When Demons Are Redeemed: The Dominant's Muse

Eleven - Master Tristan's Totem Entry

ELEVEN

Master Tristan’s Totem Entry

A half hour after the end of the concert, Tristan leaves his dressing room, walks towards Catherine, and stops a mere few inches before her. From there, he maintains her look for a moment, before moving in even closer by guiding his nose to align next to hers. From this stance, he then takes a few unaltered breaths, whereas her breathing, by contrast, accelerates, since she does not know what he wants, and, most importantly, since whatever it is that he does next, it  will be undertaken from such closeness.

Since the action that follows such a calm of Tristan’s is sometimes anything but calm, Catherine's body prepares for the worse. But this time, however, after being so very still while so very close, as if he had to be allowed in, he brings his mouth to hers and kisses her, with his lips first embracing hers, before his tongue takes over and joins hers for a much deeper embrace. When he pulls back and walks away a moment later, he says nor does nothing more.

What was that kiss for? Catherine wonders. It is not that Tristan does not ever kiss her, but that there is usually something more, and that a kiss is never the star of the show, as it was just now.

What Catherine does not know is that the woman whom she attempted to smear before the concert is standing a few feet behind her, and that Tristan saw her there. Since so little that Catherine says or does, or that is said or done to Catherine, is not reported back to Tristan, he therefore knew what he was doing, kissing Catherine for this female to see, since he was told of the women’s earlier interaction.

Rudy must now stop this angry employee's hand in mid-air, as she is about to strike Catherine from behind.

“Take care of it,” Tristan instantly commands, without looking back, having sensed the move as well as its prevention. He then enters a different room in order to have a word with a few men there.

When Rudy  immediately drags the woman away, she screams, so he places his hand over her mouth. When that does not work, he sends this hand to her neck and applies pressure there until she passes out. Fans and media, after all, are not far away from this restricted area, and so, she must be made to be quiet right away.

While Rudy has control of the would-be-attacker, Logan studies the corridor in order to confirm the absence of anyone that does not belong to Tristan’s world. He then studies the walls in order to verify an earlier report covering venue security. He soon sees that, just as discovered by the crew that always visits a location ahead of the tour’s arrival, and that uses electronic equipment in order to find anything of the spying-kind that might be hidden, there are no cameras there. 

“What are you doing?” Catherine asks. After turning to see the source of the screaming, she was instantly unhappy to see the woman forced to unconsciousness.

“I told you not to smear Tristan DNA,” Rudy replies, before slipping into a room and shutting the door.

“Logan!” Catherine beseeches. No further words are needed.

“You heard Tristan. Yours not to question why . . . ”

“Just to do or die,” she whispers.

“Something like that.”

“I shouldn’t be responsible for another death. He places more guilt upon my shoulders.”

“No. They’re his shoulders. And they’re broad shoulders.”

“She doesn’t deserve to die for just . . . How can anyone bear to work for him when . . .  How can anyone bear to exist in a world where doing so little can get one killed? It’s madness.”