Author: catstark

From Inside the Grey House:

As she walked calmly up the stairs, Natalia started twirling her own necklace, almost wishing she could hypnotize Vincent into giving her what she wanted. It had been nice being able to get her necklace back. She was now using her mom’s old necklace, as hers was lost in the woods. After taking her mom’s necklace out of the jewelry box, Natalia cut the string and sang the words, taking extra care to weave her will into the tiny silver beads. Lilly guessed once that the necklace and songs were probably a spell of sorts, but assured Natalia it was still all her own will at work. Her first trial with the new necklace had been on Anthony; she found she could still control him. She tried it on a rare occasion when they were alone in a room with Vincent.

From Inside the Grey House:

Natalia went into the building, acting as if she belonged there. The back door didn’t have a lock. Inside the building, Natalia went right for the stairs. She didn’t want to get stuck talking with an overly curious passenger in the elevator. Though this was a large apartment complex there were only four stories and only eight apartments per floor. In her other visits, it seemed as if the residents knew each other. Taking the elevator was never a good idea. Jeffery Tathers lived on the third floor; using the stairs didn’t prove much of a problem. On the third floor, she headed down the hall toward his apartment, digging out keys as if she were headed to her own apartment. In front of his door, she quickly took a look around, making sure no one was in the hall. She used her lock picking tools to unlock his door then slipped into his apartment and shut and locked the door.

From Inside the Grey House:

“Still. I don’t know.” He ran his hand through his thick, shaggy hair. “What if she dies?”

Rebecca looked her husband in the eye. “If she dies and Vincent is here, she’ll be turned. Pretty sure she’ll be turned if he isn’t here.” She cocked her head. “Are you worried Vincent will blame you for her getting shot?”

He opened his mouth to speak but stopped as he thought about it. During his silence, Rebecca plated some eggs and minute steaks that she made while he wasn’t paying attention. She grabbed some coffee and milk, then sat down near him. She started eating before he answered.

“I think I am.”

From Inside the Grey House:

“What did you learn?”

Joseph walked around the end of the bar and stopped just behind Vincent, pouring himself and Vincent each a glass of brandy. The good brandy was upstairs, but this would do just fine. He walked back around the bar and handed Vincent a glass, waiting until Vincent took a sip to answer the question. “His Lieutenants were each instructed to bring a human as a gift for their new Captain.”

“What’s he expecting to do in my club?” Vincent didn’t hide his anger.

From Inside the Grey House:

Vincent pulled Natalia out into the hall, yelling his frustrations. He had no idea why she killed the Slayer, and had no idea why that disturbed look was on her face. It was as if her one and only hope had been torn from her very soul. Mierka was in the cell, feeling for the Slayer’s pulse. If there was any indication of life, she could turn him and they could continue to question him. When Mierka shook her head and looked over, Vincent bared his teeth and snarled.

“Natalia. Natalia! Snap out of it. What did he do?” His voice was a cacophony of annoyance, frustration and concern. He was trying to be gentle, but the main Slayer was dead and Mierka had informed him that the other two could not talk. He needed to know what happened in the cell. The microphones hadn’t picked anything up; they had spoken too quietly.

From Inside the Grey House:

Lilly cleared her throat, indicating they should continue. It took a moment for Natalia to move; she was staring at the view. Before moving she concluded that it was not the same view as in her dream. Something was missing, but she didn’t know what. Lilly finally pulled at her arm. Natalia started walking again, still trying to see the view in her dream. It wouldn’t come. She closed her eyes and followed Lilly through the only open door. The master bathroom was larger, as was the round tub. The tub was to the left of center. There was a square shower stall about five feet by five in the far right corner. Next to it was a counter with two sinks. The toilet was in the far left corner, mostly hidden behind a curtain.

Lilly helped Natalia out of her robe and into the tub. There were stairs for this one too.

“Wouldn’t a shower make more sense?”

“You can shower later. I want to help you with your hair. More comfortable for both of us if you’re seated in the tub.”

From Inside the Grey House:

Kim did in fact leave the bar about an hour later. She had her arm around the waist of a man who couldn’t walk straight. The vampire was beautiful in her little black dress and high heels. Perhaps too nicely dressed for this area, but the man didn’t notice. He was dressed more appropriately in jeans and a sweatshirt from one of the local colleges. Kim was leading him across the street, not really paying attention to her surroundings. Natalia climbed down from the tree to better follow in the shadows and bushes.

From Inside the Grey House:

“Never again, this long without you.” She turned and slipped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him. Her lips found his as her eyes closed. His hands pressed into her back, pulling her as close as possible, but his clothing were in the way. He continued the kiss, though, deciding to move slowly. There were some things he needed to discuss with her. For the moment, though, he massaged her back, kissed her deeply, and let her feel his desires.

Natalia pulled away first, needing to catch her breath. Her face was flush. “Hello, lover.”

From Inside the Grey House:

Sometime before sunrise she fell asleep in his arms. Her back was to his chest, a satisfied smile on her face. He lay awake, his arms wrapped around her, feeling her breath pushing her chest in and out. He had learned something tonight: his life, and the lives of his people were at stake. It was time to take over, and he wanted Natalia to help him. The look in her eye when she rushed into his arms had shown him all he needed to know. She was upset at being left behind, at not being able to help, at not being there to know what had happened to him. She loved him. Or so he surmised. If it were love, it would bind her to him even more than before. If it were love, he could control her for an eternity. Love was the most powerful tool for control.

From Inside the Grey House:

Vincent knocked Joseph’s arm away, concentrating on healing his newest wound. Natalia watched as his eyes and wound closed. His chest was covered in blood. He reached up to touch his neck, then stopped with his hand to his nose. A slight tremor appeared in his hand as he sucked on his right palm. Her blood was on that hand. Natalia dropped her sword arm, knowing she had him. She glanced at Joseph, who seemed to understand her look and stepped away from Vincent. The sword clattered to the floor, and Vincent opened his eyes. Natalia caught his gaze, brought her left hand to her right arm, and lifted them both in front of her. She untied the wrapping and unraveled the bandage as he watched. She dropped the bandage to the floor, catching his gaze again. Vincent watched as she held her arm out. The look in her eyes was clear. He trembled as the scent of her blood slammed into his nostrils.

Natalia advanced toward him. “On your knees, vampire, or you get nothing.”