Lonely Monsters

twenty-six

In the background, someone was playing on the piano. Down one end of the table a man sat, sipping at a glass of wine. It was pink in color, and even from my distance I could smell the sweetness. It wasn't until I took a moment to absorb my surroundings that I felt... Hungry. There was hushed conversation as I was led to my seat. Someone pulled out my chair, I sat down and they pushed me in a bit.

A nymph poured me some water, and another offered me a wine..

"A bit early for me." I declined with a smile. The nymph bowed her head some, then moved on to the woman who had sent me through the floor.

Another nymph brought some small dish to me. I stared at it, trying to figure out what exactly it was. It looked like... a dessert. Like a fruit tart. It had a firm graham cracker like crust, with a filling made of something thick like cheesecake. When I used the small fork given to me to cut into it, the creamy part fell away, revealing it was whipped and fluffy. The fruit on top was dark and smelled sweet and had a floral tone to it.

"Do you not like it?" the person one end of the table addressed me. He eyed me over the rim of his wine glass. Dark eyes framed by long lashes. Mocha colored skin over toned features; prominent brow, high full cheeks, full lips and groomed facial hair that as neatly trimmed. The man looked South East Asian, or Pacific Islander most likely mixed from his darker skin tone and the nose that was similar in shape to mine. Broad, but with a slight button like shape.

The small movements he performed, reaching for his glass or motioning for a nymph said modesty and dignity. No movement was wasted; graceful, deliberate, executed with no harshness at the end.

He wore a muted blue shirt with a navy and royal pin striped vest. He had a fade up his temples and side burns, but the top of his head was full. Black that shone dark brown in the dimlight of the dining hall.

He looked like a regular guy, someone I would have gone to Highschool or College -- hell he looked like we could have been cousins once upon a time.

I fumbled with my fork, the bit of food flew off onto the carpet. Something darted out from beneath the table, devoured the scrap and scurried back into the shadows.

"Uhm..." I looked back at my plate to see the delicate treat deflating and a deep crimson liquid pooling on the saucer. I tasted the metallic flavor on my tongue long before I even put any in my mouth.

"What... is it." I put down the fork.

"It's a blood tart." the man across from him addressed me now. He looked at me, amusement curling one side of his mouth. "We had it made just for you."

His skin tone was a few hues darker than the man with moscato, his lashes long and the area around his eyes decorated with liner. Kohl. His hair tumbled down his shoulders some in soft waves, deep chocolate colored that looked like it would smell nice up close. This man was dressed in traditional Indian clothing, deep red with golden details of leaves and vines on the cuffs, collar and along the front of his jacket. It was almost as beautiful as him--

"Enjoying the view, Princess?" his lips curled further. I gnawed my lower lip, wondering how his would taste.

I caught myself stammering and looked away. I attempted another bite of the tart. The filling was sweet, yet metallic. It tasted exactly like how it smelled earlier. Light, like the scent of fruit blossoms in full bloom in late spring, and sweet with the tantalizing tang of blood that was filling.

This tasted... Significantly different then what had been in my fridge the past months. It even had a different take from the vampires I had eaten.

"This...." I covered my mouth with my finger tips as I spoke. " What is it?"

"Blood fruit. Has the same nutritional value as the blood you'd need to function." the host replied, brown eyes flashing green as he laughed. "Basically... the vegetarian alternative to hunting."

I nodded, hand still up to hover over my lips. I frowned then looked at my plate. With some resolve that I should have had when I first entered the room, I put down the fork. I squared my shoulder in my seat.

"Why am I here?" I asked.

The host slapped the table, making a few dishes jump and the silverware rattle. "Now that's the look I wanna see. Bright eyed and bushy tailed," he pointed at me, "Fantastic results."

He tilted his head some to the other man sitting some ways away.

He looked familiar. A face flashed in my mind.

"You were the one giving me medicine and junk." I noted, then looked at the host, and frowned. I had seen him too, and that fluttery crush I had been developing died in my stomach.

"You were the one that grabbed my hair--" I started, teeth grit and eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth to speak, his eyes still jovial and light, "And then you fucking dropped me in my own vomit."

"I was hoping you would not remember that," he said in response. "Anyways, back to your question."

"I have a proposition for you," the second man gave the host a look. "Through the grape vine, I heard you were good at tracking. A rather diligent worker, but had a bit of a loyalty problem."

A nymph came back around the table with a trolley. She poured me a cup of tea, and left a small bowl of purple sugar cubes for me.

"Lavender," she said softly.

I nodded, then she let me.

"And you needed me detoxed why? You needed to kidnap me why?" I pressed, not touching any of the food or drink offered to me.

"You touched base and insulted an Inquisitor," he said bluntly, "From witnesses, they were scared you would devour her warriors, but you didn't. So from what I've read, it would be that they either had your powers bound via collar or external limiters."

My mind drifted to the manacles and chains from earlier.

"Collars don't work on you do they?" he pressed, propping an arm on the table as he cupped his chin with his left palm. I looked at the warriors who were not sitting. They stood some ways away, against the wall near the doors. The woman from earlier sat on the other end of the table, speaking in low tones to the one called Hawthorne.

He did a small hand motion. "So... food and drink."

I looked at the food in front of me. Frigga... she wouldn't do that to me would she? I thought back, and there was never a time I had felt good physically living in No Man's. If I went longer than a day without the bottled blood, I was sick. I had headaches, vomitting, cramps, nightmares-- and when I drank it regularly, I was content.

We weren't actually friends to begin with. She and Ravis were buddy buddy. They talked about me behind closed doors to third parties, and had me interrogated and mind pillaged by another Witch.

I looked at the tart, the tea, the warriors along the wall and guards standing tall by the woman down the table.
"Proposition?" I asked.

"A clean slate." he said, "Let me start from the beginning. My name is Linden Imigawa, and I would like for you to work for me."
Imigawa.
Shit.