Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 13:33:03 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gaelin <gaelin@rocketmail.com>
Subject: Submission: Tempests-Part 0
To: FKarchiver@fkfanfic.com

Title: Tempests
Author: Gaelin Wade

Permission granted for archival at the FKFANFIC site and at the  JADFE
site.

Gaelin Wade

I Can Be Found At: Gaelin@rocketmail.com or Gaelin_W@webtv.net.
My Fan Fiction Can Be Found At:
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/5788  
*********************

DISCLAIMER: The characters and situations of Forever Knight are the
property of the James D. Parriot, Barney Cohen, John Slan, Paragon
Entertainment, Telemuchen, TriStar Television, Columbia Pictures, Sony
Pictures, Upper Canada Entertainment Limited Partnership, USA
Television,and anyone else I may have forgotten. No Copyright
infringement is intended.

However, the characters and situations introduced in "TEMPESTS" are
mine, and may not be used without  my express written permission. 

NOTE: Rated NC-17 for explicit language, violence, and sexual content.  

NOTE: All words in {brackets} indicate lines quoted verbatim from an
actual Forever Knight episode. Therefore the credit for them belongs
to the FK writers, not me.

Return-Path: <gaelin@rocketmail.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 13:24:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gaelin <gaelin@rocketmail.com>
Subject: Submission: Tempests-Part 1-3
To: FKarchiver@fkfanfic.com


Chapter One

Through the window of the control room at CERK, LaCroix looked out
onto the night. The moon was full and high, yet every few minutes dark
clouds would drift across the sky, obscuring its brilliant glow. With
his augmented vision and hearing, he could see in the distance
intermittent flashes of lightning and hear irregular claps of thunder.
It was on such nights that he had seen cities burn, wars begin,
empires fall and governments topple. A storm was approaching.


LaCroix swiveled in his chair, lovingly grasped the microphone in his
hand and pushed a button on the console. "Good evening, Gentle
Listeners," he crooned in a gentle, husky rasp. 


 "This is your friend the Night-" His words were severed by the sharp
intake of his breath. The link, he had thought and had hoped
long-forgotten, suddenly re-established itself. 

"Aurina," he breathed.

**********

The hard, throbbing beat of the song faded to a soft rhythmic pulse as
the door opened and the woman stepped into the Raven. The place was
packed, but immediately every head turned in her direction as she
slowly walked down the stairs onto the main floor. The sea of bodies
parted, as she seemed to glide across the room over to the bar. 

She wore a gown of crimson velvet that fit her body like a second
skin. Her hair, a red-gold flame, was slicked back, smoothly held by a
gold clip at the nape of her neck, allowing its length to cascade in
gorgeous curling waves down her back to brush her hips. Her face was
exquisite, impossibly perfect; each feature a flawless complement to
the others. 

Her skin, the creamy white particular to red-heads, was made smoother 
and seemingly translucent by her nature. But it was her eyes that
truly captivated. Oval and slightly slanted, they were a light, almost
transparent green- the kind of eyes associated with black cats; eyes
that would shine in the darkness. They would not have to change very
much to reach the amber glow of vampiric passion. 

She is an ancient one, thought Janette as she observed the woman’s
approach from the bar. She watched as dancers, both mortal and
immortal alike,  step back out of her path. They sensed, just as she, 
the raw power emanating from the new arrival. Janette could smell
their fear and their desire. She knew of only one other who could
simultaneously inspire such terror and lust.

By the time the woman reached the bar, a glass of warmed blood awaited
her. She picked up the glass and took a sip. She smiled in approval
and nodded an acknowledgment to Janette. "Excellent vintage."

"We serve only the best." 

It was then that Janette first noticed the man standing behind the
woman. He was tall, easily 6'4", and broad; his coloring, swarthy. An
Arab, or perhaps a Moor, Janette mused. No matter his origin, he moved
like a shadow, for even with her heightened senses, Janette had not
seen him until that moment. He too must have been a very old one.

"Good Evening. My name is Janette," she introduced herself to the
woman. "This is my club."

"Yes. I know," the woman answered. Her voice was soft, yet strong. Its
cultured tone, smooth and unaccented, was melodic, almost hypnotic.

Janette inclined her head towards the woman's companion. "Would he
like anything?" She had no doubt that it was the woman who was in
charge.

The woman just smiled. "No. He is fine."

Janette shivered slightly as the woman continued to look at her. Her
gaze was direct, unwavering and intense, causing Janette to feel
exposed, as if the woman could see into her soul and examine her
secrets. That, too, was something only one other could do. Yet there
was no hostility in her gaze. In fact, in its own way it was open and
inviting.

Janette knew she should have been afraid, but somehow she was not.
"Have we met before?" she asked the woman.

"No. We have not."

"Have you been to the Raven before?" Janette already knew the answer
to this question, but felt compelled by decorum to ask.

"No. I am relatively new to the city and this is my first time here."

"Then how is it you know my name?" she asked curiously.

"We have friends in common." The woman's smile remained mysterious.
"It is through them that I learned of you and your establishment."

"Oh, really. Who might they be?"

When the woman did not answer immediately, Janette knew that she would
not.

A moment later Nick came bounding through the door. He worked his way
through the dancing throng, returning an occasional invitation with a
smile. He reached the bar and greeted Janette with a kiss on each cheek.

Janette's attention remained firmly fixed on something else, so Nick
turned and faced the most beautiful pair of eyes he had ever seen. He
also discovered the source of the sensation he had felt even before
entering the club. It was almost like an electric current, a static in
the air that created the most profound feeling of anticipation.

Now, near to its source, Nick felt like a moth must feel as it gets
closer to the flame. He hungered for her, with a desire stronger than
anything he had ever experienced during the entire 800 years of his
existence. He was rendered powerless. He was being lured in, but he
could not and did not want to resist. His eyes began to glow amber.

The woman smiled knowingly,  and Nick felt pulled in even deeper,
when,  all of a sudden, the connection was broken. He was free. Nick
shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts, and then glanced over
at Janette. She too had felt that pull;  her dazed eyes changed from
amber back to their normal violet. 

The woman's eyes had never changed. Throughout the entire event, they
had remained the same rare green. This told Nick that she had been in
control the entire time.

Finding his voice for the first time, he introduced himself, "I'm Nick
Kni-"

The woman cut him off. "Yes. You are Nicolas de Brabant." She told him
using the medieval French of his childhood flawlessly. "You call
yourself Nick Knight...a police detective." 

She held out her hand to him, and he smiled as he took it into his
own. It was soft, delicate and warm; she must have fed recently, he
thought.  He touched his lips lightly to the back of her knuckles and
responded,  "Yes. de Brabant is my birth name." 

He was still drawn to her, but the attraction was more of the
fascination a man holds for a very beautiful woman than it was of the
overpowering longing he had felt a moment ago. "How did you know?" he
asked releasing her hand.  

"There is very little that I do not know about you two," she replied
cryptically as she stepped down from the stool upon which she sat. "I
must be going now. It has been a pleasure finally meeting you. Good
evening."

"Wait," Nick called out. "You haven't told us your name."

She paused and glanced back over her shoulder, a seductive smile
curving  her lips. "Aurina."

Janette and Nick watched as the dancers on the floor again cleared a
path as she made her exit, followed by her silent companion.

**********

At the bar was where Janette and Nick still sat when LaCroix opened
the door and strode in. They looked up when they felt his presence. 

LaCroix walked across the floor unimpeded as the crowd stepped back
out of his way; all wanting to steer clear of the anger radiating from
every pore of his body.

"Where is she?" he demanded when he reached the bar. He knew she had
been there. She had let the weak connection remain only long enough
for him to track her to the Raven. But just as suddenly as it had
come, it was gone. She had severed the link; once again denying him
the power, the right, of knowing where she was.  He would not allow
that.

Janette and Nick were taken aback. It was rare for LaCroix to be so
visibly agitated. Usually he was very cool and calm when angry. "Who
are you talking about, LaCroix?" Nick asked.

"Do not give me that!" he growled, his voice shaking with his rage. "I
feel her all over you." She was playing games with him and he would
not tolerate it. She had been there. He could feel her in every corner
of the room, in every person.  She had been there and had wanted him
to know it.

She had come to his children and left her residue on them. She had
touched their minds and their souls. His possessions. She had dared
leave her mark upon his possessions. She was taunting him. "Aurina."
The name was a hissed curse upon his lips.

Janette and Nick exchanged a look. "She is gone." Nick told him simply.

"I know she gone." He spoke as if talking to a simpleton. "Where did
she go?"

"She did not say," Janette answered with a tremor in her voice. She
did not like to face an enraged LaCroix, even if that rage was
directed at someone else and not her. "She left here less than ten
minutes ago. And did not say from where she had come nor where she was
going."

"Yes. She was traveling with a companion-" Nick added before LaCroix
cut him off.

"A companion? Describe him!" he ordered, eyes narrowed to mere slits.

Nick shrugged. "He was very tall. Broad. Dark eyes. Dark hair."

"Yes. He-he had the look of an Arab," Janette mumbled. "He did not say
anything at all. But he moved silently. Like a phantom. I did not even
sense him until he was but a few feet away."

"Of course. Nasir." LaCroix nodded, his suspicions confirmed. "He
would never leave her side. He would rather be destroyed." Perhaps if
he could not link with Aurina, he could track her by linking with
Nasir. It had failed before, but she was so close now. He doubted that
she could shield both herself and Nasir from him; especially after it
was she who had re-opened the link, invading his territory and leaving
her mark. Pleased that he now had a plan, LaCroix's anger abated and
he even smiled. 

Janette looked at Nick, and he shrugged. He did not know what was
going on. He had never understood the inner workings of LaCroix's mind
and doubted that he ever would, but he was definitely intrigued. In
all the time that he had known LaCroix nothing had ever gotten him
this upset, not even Nick's own attempts to regain his mortality. 

LaCroix turned to go. Now that he had decided upon a course of action
to follow, he felt his spirits rise. He should get back to the radio
station, before the tape ran out. "Good evening, Nicholas, Janette,"
he said to them, his voice noticeably lighter.

Nick could not let LaCroix go without finding out. "Who is this
Aurina?" 

LaCroix stopped and turned around. Despite the smile upon his lips,
there was a malevolent light in his silver-blue eyes. "She-is my
consort."



Chapter Two

"I have the final report back on that gunshot victim found in the park
last week," announced Dr. Natalie Lambert as she strode across the
squad room to the desks of Nick Knight and his partner, Don Schanke.
"Just like I told you...Self-inflicted...It was definitely a suicide."

Don looked up from the papers in front of him. "Thanks, Nat." He
accepted the folder from Natalie. "I thought it was your night off?"


"It is, but I needed to come into the office for a few hours and see
if I could get jump on that mound of papers sitting on the edge of my
desk." Natalie glanced over at Nick who had not acknowledged her
arrival and was staring off into space. "Speaking of nights off..."
She lifted a shoulder in Nick's direction.  "What's with him?"

"You know him. Nick Knight, Police Detective, rain nor sleet nor night
off will keep him from doing his duty."

Natalie had to suppress a giggle. "No, I mean, <i>what's</i> with him?"

Schanke looked over at Nick and shrugged. "Who knows? He's been acting
like that for a couple of days now. Staring off into space. Losing
track of conversations..." He grinned. "If I didn't know any better,
I'd say he was in love."

Natalie's eyes clouded and a frown appeared on her face, only to be
quickly replaced by a smile. "Nick?" she called out. "Hey, Nick?"

She had to call him twice more before she got a response. His eyes
focused on her and he smiled sheepishly. "Oh. Sorry, Nat."

"No problem," she told him. "I just wanted to let you know that I
brought over the report on that suicide from last week."

"Yeah. Thanks," he replied, taking the folder from Schanke.


"You were a million miles away?" she remarked.

"Umm-hmm," he mumbled, continuing to read the file.

She forced a grin. "Schank seems to think you're in love."

Nick looked up at her and then rolled his eyes at Schanke. "He would."

"So?" she probed further. 

"So?" He had no idea what she was talking about.

"Does she have a name?"

"I've been trying to get a name for two days now," added Schanke.
"He's tighter than a drum."

Nick sighed. "I am NOT in love," he said with a meaningful glance at
Schanke.

Natalie released a silent breath.

"Intrigued is more how I would describe it," Nick continued with a
lazy smile on his lips and distant look in his eyes.  That was the
truth. He was very much intrigued by the woman Aurina, not only
because she was the most beautiful woman he had every seen, mortal or
immortal, but because she seemed to have the ability to drive LaCroix
crazy. And, from the little that he had been able to pick up, she was
not afraid of him. Anyone who could do that was someone he definitely
wanted to know.

Natalie's smiled dimmed just a little. "So what's the name of this
mystery woman?"

Nick re-focused on her and his face shut down, indicating that the
subject was closed. Natalie glanced quickly over at Schanke and then
gave Nick an almost imperceptible nod.

Natalie let the subject drop.  "Well, I'd better be going. I have a
couple more things to finish before I leave tonight," she said
straightening from her perch on the corner of Nick's desk. "And I have
to be out by 7:30."

"Oh, why's that? Hot date?" asked Schanke, a half leer on his lips.

"No," she replied, slightly exasperated. "I'm going to a lecture."

"A lecture? What about?"

"It's a social history lecture. About the changing roles of women
throughout the centuries."

"History? I think I'd rather watch paint dry." Schanke smirked. "And
who's giving this lecture anyway? Some man-hating feminist, I bet."

"No. Aurina isn't like that at all. " Natalie smiled as her cheeks
were suffused by red. "Man-hating is the last thing I would call her.
She is very, um, appreciative of the, um, male."

Nick who had only been half listening to their conversation was
suddenly alert. "Aurina?" His tone was casual.

Natalie turned back to face Nick. "Yeah. Dr. Aurina Long. She is
visiting from a university, in the U.S., I think. Do you know her?"

"Uh, no,  not really. I've just heard the name before. You say she is
giving a lecture at the University?"

"Yeah. It's a one time only series. She'll only be in Toronto for the
semester." Natalie cocked her head in thought.  

"What is she like?" Nick asked.

"She's very engaging." Natalie grinned. "She's full of stories that
they never taught you in school. It's almost like she lived in the
times she talks about."

**********

Out of habit, Aurina unconsciously let her senses glide through the
room. One by one, she picked up the human heartbeats. If she listened
carefully enough, she could hear the delicious rush of that
life-sustaining fluid through their mortal veins. 

Just outside of the lecture hall, she slowed her pace and then
stopped. Of the fifty two who were in the room, she detected at least
one beat that was unnaturally shallow and inconsistent, yet rhythmic
in a way only she or one of her kind would recognize.  An immortal was
present. 

Aurina half-turned and sent a worried glance over her shoulder to
Nasir, who stood in the shadows, never far away.  He awaited her
signal. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and concentrated, reaching
out again with her senses to gently skim every mind in the room. There
was only one, but she could not say who that one was. Was it friend or
foe? 

She just hoped that it was not LaCroix. It was still too early to face
him.  As such, she could not afford to send out her own consciousness
and link with whomever it was, identifying him and revealing herself.

She had shielded herself and lived on the periphery of the Vampire
community for far too long. She was out of practice recognizing an
individual by vibration alone. Still,  she did not think it was
LaCroix. She was certain that their connection was far too great for
her not to be able to sense him immediately. 

Reason told her to flee. Even if it was not LaCroix himself, as leader
of the Community he was sure to locate her through the unknown one.
But the rare thrill of the unexpected overruled her good sense and
pushed her forward. 

Taking a deep breath, Aurina placed her hand on the doorknob, and sent
a final glance back to Nasir.  "I know what I am doing," she assured
him.

Nasir's expression remained impassive.

"And I'll be careful. I promise." The corners of her mouth lifted.
"Aren't I always?" 

This last remark did earn Aurina a raised eyebrow from her silent
protector. Aurina grinned and pushed open the classroom door.




Chapter Three

>From his place in the top level of the three-tiered lecture hall, Nick
watched as Aurina entered the classroom and crossed over to the
podium. Gone was the fiery-headed temptress. In her place was a young,
bohemian-looking, but equally alluring intellectual.

The heavy mass of flaming curls was gathered back into a single, thick
French braid that trailed down her back. A pair of thin, wire-framed
glasses had been added, seemingly to downplay her exotic looks, but
served only to accentuate her striking bone structure.

She had traded the figure hugging gown for a pair of snugly fitting
black jeans and a short, high necked Fisherman's sweater of deep
forest green that highlighted the fire in her hair, the delicate
paleness of her skin, and the jade in her eyes.

"As I mentioned briefly last week," she began to speak as her eyes
casually scanned all of the faces in the room, "Although women were
considered inferior to men, often little more, than their property..."

Nick had no doubt that she was looking for him.  Even though he had
not felt her approach, he had no doubt that she was capable of easily
sensing his presence. As soon as he had entered the university's
grounds, he had tried to contact her, but had encountered an
impenetrable barrier. 

"...Many women could gain, and thus were capable of exerting. far more
power than we give them credit for today."  It did not take long for
her eyes to find him. Her smile brightened and she inclined her head
slightly in greeting.

"The most successful women, and therefore the most powerful ones, were
those who exercised their influence with a mixture of
diplomacy...charm....and subtlety." Her tone became conspiratorial as
she glanced from one woman to the next with amusement shinning in her
eyes. "You ladies know what I mean." This earned a round of laughter. 

"But let us not forget that ruthlessness was also a good trait to
have, and often a necessary one, along with knowing when and when not
to use it. You all remember Lucrezia Borgia. She is said to have been
a master at it." She grinned. "But other than *allegedly* poisoning a
few people here and there, Lucrezia was a very *nice*  girl..."

It was obvious that Aurina's  knowledge was vast and wide-ranging, and
she complemented it with a wry and sometimes ribald sense of humor.
Nick could easily imagine her taking part in the events about which
she spoke.

He had to admit that Natalie was right: Aurina was an engaging
speaker. She did not so much as lecture as she did talk to and with
her audience, welcoming and even encouraging interruptions for
questions and comments. Instead of remaining at the front of the room,
as most lecturers are apt to do, she walked between the aisles,
seeming to stop and speak directly with each and every person.

Nick glanced around. Even after almost ninety minutes, the entire
audience remained enthralled. He looked to his left at Natalie, who
appeared to be hanging onto every word. When the class reluctantly
agreed to take a fifteen minute break, Aurina was immediately
surrounded.

Natalie went up to join the others, but Nick hung back, despite his
eagerness to speak with Aurina.  It was neither the time nor the place
 to discuss what was on his mind,  so he contented himself with
standing and watching her. As he did, somewhere in the back of his
mind a distant memory of recognition flickered and died. He had seen
her before, a very long time ago, but he just couldn't recall where.

Her repeated glances in his direction told Nick that she was just as
curious about him as he was about her. But every time he tried to
engage her using his immortal abilities, he hit that barrier.

Halfway through the break a young man approached Aurina. If the
expression in his eyes were any indication, he was totally besotted,
as were all the men and some of the women on one level or another. The
young man handed her a can of Coke.

Nick straightened, pushing himself up from his leaning position
against the wall. Instead of declining the offer as Nick was sure she
would, Aurina graciously accepted the soft drink with a smile. She
opened the can and took a rather generous sip.

The idea that she could obviously consume liquid fascinated Nick all
the more. He wondered if she could consume food, as well. And, if she
could, just what other abilities did she possess.

The break ended,  and for another ninety minutes,  Aurina held her
audience's rapt attention. Once it was over, she was again surrounded.
Aurina patiently remained to talk with them for  more than a half hour.

"Isn't she wonderful?" Natalie asked as she returned to where Nick
stood holding her things.

"Yes. She's quite a speaker," Nick agreed easily, his eyes moving back
and forth between Natalie's face and Aurina's

Natalie glanced over her shoulder at Aurina. When she looked back at
Nick, she was smiling. "C'mon. Let me introduce you." She took him by
the arm. "Maybe you two can argue about what really happened."

They waited for the last of the students to leave before approaching
her.

Aurina welcomed their advance with a smile. "Dr. Lambert. It's so good
to see you again. I hope you enjoyed the lecture this evening."

"Natalie, please. And yes, I enjoyed it very much," she replied before
adding, "as always."

"I'm glad to hear that." Aurina turned her curious gaze to Nick.

"Please let me introduce you." Natalie motioned to Nick. "Dr.
Long...this is my friend Nick Knight...Nick this is Dr. Long."

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Knight." She held out a hand to him.


"No. Please call me Nick. And the pleasure is all mine." He gave her
hand a slight squeeze, holding it a moment longer than necessary
before releasing it. "It's very rare to find someone with as much
passion for her subject as you obviously have and as equally capable
of sharing that passion with others."

"Well, I do appreciate the compliment.And you must call me Aurina."
She glanced at Natalie. "Both of you...I insist."

"Thank you, " Nick and Natalie said simultaneously.

Aurina looked back at Nick. "I take it you, too, enjoyed the lecture,
Nick?"

"Yes. I did." His gaze held a note of amusement. "Your knowledge of
history  is commendable. I could almost believe you witnessed it all
firsthand."

Aurina's eyes sparkled. " I often feel that I have. You sound as if
you have an extensive background yourself. Have you studied much, Nick?"

"I've learned a few things in my time." 

"I'm sure you have." Nick and Aurina shared a long look before Natalie
broke in. "Dr. Long..." At Aurina's look of reproval she corrected
herself. "Aurina...Nick and I were going to go have a drink. Would you
care to join us?"

"Thank you, Natalie." She began to gather her things. "I'm afraid I
can't this evening." She sent Nick a look before she turned back to
Natalie. "But if I may have a raincheck, I would love to sometime soon."

"Yes,  of course."

Aurina picked up her lecture notes and materials and offered a hand to
Natalie before turning to Nick. "It's been a pleasure meeting you,
Nick."

"And you, Aurina." He took her hand into his. For the first time he
noted a slight tremor in it. He raise concerned eyes to hers and
noticed that a pallor had come over her and that her jade eyes had a
bit more yellow than usual. Though each was something only noticeable
to one of their kind, it was obvious that she was struggling to
control herself.

For a brief moment, he thought that she might need to feed, but her
hand remained warm, so there must be something else wrong. Natalie's
presence prevented him from asking her about it. It was not his place
to reveal her nature to anyone else.

She gave him a wan smile in answer to the question in his eyes as she
pulled her hand from his. "Good Evening...Natalie...Nick," Aurina bade
them farewell, and then left, joining her silent but ever present
companion waiting in the hall outside of the classroom.

Natalie turned back to Nick. "Didn't I tell you it would be worth
it...So what do you think?"

 Nick continued to look at the empty doorway. "Interesting," His voice
faded as his memory fought to recall where he had seen her before. He
smiled at Natalie's look of concern. Very interesting, he added
silently.

Return-Path: <gaelin@rocketmail.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 13:33:56 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gaelin <gaelin@rocketmail.com>
Subject: Submission: Tempests-Part 4-5
To: FKarchiver@fkfanfic.com


Chapter Four

At the sound of the buzzer, Nick exited his bedroom and walked out
onto the balcony overlooking the loft. He stared curiously at the door
when he could not detect any human life signs. He focused his
concentration. There it was: the distinctive beat of an immortal. 

A crease furrowed his brow when he realized he could not determine who
it was. The buzzer sounded again. With a breathless sigh, he descended
the stairs, walked across to the door, and opened it to Aurina. 

"Hello, Nick," she smiled up at him.

"This is a surprise," Nick managed to say after a moment.

 "May I come in?"

"Oh." Nick stepped back out of the doorway. "Of course. Please."

Closing the door behind her, he pressed his back against it. "For some
reason, I would have thought that you didn't need an invitation."

"I don't really," she told him over her shoulder. The heels of her
boots tapped lightly against the floor as she moved to stand in the
middle of the loft. "But courtesy is a lost art...among our kind as
well as humans." Placing her hands in her back pockets, she
scrutinized her surroundings.

Nick scrutinized her.  His eyes drifted along the hollows and curves
outlined by the tight black suede pants and shirt. He could feel her
pull buzzing around the edge of his senses, just close enough to make
him want more. 

As he had happened at her lecture, a distant memory of recognition
flickered somewhere in the back of Nick's mind and then died. He had
seen her before, a very long time ago, but he just could not recall
where.

Aurina's hair hung loose; a flaming cloak of soft red curls that
covered her back down to her hips. For a brief moment, Nick could
imagine its silken texture in his hands, and the sensation of what it
would feel like brushing across his naked skin vividly filled his mind
and traveled through his body.

"You have a great place here," Aurina's voice dragged him back to the
present. 

Just as suddenly as the vision had appeared it was gone. Nick squeezed
his eyes closed to clear his head. When he opened them, they collided
with feline ones that held a mischievous sparkle. 

"Thank you." 

"You're quite welcome."

Nick pushed himself away from the door and headed towards the kitchen.
"Do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Enter another's mind."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." Her tone held innocence, her
smile anything but..

"I'm sure you do." Nick grinned. "So, where is your shadow this
evening?"

"My shadow?" she asked, not understanding his question. 

"I believe LaCroix mentioned that his name is-Nasir?"

"Ah, yes, Nasir.  He has the evening off." She glanced back at him
with her own grin. "He does have his own life to lead, you know?"

"Hmm. I was beginning to think you two were attached at the hip."

"We have been through a lot together." An expression of fond
remembrance softened her features.  "And he has always been there when
I needed him most."

"You have to tell me about it sometime." He removed two glasses from
the cabinet and opened the refrigerator. "May I offer you....a
refreshment? It's probably not what you're used to, but it's all I
have to offer."

"Not all," she said, eyeing him the way a cat would a canary. She
smiled at him. "I'm sure whatever you have will be fine."

"The other night, during the break from lecture, you drank a soft
drink. How is that possible?"

"It's simply mind over matter."

"Can you eat food as well?"

"Yes. Although I wouldn't describe it as eating. I cannot taste it. 
It's more like chewing,  swallowing and storing for a later return. It
all comes back." 

"Then why do it?"

"It is one of the best ways to cast off suspicion. We all can do it. 
We only have to be shown how. However, most of us feel no need to."
Her voice dropped. "I-choose to-because I have lived away from our
Community and among Mortals for a very long time."  She lifted her
gaze back to his. "You should be able to eat solid food as well."

"I don't think so. The mere thought of putting food anywhere near my
mouth nauseates me."

"Something tells me that your Master has been a little neglectful in
his duty as a teacher." 

"Of that I have no doubt. LaCroix shares only what <i>he</I> feels is
essential."  Nick filled the two glasses and then crossed over to the
easel where she stood, studying his painting of the sun. He saw her
brush her fingertips reverently across its surface.

"You miss it, too." Nick made the statement from behind her.

"More than I ever imagined I could," she replied softly. 

Her eyes met his and for a brief moment he glimpsed a familiar longing
there.

She gave the painting one final look and then dropped her hand.
Turning her back to it, she faced Nick. Her smile was rueful. " I made
the choice. I knew that I would be walking away from a lot." She
accepted the wineglass from Nick and took a small sip of the cool
liquid.

He motioned to the sofa. "Did we truly know what we were choosing?
Know all of its ramifications?"

Aurina lowered herself to the couch, curling her legs underneath her
body. She shrugged. "I suppose not."

The two of them lost in their own private thoughts, lapsed into
silence. Aurina raised her eyes to study Nick's face. "Such a
beautiful child," she said softly in a sad whisper. As if in a daze,
she reached out to brush the tips of her fingers along his cheek. 

Nick, drawn by the sadness in her eyes, caught her fingers in between
his,  and turning her hand upwards, brought the inside of her lower
palm to his lips. Aurina's eyes lowered to her hand at his mouth. She
blinked twice, jerked her hand from his with an abruptness that
surprised them both and jumped up to walk over to the window.

She turned back to him after an awkward silence. "I'm sorry." 

"It's all right." Nick took a long swallow from his glass. "You
mentioned something about a child. Did you mean me? Is that when we
met?"
   
"Met?"

"I can't help but think that we've met before. Or, at the very least
I've seen you somewhere before."

Aurina shook her head. "Until a few nights ago, we had never met." She
grinned. "As for your childhood, I spent most of that century in
China." She lifted her shoulders in a delicate shrug and shook her
head dismissively. "I was just thinking aloud. After all only a
beautiful child could turn into such a handsome man." 

Nick acknowledged the compliment with the inclination of his head and
his own grin. Afterwards, he searched her eyes.

She saw his hesitation. "What? You have a question."

"I have no right to ask," he began. "I-I don't even know you."

"Ask whatever you like. I will try to answer as best I can." She
nodded in encouragement.

"Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice?"

"So the stories are true?" Aurina asked with only mild surprise.

Nick lifted his brows in amusement. "Which stories are those?"

"Those about your quest for mortality. Your desire to give," Her short
laugh was wry. "*all this* up."

"*All of this*?" Nick's voice filled with disgust.  "What is *all of
this*? Except an abomination? A curse to live an eternity of Hell on
Earth? A mockery of Life? I would be giving up nothing, but would have
everything to gain."   Suddenly the hostility left his eyes and voice,
and he glanced away sheepishly. "It's now my turn to apologize."

Aurina shook her head. "No need to apologize."

"It doesn't bother you?"  Nick looked over at her in surprise. "That I
no longer wish to be one of Us?"

"No." 

"You would be the first."

Aurina smiled. "I like to think I'm different from the others. One of
a kind," she joked.

A new admiration shown in Nick's eyes as he regarded her. "I'm already
sure of that."

"Yes, well-" Aurina cleared her throat.  "Why should it bother me? As
it was in the beginning, it is your choice. I've learned that we all
must decide for ourselves what is right for us. Even if others do not
agree, or-" Her voice softened. "-Or are hurt by what we decide. I
also know what it is like to be someone or something you're not or
don't want to be." She lifted her gaze back to his. "If in your heart
of hearts becoming mortal again is what you want-"

"It is," he declared, interrupting her. 

"Then who am I to condemn you for it. Our choices must be our own,
both the good and the bad. Just be sure, Nicholas, that this time you
know all of the ramifications of your choice. Know what you would be
giving up and be sure that you can live without it.  Because it is a
part of our nature-our human nature, which does still remain within
us-not to know what we truly have until we have walked away from it or
it from us." Aurina leaned back against the window pane. "As for your
original question...about choosing to be brought across-"


She cocked her head in thought, seeming to weigh the facts. After a
moment, her face softened into a sad smile and she lowered her head in
sorrow. "I left something very precious behind...far more precious
than I had recognized it to be...when I decided to live in Darkness."
She lifted her eyes back to Nick's.  "But I honestly believe that if
faced with the same set of circumstances, I would probably make the
same choice. Yes."

Nick considered her answer. "Was it a matter of Life or Death?" 

They both chuckled at his choice of words. 

"No. Nothing quite so..." She grinned as she searched for the right
word. "Imminent."

"For some reason, and unlike the majority of Us, I don't quite see you
as the type who is vain enough to make the Choice for purely
self-indulgent reasons."

"Sometimes we see only what we want to see,  and as you said," her
rebuke was gentle, "you don't really know me. Never judge a book by
it's cover, Nicholas," she said quietly. "I was a different person
then." 

Nick acknowledged her remark with at nod.

"But,"  The side of Aurina's mouth lifted. "I like to think that I
have learned a thing or two over the centuries, and,  as a result,
have mellowed a little. And besides, like I said earlier, we make the
decisions which seem the best at the time." 

"Why did you do it?"

She hesitated a moment before answering "Passion. Obsession." Her tone
was self-mocking. "Love. Call it what you will."

Nick nodded sympathetically. "You mean lust."

"Perhaps that was a part of it." She rose and turned back to the
window. "But generally, no," she corrected. "It went beyond that.
Nothing as noble as True Love, but something far more complicated than
simple physical desire." She was silent, lost in her own thoughts or
memories. "How about you? How did you end up as a Creature of the
Night?"

Nick's chuckle was derisive. "Let's say at the time I wasn't thinking
with my brain. I also wanted to live forever."  His smile faded. " I
didn't know that forever could last so long." He shifted his gaze back
to Aurina. "You never did say to what I owe the pleasure of your
company this evening." His grin returned. "That is, other than your
obvious desire to challenge LaCroix." Nick studied her thoughtfully.
"That could be very dangerous."

"Challenging LaCroix, as you call him, is not my goal," she replied
quietly.  "I would never be that foolish."

"Then just what is your *goal*?"

"To make him remember."

Had he been human, Nick would have had to lean forward to hear her. 

"Remember? Remember what?"

She continued to stare pensively out of the moonlit window. "What it
is like to feel."

"If anger, rage, is the feeling you wanted to inspire, I would say
that you have succeeded, very well, in fact.  I have never seen him
become so disturbed."

"Rage? It is a start."

There was silence between them for several moments. "He said that you
are his consort."

"Consort?" She laughed lightly. "As if he were the Emperor himself. I
guess you could say, I was that once...several lifetimes ago."

"How long have you known him?"

"A long time. A very long time. From before the beginning..."




Chapter Five

Herculaneum, August 22, 79 CE.

The sun glinted off of the heavy bronze helmet and the warm breeze
from the nearby sea stirred the distinctive crest of tall red feathers
that rose from its base, as the huge, thickly muscled, chestnut
stallion slowed to an even canter, his rider having sent the command
with only a light tug on the reins and a gentle nudge of his knees.
The gently sloping gravel path became a smooth ribbon of asphalt, and
the wildly verdant landscape turned into an ornate and carefully
arranged garden, when both horse and rider passed through the main
gate of the expansive estate set high in the foothills of Herculaneum.
Within a few minutes, the villa itself came into view. The deep red
tiles of its roof contrasted sharply with the gleaming white of its
limestone exterior. Its entrance was shaded from the sun by an
enormous decastyle portico supported by pillars of white marble.

A teenage boy dressed in a thin leather tunic ran out from the side of
the house to take the reins of the horse as it smoothly halted in
front of the massive oak double doors. The Roman General lithely
dismounted and threw the reins to the boy with nary a glance. The
horse was led away, as its master unbuckled the cheek pieces of his
helmet.  Running a quick hand through close-cropped, dark blond hair,
dampened by a thin sheen of perspiration, he pivoted on a heel and
started for the doorway. It was opened before he had even gotten close
enough to reach for one of the gilded leonine knockers.

The General arrogantly strode through the doorway. "Where is your
mistress?" he demanded, shoving the helmet into the hands of the
servant. The General's cobalt blue eyes impatiently roamed around the
room, glancing quickly, but not really looking at the elaborate,
meticulously done frescos and paintings that adorned the walls.

"General-My Lady wasn't expecting you," the major domo said quickly
and then hesitated. "My Lady is-is indisposed at the moment. She-she
is not receiving guests."

The military man turned and the servant took a step backwards, hugging
the metal helmet more tightly against his body, as if it would act as
a shield.

The soldier's naturally commanding bearing became even more imperious
as his cold blue gaze bored into the slave. "What do you mean she is
not receiving guests?" Although his voice has not risen above a
conversational level, its quiet tone seemed to echo off the marble
walls of the immense atrium.

There was a quiver in the shorter man's voice when he replied. "She
said that she was not to be disturbed." He paused to take a deep
breath. "By anyone."

The General's stare stabbed into the other man for a very long moment.
"I am not just anyone." He arched one brow in query, daring the man to
contradict him. "Am I?"

The servant's eyes darted away. "No-no,  of course not, General. But-"

"But-but-but nothing." His voice rose in impatience. "Where is your
mistress?"

The houseman opened his mouth to speak, then closed it immediately.
His eyes scurried about the room as he seemed to weigh his options.
Disobey the orders of his mistress or face the wrath of the man in
front of him. After another moment of hesitation, he made up his mind.
Forcing himself to lift his gaze, he swallowed. Instead of into the
soldier's eyes, he looked over his right shoulder. "She is bathing."

"Bathing," the General repeated. A gleam appeared in his eyes and a
smile curved his generous lips. He immediately turned and headed
towards the back of the house, his heavy leather, military sandals
making no sound against the black and white tile mosaic that covered
the floor.

"But, My Lord," the major domo called out, rushing after him.
"Perhaps, I should announce you first-"

The soldier didn't lessen his pace. "No need." He flicked a dismissive
hand over his shoulder.

The servant began to protest.

The General halted and turned so suddenly that the servant crashed
into him, and the helmet clanged against the metal cuirass that
covered his torso. He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I will announce
myself." The General's tone brooked no disobedience. He continued on
his path. "And I am familiar with the way."

**********

Nick watched her frown as it was reflected in the window's glass. He
wished he knew what she was thinking, remembering. "Is he the one who
brought you across? The one you loved?" He couldn't imagine her
choosing a man like LaCroix. 

When she didn't answer, Nick let the question go. He hoped humor would
bring back her smile. "You said you spent the century of my birth in
China. Just how old are you anyway?"

"Why, Nicolas *Chevalier*," Aurina chastised, looking at him over her
shoulder for the first time in a long while. "A lady *never* reveals
her age."

Again recognition sparked in his mind. This time it caught and flared.
He knew he had seen her once before. *"La Donna nella Luce di Luna,"
he blurted out.

She fully turned to face him. "I'm sorry?"

"The Lady in the Moonlight. I thought you looked familiar.  I was
right. I have seen you before, in the painting by Da Vinci. You're the
woman walking down the path. The way you glanced over your shoulder
just now reminded me of the way the woman in the painting looks back.
Was it you?"

"Oh, yes. I had forgotten about that." She laughed at the memory.
"Leonardo wouldn't leave me alone until I agreed to let him paint me.
He could be such an endearing boy when he wanted to be, despite that
notorious temper of his." She walked over to the piano and sat facing
Nick. "I wonder what ever happened to it. I've never seen it in any Da
Vinci exhibitions."

"I don't know. I do remember that it was among the very few paintings
that Leonardo absolutely refused to part with it." Nick shrugged.
"Now, it's probably lost in the private museum of some reclusive
collector, no doubt."

"No doubt." 

"How long has it been since you've seen LaCroix?"

"Since long before you were born."

"All that time and he's still angry with you? I know the man holds a
grudge but what on earth could you have done to him?"

She looked away. When her gaze returned to his, the side of her mouth
quirked up in a sad smile. "It's probably my fault that he has been so
relentless in his continued pursuit of you."

Nick's expression told her that he did not understand.

"I succeeded where you failed," she explained. "I left him."

Before he could ask for an explanation, she jumped up. "I must leave.
I've stayed far too long."

"What's wrong?" Nick asked  noticing her sudden pallor and the tremors
running through her body. He grabbed her by the arm, forcing her to
stop and turn around. Her eyes were beginning to glow. "The same thing
happened at the University. You don't need to feed. What is wrong?"

Nick saw Aurina glance away and shake her head once. He turned and
followed the direction of her gesture. Nick's eyes met Nasir's, as
Nasir floated on the outside of the skylight. The other man's face was
expressionless, but there was a note of hostility in his dark eyes as
he regarded the hand that held Aurina's upper arm. 

"I'm too close," Nick's attention was drawn back to Aurina. "I cannot
protect us all, when I am this close." She tried to pull away.

"What do you mean? Protect us all? Protect me? From what?" Suddenly it
hit him. "LaCroix. But I don't need protection from him."

"Not you! Me! It's not yet time to meet him."

"It's that barrier I meet every time I try to link with you isn't it?
It's to keep him from knowing where you are?"

"Yes. And every time I am with one of his `children,' especially you
or Janette, I must pull you into that barrier with me. Usually it's
only Nasir and myself, but even my powers are limited. The more people
I must protect, the shorter the time I am able to keep it up. That
*barrier* as you call it will eventually  weaken to the point of
collapse. And he will know where I am."

"But that first night, he knew you were at the Raven."

"Because I wanted him to know. There was no barrier that night." She
was growing frantic. "I really must go. I may already be too late."


"That is the reason you came here tonight...." Again his voice stopped
her before she could leave. "You wanted him to know that you were here
with me. Is that your only interest in me? Him?" He couldn't hide the
hurt in his voice.


With her hand on the door knob, she turned part way in his direction.
"No, Nicholas.  It is only a part of the interest, but, no, it is not
the greatest."

"Just what is it then?"


She pulled open the door, but before she stepped through she turned
with a cryptic smile and addressed him in French.  "You, Nicolas de
Brabant and I,   have more in common than you may imagine."

Return-Path: <gaelin@rocketmail.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 14:05:24 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gaelin <gaelin@rocketmail.com>
Subject: Submission: Tempests-Part 6-7
To: FKarchiver@fkfanfic.com


Chapter Six

A small, thoughtful smiled curved Nick's lips as he stood in front of
the loft window, sipping from the opaque green bottle held loosely in
his right hand. He couldn't quite understand what it was that drew him
to Aurina. There were so many things about her that were attractive.
Her beauty was obvious, as was her provocative allure.  She was
sensuality incarnate. But there was more to her attraction than merely
her physical attributes.  She also possessed a  great strength of
spirit, mind, and he was sure, will.  That strength both balanced and
complemented her visible charms. Yet she also had a vulnerability
which instead of detracting from her strength only served to reinforce
it. Still, there was something else that called out to him. 

"Bewitching...Isn't she?" LaCroix hissed into Nick's left ear.

Nick started at the sound and whirled so quickly that several large
crimson drops sloshed from the mouth of the bottle. Both he and
LaCroix looked down to regard the small red pool as it beaded on the
polished surface of the hardwood floor. 
 
A self-satisfied smirk tugged at the corners of LaCroix's mouth before
he lifted his eyes back to Nick. "Never let anything..." There was a
noticeable pause. "Or anyone," he continued, "occupy your thoughts to
the point of letting down your guard."

LaCroix looked towards Nick, but not at him.  "If you do, you'll end
up like animal that's been hunted down, wounded and left to die..."
Distant memories clouded his eyes as his true gaze was directed at
some inner vision.

**********

Herculaneum

She rose to stand in the shallow end of the pool like Venus emerging
from the sea. Water streamed down smooth skin the color of alabaster,
now tinged pink by the heat. Her red hair, the hallmark of her royal
lineage,  was a mass of wet, wildly curling tangles, the ends of which
continued to float lazily in the water. Jasmine scented steam wafted
up around her to mingle with the warm air. 

Standing in the waist-deep water at her side was a middle-aged woman,
with dark hair, sharp features, and dressed in a rough woolen tunic.
The older woman dropped the sponge from her left hand and began
lathering the heavy red tresses with a bar of scented soap. When
cleaned to her satisfaction, she motioned to the third woman standing
in the pool to fill the nearby brass bucket and rinse.

The two attendants left Aurina to swim one final lap. When she was
ready to exit, the older woman was there holding a thick cotton towel.
The younger of the two helped Aurina towel off while the older one
spread a linen sheet over the length of a padded table, set before one
of two large windows which provided a panoramic view of the city and
the bay below.

"Open the window, please, Thetis," Aurina asked as she stretched out
on the table.

"But the cold air, My Lady. You will become sick," protested the older
woman. 

"It is a beautiful day today and the air is warm. Besides, I want to
smell the sea." Aurina rolled onto her stomach and placed her head
across her folded arms.

Reluctantly Thetis agreed. She opened the glass a crack and walked
back to the table. She quickly and very efficiently brushed the
tangles from Aurina's hair, placing it hang over the edge of the table
to dry in the breeze coming through the window.

Thetis pulled the towel from around Aurina's body and then poured a
generous amount of jasmine oil into her hands, rubbing them together
to warm it. She was about to begin massaging it into Aurina's skin
when a movement from the alcove outside the bathing room proper caught
her attention.  With the nod of his head, Lucius indicated his
intention to replace her. Thetis glanced quickly down at Aurina, who
seemed to be sleeping. Lucius's mouth tightened, telling Thetis that
he did not want his presence announced. With a final glance at Aurina,
she acquiesced and backed away from the table.

Lucius silently made his way around the pool, over to the other side
of the immense room. Another twist of his head told Thetis to leave.
Sending an icy glare over her shoulder, Thetis stalked from the room
using the servant's exit at the back of the room.

Lucius poured some of the oil into his hands and began rubbing it into
Aurina's skin. He gently kneaded the muscles at her neck, shoulders
and arms, then her upper back, down across her waist and hips. He
lingered at her buttocks, strayed at the inner thigh. Next, he
continued downward over her calves and lower to massage first one
instep and then the other. Replenishing the oil in hands, he retraced
the path upwards back to her shoulders.

"Ready to do the other side, General?" 

Lucius's movements halted and he raised his eyes to her face. A smiled
curved her lips, but her eyes remained closed. "How did you know?"

"How could I not?" She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
"Thetis has been attending me ever since I can remember. I know her
touch as well as I know my own. As well as I know yours." Her smile
widened. "Besides, Thetis may be many things, but a stable boy she is
not. You, General,  still smell like your horse." 

He laughed. "Yes. Of course."

"There is a party being thrown in your honor at the-" Aurina's pause
was only slight. "-the establishment of your daughter's mother, but no
one expected you until tomorrow."

Lucius smiled at the slight note of animosity that tinged Aurina's
voice. He continued to move his hand back and forth over the curve of
her buttocks. "I have learned it is best never to be where everyone
else expects you to be."

Her smile faded and she lifted a perfectly arched brow. "So are you
ready to do the other side." She rolled over onto her back.

He let his gaze roam the length of her body. It was a body of round
curves and taut, delicate muscles; quite different from the thin
angles popular in  current fashion. 

"More beautiful than Venus herself," he whispered to himself. His
voice deepened. "I have dreamt of nothing else these months."  He
lifted his eyes back to hers. "Oh yes, I am ready."

"Well, then by all means proceed."
 
He began at her throat, using the pads of his thumbs to work in the
oil. He moved down and across her shoulders and collarbone. Her eyes
drifted closed as he caressed her breasts. First cupping their
fullness and then kneading them gently while teasing their sensitive
peaks to a painful tightness.

She gasped and her stomach muscles contracted when he poured cool oil
into the well of her belly. Her breath came in short pants as he first
moved up over her ribcage only to sweep around and continue lower. He
rubbed the oil into first her left thigh and then her right, squeezing
in his large hands the firm muscles there. 

At her knee, he changed directions and retraced a path up, brushing
his fingertips lightly along the delicate skin of her inner thigh. He
stopped just short of the tangle of russet curls at their apex.

"Look at me," he commanded. He waited for her to open her eyes before
he stroked her, drawing a finger ever so lightly across that slick nub
at the center of her body. She shivered in response. 

She moaned and drew up her knees, arching  her hips with each caress.
He eased one finger inside of her body, using another to continue to
stroke her. When she closed her eyes, he withdrew his hands. "Open
your eyes."

With a strangled whimper she did as he ordered, locking her gaze with
his. His grin was arrogant as he resumed his activity. Her nails tore
through the sheet when her hands fisted in the linen at the increased
pressure and speed of his touch, but she did not close her eyes. 

He watched their golden-green depths cloud, until she began to quiver,
quake, and finally, eyes widening in surprise, and with a suffocated
gasp, she convulsed around him. Only then did he allow her to close
her eyes. She was vaguely aware of the kiss he placed first over the
racing beat of her heart and the second in the center of her belly.

When Aurina next opened her eyes, Lucius was already working on the
bindings of his clothes. She sat up and moved to help him, loosening
the leather strips at his back that held the bronze muscle cuirass
together.

When he was just as naked as she, he picked her up off of the massage
table and carried her over to the low couch in the corner. The
gentleness with which he placed her on the cushions belied the urgency
that raced through his body. 

He followed her down onto the deep purple satin, covering her body
with his. He didn't resist when Aurina forced him over onto his back.
She traced a path with her lips and tongue down his body. He smelled
and tasted of the sweat, leather, horses and the sea. It was a heady
mixture and she was intoxicated. 

She continued down his body. Lightly scraping her long nails across
the crisp hairs of his thighs, she moved her mouth to within inches of
his body, close enough for him to feel her warm breath fan against
him.  Without using her hands, she placed several light kisses along
his center, and then moved along that same path with the tip of her
tongue. He bucked in response.

She moved to his left inner thigh, alternately nipping and then
licking. She repeated the action on his right. Each time she moved,
she turned her head in such a way that the silken length of her hair
brushed lightly against his groin. His groan was a cross between one
of abject pleasure and torturous agony. He gritted his teeth against
the intense sensations. Her responding smile was triumphant. 

Only then did she finally take him into her hands, alternately
stroking and squeezing. The muscles of his abdomen contracted in
anticipation when he felt the warmth of her breath. Again she teased,
kissing and then licking his length from  base to tip, lingering there
long enough to flit her tongue several times, before she took him into
her mouth. His hips  rose and fell in unison with the movement of her
head.

It wasn't long before her grabbed a her by the hair and jerked her
away. She crawled up his body to straddle his hips. Raising herself up
onto her knees,  she knelt astride him, and lowering her body towards
his, she mounted him. Her movements were deliberately slow. She ground
her pelvis against his and raised and lowered her hips, once and then
again, only to begin anew, repeating the sequence. 

The grip on her hips was almost painful, when a growl issued deep from
in his throat, and he tried to force her to increase the speed and
frequency of her thrusts. But she resisted, maintaining the pace she
determined. That is, she resisted until he took one hand from her hip
and moved it between their two conjoined bodies. A few well placed
strokes of his fingers, and she obliged him with a quickened tempo.
Arching her back, her nails dug into the muscles of his calves as she
rocked her pelvis back and forth over his.  

Her soft moans mingled with his heavier groans to echo in the
hollowness of the marble chamber, and fine layer of sweat coated both
of their bodies as he rose to meet her every downward thrust.

She was the first to cry out and her body begin repeatedly tightening
around him, pulling him, caressing him.  With a roar, he exploded, his
body jerking in release. 

As his body pulsed inside of her,  Aurina leaned forward and cupped
Lucius's face in her hands. "Welcome Home, General." She covered his
mouth with her own.

**********

"...It's heart ripped out, left to die alone, " LaCroix continued as
the memories faded and again his blue eyes flashed with anger. "While
the carrion eaters peck out its eyes and the remainder of it s flesh
is left in the sun to rot."

Nick sighed in annoyance. "I have no idea what you are talking about,
LaCroix." He brushed past LaCroix,  moving towards the kitchen.

"Of course you don't, Nicholas." The remark was patronizing.

"What do you want?" Nick re-corked the wine bottle and set it back
into the refrigerator. He was well aware that if LaCroix didn't want
his presence known, Nick would not sense him no matter how alert he
may have been.

LaCroix crossed over to the mantel, finding a sudden interest in its
carved design.  "Where were you earlier this evening? And three days
ago for that matter?"

"What business is it of yours?" Nick snapped before he could stop
himself. A sudden surge of protectiveness, making him
uncharacteristically defensive.

LaCroix sent him a sympathetic glance over his shoulder. "She does
tend to bring out the worse." He moved to stand in front of Nick.

"Who are you talking about, LaCroix?"

LaCroix's eyes narrowed and his mouth tightened. But just as quickly
cleared. When he spoke his voice was almost pleasant. "Do not act the
simpleton, Nicholas. It's unbecoming." His voiced deepened with
menace. "And you do not do it very well. You know exactly of whom I
speak."

Nick avoided his gaze and crossed back to the window.

"So I ask again. Where were you earlier this evening.?"

"Don't you know?" Nick quipped. "You seem to know everything else."

"If I did, I would not have need to ask," LaCroix replied, ignoring
Nick's last remark. "Where is she?" 

Nick lifted his chin and turned to face his Master. "What makes you
think I've seen her, much less know where she is?"

"Because, for a brief time tonight and several nights ago, our
connection was severed. The only thing that could have caused that is
your death or *her*." LaCroix folded his hands behind his back and
began to pace. "And since you are obviously here, your death was not
the cause. That leaves only one other alternative." He stopped and
pierced Nick with a cold stare. 

Nick returned the look unflinchingly. "Are you telling me that she has
a power equal to death? One perhaps even greater that yours?"

"Of course not. I am not saying any such thing," he bellowed, and then
closed his eyes and released a breath. He shook with the effort. "She
knows nothing that *I</i> did not teach her. This little trick she has
of hiding herself,  *you</i>  and anyone else she chooses, was first
used by me when I-" His hesitation was almost imperceptible, but his
voice lowered. "When I thought she needed protecting." He blinked
twice as if refocusing his thoughts. "But that was before I knew what
a viper she could be."

LaCroix stopped and looked at Nick, his gaze pensive and intense. "You
don't really think she's interested in you, do you Nicholas?" His tone
was incredulous. "Even you are not that foolish. The only reason she
spends her time on you is to get at me. She knows how important you
are to me."

"You know nothing about it," Nick told him flatly.

"Oh there you are wrong, Nicholas. I know everything about it. For I
know her... far better than you ever will." 

Through all the rage, insult and insinuation,  Nick detected a note of
desperation in LaCroix's voice. That vulnerability made Nick believe
that LaCroix was once almost human. It was to that which Nick
responded. "I do not know where she is, LaCroix.  She was here
earlier, but she left without telling me where she was going. I am
sorry."

LaCroix's laugh was self-mocking. "Do not be sorry, Nicholas. It is
only a matter of time before I find her."

The glint in LaCroix's eyes made Nick regret having said anything.




Chapter Seven

Janette stood at the bar of the Raven petrified. Aurina was out on the
dance floor with Victor, one of the young ones. The skirt of her
midnight blue, leather micro mini dress was only a hair's breath away
from riding up around her waist. And Victor was not shy about
exploring the exposed flesh. If the two of them rubbed their bodies
together any more tightly, sparks were going to fly. The way that
Aurina kissed and licked at his throat and he hers, spoke of the
undeniable direction of their activity. Janette just hoped that they
didn't reach their destination out there in the middle of the room.

But that was not what frightened Janette most. She was terrified that
LaCroix would walk in at any moment and all hell would break loose.
About that Janette had no doubt. Since that first night, Aurina had
shown up at the Raven several more times. Never for long, only for
about a half hour. Just long enough for a drink, a dance or two and to
mingle with some of the others. Each time LaCroix would arrive shortly
after her departure. When he discovered that he had just missed her,
he would become furious. He had never become violent, but it was only
a matter of time, for the intensity of his anger increased with each
successive visit.

Aurina took Victor's hand and led him from the dance floor, heading
towards one of the private rooms in the back. To Janette's chagrin,
Aurina had the audacity to grin and wink at her as the two of them
passed.

Janette closed her eyes and issued a small sigh of relief. 

That relief was short lived, as LaCroix stormed in not much more than
five minutes later. Janette sent a quick glance to the closed door at
the back of the club. As far as she knew the two of them were still
back there. In fact, she hoped that they were. This game of cat and
mouse being played by LaCroix and Aurina was beginning to wear on her
nerves.

LaCroix stopped directly in front of Janette. He did not say a word,
merely lifted his brows in silent query.

With the twist of her head, Janette indicated the closed door at the
back. A smile of malicious glee played at the corners of LaCroix's
mouth as he unhurriedly moved towards the room.

A sense of morbid curiosity prompted Janette to follow at a discreet
distance. She saw LaCroix place his hand on the knob, twist it, push
open the door and step into the room. But it was his low growl that
halted her in her tracks and forced her to take several steps back. 

The repeated sound of breaking glass and splintering wood propelled
Janette forward again. She rushed to the doorway and stopped.

LaCroix and a half-naked Victor were in the room alone. LaCroix held
the younger man several feet up in the air, by his neck. From the look
of the room, Victor had been used to clear the top of the desk and had
more than once been used to club several pieces of furniture.

She had escaped him again, LaCroix raged inside. It seemed like he had
been chasing her shadow forever.  Every few centuries,  he would cross
paths with someone who had seen her; arrive at a place she had just
been, decades and, on rare occasions,  only months before. He could
get close enough to feel the specter of her presence, or hear the echo
of her laughter, but never near enough to touch. Until now.

LaCroix raised his head, and through a haze of red, he looked into the
face of the man he held. The terror in Victor's glowing eyes gave him
very little satisfaction. He dropped his gaze to the two tiny bite
marks that marred the skin of his throat. She had selected one so
young because the marks would not have a chance to heal before he saw
them. Once more she was taunting him.

A drop of blood clung to the corner of Victor's mouth. LaCroix did not
need to taste it in order to know its flavor; cinnamon and honey. He
squeezed his own blazing eyes shut, as phantoms of the past flooded
his mind and senses. Involuntarily, he flexed his hands as he felt the
silk of her hair glide across his fingertips. With reluctance, he drew
in a deep breath as the scent of jasmine surrounded him, filling his
nostrils. And, unknowingly,  he sighed contentedly in remembrance of
the feeling of complete union that had filled his soul each time they
drank from one other.  He had known her every thought, emotion and
desire and she his. Or so he had believed.

LaCroix's eyes snapped open and he tightened his grip around the neck
of the other man. How could she even contemplate sharing all that was
possible to share with a creature such as this.

The small measure of perverse pleasure that LaCroix experienced at the
feel of bone and cartilage beginning to snap beneath his fingers was
fleeting. With a low snarl of disgust, he flung the man across the
room to land with a heavy thud against the doorjamb. Janette had
barely enough to step out of the way of the falling body. Victor did
not hesitate in fleeing as he crawled from the room as quickly as his
bruised and broken body would allow.

Damn her. Damn her. DAMN her to the fires of Hades, LaCroix swore
silently, clenching his fists at his sides. Still, after the passage
of so many centuries, she remained an affliction; like a cancer which
ravaged the body of some pathetic Mortal. Every time he thought he'd
cut it all out, he found that it had lain silent, secretly growing and
spreading, waiting to manifest its destructive forces with a strength
and intensity that seemed insurmountable even for him to overcome.


**********

Herculaneum

The sound of running water woke Lucius. He sat up and glanced over to
see Aurina speaking with Thetis as the bathing pool was filled with
fresh water. Wrapping the bed's coverlet around his waist, he yawned,
stretched and then lowered his feet to the floor.

"If you could go to my chambers and see to it that Chloris has the
remainder of my things packed," Aurina addressed the woman in Greek.
"You can tell the ship's captain that we will be prepared to leave on
the morning tide." 

Thetis nodded and then sent a contemptuous glare in the direction of
Lucius, which he returned with at feral one of his own. "And
him...What sort of preparations should be made concerning dinner?"

Aurina suppressed a smile. "There will be only the two of us. We'll
have it out in the small garden. I'm sure you and Cook will come up
with something appropriate. Until then, I think fruit, cheese and some
cold meats will suffice." 

Thetis nodded and then turned to leave. "Oh," Aurina called out. "Open
a new flagon of wine."

Again Thetis inclined her head to Aurina. She left the room but not
before shooting a final glower in the General's direction. His smile
was malicious.


"That woman does not know her place." He walked over to where Aurina
stood by the side of the pool.  "You allow her far too much freedom." 

"Thetis has been like a mother to me ever since my own died. What
would you have me do?" 

"Have her flogged into submission," he remarked dryly.

"I cannot allow that." Realizing that they were speaking in Greek,
Aurina switched back to Latin. "Nor would my father." 

"No, of course not. Maternal comfort is not all that Thetis has
provided since the death of the beloved Julia."

"Yes, I know, but-" Aurina cut short her response as two serving girls
brought in trays laden with the requested food items. Once they were
gone, Aurina continued, "Thetis is only concerned for my welfare." She
walked over to the table and filled a silver chalice with red wine and
carried it to Lucius. "She thinks you're a bad influence on me." 

"Little does she know." Lucius took the cup from Aurina with one hand
and ran the back of the other gently against her cheek. "You are a far
worse influence." 

Aurina turned her head slightly to kiss the hand that caressed her.
Releasing it, she returned to the table and filled another cup. She
grinned at him over the rim of her wine. "She also thinks you're far
too old for me. But,  really, she is harmless."

He quirked an indignant brow. "Harmless, indeed." He gulped down the
remainder of his wine. "As harmless as a snake waiting to strike. She
spies for your father."

"I'm aware of that." She walked back to him and took the empty cup.
"Would you prefer to eat or bathe first?"

Lucius looked longingly from the food to the steaming bath. "A bath, I
think." He unfurled the sheet from around him and walked four steps
down into the awaiting warmth of the water. 

"You told *that witch* that you would be prepared to leave on the
morning tide. Where are you going?" He swam a couple of circuits,
before pausing in the center to watch as Aurina sat on a nearby stool
to undo the straps of her light house sandals and secure the heavy
mass of her hair on top of her head with three ivory combs.

"Father is expecting me in Rome by the end of the week." She stripped
off the rose silk tunica she wore and joined him in the pool. 

"I noticed his ship in the harbor, when I docked. I did think it
curious, but he said nothing when I saw him in the Capital. "

"Did you really think he would?" She swam over to the side, where
there was placed a tray bearing several varieties of soaps, oils and
sponges. "The only reason he wants me in Rome is because you'll be in
Pompeii."

"Yes. Marcus certainly does make an effort, doesn't he? You do not
have to go. If you decide to stay here, I will send a message to him
and deal with any problem he should choose to create."

"It is nothing like that. Father would never do anything to hurt me.
But I cannot stay." She  dropped one of the large sponges into the
water. "He is my father, and as long as I live in his household. I am
obliged  to obey him."

"That can be remedied quite easily."

"Exchange one master for another?"

"Ah, but such a benevolent master I could be persuaded to be."

"I'm sure you could." Aurina resisted the urge to smile. "And the
persuading would undoubtedly be very pleasurable. But, besides the
fact that Father would never grant his permission for that, it's not
what I want."

"As you wish." He watched her lather the sponge with a bar of
sandalwood soap. "However, if you truly want to remain here..."

"I truly do. But, I must go." She swam over to him, and grinned
slightly. "Honor commands that I make at least some pretense of doing
as he asks."  

"Very well. I will return to Rome then. Once I have my affairs here
settled, I will join you there." 

"Father will NOT be pleased." Aurina's remark was full of mischievous
amusement. She began spreading the soap across his neck and shoulders.

"Well, we must continue to provide an outlet for all of Marcus's
tireless efforts. After all, he would be lost without them." Lucius
raised his brows in amused query. "Speaking of tireless efforts... I
take it, you'll be attending me?"

She stopped in her ministrations and looked up at him with and impish
sparkle in her eyes. "I could send for Thetis, if you'd prefer?"

"And  risk a dagger in the back?...I think not." Underneath the water
he reached out with an arm and grabbed her by the waist. "You'll do.
Besides if you serve me well, I have a gift for you." 

"If?" Her smile was filled with interest. "What?"

"Jewels from the crown of the so-called Gallic king. Though he was
little more than a peasant. I ripped it from his head myself." 

He reached up and pulled the combs from her hair, causing the riot 
red curls to tumble down around her head and shoulders into the water.
Twining a thick lock around an index finger, he tugged lightly,
pulling her closer. " Of course, they are not of the greatest quality.
But they will make a nice addition to your collection nonetheless."

She allowed him a lingering kiss and then drew away, presenting him
with the side of her face. "Jewels are not all you took in Gaul. They
say your men had their way with the women?"

He kissed her cheek and then nuzzled her neck. "Quite true. In fact, I
ordered them to pillage their villages and ravage the women. The men
deserved to be rewarded."

"Perhaps. But my question is, did you stand by and watch or did you
participate?"

"Not jealous are you?" 

She released the sponge to float on the surface of the water as her
arms and legs snaked around him. "There is no reason I should be, is
there?"

"None at all." He took her face into his hands and slowly lowered his
mouth towards hers.  "There is no one in all of the Empire comparable
to you."

Return-Path: <gaelin@rocketmail.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 14:09:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gaelin <gaelin@rocketmail.com>
Subject: Submission: Tempests-Part 8-9
To: FKarchiver@fkfanfic.com

Chapter Eight

"Rumor has it that your recent victories in Gaul have sealed your
fate," Aurina remarked a long while later as they shared a dining
couch before the window that looked out at the sun setting over the
sea. "The Emperor will name you Consul at the next Senate meeting." 

"Yes. But it's more than just a rumor. While in Rome, I heard the news
from Vespasian's own lips." Lucius dropped a plump grape into his mouth.

"Will you accept?"

"I have not yet decided." He followed the grape with a bit of cheese
and bread.

"What is there to think about?'

"I don't need the title, I already have far more power." 

"True." Aurina tilted her head to the side as she thought about it.
"And perhaps you are right. Father would be much happier if he did not
have to share the title of Consul with you." She sipped from the
silver cup in front of her and then sent an amused glance to Lucius.
"He does not like you."

Lucius sent her a mock glare, in response to the unnecessity of her
comment.  "Whether Marcus likes me or not is immaterial. The fact that
he fears me is all that matters."

There was a low rumble and the house trembled.

Lucius bolted up. "What was that?"

"Nothing. Vesuvius is simply reminding us that it's still there. It
has been doing that every couple of weeks over the last few months.
The augurers assure us that there is  nothing to be concerned about."
She nibbled on a piece of yellow cheese. "I think they all fear you.
Even Vespasian."

He relaxed and again stretched out next to her. "As he should. I
control the Empire's mightiest troops. And they are loyal only to me.
Their loyalty to the Emperor lasts only so long as mine does."

"Those words are treasonous," she warned.

He shook his head dismissively. "Vespasian's troops proclaimed him
Emperor after Nero's death. He'll do as I ask for fear of a rebellion,
 and the army's selecting me as his replacement." Staring down at her,
he twined a lock of her hair around his finger. "Would you like to be
Empress?"

She twisted her lips in annoyance. "Father is currently working on
that. If he has his way, I will be married to Domitian soon. He says
it's been almost five years and it is time for me to remarry."

"Marcus and his plans." A flash of anger quickly passed across his
features. "Domitian?" His voice remained casually inquisitive. "Why
not Titus? He is the elder son, as well as co-ruler and next in line
to the throne."

"Father says Titus is far too weak to remain on the throne for long,
especially once Vespasian's dies. Domitian will see to that."

Lucius considered that information. "I would tend to agree.  Marcus
may be an ass and a pathetic soldier, but he does have a shrewd mind.
However, I know for a fact that Domitian was secretly married at the
beginning of the year."

Aurina lifted her brows in interest. "Now that is good news."

"So Marcus's marriage plans for you will come to naught, and there is
nothing to be concerned about" He brought the chalice to his lips and
took a long swallow. "But I was not referring to Titus nor Domitian. I
was thinking about myself."

She looked up at him in surprise. "Are you considering having yourself
proclaimed Emperor?"

"No, not at the moment. But it could happen."

"Yes, it could happen." she agreed, and then sent him a pointed
glance. "However, I do not wish to be married. I did it once and did
not find it very pleasant...too confining of a condition." She picked
up a green apple and smiled. "Being a widow is a far more enjoyable
state." 

"Ah yes, far more enjoyable."  He bit off a piece of the apple that
she held to his lips and then smiled wickedly. "Poor Tiberius. I had
almost forgotten about him. It is a shame he was killed on that
scouting mission to Germany."


"Yes, a shame." Her smiled matched his as she took a bite from the
apple and chewed thoughtfully.  "By the way,  you could have waited a
few months before sending him on that mission you know. We were
married less than a year. I had to forfeit all rights to his estates."

Lucius brushed the pad of his thumb across the fullness of Aurina's
bottom lip. "I had waited long enough," he said quietly. "And Tiberius
was proving to be very unaccommodating, and eventually he would have
become an even greater problem." 

He lifted the wine to his mouth. "It is not like you needed his
estates.  What you'll inherit on the death of your father will make
you the wealthiest woman in all of the Empire, rivaling that of the
Emperor." His mouth turned up in wry amusement. "As well as, dare I
say,  my own."

"Is that why you wish to make me your Empress?" She lifted a brow. "To
get you hands on my estates?"

"It is one of the incentives..." He hungrily admired her body through
the semi-transparent silk undergarment she wore and ran his hand the
length of her near-naked thigh. "but in no way the greatest."

"And if I were someday to agree to become your Empress, what of the
mother of your child?"

"Selene's thoughts on the matter" His hand slipped beneath the silk.
"are of no importance."

"And your daughter?" She shifted slightly to allow his hands better
access.  "I do know that her feelings are important to you."

"You will make Divia a wonderful step-mother." His hand closed around
her bare hip and he pulled her towards him.

"Divia does not care very much for me."

"Irrelevant. Divia may oppose the idea at first, but she will get used
to it." He lowered his head to her right breast. "Besides, she will do
as I tell her." 

*********

With a low growl of self-disgust, LaCroix pivoted on his heel and
stalked from the room. Janette took a quick step to the side to avoid
being trampled. She watched LaCroix's receding back with a mixture of
relief and curiosity.

*********
"What happened here?" asked Nick when he joined Janette in the back
room of the Raven. "It's looks like a hurricane hit this place."

"Hurricane indeed." Janette stepped out of the way as Alexandra
carried a dust pan of broken glass from the room, followed by two men
carrying pieces of broken furniture. "Hurricane LaCroix."

She and Nick left the room and headed to the bar. Janette filled a
glass to the brim with crimson liquid. Nick declined her offer of the
same. "LaCroix?" he lifted his brows in surprise.  "What did LaCroix
have to do with it?"

"He was disturbed by the fact that one of the new ones chose this
night to become...Shall we say... Close to someone he should not
have." She took a large swallow from the glass, closing her eyes as
the liquid spread its warmth through her body.

"Who?" 

She opened her eyes and sighed. "Aurina."

Nick straightened. "Aurina? Was she hurt?"

"She's just fine as far as I know." Janette laughed scornfully.
"Unfortunately, she was no where to be found when it happened. She had
mysteriously disappeared by the time LaCroix arrived. As usual. Which
only served to infuriate him even more."

Nick relaxed and settled back onto his stool. "Unfortunately?"

"Yes," she glanced over at him. "The two of them seem to be playing
some sort of game. Only I don't think LaCroix believes it's funny. She
comes in here almost every night. Has a drink or two. Plays with a few
of the young ones and then leaves. And LaCroix arrives just minutes
later to find he's missed her."

"But LaCroix isn't exactly one of your regulars."

"I know. It surprised me the first time too. But all I can think is
that she somehow is summoning him here."

"Summoning? No one summons LaCroix."

Janette smiled. "Perhaps daring him to catch her is a better
description."

"Daring him?" His voice held a note of worry. "Why do you say that?" 

"I recognize the signs. I've played a version of the same game a time
or two myself." She set her glass on the bar. "But LaCroix is not like
any other. He will not tolerate this game much longer. Aurina is
playing with fire. And if she doesn't watch out she's going to get
burned." Janette watched the play of emotions across Nick's face. "Why
do you care what happens to her?"

Nick looked up. "What makes you think I care?"

"I know that look, Nicolas.  And I did see the way you reacted to her
the night she first arrived. You want her." 

"Yes. On one level I do want her. But it's more than that." He stroked
his chin. "First she doesn't condemn or ridicule me for no longer
wanting to be what I am." He looked pointedly at Janette. "But even
more importantly, I think she understands why." 

He furrowed his brows in thought. "It's like we have this connection.
I've just met her and already, I feel like we've known each other
forever. I can't explain it."

"Perhaps it's the connection with LaCroix that you both share." She
looked him speculatively and then shook her head. "Oh Nicolas, tell me
you haven't been seeing her."

"I haven't been *seeing*her as you put it. But I have met and spoken
with her."

 "Is *speak* all you've done?" She picked up her glass and studied
it's contents. "Just how well have you gotten to know Aurina?"

"Not like you think." He sent her an annoyed glance. "But well enough
to know that LaCroix has no cause to hurt her."

"When has he ever needed cause to do anything?" She walked from behind
the bar to stand at his side.  She placed an light hand on his
shoulder. "I think you should steer clear of her. But knowing you as I
do, I know you won't. Just remember to keep it to only *speaking*, mon
cher. Because ...whether she acknowledges it or not...LaCroix claims
her as his, and it appears he doesn't want to share." 

Janette started to go, but stopped and turned back to Nick. "Perhaps
it will not matter anyway. If tonight is any indication, your Aurina
may not be with us much longer. So, it really would be best if this
time you did not get in LaCroix's way."




Chapter Nine

LaCroix pushed the button on the CERK control room console, smoothly
fading the music and activating the microphone. "Ah, Gentle Listeners,
good evening. Your friend the Nightcrawler here once again to ease you
through the night. "  

He reclined back into the chair. "Before we begin this evening let's
talk a little about love..." He paused. "...and hate. Is it not love,
which [takes the soul and twists it, taking it beyond all hope of cure
or help ? Is it not love which causes the deepest pain, suffering and
anguish? Love shatters pride. Creates dreams only to demolish them.]"

He swiveled in his chair, turning to face a darkened corner of the
room.  The area's only light glowed from an illuminated easel. On it
sat a painting, done in the classic style of the High Renaissance. Its
colors and hues depicted a star filled night with the moon
illuminating a forest path. The sole being in the picture was a woman.
She walked down that path, away from viewer, but the artist had
captured the one moment when she had stopped and turned to glance over
her shoulder. Her gown, a heavy black brocade, blended into the
surroundings, bringing emphasis to the delicate, porcelain paleness of
her face, neck and shoulders. The light of the moon shimmered in the
red of her hair,  and the iridescent jade of her eyes sparkled like
beacons in the darkness. Her smile was an invitation to a million
mysterious delights. 

"Love lost." LaCroix again faced the console, eyes narrowed. " [Oh,
yes, the most painful things in the world are those done all in the
name of love.] Mistakes of the heart. Things we do,  knowing full well
that someday we may regret them, but do anyway. All because we are
unable to vanquish that faceless, unseen enemy."  

**********

Rome, 84 CE

The melodic whine of string and wind instruments, and the dull hum of
a multitude of simultaneous conversations, competed with the spray of
fountains, the twitter of birds and the chirp of crickets, as the
well-dressed and bejeweled guests moved among the harried tray-bearing
servants in the immense, pillared,  court-yard garden of the Palatine
Imperial Palace.

A large group of people clustered around a tall man in his early
thirties. They all wore smiles that were a little too broad and
laughed with joviality  a little too gay .  The bearing of the
leader's broad shoulders spoke of a military background, though his
dark, curly hair was worn slightly long at the nape. His dark eyes,
high cheekbones and aquiline nose were handsome, almost pretty, but
marring that perfection was the hint of cruelty in his thin mouth,
that could not be disguised by a neatly trimmed goatee.

Conversation in the group dimmed and all heads turned when the corners
of Domitian's mouth lifted and he called out, "Aurina." He extended an
arm to her. 

Aurina paused in her discussion with an older woman, and turned. The
smile of delight that instantly formed on her lips never reached her
eyes. She took leave of her companion and crossed over to join him,
taking his hands into her own. She released them almost immediately
and moved to stand at his side.

"Wonderful celebration, Caesar," remarked one of the entourage. The
drape and decorative trim of his toga marked him as a senior senator. 

Domitian  looked down at Aurina. "I really must thank my wife for
putting it all together. She has done an extraordinary job, as always.
I could not have asked for a better birthday." A rapacious gleam
sparkled in the depths of his obsidian eyes.  "She really is a woman
of many talents."

Aurina stiffened as his arm dropped from her shoulders to her waist
and lower, to the curve of her hip.  "Well, whatever I can do to
please my husband." The smile never left her face. 

In a proprietary gesture, his hand slid along her hip to curve around
her buttocks. "And please me she does, very well." 

Through the night, Domitian continuously called Aurina to his side as
various nobles, magistrates and hangers-on came and went from his
circle of admirers.  Finally pleading exhaustion, she excused herself.
As she turned to go, he reached out and caught her by the wrist,
drawing her back towards him.  He lowered his head to her ear. "Rest
well, Aurina. I will be in to collect my gift before too long."

"I never expected anything less." The side of her mouth quirked up
into a grin; part inviting and part disdainful. She lightly scraped
the nail of her index finger along the side of his neck, as she slowly
traced the outline of his bottom lip with the tip of her tongue. "I
shall be waiting." 

Before Aurina could escape into the quiet sanctity of the inner
palace, she was again stopped. This time it was by a man several
decades her senior, as revealed by the heavy grey at his temples.
Although his coloring was quite the opposite of Aurina's, there was a
similar stubbornness to the set of both their chins, marking them as
relatives.  The man took Aurina's hand in between his own, and drew
her into a secluded alcove. 

"Well done, Aurina. Well done." He congratulated her with a broad
grin. "You have surpassed even my expectations in your dealing with
Domitian."  He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I am very proud of
you."

"Thank you, Father" With a forced smile, Aurina pulled away. "I am
very tired. With the arrangements for the banquet and all....." 

He glanced around at the gaily dressed people happily stuffing
themselves. "Yes. You've outdone yourself there as well." He turned
back,  planted a kiss on her forehead, and released her. "Very well,
go on then." 


"Good night, Father."

"Goodnight, Aurina."

A shadow of sadness filled Marcus Longinus's  eyes as he watched his
only daughter walk away. 

**********

Aurina arrived in her bed chamber and unwrapped the apricot silk stola
from around her body, throwing it across the bed with a weary sigh.
Sweeping up the skirt of the creme palla, she walked to the other side
of the room and sat down on the heavy leather and bronze stool set
before an small, oval,  wooden table, covered with an assortment of
paints, powders and jewelry. 

"Things seem to be going well," Thetis remarked as she moved up behind
Aurina and began removing the pearls woven into her hair.

"Yes, they are." Aurina pulled the jeweled bracelets from her wrists,
rings from her fingers and then the diamond drops from her ears. 

Thetis uncoiled the thick braid that circled the back of Aurina's head
and then started to pull it apart. "And the Emperor, he looked as if
he was enjoying himself."

"The Emperor," Aurina began scornfully, "is easy to please. It's a
simple matter of knowing what to anticipate."

"And you are the best at anticipating his wants and needs." Thetis
picked up a silver brush. 

"The best." Her voice was quiet as she gazed into her own eyes as they
reflected back from the large, round mirror before her. "At being who
everyone else wants me to be."  She dropped her eyes to look at the
polished wooden surface beneath her hands. "All but one."

"Your father was right," Thetis continued, unhearing of Aurina's
words. "It is an excellent match. You handle him very well." She drew
the bristles through the long, heavy tresses. "So little in exchange
for all of the Roman Empire."

"So little, indeed.  My father has gotten what he asked. Now he," She
stopped herself and took the brush from Thetis. "I can finish this
myself." She waved her away. "Go see to Chloris. If I am needed, be
sure that it is before my husband retires for the evening. He does not
like to be... interrupted."

Before Thetis left the room, Aurina called out. "And be sure to send
someone to see that Caesar...drinks either too much or too little.
Otherwise, it truly will be a very long night."

Aurina shifted on the stool, turning back to the mirror. She sat,
staring into her own eyes, but not seeing.

**********
Two and a half years earlier...

"I have never asked you to do anything," Marcus complained as he
marched back and forth in front of his daughter.

Aurina's mouth tightened. "I do not WANT to get married," she told him
flatly, folding her arms across her chest.

"It's my fault," Marcus mumbled to himself as he continued to pace. "I
permitted you to be educated, gave you everything you've ever wanted,
allowed you far too much independence."  He shoved a hand through his
thinning brown hair and shook his head. "You've forgotten your duty."

"Forgotten my duty?" She was aghast. "What about Tiberius? I did not
want to marry him either, but I did."

"And what did it get him, except a cold, calculated,  merciless
death."  His head jerked in her direction.  "All because of YOU. You
did not *suffer* marriage to him very long. So, do NOT tell me of
*your* sacrifice regarding that marriage," he snapped and then
stopped, closing his eyes at the surprised and hurt look that passed
over Aurina's features.  His tone softened. "I am sorry. That
was...unnecessary." 

His hazel eyes filled remorse as they drifted over her features,
lingering on her hair and eyes. "So much like your mother. Far too
beautiful for anyone's good," he remarked quietly and then went back
to pacing. "But that was my fault also. Lucius was always a malicious
bastard.  Took what he wanted, ran rampant over everyone and
everything. Yet we all let him do it. But what other choice did we
have.  By the gods, I knew what kind of man he was. And I saw the way
he looked at you. And you hardly more than a girl at the time." 

"Old enough to marry." Aurina threw out defensively. "You deemed it so
yourself."

He glanced quickly over at her, through her,  and then immediately
away." I should have somehow prevented it," Marcus continued as if
Aurina had never spoken. "He may have sent Tiberius to his death, but
I am the one to blame." 

"Domitian already has a wife," she tried, ignoring her father's
ramblings.

Taking a deep breath, Marcus walked over to his daughter and took her
by the shoulders. He tipped up her chin so she would meet his eyes.
"Domitian's marriage was a folly of youth. He has come to realize
that, and is prepared to correct that mistake."

Aurina pulled out of his arms.

 "He recognizes the advantage of an alliance between our two families.
You are a direct descendent of Octavian Augustus. Once married to you,
no one could ever question his right to the throne. And you would be
the Empress over all of the Roman Empire."

"But Domitian is a monster! You've heard the same stories as I."

Marcus released an audible breath. "Yes, I've heard the stories."

"So, you know that they are true."

"No, I do not know that they are true." He couldn't meet her eyes.
"Not all of them."

"Is that what you wish for me?" Aurina's eyes filled with tears.  "A
life of unbearable cruelty?" 

"No, of course not." Marcus shook his head in weary denial. "All I
want is what's best; for you to be settled. I am not going to be
around forever. I want to know that you are taken care of."

"I do not need a husband for that," she insisted. "Especially one such
as Domitian."

"You may not, but our society demands that you be married. Especially
a woman of your rank. And you can do no better for a husband than the
Emperor." He sighed deeply. "But that is not what all of this is
about, is it?"

This time Aurina avoided her father's eyes. "I don't know what you
mean."

"Aurina, when are you going to accept the fact that he is gone. It's
been more than three years and no one has heard a word from him. There
is no reason to believe that he survived the eruption." 

Aurina missed the note of profound relief in her father's voice. "Many
others survived." 

She turned and moved to stand in the balcony doorway. The house was
built high into the side of the Palatine. Its view overlooked the
Tiber and all of city of Rome, whose night fires glowed dimly in the
distance. Aurina lifted her eyes and looked across to a neighboring
ridge at the house that had stood dark and uninhabited for those three
years. Only the outline of its portico was visible in the darkness, 
but in her mind's eye it was filled with lights, laughter, music, life.

"Yes, but it did not take them years to contact someone." He walked
over to stand behind her. Setting his hands on her shoulders,  he
turned her around and pulled her into his arms. "Aurina, I love you.
You are my only child, but, I'm not getting any younger. And at almost
a score and six, neither are you. I am tired of all the games,
worrying about who is playing on whose side. This marriage will assure
that you won't have to do any of than ever again." He paused. "I know
you can handle Domitian. You've handled far more dangerous prey."

"This marriage will guarantee nothing," She mumbled into his chest,
and then drew back, shaking her head. "Papa, don't make me do this. I
beg you."


Marcus took her chin gently into his hand. "I want to hold my grandson
in my arms before I die and know that someday he will rule this  Great
Empire." He searched her eyes. "Will you do that for me, Aurina?" At
her hesitation, he added, "Please?"

Tears filled her eyes, and after a moment she closed them in
resignation and nodded.

"Thank you." Marcus squeezed his daughter tightly, placed a kiss on
her forehead,  and then released her to cross over to his desk. "Once
the divorce is finalized, the banns can be posted." A wide grin
covered his mouth when he glanced up from the parchment on which he
wrote. "You'll be Empress by the end of the year."

**********


A burst of raucous laughter startled Aurina, forcing her mind back to
the present. Closing her eyes to push away the memories, she took a
deep, shuddering breath and began to pull the brush through her hair.

"Still more beautiful than the Goddess,  herself," came a voice from
the shadows. 

From: Gaelin_W@webtv.net (Gaelin Wade)
Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 18:49:32 -0500 (CDT)
To: FKarchiver@fkfanfic.com
Cc: Gaelin_W@webtv.net
Subject: Submission: Tempests 10


 Chapter Ten

The brush fell from Aurina's hand to land with a resounding clatter
against the tiled floor. She knew that voice. It was a voice of thick
velvet, that caressed; drew you into its soft huskiness; and you
wouldn't want to be set free. She knew it as well as she knew her own;
had thought it lost to her forever, except as an echo at the heart of
her dreams. 

"Lucius?" she whispered through trembling lips. Aurina held her eyes
closed, fearing that she was dreaming and would wake up at any moment.
Taking a deep breath she opened them and turned around. She could barely
see him, so covered by the shadows was he. On unsteady legs, she rose
and walked into the darkness, led by the small slice of moonlight
stealing through the open balcony doors. 

Stopping within a few feet of him, she reached out her hand to touch his
cheek. 

"Are you really here, or just another dream?" 

LaCroix leaned into the caress and covered her hand with his own. "I am
here." 

She again stroked his cheek. "You are so cold. Come over to the fire's
warmth." 

She tried to draw him out of the shadows and over to the large hearth
that dominated most of the far wall, but he resisted. "No, not yet." He
used his fingertips to brush away the tears that slipped from her eyes,
as he brought cool lips to her palm and then raised his head to look at
her, devouring her features. 
At last he smiled. "Finally the position you were meant to have, Empress
of the greatest Empire known to man." 

She lowered her eyes. "I waited. As long as I could, I waited." 

"I know. And I returned as soon as I could." He took her chin and raised
her face back to his. 

She searched his eyes. "But how? How is this possible? It's been nearly
five years. How did you survive Vesuvius's eruption? 
Where have you been?" 

"In time, Aurina, in time. I will answer all of your questions." Lucius
took both of her hands into his. "But, first, I must know if you will
come with me." 

"Come with you? Where?" 

"Wherever I ask." 

She drew away from him. "Things are different now." She turned away. "I
cannot just leave." 

"Of course, you can." 

"Domitian would never let me go." She again faced him. "He is not
Tiberius. He will not be disposed of." 

"Domitian is nothing." His voice deepened to a harsh rasp. "The Empire
is nothing." He studied her face and scowled. "You cannot take pleasure
in being with him . 
You do not enjoy knowing you must submit to his touch." 

"No, of course not." She glanced quickly away. "But he is not the only
thing that holds me here. There is my family." 

Lucius waved his hand dismissively. "To Marcus you are nothing more than
a choice morsel of meat, to be sold to he who bids the highest." He
circled around her. "And Domitian, your father is right, you hold him
spellbound now, but for how much longer? How long before he turns on
you? He already has the Senate afraid of him. What happens once he grows
tired of you?" Lucius stopped behind her. "He has his heir. Therefore,
you are only valuable to him so long as you amuse 
him." 

He began to pace behind her. "So rid yourself of him and all that binds
you to him, before he loses interest and does it for you." 

Aurina shook her head in denial. 

"Come with me. To me you are you are immeasurably more than a mere
amusement. And I want you with me always." He gripped her by the
shoulders and drew her body back against his. "I possess something far
greater than anything you could ever imagine and I wish to share it with
you." 

"Greater than all of the Roman Empire?" 

"Yes, infinitely greater." 
She closed her eyes. "What?" 

He turned her around to face him. "What if I could give you Eternity?" 

"Eternity?" She wanted to laugh, but something in his eyes stopped her.
She searched them, to see if he was joking. There she saw nothing but
belief in what he was saying. 

At her hesitation, he continued, "Imagine a world where there are no
rules. The freedom to go anywhere, do anything you desire. Anything. And
no one would have the power to stop you." He paused. "It is what you
have always wanted. The independence to choose your own destiny, instead
of making the best of what others have chosen for you. No longer will
you have to do as Marcus or Domitian tells you." 

"I don't know," she resisted. 

"Very well." Lucius nodded tersely and walked away from her. "As I have
always done, I leave the decision up to you. I will abide by whatever
you choose. If you so desire, I will go to never return." 

No longer blocked by his body, the breeze coming through the open door
suddenly felt cold against Aurina's skin. She knew he was handling her,
trying to guilt her into a decision, but as she thought about his offer,
she wasn't sure if she truly cared. She had missed him and was just glad
that he was there. The pain of what it had been like to live without
him, to believe that she would never again see him was still very fresh
in her mind. 

"I am afraid," she admitted, not knowing exactly what she feared most;
walking away from everything she knew, or letting him walk away without
her. 

Lucius crossed back to her, and pulled her into his arms. "There is
nothing to fear. You will gain more power than you can imagine. And I
will be there with you, to protect you, just as I have always done.
Forever, you will be at my side," he added. "For the remainder of this
lifetime and an infinity of others." 


Aurina closed her eyes, as doubts from both sides pushed their way into
her mind. 
At that moment, the only thing she was certain of was that no matter
what, she did not want to be without him. She had tried that and found
it a living hell. She did not believe his story about possessing
Eternity, but he did, and that was all she needed. 

She nodded. "Forever by your side." 

His grin was arrogant, when he stepped back to pick her up and carry her
to the bed, laying her gently against the satin-covered cushions. He
kissed her forehead, next her cheek and then her jaw, slowly working his
way towards her mouth. "You belong to me, completely and only to me." 

"Always, Lucius, always." 

Lucius loosened the row of buttons that held Aurina's gown together at
her shoulders. He pushed it down across her torso slowly, pausing only
to lift her hips and push it from her body completely. His sapphire gaze
locked with her emerald one, as he twined a crimson lock around his
finger and lowered his mouth back to hers. 

His lips left her mouth to kiss a path across her skin. He brought her
untold pleasure, as his hands and mouth renewed their acquaintance with
her body, until once again, his mouth covered hers. 

For what seemed like hours, his lips tasted hers, as if savoring the
most succulent of fruits. But his movements took on a note of barely
restrained urgency when he left her mouth to lick a path along the ivory
column of her neck. 

He raised his head to her ear. "For eternity," he declared hoarsely. 

Aurina fought for every breath. The rapid beat of her heart keeping the
air from filling her lungs, as her soul, instinctively knowing where her
heart and mind had led her, attempted to resist. "For eternity." 
He placed one final, long, deep kiss on her lips, and then drew away,
turning her face into the satin-covered pillow. There was a brief sliver
of pain when the tiny razor-sharp points of his teeth penetrated her
skin. But when he began greedily to drink, the pain turned into a
feeling of the most unimaginable rapture. She gasped and then moaned as
her body shivered with the force of it. 

Aurina felt herself being swallowed, consumed, enveloped so completely
in sensation that she wanted nothing more than to let go. Everything
else faded, moving farther and farther away. 

The distant cry of a child halted her descent and threatened to pull her
back. She fought it, pushed it away until it too dulled to nothing and
she was claimed by blackness. 

**********

The first drop of blood trickled through her lips to scorch a path cross
her tongue and down her throat. With the next drop, warmth spread from
her mouth, down her throat, across her torso and finally out to her
limbs. Every fiber of her being tingled as if an electric current were
being passed through her. But along with that warmth came a hunger
unlike anything she had ever known. The only satisfaction came with each
additional drop of blood. Yet it was not enough. 

She reached up with both hands and seized the forearm held to her mouth,
clenching it so tightly that her nails dug into the skin. She suckled
with the ferocity of a starving, newborn babe who has latched onto his
mother's breast for the first time. 

The arm was yanked away, but it was the subsequent, enraged growl that
startled Aurina, forcing her to open her eyes and bolt straight up. Only
then did she realize that it was she who had made the sound. 

She looked around, disoriented. 
Through a haze of yellow, she saw Lucius standing over her, a strange
golden glow to his eyes and a satisfied smile curling his red-stained
lips. 

**********

"Is it no wonder then that they say love and hate are opposing faces on
the same coin?" LaCroix rocked in the chair. "That the greatest hate
comes only from the greatest love?" 

He rocked forward in the chair and rested his elbows against the control
board. "So, the question I have for you tonight, my friends, is: What
actions would prompt such a drastic reversal of affection?...In essence,
what is the greatest crime that one can commit?" 

He tightened his grip on the microphone. 
"Theft?" He cocked his head in thought. "No. They say possession is nine
tenths of the law. So that cannot be it. Perhaps murder, then?" 

He pursed his lips as he considered that option. "An act of murder to
one is merely an act of survival, retribution or punishment to another.
That is not it either. So what could it be?" 

"Hmm..." He leaned a little closer to the microphone. "I say, the
greatest crime is for one to sentence another to a lifetime of
loneliness." His voice deepened to a guttural rasp. "Left to wander this
miserable existence alone. The ultimate betrayal of love." 

He closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. "Especially after
one had promised to spend Eternity with the other. A vow sworn and later
so easily pushed aside and forgotten..." 

The ring of the phone drew him away from the growing intensity of his
anger. "Ah, our first caller." LaCroix pushed the receive button on the
console. The voice spoke before he had the chance to greet his caller. 

"Not easily, General. Never easily," Aurina addressed him in a long dead
and forgotten form of Latin. "If nothing else, know this: what was done
was not done lightly nor with any ease. But necessary." 

"Oh, do tell," he mocked. 

"For you. I did it for you, as well as myself." 

"For me." His laughter held no mirth. "You swore to spend eternity by my
side and then one day I find you've disappeared, leaving me to agonize
for centuries over what had caused that disappearance. A connection as
precious as breath is to a Mortal, suddenly severed. Why? Death? No, not
death, merely an uncoerced choice." He scowled into the microphone. 

"Yet you say you did it for me. I must say I am honored. Pray continue." 

"It was wrong to do it the way that I did. But it truly was the best
way." 

"Best for whom? Nothing could have been more selfish. What you really
mean is easy." 

"Would I have been able to go any other way?" There was a pause. "You
speak of loneliness, General" she told him. "And it's infliction upon
one by another. That loneliness cannot be any less for the perpetrator
than it is for the victim. Imagine... forced to endure that same
wretched isolation, but knowing that it is self-inflicted, and there is
no going back" 

"Very well, the choice was yours, and freely made. Why return now?" 
There was no sound from the other end for a long time, but LaCroix knew
she remained on the line. 

"The threatened end of the world has a way of forcing one to take a look
at what is most important." She gave a short laugh. "Who would have
imagined that one...falling rock from space could make one see the error
of one's ways. Perhaps there is something to the Mortal's God after
all." 

"God?" he scoffed. "There is no God. The concept of God is an excuse for
men...and women...not to take responsibility for their own actions.
There is only us and them, and we all hold our destinies in our own
hands. We make our own choices...and mistakes." 

"Yes. You are right. We make our own choices, and we must live with the
consequences of them." There was another long pause. "It is time,
Lucius."

****************************************************************************
**********
Chapter Eleven


As Aurina sat before the piano, the occasional breeze from the
open French doors caused tendrils of hair to dance across the flesh of her
back, left bare by the low cut of the gown. She did not turn around when
LaCroix landed on the balcony and entered the penthouse. She had been
expecting him. 

"I see you haven't lost your talent for music, my dear," LaCroix
said when she had played the final note of Chopin's Nocturne # 9. He
stepped more fully into the room. "It was in the solarium of Duke William
that I last heard you play. Or should I say King William. It was after all
his victory celebration." His tone was even, and deceptive in its
lightness, but his tightly controlled anger was all too apparent in his
voice's steadily deepening huskiness. "But it was the harp then, was it
not? The memory fades after such a long time." 

"You are correct. How nice of you to remember," she drawled in a
voice filled with sweetness. 

Both heads whipped towards the door as Nasir rushed into the room
to stand by Aurina's side. 

LaCroix lifted an amused brow in the direction of the man. "Does
he really think he can protect you from me?" 

"Do I need protecting?" 

"That remains to be seen," LaCroix answered before he directed his
attention back towards Nasir. "Go," he ordered, but Nasir remained rooted
next to Aurina. LaCroix's eyes narrowed. "I said leave. NOW!" LaCroix's
voice had lowered to a feral growl. 

Nasir did nothing, only continued to stare cautiously at LaCroix.
When LaCroix took a step forward, so did Nasir. Aurina reached out and
stopped Nasir, grabbing him by the forearm. "Go. It will be all right," she
assured him, speaking in ancient Arabic. "I will send for you." Nasir
turned his head and searched the eyes of his mistress. She nodded and gave
him a slight smile. His face remained impassive, as he dipped his head
once, turned and left the room. 

"You should not give promises you cannot keep." His voice held an
unmistakable note of bitterness, until with a sniff it was gone.
"Nevertheless you have him well-trained. He would give his life....such as
it is...for you." 

"Yes," Aurina replied softly. "I know he would." She turned on the
bench and faced LaCroix. She rose to her feet. "This is not his dispute. It
is mine." 

"It was foolish of me to allow you to bring him across," LaCroix
said as he continued to look at the now closed and deserted doorway. 

The remark brought a small smile to Aurina's lips. 

"But then again, you have always done as you liked." Finally, he
turned his head towards her. "And I permitted you to. I suppose that makes
me an even bigger fool." 

An expression of disgust filled LaCroix's face as his eyes raked
the length of her silk-clad body. His eyes registered no other sentiment as
he took in the loose, flame colored hair that cascaded in wild abandon over
neck and shoulders left bare by the thin straps of the white gown, or the
two parallel, high-cut side slits that threatened to reveal more than they
concealed. "The centuries have been kind to you." 

The side of her mouth lifted. "And to you, General. And to you." 

LaCroix circled the expansive sitting room, seeming to closely
examine the antiques and artwork that spoke of a long and well-traveled
life. His impeccably tailored black attire both contrasted and complemented
the room's white decor. Everything in the room had been designed and chosen
for comfort, chosen to be both pleasing to the eye and the body. LaCroix
picked up a silver, jewel encrusted, rectangular box. He opened it and
silently read the inscription. He closed the lid. "I see you too, have
spent some time in the Russias." His tone held only a mild, if not
completely, feigned interest. 

"Yes. The Tsarina Catherine was very generous." 

He set the box back on the mantel. "Anything less would have been
unforgivable. One Empress to another as it were," he jeered. 

Aurina ignored the barb. "Ah, but Peter the First was even more
so." 

Again LaCroix allowed his eyes to graze disdainfully over her. "As
I'm sure you were." 

"As much as I could be," Aurina returned with an impish grin. She
walked over to a service cart that sat near one end of the large, plush
sofa. "May I offer you something to drink?" She removed the top from a
heavy crystal decanter clouded crimson by its contents. 

LaCroix did not answer right away. Instead, he slowly advanced
towards her, stopping so close that Aurina was forced to tilt her head all
the way back in order to maintain eye contact, which she did unflinchingly.
LaCroix stood more than a head taller than she, so the position also pushed
her neck up and forward. A slow, lazy, but nonetheless menacing grin formed
on his lips, as he dropped his eyes from hers to drift along the tender,
white flesh of her throat, and back again. "Not just yet." 

When he moved to stand behind her, Aurina was hard-pressed not to
smile "I see such burning hatred in your eyes. I pray that it is not I who
has put it there." 

"Hatred would imply an emotion." He prowled around behind her. "I
have none, particularly where you are concerned." 

She felt the rise and fall of his chest as he drew in a deep
breath. "Why have you returned, Aurina? What is it that you want?" 

"I would have thought it was obvious." Anger rolled off of him in
waves, yet she made no attempt to move away. 

"Enlighten me," he leaned over her right shoulder and growled into
her ear. "And do not think of continuing with this ridiculous nonsense
about the threatened end of the world causing you to re-think your
actions." 

"Oh, but it's quite true, Lucius. That hoax simply forced the
issue home." She turned to face him. "I have truly missed you. " 

"A realization you came to after ten centuries?" 

"No." She held his gaze with her own. "I have missed you ever
since the night that I left." She looked away, and then back. "But I had to
go." She turned and started across the room. 

"Ah, yes, for my sake, wasn't it?" 

She glanced back at him across her shoulder. "A great man once
said to me, [that it is our nature to roam through the world and wander
throughout time, progressing from one life into the next. And as much as we
may not want it, there comes a time for us to move on, to step into the
boundaries of the next life. If we resist and refuse to change and grow, we
become stagnant, and behind stagnancy, follows death.]" She stopped and
turned fully back to him. "It was my time to move on." 

"Together, we were supposed to remain together. I would have given
you the world...taken you anywhere you wanted to go." For less than a split
second, before he could blink it away, an expression of immeasurable
anguish flashed through his eyes. 

"Perhaps, but ultimately we always ended up where you wanted to
go," Aurina continued. She wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she was
not foolish enough to think that it would have been welcomed, at least not
yet. 

"Aurelian, Ardashir, Khosrau, Alaric, Attila, Gupta, Tang, Khalid,
Soga, Hugh Capet, Charlemagne, al-Hajjaj, William of Normandy-. For nearly
a millennium, Lucius, I followed you from one war to the next. I watched
you guide lesser men to victory. You reveled in the planning and execution
of the World's greatest revolutions, conquests, and persecutions. And it
was indeed glorious." 

Her smile was both sad and proud. "You, Rome's greatest General,
were made for battle. But I was not. I longed to see what else the Mortal
world had to offer besides its incessant propensity for self-destruction. I
grew weary of it all." 

"Weary?" LaCroix scoffed. "You did not seem *weary* as you rode at
my side onto the field of battle or victory." He ran the tip of his finger
along the back of the brocaded sofa as he started to pace. "Or when
together we drained the remnants of life from the vanquished." 

"And so many vanquished there were." She sighed wistfully. 

"Yes, and you were just as exhilarated as I by their abundance." 

"For the first seven hundred years or so, perhaps." She raised her
gaze back to his. "But in time, I began to regret the gift of Eternity you
chose to share with me. I began to think about all what I had left behind,
when I chose to come with you. So instead of walking into the sun, I chose
to leave. I could not ask you to come with me and give up all that loved so
much." She dropped her eyes and then looked back. "Had I only known the
difficulty of it all." 

LaCroix stopped in his pacing and faced her. "Oh well, I at least
hope that the gain was worth the price." His tone was casual, but his hands
crushed the cushions that lay beneath them. 

"As with most things in life...the objective is rarely worth the
cost." 

LaCroix quirked a brow. "Tis a pity then." 

"Quite." Turning her back to him, Aurina resumed her course across
the room. "Tell me, Lucius, can you honestly say that in all this time you
have not missed me?" 

"Yes, and rather easily. You have nothing I need or want any
longer." 

"Not even your son?" 

LaCroix's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What do you mean?" 

"Nicholas, of course." She glanced back over her shoulder. "What
if I can return your son...our son...to you?" 

"What makes you think I need you to get Nicholas back?" 

"As you must realize by now, Nicholas cannot be forced, but he can
be lead. And who better to lead him back to his Father than his Mother." 

In an instant, LaCroix was upon her. He reached out and grabbed a
fistful of her hair, whirling her around and jerking her head back. Had she
been mortal, the force of it would have easily snapped her neck in two. But
all it did was cause Aurina enough discomfort to get her undivided
attention. 

Aurina's first reaction was instinctive. With a low snarl, she
turned on her attacker, eyes blazing gold and fangs bared. 

LaCroix caught her wrist before she could strike him across the
face, his own fangs descending and eyes changing. Releasing her hair, he
shoved her against the wall and grabbed her by the throat. He lowered his
face to within inches of hers, and hissed, Your son?" 

"Surely you did not think that I would not immediately recognize
him for who he is? Just as you did all those years ago?" Aurina grated
angrily through clenched teeth, pulling at the iron grip at her neck. She
closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath. 

When she again opened her eyes, they had returned to their normal
green and her fangs had ascended. She cocked her head to the side. "Tell
me, General, what made you chose Nicolas de Brabant? A minor nobleman from
an obscure region in France?" Her hands lay lightly on top of the one that
covered her throat. She no longer made any attempt to pry it loose. "You
must admit he was not your usual choice of associate. He was neither king
nor conqueror, just some unknown knight on his way home from fighting in
the Crusades." 

LaCroix's mouth tightened. "Nicholas belongs to me." He emphasized
each word with tightening of his hand around her neck. "I made him." 

"You made him what he is now. Yes. But you have yet to answer
why." She closed her eyes briefly in pain, when her neck was again
constricted in his grasp. "Shall I answer for you?" She looked directly
into his eyes. "Nicholas is of my blood." She paused. "Indeed, you made him
what he is, but it was I who bore the child who would sire his
forefathers." A slow smile curved her mouth. "No. You did not miss me. Why
should you? You carried a part of me with you and have tried to keep a
strangle hold on it ever since." 

Aurina felt his nails bite into the soft flesh of her neck, as she
was lifted more than half of a foot off of the floor to his eye level. She
felt the sharp nails pierce her skin and droplets of blood slid downward to
pool in the well of her collarbone. 

The scent of blood flooded LaCroix's nostrils, penetrating his
violent rage. It was the scent of her blood. The haze of red faded, and his
eyes focused. As if in a trance, LaCroix followed the slow path of those
drops. He leaned forward and using the tip of his tongue lapped at that
small pool. He tasted her anger and her fear. Although she showed no
outward sign of it, and she shielded that emotion from him, she was afraid,
as she should have been. 

He was inflamed by the blood's sweetness. Running through her body
it had become infused with her essence. That sweet essence that he had
thought lost to him forever and had tasted only in the shadows of his
imagination. 

His mind was also filled with images. He went where she had gone;
saw what she had seen. He tasted and experienced her joys and ecstasies.
And he wanted more, even the longing that matched his own. 

Aurina slid slowly to the floor when LaCroix removed his hand from
her throat. He roughly moved his tongue up over the four crescent shaped
wounds. He was intoxicated by her scent, the taste of her flesh. Aurina
smiled triumphantly, closed her golden eyes and leaned into him, her head
tilted to the side offering him unlimited access. Cradling the back of his
head in her hands, she drew him closer. "That's it, my love, Drink," she
whispered. 

He sucked hard at the rapidly closing wounds. "No !" He violently
jerked himself away, turning his back to her. He squeezed his amber colored
eyes closed, as he fought the urge to let his fangs descend. It took a long
moment for him to regain his composure. 

He whirled to face her, his blue eyes ablaze with anger. "I should
kill you for that." 

"For what? Encouraging you to take what is already yours?" Her
position remained the same as it was a moment before. She still stood with
her back pressed against the wall, waiting. 

"Mine?" he scorned. 

"Always, Lucius, always," she told him. "If it is you true desire
to kill me, I do not have the power to stop you." 

"No, you do not." 

"But know this," Aurina continued as if he had not spoken. "We are
irrevocably a part of one another. Neither time nor distance and not even
death can deny that. I am forever a part of you just as you are forever a
part of me." 

LaCroix turned and moved away from her, his head lowered in
thought. After a long moment, he turned back and approached her. He stared
down into her eyes as he reached out and twined a lock of her hair around
his finger, and then to caress her cheek. 

"As always, you remain far more magnificent than Venus herself." 

Cradling her face in the palm of his hand, he lowered his mouth to
hers. He kissed her tenderly at first and then much more deeply. 

LaCroix drew away slowly. His eyes searched hers. "Yes, you are a
part of me." 

As his eyes changed and his voice deepened, he fisted his hand in
her hair. "But it is a part that I shall rip out and destroy." He released
her with the flick of his wrist, and brushed past her, heading towards the
balcony. He stopped. "Even if takes the rest of Eternity to do it." With
those words, and the rustle of the curtains, he flew off into the night. 

Aurina laughed. "Oh no, General, it will not be that easy. This is
one battle you cannot win. I will not let you. I've learned my tactics from
the Master." Aurina turned from the empty balcony to look at Nasir, who
stood in the doorway between the sitting room and the outer apartment. She
smiled. "I have decided that I want to again be by your side. And you
always abide by my decisions. And you will this one, only you don't know it
yet." 

END TEMPESTS: BOOK ONE


I Can Be Found At: Gaelin@rocketmail.com or Gaelin_W@webtv.net.