We Don't Have To Wait For Long! Yes!

Mistakes (Part 2)

Hello, everyone. I want to thank you all for your positive feedback and comments about the first part of “Mistakes”! Here is the second and final part of the story. I hope that you all like it! :)

Fair warning: It’s rather lengthy. Lol.

Click here to go to Part 1.

"Why?"

The tone of her voice is tensely calm. And it chills you.

"Kamilah..." You trail off, unsure of how to even begin.

For several moments, you continue to grasp for words. "I ---"

You hear her take a breath. "Stop." She says. "This isn't the place to have this conversation. Get in the car."

With her back still turned to you and without another word, she strides towards the exit of the Cavern and makes her way to her sleek black automobile. You hurry to follow her.

The ride to her apartment building is long and silent. The tension between you two hangs heavily in the air.

You silently follow her to the elevator and into her apartment. You stand in the middle of the living room, unsure of what to do while Kamilah rummages through her liquor collection at the bar.

Kamilah slams a glass on top of the counter and pours bourbon into it. She takes the glass and walks to the wall-sized windows. She takes a long sip.

“I’ll ask you again. Why?”

Her voice is still eerily calm. You feel even more chills running down your spine.

“I…” you begin to stammer.

She swirls her drink. “Go on.”

“I… I… I’m… sorry.”

She downs all of the bourbon. “Oh, you’re sorry?”

In the blink of an eye, the glass goes sailing through the air before smashing against the wall. Kamilah rounds on you, eyes smoldering.

“Is that all you have to say?! That you’re sorry?!”  Her beautiful face is twisted with anger. Her eyes are narrowed down to slits, and her forehead is creased with lines.

“Why? Why did you do it?” Although she is no longer shouting, her tone is still laced with rage.

You freeze – terror and guilt force you to remain still even as Kamilah glares at you.

“I don’t know what else to say right now.” You manage to say after a moment. “I am so s-sorry.” Your voice begins to tremble.

Your response only seems to spur the vampire even further into a spiral of rage. "Not only did you sleep with someone else, but you also slept with Priya Lacroix of all people! Do you know how stupid and foolish that was?! She could've killed you!"

She looks at her hands, which you see are trembling with anger. “Am I not good enough for you?” She asks. “Have I been lacking?! Haven’t I been good to you?!”

Haven’t I been good to you?

Amidst your feelings of fear and guilt, the last question causes you to snap out of your stupor.

And it also causes something else inside to snap. And before you know it, you blurt out your answer.

“No.”

The single word stops Kamilah dead in her tracks. “Excuse me?” She responds in disbelief.

“I said…” You begin to speak – the terror you initially felt beginning to subside to give way to something else entirely. “… no. You haven’t been good to me.”

Your answer seems to have rendered Kamilah speechless. So, you decide to take advantage of the silence to elaborate before she gets the chance to retaliate.

“Lately, you’ve done nothing but act coldly towards me.” You begin, gaining momentum. “Whenever I try to talk to you, you brush me off. Whenever I text you, you always reply with “Not now.” Whenever we’re in the same room, you act as if I’m not even there! The only time you actually acknowledge me is either when you need something from me or if you want me to shut up whenever you think that I’m talking too much!”

You notice that your voice has become raised and high-pitched. But right now, you don’t care – all the hurt and pain you’ve bottled up have started to spill over.

“So, no. You haven’t been good to me! In case you haven’t realized, you’ve actually been treating me like crap!”

Kamilah remains stunned for a few seconds. Then she comes alive again with indignation.

"In case you haven't realized, Gaius is on the loose! And he wants to conquer the world and destroy everything as we know it! The others, Adrian and I must do all that we can to stop him at all costs. I don't have time for anything else!"

Undeterred and feeling indignant yourself, you retaliate.

"You don't think that I know that? He kidnapped me, Kamilah! He used me to get the information he needed! I know what's at stake! I’m fully aware of how dangerous he is!"

"Then why are you mewling about not getting enough attention?!”

Her statement was like a slap to your face.

"I'm not asking that you dote on me or baby me 24/7! All I'm asking for is a little consideration! Even though the others are busy, they still take time to check on me. They talk to me. They make me feel that they care.

"You, on the other hand? You barely look at me! You act like you don’t care at all!"

Your retort causes her to pause for a moment. A flash of hurt similar to the one you saw in the Cavern crosses her features.

"How can you say that?! Have you forgotten all those nights we spent together? All those conversations we had?"

At the mere mention of those moments, memories begin to flash in your mind. The smiles you shared as lay entangled in each other’s arms. The small laughs during the most unexpected moments. The kisses you trailed across each other's bodies as the moon shone brilliantly from outside the windows.

At this point, the hurt you’ve been feeling seems to have reached its boiling point. You feel tears beginning to prick your eyes. “Honestly? With how you’ve been acting? I’ve started to think that you only give a damn about me whenever you want to have sex!” The tears start to flow freely. “I feel like your dirty little secret!”

At your words, all traces of fury immediately evaporate from the Egyptian vampire's face. A look of shock and hurt instantly replaces the rage.

“Are you… blaming me for your affair with Priya?”

You’re caught-off guard by her question. You stare at her with tear-stricken eyes, unable to utter a word.

Your silence seems to be the only answer Kamilah needs. She walks over to her desk and picks up a phone.

“Samuel. It’s Miss Sayeed. Take a car and come to my apartment. I need you to escort Miss Amy Walsh to her home.”

She sets the phone down.

“I called one of my Clan members to give you a lift.” She speaks in a monotone without so much as a glance at you. “Go downstairs and wait for him.”

“Kamilah…” You finally get the strength to say something.

“Leave.”

“But –”

“I said leave!”

It was all too much to bear. You turn on her heel and leave Kamilah’s apartment in tears.

--------

Three months later

It appears that the Council’s plan is working – the rotation of hiding places has kept the vial of the First Vampire’s blood secured and safe. So far, none of the already utilized hiding places have been disturbed – a good sign.

Yet, the Council refuses to become complacent. Knowing the danger and threat that Gaius poses, they regularly meet to discuss updates and strategies. And as Adrian’s assistant, and also because you are already deeply involved in their plans, you dutifully attended each meeting. No matter how difficult it is for you.

You and Kamilah haven’t spoken to each other ever since that fateful night months earlier. The memory of that night is still fresh in your mind as if it had only happened yesterday. You feel hurt, angry, and regretful all at once.

Kamilah doesn’t acknowledge you at all during the meetings – you’ve shared absolutely no eye contact or any form exchange whatsoever. Even during the times that Priya tries to make a move on you again, she doesn’t react. Due to the effectiveness of the rotation plan, she seems less tired and less on edge. But she still leads the meetings and strategy discussions with focused calculation and silent intensity.

She’s doing well. And she seems to have placed everything that’s happened between the two of you behind her.

That’s what hurts the most.

The others have noticed your sullen demeanor and have tried to coax into confiding in them. Lily, being your best friend, kept insisting that you can tell her anything. Adrian offered to give you some time off from work and assured you that he's always there to listen of you ever needed someone to unload to. Jax tried to cheer you up by touring you around the Shadow Den and by engaging in all sorts of the activities with the former Clanless vampires.

But you insisted that you were just tired and stressed because of everything that has happened and because of the possible dangers. The others, knowing that anyone would be distressed by those circumstances, accepted your explanation. But they still insisted that you go to them if you ever wanted to talk.

One day, you’re strolling across town. You’ve just finished having an early dinner and you were on your way to work.

You suddenly stop when a man steps in your way.

“Uh… excuse me.” You try to move around him, but he grabs your arm and lifts you onto his shoulder, and before you can retaliate, you suddenly find yourself in a back alley located several blocks away from where you were strolling.

“Hey! What gives?!”

When he turns to look at you, you’re met with red eyes and fangs. “You’re coming with me, missy.”

He looks around for a moment to make sure that you’re alone, and just as he’s about to make a run for it, you see a pipe leaning against the wall and immediately take it.

“Hiya!” You scream as you bash it into the side of his head with all of your strength

He grunts and drops you in surprise. You scramble to your feet, but before you can run, he lands a blow to your side which causes to fly into the adjacent brick wall. The side of your head makes contact against the dirty cemented surface, and you feel warm blood oozing from your temple. 

Through your hazy state of mind, you see a second and familiar figure approaching the vampire.

“You careless fool!” Although you’re barely conscious, you’re still able to recognize that voice. “You could’ve killed her! We need her alive for our mission to be successful!”

“I’m sorry, Lord Jameson.” The other vampire answered while lowering his head.

The scholar takes a breath and composes himself. He then turns to you. “No matter. What matters is that you’re still alive. It was wise that I came along just in case something like this happened.”

He walks over to you and kneels beside you. “Now, to find the vial." He takes hold of your head and suddenly visions of different vampires flood your mind.

 …No… Have… to… stop…

Despite the literal throbbing pain in your head and the feeling that your mind was being torn apart, you’re somehow able to stop the visions.

Scholar Jameson notices the abrupt halt of the flow of visions and presses his fingers and palms even deeper into your scalp and skin as he attempts to force the flow through his psychic abilities. But without knowing how, you’re able to counter his powers.

“What?!” The shock was apparent in Jameson’s voice. “How is this possible?!”

Even though you feel weak, you manage to smirk at Jameson. “… Take…that.” You say feebly.

Your feeling of triumph is cut short when Jameson deals a second blow to your head – causing more blood to ooze from your wound. The strike drains you of all strength, thus weakening your mental barrier.

"That's better. Now, on to business." His grip on the sides of your head tightens, and a stream of memories and visions overwhelms you.

Pain takes over all your senses. The combined force of Jameson’s powers and your own, as well as the steady flow of blood that was streaming from your injury, are all too much for you to handle. You barely hold on.

Despite all the random memories you see, you also sense your own memories. You think of the times you spent with Lily before she was Turned. All the inside jokes you and Adrian shared in-between office meetings. The moments you spent with Jax at the Shadow Den along with the other Clanless.

But out of all of them, the memories that stand out the most are your memories of one certain Egyptian vampire.

It was all too much, so you start to drift away, but before unconsciousness takes over, you hear a third voice from a distance.

“Get away from her!”

Those words are all that you hear before you black out.

--------

When you start to regain consciousness, you suddenly notice that your back wasn’t leaning against cement anymore. Instead, you find yourself lying on… cotton and silk?

You blearily open your eyes and see Adrian, Lily, and Jax by your bedside.

Lily wraps her arms around you. “You’re awake!” Her happy exclamation causes your head to throb.

“Lil… not so loud…”

“Sorry!”

“Amy.” Adrian takes one of your hands. “I’m so glad that you’re okay.”

“Yeah.” Jax moves to sit at the edge of your bed. “You scared us back there.”

You smile at them. Relieved to be out of danger and to be surrounded by friendly faces. You then move your right hand and notice that an IV line has been attached to it. “How long have I been out?”

“Girl, you were out cold for two days!”

“Two days!? W-what? What happened?”

Adrian is the first to speak, as he does, his face hardens. “You were attacked by Scholar Jameson and one of Gaius’s other followers.”

Flashes of the encounter suddenly reappear in your mind. “Oh, no!” Your own exclamation causes your head to hurt again.

“Easy there.” Jax says. “Don’t overdo it.”

You nurse your bandaged head and take a breath. “Jameson… tried to use his powers to use me to look through other vampires’ memories. He tried to get information about the location of the vial.”

The three vampires suddenly become alarmed. “Was he successful?” Adrian asks, dread lacing his voice.

“No.” You say, recalling what had happened. “I passed out before he got what he was looking for. If he saw it, then I would have seen it too.”

They visibly relax. “That was a close one.” Lily comments, her shoulder sagging in relief.

You notice Adrian’s eyes narrow in calculation. “It was. But we need to move the vial again. As a precaution.” Adrian looks at Jax.

“Already on it.” The black-haired vampire moves to stand. “I’m going to contact my Clan members and coordinate with the other Clan leaders. Lily, I’m going to need your help.” 

“You got it.” Lily looks at you and hugs you again. “We gotta go, Amy. I’m so glad that you made it out okay. Get well soon.”

 “I will. Thanks, Lil.”

Jax moves to place a hand on your shoulder. “Take care of yourself, Amy.”

You give him a smile before he and Lily leave.

You then start to notice your surroundings for the first time. You take in the polished marble floor and the soft king-sized bed. In front of you is a large screen TV, a mini-fridge to the right side of the room, and a liquor cabinet to the left. But what really caught your attention was the room’s distinctly Egyptian themed decor…

You tense up, not daring to hope. “Where are we?”

“We’re in Kamilah’s private suite in Ahmanet Financial.”

The mere mention of Kamilah’s name causes your heart to beat faster. “What?!”

Adrian leans back against his chair and smiles at your reaction. “Yes. Kamilah also has private living quarters in her company building.”

You blink unable to process what you’re hearing. “How… how did I even get here?”

The amusement disappears from his face. “When Jameson…” his expression hardens again, “… was attacking you, a member of Clan Sayeed was looking for you. Fortunately, he got there just in time.”

Your heart starts beating even more quickly. “A Clan Sayeed member saved me?”

Adrian nods. “Yes. His name is Samuel Cavanaugh – he’s one of Kamilah’s strongest clan members. Kamilah told me that she tasked Samuel to watch you closely just in case something happens. Kamilah was afraid that you might be targeted by Gaius again. It was a good thing that she had the foresight to do so.

“When he found you, he immediately brought you to Kamilah and she placed you here to keep you safe.”

You can hardly believe what you were hearing. It all felt too unreal. “Where is Kamilah?” you finally ask.

“She and some of her Clan members are on a man-hunt for Scholar Jameson.”

She’s on a man-hunt?! “So, Scholar Jameson escaped?”

He nods gravely. “I’m afraid so. Samuel was able to kill the other vampire, but Jameson managed to get away.”

Panic and anxiety suddenly start to shoot through your nerves. “But what if Jameson has more lackeys with him?! Kamilah and the others could get hurt!” You start to sit up, but a sensation of pain causes you to double over.

Your boss places his hands on your shoulders. “Calm down. It’s going to be okay.” He gently settles you down onto your pillow. “Kamilah can more than handle her own and her Clan members are not to be underestimated. And they’re also armed with UV flashlight beams and other weapons.”

You take a long and deep breath to calm yourself. “Okay.”

A phone suddenly vibrates in Adrian’s inner pocket. When he checks it, he frowns. “I have to go. Something urgent came up.” He places his phone away. “I’ll visit again as soon as I can. For now, get some rest.”

You give him a small smile. “You got it, boss.”

He returns it and leaves. Soon, you’re lying restlessly on the comfortable bed with your racing thoughts. It all seemed surreal. Things between you and Kamilah ended badly, but you just learned five minutes ago that she sent someone to protect you and that she’s on a man-hunt for your attacker.

Drowsiness and fatigue eventually overtake your senses. You soon drift off into a dreamless sleep. 

--------

You’re in a state of relatively peaceful slumber when you feel something brushing your hand. You open your eyes to see a tanned hand stroking yours with a manicured thumb.

When you lift your gaze, you immediately see a familiar pair of brown eyes looking at you with worry.

Your own eyes widen in surprise. “Kamilah…”

With great effort, you try to sit up and Kamilah reaches out to grab the pillow behind you.

“Here. Let me.” She adjusts the pillow so that you can sit more comfortably before she pulls at the comforter to give you more room to move. You lean back against the headboard and look at her. You notice that her normally well-kept hair is slightly tousled and that the collar of her blouse is ruffled.

You know that you’re wide awake, but you feel as if you’re dreaming. Kamilah is sitting at the edge of the side of the bed and is holding your hand.

“Amy…” she says your name softly as a relieved smile forms on her lips. “I’m glad that you're safe now.”

You look at her for a moment, still processing her presence. “Thanks.” You then glimpse at your joined hands before glancing back at her again. “You… sent one of your Clan members to keep watch over me?”

“Of course.” She begins to stroke your hand again. “I promised that we wouldn’t fail you again.”

“Right. You did say that…” you trail off. “Did you get Jameson?”

Fury flashes across her face briefly. “Sadly, no. He managed to slip away.” She then sighs.

You spend a few moments of awkward silence together. After everything that happened, you don’t know what to say, much less know how to continue your conversation. You look at the blank screen of the plasma screen TV while Kamilah stares at your still linked hands, lost in thought.

She’s the first to break the tension. “Amy…can we talk?”

You take in the uncharacteristically troubled look on her face and you nod. The Egyptian vampire lets out a breath before speaking again.

“When I heard that you were attacked, all I could think about was our fight… And when I saw how badly hurt you were, all I could think about was how things ended between us.

"With Gaius still on the loose, there's no telling what could happen. Or who would survive. And...”, she pauses for a moment before looking into your eyes.

“I don't want our last words to each other to be words said in anger or hurt."

You practically feel your heart quicken its pace at her words. “Kamilah…”

She gently tightens her grip on your hand. “I thought about what you said. And you’re right. I’ve treated you poorly. Ever since we learned that Gaius has returned, I’ve been focused on nothing but stopping him at all costs. I’ve been so pre-occupied that I forgot that there are other important things…” she trails off.

When she continues, you notice an unusual tone of vulnerability in her voice. “I should have been more considerate of your feelings. I realized that it’s not enough that I actually care. I should also make you feel that I do care. I didn’t show you just how much I value you… and I-I’m sorry.” Her voice cracks slightly as she says the last words.

The sincerity of her words overwhelms you, and you feel tears starting to form in the corners of your eyes. "Kamilah. I'm sorry, too." A tear slides down your cheek. "I don't blame you for what happened between Priya and me. That was my choice." More tears flow. "I'm so sorry for hurting you that way."

She gives your hand a gentle squeeze. "You did hurt me. But then again, I also hurt you... And I'd been hurting you for a long time."

Hesitantly, she lifts her other hand before using it to take your other one.

"We both made mistakes, Amy. And what's done is done..." She pauses as if she's contemplating what to say next.

"The only thing that we can do now is to try to put all of it behind us and move forward."

Your heart thunders as a mixture of anticipation and anxiety curl in your stomach. "What do you mean by that exactly?"

Kamilah stares at you with an earnest and exposed expression - a look that rarely graces her features. "I... want us to try again."

"What?" You ask again, hoping that you heard her correctly the first time.

"I want us to try again, Amy. I want to be better for you. Be better to you. Regardless of what happens. Come what may. I want to be with you."

You feel a huge smile slowly starting to form on your face as streams of tears begin to flow freely from your eyes.

"Oh, Kamilah... Yes!" You're unable to suppress the happiness you feel. "I want us to try again too.” You sniffle as more tears wet your cheeks. “I want to be with you again."

A wide, brilliant, and joyous smile begins to form on Kamilah's beautiful face as well. Her own eyes also start to glisten over.

She gently takes you into her arms, and you brace yourself against her shoulder, weeping tears of joy and relief as she strokes your hair from behind.

Her embrace is warm and comforting, and it melts all the hurt, anger, and pain away.

--------

One week later

You've recovered from your injuries, and you feel strong enough to attend the latest scheduled Council meeting. Despite Kamilah's protests, you insisted on going. And knowing that you couldn't be persuaded, she eventually relented.

You walk side-by-side as you enter the Cavern. And you see that Priya is already there, waiting for the others. The fashion designer's eyes light up when she sees you.

"Look who's finally up and about." She purrs. "Glad to see that you've recovered, gorgeous." She saunters towards you.

In a flash, Kamilah is between you and Priya. "Back off, Priya." She quietly glares at the younger vampire who raises a perfectly-shaped eyebrow.

"Well, look who decided to play hero again." She laughs lightly. "Stand down, Kamilah. Amy's a big girl." Priya leans around Kamilah to grin at you. "She can make decisions for herself."

You look at her intently. "You're right. I can." You step forward to stand beside Kamilah and hold her hand. She responds by lacing your fingers together for Priya to see.

The fashion designer's eyes widen in surprise. "Wait... seriously?"

"Yes. Seriously." You reply firmly.

The shock eventually gives way to curiosity. "Oh... so, does this mean that she's all yours now, Kamilah?"

"Indeed, she is." You can’t help but smile at how she replied without missing a beat.

You then turn to Priya. Steeling yourself, you address the other vampire. "What happened between us was a mistake, Priya. It shouldn't have happened. I'm sorry."

The fashion designer scoffs. "Hmph. It's your loss." She turns to Kamilah again, smiling mischievously. "Well, I hope you enjoy her, Kamilah... I certainly did." She laughs before stalking away. Kamilah's eyes flash red and you grip her hand tightly to stop her from attacking the younger vampire.

"She's not worth it." You tell her softly.

She lets out a growl before taking a calming breath. "You're right." She glares at the vampire who is now typing away at her phone on the other side of the room. "Besides, if I kill her, I'd just start a Clan war. Which is definitely not what we need right now."

You chuckle, and she cranes her head to look at you. Her eyes, now back to their brown color, soften. "Are you okay?"

You smile at her. "Yeah. I am. What about you?"

She gives you a small but warm smile before raising your joined hands to her lips. "I'm more than okay." She places a kiss on your knuckles.

End.

Hashira Wedding Night: A Spin-Off Inspired by 'The GiyuShino Low-Key Married AU'

Greetings, fellow GiyuShino shippers!

So, I've just been lurking in the GiyuShino tag for a while. But I've become invested in the ship quite some time ago. Haha. But anyway, I just wanted to say that I came across 'Hashira First, Spouses Second: The GiyuShino Low-Key Married AU' by Buriko, a.k.a @demonslayedher, and that it's a great read!

I especially had fun reading Chapter 4, which featured their wedding and wedding night. Hahaha. I know that since the fic is rated T, there wasn't anything explicit. Yet, reading it inspired me to write a smut fic of what could've happened on Giyuu and Shinobu's wedding night. Hehehe.

I reached out to Buriko, a.k.a. @demonslayedher, to ask for their permission to post my story. And they said yes! I'm glad that permission was granted, and I'm also excited to share the story!

I actually already posted the story on Ao3. Hehe. So, I am now sharing the story's link here on Tumblr! For my fellow GiyuShino shippers who follow the 'Low-Key Married AU' and want *ahem* more details about Giyuu and Shinobu's wedding night, you might want to give my story a try. Hehehe.

Just a quick disclaimer: The contents of my fic do not necessarily reflect how the storyline of Buriko's story will develop. I tried to make this fic match the source story's tenor and characterization, but I think that I did not quite stick the landing. Hahaha. But all the same, I hope you will still like what I wrote!

Anyway, here's the link to the story and its summary!

Hashira Wedding Night: A Spin-Off Inspired by 'The GiyuShino Low-Key Married AU'

Rating: M

Summary:

The softness of the towel barely registers in Giyuu’s mind even as he runs it over his head. His hands go through the motions on their own, with his mind preoccupied with other matters. One specific matter, at that. I’m supposed to make love to Kochou tonight. -- OR A fellow fanfic reader/writer's take on how Giyuu and Shinobu's wedding night went in the fic-verse of Buriko's 'Hashira First, Spouses Second: The GiyuShino Low-Key Married AU'.

If you read the fic, then please let me know what you think! Let me know your thoughts in the Ao3 comments section! Reviews, comments, and critiques are most welcome! And also, many thanks to Buriko for granting permission!

I am reblogging my own story. Hehe. ✌️

The Promise

Note:  Hello, everyone. I got the idea for this Kamilah x MC story some time after the latest BloodBound chapter was released. This takes place immediately after the events of the said chapter. Also regarding the Order of the Dawn,I assumed, for the purpose of this story, that they possess high-tech weapons specifically designed to take down vampires. The assumption is based on the information Adrian shared.

Anyway, this story is rather lengthy. Lol. I hope that you guys will like it! :)

P.S: Also, please forgive the title. I couldn’t think of anything else. Haha.

Amy’s POV

The Knights of the Order of the Dawn march through the entrance of Serafine’s nightclub. As they fill the room, streams of flaming arrows fly across the room, immediately setting dozens of vampires on fire.

Screams fill the air as chaos erupts among the crowd. Vampires desperately push against one another in an attempt to escape.

“Amy, get down!” Serafine yells over the screeching as she pulls down to the floor to avoid getting hit by the arrows.

“Serafine, we gotta get to Adrian and Jax!” You tell her.

But your words don’t seem to have reached her. Serafine looks wide-eyed at the ground before her.

“Serafine! Wake up!”

Your loud voice seems to have broken her from her stupor. “Oui! Stay close to me!”

Serafine grabs your hand as she expertly weaves her way through the panicking crowd. You barely manage to keep up with her, but eventually, you find yourselves back in the VIP room where you find Jax and Adrian talking to a group of frightened vampires.

“Guys, the Order of the Dawn is here!” You exclaim as an explanation.

With his eyes glowing red, Jax unsheathes his sword. “Yeah. We heard.”

Adrian steps forward, his face grim. “We need to get out of here.”

Serafine addresses him with a disheartened look on her face. “But there are too many of them." 

You see Adrian’s face harden. "We have to do what we can! We’ve come this far, and there’s too much at stake for us to give up now!”

“Adrian’s right.” Jax steps up beside him. “We can’t stop. Not right now.”

“But the Order…” Serafine mumbles. “… How did they even find my nightclub?”

You look at Serafine whose face is fraught with despair. Her eyes are unseeing - it’s as if she’s re-living a traumatic event.

Adrian notices her dazed state and grabs her hand to squeeze it firmly. “Serafine. Listen to me.”

She turns to him with worried eyes. “You need to calm down.” He tells her. “We can get through this. It’s not over until it’s over.”

The French vampire looks at him for a moment before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she opens them, you see red irises.

“You’re right. We must fight back.”

You grin at her. “That’s the spirit.”

Adrian cracks his knuckles as his own eyes slowly turn red. “Now then, shall we greet the Order?”

“Oui. We shall.”

“Let’s do this!” Jax growls.

—-

Despite being greatly outnumbered; you and the others were able to put up a fight. Some of the other vampires joined you in the battle - you were all able to hold your own for a while.

But the fact remains that the Order is stronger and larger in number. As the battle progressed, you all started to sustain wounds from their technologically advanced weapons. And eventually, you, Adrian, Jax, Serafine and a few other survivors are crumpled on the ground and are surrounded by the Knights.

Your struggle to keep your eyes open while you cover your bloodied temple with your left hand. You try to hold your head steady with your right one.

“We couldn’t beat them.” You say with a defeated sigh.

“Damn. Those weapons of theirs are really something else.” Jax grunts as he clutches his badly burned shoulder.

“They’ve certainly… upgraded… their arsenal.” Serafine wheezes as she wraps her arms around her stomach.

“We came all this way… Damn it!” Jax yells in frustration.

“At the very least, we will not die as cowards.” You hear Serafine seethe as she glares at faceless masks of the Knights.

“There’s not… much that we… can do.” Adrian grumbles – the pain from the blast to his back making it difficult for him to speak. “It was an honor to… have fought… alongside you all.”

The Knight in front of you raises his arm. “Men, ready your aims!”

Simultaneously, all of the Knights aim their weapons at you, ready to strike.

You look at the Knights, then to your friends, and then to the still-lit ceiling. “Lily… Kamilah…” you say softly, “I hope you guys can finish what we started.” You then close your eyes, waiting for it to be all over…

BOOM!

Something suddenly explodes, and you hear the Knights scream. Your nostrils are immediately invaded with the smell of smoke.

When you open your eyes, you see that the room is now filled with smoke and that the Knights have been scattered across the floor. Through the entrance, a group of red-eyed vampires arrives with weapons of their own. They immediately take advantage of the confusion and engage the members of the Order in combat.

And in a flash, a familiar face is kneeling in front of you.

“You called?” Kamilah smirks at you.

You could hardly believe your eyes. “Kamilah?!”

Even though she’s smirking, you can see hints of relief and worry in her eyes as she looks at you. She instantly tears off one of her long sleeves and quickly wraps it around your head to stop the bleeding.

From beside you, the others react to her sudden appearance. “Wait… What?!” You hear Jax mumble in shock.

Despite her injured condition, Serafine smiles brightly at her. “Darling! So good to see you again!”

“Kamilah! But how?!” Adrian sputters before wincing in pain.

Kamilah looks over her shoulder to call out to another vampire. “Samuel! I need help with the injured!”

“Yes, Miss Sayeed!” In a matter of seconds, more vampires approach your wounded group.

In the blink of an eye, she’s carrying you in her arms. “I’ll explain later.” She addresses all of you. “Right now, we have to get you all to safety.”

“Hey. No arguments from me.” You chuckle as you rest your head against her shoulder.

You see her smile at you quickly before addressing the others. “Let’s move!”

In a matter of minutes, you’re inside a large van.

“Amy!” Lily calls to you from the driver’s seat.

“Hey, Lil.” You smile at her weakly.

“Whoa. You guys look messed up!”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” Jax grumbles.

As soon as all the injured have been loaded in the van, Kamilah slams the door shut. “Now’s not the time for pleasantries. We have to go now!”

Lily immediately takes the wheel and starts the engine. “Got it!”

Soon, you’re zooming down the roads of Paris far away from the Order.

—-

Four hours later

About four hours later, you’ve stopped at the front of the side of a mountain somewhere in the woods located miles away from the main city.

“Where are we?” You ask.

Kamilah responds as she places some items in a satchel. “We’re at an old safehouse used by European vampires back in the early 19th century as a hiding place.”

“Safehouse?” You ask, looking at the wide expanse of hard rock through the windshield.

“It’s built inside the mountain, Amy. The entrance is hidden. How cool is that?!” Lily explains.

“Oh. I see. But won’t the Order find us here?”

“We’ll only stay here for the night. We’ll move to a more secured area come dawn. Besides, this is one of the very few hideouts that the Order has yet to find.” Kamilah says as she slings the bag over her shoulder.

Serafine leans forward. “Oui. This was one of the safest places to go when on the run.”

“This is about as good a hiding place as any.” Jax says from his seat.

Kamilah addresses her other companions. “Get Adrian, Serafine, and Jax inside and give them blood packets. They need to heal immediately.” She then turns to you. “I’ll take care of Amy myself.” She effortlessly scoops you into her arms and carries you outside.

A short while later, Kamilah has removed the rudimentary bandage around your head and cleaned the wound before placing some anti-bacteria solution covering it with a long strip of proper medicinal gauze.

“Thanks.” You say.

“Not a problem. Now let’s go meet with the others.” She offers you her hand, and you take it – letting her pull you up.

—-

You meet at the center of the safehouse and settle around an old and grimy ornate table that has seen better days.

“So, Kamilah…” Adrian begins, now completely healed, “Why are you here? How did you find us?”

Kamilah folds her hands on the table. “When you left to meet Serafine, I called some of my old contacts in Europe. I know as well as anyone that the Order of the Dawn is still active and is more dangerous now than ever. I asked them to watch your movements and also to collect information about the activities of the Order so that I would know if you ever get caught in one of their raids.“

Jax couldn’t contain his shock. “So, you’ve been spying on us this whole time!?”

"I wouldn’t exactly call it "spying.” Kamilah began. “But I suppose I was.”

“Well, it’s a good thing that you were!” Serafine places her hand on Kamilah’s forearm. “You saved our lives, darling! Thank you!”

The Egyptian vampire smiles at her French friend. “Of course.”

“When did you guys arrive in Paris?” You ask.

Lily turns to you. “We got here this afternoon! Talk about getting here in the nick of time, right?” She grins.

You feel your eyes widen. “This afternoon?!”

Kamilah clears her throat, prompting everyone to look at her. “Yes, we arrived this afternoon. One of my contacts told me that the Order was planning to raid an underground nightclub owned by a vampire. And when they told me that it belonged to Serafine, I knew that there was a chance that you would all be in grave danger. So, Lily and I left for Paris immediately. We also brought along some of our strongest Clan members since we’re going to need a larger group to be able to mobilize and strategize considering the extent of the Order’s influence.”

“But what about the rest of our Clan members?” Adrian asks, worry etched on his face.

“Don’t worry. I had already evacuated our Clan members from New York City and called in a favor from our werewolf friend Cal. They’re now in New Orleans. Cal’s Alpha leader agreed to grant them temporary sanctuary.”

Both Adrian and Jax breathe out sighs of relief. “Good. At least they’re out of immediate danger.” Adrian comments.

Jax nods in agreement. “Yeah. Their situation is about as good as it can get.”

You all let a brief moment pass to allow some of the tension to fade. Kamilah eventually speaks again.

“So, tell me. What exactly have you accomplished so far regarding our search for the Tomb of the First?”

—-

Two hours later

You and the others quickly caught Lily and Kamilah up to speed. You told them that you already obtained the Book of Blood, which thankfully, was in Adrian’s satchel the entire time. Serafine then explained that the next step was to find the Eye of Bathory amulet, which was last known to have been possessed by vampires from Prague. Everyone agreed that Lily would help Serafine gather data about the amulet’s current whereabouts and that Serafine would look through your vampiric memories for more information once you regain your strength.

You’re now in one of the old bunkers of the safe house. The room’s only source of light is a single lit candle placed on the bedside table. You toss and turn in the centuries-old cotton bed, unable to fall asleep because of your racing thoughts.

Now that the adrenaline of fighting has subsided, your mind starts to wander to other things. You think about the visions that you’ve seen. Now that you’re aware of your powers as a BloodKeeper, you’re able to recall better the memories that you’ve already witnessed. You think of the First Vampire Rheya and how she was banished to the caves where she eventually gained her powers. You then think about Gaius as a human soldier and how different he was back then. Then your thoughts go to Kamilah.

You think about how she was forcibly Turned against her will by Gaius. You then think about how, despite that fact, the two of them looked at each other so lovingly centuries after.

You immediately feel a pit of unease form in your stomach. You’ve always wondered what kind of relationship Kamilah shared with Gaius. You’ve always wanted to ask her but thought better of it considering the situation you’re all in. She mentioned that she was his Queen and that she did love him before. She also said the Gaius’s return has made her feel vulnerable, but that only made you even more curious about what they had before. Apart from that and a few other tidbits of information, you have no idea about the extent of their relationship. You’ve seen a few memories, but you know there are more.

Your train of thought then leads you to examine your own relationship with Kamilah. She’s shown you tenderness and affection, but just how much does she really care? She admits that you’re the first person that she’s ever been with in a century and that fact in itself already means something. But just how much does it mean?

Your reverie is interrupted by the sound of the door creaking.

“I thought that you’d be asleep.” Kamilah says softly.

You raise your head to look at her. “Hey.”

Kamilah steps inside and closes the door gently. “Why aren’t you asleep?”

You sit up. “I’ve got a lot on my mind. What brings you here?”

She makes her way to your bed and sits beside you. “I wanted to check in on you.”

She raises her hand to gently touch your bandaged head. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel better.”

“Hmmm.” Kamilah drops her hand to her lap.

You both stay in silence for a few moments before Kamilah reaches for your hand. “I’m sorry for not arriving sooner.”

You look at her and see worry in her eyes. “You have nothing to apologize for. You did what you were able to do. What matters is that we got out okay.”

She smiles gently before leaning closer. “I’ve missed you, Amy.”

When she leans in to kiss you, you immediately jerk back.

Kamilah looks at you in quiet surprise. “What’s wrong?”

You stare at her confused face, wondering how you should express what you’ve been thinking about earlier. “…I–…I—” you start to grasp for the right words.

You eventually sigh in defeat before getting up from the bed.

“Amy? What’s wrong?” Concern starts to lace her voice as she watches you slowly pace around the small area of the bunker.

You finally stop in front of the wall and exhale. “I want to know.”

“Know what?” Kamilah asks from behind you.

You swallow before answering. “About you and Gaius.” You let a few seconds pass before you turn around to face her. You see that her face is frozen in shock – her brown eyes are widened, and her mouth is slightly agape.

It takes her a moment to shake herself out of her stupor. “You… what?!” For once, she seems to be at a loss for words. “…Amy, you already know that I was his Queen. But that’s all in the past now.” She offers as an explanation.

You shake your head. “No, Kamilah. I want to know the full extent of your relationship with him.”

Your response seems to have shocked her even further. “Why? Why do you want to know?”

You press your lips into a hard line. “Because I saw memories of you and Gaius…” you begin, watching Kamilah’s reaction. “I know that you tried to kill him before he Turned you without your consent.” At this line, Kamilah’s eyes widened even further. “I also know that centuries afterward, the two of you seemed to be so happy together.”

You eventually pause as you try to collect your turbulent thoughts. “What I’m trying to say is that I’m c-confused.” You feel tears starting to prick the corners of your eyes. “I know that you went through a lot as a vampire. I saw some of your memories, but I still don’t have all the answers. You went through so much together with him. And the fact that I’m confused m-makes me feel a-afraid.” Your voice is now trembling.

“Afraid of what?”

“Afraid that you might still feel something for him!” At this point, the tears have started to flow freely. “Don’t get me wrong, Kamilah. I know that you won’t turn on us. But I can’t help but feel scared.

“I don’t exactly know what we have between us, Kamilah. But… you mean a lot to me. I know that we’ve only known each other for barely a year, but after everything that we’ve been through, I feel connected to you. And… the idea of you still having feelings for him… it breaks my heart.”

You let your tears trail down your cheeks as you continue to sob softly. Kamilah could only stare at you in shock. Your confession seems to have shaken her.

She remains immobile for what seems like an eternity. But then she closes her eyes before taking a deep breath.

"Amy.” The quiet and firm way Kamilah says your name instantly silences you.

She quietly moves from the bed and steps towards you. When you look into her eyes, you see raw vulnerability. Kamilah tentatively lifts a hand. She hovers it over the side of your face, and when you show no signs of jerking away, she places it on your cheek. She begins to gently stroke your tear-stained skin with her thumb.

“I know that you have a lot of questions to ask.” Her voice is soft. “I know that you want clarifications. And you should get the answers. I’m sorry that you feel this way…

“But now is not the time for such a conversation. Too much is at stake, and there is too little time.”

You feel an ache in your chest. “But Kamilah —-” you start to protest.

She silences you once again, this time by placing a finger from her free hand against your lips. “Ssshhh.” She lets the finger linger for a moment.

“Let me finish.” You look at her with wide eyes before giving a small nod. Kamilah drops her finger. “This conversation will not only be quite long. It will also be… unpleasant.

“And honestly, I… don’t feel ready to tell you everything just yet. I want to. And I will eventually. But I can’t. Just not right now.

"But I want you to know this: whatever Gaius and I had in the past doesn’t matter anymore. The Kamilah Sayeed who was under his spell is no more. She has been dead for a long time now. She died the moment she saw how truly dark and cruel he is.”

She takes a second to let out a breath.

"Amy.” She says your name again, the vulnerability more evident. “You are what matters to me right now. I care about you. So much. You mean a great deal to me.

"I don’t know what the outcome of all of this will be, but regardless of what may happen…”

She pauses as she leans in closer. “I want you to know that you make me want to be a better person. You make me feel things that I haven’t felt in a long time. You remind me that there’s still hope in the world. You make me want to try and strive harder. I am just thankful that you came into my life… And I want you to stay in my life.”

Her words make you feel a rush of emotions. As you hold her gaze and take in the vulnerability and sincerity that she allowed to slip through her walls, you know that she’s telling you the truth.

Unable to help yourself, you press your lips against hers. Kamilah wraps her free arm around your waist as she continues to stroke the side of your face with her hand. And you tangle your fingers into her hair as your lips and tongues brush together.

You rest your forehead against hers when you pull away.

“Kamilah…” you stare into her eyes intently. “I believe you…” You continue to stare into her deep brown eyes and take in the warmth and sincerity they emanate. "We still have… a lot of things to iron out between us. But I know for sure that being with you will be worth everything that we have to go through.” She smiles at your declaration.

You untangle your fingers from her hair strands and settle them on her shoulders. "I know that we have a long way to go until all of this over. But… whatever happens, let’s face it together. And whatever comes after, let’s figure out together too. Promise?”

Kamilah looks at you - the earnestness in her eyes is more apparent than ever. “I promise.” She whispers the words solemnly against your lips before kissing you again.

Fears, Doubts, and Apprehensions

Note: Hello, again. The idea for this short Kamilah x MC story popped into my mind a few days ago and I wanted to try my hand at writing it. Hehe.

Her hands trembled as she stepped out of the elevator and made her way to the door of Kamilah's apartment.

Before she could even raise her hand to knock, the door swung open to reveal the vampire standing behind it.

"Amy. Come in." Kamilah said as she stepped to the side to let the blonde enter.

"Thanks." Amy made her way inside until she sat herself at the end of the leather sofa in the middle of the room.

She watched silently as Kamilah made her way to the bar.

"Would you like a drink?"

"I'm good. No, thanks."

The mortal watched as the vampire filled one glass with red wine and drank from it. She consumed all of the contents before setting the glass down and shifting her gaze to the blonde.

"Thank you for coming here. I needed to speak with you."

Kamilah walked over to the couch and sat next to Amy, keeping a certain distance between them.

The blonde gripped the leather cushion. "Okay. What about?"

Kamilah took a breath. "I... want to apologize. And to explain."

Amy's eyes widened in confusion. "What?"

Kamilah looked at her with earnest eyes and Amy could see guilt in them.

"I know that I haven't... been paying much attention to you lately. I know that we haven't really spent time together. And I want to apologize for that.

"Ever since we learned that Gauis has returned, I couldn't stop thinking about how we are all in danger. If he succeeds, if he accomplishes all of his goals - the consequences would be beyond anything that we could even imagine.

"I've been so pre-occupied with planning precautions and gathering information... to the point that I've ignored everything else. Including you."

The vampire tentatively and gently placed her hand on top of Amy's.

"I'm sorry."

The blonde let out a relieved sigh that she didn't know that she was holding.

"Kamilah..." she released her grip on the couch to hold the vampire's hand.

"I get it. Don't get me wrong, I really do get it. I understand that stopping Gauis is everyone's top priority right now. So, I can understand that all of you are busy.

"But, I have to admit that the cold shoulder treatment really stung."

"'Cold shoulder treatment'?" Kamilah asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

"It means that you've been ignoring me."

"Ah."

"Listen. I don't mean to sound clingy or anything. It's just that I feel as if I've been forgotten. I know that you're not exactly open in public or big on PDA, but you've been acting as if I'm nothing but a stranger to you." The mortal woman looked down at their joined hands.

"Oh, Amy." Kamilah's voice was laced with regret.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel that way."

A smile started to form on the blonde's face but it suddenly disappeared when she looked up to see that Kamilah was forlornly looking at the carpetted floor.

"What's wrong?" She prompted.

Kamilah briefly looked at their joined hands and pulled hers away and Amy's hand suddenly felt cold.

"I haven't been completely honest with you." She turned away from the blonde completely. "There's another reason for the... 'cold shoulder treatment'."

Amy's stomach suddenly started to curl with dread. "What do you mean?"

The vampire was silent as she collected her thoughts. After a moment that felt like eternity, she met her eyes once more.

"I feel... afraid."

That was not the response that Amy was expecting. "Afraid? Of what?"

Kamilah sighed before moving to stand up. Amy watched as she made her way to the wall-sized glass window.

"I've been alive for more than two thousand years. And I've done many things. Things... that I'm not proud of. Things that I eventually came to regret."

She paused for a brief moment before continuing.

"Some of them are unspeakable. And I wish that there was a way that I could undo them."

She finally turned towards the blonde. Kamilah's face was fraught with both apprehension and sadness.

"You're a bloodkeeper. You have the ability to see every single memory of every single vampire. You are able to witness everything that we ourselves have witnessed. And..."

It was then that Amy understood.

"... I'm afraid. Afraid that you'll hate me for what I had done once you see my memories."

For a while, the mortal could only look at the vampire in surprise and in shock.

The silence eventually became too much for Kamilah to bear. "Amy... Say something." Her tone carried a silent plea.

Her words seem to have awaken the blonde from her stupor.

"Oh, Kamilah."

Amy made her way to the vampire and took the latter's hands in hers.

"Listen to me. Whatever you did before doesn't matter."

The blonde began stroking the vampire's hands with her thumbs.

"Whoever you were in the past is not who you are right now. If you say that you regret the things that you did in the past, then I believe you."

Kamilah's eyes widened slightly in disbelief. "You do?"

Amy gripped her hands even more firmly as a form of reassurance.

"Yes. I do. Because I've seen for myself how much you care about the people close to you. I've seen how determined you are when it comes to doing what you think is right and best for everyone.

"I've seen how good you are, Kamilah. You're strong, brilliant, and you want to do what's right. The Kamilah of the past doesn't matter. The only Kamilah that matters is the one that's standing right in front of me."

The younger woman watched as Kamilah took a shaky and uneven breath. A relieved smile started to form on her lips.

"Amy..." The relief was apparent in her voice. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that." Her smile grew even wider.

The blonde mortal gave a laugh. She closed her eyes until tears started to spill from them.

The vampire noticed and became alarmed. "Why are you crying?" She brought one hand to the weeping girl's cheek.

The woman gave her a watery smile. "Honestly, Kamilah, I'm just relieved that our conversation turned out the way that it did."

"You are? Why?"

"Because I..." she sniffled, "I thought that you called me here because you wanted to end things between us."

Kamilah instantly took the other woman's face in both her hands in response.

"Oh, Amy." She placed a kiss on her forehead. "I would never want that." She looked into her brown eyes. "You mean a great deal to me. And I'm sorry for making you think and feel otherwise."

Amidst the tears, Amy gave her a bright and sincere smile. "You mean a lot to me too, Kamilah." She rested her hands on top of the vampire's. "You mean so much to me."

The two smiled at each other before meeting together for a kiss that melted all their worries, doubts and apprehensions away.

The Phoenix and the Flower - An Urzai Story

Summary: As a simple countryside girl, Ursa is free-spirited, outgoing, and in love with her childhood sweetheart. Yet, her life is drastically upended when Prince Ozai claims her hand in marriage in the name of the Fire Nation Royal Family.

Knowing that she has no other viable choice, she resigns herself to the idea of living in a gilded cage within the Capital. Yet, she finds an odd form of solace in the most unexpected place – her fiancé.

OR

A retcon of how Ozai and Ursa's early relationship is depicted in 'The Search'.

Author's Note: Hello, all! So, this is my first ever Urzai fic! I was a fan of the ship during the 2010s, but I eventually moved on from ATLA after some time. Yet, I've started rewatching the series, and my interest in the Urzai ship kinda reignited. Lol.

So, just to get this out there, I ship Urzai in a healthy way. I understand that their actual relationship in canon was far from healthy and functional. But hey, this is fanfiction! We can disregard certain things from canon for the sake of our own plots. Haha.

Anyway, this fanfic of mine is a retcon of the Urzai dynamic as portrayed in 'The Search' comics. This fic is going to have more than one chapter, but it won't be too long. And I'm not going to cover the start of their relationship until the end of the 100 Year War. But at any rate, I hope that you guys will like what I write!

In the tapestry fragment scene of Chapter 5 of Bloodbound Book 3, the group mourns and remembers the MC who had seemingly died after it appeared that the Turning process had failed.

IN THIS SCENE, KAMILAH SAYEED FINALLY ADMITTED AND DECLARED THAT SHE LOVES THE MC!

I'm kinda disappointed that she hasn't said it directly to the MC in person yet, but the fact remains that she loves her!

Some BloodBound Book II and III Parallels

On the left: Chapter 10: The Plan, Book 2 - Kamilah tells the MC that she doesn't think that she could bear to lose her mortal lover.

On the right: Chapter 1: The Hunger, Book 3 - Kamilah tells the MC that she refused to accept that she had lost the latter.

On the left: Chapter 16: The End, Book 2 - Kamilah laments that they didn't have enough time.

On the right: Chapter 1: The Hunger, Book 3 - Kamilah expresses that having more time with the MC feels like a miracle.

I was honestly pissed that the writers didn't have her say 'I love you' directly, but it's obvious that Kamilah's love for the MC is reflected in both her words and actions.

I love these two together and I'm excited to see more tender and loving scenes featuring that two of them.

Apology Note

Hello, everyone. I've been reviewing my posts, and I've noticed that some of them contain grammatical errors and typos. On this, I want to apologize. I promise to be more thorough with my proofreading and editing processes in the future. Sorry again. :(

Mistakes

Hi, everyone. While browsing through Tumblr, I saw a request for a Kamilah x MC story that takes place after the Priya diamond scene from today's BloodBound chapter. Afterwards, I got inspired to write this. Hehehe.

P.S: I only saw the Priya scene through screenshots posted on Tumblr. I didn't actually buy the scene because I want my MC to remain faithful to Kamilah and also because I want to save diamonds for future chapters. Lol. Hahaha.

Note: The setting here is that the Council meeting went well and Gauis did not appear at the end.

Click here to go to Part 2.

Amy's POV

"So, it's settled. We will implement the rotational scheme."

After hours of animated and heated arguments and debates, the Council had finally agreed that they would not destroy the vial. Instead, they decided that they will hide and secure it, and that its hiding place will change every week in order to ensure better that Gaius will not be able to locate it.

"As agreed, Jax will choose the first hiding spot. Afterwards, it will be Priya. Then Lester, then the Baron, then me, and finally, Kamilah."

At the mention of her name, you instinctively stiffen - the memory of your literally bloody affair with Priya tugs at your guilt.

"Once the first rotation is completed, we will start a new one with Jax selecting the next hiding spot."

After a few more closing statements, the meeting finally adjourns with everyone present feeling tense and anxious.

The Baron and Lester leave immediately - the uneasiness apparent on their faces.

Adrian then addresses the rest of you. "I better go. I need to consult with some of my Clan members about surveillance and intel gathering."

"I'm going to go start planning." Jax says. "Lily, I think I'm going to need your help with some tech stuff."

"Gotcha. See you around, Amy." Lily goes in for a hug.

"See you."

As the three vampires leave, you turn to Kamilah who seems completely lost in thought.

"Kamilah? You okay?"

Before the Egyptian vampire can respond, a silky voice purrs into your ear.

"Aww. Aren't you going to ask me how I'm doing?"

You jolt as Priya wraps her arms around your waist.

"Priya!"

The fashion designer grins predatorily. "Why so jumpy, darling? You seemed to enjoy being in my arms before."

You feel your hands go cold. Kamilah is standing right in front of you and is now staring at you engulfed in Priya's embrace.

"This whole Gauis business has made me tense. Maybe you can help me relax ..." she lightly nips at your ear, not at all bothered by Kamilah's presence.

"Priya, I ---"

"She will do no such thing. Let her go."

You both turn to Kamilah whose eyes are silently blazing with cold fury.

You're frozen by a feeling of dread, but Priya just laughs.

"Oh, but she will. After all, we had so much fun the first time we did it. Right, Amy?"

You are unable to respond as you watch the anger on Kamilah's face turn into shock. For a brief moment, you see a glint of hurt in her eyes before the fury returns to her features.

Kamilah steps over to the two of you and roughly places a hand over Priya's arms which are still around you.

"Priya." You see her grip on the fashion designer's arms tighten. "Let. Amy. Go."

As her grip continues to tighten, you start to hear something crack.

"Ah!"

Priya suddenly releases you. You turn to see her nursing her left arm. That's when you realize that the sound you heard was her bones cracking.

In a flash, Kamilah is between you and Priya.

"Leave. Now." Kamilah's eyes were red and her fangs were bared.

Priya answers by bearing her own fangs. However, she doesn't do anything else.

"Fine." She stretches her arm - her cracked bones now completely healed. She turns to you and smiles. "We'll pick up where we left off some other time, gorgeous." She winks and leaves without another word.

Soon, you and Kamilah are left alone in an unbearable silence.

After what felt like an eternity, she speaks with her back still facing you.

"Why?"

End of Part 1