"She's been stilled? Are you sure?"

Those were the first words Curly heard as she was summoned into the sitting room of the living. Well, the partial-living: they were vampires, after all.

"I'm afraid so," Stafford replied, taking his ease in one of the high-backed chairs that surrounded the coffee table. "It happened on the outskirts of the city, apparently." He shrugged. "You know how she liked to forage."

"First Lustra, now Beliss?" Alexi said as he poured himself some tea. He wore a fluffy bathrobe the color of lilacs that left his pale chest partially exposed, and though it looked like he had only recently finished bathing, his hair was already perfectly oiled. He also hardly seemed to notice that he had called her, the source above his head just as forgotten as she was. "Our cadre is shrinking at an alarming rate. Soon it may only be the two of us."

The large, suited vampire rose fluidly from his chair, taking the cup from Alexi and placing it on the table before gathering the slighter vampire in his arms. "It will always be just the two of us," Stafford answered, huskily.

"As much as spending the centuries together never ceases to invigorate my blood," Alexi said, looking up at his larger companion, "friends are rather a necessity. Impressing only you is hardly sufficient."

"We could return to the Hallowed Halls," Stafford offered. "I do miss our four-poster."

"Before Felstrife is finished with her machinations? She'll hunt us for the rest of our days if we abandon her now."

"We'll just have to make some more kin then, won't we?" Stafford said, smiling wide to reveal his sharp fangs.

"I'm not going to babysit just anyone, you know that."

"Of course not," the large vampire said, pulling Alexi closer and trailing fingers over the nape of his neck. "But it could be fun to have some young ones around again."

"Hmm," Alexi said, sounding unconvinced. "Let's not create more work for ourselves just yet, darling. At least not until we've seen Beliss sent off properly, assuming the one who stilled her hasn't gotten themselves killed like Lustra's did." He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. "War is such a bother."

"I may have a lead on that," Stafford said.

Alexi's eyes popped open. "Really? Who?"

"No one you know," Stafford said. Curly thought the large vampire had an air of pleased mischief about him as he kissed the other's forehead.

Alexi squeezed his suited arm possessively and then watched his broad back depart with a fond gaze.

She had once looked that way at Basil, the young man she had seen, hadn't she? She loved him, and remembered his actions toward her, but the rest… She couldn't quite recall. It was like reaching into a drawer, expecting to find something important and yet nothing at all was there. It was thoroughly frustrating, that's what it was.

"What are you doing here?"

Curly blinked her distracted thoughts away, seeing now that the slim vampire was finally regarding her. He was frozen in place, in fact, his tea cup held partially to his lips.

"You summoned me," she replied tentatively. She had been chatting with Gholamus when it happened, a surly deep sea troglodyte, with whom she was gradually making headway.

"Ah, yes," Alexi said, snapping the fingers of his free hand. "Before I was bombarded with awful news. Come here," he commanded, motioning her over, and like always now, her body responded before she even had a chance to think about it.

Curly didn't let that pique her as it once would have. Instead, she found that having her body move of its own accord gave her more time to think and plan. Alexi summoned her only so often, so she needed to learn and do as much as she could each time. The doors to the balcony were closed, stopping her from seeing what was transpiring in the city, and so too were the doors to the outer hallway, Stafford having closed them behind him. She had been in this living space multiple times, but the only new item she noticed was a stack of papers on the corner desk that she wasn't nearly close enough to read.

"Well then," Alexi said, after a long sip, "how goes your caretaking? He was nearly presentable the other night at dinner, but that was barely for an hour and with you chaperoning the entire time. That simply won't do if I'm to display him properly at the impending jubilee."

The vampire was speaking of Vyrstrad, the elder kobold who it was her job to keep in good spirits. The great lizard was a kind soul – unlike Gholamus – but bereft of purpose in his current state. From what she had learned of him, he had been an important leader among his people, winning many wars. He became enlivened when she spoke to him in Battle tongue, the two of them growling back and forth while others in the Mind Home watched in bemused fascination. However, such talk was no replacement for true battle, and as far as Curly could tell, Alexi had no plans to ever engage in anything of the sort, just as Hekat the fairy had claimed.

The vampire wouldn't want to hear that, though, so she said what she could. "He is not so withdrawn as before, like you have seen. And he is heartened greatly by the thought of being rejoined with his mate."

Alexi's face soured, like the tea he'd been sipping contained a bitter streak.

"You've received poor news?" She asked, her gut tightening. Perhaps it was because she was longing to save Basil, but she deeply wished for Vyrstraad to be reunited with the one he cared for, whom he called his hearthflame.

"Indeed," the vampire said. "What chance is there that he will improve without scaled companionship? Surely you're nearly as good."

Curly rocked back on her heels. It was one thing for this foppish creature to treat them all like a menagerie to parade about, but quite another to act like their affections could be so changeable. Before she thought better of it, she said, "Would another be just as good as Stafford?"

Alexi's eyes widened, letting her see his blood red irises clearer. He might be slight of build, but those were the eyes of a hunter if she ever saw them.

"So," he said, with a coy smile she hadn't been expecting, "you do have some Fire in you after all." He plopped down in a chair, surprising her further by pouring another cup of tea and pushing it toward her. "Have a sip if you like."

This was one of the few times he hadn't given her a direct command, and she wasn't entirely sure what to do with it. After a moment's consideration, she went ahead and pulled out her own chair, sitting demurely. She peered at the tea, noticing that it was a maroon color. Is there blood in it? She hadn't eaten or drunk anything since she had died. Am I even able to? Curious more than anything, Curly picked up the cup stem in two fingers and brought the liquid to her lips. It was warm, was the first thing she noticed, and floral, with a touch of…

"Is that licorice?" she asked.

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Alexi's eyes crinkled as he smiled. "Quite so." Then he sighed, looking up at the tin ceiling tiles."With Beliss gone, I won't have anyone to discuss tea with anymore. What was she thinking going off on her own like that?"

Curly stared at the strange creature while she took another sip. She wasn't thirsty or hungry – she doubted she'd ever be those things anymore – but the taste was pleasant, and more than that, the sensation of heat running down her throat made her feel alive. Was it the same for Alexi in his undead body? What was someone of his disposition even doing in a place like this? There were so many things that she wanted to ask, but she also knew this indulgence of his likely wouldn't last long, so she went straight to the heart of it.

"What is the trouble with getting Vyrstrad's mate?"

"It seems there are some humans outside the walls who have the deplorable habit of shooting down the messenger birds we've taken from the Palace," he waved in the vague direction of the windows, and suddenly the extra sheets of paper on the desk made sense to her. "They probably think we're sending for help. As if we required it," he scoffed.

And just like that, Curly remembered that this tea-sipping vampire was the enemy. His partner had killed her, after all. As for the group Alexi was describing, perhaps some of the army captains had banded together, or…something tickled at her memory…yes, a force returning from the east. They should be here by now, shouldn't they? Would they try to retake the city? And if they did, what would happen to her or to Basil?

Alexi didn't probe her about any of that, even though he easily could have. His attention was fully directed toward the inside of his cup, which she saw was empty. Perhaps he really was grieving the loss of his fellow vampire.

"To answer your question from before," Curly began, "I will not be enough for Vrystrad. For him to behave as you wish, at the very least he needs more kobolds for whom he can feel a sense of responsibility."

"You've seen my Mind Home," Alexi said lazily without looking up, "I don't have the room for that."

"It wouldn't need to be permanent," she countered. "If Stafford retrieved my deck as well as my Soul card," – she felt herself flush as she tried to discuss her death casually like this – "you should have more than enough. Swap some in for a time and we can see what sort of difference it makes on him."

Alexi finally lifted his eyes to hers again. "Stafford mentioned it, yes, but he also said you had Uncommons and even some Commons." He shuddered, as if she was suggesting that he wear some soiled garment out in public. She took more than a little offense at that, but at the same time it was a relief to hear her Souls were safe, even if they were in the possession of her murderer.

"Then it seems the mate is your only choice," she replied, doing her best not to snap at him. He had found her candor intriguing before but she didn't trust that he would again, and at any moment he could choose to unsummon her.

"I was afraid you'd say that," he answered, sounding despondent.

"If birds are not working, couldn't you send another with the message?" She thought of Hekat and her gossamer wings. "Surely someone like Hekat could carry it successfully."

He snorted. "The last time I sent her anywhere, she was more than a month in returning."

"How…" Curly started but then the answer burbled up from the recesses of her mind: the higher level a Soul was, the longer it could be summoned and the more will it had to resist its summoner, should it so choose. Now that she was thinking of it, Curly remembered Alexi saying something about leveling her to better match his collection. That day couldn't come soon enough in her own estimation. "Let me ask her for you," she said aloud.

The vampire raised a brow but didn't argue, perhaps sensing an opportunity. A card appeared in his hand, which he flicked upward. It swirled into motes, reforming into a bright yellow-green sphere with dull brown spots. Curly had never seen a Source like it before, or at least she didn't think she ever had.

Alexi pulled a few cards, presumably looking for the fairy. Eventually, his Sources all dimmed from where they floated above his swooped hair, and another card in his hand vanished. There, sitting cross-legged upon the table itself, the willowy fairy appeared, her butterfly wings shivering like she had just awoken.

"Hekat," Curly said, hoping this gamble of hers would work. "We have a favor to ask you."

"We?" she questioned, her overlarge eyes growing larger. "And what might that be?"

"There is a letter to be taken to…" Curly paused. Where exactly was it going again? She wasn't familiar with the name Alexi had used before.

"To the leonid arenas to the north," the vampire supplied. "And, if it's you going, you might as well bring Titus back with you, to ensure there's no mistake. He has a pure white mane and a scar through one eye."

"Powerful?" she inquired.

"He is Epic, yes," Alexi answered with clear distaste, "and will surely mention that fact many times over. You know how leonids like to boast."

Hekat inclined her head as if she was well aware of such things, but Curly certainly wasn't. She didn't think she had ever seen a leonid before, not even in card form. But that was hardly important right now.

"Returning quickly is of the utmost importance," Curly said to the fairy. "Will you promise such a thing?"

"And who might it be important for?" Hekat asked, her rosebud lips quirking.

"For Vyrstrad," Curly answered. "The leonid has his mate."

"Hmm," the fairy said, "he's waited this long. Surely he can manage a bit longer."

"I will imagine whatever you like in the Mind Home," Alexi said. "All you have to do is ask."

"You were going to do that anyway," the fairy said to him with a wink.

Alexi gave Curly a put upon look. "Do you see what I mean? Bargaining with a Fae is always a trial."

"What if she is free to travel after she returns with the leonid?" Curly suggested. She was out of her depth and could feel herself sinking. This wasn't how she normally handled things. She had been… forceful, she thought, pushing things where they needed to be through strength of will. This mean bartering was unnatural to her, and yet, something about it reminded her of Basil, and chasing that memory was all that was keeping her afloat. She desperately hoped she was doing it right.

The fairy leaned forward, putting both elbows on the table and holding her head up in her palms in an impressive contortion. She didn't argue, which to Curly seemed a positive sign.

Alexi glanced between them. "If it was after the jubilee, I suppose…"

"Good enough," Hekat chirped, "and you," she said, pinning Curly with her glistening eyes, "are going to teach me how to speak Mate in kobold." She grinned fiendishly. "I want to be able to curl both of their clawed toes."

"Of course," Curly said, relieved she had something to offer the fairy. "I'd be happy to."

Hekats wings fluttered, becoming a blur behind her, as she zipped off to the corner desk. Apparently she had spotted the same thing Curly had. "Does this say what you need?" she asked, lifting up the top sheet.

"That's right," Alexi answered.

"You're departing already?"

"You said the matter was urgent, didn't you, Curly?" Hekat answered with another wink. Then, she was over by the glass balcony doors, pulling them open. "Miss me," she said, puckering a kiss their way and then she was gone.

Alexi gave a mirthless chuckle. "We'll either see her again in a few days or a full moon's turn, mark my words, little Rare."

Curly ignored the derogatory name, getting up and closing the doors to the balcony without being told. When they were latched, she looked back at the vampire. He appeared contemplative still instead of his usual boisterous self. "If she does return soon with the leonid, will you be satisfied with my service in this?" The reason she had been braving Gholamus' acid tongue was because he was Alexi's oldest card and knew things about how the vampire worked.

Alexi gave her an amused look. "You want something too, do you?"

"Yes," Curly answered, drawing herself up, "I would ask a boon of you."

"Would you now…?" the vampire said, leaning back in the chair. "And what might that be?"

"There is someone here being treated as a prisoner. I would ask for his safety."

"Interesting," Alexi said, and he did look intrigued. He surprised her by standing and walking over, slowly circling her. "Only a Rare," he commented. "You can't remember that much. I take it this someone is important to you? Someone from your past?"

She didn't know why the question would bother her, but it did somewhat. "Yes," she admitted.

"And what is this mystery person's name?" Alexi said, spinning his hand lazily. "Or do you not recall?"

She felt a rush of relief that she did know that. "Basil," she said, feeling even better speaking it aloud. It was right on her lips. It was a name she was meant to say.

"Basil?" Alexi said, sounding disappointed. "Not exactly a name to swoon over, is it?"

Curly wanted to offer defense but wasn't sure where to begin. "He is just as I would want him," she landed on.

When she didn't offer anything else, Alexi languidly pooled back into a nearby settee. "Duly noted. I'll inform you if I end up finding your services satisfactory."

Curly could tell that tone; Alexi was about to dismiss her.

"Wait, please –"

She was interrupted by Stafford's return, the large vampire humming happily. "The Twins have smiled on us," he said by way of greeting, the double doors closing loudly behind him.

"I already know that every time I wake up beside you," Alexi replied with only a touch of sarcasm.

"Adorable," the suited vampire said, strolling across the room. "They have a hunch as to who ended Beliss, a strong one at that."

Alexi shot upright. "They do? Then the jubilee can proceed."

"Indeed," Stafford replied, smiling wider, and Curly could tell it was because he sensed Alexi's excitement. "They want something in trade for the name though, which is why I've returned; the requested possession is yours, not mine."

Alexi groaned, throwing an arm over his face. "No more bargains. I've had my fill of them today."

"It's only a little thing they want, my love," Stafford replied, sounding undeterred.

"What?" Alexi asked, not bothering to remove his arm from where it dangled.

Stafford's attention snapped toward her, catching Curly off guard. She didn't flinch though, which she was grateful for. It was like the more she remembered of her once fierce will, the more of it she possessed.

He smiled at her, but it was not a warm thing. "They want your Whisperer."

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