Path of the Vampire forum

Fifteen more minutes and the night was hers. Not that it wasn’t currently but she had a few ideas on how she would rather spend it. The glazing inservice was over and the rest of the clean up was on someone else. Indigo peeled the smock from her shoulders. Taking a last look around she figured everything would carry on without her as usual. The clay stained material in her hands rolled up efficiently so she could dispose of it in the canvas bags wrapped around the metal frames next to the studio. Nearly full as expected she knew that the laundry service that would arrive the following morning while she was dead to the world. The next time she set her indigo orbs on them they would be empty. Checking around for Adley turned up no recent sightings of him so she sent a text to save interrupting him with a call in case he was preoccupied.

Stopping by to check in with the office then free if you are? If not, no worries. Stay safe. Xoxox Indigo

Stepping outside was all the reason she needed to let the doors close behind her while she absorbed the scents that came to her. Cooling temperatures still held the same signs of heat and life floating in the breeze that found the escaping ringlets around her face. Her fingers slid through the space beyond her temples and hooked at the binding at the back of her head. As soon as the bulk of her honey blonde hair fell free to dance with the rhythm of her steps she tucked the elastic tie in her pocket.

Twenty minutes later her palm was warm and cozy with a full twelve ounces of mint verbena tea cradled inside its grip while her free hand punched in her employee access code into the rear lot entry doors for staff at Marshall Enterprises. Enver Marshall would not be too hard to find. Typically he would be behind his desk in his office wheeling and dealing over something new, innovative, ground breaking or banking on another move towards the public shock and awe. She looked at the shimmering pricey timepiece wrapped loosely around her petite wrist and flipped up her indigo blues to discover the executive office door closed.

A few steps had her frozen at the door waiting to hear he wasn’t alone and wrapped up in another of his late night dealings. In that case she typically would side step it to the neighboring receptionist desk and message him a check in to his email he rarely failed to scan when he had a rare free moment. No sounds were to be discovered so her hand twisted so that the back faced the door and the knuckles tapped lightly for attention. While she waited she raised her thermal insulated cup that sported the shop logo on the outside. Checking out the design as if she noticed it for the first time had her shifting her weight from one Jimmy Choo wrapped foot to the other. Finally the rim found her plump unpainted lips and she sucked slowly at the small slit of open space on the cover that permitted the hot fluid to find the inside of her cool mouth.

Indigo stepped inside the office and closed the door behind her. The sounds of Enver moving about while her back was turned happened to be followed by a welcome aroma. It reminded her if she had not chosen the tea in her hand tea, she would have bought a coffee. A plain one. She made the mistake the night before of letting the barista choose for her and was disappointed by the early release of the fall themed designer brews. Pumpkin spice didn’t sit right. Nothing about it devastated her. The dependable Verbena tea was doing wonders given the first few steaming hot sips she had taken.

“I have time right now. No plans.” Her body found the seat that was offered. A relaxed sinking in and a fold of one leg over the other left her appearing more at ease than she typically was. A free night with cleared schedule often had such an effect over her. A slow sip confirming that she was enjoying what was in her hand was taken before she asked the million dollar question of the billion dollar guy across the desk from her. “What is on your mind?”

When asking Enver such it could be a myriad of possible responses. He was far from predictable or dull. That was only a fraction of what made up his inital draw to those around him and his universal charm. Generally she could read him when it was needed but this was not going to be one of those moments. This had nothing to do with business and whatever it was it seemed pretty fresh on his mind. She hoped that Grace was alright. Her guess was that the child was or he would not be so calm. No where close to how he appeared to be. Her brow lifted slightly in curiosity. It was one of those moments that she could feel the anticipation filling up within her. Another lift of her insulated cup in hand had the rim of the to go container at her lips while she watched him settle in.

The insulated tumbler in Indigo’s hand slowly dropped down to her lap to be cradled by the other hand. She set her eyes on the television as it appeared. Without the sound she was able to follow what Enver was saying as well as the confirmation that came through with the closed captions. It was hard to believe such a thing was even possible. Especially after everything she had been told and based her existence on. This is one rare exception as to why, perhaps, she should tune in more often to the networks.

She hated the tabloids which were increasingly bleeding into the world networks. Sensationalized and inflated, dramatic and half true accounts were now spoon fed as news that the world needed to know. What used to be reliable had become reduced to if another Kardashian was knocked up because she was wearing a baggy shirt. Forget the first story reported being about the devastation still lingering in countries with loss of power and water after natural disasters. Knowing which K was producing another star was more important.

As soon as Enver stepped around and was close enough to pull her attention away from the screen she looked up at him. When he sat down beside her everything sank in that he was concerned about. This could be the answer to all the concerns he was pointing out about raising Grace. She was young still but it wouldn’t be that way for much longer. He would have so many things that he would be unavailable for. Then he asked the question she was already asking herself. Somewhere along the way she had sucked in some air only to realize it as she allowed it to pass slowly through her parted lips as she thought about her answer.

Did she believe it was true or possible? What could it mean to her? To Adley? Vita? Kaspar? Jameson...was it too late for him to have a chance to know?

“I am not a huge fan of any government. They really have difficulty facilitating the implementation of basic human rights and freedom. They talk a lot about how they are always getting closer than ever to it but more walls go up, more restrictions get put in place and more lives are lost. They have those fences up around the zone that you couldn’t pay me to walk into. I wonder how long they had it.” Her eyes danced from the Enver to the television then back to him. “I will say I never thought we, us ...the vampiric species, if you will, could be a thing. But here we are. So, yes, I do think it is possible.” She unfolded her leg that was draped over the one beneath it. “Anything is possible, Enver. Anything you can possibly think of. I think the United States government has things we never heard of sitting in some place in a desert wearing the number fifty one.”

She sighed as she brought the drink to her lips. Everything about him being willing to go and fight to protect what was in jeopardy sank in. He seemed to have made up his mind then and there. A delayed swallow gave her time to eye him while she set her tumbler down on the table opposite of where he was seated. She couldn’t blame him for wanting to go in hopes of bringing down some of the very real barriers and hurdles he was facing with raising his sister.

“If it is there then it needs to be relieved of the custody it is currently in.” Indigo was no strategist. She was responsible for running a nonprofit community arts center. “If the ones that had it were on the up and up it would have been revealed as it was being created and the progress and findings along the way. We hear about it only after it exists? Something sounds off and the call for aid in defending it says even more. They already know people...vampires will not be happy. Must be a reason.”

Indigo was concerned there was a loophole. Everything had a price and consequence. The sharp points of her fangs pinching the inside of her bottom lip and trapping it briefly confirmed it. Enver was not exactly a warrior but there was no question he had a hell of a lot more in his bag of tricks than most ever would give him credit for. He was peaceful, generous and consistent. People saw the man that never really faded within. Nothing wrong with that at all. It just meant he would be a huge asset to those trying to get the cure and retrieve it safely if it was in questionable hands. He had the world grabbing a Coke and sharing a smile with the release of his book. They had seen nothing yet on what he was truly capable of.

“You go.” She cleared her throat lightly. “I can keep an eye on Rosa and Grace while handling anything you need from the outside. I am more useful that way instead of tossingmy shoes around.I would go. You know that. What you don’t know is...” She wanted to tell him she would use all the shoes she had for the cause because she wanted him to grow old with Grace, Adley to have his choice, Jameson too. She wanted Kaspar to have his as well. What she wanted was peace between all at long last and the cure in the hands of where it would do the most good. “I have the whole blood issue. I know you know about that after Wilson, the limo and the whole being shot at thing.” She wondered if he would be disgusted but she needed to get it out. “Early on I killed someone. Don’t ask if I know her name because I don’t.” Her hands found her face briefly and wiped the surface leaving her palms to meet up in her lap. “I was drinking for the first time, feeding or whatever you want to call it. It was quickly out of control. I didn’t stop, I wanted more and when that wasn’t enough the commotion it caused alerted others. I killed her.” Indigo swallowed hard. “Have you ever killed someone? Someone completely innocent?” She knew he had the ability to tear down whatever was in his way when he was determined. But in cold selfish blood. “Because that is something you may have to be prepared to do this time. The source of a cure will have everyone going in there after it for their own reasons just as yours are important to you.”

Indigo pools danced between Enver’s face and the busy movement of his hands. Her words halted on the tip of her tongue as her lips parted. The shock, if any at all, served up with his claim of not being a fighter was that he actually could believe his own words. The shape of her mouth returned with the subtle meeting of flesh that hid the blinding white stored behind her pillow plump lips. She watched the lion load his chosen weapon. He was a force to be reckoned with. She knew it all too well and soon enough so would a few more on the god forsaken planet. He had a heart and he fought with it, applied it to whatever he felt strongly about and that was more than could be said for most in his position. Fangs or none.

It didn’t always sit well with those who called the darkest hours of a twenty four hour period the time to rise and shine. More often than not he was rocking their podiums of power in his own monumental way. Far more than most appreciated. He wrote a book all about it. But when did a lion take a questioning pause to see what anyone else thought or was willing to do? Her hand brushed down over her thigh to wipe at nothing. The sensation delivered a sense of staying put was appropriate for the moment. His smirk took her attention and she was glued on the rest of what he had to share. Keara was brought up and naturally she wondered where the woman could be found. He was still hard at it protecting life, what was left of what they had as well as the mentioned puppies and his castle.

“I obviously killed for a lot less and it wasn’t to save any *** but my own.” Indigo looked at him matter of fact. She had a hell of a long way to go before she could redeem herself. Confession was a start. It took some courage to admit the not so stellar moments to another that was not there to witness it, right? It felt good so she tapped into it a little more. “And for the momentary thrill.” She shrugged lightly. It was not to brush off the seriousness of what she was responsible for. If anything it confirmed it was still a weight on her shoulders. An unseen reminder that she could not lose possession of. It would be there to ground her to the reality of how close the lines really were and how easy they were to stumble and cross even under the best of intentions.

In the end she found sitting was not going to be possible any longer. She belonged on her feet not just for comfort but to show some respect for what moved her. All of it did. The proof was in the rise of her body and the slow steps of her feet across the office floor beneath her heels. A weapon was being loaded. That was always an attention getter. A lion was about to head into a war for justice and future peace. Who could resist that? And there was that little detail he offered up that had her feeling a little more back in the saddle as one of his trusted posse he counted on when he went out to ride. She was the one entrusted with the protection and care of the one Enver was inspired by to make the world a safer, fairer place. Grace. His own flesh and blood. Bilogical sister or child. It did not matter. It said everything to Indigo that wouldn’t reach the air between them.

“You will be back.” Her words were solid with her belief of how things would turn out. “And she will be safe with me until you return. I promise.” They both knew Indigo would not fall short of doing anything Enver would to ensure that Grace was untouchable by the current events or the world storming around them. She reached his side and without hesitation leaned in and softly kissed his cheek. A smile found her face as she looked him in the eyes without taking a step back and restoring the space between them. She doubted he knew what it truly meant to her.“Thank you.”

Indigo dangled on the edge. She wasn’t stunned or quick to unplant herself from where she was perched. It was a reliable edge that gave her the impression what had her was made up of something more than the executive desk beneath her. Her open palms were left to settle on the hard surface at each side of her so that her wrists casually connected to each hip. Instant confirmation came forth to say that something was still there and holding her in place where she had been transferred to and positioned. Her scalp tingled, the subtle traces of air clinging to her unruly carmel gold ringlets infused by the chemical scent he carried.

Hours old consumed and exhaled nicotine wrapped in miniscule traces of tar held on tight. Signs passed on to her for proof that what was in his mouth and throat sinking lung deep would stay somewhere on the inner lining for ages longer than was safe for any human to carry around. Her lips remained parted avoiding the temptation to allow her tongue to investigate more of what was left behind on their surface. She watched him while he adjusted his tie with all the self-confidence a man in his position should have. She was expectedly intrigued by the movement of fingers she had not taken such a detailed notice of before.

The degree of paid attention was not due to some sort of revelation of the professional or political power he would be possibly possessing if his mission were successful. It was all due to the brief glimpse just given of what she had not been privy to before. A show of the one that was well guarded within. It was beneath the rest of the countless layers so deep that few were able to reach it. She was curious by nature and it was to be expected. The man was a walking wall of mirrors like any other allurist if need be but those with similar gifts could see through it and appreciate what was revealed to knowing eyes when he permitted. Which, for the current moment, he did.

Enver Marshall carried a history just like every other being. She had her own that she left open like a book while he took it a step further and went as far as to write a best selling book about his. The boss, one who never actually paid her a cent, making such a move could be read as selfishly wanting into her personal bubble for a little last minute self-serving satisfaction and increased motivation. Some, perhaps more than a few, would consider that the point of it all. Indigo knew it was not the case. Nor was he head over heels deep in emotional need for her. What it was and would become was entirely mutual. A reflection of what was there pretty much from the beginning. The kiss was real, deep and powerful. Solid and genuine from start to finish with an energy that said if anything was amiss it was perhaps the timing that was flawed only because it was late on it’s intended delivery. Her bottom finally eased off the flat, no frills furniture beneath her.

“It doesn’t need to rain to make good on it.”

Indigo was matter of fact about it as she was always known to be. She was far more comfortable in her own skin than most given decades to acclimate into their physical bodies would ever reach. For the free thinking, free spirit that Indigo Knight was contact was beautiful, liberating, expressive and in many cases therapeutic in ways no degree or textbook could ever sort through or explain. She found pleasure and peace in watching Adley, Kaspar and Jameson connect and meld together just as much as if she was physically involved, which she had been several times. Nothing negative in any sense went with her as she stepped away from the space she recently shared with Enver and headed towards the door to allow him the last minutes to prepare for what he would possibly facing.

“Cure or not.” She added as she turned briefly to hold the door handle behind her back and pull it open stepping forward as much as was needed. “Just make it back in one piece if possible. Need anything call me.”

She finally smiled just enough that said everything was going to be alright. She knew it would be. Her long fingers tapped at the door that went wide with her guiding hand. The allurist finally released it and turned to leave without any further words. The sounds of her steps faded as she did.