Moon's Rite

Sonya

Sonya liked to travel, but Tony was fairly certain her cousin could be found easily enough. She skimmed through the latest social media posts and found Sonya hip deep in Cambridge University students. The obvious excess and vice was just typical.

But at least she didn't have far to go.

She caught the next train from Paris to Great Britain and arrived a little before midnight that same evening. Then didn't have to do much asking around at all before she found her cousins haunt for the night. Half the female population hated Sonya's guts for tempting away a boyfriend or two and the rest were absolutely in love with her. The male population had reversed statistics for similar reasons.

Tony slipped into the classy club, tugging her leather jacket straight. She was only slightly underdressed for the place as the only one in jeans. But her boots and silk blouse were classy enough to let her slide. No one said anything, even when she stopped in the middle of the walkway and began eyeing the shadowy places where a Vampire could unobtrusively get a bite to eat. Then she rolled her eyes when she realized she was looking in the wrong places. Cousin Sonya was, in fact, center stage.

Literally.

She sang a French song of unrequited love in sultry tones from the stage of the club. Sonya's voice caressed the air like a lover, much like her hand delicately sliding across the top of the grand piano. Her fingertips trailed off the piano and through the air to slide a lock of blonde tresses out of her face, then down to toy with the diamonds wrapping her throat. The dark blue satin sheathing her body shimmered in the stage lights and left little to the imagination.

Tony smirked and picked her way through the enraptured crowds to the bar. She slid up onto a stool and ordered a glass of wine. The crystal glass was delivered with a soft smile by the woman running the bar. Tony smiled back as she pushed payment and a hefty tip across the bar.

"Quite the voice she's got."

The bartender huffed in amusement. "Bit of an entitled bitch though." She grinned when Tony laughed and turned away to make more orders, leaving Tony on her own once more.

Tony scooped up her glass and turned in her seat to look back out at the stage, lounging casually back with one elbow on the bar and one leg crossed over the other. She found Sonya's gaze fixed on her and the slightest hint of fear in her eyes. Tony lifted her glass in silent salute and took a sip. Sonya blinked and continued her performance, voice never wavering despite having obviously been unsettled.

Tony was content to patiently wait and make idle chit chat with the bartender as she sipped her wine. There was no need to go making a scene. Not unless it became absolutely necessary.

Sonya sang a couple more songs, then excused herself from the stage with a winning smile. Tony finished off her second glass of wine and slipped off her stool to follow her cousin. People moved out of her way in the club and no one stopped her after she pushed through the doors marked 'employees only'. Her progress was completely unhindered in her quest towards her goal.

She politely rapped twice on the dressing room door before pushing inside and scanning the place, quickly finding Sonya. There were only two other performers in the room and they were absorbed in whatever gossip they were trading. Tony doubted her conversation with Sonya would even draw their attention.

Her cousin met her eyes in the well lit vanity mirror as Tony stopped just behind and a little to her left. There was wary curiosity in Sonya's pretty blue eyes. After all, when the second in line to the Vampire throne seeks you out, the only real options are that something is really good or really bad. There just isn't much room for a middle ground.

Tony's smile was carefully devoid of hints as she greeted her cousin. "Sonya."

"Whatever you think I did, it wasn't me."

Tony grinned. "So you haven't bewitched a single person in the last twenty four hours?"

Sonya flushed, though she tried to cover it by touching up her mascara. "Like you've never done anything a little morally grey for the sake of a little fun." She glared at Tony in the mirror as she put away the mascara and reached back to adjust the jeweled comb in her hair.

"I've got nothing against being a little bad," Tony said in a soft, dangerous tone. She deftly took the comb, smirking when Sonya flinched. "But a potential threat to my family is more than I can turn a blind eye to."

Sonya's perfectly shaped brows furrowed as Tony finished replacing the comb in her blonde hair. "Who's threatening our family?"

Tony sighed, dropping her hands to Sonya's shoulders. She took in every minute detail she could. Temperature, pulse, tension. Any hint that Sonya was telling lies as she leaned in over her cousins' shoulder. "I was hoping you could help me answer that question. You see, it recently came to my sisters' attention that someone is making a play for the throne."

Sonya's face relaxed, eyes hardening. "And I suppose I made the list of possible suspects." Tony's answering smile was all that was needed. Sonya scowled. Then her shoulders relaxed. "Yeah, I suppose I'd suspect me too under the circumstances."

Tony let go of Sonya's shoulders and quit looming, tugging a stool over from a neighboring vanity to sit. The move leveled the playing field a bit and had them facing each other as equals rather than investigator and suspect. Tony could see Sonya noticed and appreciated the move.

"Look," Tony started, "I know we've always been at odds. But let's be honest with each other. The Vampire throne is more work than it's worth and I happen to know you prefer the easy life. I mean, I thank the Sire on a daily basis I'm second born."

The concession earned a giggle from Sonya. Tony smirked, propping an elbow on the vanity and leaning in, her voice low and tone urgent. "Yes, you're the most likely candidate given the circumstances, but the fact that you asked who was threatening 'our' family without hesitation makes me think I haven't been giving you quite the respect you deserve."

Sonya opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, then closed it again when a delivery man came up to them with a package and a flower arrangement. The man smiled as he set the vase of flowers on the vanity between the women and offered a clipboard to sign. Sonya took the pen to sign for the gifts with a smile, exchanging pleasantries with the man. Tony was focused on the bouquet of purple and white trumpet shaped flowers.

Her attention snapped back to Sonya at the sound of ripping brown paper and she snatched the package before her cousin could fully open it. The yelp of surprise didn't faze her in the slightest as she got to her feet and started for the back door of the club and the alley beyond.

"Tony, what are you doing?!"

Tony didn't spare a glance behind her as she shoved through people in a hurry. "You don't do much gardening do you? Or hang out with any witches on a regular basis."

Sonya hitched up the hem of her floor length dress as Tony burst out the back door and cast about for the nearest dumpster. Sonya tread carefully through the dirt and grime of the alley in her expensive shoes, the concentration dividing her attention enough to keep her response clipped. "Not really. Why?"

Spotting a metal container already overflowing with garbage, Tony hurried for it. "That bouquet was comprised mainly of Belladonna, Hemlock, and Angels Trumpets. All of which are poisonous. Seems to me opening up a package from someone who sent you death threat flowers is a bad idea."

And just to emphasize Tony's point, the package blew up.