[Flame]

Juliette saw Sadriel’s expression change slightly, just for a brief moment. In that instant, whatever guile she still saw in him vanished, if only for a few seconds, leaving behind a countenance which seemed…she wasn’t sure what it was. It seemed so removed from what she expected to see from him that she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but during that brief pause, he looked almost…human, for once. Well, at least as human as a vampire could look. It was gone just as quickly though, leaving her to wonder whether she had even really seen it in the first place. Subconsciously, she wondered how much there was about this man that she didn’t know, and that he was perhaps withholding from her. She didn’t blame him for that: she wouldn’t exactly have been this patient with a person who’d just tried to take her life, if she’d been in his place. Which she had. After all, wasn’t that why she had come in the first place? To seek retribution for a wrong that he’d done her?

As Sadriel explained his reasoning behind changing her, Juliette couldn’t deny that all of what he’d said was true. Yeah, like hell she’d been ready to die that night. It was ironic that now, she was trying to kill her creator for giving her immortality instead of killing her. While she could see the enticements of being immortal, she still found the price to pay for that power a little too steep for her taste. After all, she could only live forever by depriving others of their right to live. The thought still never ceased to repulse her.

At his mention of ‘morals’, Juliette had to keep from snorting aloud in cynicism. A vampire with morals? That was a good one. But then again, she supposed that commenting on it would make her a hypocrite…after all, did she not believe herself as having morals? So, she remained silent instead for a few moments after Sadriel had ceased to talk, taking in what he’d said, mulling over everything that he’d imparted to her. A few minutes ago, she would never have believed that she would ever be in this situation, but here she was, and all she could do was make the best of the current circumstances. Her eyes were searching as she held his gaze for a moment, as if trying to read some deeper motive in his actions. Then slowly, very slowly, she released her grip on the blade, letting it fall to the ground where it hit the soft sand with a quiet whumph. The gesture, in and of itself, was closure, sealing her deal with her new master as, for the first time in her life, she submitted herself to being ruled by another’s will. ”Fine. Where do we begin then, teacher?”

[ToxicShadow]

Sadriel stared down at Juliette until she released the blade. In that same instant, he pulled away from her, releasing her from his grasp. And so it was done. He could have never imagined that he would cross paths with this woman again. She had crossed his mind enough, as he had always mildly deemed her as the most lovely mortal he had seen as well as the most delicious in taste. He wasn't the sort of man, vampire or otherwise, to have such opinions about anyone. He was more for himself and could care less about anyone else. Shallow as he was, she was...interesting. He would give her that much.

Gentlemanly as he was capable of being, the vampire held out his hand to the vampiress. "First thing is first. I'm still hungry. Would you oppose too greatly to my disposing of drunkard stumbling down an alleyway on his way home to the wife he frequently cheats on?" He rose an eyebrow in questioning. Surely there would be at least one of those men around. Could she oppose to his feeding too much if it was someone that, more so than others, didn't deserve to live? It was better than him targeting another woman like the brunette or like Juliette had been. Being what she was, she obviously had to feed as well. That in mind, another question came, "What lifeforce must you feed upon? Blood, energy...?"

[Flame]

Once the blade had left her hand, Juliette felt herself released as Sadriel liberated her from his hold. She huffed a relieved sigh, feeling the air rush back into her lungs properly again. Sitting up, her gaze still remained warily fixed on the other vampire as she worked the loose sand out of her dark hair, as if half-expecting him to change his mind about freeing her from his grasp. She wondered idly just how long she’d have to put up with being a student: it wasn’t something that she’d ever tried before, so she couldn’t speak from personal experience. She didn’t doubt that she’d learn a lot from her more experienced counterpart either. It all came down to how fast he taught, how fast she learned, and how long her patience lasted.

As Sadriel held his hand out to her, Juliette hesitated for a moment, then took it daintily despite the fact that she didn’t need his aid, pulling herself back up to her feet. As he inquired as to whether she was opposed to his feeding, she merely shrugged indifferently, brushing off the grains of sand which still clung to her clothing. ”What must be done must be done,” she replied simply, not sounding in the least concerned. ”Plus, you’re the teacher, after all. Should the roles not be reversed and I the one asking for your consent?” She lifted a mild golden gaze to him, and had one not been there to see the previous events, they would never have known that she’d just been forcefully overpowered by the man to whom she was now speaking so civilly. Either she was very difficult to fluster, or simply a good actress. Whatever it was, she knew that feeding was a necessity, and she’d have to partake in the hunting eventually as well, if she were to survive. So, she kept whatever snarky or disparaging comments about the vampire’s livelihood to herself for the time being.

At his last question, she raised a questioning brow: this was clearly new information to her. She hadn’t known that vampires fed on anything other than blood…at least as far as she was concerned, it was what she used to sustain herself. ”Well…blood, I would assume,” she replied slowly. ”After all, it’s what’s kept me alive for the past three decades.”

[ToxicShadow]

With the blade tumbling toward the sand, the chapter was closed. Now it was time for a new beginning. It was a new chapter or, perhaps, even a new story entirely. The thought was an interesting one to Sadriel. After all, Juliette was going to be his first pupil. Not once, in all of his years, had he ever taken it upon himself to train any of his fledglings. His chosen creations were usually capable of handling everything on their own. If they weren't capable, then they weren't worthy of the gift he could offer, thus, he would never give them the gift. Indeed, the elder vampire saw the curse more as a gift.

He was never short of a smile when something pleased him, including when she placed enough trust him to take his hand as he hauled her to his feet. Sure, she didn't need the help. She was just fine on her own, but it was in the sake of good manners. He was a gentleman, after all.

As he went about dusting himself off one more time, he explained his reasoning, "I simply ask for your own sake. You don't seem very pleased in my typical choice of meals, and I'd rather not press you so quickly and tip our newly formed and fragile balance." He lifted his eyes to look at her just once as he said this, in hopes to register some kind of emotion of hers. For what an evil monster he could be, now was not the time for that. He didn't allow such a side to show in the entire time that they disputed, for he did believe that he couldn't waste his creations. He was already so choosy that Julliette was one of the select few. Besides, she crossed his mind often enough... Something about her was very appealing. He intended to find out just what about her attracted his curiosity in the time that they spent together.

He was done dusting himself off in moments, and he turned to walk back up the beach, waving for her to come along with him. His movements, as expected, with lithe and agile. He seemed to glide more than walk, when compared to any mortal man. It was no competition.

"I ask what you feed upon because some of our kind don't survive on blood - it seems to be new news to as well, am I correct?" Her expression had become questioning when he'd mentioned it, so of course she hadn't known. "One of the other few of our kind that I have created is different from you and I. I watched her from a distance when I noticed. She feeds on energy rather than on blood. No one even must know she is a vampire, for she only makes her victims tired, if she doesn't loose control and suck every ounce of energy from them. She only needs to feed once a month to survive and is only that different from a mortal in a short span of days - her alert as to when she needs to feed. Otherwise, she usually passes for a mortal." He knew that Juliette would probably be somewhat jealous of the vampire he spoke of. Perhaps she'd even hate him for it, but part of her lessons was that she needed to know. "The difference in vampires just depends on the person changed, from what I gathered. It is nothing we can control."

[Flame]

Juliette brushed off the last remnants of sand which clung to her clothing before lifting a level gaze back up to meet Sadriel’s, taking in everything he said, albeit with a grain of salt. He seemed to be making an effort to be mannerly and civilized, which she found somewhat intriguing. She hadn’t thought that he’d be anywhere near capable of chivalry, if anything, other than in his game of wooing women. He still seemed to have a few surprises up his sleeve, and for now, the newfound apprentice still remained wary of her teacher. Offering to train her was the last thing she might ever have expected from this man: her plan had been to kill him, and in the case of her plans going awry, herself being killed as payment for her attempt on his life. It would take a while for her to get used to this whole ‘pupil’ act, which also gave her the time to find out more about this ancient and what motives he doubtlessly had behind his actions.

”I…appreciate your concern,” she finally replied, trying to sound gracious. Well, now was a bad a time as any to get started on getting into character. Sadriel began making his way up the secluded beach, and at his beckoning, Juliette padded silently after him, subconsciously falling into a steady rhythm as she matched his step, walking next to him as she remained a pace or two behind. Where his movements were agile, there was a languid, feline grace to the younger vampire’s step, and to any mortal observer, the pair moved with an almost inhuman elegance. As they walked, Juliette’s gaze wandered out over the moonlit ocean, the small ripples on its vast surface throwing faint sparkles of silver light in the air. Despite the diminutive ruralness of this small town, the sea still remained as beautiful and limitless as ever. She felt as if her fate was just as uncontrollable as the tide: nothing ever seemed to go as planned, and she’d been forced to live with whatever fortune chose to throw at her. But bad luck could only last but so long…right?

At Sadriel’s explanation, Juliette simply nodded in understanding, seeming suddenly taciturn. There was no point in getting angry at him for what she wasn’t. She was what she was, and there was no changing it now. Perhaps she’d never really had a choice at all…nonetheless, thirty-three years of bottled-up hatred didn’t just dissipate like that. In her mind, this man, her creator, was still to blame for the fact that she’d had to give up a completely normal life. She’d bide her time though. After all, she only had forever ahead of her.

[ToxicShadow]

It was apparent that the time for words had gone; Sadriel said no more just as did Juliette. Surely, there was much that her mind had to go over, and the same went for him. He had acted differently toward her than he would have if anyone else had tried to attack him. He had no qualms with killing as was needed; vampire, lycan, human or otherwise. As for how he justified each, well, he was going to have to explain the relationship between vampires and mortals to his new student. She was going to have to learn to see it for what it was, rather than to be so disturbed by it.

Stalking up and away from the beach, along the streets, it became obvious that the woman he had lured in hadn't waited for him. It was a good thing, really. She didn't need to see what all occured between the two vampires, nor did he need to see her again now that he had Juliette by his side. He was focused now on finding himself another, much more simple, meal. He'd gone without eating for long enough. Then another thought came to mind...

"Did you know that many vampires still retain a sort of blood? Blood that other vampires can drink. at times, it can be even more satisfying than the blood of a human." The thought made him want to smile, though he decided against doing so. His mentioning it was actually a small suggestion, even though it wasn't supposed to sound like it. If Juliette offered he would have been more than happy to drink what blood she had. He'd never tasted the blood of a vampire that he had once already tasted when it was a mortal. However, he doubted she would even allow it. Still, never hurt to ask. It was best just to speak as if relaying information.

[Flame]

As they made their way back into town, Juliette noticed that there was no sign of the green-eyed brunette that Sadriel had wooed so recently. Smart girl, she thought to herself, for once. At least the young woman had regained enough sense to avoid the area and the vampires nearby (although she couldn’t possibly recognize them for what they were). Either that, or she was simply too scared of coming back, especially after Juliette’s arrival. For all she knew, the unexpected newcomer could have been Sadriel’s mate, and after all, who would want to tangle with a vengeful female partner? Despite her apparently delicate build, she still had that eagle-eyed look of a huntress, and it had probably been in the better judgment of the unsuspecting young woman that she hadn’t returned. Well, Juliette hoped that she’d at least learned not to be so easily swayed next time an impossibly attractive man came to town, although she had her doubts that any mortal could resist the charms of a vampire.

Juliette’s gaze narrowed slightly at Sadriel’s mention of ‘vampire blood’. The hint of a suggestion in his statement was discreet, but she assumed that he’d meant for it to be heard, and she most certainly did. Did he expect her to give her blood to him…again? Just the notion set her temper rising again, although she bit down on it with a vice-like grip to keep it from showing. ”You don’t say,” she commented in an indifferent tone, seemingly apathetic to the statement as she acted as if she hadn’t noticed his subtle hint. ”And what exactly happens to the giving party, in that case?” she queried, keeping the suspicion from her voice, although she was genuinely curious as to how the rather morbid occurrence worked. If she had any blood, any humanity at all, left, she wasn’t planning on giving it up anytime soon, and not without a fight.

As they padded down the street, the pungent scent of alcohol reached her sensitive nose. They must be getting close to another pub, or something of the sort. No doubt there would be a multitude of drunks milling around here somewhere. ”So, shall we see to getting you a meal?” she asked, having finally mastered her emotions once again, her features once again smooth and impassive. She motioned in the direction of the sound she could hear emanating from the bowels of a building, the loud, raucous laughter and hoarse shouting of men drinking away another night on the town.

[ToxicShadow]

Oh, she was a good one, wasn't she? Sadriel was thoroughly enjoying pressing Juliette's buttons and trying to work out just how she ticked. He'd only just met her for the second time and he was already trying to make some sense of her. Vampires tended to be difficult creatures to read just out of nature. They worked to keep their lives and their motives as secrets they'd take to the grave, so-to-speak. Juliette was no different. She was clearly practiced in keeping her emotions tied up and hidden. He could easily assume that his statement, if she'd caught his suggestion [which she seemed sharp enough to do], would have ignited some ill emotions; but she didn't display them. Rather, she displayed an indifferent emotion. However, he knew well enough that she couldn't truly feel indifferent. He almost wanted to applaud her efforts, but he didn't. Instead, he went along with it, "Nothing of consequence. I've never given blood to another, myself. I've never been trapped into doing it, nor have I found myself attached to another of our kind and, thus, willing to do it." He shrugged only slightly, continuing on, "It's supposed to be shameful if you're a vampire and are forcefully made a meal of by another vampire. If you willingly do so because of some bond shared between you and another, then it's supposed to be a mutual sign of respect or even, in some cases, affection. It depends on their personal situation, I suppose. Funny how it works, isn't it?"

The words just having stopped flowing from his mouth, Sadriel was already aching for the hunt as the nasty scent of alcohol mixed with the delicious scent of blood wafted toward his nose. The scent of blood far over powered the other scents as his stomach lurched. He'd been going too long without a meal to not eat tonight. He'd just have to settle.

Red eyes flashed toward his female counterpart, and he nodded in her direction. Wordlessly, he tasted the air and listened to all outside the two of them. From the forward right there was a consistent light tapping of feet, a delicate woman bobbing along on her way home from an evening shift, no doubt. She hadn't consumed anything to intoxicate her, not with those sure steps. Then, another sound from the left. Heavier, unsure steps followed by a crash and a groan. Bingo. The perfect target to make his perfectly disgusting meal. He was far from looking forward to drinking the blood of a drunken man, but the blood itself drew him in.

He slunk forward, his steps smooth even though his body language could be better described as an animal on the hunt. He didn't wait for Juliette, nor pay her any attention in these short moments. Back against the side of a building, he pinpointed just where the man had fallen and was still heaving himself up off the ground simply with his ears. He waited for the right moment, and then he attacked in one mortally unseen instant. The twisting of the head, the bite and the silencing by applied pressure against points of the neck was all completed after a second's time. Sadriel held the larger man's limp body up without any strain, his blood pouring into the vampire's mouth. As was usual, a relief swept over the vampire's body as mortal blood flowed into him. His burning hunger was slowly becoming sedated.

Thirty seconds later, time enough for Juliette to come and be witness if she chose to, Sadriel dropped the man to the floor, sucked nearly dry. He simultaneously licked what little blood was left around his lips, otherwise having been clean even after the kill. He smiled, the glow of his red eyes dimming. He gained full control again, eyes looking for the female. He'd need to dispose of the body, but was again wary of doing something not in her tastes. Clearly, his expression displayed this.

[Flame]

{-pushes fast-forward button- ^^}

It seemed like trouble always had its way of finding her. Nonetheless, being her, Juliette usually didn’t have a problem with extricating herself from difficult situations, but it seemed that this time, she’d really managed to screw herself over, and she had no one to blame for it but herself. For once, she doubted that she’d be able to get away unscathed…if at all. So, what situation was she in, and how exactly had she managed to land herself in it? To start from the beginning, she’d wanted a little time alone, to give herself some space to mull over everything that had happened in the past few months. Indeed, it had been that long since she’d been placed under the charge of her mentor, Sadriel, and during the time that they’d spent together, she’d almost never left his side, per his wishes. He’d said that it was for her safety, and as she’d learned over the course of her ‘studies’, she didn’t argue with him on the point. She’d only elected to become his student for the sole purpose of getting closer to him, so that she could bide her time and wait for the perfect opportunity to arise. The opportunity to kill the man who’d cursed her with immortal life and forced her to live through parasitism off of the human species. Interestingly enough though, she’d never made her move to, although not for lack of opportunities. Each time, something had stayed her hand, although she could not, for the life of her, know what it might possibly be. So, she’d remained in his custody, learning from the endless wealth of experience which he had to impart, being taught to see her immortality as a gift, not a curse.

A few days ago, she’d decided that she needed a little breathing room: she didn’t have any intention of trying to escape or anything of the sort – after all, there really wasn’t anywhere for her to go and it wouldn’t be hard for the older vampire to hunt her down again either. She simply wanted to think on things in the peace of solitude, and was rather surprised when Sadriel had agreed without fuss. It had been her intention to spend just an hour or two away, but instead, that short amount of time had turned into a three-day absence, due to…unforeseen circumstances. While lost in thought, she’d been ambushed by a waiting hunter who’d been looking for the chance to get to Sadriel, and saw his opportunity in this inexperienced young female, who appeared to either belong to the older vampire or was his mate. Either way, he was certain that the ancient would come for his ‘possession’…all in good time. So, he’d taken Juliette alive (or, at least as alive as an undead being could be), hiding her away in his lair, which was concealed in a basement in the less savory part of town. He left an indistinct and discreet, but followable trail, at least for someone who knew exactly what they were looking for. The perfect trap.

Juliette surveyed the surroundings which she had come to hate with a vehement passion. With dull, gray cinderblock walls, the room was small, dark, and nondescript, furnished with only a wooden table covered in papers, scrolls, and ancient tomes, a battered chair, and one dim yellow light which weakly lit the room with a sickly pallor. The only other thing that the hunter kept in this room was a wooden chest, which, as Juliette had come to know very well, was filled with a wide multitude of every imaginable weapon she had ever seen, and they were all tailored to one specific purpose: killing vampires. As for her, she’d been chained to a wall by her wrists and ankles, which bound her tightly enough that her back was pressed against the cold stone and she had no room at all to move. In any other case, she would have had no problem getting out of this situation, but it seemed that her captor had been at his sport for long enough to know a thing or two about his quarry. Not only were the shackles made of abnormally strong metal, they were also lined with silver. Juliette had found very quickly that the more she struggled, the more the manacles chafed, and with the close contact, she felt as though her skin had been lit aflame. During the length of her ‘stay’, the man hadn’t bothered with feeding her, and after three days of imprisonment, the unbearable thirst which had set in had begun to take its toll on her, a haze which made coherent thought difficult, if not impossible. Her head drooped, her chin on her chest as her long, dark locks all but obscured her face from sight. At the sound of footsteps though, she glanced up, only to see the familiar, despised face of her captor as he walked in. At the sight, the fire in her dark, golden eyes kindled afresh, blazing with fury, mixed in with the feral gleam of bloodlust. ”And a good day to you as well, my dear,” the hunter said with a light smirk as he addressed his captive, casually sauntering over to his weapons cabinet and riffling through his arsenal until he selected a thin sliver of silver, a delicate blade honed on both ends to a fine point. As if bored, he twirled the blade between his fingers as he walked over to Juliette, his own cold, blue eyes fixed on hers, mocking. ”I have a…gut feeling that tonight will be a big night,” he said, the smirk still fixed on his features as he goaded his prisoner. ”I should hope that whatever is to come happens soon though, as my patience is…wearing thin.” He let the blade come up to rest against her pale neck, pressing hard enough to cause discomfort, but just short of nicking the skin. His response was a low, guttural, bloodcurdling snarl as Juliette glared death at him, and his smirk only widened. ”We don’t want me accidentally doing something stupid, now would we?” Indeed not. He, of all people, knew that the best bait was live bait, and he was planning on getting his money's worth out of this particular hostage.

[ToxicShadow]

A few hours, a day, two days, even three days... For an immortal creature such amount of time was nothing in the pool of eternity that they possessed. That being the case, why was it that Sadriel began to worry before the first day had even ended? It was unlike the vampire to worry. He never really had a worry in the world, not anymore. Not ever had he a worry since he had gained his barrings in his vampiric life. Juliette was a vampiress more than capable of taking care of herself, with the few exceptions such as that night some months ago, when she was at his mercy. He couldn't help but to think that and, in turn, began to question if she had run into trouble with another more experienced vampire. Those then developed into the scenarios with a vampire hunter that may have been around the block a time or two. As these thoughts came, however, he pushed them away as ridiculous notions. She was just going ahead and taking her time to herself in full. Still... he couldn't help the feeling that something was wrong. As the sun moved across the sky, it reaching past noon and then later, Sadriel could no longer wait. Three days was no time in the life of a vampire, but it was time enough that Juliette should have been back. It had been too long.

He ventured out of hiding with the sun still warming the sky. He'd aged long enough so that the rays did not burn him as it did in his younger years. He tracked Juliette's fading scent, extracting it from all the other scents that mingled with her trail in the three days that had passed. Before too long, her scent became closely entertwined with another, a human. Had he a beating heart, it would have began racing when he found that the notions of a hunter, the notions that he had pushed aside, were true. He found himself worried and infuriated. How could she go and get herself captured by a hunter?! But... she wasn't dead. That was both a gut feeling and something he had realized as he made his attempts to track the hunter down to exact revenge. The hunter had left her alive, which could only mean that he was setting up a trap that or he was torturing her for his own sick, twisted pleasure. Most likely it was both, to some degree. Sadriel would guarantee that the hunter wouldn't get away with it. He'd grown rather fond of the vampiress, the woman which he could never bring himself to extract from this earth. In the last three days that had gone by, he felt a strange emptiness without her close to his side, one he hadn't felt in years...

His tracking went through the rest of the day. As the sun had just began to set, he was closing in. It was when he finally heard Juliette's bloodcurdling snarl, though muffled from the hunter's underground hiding place, that Sadriel knew that hunter's head would be his, even if it meant risking his own life for hers. His mind was loosing itself, turning itself over to the animalistic nature that came with the hunt. He was a cold-blooded killer, and his victim wasn't getting away.

With no way into the basement aside from entering the ground floor of the building, Sadriel slipped silently inside through a window, rather than taking the entrance a more inexperienced vampire might have - through the door. Even through the window, a well-worn hunter may have already been aware of him. Still, it didn't matter. He moved with inhuman speed and stealth, finding the doorway which lead to the room where he had imprisoned the vampiress. Sadriel's eyes burned with a deadly fire, his lips draw back over his extended fangs. It took all that he had to night attack the hunter instantly. Surely, he must have been aware of the vampire's presence. But there was no time to wait, revenge couldn't wait. His female, regardless of what she was exactly to him now, was waiting. Three days without feeding, after she'd already been due for a hunt, would have been too long. He launched himself at the hunter as soon as his back was turned even in the slightest, going at two oddly critical points - his neck with his hands, and the back of his knees with a leg. He reminded himself, just before collision, to be careful.

[Flame]

Juliette was powerless to do anything to protect herself, a fact which only served to further infuriate her. Only a coward would continue to torture a powerless prisoner, and it seemed that this man was thoroughly enjoying his little game of tormenting his captive. He might be able to bend or even break her physically, but as always, her fiery spirit refused to be extinguished, no matter what the hunter did to her. As he spoke, she spat in his face, the only form of retaliation which she gave and the only one of which she was capable. She hadn’t spoken through the whole duration of her imprisonment, simply due to the fact that he wasn’t worth her breath: screaming at him would get her nowhere. If looks could kill, then the man would have been dead several times over by this point, judging by the venomous look which she gave him, intense enough for him to shift his gaze away uncomfortably for a moment. Unmoved by her open disdain, he simply wiped the spittle away, the smirk still in place as he regarded the vampiress calmly. ”Oh, don’t you worry, my dear. You’ll eventually pay for all this trouble, believe me.”

Suddenly, a movement behind him caught Juliette’s eye, and her gaze flicked up momentarily to light upon a figure she had never expected to see again. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she quickly looked back at her captor in the hopes that he hadn’t noticed her discreet gesture. Unfortunately though, he was sharper than she gave him credit for. Catching the subtle sign and hearing the almost inaudible whisper of cloth, he whirled just as Sadriel leapt, neatly sidestepping the attack in a fluid, practiced move while the blade he held remained pressed against Juliette’s neck. He didn’t have the vampire’s supernatural speed or senses, but he’d been around the block enough times to know exactly what signs to look for and he could match his quarry, nearly pace-for-pace. A wicked grin spread across his features at the sight of the older vampire. So, his plan had come to fruition after all. ”Well, well…nice of you to finally join us,” he said, laughing mirthlessly. He seemed supremely unconcerned by the fact that Sadriel was a much more powerful vampire than Juliette: after all, he currently had the upper hand, since the vampiress was at his mercy, and he was certain that the elder would not do anything to jeopardize her safety. ”Sadriel?” Juliette’s voice was hoarse from misuse, but the note of surprise and something akin to wonder was still there as her gaze drifted to his. At the sight, some of the raw, feral anger had seeped out of her dagger-like golden eyes, replaced by a softer, almost puzzled expression. He’d come searching for her? The fact that he was willing to put his own life on the line for hers seemed to perplex her: after all, she’d gotten the impression that he was the type to only care for his own well-being, and never those of others. Either way, she didn’t have much of a chance to dwell on it, as the barrage of information and sensations were too much for her anger and thirst-ravaged mind to take in all at once.

”Let’s behave ourselves civilly now, shall we?” The hunter said mildly as he addressed Sadriel, although his smugness was almost tangible. ”We wouldn’t want any…misunderstandings, would we?” For emphasis, he dug the silver blade a little deeper into Juliette’s throat, just enough to break the skin, eliciting a sharp hiss of pain from his captive as a bead of blood formed where the knife had cut. ”Normally, I’d say “finder’s keepers” and tell you to clear off, but for you, I’d be willing to make an exception.” His smirk never faltered as he eyed Sadriel, the vampire which he’d been seeking to put an end to for the past few years of his career. Now that he was so close to having him in his clutches, he wanted to savor the moment, drag out the vampire’s agony for as long as possible. ”Go, Sadriel,” Juliette suddenly cut in, her voice only a murmur, but there was an uncharacteristic urgency in her tone. ”Don’t listen to him, it’s a setup. He’s…” With a growl, the hunter once again increased his pressure on the blade, effectively silencing her once again. ”That’s quite enough from you. Now shut up,” he snarled, his eyes never leaving the male vampire, not wanting the female to ruin his plan when he was this close to succeeding. ”So, what’ll it be?”

[ToxicShadow]

Being that the element of surprise had been snatched away from him, the task of disposing of the hunter and freeing Juliette from her bonds was going to be that much more difficult a task for even Sadriel to handle. It was aggravating, to say the least, though he did not blame the captured vampiress for this small setback.

Sadriel composed himself instantly after his failed attack, putting enough distance between himself and the hunter so that the mortal couldn't easily launch an attack against him. His body was in a slightly defensive pose, his legs bent and he fully ready to strike if the hunter let his gaurd down or dared to press him into doing so. Save for his eyes lit in nothing short of pure malice, the elder vampire's expression was in a carefully controlled mask. His eyes shifted to Juliette only breifly, acknowledging her and, through such a look, it somehow could be seen deep in those eyes that he was going to do anything to get her to safety. He wasn't leaving without her. It wasn't an option.

The cracking of her normally beautiful voice was nearly unbearable when she'd uttered his name. Knowing it was the hunter that had done everything to harm her, it took all of his will power not to do anything "stupid." The hunter only succeeded in pushing him farther and farther to the edge in every instance he acted out to harm Juliette further. Blade first pressed into her neck to make his point, for example, caused an audible growl to rumble from Sadriel's throat. He took in the words given with spite. He was biding his time, simply waiting for the one moment where the hunter would make the tiniest yet still critical mistake. There would be an opening, so long as he waited for it. He didn't even look toward Juliette as he protested against his being here - he had to focus on the enemy alone. Besides, he wouldn't run away, no matter what she said. Everything from then on just went without getting a rise out of him.

When it was his turn to talk, his smooth speech had a hidden edge, "I'm sure we're all reasonable creatures here," he hedged. "Though I'm not concerned in making any deals with you, not until you remove that blade from the lady's neck. If your business is with me, then how about we leave it with me, shall we? She can't harm anything where she is now." He paused for just a moment, before going on, "I'm sure you've been after me for awhile if you had to steep so low as to take a hostage, am I correct? Why don't you tell me exactly what you want to do with me? Do you seek my hide in exchange for hers?"

[I figured that I'd just let you control are lovely little NPC hunter. x3]

[Flame]

The slayer seemed thoroughly satisfied by the effect he was creating. With two outraged vampires at hand, yet both clearly unable to do anything to harm him, as of now, they were at a deadlock, where he evidently had the upper hand. Mentally, he patted himself on the back for this achievement of his: it wasn’t every day that a hunter managed to bag two of the scum in one go, and his years of work and patience had finally paid off. The look of pure, unrestrained loathing in the male vampire’s eyes was absolutely delicious, and he knew that Sadriel would stop at nothing to get his prize back. All the better for him: a desperate vampire was one more likely to make a fatal error in his actions. Plus, just the fact that he was worked up was an added bonus for him. Soon, both of these undead, bloodsucking fiends would be well and truly dead, if he got his way. Right now, he was most concerned about getting rid of the ancient: the female should be relatively easy to track down once again and kill, in comparison.

”A sharp one, aren’t we?” He mocked at Sadriel’s reply. Indeed, he was looking for a trade of lives, his for hers. For now, Juliette remained his playing card, a pawn that could be disposed of at his will, should he find the need to. His main target was the male. ”Yes, I seek your freedom for hers. Give yourself up, and she walks free.” He jerked his head briefly in her direction. ”As for removing the blade…” he seemed to ponder it for a moment, his gaze never leaving Sadriel. If he did, there was a chance that the elder would attack the instant that his female was no longer in immediate danger. ”You are in no position to negotiate right now,” he pointed out. Juliette’s life hung in the balance, and one wrong move on the ancient’s part could end with devastating results, at least for him. ”For courtesy’s sake though, I will.” Removing the silver knife from her throat, he held it almost carelessly at his side, but in reality, he was ready to wield it should the tables turn on him. Juliette drew in a small, shuddering breath: at least she could breathe without fear of having the blade pierce her throat. She might not necessarily need to breathe, as a vampire, but still, it was a little disconcerting when she had to hold her breath for fear of cutting herself. There was enough space between the hunter and the male vampire that he had time to bring the blade up to either counterattack, or turn it on the female once again. It was a subtle sign, but one that clearly stated he was in charge here. ”So, will you adhere to my terms, or will things have to get…messy?”

[ToxicShadow]

With some unseen forcing of himself, Sadriel allowed the mocking tone and words of the hunter to roll right off of him without showing any effect. The man was soon going to be dead anyway, so there was no need to waste any more emotions on him. The elder vampire had fallen into a business sort of mode, though these stakes were more serious than a meal or a territory, like he might have engaged another vampire over.

"How kind of you," Sadriel shot back after the hunter removed his blade from Juliette's neck. His words lacked a mocking tone, but the fact that he seemed to hold false admiration for the hunter was mocking enough while still playing it polite. But, now, now there was a small space cushion. He wouldn't be able to slash into the vampiress' neck instantly if Sadriel made a move. He'd be able to get back to her before impact, yes, but she was safer now, even in the slightest degree. It was a start. The Sadriel was just going to have to keep talking his way through this.

"That depends entirely terms of 'messy' which you speak. Do not get me wrong, please, though isn't it usually the prey that cowers in it's predator's presence? You really ought to work a little at bettering your tactics, because neither of your victims are cowering yet. It's terribly, terribly sad that you'd have to draw me in this way. And you think we're the disgusting species of this world. Look at yourself. I'm standing right here, in the middle of your lair with all your weapons, and you haven't even come near me. Are you really that afraid, oh great hunter? What can I ever do to you until the lady is freed? I can't attack you, not while her life is at risk. You have me in a corner and are doing nothing about it. Such a disgusting and weak little worm you are. Absolutely pathetic!"

Well, no better tactic then hiding true intentions while attempting to anger your enemy and have them attack you first or, at least, move away from the one in real danger.

[Flame]

Quite the feisty, talkative type, wasn’t he? The hunter seemed almost amused by Sadriel’s attempts to goad him, but he refused to budge from his position. He knew that if he moved, he would instantly lose the upper hand in this situation. Some of the comments did sting though, and he growled mentally, wishing he could tear the vampire apart there and then, but he held his temper carefully in check, at least for the time being. There was no point in doing something rash that would put all of his carefully planned work at risk, and so for now, he tread carefully, aware of the fact that if he made the slightest error, it would be his neck on the line, and he was quite certain that it would not be spared.

”As much as I’d love to join you, I feel much more comfortable exactly where I stand right now,” he shot back, his voice dripping disdain. ”Now, let’s discuss this civilly, shall we? I hold the joker, so we’ll do this on my terms, or not at all. After all, I don’t have all night to wait around for something to happen. I promise, it’ll be quick and painless.” There was a sadistic gleam in his eyes as he spoke, his words double-edged blades, just like his weapon. Sadriel had brought up a good point though: he was going to get nothing achieved if he simply stood here and tried to outlast the vampire. He wanted the negotiations done and over with, so he could go home and get a good night’s sleep for once without the thoughts of vampires constantly ringing through his head.

For now, Juliette was simply a third wheel, a liability in this dangerous power-play. She hated this feeling of being rendered completely and totally helpless, at the mercy of some man with a sickly twisted mind. She could only watch on as the two men traded dagger-like words, each trying to get under the other’s skin, although neither seemed to be gaining any headway so far. The hunter did have the upper hand, at least for the time being: with a split second decision, he could end her life, and it seemed that that, in turn, held sway over Sadriel’s actions. Now, there was a hint of worry in her golden gaze as she looked past the slayer at his quarry, surprised to find that her concern was for his safety. Was she actually agitated by the possibility of Sadriel getting hurt, or worse? Not so long ago, she’d wanted nothing more than for him to be dead, but now, having been given an ultimatum, she found that it was the last thing she wanted out of this situation. Not for her own safety, no, as her own worth was insignificant, but simply because it was…wrong. She wished that there was something she could say to dissuade the elder, but something told her that he would ignore her warning. He would either leave with her, or not at all.