Masquerade

I openned my eyes, my head tilted downward as I saw that I was sitting cross legged upon a rather large black satin pillow. My Browning HP 35 was holstered, I though I had left it in the lobby of the Masquerade. Without a seconds pause I withdrew my HP 35 and pointed it infront of me, my eyes quickly scanning the room before me. I didn't take in the intricate patterns that surrounded me, I just searched for human shaped figures. Though in time my gaze would settle upon Lilith who sat upon a black throne which had crimson colored pillows which lined the interior of the the throne. She was wearing a form fitting crimson colored victorian dress, which revealed much of her chest due to the low neckline. The dress itself billowed to her feet, a woman dressed in the exact victorian dress as Lilith except it was a light green sat at Lilith's feet upon a black satin pillow. Much like the one that I was on, her facial features were somewhat hidden behind her light blond hair, yet you could tell that beneath it lay beauty. I heard Bianca's voice besides me as I stared at Lilith.

"Put the gun down Jacob..."

Lilith laughed and it was quite seductive to my ears, though I still preferred Bianca's. Maybe I'm just partial. Though telling the master of the city that would probably get me hurt. Considering I still didn't know where I was. So I would just play it safe for now.

"It's alright Jacob, my court won't hurt you..."

Your court? I lowered the HP 35, both hands upon the hilt to steady my aim. Though after awhile without firing your hands begin to waver from the weight of the gun. To my left and right I was surrounded by people, all of them staring at me intently. Bianca was at my side though she was standing. It seemed that only the mysterious blond woman and I were sitting upon black satin pillows. Aren't we special?

Everyone else was standing around us, Bianca was the only one by my side. For some reason sitting cross legged in an unknown court with only fifteen bullets in my gun didn't seem to go over well with me. Though thats if I still have any bullets left in the chamber.

"Where am I?"

Lilith smiled, "Your in my court, could you tell me what business you want to discuss with me?"
Lilith held out her hand over the blond woman and began to caress her index finger against the womans cheek. The blond woman began to purr as she leaned into the finger, her movements resembling that of a cat, oh great.

"If you don't mind, I would like to speak to you in private. A way from prying eyes and ears."

Lilith laughed as the emerald eyes of the woman that sat at her feet stared out at me. Just the laugh and those emerald eyes were enough to unhinge my nerves. There was a slight murmuring from behind me, I didn't look back but kept my eyes upon the blond woman. Though it seemed now that the blond and I were in a staring contest. Lets just say I didn't like the way that she was staring at me, it had that impression of a cat staring at it's prey before it pounced for the kill. Lilith reached out and patted the womans head, the stare was broken as the woman looked up at Lilith.

"Jacob, please don't try and intimidate Kaysa. She doesn't like it."

Lilith moved her hand over Kaysa's head and it looked like she was petting her. Her hand moving back and forth in the motion that you would pet an animal.

"I apologize."

A feminine voice rang out. "Seems you have trained the Slayer very well Bianca, he'll make a very good human servant."

My left cheek slightly twitched as I heard that. I really wanted to turn around and place a bullet between that woman's eyes, I didn't know who it was but I so wanted to shoot someone. It bit into my pride most of all.

"That I have..." Bianca spoke as she looked down at me, I looked up in her eyes and I could tell that she wanted me to just play along for now. Though I couldn't promise how long I would be nice.

"To answer you Jacob, you can speak freely here. This is my court and they are trustworthy."

I sighed, I holstered the HP 35 and sat straight up, If I was going to play human servant I might as well as do the part well. Though if someone answered with some sarcastic remark they would get shot, yeah I'm a hypocrite so what?

"Fair enough I..."

The left part of my brain began to hurt, as if someone where trying to push hot nails in and the pain would spread throut mut my entire head. I pressed my left hand up to my temple and held it there. I knew where it was coming from, I didn't know how but I saw them clearly. I unholstered my HP 35 and fired to my left, the bullet whizzed by the head of a rather tall but skinny man as he hissed. Lilith lifted up her hand.

"Stop Mikhail!"

The pain began to fade away as I glanced to my side, the one named Mikhail was a mere foot away from me. His eyes locked intently on me, hatred taking a rather large portion of his gaze.

Someone in the crowd yelled, "Bianca control your human servant, or one of us will."
I felt a twinge of pain as the HP 35 was taken out of my hand in the matter of a heart beat. I looked to my side as the pain slowly ebbed away, Bianca was holding my Browning HP 35. She stood before me and crouched down as she looked into my eyes.

"I'll deal with you later..." I couldn't tell wether she was just putting up an act or telling the truth. I hoped she was putting up an act.

"Bianca let Jacob explain, I believe he has a legitimate explanation for all this commotion..." Lilith spoke as I took a deep breath, the pain was almost gone but I could still feel the lingering throbs of pain.

"He was doing something to me..."

I took a breath and pointed towards Mikhail, hopefully my finger wasn't shaking or that wouldn't look to impressive on art.art. The crowd around us remained silent as Mikhail scoffed.

"He lies to you Lilith, I did not do such a thing." He sounded so sure of himself, maybe I did aim at the wrong one. No I felt it coming from him. I'm not going to doubt myself now or ever, my instincts have brought me this far and they'll let me get further.

"He lies... he's the one that did it, I felt him in my mind." I rested my face in my hands as I took deep breaths, it helped to lessen the pain. It felt like a hangover, without the fun part in the beginning.

"How are you so sure Jacob?" Lilith said with slight curiosity.

"I saw him, or his energy... for a brief second and just acted with my instincts."

Lilith laughed and even though it was loud, it still felt comforting to my ears as if it would cause all the pain to go away. If only it could.

"Well well well, it seems our little slayer has more tricks up his sleeve then we had origionally thought. Then again no mere human could execute twenty of our kind without some sort of ability."

I took in a gulp of air, the pain made it hard to breath. "Maybe you just under estimate the power of my will to live..." Maybe if I were a little more intact I would have thought of something less insulting. Maybe, probably not but you never know.

"Maybe Jacob...maybe, though don't be so sure of yourself. You have a gift, you just don't know of it yet."

I laughed, though it came out as a weak chuckle. "If it was a gift, I would have shot Mikhail between the eyes..."

The crowd behind me began to laugh as Mikhail stood there, I couldn't see him but I knew he wanted me dead or at least in alot of pain. He roared out in anger and it hurt my head.

"He lies, I did not do such a thing."

I yelled my voice filled with anger, from the pain in my head and from the rage inwhich I couldn't do a thing with. I've had enough of this.

"Shut up, you liar! You tried to see what was inside of my mind. Yet you failed and tried to cause pain. So why don't you just shut the fuck up already!"

My head began to spin, I shouldn't have yelled. It only caused more pain,yet at least my pride would still be intact. Something that they couldn't take away from me. Now I just hoped I didn't upchuck infront of everyone. I closed my eyes as I heard the distant laughter of those around me, when placed next to my pain it was nothing.

"Jacob?"

I openned my eyes and felt someone's hand on my shoulder, I looked up and it was Bianca, crouching before me. Her face filled with concern, at least one thing was normal in this room.

"Jacob?"

I took a deep breath, the room was beginning to seem normal to my eyes. A soothing calmness swept over me, it dulled the pain considerably.

"Yes?"

"You alright?" Bianca looked into my eyes and I smiled.

"Yeah, I'll be alright."

"Good, because I'm still going to still punish you when we get back."

In her eyes I saw that she was being her normal playful self, though with this crowd. She had to keep up appearances, hopefully it would just be for show. She scowled at me and briskly slapped the side of my head. I rubbed my head and looked up at Lilith, Mikhail had already hidden himself in the crowd when I glanced to my side.

"Are you done Jacob or should we expect more?"

I sighed, Bianca hitting the side of my head didn't help with the pain. Then again it beats being dead. "I am, though could you promise that no one else tries to delve into my mind again?"

Lilith nodded as her index finger trailed the cheek of Kaysa, her emerald green eyes seemed to be entranced upon me. Though I avoided her gaze, not wanting to face what I think she was. A lynthrope, probably some type of feline species.

"You have my word and my word is followed by the people present."

"Thank you"

I told Lilith what I knew about the new murder and how it easily tied in with the first murder that was at the Masquerade. She and the people present listened intently.

"Jacob, then what you are saying that there is a renegade vampire running loose in the city of San Francisco?"

I nodded, "That's basically it. Would you happen to know anyone who would do such a crime?"

"Hmm, well there are a few that would come to mind. The crimes are consistant..."
voi voice arose from behind me, I didn't turn around though I could tell it was a male with a very deep voice. Almost like Berry White, please god don't let it be Berry White.

"Lilith, it might be Voran. You know how he wanted to tarnish the respectability of the vampires within the San Francisco districts."

"Hmm, you may be right Tristan."

Thank you lord it isn't Berry White, or I would have looked at him in another light. I don't listen to Berry White. Ok maybe a little. Honest.

"Would you happen to have a description of this one called Voran, Lilith?" id, id, hopefully it would get me some where.

Lilith laughed, the type of laugh that had a darker meaning to it. Something which held a darker secret, or maybe it held nothing at all and I'm just being paranoid again.

"Yes we do, just ask your master"

"What does Bianca have to do with this?"

A small grin formed upon Lilith's face. "So he doesn't know yet does he Bianca?"

Know what? I looked over at Bianca, my HP 35 was held tightly in both of her hands. If it weren't for the safety she would have most likely have fired it then and there.
She turned towards me and said in a firm voice.

"I'll tell you later..."

"No Bianca, your human servant deserves to know now." Lilith spoke in an even firmer voice, it boardered on command.
Bianca knelt near me and looked into my eyes. Sorrow was in her eyes, though she kept it in. She was being strong and I didn't know why.

"Jacob... Voran he was the one that... made me."

Made me...killed me, The same words no matter how you changed them. Voran was the fucking bastard that took Bianca away from me in the beginning, I often wondered in the beginning two years of Bianca's vampirism how it would have turned out if she wasn't infected by the vampire during that psychological evaluation. Would we have gone further in our relationship? maybe marriage? or would we still be good friends like now? Though I knew one thing then and there. Vengence.
These questions as well as many others filled my mind, I took a deep breath and looked up at Bianca, I smiled and caressed her face as I mouthed the words "It's alright" She smiled back at me.

"How sure are you that its Voran?"

I was trying my hardest of not to cave into my emotions, they never got me anywhere. They just clouded my thoughts and that could get me killed.
I watched Bianca looked over at Lilith and then back to me.

"I'm pretty sure it's Voran."

"How about you Lilith, does this seem to fit him?"

"Yes it does Jacob."

I smiled, finally I had the name of the vampire that had turned Bianca all those years ago. The one that had ruined the relationship that could have been, which made me question everything. Love itself was possible when Bianca was still human, now her and I existed in two different worlds. That of light and of dark. Either way the one named Voran was going to die by my hand. Maybe after this, I would find my true emotions towards her.