You know, it's not often than you can start describing a night with the sentence, "So, this vampire shows up in the bar that I work at and bought me a drink," unless its a letter to Penthouse or the beginning of a police report. This time, it ended up being neither, which was a surprising thing in and of itself. Abby had been working a lot more than she or Scat had ever really planned. It wasn't that she needed the money, because that was hardly the case. It was more of the fact that she loved being up on that small stage, and it's not like she had anything better to do. She hadn't really expected anyone to look her up for her skills in magic. Hell, she was more shocked than anything else when a red haired vampire showed up one night, bought her a drink, and instead of asking her to sing at some party, she asked if her other services were up for negotiation and just how well she could keep a secret.

And that's how she ended up where she was, pulling up to a guarded gate of a house that would put a castle to shame. As soon as the guard heard her name, he nodded, saying the Mistress was expecting her. She could feel the cold energy flowing off of him. Another vamp. Well, that was kind of expected when you're pulling into the driveway of the Master of the City. The gates ahead of her opened, and Abby pulled ahead, following the tree lined driveway up towards what the guard had called the main house. It was funny, with as much money as Abby had, she hadn't spent much time in or around houses like this. Hell, she was from New York. The insanely wealthy there just had a bigger penthouse apartment that anyone else.

A valet stopped her at the front of the house, taking the keys and driving her car off into the darkness. Well, she thought, here goes nothing. Before she knew it, Abby was lead through the house and into a large drawing room. A large fire was nestled in the fireplace, despite the oppressive Miami heat. Not that it bothered her really, it was just so rare to see. Then again, houses like this were pretty few and far between. Abby absentmindedly smoothed her long, leather skirt, even though the material was far from rumpled. She had dressed in her typical New York chic, a habit that was far too much a part of her to get rid of now. Now, to see if the information she had been given was as strange as it sounded. A vampire without the ability to hold in enough sustenance was about as rare as this house. She only hoped the large consulting fee that Ms. Anlui had given her wasn't going to be wasted. If she made a deal to help someone, she'd do anything in her power to do so. Here's hoping she had that power.

To say that Arraka was nervous would be stretching the truth a bit to far. She might have been worried or anxious about the coming of the witch to the Estate but that would not stop her from her duties. The city was starting to slide towards chaos with each passing night and tonight was no different. If it was not a group of supernatural’s petitions for a meeting, the press, or some other nearly catastrophic threat it was vampire politics. She knew deep down that there would be no end to the vampire politics when she took the mantle of the Mistress of Miami but even she wanted a night off from time to time. With a wistful sigh she settled into her work. The raised ink of the paper had started to pay of greatly she no longer needed an aid to help her with the sensitive work and was able to progress without too much trouble. Still her thoughts kept drifting to the witch that was to arrive and perhaps be able to find a cure for her condition. Though truth be told the condition was starting to become a boon with her ability to hear and sense things that had once been hidden from her.

Though it would be nice to not have to feed every hour practically to maintain her limited strength and constantly drain the willing servants that wanted to be donors. She heard the announcement of the witch arriving and stood from her desk pacing a bit trying to work of some of the anxious energy that was forming. Smoothing her deep red dress and settled back into the chair. “Enter.” Her voice was soft yet strong as she was taught all of those centuries ago. When she met with humans she always wore a matching scarf around her eyes as a civility to the others. It did not take her long to realize that the wretching from some weaker humans was when her sightless dead eyes settled on them.

“Good evening Miss Ross, be welcome in my house the hospitality of Miami is at your service. I hope the night has found you well and that the drive was a pleasant one. What will you require in the way of tools so that I can make them available to you.”

Abby didn't have to wait long in the drawing room. Before she had even had the chance to settle herself into a chair, another of the bountiful servants in thsi house had already come for her, saying the her Mistress was ready to meet with her. Abby gave the servant girl a nod and a smile, saying a soft thank you as she was lead away from the drawing room and deeper into the grand house. The stopped in front of a large set of double doors, and Abby could feel the cold energy of the vampire that waited within without even trying. Huh. Now that was interesting. A vampire that was suffering like she was, and was still throwing off energy like she had a limitless supply. This was getting more confusing by the minute.

She heard a soft and feminine voice call for her to enter, and the servant girl opened the door. Abby stepped forward as the girl stepped aside, closing the doors as soon as Abby had passed through them. Abby's eyes moved to the only occupant in the room, the lone vampire in a scarlet dress with a matching scarf draped across her eyes. Her voice was stong as it met Abby from across the room. She took a step forward into the room, but didn't sit down just yet. "Lady Arraka, good evening to you as well," she said, her business like smile on her face. "Any tools I need I bring with me everywhere I go, ma'am, but thank you for the offer none the less."

Abby stayed where she was. She didn't want to sit, because it would be rude to do that without being asked. She knew enough about vampire politics to keep herself out of trouble. But, did they count when you're in the middle of a business deal? She'd had a few friends that had turned when she was still back home, but most of them had been so far down in the heirarchy of things that it hadn't really mattered. Abby took the cue from the Mistress that this would go right into business, so she took a deep breath and jumped in with both feet.

"I won't lie to you. I'm not sure what I will be able to do to help you until I get a closer handle on things. But, I will tell you this, if it's in my power to help in any way, you've got it."

Though Arraka could not see her she could feel her in almost every way. The soft sound of the material of her outfit the subtle increase of the heat in the room ass he moved quietly to the chairs. When she did not sit immediately the vampire almost smiled but kept her face careful and controlled, it seems that the Witch had some civilities to her after all. It was a most pleasant surprise that not everyone she was forced to talk with forget where they were and who they were talking to. Sometimes she could use it to her advantage but she had to remind herself that this was a guest and that she was here to help. Gesturing with her hand to the seat Arraka settled into the high backed leather chair as well relaxing into it as she listened to the witch. “Wonderful, I was not sure what to expect in the way of what you needed and had a supply store on standby to fulfill any request that I could not meet with what was within my house.

“Good, you will find that the truth always works the best with me in all forms so I appreciate your candor. I do not expect a Miracle to be preformed within moments of meeting you. If it would have been that easy I am sure I would have stumbles upon the solution as soon as the problem manifested itself so I am prepared for as they say… the long haul?” She gave a slight smile careful to not flash any of her fangs in an effort to show that she was in good humor at all the current situations. “I also appreciate the fact that you are willing to help me in any way it is refreshing to meet someone that is as driven as myself. My home is your home Miss Ross, how can I help you get your bearings and grasp a handle of the situation.”

Abby smiled as the Lady gestured to a chair in front of her desk. Nodding, she stepped forward, smoothing her skirt and sitting down. “I work with the powers of my mind and the energy that is all around me, Lady Arraka. It’s pretty rare that I need anything else, other than a bag full of salt and a compass to point me to north, and both of those I carry in my purse,” she said, lifting the bag a bit into the air before settling in down on the floor at her feet. Just because the vampire ahead of her couldn’t see didn’t meant that her other senses were dulled as well. There was no point in trying to stop the small gestures that Abby did in her usual way, just because the woman couldn’t see them. Besides, Abby almost felt like that would be a snub, and insult to the woman.

Abby smiled, laughing softly at the modern term. “Well, it may well end up being a long haul. I won’t know the true extent of the injuries until I can get a closer look at the seat of your energy, Lady Arraka. I need to look deeper to see just why it is that you can take in energy, but not seem to sustain it. Energy is my strong point, but, I have never seen anything like this before.”

Abby nodded once more as the Mistress continued, smiling again. “Well, I make it my goal in life to find what I want and get it. It’s as simple as that really. Right now, I want to help you, and I will do my dead level beast to do so. I thank you for your hospitality. I think, all that we really need to do at this moment, is to get comfortable and let me have a look to see if I can find where the problem is.”

Arraka could feel when the young woman made the simplest of gesture. The very sounds of her movement and the way the air moved because of them all gave hints and painted a picture within the vampires mind. Most people forget such small things when they talked to her thinking her daft or hindered because she could not see. They were fools but this one showed some intelligence it was no wonder that her Bella selected this one to come to their aid. She was not only determined but cunning as well a wise choice indeed.

She simply nodded as the witch explained what she was planning on doing. Though she trusted this woman’s ability in the art that did not stop her from having a slight little trill of nervous energy work its way up her spine. She was not a practitioner of the arts or anywhere close to an accomplished magician and could not help but wonder what the other woman would see or if it would be beyond her ability. “Before we begin you will understand that I would like to reiterate a part of our agreement that pertains to the discretion that our meetings will bring. That for as long as we are working together you are an Ambassador to the Witch community that has an interest in what I am building for this city. I have all ready had the necessary documents drawn up and several meetings scheduled that you can attend to if you wish. If not then they will be handled as if you were there complete with statements that will be written into the minutes. I have even took the liberty to draw you up some business cards to illustrate your new status as well as a guard to watch over you should you decide to leave the premises. I hope you find all of this acceptable as one in my position cannot afford to leave anything half way finished.”

Taking a deep breath that she did not even need she tried to relax herself trying to maintain a baseline so that the Witch could get a proper reading from her. “It is a wonderful goal to have and I appreciate that it is applied to my well being.” There was another silent thrill that worked its way up her spine as she tried to control her body as she was taught. “I am ready for you to begin and you have my permission to see what you have gotten yourself into, if my limited of the study of your art has shown me anything that should help yes?”

The vampire across from her nodded, and then went into great detail the extent she had gone to in order to make sure that their agreement and just exactly why Abby was here was kept hidden. Damn, she was good. She had covered every angle, better than Abby had thought of herself. Then again, this was the Master of the City after all. You didn’t get to be that powerful in the vampire world by sitting on your hands and telling jokes all day. A smile settled once more on her face, this one of something more than just professionalism. This one was impressed. “Well, it appears you have covered all of the bases, Lady Arraka. Better than I could have done myself. I have no problem with that at all. I pride myself on keeping up with my word on client privacy and I an think of no better way to do that than by what you have told me.”

Abby sat back a bit more in her seat, listening as the vampire continued, another smile on her face. “Yes, having your permission helps greatly. I will only take a light look. Just enough to let me see whether or not I can help you. After this, I’ll have a better idea of what I can do. So, just relax. I know that is easier said than done, but that helps me quite a bit as well.”

Abby let herself relax further into the seat, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Opening her second sight wasn’t a difficult thing to do, but if you weren’t prepared for what you saw, then it was a damn scary thing to do at any rate. Images like that seemed to burn their way into your memory, good or bad. So, going into it with a relaxed state of mind was key. That is, unless you want to become an absolute nutter.

Slowly, Abby opened her eyes. Immediately, the haze of energy greeted her eyes as she looked around the room. Her eyes fell on Arraka. That woman was in more pain than she was letting on. Abby probably wouldn’t have seen it had the Mistress not given her permission to look. That’s how good her shields were, no matter what kind of power drain she was feeling. Surrounding the vampire’s head was a mass of energy, intertwining on itself, turning and twisting in a complicated pattern. The mass was bright, almost painful to look at, and full of power. How in the hell was she suffering from this ‘wasting sickness’ if she had that much power within her? The bulk of it was centered just behind the eyes, probably accounting for the blindness. This woman had suffered a massive influx of power, and it looked like it had no way to escape. Bingo. No way to escape would mean no way to bring new in either or use what was there. Now, she wouldn’t know that for sure until she saw the vampire feed. But, at least she had somewhere to start.

Having found what she was looking for, Abby closed her eyes again, letting her Sight fall away from her. Letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, Abby opened her eyes again, letting the sight of the ‘normal’ fall back into place. “Well, I think I may know what the problem is. But I won’t be sure until I can see you feed. I need to watch you with my Sight as you pull in energy, to see if my theory is correct. If I’m right, then I think I can help. But, it would take a lot of work and most of it with me moving the energy around in your head and putting it back where it belongs.”

Arraka could sense that that was another small movement but the exact nature of it was lost on her. Even with her senses enhanced beyond the normal superhuman levels that her people possessed some things were still lost on her but it was best not to dwell what was past and look to the present. She had just given permission to a woman she barely met to peer beyond her shields all in an attempt to find what was wrong with her. She had to relax and that was proving to be far more difficult than it should have been. Taking a few unneeded breaths she slowly cleared her mind and turned her proud shields of rock and steel into something far more refined, Crystal. Hard, impossibly strong and at the same time able to be seen through when cut right. She held the image of them in her head feeling the cool power brush over her as the witch looked.

What she saw Arraka supposed she would never know it would be something that would become a curiosity. To her knowledge, there were not many vampires that would submit themselves to such a viewing too afraid that a fatal flaw in what animates them or other undesirable qualities but hers were plain to see to any that would look upon her broken and tattered form. Then as soon as the vampire had grown used to the feeling it was gone like a summer breeze that lingered all too little and replaced by the heat of the sun. She almost chuckled at that thought, she had not felt the sun on her face in over half a millennium to think of that now was…amusing.

Arraka let out a breath that was being held as she nodded. “Would you like for me to feed tonight, I am not due for another feeding for another few hours.” Then she said she would need to be at her side and working for some time and the worst part that she would need to be within her head. Thoughts of the masked ones flitted across her mind and she had to forcibly keep her body from starting to tremble and have her body begin to slip. “I believe we can dispense with the titles after that my dear, after what we just shared it would be foolish for us to stand on too much formality, non?” She gave a slight smile trying to take the edge off the memories that were still lurking.

The Mistress took the presence of Abby’s power better than most others had. Some had said her energy had a coldness to it, like that of an animator, but that was far from the case. Abby had no power over the dead. She couldn’t call it to her and stroke it like a long lost pet. No, her strength was in energy itself, and that was that. Abby smiled, softly shaking her head. “No, that is not necessary. If you don’t mind my being here, I can wait to see you feed when you normally would. I don’t want to interrupt your schedule for feedings. Besides, I think it would be best to see how the energy flows through you when you feel like you need it.”

Even for someone who held herself together with a tremendous strength of will, Abby saw a slight shiver pass over the vampires frame at a thought that disturbed her. The only thing she could think of was that the Mistress didn’t like the idea of someone mucking around inside of her head. Well, Abby could certainly understand that. But, if the Mistress didn’t see fit to say that thought out loud, she obviously wasn’t really comfortable enough to talk about it, so Abby decided to just let it slide.

Abby smiled, a soft laugh leaving her. Yeah, it was kind of pointless to go through with formalities once you have been inside of someone else’s head. “Then please, if I call you Arraka, then you must call me Abby. I’m far from stuffy enough to be called Abigail anyway.”

Arraka could not help but tilt her head when she made the indication that she could mind having an audience when she drew sustenance from another. It was almost a foreign concept to the vampire. She understood a bit of the way that some of the humans frowned upon a wanton display of pleasurable sex but she did not need to feed from that. Fear and blood were here desirable coins of sustenance though she was not certain just how much the witch understood of vampire powers. “I would not mind you being here at all Abby.” She smiled as the name rolled off of her tongue. It was nice that they could progress quickly into something more casual it would help build the trust between them both. “Some find it oddly intoxicating to watch one such as myself feed, granted it is not as entrancing or inspiring as one of my sisters but you may stay. After all you are planning to be my shadow if all goes well tonight, non?”

She gave another smile and let the two women pass the time filled with questions about Abbey’s particular skills in the art that she practiced. Arraka was interested and even asked for any reading material so that the she could learn more about the other woman and what she belived in. Magic had always been a favorite subject of her and was one of the few things that her former Master did not have to inpart within her when she was still training. Far too soon the time for her to feed again was upon her she felt it before the servant even started to make her way to her office. It was a slight quivering that moved up her skin almost akin to a slithering snake as she felt it press against her shields like the hunger that would plague her guide. Soon if she did not feed it would threaten to start pulling at the power needed to sustain her shape and skin and that was the time that the woman entered the room.

“Are you ready Abby?” She waiting for a sigh of confirmation before standing up and moving with the liquid grace of her kind that hinted at the predatory nature that rested within the small woman’s frame. The servant reached her hand out and Arraka took it, trailing a finger up the skin and arm before setting on the servant’s shoulder and brushing the hair away from her neck. The woman seemed to shiver at the feel of the vampires touch as a silent thrill of fear worked its way. Arraka savored the fear drawing it out of the woman slowly letting it spindle across her tongue before pulling it within. The servant shivered now the fear being replaced with something far baser as she moved kissing the woman’s shoulder softly then letting her fangs sing into the perfect flesh. She took the blood slowly as she had to do if she took too much too fast it would all go to waste as she would be forced to expel it. Arraka held the woman gently like she was her lover holding her close as she fed and teased the skin around her neck taking as much as she could hold before licking the wound clean. Still holding the woman to make sure that she was on firm ground she released her. “Thank you Mistress” the servant exclaimed slightly out of breath as though they had done something else.

“No, thank you Angelica please take the rest of the night off and make sure that you go to the Kitchen, I have all ready instructed the chef to prepare your favorite meal.” She gave the woman a smile before the door opened and the other woman led herself out. “Did you see what you needed my dear Abby?” She could feel a slight heat under her eyes from the feeding but it soon faded like it did each time.

Abby watched as Arraka tilted her head, in obvious confusion as to why Abby would have to ask a question like that. Abby smiled, tilting her head in reply. “If all goes well, then yes, I will be shadowing you over the course of the next few nights, watching to see how you do things and how it effects your energy levels. But, that’s not what I meant when I asked if you minded my being here. I meant the time between now and your feeding. If you’re busy, then I wouldn’t want to impose.”

The next few hours passed more quickly than Abby would have first thought. Arraka seemed genuinely interested in what she could do and just how she did it. Not to mention, the woman had an entrancing mind. She always seemed to know the right question to ask, or caught on to the concepts that Abby explained. Even as they talked though, Abby could see the mundane differences in Arraka’s face and body as her energy began to dwindle away. She wasn’t surprised at all when the servant entered and Arraka asked if she was ready. “As I’ll ever be,” she said with a laugh that had come easier after their talking.

Closing her eyes, Abby let her Sight take hold of her again, opening them just as Arraka’s mouth touched the servant’s neck. Already, the vampire was feeding, without the blood touching her tongue. She must pull from either excitement or fear. That first bit of feeding was a small trickle, exploding into a raging waterfall as soon as Arraka’s teeth pierced the servant’s neck. Abby watched as the energy flowed into Arraka, fooling pathways pretty close to the ones that ran through Abby’s own body, the ones that she used when she pulled the power of a leyline into herself. The energy hit the mass of jumbled circuits inside like it was hitting a brick wall. With nowhere to go, it pooled in other places that would allow it. Well, there you go. Looked like Abby’s theory was right on the money.

Having seen all she needed, Abby closed her eyes again, opening them as the servant muttered a breathy thank you. Arraka was soft with the girl, more so than she had ever seen someone treat a ‘servant’ in their house, let alone one they had just fed off of. Arraka’s voice was stronger again when she spoke this time, and Abby nodded. “Yes, I think I did, and I think I know what the problem is. It looks like you suffered from a massive jolt of energy coming into it. What it looks like that did was almost burn out the receptor inside of you, making it impossible to take energy in or let it out. Any energy you take in is forced to find new places to go, places it wasn’t meant to be stored, so it doesn’t stay well. Does that make sense to you?”

The more that the vampire talked with the witch the more at ease she became. It was hard to be able to let go after so much teaching and put her unlife into the hands of a woman she barely knew. It was hard enough with Bella and they had known each other for a few centuries but like all things time tends to change that. She was a delight to talk to and quite knowledge in the field of her study and the ability to observe others in such ways could come in handy. She was worth keeping around even if what they turned up would not be beneficial to fixing what happen that fateful night. With a slight chuckle and pulling away from thr darker thoughts she offered the human another smile as she started with the feeding.

It was hard to not become distracted as she felt the now familiar power dance across her skin and push in on her shields. She had to fight the instinctual urge to push back against it and instead opened them up more to that spindle thin power. Even though she could not see with her eyes that did not stop her from upturning the dead orbs and ‘watching’ intently the witch. It was a heated gaze as she fed from the woman. Then the power receded and she rebuilt her walls using part of the power that she had just taken from her servant. “Yes, my magical theory is lacking but that does sound like it is plausible. As far as the jolt of energy yes you can safely say that I received such and your theory would still hold quite well. You might have to explain it a bit more later though I would enjoy understanding the theory and practice of your craft, though I have an immediate question. Is this why I can no longer see? Is that one of the places that the energy I take is hiding?”

She took a moment as her eyes behind the cloth darted back and forth as she fell deep in thought for a split second. “No I have a more pressing question if it is caused by this backlash if I am able to expend my energy enough would it help the blockage as you describe, clear up and permit me access to them once more?” Arraka moved settling into one of the overstuffed chairs that was near Abbey beckoning for her to sit near her. That was when she reached behind her head and pulled one of the knots that was holding the scarf on her eyes though pausing a moment to see how she would react.

Abby nodded, biting a bit at the inside of her lower lips as she thought. Her fingers began to drum against her thigh, nodding again. “Yes,” she said, focusing back on the image she had seen when she had first opened her Sight with Arraka. “It looked like there was a mass of it just behind your eyes, But I don’t think…” her voice trailed off as she focused in on that image again. The fact that something you see with your Sight stays with you can be a bad thing, but in this case it was definitely good. It gave her the chance to go back and look at the image a little bit closer, without having to delve deeply into Arraka’s mind once more. “I don’t think that it’s blocked. It looked almost like it had been burned. It needs to be healed, or maybe rerouted somehow.”

Abby shook her head, stopping the fingers that drummed against her thigh. Arraka stood and moved to a more comfortable chair, gesturing for Abby to join her. Abby did so, standing and crossing the room to sit next to her. “I don’t think there is a way to really force the energy out. I think if you try it might jut burn the pathways even more. What I need to do is just watch, keep and eye on how it reacts when you pull in energy. I need to see I it is starting to heal on its own and just taking a lot of time to do it, or if its remaining unchanged.”

Abby looked at Arraka once more, watching as her hand moved to the scarf that hid her eyes. She obviously had a problem with they way that they appeared, or she wouldn’t hide them. Maybe she was just trying to save others from having to look at the one major showing of the damage she received, like a blind man wearing sunglasses all the time. Either way, it didn’t matter to Abby. She would talk to Arraka and try to help her whether she wore the scarf or not. Even in the short time that she had been talking to her, she had come to respect the woman. Scarf or no scarf, it didn’t make a difference to her.

If what the witch said was true then there would be no short cuts to bring her back to her normal self which meant that the city would be in danger for some time if they could not find a way to enhance the healing process. Burns were one of the few things that bothered the undead as well as the living for they took the most energy to heal. It would explain just why she has been stuck like this with little to know improvement of the course of the weeks. “So as I thought force is out of the question it would be too easy if that was the answer but just like applying it in the real world it rarely has the intended effect. Well like all stages in life there are times where one becomes the student and one becomes the teacher. I would like for you to think of something you will wish to learn while we spend time together so that we both can grow and learn from our shared experience.”

She finished pulling down the scarf though keeping her eyes closed for the moment, “You will find that I have been around for some time and have learned many things. I am fluent in every language spoken as well as classically trained in almost every art that is available and many that are no longer taught. With your stay here, should you decide to stay within the Estate, you will have available to you ever resource that we can pull including the great Library. The library can only be used on one condition that whatever book you decide on you must read with me, it is the one thing I truly miss” She gave another almost shy smile as she opened her eyes. “We can also take the opportunity to teach you to read any language that we can find.” Arraka let out a very soft sigh resting her hand near the other woman but not touching her just yet.

“Well, what do you say?”

Abby nodded, letting out a small sigh. “I understand. I wish it was that easy. I think that I will know more after I see how the energy works. If it is healing itself, then maybe I can find a way to speed up the process. If I can add something to it, something that can push the healing along. Kind of like a shunt to make the healing move to the areas that need it most….” Abby’s voice trailed off, thinking yet again. If she could pull on a spindle and hold onto enough energy, she could work a spell and mold that energy to help and…

Abby’s thoughts sort of fell back away from her as Arraka continued. She smiled, tilting her head. The thought of a large library almost made her swoon. If she could have gotten away with it, she would have spent her entire life in college, taking class after class, and earning degree after degree. Her smiled widened, nodding as Arraka made her one stipulation about Abby’s use of the library. “That wouldn’t be a problem at all, Arraka.”

“There is one small problem, though. I wouldn’t know what to choose. Can’t I just learn it all?” she asked with a laugh. Arraka sighed, letting her hand move to rest on the arm of the chair, very close to Abby. She sounded so shy, almost nervous as she asked her question. Still smiling, Abby moved to rest her hand on Arraka’s. “I say that you have yourself a deal.”

It was only then that Abby realized that the scarf was gone and Arraka was looking at her, her eyes opened. And again, the sight of it didn’t matter. She didn’t feel pity for the woman. No, pity is the last thing that Arraka would need. Pity wouldn’t make her sight come back, or reform her eyes, or heal her. Trust and help would, and that’s exactly what Abby could offer. The one thing she took from the look of those eyes was this. It appeared that Arraka was a rotter.

“Then we will once more rely on your continued expertise in this field Abby.” She smiled softly yet again towards the other woman. Though she could not see the way her face was she could hear it in her voice and for the moment that would have to do. There was a desire there to be reaching out and touch the Witch’s face so that she could firmly get a picture in her mind but that too will come in time. The vampire could feel the slight catch and change in breath when she mentioned her deal and knew right then that knowledge was power with this one. That only elevated the position of the other woman in Arraka’s eyes.

“That is not too much of a problem then,” she tilted her head in a thoughtful expression, “Though I have over half a millennia of experience and it would take several life times to even scratch the surface of what we could learn from each other, you would have to live forever.” Arraka bowed her head into thought wondering how the other would take it letting that one small touch seem to relax her even more. “Wonderful, I am now required to ask your favorite author so that we can begin without haste. It has been some time since I have enjoyed the written word and I will clear my schedule so that we can study together. What is the good of being in charge if one cannot take the night off?” There was a little sly smirk forming on her lips now.

One thing was not lost on her though was the seemingly lack of reaction when her eyes finally opened. There was usually gasps or sharp raises of fear that she would often feed on if she was feeling weak but this one was different. She seemed to only be resolved all the more by the site.

“To live forever,” Abby said with a small sigh, the smile still on her face. “With the things that happen in one short lifetime, sometimes I wonder why someone would want to continue. If I could spent those days doing this I love though, I bet that would make it all worth it.” Abby voice trailed off slightly, shrugging a bit. It’s not often you can have a philosophical conversation with someone who had seen more than her share of human lifetimes. It was looking like this was going to be a lot more interesting that what she normally was used to.

“My favorite author? Wow, I have too many to name in one sitting. Edgar Allen Poe, Anne Rice with her Mayfair Witches, Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde. And that’s just scratching the surface,” she said, chuckling a bit as her smile crinkled her eyes. Abby watched as the smile on Arraka’s face became much more devious. “I think I will like this arrangement much more than I had thought. But, I ask one thing in return. At least once, I would like for you to come to the club that I work at and hear me sing.”

Now it was Abby’s turn to smirk a bit, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Arraka. It was refreshing to speak with her, and Abby found herself looking forward to getting to know the woman better. After all, if she was going to be spending so much time here, then it would be much better to do so enjoying herself than feeling like a fly on the wall. She only hoped that this one’s outer appearance of being genuine was truly the case.

“There are many reasons Abby, Take it for one that has traveled that path. There is so much in the world to see, do, read, study, learn that a life time is nowhere near enough time. It was that way when I was young and it is even more now.” She paused a moment before talking more, “There is another side of it though, there are some that get lost in the time burn bright like the stars in the heavens then collapse in on themselves dragging everyone down with them. Like all things there is risk involved but I believe it is more then worth it otherwise I would not be sitting before you now non?” She gave a slight smile and absently played her fingers under the other woman’s hand.

“Well you are in luck on some of those, I have the original manuscript from some of those and if you are a good witch we can see about reading them together where you can see the parts that never made the final cut. I assure you it is far more entertaining.” Coming to the club could prove difficult with her status and the thought that others would be able to see her in a weakened state. While she could have easily sidestepped the question the vampire decided on taking the more direct route.

“I will say that I would very much enjoy hearing you sing but the logistics of me going down there without renting out the entire facility to listen. I imagine that would ruin most of the experience so let us see how we progress and we can talk about it then. I will end it with saying this, I want to listen to you sing but I would also want to be able to see the way it changed your face. It is said that when any being plays music it comes from the depths of the soul and that is something I believe from practice as well as experience.”

Abby listened to the cadence of Arraka’s voice, nodding a bit as she spoke of immortality. As she spoke, Arraka moved her fingers gently underneath Abby’s hand, as if she wasn’t truly thinking about it, merely enjoying the touch of another. Well, Abby could understand that, even though she tried to ignore the slight fluttering in her belly. Pushing that thought away, she concentrated more on their conversation. “I never said that I thought it would not be worth it. I suppose that it would depend on the person. Some people’s lives are so full of misery, that I think, whether they want to admit it or not, they welcome death as an end of that misery.”

Abby listened as Arraka continued, letting out a small chuckle. “A good witch? Why do I suddenly see Glenda the Good Witch in my head and feel a little like Dorothy?” she asked with a laugh. “Original manuscripts? I’d be afraid to touch them,” she said, chuckling again. “I wouldn’t want to ruin them by accident.”

Abby raised an eyebrow at Arraka’s next words. Well, it looked like Arraka was being honest. She could have skipped right past Abby’s invitation to hear her sing, giving some vague excuse or promise to see what would happen. But, she didn’t. This one was intriguing, indeed. “Well then, we’ll just save that invitation for later. You will come and see me sing once I heal your site, which I will do by the way.” Abby hadn’t noticed that she had absentmindedly been letting her own fingers play gently with Arraka’s as they moved.

Arraka made a show of being deep in thought though it was not all show she was slowly starting to try and open up to this woman. The more trust they had the faster she would be able to be healed and then fully reign in the chaos of the city. “Misery and Joy are things that are choices not direct due to direct experience. I have known beggars that have had more joy then the richest people of the age content with their life and what they had. So it is a matter of… perspective in all things that depends on the path of one’s life” She could feel that slowly the other woman’s fingers started to play back almost absently. Continuing the way her hands worked she started to move her nails and finger tips just a bit higher along the line of her wrist.

“Well I suppose we could get you some real ruby slippers but I assure you they are far more uncomfortable then you can even imagine. Gem stones when cut correctly are rather sharp and never try to run in them.” She gave a very soft laugh as her fingers continued to work. “I will teach you how to handle it correctly but if you do not want to read the original I can obtain a duplicate of them so that we can read it still but not risk I will leave that choice up to you.”

“I look forward to being able to receive your invitation but if you wish to not wait for it I can send for my violin or other instrument though I am unsure how it would sound with your voice but I am always open to trying anything.” There was a slight smile attached to that statement hinting at perhaps more or nothing at all.

“That’s a very good point. It all depends on where you take things,” Abby said, tilting her head as she thought. “If you expect to be miserable in a given situation, then you will be. But, instead of expecting the worse to always happen, if you take the things that come your way and use them to learn and grow from, then there is a positive in any thing that happens.” That’s one thing that Abby could definitely relate to. She had been spending a lot of time thinking about that very thing lately, ever since what had happened back home to send her searching for something. The past few years had been draining on her, and the way it all ended… well, that was enough to drive anyone mad if they let it. But, that was the key. If the let it. It’s a good thing Abby hadn’t let things take that turn for her, or she’d probably be in a straight jacket right about now.

Abby felt the light tickling of nails along her wrist offhandedly, so lost in thought that she took the warmth that it offered and didn’t think much of it. She laughed with Arraka, softly shaking her head. “I’ll remember that if I ever happen to get a pair of ruby slippers.” She smiled again at Arraka. “You don’t have to go to that amount of trouble on my account. I’ll just try to remember to be careful.”

She smiled back at Arraka, her eyes crinkling again. “That might just work out fine. But we’ll save that for later. Maybe as a celebration for when you get better.”

Arraka could only wonder what the Witch had originally thought when she was tasked with meeting with a vampire in such a position. The sheer fact that she was now holding the vampires hand and they were having a discussion on the meaning and purpose of an unaging, immortal life was just further icing on the all ready very wonderful cake. “Exactly, one of my old teachers said ‘All knowledge is worth having’ and knowledge that is gained first hand through failing is infinitely better then the little knowledge found in success. The true measure of a person is how they handle failure.”

“If you are not careful Abigail, you might just find yourself in a pair when I am able to watch you sing. Ruby slippers are beautiful under the light of a spotlight though we might have to consider sapphire or even emeralds depending on the other colors present.” What she was talking about was simple. It all depends on the color of her eyes. Color was something that she had been missing almost as much as when she had stayed within the Black and White Anlui manor. It was a longing that was slowly tugging at her and she was doing her best to ignore it. “I suppose we shall have to wait and see then, though for good measure I will have to request your shoe size. That is not too forward of me is it?” She laughed again softly and now that she was well fed a touch of her power filled the edges of it giving the sound of soft tinkling bells.

“As far as trouble and your account if we must we can always start keeping a tab for you though I imagine you are quite crafty enough to not have it bother you in the slightest.” Arraka gave the other woman’s hand a quick squeeze and started to stand up. “Would you like to see quarters that, at the very least, on paper you will be calling yours?”

“How they handle the failure and whether or not they allow it to mold and shape them into something darker or bring them to a much better place,” Abby said with a smile, nodding again at Arraka. Yes, this was definitely turning out to be a much more interesting endeavor. Already, she wasn’t thinking of this as a job. Yes, she was going to help Arraka, but that was just a given. If this was the way their conversations were going to take, well then that was something she was looking forward to.

Abby laughed with Arraka, hearing bells tinkling lightly in the distance somewhere along with a small and cool brush of power. The power tickled along her skin, not able to push through the shields she put up on instinct anymore. But, it still felt nice. Almost like a light brushing of fingertips. An accidental embrace. Accidental or not, it still felt nice. Leaning in a bit towards Arraka, Abby let her voice drop to a whisper. “Seven and a half,” she said, a light laugh leaving her again as she sat back once more in her chair.

“A tab? I could probably handle that,” she said, laughing softly once more. Arraka’s hand squeezed hers and that’s when she realized she had been sitting there with her hand nestled nicely in Arraka’s. Now, that was interesting. Not that it bothered her, but it was still interesting. She stood with Arraka, gesturing for her to lead the way. “Oh, by all means, yes. If it looks like everything else in this house, it may be in reality instead of just on paper.” She smiled, brushing away the nonexistent rumples in her skirt.

“Exactly.” She could have added more to their conversation but they were agreeing with each other on the view of an immortal life. Something that most humans had a hard time coping with or that others simply ran to the life of the vampire thinking that being dead would solve all of their problems. This one was different but then again most humans that had some control of the non physical world often had their head on straight or were hopelessly insane; either worked.

She felt the breathy whisper before she even heard it and that alone was enough to bring a slight smile to her lips though not enough that would cause her fangs to be exposed. “Well I think we shall keep to the law of equal exchange then,” the vampire leaned in whispering softly into the witch’s ear, “I am an eight.” Her lips were close to the other woman’s ear as she talked but not enough that they would actually touch each other. Pulling back slowly and walking over to the door carefully navigating around the various furniture. She had memorized the layout of the office first to make sure that any guests would not see her weakness within the place that should have been the most powerful.

“Yes, we have redecorated it recently and it feels like it is becoming better with each passing moment, if you have any ideas or wish to rearrange your room if it is not to your liking I have set aside funds that it will be a wonderful place to work.” She waited a moment to make sure the witch was catching up as they moved closer to the stairs. She paused there and slipped her arm under the witches and then started up them using the other woman as a guide. “It is up on the east hall, you will have your own bathroom and a servant personally assigned to obtaining anything that you wish.” Her rooms were close to them all the way down the hall but she did not say anything yet about it.

“The same can be said for someone who lives a single lifetime as well. It’s all a matter of how you look at things, no matter how many years you have lying ahead of you.” Abby raised an eyebrow, still smiling as Arraka leaned in closed and whispered quietly in her ear. Arraka’s breath tickled across Abby’s skin making her shoulder lift slightly as she chuckled. She had come very close that time. Not that Abby minded at all. Quickly pushing that thought out of her head, she followed Arraka to the door.

Arraka’s voice took it’s normal volume as they moved into the hall. Abby moved beside Arraka, making just enough noise with the motion of her skirt to be heard. “Aren’t I supposed to be working for you?” she asked with a chuckle. “Not that I am complaining, mind you. It’s just not often that someone offers to redecorate a room specifically for me.” Without thinking, Abby lifted her arm as they moved closer to the stairs. Being her home, Arraka probably didn’t need the arm to guide her, but Abby silently offered it just the same. Arraka looped her arm through Abby’s with a practiced grace, neither one of them missing a step as they moved up the stairs.

“Arraka, this is so much. Really, I don’t need a servant,” she said, a slight blush to her cheeks. Even with the amount of money she had, which was nothing to sneeze at, Abby had never had anyone waiting on her. Then again, with as much money as was at her disposal, Abby was sure it was nothing compared to what Arraka was accustomed to.

Arraka could feel the way her whisper touched at the woman and filed it away for future use. It seemed that this one did not have the usual American proclivity of being afraid of such things. Though usually the ones that ran in the circles of the metaphysical also were very accepting and in the end it did not surprise the vampire at all. “You are working for me and in doing so I want to make sure you are comfortable and well taken care of. If you do not have to worry about the little things that trivialize our lives then you are free to work on the matter at hand and anything else that may come upon our doorstep.” It was rather quite logical as was most of the things that the vampire did.

“As far as the redecorating I cannot expect for everyone to have the same taste as I do after all I have come from an entirely different era and while I have updated accordingly they say that some habits die hard. If you are not enjoying your decorations it will not become a place of relaxation for you and I want this to feel like you are at a home away from home. Instead of just saying that and then like many others mean it with the unwritten rule of as long as you like my style, I have the means to enforce said rule and I often enjoy doing so.” So lost in apparently thought Arraka walked right by the door that was to be the Witches.

Stopping then taking a few steps back she said with a slight blush from the stolen blood. “I am sorry it seems I lost count. The servant is non negotiable she will free you up with the normal errands that could plague us both. She has all ready started studying in a variety of metaphysical fields to better anticipate your wants or desires so that if required she can make a wonderful assistant.” With her free hand she opened the door for the witch led to the bed room. Waiting a moment to let her fully take in the room and all of the little luxuries that she had requested including the four post canopy bed. “I hope you do not find this too forward but I had a tailor guess on your dress size and had a few formal evening gowns made for you if you ever wanted to attend the formal function of the alliance of spell casters, well at least until they come up with a better name.” Arraka gave a slight smile counting the steps to the closet and opening it for her so she can look within the large confines of the room.

“You have an attached bathroom that is only yours so you will not have to wait on your turn as well with a bathtub that is able to fit two people at once without complaint, at least I am told. Though if you find all this forward you will be hopelessly angry with me in the next room.”

Abby raised her eyebrows as Arraka spoke, the smile still settled on her lips. Was Arraka being considerate, or simply logical? Was this all some vampire game to gain her trust and make her feel more comfortable? She truly hoped not, but even if it was, she would never be sure. Better to give the trust at any rate. They would need it if Abby’s thoughts about what was going on inside of Arraka proved true. “For whatever reasons, I still feel the need to say thank you. It’s not often that such things are offered to me. I usually have to fight tooth and nail for what I want,” she said with a light shrug and a soft laugh.

Arraka suddenly stopped, her cheeks reddening as she took a few steps backwards to the door they had just passed. An assistant? Oh how wonderful it would be to have an assistant. Granted, if she needed herbs cut or candles made, it would always be better if she made them herself, molding her energy into whatever she was working on. But there was always research, or someone to bounce ideas off of. That would be more of a help than Abby could put into words.

Before Abby could reply, Arraka opened the door and led them both inside the room that would be hers. Abby’s jaw dropped, her eyes going wide as she took it all in. Her eyes went immediately to the bed. By the powers above, she hadn’t had a canopy bed since she was a little girl. But this was far from a childish bed, by any means. The craftsmanship was remarkable, complete with light curtains that were drawn up against the posts with soft looking cords. Arraka began speaking again a few short moments later, speaking of dresses and then moving to the closet, opening it wide to show them to her. Good Lord! The closet was as big as her bedroom at home!

Blinking in surprise, Abby started at Arraka’s next words. “You mean there’s more? Arraka, this is… it’s just amazing. I love it, I truly do. But please understand, I don’t need all of this.”

“I will never tell you not to say such things Abby, though I will warn you that some things that are truly ancient do not like to be thanked for such small things. Luckily for us both I am not one of those so there is nothing to worry about.” She spoke with a smile as they moved around the quarters. “If you would like your clothing transferred here I can send someone or you can go and take care of it yourself. Otherwise I have always enjoyed shopping if you are up to taking me around town. Granted we will have bodyguards with us as with the current state of the city such that it is.” She seemed a bit sad when she spoke of that subject knowing full well that if she was not incapacitated as she were the city would be under a much different direction hen chaos.

“I understand that you do not need all of this extravagance but it is nice isn’t it?” She gave a slight smirk followed by a soft laugh as she counted the rest of the steps to the newly dubbed workshop. “I did not know your exact tradition so I decided to hedge my bets as it were.” Leading her into the workshop revealed an alphabetized and fully stocked room of herbs, crystals and everything else under the sun, moon, and everything in between. Under the F section was a place for fresh herbs that had a note written in the flowing hand of Arraka with a diagram and map to the greenhouse and what was planted at what time and phase of the moon. Under the W’s was another label for the White Goat illustrated the displeasure in requiring such and a desire for alternative means but for her to talk of such things if required. There were a few other such notes placed around the stocked cabinets and the vampire did not point out a single one. “If you follow me I can show you the rest of it.”

The room opened up to an area that had a large, perfect circle engraved into the ground with all of the directions marked off in perfect degrees. Several hand carved work benches and storage faculties laid out complete with new tools and scales. “The directions were measured to be within a tenth of a degree and since I did not know if you liked salt or copper I decided to have both. Do you see that switch on the wall Abby?” She gave a slight smile knowing that the switch when pressed would lower a copper circle that fit within the groove perfectly. “There are no wires nor pipes that are running through this area of the house. So it was perfect to be designed with such a place. You will even fine that one of the major lines of Miami runs near by. It is an added benefit of having such a wonderful house filled with history non?”

Abby blinked again, listening to Arraka’s words as she looked around the room. Her eyes fell on Arraka, watching as she smiled with every word she said. “Well, good. Then thank you,” she said, laughing a bit as she looked around once more as Arraka continued. Abby took a few steps around the room, here eyes moving over it in a still and quiet motion. The room was truly beautiful, filled with both an old world charm and modern design that was an amazing thing to see. It was as if the room had been tailor made to her, which was both exciting and a little unnerving at the same time. Either she and Arraka had a taste that bordered on exact, or there had been a whole lot of research done. Either way, Abby wasn’t going to complain.

Her eyes went back to Arraka as he tone turned almost sad. The city had been full of riots and attacks lately, something that Abby could tell bothered Arraka more than she was willing to let on. “I’ll go and pick up my things myself. We’ll save the shopping trip as another celebration for when I get you all fixed up.” Abby gave Arraka a warm smile, even though the vampire couldn’t see it. What was the point in not doing something she would normally, whether Arraka could see her or not. All that would accomplish was to make Abby become flustered and in turn more than likely make Arraka feel more upset at her current condition. It would all be fixed soon at any rate, if Abby had anything to say about it.

Abby laughed with Arraka, softly shaking her head. “Well, I can’t disagree with that<” she said, following Arraka as she moved to the yet unopened door off of the main bedroom. Her eyes opened wide once more, looking at the full shelves. Without thinking, Abby moved forward, running her fingers over the perfectly labeled jars. Fresh herbs as well. A greenhouse full of them?! Abby had to forcibly stop from pinching herself to make sure she was still awake. Her eyes moved over the shelf, flinching at first as she came over the large, yet empty, area labeled White Goat. Her smile returned as she read the note there, letting out a small sigh of relief. She blinked again, looking back at Arraka. “The rest?” she asked, feeling the shock fall over her once more.

Abby followed Arraka, her eyes widening as she saw what the rest truly entailed. Immediately, Abby moved forward, touching a finger to the perfectly engraved circle on the floor. Her eyes moved to the wall as Arraka talked about a switch. Raising an eyebrow, Abby moved forward, flicking the switch, and stepping back in happy surprise as a copper circle was lowered from the ceiling, settling down into the engraved circle perfectly. Flicking the switch again, she looked at Arraka and gave off a laugh. Inside, she was thinking that it was almost too perfect. Either the vampire in front of her was truly a caring and thoughtful one, or she was very good at the art of manipulation.

“Arraka, this truly is... it’s just amazing,” she said in a soft voice.

The witch was independent; it was something that greatly pleased Arraka. Though she had everything handed to her on a silver platter in this moment there was still the desire to do something herself. The vampire could only nod approvingly. This one was a rare find and that was going to mean that a letter to her Bella would be required to thank the time and effort spent in finding her. Arraka listened carefully as Abby moved up and down the aisles and counted her steps. She judged each reaction as she approached the various items and could only smile at them all. It appeared that she had been successfully in accurately judging just what a Witch required to do her craft. When she found the switch that lowered the copper ring Arraka could only clap and laugh softly. It was one of the things she came up with to hedge her bets all the more in finding the correct formula for this particular witch.

“I just asked myself that if I was a Worker of the Art what would be in my dream workshop. After some planning and a few consultants I settled upon this lay out, if anything is out of place or you require something different please tell me. Your work as you may imagine is very important to me I want everything to go as well as possible.” Arraka counted the steps and hit her shoulder on one of the book cases causing all the jars to shake. She could only sigh softly and reposition herself. “Is there anything else you think you may need or would you like to see the dining area and kitchens?”

The look on Arraka’s face as Abby lowered the copper circle was beautiful, almost childlike in glee. One minute, Arraka appeared to be calculating, and the next, almost… Abby truly couldn’t find the word. She was sure, when she was alone, she would go back and think about the night, looking at it a second time to try and figure out the meaning behind it all. Her reasoning seemed perfectly logical, but at the same time, it all seemed just too good to be true. In all of Abby’s past experiences, when something was too good to be true, well… anyone would get the idea. Still, through it all, she had to learn to trust on some level, or she would never be of any help to Arraka, and money or not, she was damn sure going to help.

“Well, I only hope that I am worth all of the trouble you went to. Like I said before, it may take a while, but I will do all that I can to make sure whatever it is that needs to be done is done.” Arraka moved to step back to the door, her shoulder thumping loudly against the shelf, and making the jar shake on their stands. Arraka sighed, moving to stand a step away from where she just had been. In that moment, Abby could see a sadness pass over her face, gone as soon as it had appeared. Now that, could not have been an act. But, pride would not let her admit it, of that Abby was sure. Arraka said not a words about it, continuing back with her train of thought.

“This is more than enough,” Abby said, a smile on her face. “Thank you. Never before have I had someone go this far to make sure that I had everything that I needed. If anything else comes up, though I doubt it will, I will take care of it.” Smiling, Abby stepped closer. She wanted to offer help to Arraka, but was sure that the headstrong woman would not take it in an attempt to not show a weakness. Boy, did Abby ever know how that worked. She could work around that.

“Now, I think it would be a perfect time to take a look at the dining room and the kitchens. I can only imagine how big a kitchen must be in a house this size. Shall we?” she asked, offering her arm to Arraka. “If so, lead the way.”

Hope, it is such a fragile thing that can be easily kindled and just as easily snuffed out. Hope for a vampire was the same thing, this mortal witch brought with her the hope of things getting better but that small flame burned weakly still. To get better she was going to have to open herself up to another person and the scars from the lose of her beloved rat still bled each time she woke from her deathly sleep. “Hope.” Arraka’s voice was soft as that one word left her throat causing a smile and a slow shake of her head.

“Good, it is my firm belief that everyone works better when all needs are met even the ones that were not common knowledge of needing. I will have an open account at all of the local Magic shops as well as a few online retailers should you need anything. I do not want you to have to absorb any of the personal cost of your research.” She was pleasantly surprised when there was not a single comment made about her flagrant weakness of not knowing the room’s layout and even partially relieved when the arm was offered without a stray thought.

“Yes, the dining room is on the other side of the manor but I am unsure about the kitchen. It does have a wonderful echo to it and feels like it is large but as you can imagine I do not spend much time in it.” There was a touch of something more there a hint of loss but she moved on before it became too noticeable. “If you would follow me and by the smell of it I believe a meal is just about to be served. We are in luck.”