Dark Heart Dawning

[Verity Celestino]

 Made it her business, indeed. As she sat down next to Niall, who took his place at the head of the table, she wondered how exactly her newly-invited guest would react to all of this. Darren... he was enjoyable, but he was a novelty. He was in the middle of the biggest war that Midnight had waged since the burning times, when Jeshickah had made it her personal mission to kill everyone who had a hand in the destruction of her pride and joy the first go-round. And now, an attempt, however feeble, had been made on the life of the Master of Midnight, and they were retaliating again in a similar fashion. She wondered when the cat would outlive his entertainment value and she'd be forced to either kill him or add him to her own collection.

She didn't really deign to have to watch Persephone sulk, either, so she supposed she could just cut him loose. She did enjoy the idea that he was cousin to the Crimson Guild leader, and that he had so very little power he was aware of his actual negative pull against them (like gravity - were they all falling, Darren lacked so much pull he'd fall up). Oh, who was she kidding? She watched him unfold his napkin and marvel at the sheer amount of forks at his place setting, clasping her fingers together. She smiled, mostly to herself. Niall was saying something to Justinian, who sat to his other side, and they were both laughing. Everyone was laughing, everyone was having a good time. In part, it was due to this feline.

She did fancy him, she supposed, and deferred to Niall's opinion about allowing him to live. When that changed, she would revisit the idea. Of course, that didn't mean she didn't want to see what made him tick. He was a guest in her home and she was the Mistress of Midnight - she was allowed to play any game she chose to suit her fancy.

"I believe we have a late addition to our party," she said suddenly, standing as the doors opened. In strode Raphael, arm linked with a petite and rather stunning, olive-skinned woman with a mountain of dark hair. So, Verity thought, sizing the old vampire up. This is who captures the hearts of the felines so. What an interesting dinner, indeed.

"Raphael, who might your friend be?" she asked, her voice edging in razors.

The trainer, who looked a might different than the last time Darren had seen him (what with the being pained in the mouth by Persephone and all), released the brunette from his grasp, walking her out two lengths so that all could gaze upon her. To Darren who had no idea of their history, this was a shock - to Raphael, this was a Sunday dinner.

"Mistress, allow me to present an old and dear friend. Ekaterina von Jungingen, of Tizoc Theron," he said. Katya fell into a low bow at his words, though her mouth had twisted into a hate-filled sneer at their content. She didn't need everyone in the room to know who sired her; even Darren hadn't known that. She didn't make it a point to betray her lineage, if only because she enjoyed being underestimated. She was much more strategic than people would give her credit for, but thankfully her two power-hungry sisters often overshadowed her and allowed her to quietly gain loyalty.

"Of Theron," Verity said. "How curious. I've never heard of you."

THAT had been an insult, based strictly on the way she saw Darren and Persephone react to her very presence. She knew who Katya was; she knew the lines of most vampires who had any ability worth mentioning. But she didn't have to admit it, and she plainly had just feigned ignorance for the sake of seeing just how this vampire would react.

She smiled blithely at Darren. "I understand she is also a friend of yours, my dear?" she asked/teased, her tone hard to interpret from its saccharine sound. "I felt you wouldn't mind having yet another familiar face while we conversed and dined." And she'd kept that bit quiet from Niall, too. The last thing she needed was him getting in the way of her petty jealousies.