Humanity at Stake (Completed)

Chapter 13

"I'm not gonna let the emotions take over
This probably won't end well, but maybe I can't tell" -"This Probably Won't End Well" by All That Remains

~~~~~~~

Quintavius sat with masked impatience as he waited for Xerxes, another Aristocrat, to show up. He sat at the end of a long table, his legs crossed as he swirled the last remaining sip of blood in his glass. As much as he hated to admit it, the taste seemed too bitter, and he would much rather have Nova's succulent flavor tantalizing his taste buds. He stared down at the swishing liquid, his mind straying to the last conversation he had had with his thrall. A twinge of pain shot through his chest. The bond is fading quicker than I predicted...

Then suddenly the floor to ceiling black doors parted, and Quintavius looked up to see Xerxes enter. He closed the doors behind him, before looking at Quintavius with a knowing smile.

"Good evening, Quintavius," he greeted politely, but his eyes danced with a mischievous fire. Quintavius raised an eyebrow, throwing back the last swallow of his drink. He downed it harshly before setting down the glass. The Aristocrat stood up from his seat, making his way to Xerxes.

"I've been told that you made an attempt at ending the mole's life?" Quintavius asked coolly as he neared the other man. Quintavius stood a few more inches taller than Xerxes, and he used this as an opportunity to tilt his head up, so he could look down at him.

"No, not really. I was just playing a game of teasing with the poor human. It just could have ended badly." Xerxes shrugged off the event. Quintavius' pointer finger twitched in anger. Xerxes caught the movement out of the corner of his eye, and he glanced downwards in amusement before looking back up.

"Yet, you took the chance of killing the only thing that is giving us up-to-date information on the resistance?" Quintavius questioned. Xerxes gave him a lazy grin. Quintavius' finger twitched again at his companion's dismissiveness.

"Who cares? She's just one human. If anything had happened, we could have sent another one in," Xerxes answered apathetically. Without control over his actions, Quintavius rushed forward in a blur, pushing the other Aristocrat up against a wall before picking him up by the throat. Xerxes features lit up in delight, and a lazy smile stretched across his face.

"She's a human that is giving us secrets we wouldn't receive otherwise. It took her months to gain the trust of the resistance, and we aren't going to throw it away because of your arrogance!" Quintavius snarled, digging his nails deeper into Xerxes throat. Red trickled down his neck, permeating the air with the sickly sweet smell of vampire blood. Xerxes gave him a roguish smirk, not at all bothered by the puncturing of his throat.

"Ah, ah, ah! Temper now, Quin. If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say this reaction means you love the girl!" he teased, his eyes twinkling with merriment.

"She's just a thrall!" he hissed out, his eyes flashing a dangerous glow. Xerxes tilted his head up, an evil smile donning his face.

"Why are you attempting to threaten me then?" Xerxes asked in a goading tone. Quintavius dropped him like he was on fire, sending him a scalding glare. "Anything else you need to speak to me about?" Xerxes asked. Quintavius stalked back towards the seat he was sitting in to begin with. He braced his hands against the edge of the table, allowing his hair to fall into his face.

"No. You may go, Xerxes."

"Good night, lover boy." Quintavius picked up his glass, chucking it towards the Aristocrat. The doors closed in time, the glass shattering loudly as it tinkled to the floor. On the other side of the door, he could hear Xerxes laughter bouncing off the walls. When he was sure the imp was out of hearing range, he sighed heavily, his hand gripping his chest as another painful wrack tore apart his insides. He stumbled at the magnitude, unwillingly forcing himself to kneel down to keep from falling.

"I shouldn't have sent her to be the mole..." he murmured, digging his nails into his skin in an attempt to draw away from the internal pain he was suffering. Blood welled to the surface before splatting quietly against the table. This was a bad idea...