All Hail The Heartbreaker - Chapter 8

[frogscookie]

Disclaimer: I have invested heavily in Acme traps however Ivy and Rachel continue to outwit my attempts to catch them. The title is from Beautiful Child by Fleetwood Mac.

A/N: Oh my god how long can it take to write a chapter? This chapter kicked my ass. I would also like to say people who push people over on trains should have their knees bashed in so that they can't walk for months. (not that I'm bitter about my knee being damaged)

Those of you kind enough to leave me a review, you have my thanks. Its thanks to you that I keep writing. A special thanks to TheInkQuil and Dearheart89 for bugging - err I mean helping me stay motivated ;)  All joking aside I appreciate it, it is odd to think that someone enjoys this story enough to care about it being updated.

I am taking a few liberties with Kim Harrison's timeline regarding the creation of the Ever After and the birth of the vampires. However given that these dates are officially given in an estimate of 1000's of years I doubt it matters that much.

Thank you to Agmartin40 for being my beta, any mistakes left are down to me.

Chapter one
Chapter two
Chapter three
Chapter four
Chapter five part one
Chapter five part two
Chapter six part one
Chapter six part two
Chapter seven

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Previously on Heartbreaker:

"Nonsense, she knows I'm her teacher." The desk demon shook his head in response but didn't say anything else. Rachel didn't seem to be paying attention to any of them as Al moved closer. Crouching down, Al stretched out his hand towards us. The effect was instantaneous, Rachel's head snapped up, she hissed and Al was flying backwards across the room. Still hissing, Rachel tightened her grip on me. I could feel each of her fingers digging into my tender skin.

Newt grinned as Al picked himself up off the floor. "Perhaps I should try hmm?" without waiting for a response Newt made her way towards us. Rachel's eyes narrowed and her fingers clutched me tighter to her. A low mummer of pain escaped my lips and Newt froze. Unearthly green eyes stared into mine, before soft satin lips met mine. A shot of gold ran through me, filling me up and I felt drugged.

My body relaxed against Rachel, I smiled up at her dreamily, my nose worked tirelessly pulling in her delicious scent. Vaguely I noted Newt was moving towards us again. Rachel hissed warningly and Newt hissed back. I could feel Rachel's surprise, her hissing stopped, and she ducked her head. My dear heart looked adorable when she was confused. Newt's hand caressed Rachel's face, pulling her face up to look at her. Nodding, Newt stood up, effortlessly Rachel copied her, still cradling me in her arms.

"I think Rachel and I have a few things to discuss. Don't worry Gally, I'll be sure to return yourstudentto her side of the lines." Al didn't even manage to open his mouth to object before the room was dissolving and we were pulled into a ley line.

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Chapter 8 - Beautiful Child - Your eyes say yes, But you don't say yes, I wish that you were mine.

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A broken landscape surrounded us. The strange ruddy sunlight glittered through half collapsed buildings which dominated the skyline. Nearby broken rocks, some as large as a car littered the ground like a felled forest and small hillocks of rubble rose above us in several places. In comparison the spot we were in seem relatively clear. What looked like the remains of a fountain were just in front of us. My eyes moved back to the buildings and thought I recognised one as Carew tower, which meant this was Fountain Square, I blinked in surprise. My dear heart had told me that the Ever After was a broken mirror of our side of the lines but I hadn't quite understood.

Newt, seemingly unbothered by the dirt, moved to sit cross legged on the ground. Rachel copied her, still holding me securely in her arms, the gentle breeze brushed across my skin clearing away the last of the vaguely drugged feeling from my brain and I tried to escape Rachel's grip.

Rachel whimpered in protest, but let me go without a fight. Newt's onyx eyes watched us with a hint of what I thought might be wistfulness. I sat in front of Rachel, meeting Newt's blank stare with my own. My legs were together, stretching out into the no man's land between us, in a vague attempt to avoid giving her more of a show than she had already had. Rachel's arms wrapped around my chest, her head rested against my back and her legs lay next to mine. I was shocked by Rachel's actions and I couldn't deny just how good it felt to have her body pressed against mine.

"You've seen her in this state before haven't you?" The softness of Newt's voice surprised me almost as much as the question. I wondered briefly how I was meant to deal with the demoness.

"Yes." I decided to try and be polite and say as little as possible. There was less chance of angering her that way. I did my best to ignore the feeling of Rachel's fingers gently stroking my ribs. I wanted to lean back against her and revel in her touch but I doubted that was a good idea right now.

"How many times has she shifted?" The sly curiosity in the question, made the primitive part of my brain tingle and my inner monster raise its head with eyes narrowed.

"If I answer your questions will you answer mine?" I was going to treat Newt the same as an undead master vampire. I had valuable information she wanted, and she had information wanted. Quid Pro Quo Clarisse. Unfortunately, I was fairly sure that on this occasion I was the naive FBI agent and she was Hannibal Lecter.

Newt smiled and tapped her finger against her lips. "Perhaps I can be generous and provide you with a few answers. What questions did you wish to ask?" She stared at me, her eyes careful measuring. I ignored the weight of her gaze as I considered my priorities.

"Why is Rachel transforming and what do my demon marks mean?" There was probably more I should ask, such as what exactly are you planning? After what had happened, there was no doubt in my mind that Rachel and I had been drawn into the middle of some kind of plot. But I knew she would never answer questions of that nature, and I wasn't sure I knew the right questions to ask. Demons fell into Rachel's area of business not mine.

The wistfulness I had seen in Newt's expression earlier was back. "It happens to all demons when they reach puberty, although she is unusually young." She paused and her expression became more focused. "How many times have you witnessed her change?"

Out of the corner of my eye I glanced at Rachel, her head was leaning on my shoulder as she cooed softly. "Just once before today."

"Hmmm. What were the circumstances?"

"She was being attacked." I didn't see any reason not to tell the truth and I wanted answers.

"Emotional stress." Newt seemed pleased with the revelation and I wondered if the alternative ways for these transformations to start could be worse than what Rachel had gone through. "Did she look the same as she does now?"

"That's the fourth question you have asked, I have only asked one." I was starting to worry that I hadn't got the terms of our bargain right.

"Vampires, always rude. You have seven marks so I get seven questions before I have to answer. Now did she look the same?" The demoness insisted and briefly I considered holding my ground, but given the level of fear she seemed inspire I doubted it would end well.

I thought about it, trying to recall just what I had seen the first time Rachel shifted in the alley. "Yes, she looked the same as she does now but she was only in this form for a brief time, maybe less than a minute."

"That's to be expected her shifts will be very unpredictable at this age. You need to stay by her side when she shifts, given her attachment to you that shouldn't be a problem." Newt smirked as she watched Rachel's hands running over my stomach.

"She doesn't seem like herself." I had to restrain myself from slapping Rachel's hands away. I spend years slowly hunting the witch only to get turned away again and again. And now she wants to feel me up in front of insane demons? Clearly even in this form my dear heart was turned on by danger.

"It will take some time for her brain to adjust. She's nothing but a mass of instinctive drives and impulses demanding immediate satisfaction. It will get her in to all kinds of trouble." I did not like the fond smirk on Newt's face, it was far too … indulgent. "Don't expect her to remember what happens when she's in this form or remember who she is when she is like this. Without the influence of the curse on the quill she wouldn't have been able to talk. It will probably be a year or two before she begins to gain control of her new body."

"You make her sound like a child." I found myself leaning backwards, my body pressing against Rachel's more firmly.

"Of course, she's only a teenager." Quizzical eyes and an owl like tilt of her face clearly conveyed Newt's disappointment in my intelligence. As if I should know my, about to turn 28 year old, roommate was a teenager. "Her brain is larger and shaped differently when she is in this form and it will take time for her body to adjust. Until then, she'll lack some higher brain functions. Have the two of you shared blood in the past?"

"Yes." I was reluctant to say anything about us sharing blood and I certainly wasn't going to admit to almost draining Rachel dry in the past. I was curious about why she was asking, but I did not want her thinking I was a threat.

Newt's eyes flashed and it seemed she was reaching the end of her temper. "Did anything unusual happen while you were drinking her blood?"

I paused before answering; the sound of Rachel's soft sleepy heartbeat filled my ears. Apparently it was nap time. Rachel's head rested more heavily against my shoulder and her arms hung limply around me, hands laying uncomfortably (for me) in my lap. I really didn't trust Newt's interest in what happened when we had shared blood. The melding of our auras was huge in significance amongst the vampires and had drawn my dear heart a lot of unwanted attention. The demons were interested enough in her already. I didn't want to make things worse.

"We had an agreement. Please tell me what the marks mean."

"So insistent, such a rude little vamp." Newt sighed dramatically.

Those jet black eyes focused on me and my stomach flipped as I saw the thought to kill me reflected in them. Rachel murmured, her body shifting against mine. Turning my head slightly, I realised she was turning back in to the body I knew and loved. The hair on the back of my neck tingled as I caught the look on Newt's face. The alien hunger on it as she stared at Rachel worried me greatly.

"Newt, what do the marks mean?" Annoyance flickered over her but I would rather she was angry with me than look at Rachel like that.

"Ivy? What's going on?" The sleepy tones of Rachel's voice were laden with confusion. Her arms were still around me and her fingers twitched in my lap and I waited to see how she would react to our position.

"We're on the surface, dear heart. Newt brought us here after the ritual was finished."

"I don't remember..." The words were barely a whisper.

"You experienced a pubescent shift. It will be awhile before you are able to remember them." I was surprised Newt had replied, I wouldn't have thought her hearing was so acute. I made a mental note not to forget the demoness superior hearing.

"A what?" Rachel shook her head and her fingers twitched again, her breathing caught and I could sense the blood rushing to Rachel's face as she registered the location of her hands.

"It is part of the growing up process, Gally assured me he had provided you with Noklighlaing's book on demon development?" Newt's eyes had gained a flinty edge at the mention of Al.

"I haven't read it all yet... um I've been busy." Rachel slowly drew back her hands from me, her reluctance to let go of me made me ponder if Rachel really was interested me or simply trying not to provoke the demon in front of us with any sudden movements. Newt sighed heavily and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'Children!'

"I would suggest you make the time to read it." The hard edge to the words made it sound more like a demand than a suggestion.

"Fine, but I want to know what happened to me." Rachel's heart was speeding along with her agitation. I was a little impressed by how long it had taken for her to start asking questions.

"That's what the book is for." The words were so flat that I almost smiled. I could smell the aroma of singed redwood drifting from Rachel and I expected her to argue with Newt.

"Ok, can you please give Ivy some clothes or send us home?" If I was a pixie, my wings would have stopped beating in surprise at her words.

"We can't leave yet. Newt and I had a deal and she hasn't explained yet what the marks you gave me mean." I knew Rachel didn't remember giving me any marks but she didn't question me for details.

"If you want her to have clothes then you should have learnt how. I'm bored and I don't want to tell her what they mean." There was a childish edge to her words now. It made her sound like a five year old pouting and stamping her feet for attention.

I felt Rachel stiffen and my own body tensed in response. I started to stand, wanting to be on my feet if we were about to be attacked, but Rachel placed her hands my shoulders stopping me. A staff appeared in Newt's hand and I heard Rachel swear under her breath, her fingers digging into my shoulder. The ancient demoness tapped on the ground with her black staff twice. There was a pop and a startled looking woman appeared.

Rachel scrambled to her feet, and I followed her up my eyes roaming over the stranger in front of us. She looked as if she had stepped out of ancient Greece, her blonde hair was gathered up on her head, a curly lock had escaped and brushed against her neck. Sharp grey eyes peered out from her heart shaped face. A white toga was wrapped around her lean body, and her arms displayed subtle muscles. Taking a deep breath I caught the faint scent of incense through the murk of burnt amber and realised she was a vampire. And a living one at that, since I could hear her heartbeat. What in the name of blood was a living vampire doing in the ever after?

The vampire ignored us, her focus on Newt, her head bowed slightly she stood silently. It reminded me of watching people standing before Piscary waiting to be acknowledged.

"Rachel has taken a guardian, explain it to her." With those petulant words the demoness stalked off. She hopped on top of a large sandstone boulder and sat down cross legged. She stared blankly into space, I had the impression she was seeing things no one else could. I turned my focus to the vampire who was apparently going to explain things.

She stood in front of us frozen, her gaze fixed on my dear heart and a hot murky something crawled through my veins. Rachel was mine. A hiss escaped my lips. The vampire blinked, her eyes shining in the strange red tinted sunlight. I could almost believe she was on the verge of tears as she dropped to her knees, head bowed.

Rachel looked at me with wide eyes and gave her a blank look in response. I considered the vampire again, she looked to be in her 30's but there was a sense of graceful age to her. Newt hadn't even given us her name.

"Who are you?" I let the cold arrogance in my voice do the job of demanding answers, rather than drawing on my lineage and position which would likely mean nothing to a vampire stuck on this side of the lines.

Other than her eyes, which flickered up to look at Rachel briefly before returning to the ground, the vampire gave no indication she had heard me. I felt a degree of irritation at the snub.

"You can talk to us, we don't bite." I raised an eyebrow at Rachel's words and she rolled her eyes "So what's your name?"

The vampire elegantly leaned forward, almost lying flat against the ground. Rachel yelped in shock as a reverent kiss was deposited on each of her slippered feet. Rachel leaped backwards like a scolded cat and the woman seemed to bury her face against the dirt.

"I'm Vita." It was odd to find a vampire acting deferentially to Rachel instead of me. Would I be expected to greet in the same manner? Internally I sighed, this was like the blind leading the blind. Neither Rachel nor I knew how to handle the situation.

"Err don't do that. Why don't we all just sit down?"

We sat, the rocky ground was uncomfortable. I winced as I shifted my position slightly due to a particularly pointy pebble. The vampire was sat cross legged but she retained her servile posture.

"How did you end up in the Ever After?" Rachel's question was one I wanted to know the answer to; being curious is a prerequisite for being a runner. But we had far more pressing questions we needed answers to right now.

"I travelled here when the curse designed to end the war rebounded and the demons were dragged into the Ever After. Most guardians were left behind, but those who were in physical contact with their demon were pulled across the realities with them. Only twelve of us survived the passage." I was stunned by Vita's polite words, the demons had kept her alive for thousands of years.

I had known that the curse Rachel used on Jenks to make him human sized had extended his life, but to see a living vampire thousands of years old made it more real. I don't think I could go through having Rachel turn me into a wolf every couple of years just to stop me from aging. I would still have the risk of dying and turning into a soulless undead hanging over my head like the sword of Damocles. However staring at the vampire in front of me, felt like a religious experience and I felt a thrill of fear run down my spine at the prove of just how powerful Rachel truly was.

There was a sharp bang and several of the nearby mounds of gravel sent small rocks tumbling down their slopes in response. Vita ducked her head even lower to the ground and a fine trembling started in her hands. Newt's cold black eyes were focused on the vampire and her tall obsidian staff was clutched in her bony fingers.

"Get on with it. You have a lot to explain and my patience is wearing thin." Vita bobbed her head in response to the demoness demand. Her grey eyes stared hard at the ground as she gathered her thoughts. After a moment she looked up. Newt was once again silent and appearing to be mentally in another place altogether.

"I suppose I should begin at the beginning. During the war, the spurii saltus were fond of targeting children. Once the vampires rebelled against the spurii saltus we asked to join the filii, they agreed with certain conditions. One of which was that we would protect the children."

"Who are the spuii saltus and the filii?"

The vampire looked surprised at Rachel's interruption, her eyes flicked to Newt's now still form before licking her lips. "You haven't heard the terms before?" Her voice was carefully neutral.

Rachel shrugged as she answered, "Nope sorry."

"Another failure of Gally's. Perhaps he and I should have another chat about your education." The venom in Newt's interruption was unexpected, besides me Rachel shifted her position slightly. After a few moments of silence I realised that Vita was worried about speaking before Newt was finished. Rachel ever the oblivious cleared her throat impatiently.

Vita glanced once more at Newt before answering. "Filii means the Children, it's short for filii matrem omnium - the children of the Mother of All. It was, is, the name the demons call themselves, however it's rarely used now." She paused, leaning forwards "please don't ask why." Her voice was barely a whisper and she gave a pointed look in Newt's direction. Straightening up again she continued in a more normal tone of voice.

"Spurii saltus means, literally, the bastards of the forest. You probably know them as elves. Anyway, the vampires agreed to serve and protect the Filii. In exchange we were welcomed back into society. Obviously certain problems arose due to the vampiric diet. But the Matrem came up with a solution, bonding individual vampires and Filii together. Overtime it was refined and it became custom for vampires to be tied to one particular family, the vampires and Filii having young at the same time so they could be raised alongside each other. Then, once the filius turned 20 and began puberty, they would carry out the ritual just as you have. The vampire's needs would be met by the child, and in return the vampire would serve the child in the ways laid out in the claiming marks." She said softly.

"What do you mean meet her needs?" I stared at Rachel, I knew my dear heart could be oblivious sometimes but really.

The ancient vampire looked queerly at Rachel for a moment before turning to me and raising a questioning eyebrow. "Well vampires require blood in order to maintain their psychological wellbeing." The words were spoken slowly and clearly, as if to a child and I found my lips twitching as I fought not to smile.

Rachel scowled in response and it was adorable.

"I know, I'm not stupid." Rachel huffed "But well…" Rachel sent me a pleading look as she cast around for the right words. Strangely seeing her flustered and lost made me feel better, as if the ground beneath me had become solid.

"What Rachel is trying to ask, is what the practical implications of the marks are. Neither of us understands the meaning of any of them, nor what they mean to our day to day lives and friendship."

"Ah I see, right, well, why don't you stand up and so we can get a proper look at how she marked you." Feeling somewhat like a prize show horse, being placed on display I rose to my feet, ignoring the rocky ground digging into my toes and the desire to brush the grit and dust from my backside. Not sharing my concerns Rachel began brushing the dirt off herself. And in the process managing to raise a dust cloud capable of killing a leprechaun.

"Hmm." The vampire circled me slowly, her long nails briefly touching each of the marks. I resisted the desire to twitch as those nails touched the more intimate marks. Her face betrayed nothing as she inspected me. Rachel's started to twirl her hair between her fingers as she bit her lip and stared at the vampire.

The vampire in question raised my arms up seemingly checking my arm pits before standing behind me again. She tapped the back of my knee twice, suppressing my instincts to avoid putting myself in a state of weakness, I lifted my leg up.

"Ah I thought so." Her fingernail ran over the arch of my foot and I shivered involuntarily.

"What, what did you think? is something wrong?" Rachel grabbed my foot from the vampire and I wobbled precariously for split second before I was able to recover my balance. "I marked her foot?"

"Yes it is a little unusual but nothing to worry about. However I suspect your consort would like her foot back now." The amusement in Vita's voice rang as clear as a mountain stream.

"Oh! Err right, sorry." I could almost hear the blood rushing to Rachel's cheeks. Her delicate hands released me and I gratefully placed my foot on the ground. She shifted away, the pink robe rustling as she moved to stand to the front and side of me. I watched her as her head bowed and her arms wrapped around her beautiful body, hugging herself. In that moment the yearning in my heart to be able to replace those arms with my own was almost unbearable.

Vita carried on examining me and I felt my frustration grow I didn't want to be on display. I got enough of that when I was younger from the undead who at times seemed more obsessed with their living brethren than with blood. Finally stopping in front me again Vita looked between the two of us and sighed.

"Neither of you understand any of the marks?" Her melodic voice sounded older than it had before and I managed to reign in my anger slightly and reply with a shake of my head rather than pointing out the fact we had already told her we didn't know what they meant.

"Politics. Let's see if we can't sort that out. Rachel, would you mind coming closer." Hands dropping to her sides, Rachel came and stood beside Vita. "Thank you. Now why don't we start from the top?"

My vision sharpened as my pupils dilated and my spine stiffened. I was not a toy to be ignored and talked over. I was no longer a child to be displayed for the pleasure of others. Rachel's fear spiked, the honeyed maple scent seeming to coat my throat, and I realised that I had pulled an aura.

Vita shuffled and my aura struck out at the older vampire without thought. Only to slam into an aura that felt just as strong and solid as mine. Surprised my aura faltered and collapsed back into me.

"Well at least you have good breeding on your side. I'm surprised that we haven't been more diluted over the millenniums" Speculative grey eyes contemplated me. "Maybe this will go better if we all sit down." In a move that would cause any dancer to be jealous, Vita sank to the ground cross legged, her arms resting on her legs.

Rachel and I followed suit although I brought my legs up to my chest, covering my naked body. Vita frowned slightly and glanced at Rachel who was sat between us. The three of us had naturally made a triangle around a blank space. Vita looked from Rachel to me for a few moments before sighing. Rachel shot me a perplexed look and I shrugged slightly in return.

"Is there something wrong?"

"If your Filii wishes you to be naked then you shouldn't try to hide your body. Others will expect you to be punished for such disobedient behaviour."

Rachel looked on the verge of laughter and her eyes twinkled. "Umm it's not on purpose, I just don't know how to summon things through the lines and Newt refused."

"Oh." Vita looked slightly perplexed. Shaking her head slightly she unsheathed a small dagger and began drawing into the dirt. It looked like a pair of wings. "Now, this is the mark on your forehead, although of course the wings are red," Rachel nodded but I was confused.

"Wait, it had felt like a simple line being carved into my skin." Not to mention that I had seen enough demon marks with my own eyes to know what they looked like.

"Ah, yes and that's exactly what they were before the curse was invoked with the final mark." not giving me a chance to say anything else she carried on. "This is aequalis in sapientia or equal in wisdom if you prefer the English translation. It is a fairly traditional mark for a vampire to receive, and essentially gives Ivy the status of an advisor to you Rachel. You should both be aware that this gives Ivy the power to speak on Rachel's behalf. Any questions?" Vita swiped her hand across the ground erasing the picture and began drawing something else in its place.

"Will demons try to do deals with Ivy?" Rachel's voice sounded worried and I cannot say that the idea of dealing with demons didn't scare me.

Vita nodded as her face screwed up and her eyes stayed on her drawing efforts. "Oh yes, most will be eager to try and catch her on her own and trick her into a deal. Ultimately you're responsible for any deal or action that Ivy makes and with the sapientia and coniugem marks she can commit to deals on your behalf."

I was beginning to get the feeling that I had signed up to a lot more than I had expected. So far it was sounding and awful lot like I was Rachel's scion. In an odd way I suppose it makes sense, I have never exactly been the dominate force in our friendship. I glanced at my dear heart to see how she was taking this. Her slender fingers had captured a strand of her unruly hair and were curling it ever tighter, perfect white teeth nibbled on her bottom lip enticingly. Both clear signs of her worrying. I felt indignant that she didn't have more confidence in me. I was no stranger to having people try to manipulate me. Ignoring the tension Vita pushed onwards with her explanations.

"Now this, is the mark on the back of your shoulder. It's standard for all vampires, well mostly all. I think there were a half dozen or so cases of vampires not receiving it. Anyway, adiutor meus et protector - My strength and shield. This makes you Rachel's guardian it commits you to protecting her and provides you with immunity should you harm a demon or another guardian."

I looked at the drawing with increased interest. Freedom to attack Al if he caused problems sounded like a very good thing indeed. A crossed sword and shield protected a pair of wings. It didn't require a genius to work out that the wings represented: Rachel. Are wings a universal symbol for demons or is it unique to Rachel? I could see Newt still sitting on the rock staring off into the distance. She really did remind me of an old undead, just how old was she? The sound of Vita's throat clearing brought my attention back to more pressing matters.

"Ego pascam vos et custodiet te valere is fairly standard and you should pity any vapire that wasnt granted this mark by their filius." She shock her head, and her eyes held a distant look.

Rachel leaned over peering closer at the picture drawn in the dirt. "How come?"

"Well, I know my drawing is rather poor, but you see how the wings are spread over the cup and the stalk of wheat?" She glanced at us questioningly and we both nodded our response. "It's a representation of your commitment to feed and care for Ivy, just as the picture on her shoulder of the shield and sword in front of the wings is a representation of Ivy's duty to protect you."

I stared at the drawing. It was hard to believe I now found myself with what amounted to a set of tattoos. My mother was not going to take this well when she found out. A small smile pulled at my lips as imagined the lecture I was likely to receive for this. I tried not to think about how they were the result of magic. I shook my head and turned away from the sight of Vita erasing the drawing. She and Rachel were talking again but I chose to ignore them, preferring to hide for a moment behind the black satin curtain of my hair.

I had known this would happen eventually, that I would fall prey to Rachel's power. Ever since she first knocked me out and tied me up when I tried to snack on her I had known I wasn't the most powerful one in our relationship. We were still in the I.S at the time and I was assigned as Rachel's mentor for her training year. She had been assigned to my on Piscary's orders for a number of his own self-serving reasons, namely to assess the danger she posed and to keep her away from Trent. However I had seen her as something much more important, I had seen her as a test.

The ink was barely dry on my decision not to practise and her blood and virgin skin were as tempting as anything I could imagine. Then she had become the first person to ever truly overpower me who wasn't undead and she was no longer a test but someone to respect and fear. Rachel was an opportunity for the things every living vampire craved, a true partner and equal.

Something hard hit the top of my head and I looked up to see Newt rapping her knuckles on my head. The sable eyes burrowed into me and I felt my body instinctively straighten up. "You should probably be paying attention, little vampire."

Not quite knowing what to say I should say to that I turned to face forward. Vita's grey eyes stared at me consideringly. Newt sat down on the dusty ground beside me, the action caused her scent of pure burnt amber to wash over me. Only years of practise stopped me from screwing up my face in distaste at the overpowering smell. Rachel looked from Newt to me. I saw the muscles in her forehead twitch for a moment as she tried to raise just one eyebrow, before having to admit defeat and raise them both.
I tried to convey with a look that I had no idea why Newt was showing an interest.

Vita cleared her throat cautiously "Err yes, well, as I just explained, this.." she pointed with her dagger at the ground where there was a drawing of a single wing and what looked like half a tear drop. "Is what's drawn on the bottom of your foot. The drop of blood and wings are both halved and fitted together symbolising that the pair of you face the future together. The mark should provide you both with the ability to know where the other is. More importantly it should make it easier for you to draw on Rachel's strength next time you require it."

I looked again at the drawing as I turned the words over in my head. "What exactly did you mean by 'draw on Rachel's strength'?"

Vita's eyes widen slightly at my question and she glanced at Newt. My eyes followed hers and I watched as Newt seemed to create miniature figures from the ground. The dust and debris people began to dance and twirl with each other as newts fingers twitched incessantly.

"I brought you here to answer their questions, Vita. I would have thought you'd be eager to make yourself useful." Her voice was mild but from the way the ancient vampire shuddered it was clear the threat was there.

Vita's head bobbed and she stared down at the dagger in her hand. "This particular curse was created when the war was at its most brutal. In rare cases the Filii are able to form a peculiar sort of bond, which this curse mimics, or strengthens if the bond is present. I suppose it's more the harnessing of a natural phenomenon rather than something that was truly created hmm. Anyway, worried parents twisted it on their children to allow them a means of helping their child if they were attacked."

"But what does it do?" Ah Rachel, ever the diplomat.

"It's very simple really. The curse allows you and Ivy to pool your strength to a certain extent. If I remember correctly the effect is somewhat muted when there's a vampire involved, probably the best you could expect is for Ivy to be able to experience a masking of the damage she's sustained. Her body will still be injured, but she will be able to continue fighting as if she isn't. All in all it's quite a dangerous situation."

"Why?" Rachel glared at Newt. "The other demon promised nothing would hurt her."

"Other demon?" Vita's Grecian features contorted as she looked at Rachel.

Newt's voice rang out imperiously, "She means Sig."

"Well Sig is just a record keeper I'm guessing he wasn't quite expecting you to claim Ivy in the way you did. Besides most of the danger is actually borne by you." I felt my attention sharpen at mention of Rachel being in danger. Rachel's face clearly said she wanted to interrupt again but Vita ignored her and ploughed on. "The pull can be too much for some, leaving them weakened and even near death. The levels of trust required for it to work are so high that it's odd to find a vampire with the mark. But given the nature of your relationship it is more understandable."

"Can we reverse the curse?"

"What do you mean nature of our relationship?"

Rachel's voice and mine clashed against each other as we tried to speak at the same time. How typical though that Rachel ignored the danger to her and focused on speculation about us. I had known her insecurities over her sexuality would rear their head eventually.

"I meant no disrespect. I simply meant that with you being married it makes sense you would bestow the gressus mei sint gressus tue on her."

I have always liked to think that my years under Piscary's tutelage left me with the ability to maintain a certain amount of poise when confronted with surprising situations. Clearly I was wrong. My jaw felt loose and there was a faint ringing in my ears as I gaped at Vita. Rachel didn't seem to be coping with it any better but she managed to regain the power of speech before I did.

"What? I, we're, that is, what?"

"Married, darling. You have taken Ivy as your consort. The mark on her chest marks her as the guardian of your heart and the disappointingly tasteful symbols between her legs spell out her role as your wife." The deep river of amusement was easy to hear in Newt's voice and I think if I was capable of moving I might have tried to hit her. Luckily my brain was still short circuiting too much for me to commit suicide by demon. "It's expected that your guardian would see to your sexual urges while you mature but actual commitment is almost unheard of." There was just a hint of mockery in her voice.

I was frozen, my eyes fixed on Newt's bemused face.

"But how, and Al said too young, I was …" Rachel's voice seemed to trail off.

"Yes, he was right about that. You're just a child and certainly if you had chosen a demon there would be enforced separation and court hearings and all manner of gossip. However given the circumstances that won't happen. Without the proper paper work being completed you are in a grey area and you can't complete paperwork until you become of age. And under no circumstances are you to have children until you're older. Do you understand?"

"But what about Peirce?" Rachel stuttered, her mind going all over the place, I knew when she was overwhelmed.

"That was when you were merely a witch capable of having demon children." Newt smile wasn't reassuring at all.

"And what am I now?" Rachel sounded as if she didn't really want to know the answer.

"You're a demon child raised among savages who thinks she's a witch."