Feral Bonds

Chapter 15

Natania waited until Vincent was really getting on her nerves before taking out the lighter she had snagged from the half demon. Scolding Lily over something, she didn't know what and neither of them would tell her, to the point where she had disappeared for two days, had been the last bit of motivation she needed. They were all acting like nothing had happened, but Lily had been quiet the last few days.

She started subtly, lighting some of the candles, thankfully decorative and not scented, that lined the hallways. What did it matter if she was just really bad at getting it on the first try, only when Vincent was in the room, of course. "What are you doing?" Lily whispered, appearing behind Natania as she 'struggled' to get a candle to light.

Natania grinned at her and inclined her head at Vincent. Clink. The vampire master scowled at her, but didn't stop his conversation with Ray. Lily put her hand over her mouth to cover her laugh. After that, Lily started supplying her with more lighters, all with various, but equally irritating, sounds. Her favourite was the one that sounded like a little mini jet. Whatever punishment she would get was worth having Lily back to her normal cheerful self.

She slowly started finding more excuses for things to light. Candles, incense, the barbeque, broiling a marshmallow. It was getting cold out, why not have a little bonfire inside? Since she still wasn't allowed out.

It took about two weeks for Vincent to finally lose his cool. Natania was fumbling with another candle, and then the lighter was out of her hands, pinned against the wall by Vincent's dagger. Lighter fluid dripped down the blade, leaking onto the carpet. She turned around and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Natania," Vincent growled, "come here."

Natania struggled to keep her face neutral as she approached him. "Yes?" she said, then coughed to cover a laugh.

He handed her a small box. Natania flipped it around in her hands. It was a box of cigarettes. "I don't smoke," she said, slightly confused.

"I'm aware," he said through gritted teeth. "Every time you hear that fucking lighter sound, you're going to put one of these out on your wrist."

Natania pulled one out and lit it with one of the other lighters she kept in her pocket. She took a drag, just to see, then coughed at the rancid feel of it. "Gods, people like these things?"

"They do," he growled. "Enjoy."

She put the burning tip against her wrist. There was a hissing sound, and a sharp pain, but it wasn't so bad to make her regret fucking with him. Natania shrugged. It was a preferable punishment to being locked in a box. "Okay," she said.

Vincent frowned at her reaction and she raised an eyebrow. "Am I supposed to be begging for forgiveness here?" She patted him on the shoulder, probably pushing her luck. "I'd be less of a pain in your ass, if you were less of a control freak."

"You'd be less of a pain in my ass," he replied dryly, "if I left you downstairs to rot."

Natania laughed. "That is a definitive fact," she agreed. "But then nobody here would be honest with you, they'd all just stroke your ego."

Vincent took one of the other lighters out of her pocket and flicked it open. "Don't push your luck."

〰

"You just can't help getting into trouble, can you?" Lily asked.

"Of course not," Natania said cheerily. If Lily started stressing about the punishment, it would defeat the purpose of her having done it. "It's in my nature. There's a devil on my shoulder constantly egging me on." She spread her hands and shrugged. "Don't worry, I used to do it to my father all the time too. If ripping my throat out wasn't enough deterrent, then this won't be either."