Sylvie

A mild concerned look came over Sylvie for a couple of seconds, “Jester and Amos.  That will be an interesting reunion.”  Feeling Casey tighten her grip, Sylvie confidently looked at her partner. “Not like that.  Amos and Jester don’t particularly care for one another.  Conflict of personalities.”  Sylvie took direct command, “At least we have to contend with Amos and Alan this evening.”  She took a breath, “Martin, leave something to record the events tonight, I want to review it.”

Imbued with a tiny bit of blood that Sylvie didn’t think about, the contacts Sylvie had forgotten existed began to send green check marks in her vision seconds before Sylvie heard Code’s voice. “Experimental mode for visual and audio recording available for use with ten percent blood reserve.”  Code paused, “Continuing prior query for odd news..”

“Code stop!”  Sylvie blurted and accidentally startled Martin. “Sorry, Martin.  Somehow these contacts activated and I can record the stuff myself.” 

Tilting his head to the side, Martin swirled his finger in a small circle. “Was that the little green lights I just saw?  That’s wicked.”

“Just a little gift from Kody.”  She winked, “I guess I can use these and they will be none the wiser.”  Sylvie touched the flower that somehow appeared in her hair, then graciously thanked her ward. “Martin, You are the best.”  Temporarily, Sylvie pulled herself away from Casey’s grip and gave Martin another hug. “You go on and finish what you need to do, I know you are busy.”  Sylvie added, “I know you offered, but I want to put this in writing so to speak.”  Sylvie looked at Casey, then back to Martin. “Listen to her commands as though they were my own, subject to change only by me.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”  Martin grinned wide, “Welcome to the small family, Mistress Rivers.”  Bowing a final time to both vampires, Martin headed back to the loading dock. “Mistress?”  Martin waited for Sylvie to acknowledge him, “ I left the proposal for ‘In The Dark’ that I discussed with you on your desk.  Let me know if you want to take a chance on it.”

“Will do.”  Sylvie waited for Martin to disappear from view before walking Casey to the front bar. “I am not a fan of my maker showing up.”  Opening a small cooler marked private, Sylvie pulled two bright red bottles out and twisted the caps off then handed one to Casey. “We aren’t exactly the best of friends these days.”  Drinking some of the blood in the bottle to soothe her aching throat, Sylvie set the bottle on the bar and shook her head, “We haven’t spoken since before Phantasmagoria opened.”

Holding the bottle under her nose to relish the aromatic scent that percolated out, Casey tipped the bottle to her crimson lips and allowed the thick iron-rich flavor to cool her own throat.  Taking down about half the bottle, Casey licked her lips playfully. “Ahh.  Good stuff.”  Trying to lighten Sylvie’s mood. “Oh come on, it can’t be that bad?”  She set her bottle beside Sylvie’s and leaned back against the dark wood. “No secrets, so tell me what happened.”

“Short version?  He was much like Vivienne.  He thought that Phantasmagoria was a rotten idea and would make the city reliant on vampires to survive.”  Sylvie shrugged and took another drink from her blood bottle. “What I mean is that he hated the idea so much, that he actively went to the council and tried to show his point.”  Frustration in thinking about the past made the elder vampire pinch the bridge of her nose. “What he didn’t know was that Franco was involved and the head of the regional council, so his protest fell on deaf ears.”

Deep within her mind and body, Casey felt the struggle that Sylvie was trying to explain.  Walking to her partner, Casey lightly rubbed Sylvie’s back. “I know hindsight is terrible, but it looks like the guy was right.  He might not have nailed exactly what would happen, but he did get close.”  Reaching for Sylvie’s chin, Casey urged Sylvie to look at her. “If he’s coming with this dude Alan, I doubt it’s to rub your face in failure.  He could have done that days after the attack.”

Swiftly tilting her head down, Sylvie managed to kiss Casey’s soft hand. “Thank you.”  Sylvie tugged Casey close to her by the belt loops on her jeans, “How is it that you know more than I do, and I’m two-hundred and seventy-five years old?”

Happy to once more be within Sylvie’s arms, Casey walked her hands up and over her partner’s shoulders and into the blue-gray locks. “Mmm, I am not really sure.  I have an oddball artist mother, who will tell you every practical thing in the world.”  Casey twisted a few strands of Sylvie’s hair, “Based on what happened with Viv, I think, I was kind of a party girl.”  Casey placed a delicate kiss on Sylvie’s nose. “I don’t honestly remember, the fog is still there.”

Intensely feeling the charged air between them and seeing the soft gold look in Casey’s eyes, Sylvie’s light anxiety disappeared and was replaced with the desire to kiss her girlfriend. “We’ve been skirting this for a few hours now.”  Drifting her lips over Casey’s ruby-colored lips, Sylvie stopped so her hot breath could pass between the couple. “Only if you are ready, Paramour.”  Sylvie whispered soft as silk.

Content to let Sylvie take her into their first romantic kiss, Casey’s melodic mind erupted with an older song that she instantly recalled her mother playing.  Rather than first delving headlong into the kiss that she knew she wanted, Something within Casey told her to let the soft tune from her lips to Sylvie’s.

-Jackie Wilson..good call Rivers. Mmm..Higher and higher, let her know how you feel.-

“Oh..mmm, my Châtelain..”  Casey’s coaxing murmur escaped her lips, “Nothing would please me more..”  Casey began to lightly croon the lyrics pulsing in her head;

“..I'm so glad, I've finally found you
Yes that one, in a million girls
And I whip, my loving arms around you, honey
I can stand up, and face the world
Let me tell ya, your love (your love keeps lifting me)
Keep on lifting (love keeps lifting me)
Higher (lifting me)
Higher and higher (higher)
I said your love (your love keeps lifting me)
Keep on (love keeps lifting me)
Lifting me (lifting me)
Higher and higher (higher)..”

Once Casey reached the end of her impassioned song, she nodded to her creator and lightly bit Sylvie’s partly pouty lower lip. “Ready when you are..” 

Unlike the hyper-sexual tension that Sylvie saw and experienced for Vivienne and Faye at the beginning of their lightning bolt relationship, Sylvie had the benefit and detriment of knowing exactly how experienced Casey was in the realm of love and passion.  While Sylvie had little flashes of heat running the length of her nerves, She didn’t want to do what others had done and make this special moment a blip in history.  

-Just do what you’ve been doing, be yourself…Oh, that bite!  Sun above she’s amazing.-

Worry turned to a white-hot flame when Sylvie had the feeling of her lip being teased.  Sliding her hands from Casey’s waist and along her slender body, Sylvie stopped when she reached the nape of Casey’s neck and massaged lightly as she dropped her fangs into place with a soft click.  Finally touching their lips together, Sylvie suckled Casey’s lower lip while making sure that her sharp fangs lightly scraped Casey’s tender flesh.  Hearing the pleasurable moan coming deep from Casey’s chest, Sylvie took a second to use the small amount of blood that came from her fang-play.  Spreading the ardently charged plasma over both their lips, Sylvie gracefully pushed herself into their first kiss.  Easily swirling her tongue with Casey’s, Sylvie moved her head and mouth so that her fangs grazed and scratched her girlfriend’s supple digit.