Lia (or Tori, as she was now fondly called by few) had made her way across the stage with a purpose, each step illustrated by the click-click-click of her heels against the floor. Once she was positioned at the front and center, she adjusted her long, leather trench coat and twisted her neck to survey the crowded room.
It didn't seem like many would have an interest in purchasing her, and she couldn't blame them. The woman had more or less dropped off the grid when she had handed in her wings, so to speak. There weren't many memories that took place beyond her turning which didn't include Tytonidae; and without the comfort of what she had come to know, she felt completely useless. The sense of purpose she had found when she joined their ranks ceased to exist.
For those that had attempted to remain close to her following her resignation, that self-perceived meaninglessness was enough to test ties and burn bridges. It was enough for her to exclude herself from everything she had once been apart of - from the Andras lineage to the relationship she had with a certain ******** once known as her partner. It eventually even had her seeking the comfort of death. Screw the fact that she'd let her reputation crumble - Lia didn't even look like herself!
******* Mystic curse, she thought.
After having physically felt the pain of her childe's grief, though, she forced her spirit back into the body of another. If she had anyone to live for, it was Sparrow (affectionately referred to as 'Birdy'). It had, in fact, been Sparrow's suggestion that Lia make an appearance at the auction.
"You'll have fun," she'd said.
"Maybe you'll be surprised!" she said.
Lia had much doubt in both of those statements, up until the precise moment that Madison came onto the stage and grabbed hold of the mic. Both of Lia's eyebrows shot up in a display of shock, and her hazel gaze flicked towards Alex as if to ask her 'what the hell?' Since when did Madison - an ex-blood thief that Lia was sure she'd hunted on more than one occasion - have any feasible reason to give a **** about her? With as much as she racked her brain over it, she couldn't find a single one.
With that look of utter perplexity still plastered across her features, Lia shuffled towards Madison by just a few inches and spoke to the blonde in a hushed voice. "What are you doing?"