Odessa had followed the woman from a very far distance, using a quick interference to determine her location via an interesting cell phone interception device she'd borrowed from a source. She got out of the silver BMW 7 Series, a vehicle not uncommon for the area so close to Midnight, and tossed back her white-blonde hair as she inhaled sharply the cool autumn air around her.
Ahead, her mark walked several paces facing her, and Odessa glanced around, expression somewhat confused. She looked lost, actually. As the woman approached her, Odessa turned abruptly to head down the covered walkway that lined the downtown sort of area of Pyrige, and brushed against her. Fingers contacted to bare flesh, and it was but the faintest scratching sensation that the woman might have felt.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said politely. "I didn't see you there!" She smiled warmly, though in those sapphire and emerald eyes there was not even a hint of remorse. She took a step back, and turned to continue her path, though her steps were very slow as she glanced over her shoulder.
The Viper's Tooth was a powerful weapon when wielded correctly. Fashioned as a ring, two 'fangs' ran alongside the finger, tiny prongs dipped in the poison du jour - Odessa's choice was naturally a sedative strong enough to take down even a large feline shifter. What it would do to a Serpiente was just as efficient, and very much the sum of her dealings just now. What felt like a mosquito bite to some, and even went unnoticed to others, was some of the fastest working mojo on the market.
Tsunai was happy to be up and about. Finally the leader of Frost had given her permission to go on some errands. She might be close to delivery but she felt almost better then ever. She had a lot of energy that she knew was driving everyone insane. As soon as the morning sickness had stopped she was ready to be up and about. It might just be paper work and delivery but it was fine by her as long as she could get out.
Well, she knew Lucien would not be happy about it. She had convinced her leader to keep in under wraps not to worry her soon to be husband. He had enough stress to deal with, this little job would not hurt to do. Besides it would keep her from getting cranky. She hated to be cranky especially with Lucien since she is a large cause to him being miserable.
Pulling her coat around her a little tighter as a cold wind blew she moved forward. She hated the cold but at least she was finished and could go home. Not watching where she was going she bumped into a woman and felt a slight scratch. Probably just a ring or something, nothing to worry about. "It is all right. I was not watching where I was going." She replied apologetically before continuing to where she had parked her car.
As she continued on though she began to feel strange. Her mind began to blur and her walking became unsteady. This had never happened before, what was going on? Slowing down she leaned against the nearest wall to keep herself upright. Something was terribly wrong though she could not place what it was.
Odessa turned slowly, pausing her steps as she watched Tsunai walk away like nothing had happened. She held no facial expressions whatsoever, preferring not to let her emotions involve themselves in her work until the task at hand was completed. She didn't like partial victories or defeats - she wanted to celebrate it all or have nothing at all. No in betweens, here.
She hurried back to the woman all at once, suddenly, as though time had snapped back into place for her. She had waited a good thirty seconds before moving at all, really, which was the allotted time for the sedatives to work their way through her system enough to eliminate any cause of a threat for Odessa, not that she had to worry in the first place. Her backup was more than capable.
"Are you okay?" she asked, voice so stunned, so alert. She grabbed Tsunai gently by the arm, and for all intents and purposes, and to any passerby that so happened, she was a concerned woman helping an expecting mother. "She's just exhausted," she explained as a concerned patron slowed his steps. Luckily nobody stopped to help, which was just grand.
"Can you stand up?" she asked, though she was already pulling her lightly to her feet, knowing that she would indeed be able to stand though she'd feel lighter than a feather when she finally got there. "Come on, let's get you somewhere warm so you can sit down."
What a sweet, helpful girl.
Tsunai turned to look at the girl through misted and spinning vision. It was the girl she had just bumped into. She was sure it was...but she could be wrong. Her mind was spinning and she felt as the girl helped her to stand and right now she could not fight if she wanted to. Her body just followed along with the support that was given. "What is happening?" She muttered as a hand went up to her forehead. She had never felt like this before. What in the world was going on? Had her mind been clearer she might have been able to figure out the signs but it was too far gone into the oncoming sleep.
Odessa blinked rapidly, leading Tsunai to the BMW that had dutifully waited on the corner. "You fainted, of course," she said matter-of-factly, knowing that she could tell the shifter just about anything at the moment and she wouldn't be able to argue it. "I'm going to get you into my car for a minute and let you get warmed up, and we'll get you something to drink, okay?"
She opened the car door, and the driver glanced back as Odessa helped Tsunai into the back seat. The interior of the car was somewhat different than most of the BMW's Tsunai may have been in - this one was separated by a large wall of bullet proof glass that fell to a custom-laid center console, dividing the front and rear of the car sufficiently from each other. It was acting as both privacy glass and containment glass, one could bet.
"Is that better? Good," Odessa purred. She shut the door and hopped in the passenger side. "Let's take her somewhere more... accommodating, shall we darling?" she asked the driver sweetly. The man, again, made no facial expression whatsoever, and the only sign that he'd even acknowledged Odessa at all was a flick of his eyes in her direction before he pulled the car off of the street corner.
He merged into traffic and headed straight to Midnight.
Tsunai just let the girl lead her to the car though it probably was not an easy task since she was extremely wobbly. "Fainted?" Well that worked for her drugged mind. She just felt so sleepy and was not really sure what was real and what was not. Her eyes were probably dilated giving her the look of someone that was high. Well, in a way she was not that she really knew it. She had to lean against the girl helping her at the end and was happy to sit back down. "Such a nice girl...thank you..." She stated getting comfortable as the door closed and the warmth surrounded her. After being so cold the warmth was welcome. Closing her eyes and settled in and fell asleep not knowing where she was being taken. All she could think of was the warmth and the inviting sleep that took over.
Just as Odessa had promised, the heat was turned on and Tsunai would be nice and toasty in the back of the car, though not uncomfortably so, whether or not she could even register it. She looked at her glass-like nails idly, and let her eyes scan the road as they continued in silence. Once they reached the outer-most area of Midnight's property, she pulled out one of the many ghost copied cellular phones she had, and dialed undoubtebly another ghost number.
When the voice on the other end answered, all she said was, "I believe I've got a lovely sack of gemstones for you to appraise, my dear. Be there in just a jiff."
She hung up the phone and sighed a contented little sigh.
Angelica caught the phone on the second ring, flipping it out of her pocket after scanning then number briefly. Blocked. Well, that wasn't so surprising, with this phone. It was one of her ghost phones, used for Angel's business. Unlisted, and difficult to trace. Illegal as well, for what it was worth, as technically speaking it was stolen. But what would the normal, human police do to her anyway, should she be found by them? Lock her up? Honestly, the idea was almost laughable. She could vanish from under human notice easily enough, unless they were prepared for a shifter. The idea had amused her at times.
Now, however, was business.
Angelica flipped the top of the slim, black, fashionable phone and put it to her ear, tossing her fair hair over a shoulder. "Hello?"
"I believe I've got a lovely sack of gemstones for you to appraise, my dear. Be there in just a jiff."
Angelica smiled a little, slowly. "I see. Discussed location?" At the other's confirmation she nodded a little to herself. "I'll be there soon." And she would be. It was, admittedly, not exactly walking distance... but then wings were faster then feet. And she didn't exactly have to depend on them either - a paycheck the size of hers meant you deserved to buy yourself a few treats. Sports cars. Motorcycles. A few less flashy vehicles (mainly silver, which every car and it's mother was these days) for when she needed not to draw attention. She preferred her pretty little toys, however, and used them when she could.
Angelica exited the department store, fishing around in a pocket for her keys, and had slid into the drivers seat of a pale, silvery blue jaguar and was pulling smoothly out of the parking look less then a minute later. And it didn't take too long for her to find Odessa.
The road was empty as far as the eye could see in both directions - and she could, she understood, see a bit farther then normal humans. Which was all well and good, if not surprising. You didn't get much... hm, non-business traffic this close to Midnight. She drew over to the side of the road and then climbed almost sinuously out, crossing over to the other car and casually peering into the back seat as she passed.
She recognized the woman passed out on the back seat. Angelica paused a moment, almost not believing her eyes, and then was tempted to burst out laughing. She didn't, of course, but her voice was richly amused and satisfied as she turned to the other pale mercenary.
"My congratulations. I believe you have procured an item of some value," she said, something between a purr and a laugh in her voice. "A cobra brat and the intended Naga of the Serpiente." She was forced to shake her head in admiration. "I am impressed."
Odessa stepped out of the car to greet the alabaster raven, and smiled a small smile at her approval. Odessa wasn't jumping for joy just yet. As the driver picked up Tsunai's unconscious body and began walking towards the entrance of Midnight, Odessa lingered behind him a few paces, walking with Angel.
"So, my little find might be worth a good spot of cash, eh?" she asked coyly. "And me oh my, here I was thinking I'd just found a random taipan wandering the streets." She giggled a little, thrusting her hands into her the pockets of her black wool peacoat. "Do you have any idea for a buyer, though? She's so... pregnant."
She paused a little. "If that child she carried wasn't the moneymaker, I'd say we could string her up and pop her like a pinata, but sadly I don't think it's an option. Supposedly she's due up any time now, so maybe we'll get lucky. We don't really need her, not unless someone requests a 'Mommy and Baby Matching Set'."
Odessa was.. disturbingly disturbing.
"Hmm. There are a few I can think of that might be interested in the cobra, but none off the top of my head who would jump for the woman. She's only a taipan, after all - and while they aren't really the most common breed... well." She shrugged. "I'm sure we could still find a buyer, of course, which would be best - we could kill her, but it seems something of a waste.
"I doubt many would want the mother and child together, either way we go at it. A few might, I suppose, especially if we put it up for sale as soon as it's born. It might be best to wait a few weeks, so that it can survive without her." The funny (and disturbing) thing was that, had it been anything less then a cobra she was carrying, Angelica would have done the same as Odessa. Possibly chained her spreadeagle to a wall and then beaten her across her middle, probably with a board or rods, which would have killed the child easily enough. They were so fragile when still in the womb. They could have crushed it. It would make her throw up and it would bruise her, of course, and doubtless emotionally crush her, to have her child beaten to death before it was even born but... ah, what of it? She was attractive enough to still fetch a pretty sum, and bruises healed. A trainer would be messing with her mind shortly enough anyway - why fret over a little extra mental damage? Then again, if it was due shortly... well, that might have saved it anyway. Why kill it if you could wait a few weeks and sell it?
Most vampires wouldn't want a pregnant slave. A mother and child... possibly not. Either-or? She was sure they could find a buyer. A cobra child? It would be snapped up.
"You'll need somewhere to hold her, for a little while. Unless you plan to try selling her now."
Odessa's line of thought was synonymous with the raven's, as usual. She'd actually dealt with pregnant slaves before. It was never anything to give them a solid beating to relieve them of the problem, although Odessa wasn't the one to exact the beatings.. she was merely just there to suggest ideas to masters and mistresses.
Not that anyone had ever been able to prove it.
She smiled glibly, tilting her head to the side to inhale the scent of death that surrounded Midnight. "Just dump her in a cell. I'd prefer it if it were at least heated. Serpiente don't react well to the cold, and if the demon spawn is the meal ticket, I'd rather it come out as well as possible. As soon as it can live without her, it will be suitable for sale. In the meantime, we could always have a private audience of possible buyers, but I want to keep the numbers to an absolute minimum. Nobody needs to know she's here just yet, or her idiotic fiancé might try some pathetic crusade attempt to fetch her, and I'd really hate to have to resort to violence on a larger scale."
Angelica glanced over, expression rather dry and ironic. "Of course," she said. "If the general public was made aware of her position, word of it would doubtless reach the Diente sooner or later. Life tends to get more complicated when there is royalty out for your blood." She knew; she'd seen examples of such. She'd never had such an experience herself, of course - she was meticulously careful in such matters as these. But it always paid to be such when dealing with such things. It allowed one to retain one's anonymity - something she greatly valued.
"And violence on a larger scale would be so... messy." Angelica made a slight expression of distaste.
Tsu was not sure what was going on. All she knew was that she was hearing voices through her slumber. She was still too tired to open her eyes much less move. All she wished to do was sleep but being shifted from the car into the arms of the driver had jostled her enough to bring her sleeping mind to slight attention. The conversation would drift in and out as she attempted once again to go back to sleep. She caught little words that would make things incredibly clear later. Making a small uncomfortable noise as she shifted slightly to get into a more comfortable position she let herself go back to sleep. Her mind was hardly concerned with the outside world when the wonderful sleep was calling for her to return.
"Mm, you're so right," she said, reaching up to brush some of Tsunai's hair from her face. "God, I love my supplier. It's amazing what a strong dose of tranquilizers can do," she cheered, a bright smile on her face. She glanced back to Angel, and held her hand up, revealing the ring that she'd used to catch the Taipan.
"See? It's actually called a Viper's Tooth. It's like it was meant just for me," she said with a giggle. "I've actually got something called a Raven's Claw, too, come to think of it, though it's as much a claw as this is a tooth. If you're interested I could bring one by. I don't know about you, but I'm always open to new weapons."
Oh, yes. Odessa liked to keep a variety of them on hand. She looked so frail and harmless, and yet... It would be funny, she thought, as they entered, if she crossed paths with that Stefan character. Given the fact that she was with the gilded Angel, she doubted very much that he'd decline to stop for a moment and at least greet them.
"Let's get her to a cell, and then we can draw up some sort of arrangements about the sale."
The serpiente could piece things together all she liked - she didn't know Angel, or know of Angel. She and Angelica had never met, being in different guilds as they were. It would be her fiancé, if anyone, Angelica would be wary about. But he couldn't track down what he didn't know and it was hardly certain that he'd ever even see Tsunai again, let alone be able to gather a description of Angelica from her. And that, in the end, was all she was really concerned with. Herself. The Diente wouldn't have cause to cast his gaze her way. Angelica could almost hear the taipan try to wake up and then become lost again, drug-addled senses pulling her down.
She glanced over as the viper held a hand up, displaying the ring she wore, and laughed a little. "I'm always ready to try out new toys," she assured the other. "I have a few of my own that I doubt you will have seen, if you'd be interested." Angel had some... unique contacts, after all. Ones who she could convince to give her all manner of goodies not widely available, in return for some service done for them. Angel didn't only work for money, after all.
The pale raven nodded easy agreement to the proposed plan - bold of the other, to waltz so easily into Midnight when she'd just acknowledged herself to be armed. Admittedly, however, not with anything that would affect vampires. Angelica herself was carrying weapons as well, and she ground her teeth as she thought of it. She should have considered that earlier. At least she wasn't traveling heavily armed - though going without anything always made her feel horribly exposed.
"It sounds like a plan. First, however, as we're headed in to Midnight I should probably deposit this," she said, holding up a gun. Not that it was her only weapon. She wasn't going to reveal all their locations; heaven no. "Just a moment, please." She jumped into the air, turning into a snowy raven as she did so, and flew back, slipping in and grudgingly shedding guns and knives and darts. There was that loophole taken care of. She knew enough unarmed combat that anyone who tried to take her any other way would probably be surprised, and in case they used poison... well, she was at least partially immune to all sorts of nasties at this point, and was carrying a mild anti-toxin anyway, just in case. It wasn't very strong but counteracted to some degree most things - hopefully long enough for her to get away.
This was one of the downsides to having the unusual coloration that she did. Collectors - the kind who would appreciate that cobra - would also doubtless enjoy adding her to their collections. That wasn't something she was planning on letting happen. She had tricks hidden up her sleeve as well.
She sighed. Going into Midnight with a relativly unknown element was, admittedly, risky. But she'd done all she could, and if Odessa tried to take advantage of her....
Angelica shifted again and flew back.
"My apologies - do you have connections here was well, then?"
Odessa's weapon was all used up. It only had enough venom to be effective for one strike, and had become nothing more than a paperclip twisted around her fingertips. Still, she handed it to her driver as Angel rid herself of her own goodies. She did hate walking in unarmed, but Odessa had garnered a great many ally from this place in favour of finding them rare and unusual creatures to breed, break, and do with as they pleased.
"I do, indeed. In fact, while I'm in, I believe I'll pop in and visit one in particular. I know he won't be interested in her," she said, nodding her head at Tsunai, "but he's mentioned there are vampires who might be. Besides, he's... fond of our particular persuasion." Odessa loved a man who could acknowledge her diamond-like radiance as superior to those dark-haired mongrels she was surrounded by.
"I understand if you'd prefer not to linger, of course. I wouldn't dream of imposing you with plans you don't care to entertain. It's so refreshing to finally meet a business woman. I'd thought I was alone all this time." She truly meant it.
'Weapon' (it wasn't as if a few drops of any normal toxin would affect any vampire, after all) used up or not, Angelica wouldn't trust the vampires of Midnight as far as she could throw them. And the chances of her being able to throw any of them at all, unless they wished it... well. They'd use the loophole, if they had the chance. Not that Angelica cared on Odessa's behalf, of course - if offered enough she'd cheerfully betray her. She would sell any of her allies, just as long as it didn't come back to sting her. And so many of them trusted her so very much; the thought would sometimes make her laugh.
Angelica hated being without weapons like this, it made her feel horribly naked. But it was neccessary. "Oh? Who is that?" It was perhaps lucky for Angelica, though she didn't know it yet, that she was wearing blue contact lenses. She often did when moonlighting as Angel, it made her look slightly less distinctive. She would still stand out, of course, but not as much. She didn't need to completely disguise herself.
Angelica smirked a little at the last words from the other woman. "Oh no, I think I'll stay for a little while. You're right in that there don't seem to be many of our particular persuasion around. But that only gives us the corner on the market." But then most considered it a bit too dangerous to be willing to sell nearly anything, if the price was right.
She smiled. "Good, then," she said, cheerfully. It was just wrong that she was so perky considering what she'd just accomplished, but Odessa preferred to be an optimist. As they headed inside, she paused, spotting a servant wiping down some of the displays. "Can you locate Stefan and tell him his presence is requested in the dungeons?"
She was careful with her tone, though the child recognized her clearly enough. She nodded and vanished down the hall, leaving the two women in the lobby. "Shall we?" she chirped. The guard followed behind them with Tsunai's body, and once they arrived below, deposited it into a cell, locking the doors tight.
"I wonder what sort of wake this is going to leave," she mused to herself, a finger to her chin as she observed the sleeping Serpiente thoughtfully. She tilted her head at Angel. "I had almost planned to leave, but staying to see the fireworks is so tempting."
His presence 'requested' or not, Stefan was not used to unexpected guests and didn't particularly like them, but this was especially unwelcome. The servant didn't have to venture far from Odessa's meeting place, to be honest, since the blond vampire was to be found in another part of the dungeons, tormenting a younger, stupider vampire.
Perhaps 'torment' wasn't a strong enough word.
"Cassius, I have to congratulate you. You have the most feminine scream I've heard out of a male in my entire life, and that includes the countless Soviet swine I eviscerated as a mortal. You are truly an amazing and pathetic creature," Stefan commented conversationally, already spattered across his own pale face and the front of his shirt with the vampire's blood, and his arms were soaked halfway to his elbows. He'd been digging around.
"As you've noticed, the trick here is to inflict as much pain as I possibly can, while not killing you or allowing you to heal. Considering you're a vampire, there's almost no trick to it, so I have to make it challenging somehow. Which would you prefer, a hook or a pin? I could use both, but that might be overkill, pardon the expression. What? No preference? Pity."
The real pity was that the child servant appeared at that moment, paling instantly upon the sight before him, and delivered his message. Stefan's jaw clenched briefly and he caught that hook around a part of Cassius' anatomy that should never feel open air, and jerked. That'd take awhile to heal. "Don't go anywhere."
He didn't even bother to do more than wipe his hands on a clean towel as he searched Odessa out, and he raised an eyebrow at her and the other pale women present, somewhat intrigued. "Ah, Odessa. You look well."
Tsunai really was perfectly content to keep sleeping until she was placed down away from the head of the person that had been carrying her. Groaning lightly she shifted uncomfortably. It was bad enough on a bed but this was hardly anything soft enough to be a bed. Her head was killing her and everything was foggy. She could hear voices once again but this time they came through a little stronger. A slight frown persed her lips as she tried to figure out her surroundings.
What really got to her at the moment was the smell since none of her other senses were properly working. It smelled of old and new blood, the air was stale as if there was no ventilation. Scruntching her nose she tried to figure out where she was and what was going on. She had never passed out before. Well loss of blood never counted since just about every hunter could probably say they had at some point. This felt so much different then that though. Not to mention she had not been in a fight for about nine months so there was no way that could be it. She also felt perfectly normal otherwise besides the little bit of a throb from the scratch she had gotten earlier. Was she drugged? Either way this was not good.
"I believe she's waking up," Angelica observed as calmly and nonchalantly as though she were making a remark on the weather to friends over tea, not talking about a kidnapped pregnant queen to be with a mercenary and a vampire covered in fresh blood. What a pity that there isn't more of the drug to give her. Then again, as had been previously observed, it was the child that was the real 'gem' in this collection. They didn't want to pump her too full of toxins - it might harm the baby. They were so fragile before they were born.
But, Angel couldn't have anyone recognizing her; that would make life ever so much more complicated then it needed to be. With that in mind, she took a few seconds to knock her out completely, then turned and somehow managed to sink into an elegant curtsy without wearing a dress.
"Stefan, I presume. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Odessa smiled, a finger to her lips, crooked in amusement as she saw the blood still on his hands from where he'd only briefly smeared them on a towel, one no doubt ruined. "Well, hello again," she said with a lilt to her voice.
"Darling, do you remember when I told you that I would be sure to give that mongrel who insulted me what he deserved?" she questioned, brushing strands of blonde hair out of her gem-like eyes. A mischevious glint was in them, something dangerously poisonous, mixed with excitement. She stepped aside, allowing him to view the pregnant and now, thanks to Angel, very unconscious Tsunai.
"Meet Tsunai Feleon.. pregnant halfwitted fiancé of one Lucien Cobriana, or as you said, the man whose place was beneath my heel." She folded her arms, wondering what he'd think of this one.
"Of course it's a pleasure," he remarked easily to what Angelica had said, not quite joking. "I'm sure knowing you will turn out to be just as enjoyable, though your introduction would be far more pleasant if it included your name, my dear."
If he didn't get her name, he'd find her to be rude, and Stefan wasn't the most pleasant of people to those who were rude to him. He liked Odessa from their first meeting, though he had to admit he was surprised she was present. "Yes, I remember," he responded, crossing his arms as he listened to her grand scheme, then turned his gaze on the unconscious woman. "That is the serpent king's bride-to-be? I believe you did him a favor in kidnapping her, though he'll certainly be too stupid to realize. How pathetic that you can improve his situation and punish the fool in the same act." He shook his head, as though he really thought it was a sad situation, but perked up slightly when his thoughts continued to far more interesting places.
"What do you intend to do with her and the cobra's spawn?"
"Of course; how rude of me," Angelica said. "I am known as Angel - or the Angel, at times. You may have heard of me or may not have, but in either case I'm sure that we can both benefit from knowing one another." Indeed.
She listened without showing expression as he said that they'd done the cobra a favor, kidnapping his intended. Not that her face was blank or controlled, as though she was attempting to pretened she didn't care. She really didn't and instead looked almost bored. Or... no, that was the wrong word as well. She looked utterly unconcerned, the only possible expression to be found a brief, fleeting smile.
"We'll sell them, of course. Seperately, unless someone wants to pay for the set. Once that is done then their fate is in the hands of their new master. If no one buys them then it's easy enough to kill them, but I would be surprised if there wasn't someone interested in the child, at least. Despite the coloration -" Angelica had heard of Stefan, and she knew how to play for an audience, she certainly didn't care if the slaves she was selling had blonde hair or black, blue eyes or red or any other color, for that matter, "- there are some here would would doubtless appreciate a cobra, because of their rarity. This one possibly more so, as by blood it will be the heir to the serpiente throne."
Odessa only smiled glibly as Angel spoke. She didn't care particularly who bought them either, as long as they had deep pockets. "I'd prefer to separate them, honestly. Can you imagine the agony? And even if the Cobra king manages to find one of them, which I honestly doubt considering our resources versus his, do you think he'd be able to find both? He'll go mad with grief." Her voice lifted at the end, with delight. It was madness, the way she spoke so happily about the circumstances that may or may not happen.
"It's almost tempting to keep the child, but who wants one of those anyways," she spat, rolling her eyes. "Really. You vampires have the right idea," she said to Stefan, her ocean-hued eyes glittering with mischief. "Infertility is a gift. If I ever become bored enough of this form, I might just take a step further into the darkness." Become a vampire, she meant. But not right now. Right now she was just bustling with energy being Odessa.
"Angel. Very nice," he remarked smoothly, and then his attention was once more on the unconscious mother-to-be as they discussed her fate. He wasn't stupid, so her 'skill' at selling to any audience was wasted. He knew that some of his colleagues were interested in the lesser creatures, and he liked that. It meant he had to fight less for the true gems he found. Really, he might have personally been interested in the cobra spawn just for the sake of having the creature. He'd turn it into a fierce little thing, no more than a dog, but a strong, dangerous dog. He didn't find the dark creatures to be entirely useless, just unworthy of humanity.
"I do think that I agree with you, darling. Separating them makes more sense, though you'd have to wait until the child was old enough to part with her," he told Odessa, rather liking her way of thinking. Surely, the cobra king wouldn't find both, and he'd suggest ensuring that the man never located the child, but perhaps leaking to him where the woman was would be interesting. Watch him scramble to help her. He didn't say it, but he did disagree with Odessa's opinion of children. He didn't prefer them, but they were the one type of human that he didn't form an opinion on immediately. Even the dark ones didn't get instant abuse, though he certainly preferred his blondes. He tended to keep a rather neutral opinion on them from the start, and he didn't go out of his way to strike out at them. He almost thought he might have liked children at one time, but that time had passed.
Odessa was instantly more interesting than children with her mention of taking that further step, but he did no more than smile at it. If she was ever bored, indeed. Or if he was ever bored.
She stretched languidly, and leaned against the cage for a moment, looking inside the cell like a child staring at Christmas presents placed under the tree a week before the holiday to taunt them. She sighed wistfully, and then turned, coming off of the bars should the hunter decide to pop up and try her from behind - not that Odessa was worried about who would overpower who, it was simply a chance she wasn't willing to take.
"My, Angel, do you think we should advertise now?" she asked. "I've got a handful of potential buyers, but I'd prefer the bidding to be global for... maximum results," she said, glancing to Stefan briefly with another mischievous smile. She was going to have to talk to that vampire later in less company. He was interesting enough that they might be able to work out some sort of... arrangement.
Angelica had laughed as the viper had talked so gleefully of the Cobra King's grief - she herself honestly didn't care one way or another; the only reason that she was here was the profit that she saw in it for herself. That was all, all she needed....
"You'd even think of keeping the child?" Angelica asked with a slight snort - she didn't go on. Oh, certainly there were some who would do a great deal to own the heir to the Cobriana throne, but Angelica personally thought that the brat would be more trouble than it was worth for too long to make it worth the bother - she wasn't generally the most patient of individuals, not unless someone was paying her to be so.
And, though Stefan might not buy her little act, it was automatic - and not entirely an act, when all was said and done. She'd never really understood what some of the collectors of Midnight had seen in the black hair, the garnet eyes, she just knew that some would pay highly for the chance to display their little jewel. Stupid, really. Still, when all was said and done the only creature that she truly appreciated was herself - the rest of the world could be blonde, brunette, a redhead, have hair as black as onyx or be anything in between and the only the she really cared about when she saw them was profit, and self-interest.
Beyond that they didn't matter.
Angelica's expression was soft and blank when the other asked her where she thought they should advertise, but then it normally was. There was a tiny grin that put one in mind of a contented cat on her lips, but other than that....
"I have a few ideas," she said with a grin. "As I told you, there are some interested in exotics who I've been in contact with before. Let me get ahold of them and see if there's anyone interested in the mother or the child."
"Well, we can start the bidding now. She won't be pregnant for long, so if some of them have a fancy to that, they'll be inclined to pay more. If they can wait... we'll see," she said. She glanced back at the woman in the cell with a smirk. "We shall see, indeed." The singsong, accented sort of voice she had was harsh as she spoke then, a low whisper, but rich with hatred. Victoria truly wished she could just skewer her and parade her around, but that was not her way - no, she was much more underhanded and subtle.
She wondered if Lucien was panicking right now, wondering where she was. She had the woman's phone packed inside a small buoyant box and thrown into the river, where it would drift aimlessly. It would be a real treat to see them think they'd found her, only to realize they'd been following a box around the state as it traversed to various streams and lakes. She folded her arms and walked a small circle, coming back to Angel's side.
"And I wouldn't necessarily want to keep it myself, but to have it trained..." she trailed off. "Something like that could utterly destroy the Serpiente monarchy, you see. It would be like someone kidnapping the Tuuli Thea before she was born, raising her to be completely backwards, and then sending her in to stake claim on the throne. The monarchy would fall apart, the people would suffer..." her voice trailed off, obviously bored. "Anyways, I'm really just interested in her, more or less. The fact that she was pregnant was a bonus," she said with a shrug and a smirk.
"A lucrative little bundle of joy, for both of us," she added. "Personally, I hope someone takes her as is, and then drops her down a flight of stairs."