly. 'But it's as you said. They're so tangled up in one another that it's difficult to tell who is who.' He flicked open his notebook. 'We've found something though. A basement in a small townhouse, or more a torture den. Think they were made and held there.' Oliver added with distaste. 'Alistair locked it down and is assessing the blood now, but I don't know if you want to do it yourself. Elliot's with him. A beastie nose might pick up something different.'

Lucius continued to observe the remains of the Swansong. 'No names of who's done this?'

'None. We're looking still.' He tilted is head to the gaping tunnel the lamia had made. 'Tabitha's inside.' He paused. 'Witches too.'