CHAPTER 26

"Seth? What is wrong?" Jennifer asked, her hand casually sliding up and down her crossed thighs. He had been pacing back and forth for the past twenty minutes, muttering incoherently under his breath.

"Who's Gabriel?" She asked, finally catching a decipherable clue. She was taken aback at the seething hatred in his eyes when he glared at her.

"Gabriel," he forced out through gritted teeth, "is the bastard who sired me." He closed his eyes and deliberately took several unneeded breaths before opening his eyes slowly. "And he is a dead man."

He melted into the loveseat next to her and closed his eyes. The silence stretched for several minutes and Jennifer was able to study the shockingly handsome features of the vicious killer next to her. She couldn’t hide the smile that touched her lips at the paradoxical figure before her. Though they had just met technically a handful of hours ago, Jennifer couldn’t help but notice the sense of familiarity that the vampire conveyed in her. He was filled with an infectious boisterousness but underneath it all simmered a quiet rage that was extremely volatile, apt to explode any second. But now, as his body molded to the lines of the chair, he looked so calm and peaceful, no signs of the killer he was visible on his nearly flawless skin.

"What do you know about time travel?" he asked, causing her to jump. His eyes remained closed however as he enunciated every word with precision. "Not the H.G. Wells shit. I mean the real deal. The opening of cosmic portals type shit."

Jennifer's eyebrows creased as she was caught off guard by the line of questioning. The point of fact was that she did know a bit about dimensional travel through time. That was one of the reasons she was so interested in Dawn. The potential that lay within her blood was limitless. If everything went as planned, she would have that power at her fingertips.

"Well," she began, mindful of her words, "it requires someone of extraordinary power to harness the energies of whatever tool is necessary to open the portal," if a tool is necessary, she added silently. "Also, the power drain of the individual would be incredible. In all likelihood, the person's life force would be completely absorbed, in effect killing them. I've been around since…well awhile, and I've only witnessed one successful attempt that didn’t kill the host. Of course," she added ruefully, "said individual was thrown into a catatonic state for the remainder of his natural life."

Seth sighed in annoyance. "No, not the actual ritual or whatever the hell it is that's needed. I mean…" he paused, searching for the right words. Finally, he opened his eyes and continued. "I'm trying to understand it in the 'screwing with the whole order of things' way."

Jennifer cocked her head towards him and studied his eyes. "What are you getting at?" She sat up, concentrating her mental energies on him. Though his thoughts were shrouded to her, she could gauge his mood. It was all there. Anger. Frustration. Despair. Hope. And fear…

"Seth, what is it? What aren't you telling me?"

He smiled tiredly and pushed himself up. Seth walked in front of her and kneeled down in front of her. This close, he couldn’t help but feel the magnetic pull of her. It took all his will power not to ravage her where she sat.

"You know how I've been hell-bent on getting my slayer, right?"

She nodded. "The one called Faith, am I right?"

"Yes, her name is Faith, all right but she is not the same Faith that is from this time." Gabriel had filled him in on some of the more poignant aspects of the time as a precaution. Always prepared was his sire's motto, though he was far from a Boy Scout.

"What are you saying? That she is from another time?" Jennifer looked at him incredulously. She knew it was possible but the girl in the other room was the only being, at least in theory, which could accomplish temporal travel through portals with impunity. Jennifer was hard pressed to hide her excitement over the possibilities…

"From the future, to be exact," he informed her. "Actually, about forty years in the future. The same as me."

Despite all that she was and the things she had seen Jennifer couldn’t help being somewhat surprised. She had realized when he had first come over to her table that there was something different about him. His essence was not quite in sync with the dimensional vibrations of this world. She had assumed that he had been transplanted from some parallel dimension or something to that effect. Traveling through time, as she had told him, was very strenuous, not only on the caster but the traveler as well. Even with the proper fulcrum to open the door as she theorized Dawn to be, most beings could never survive the trip through the gate. It was much more unconventional than moving between dimensions as it tore at the very fabrics of reality unlike any dimensional gate ever could.

Jennifer parted her lips to speak when something clicked.

"What?" Seth asked, noting the virtually imperceptible widening of her eyes.

"That girl, the Summers child," she said in hushed tones. "She was the one who sent you here." Though it wasn’t quite a question, Seth could read the slight uncertainty in her tone. His eyebrows wrinkled and his head slumped.

"Yeah. That’s her all right. My Emerald," he said, the last two words barely above a whisper.

Though she remained calm on the outside, Jennifer could not harness her racing thoughts. So it was true! This girl, the slayer’s sister, was not only the Key to other dimensions but she was also a portal through time. The implications of it all were stunning and Jennifer couldn’t help but salivate at the opportunities this presented to her. Forgetting about Seth, she smiled evilly.

"This is unbelievable. I knew she was powerful but this is even more than I can hope for. With her as a vessel, I can transcend time itself…" she trailed off, lost in the revelry of the potential evil she could displace.

Seth glanced up at the woman next to him, perplexed at her changing demeanor. He wanted to ask her about it but the mention of Emerald’s name only fuelled his desire to gain his retribution against Gabriel; the man that had taken the only person he ever loved away.

"Jennifer," he said sharply.

The dark beauty snapped her head towards him, her thoughts of destruction interrupted. She stared into the determined eyes of the man before her.

"I apologize Seth. Now what was it…"

"Time travel," he said impatiently. "Or more specifically the effects one can have on the future timeline. Not on a grand scale, but more on an individual basis."

"Do you mean…"

Again he cut her off. "Say I want some payback for what Pops did to me. Will I go all Marty McFly…?

"And disappear?" She cut in with a smile. Seth couldn’t help to smile back and for the umpteenth time he noticed the smooth succulent curves of her lips. He shook off the building reservoir of lust pushing forward and nodded.

Jennifer could sense the burgeoning desire forming between them and she wanted nothing more than to give into it right now. It had been too long and she hadn't been with a man in a truly human body in ages, much less this one. It would be like her first time…No that can wait, she told herself. She wouldn’t rush anything with her goal being so close to fruition.

"No," she said simply.

Several motions passed over Seth’s face at her answer. Triumph and bloodlust mixed with fear and confusion that finally culminated in disbelief.

"So what you’re saying is that I can have a gay old time torturing my old man and not get the cosmic shaft, so to speak?" he couldn’t hide the hope that crept into his voice.

"You are correct."

"But how?" He stood and paced in front of her. "I mean, isn't that like rule number one of the time traveler's creed: Don’t fuck with the past."

Jennifer smirked at the vampire's less than refined attitude. Of course, that was the reason she found him so intriguing.

"Well that's how it make work on television, but in the real world, it's completely different."

"How so?"

"Television assumes that when you travel through time, you remain a part of the original time stream. It's a logical assumption but an inaccurate one. What happens in reality is that you are totally dissociated from your originating timeline and supplanted into whichever one you currently occupy."

"Just so you know," Seth said, taking the seat next to her, "I never was a fan of Star Trek. So, if you can dumb down the explanation just a tad."

She laughed softly at his candor. Folding her leg underneath her, Jennifer turned to the vampire and began again. "When you travel through a temporal gate, you are no longer part of that time. You become a part of the time that you are in. In your case now, instead of…" she waited for him to fill in the time gap.

"Twenty-forty five. So what you're saying is that no matter what actions I take, nothing will affect my existence?" He was beginning to understand the slight nuance of it all.

"Well, not exactly."

"What you do mean 'not exactly'? I thought you said…"

"I said," she cut in harshly, starting to get a bit annoyed, "that you will not be affected in this time. However, if you do travel back to your original time, whatever you altered in the past may very well alter your future self. Maybe even to the point of non-existence."

Seth leaned back in the chair, absently flexing his still-singed forearm. He had absorbed everything Jennifer had said and it was a lot to process. The ramifications of it all were unbelievable. If all this were true, he could deliver the fatal blow to Gabriel without lifting a single finger against him. It wasn’t his ideal method for vengeance but sometimes you had to adapt.

"So," he began cautiously, "what you're saying is that I can pretty much kill any and everything associated me, kill my old man before he even sprouts me and not be affected by the backlash. But, that only holds up if I stay here and not return to my own time. Am I right?"

"That about sums it up," she smiled.

In the blink of an eye, Seth was at the door. Jennifer was taken aback at how fast he could move. Damn human body, she thought. Forgot the limitations I have in it.

"Where are you going?" She asked, walking to him. When he turned around, the human part of her cringed in fear at the maniacal glint in his eyes though the better part of her reveled in the evil that was in his stare.

"Gonna recruit some more demons. Some real demons, not some piss-ant vamps." He walked over to her and cupped her cheek in his hand before ravaging her lips with his. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue violently probed her. Though his fear of her was abated, Jennifer could still taste the apprehension on him. His free hand cupped roughly at her most intimate parts and she squirmed from the combination of the pleasure and pain. As she felt the pleasure mount, Seth abruptly let go. He smiled at her desirous-laced scent and the flush of her cheeks. It was the first time that she had looked vulnerable in any way. This encouraged him and his thoughts for later in the night were filled with intimate details of a potential confrontation with a less than fully clothed Jennifer...

Seth dropped his hands from her and walked through the door. He turned one more time and smiled at her.

"I'm gonna change history," he said before disappearing into the night.

***

Disgusted, Seth threw the exsanguinated corpse to the ground on top of the other two bodies. Repressing his demon, he angrily wiped his bloodstained mouth with the back of his hand. He had stormed out of Jennifer's place in a relatively good mood. However, the lonely walk into the night was enough to sully his mood once more. Emerald's devotion to Gabriel was what prevented Seth from being with the only person he had ever loved in his entire miserable existence. And even if his plan worked and it wiped Gabriel from the face of existence, the memories would always be there. The things he had done with Emerald didn’t mean nearly as much when thinking about her doing the same things with Gabriel. A part of Seth knew that it wasn’t fair, that she had given him to Gabriel to save his life. She had made the greatest sacrifice for him and yet all he could see was Gabriel touching her, caressing her, fucking her.

He stalked through the empty streets, trying his best to quell the intimate visions of Emerald in the throes of passion with his sire. He had never thought at length about it all until now. The ten years since he had been turned had been spent caddying around the globe as Gabriel's right hand, creating order in chaos. The fact of the matter was that after he had first been turned, he rarely saw his goddess.

What? Did you think she took an oath of chastity just because she couldn’t have you anymore? His demon goaded. Do you think you were that good? That she would never touch another man because you had spoiled her? The borrowed blood in the vampire's veins bubbled in frustration at the truth and derisive tone of his inner voice. What had he expected? That they would be reunited and live happily ever after?

Get a grip, old boy, Seth thought. One thing he had avoided his whole life on the streets was the notion of feeling sorry for himself. He was always surrounded with people having things he didn’t but he never brooded about it. From an early age, he learned that you had to take what you wanted. And if it hurt someone else in the process? Fuck 'em. It had agreed with him yet now it was different. Not having anything from the start made it impossible to lose anything of value. But now, that he had a taste of happiness that his mind refused to let go of…well, it didn’t sit too well with him that someone else was responsible for taking that away.

And no one took anything away from Seth without suffering the consequences. He was Death's Head and he would mete out his revenge.

His rant was halted when the tingling ran up his back. "What the fuck?" He whispered as he walked toward the disturbance. Seth peered down the alley that the vibes were coming from only to be greeted by shadowy forms scurrying about through the trash that littered the concrete.

"Rats," he muttered but still couldn’t take his mind off the weird sensation crawling over him. It wasn’t unpleasant in the least but was more of an invitation of sorts. Deciding to further investigate, the vampire cautiously made his way into the alley and five steps later he passed through the barrier.

"Cool," he whispered. This was definitely a cloaked establishment. Seth had heard of them but this was his first time being in one. Gabriel had told him that such places were hidden as such to give demons shelters from slayers and other unsavory demon hunters.

"This is a demon bar," the bartender shouted in disgust, "no half-breeds." Seth's surprise took a backseat to amusement at the slug-like creature's disdain. And the way the other patrons eyed him suspiciously and with various arrays of loathing, he knew the bartender wasn’t the only one to share that sentiment.

"What?" Seth asked in his most innocent voice, opening his arms in acceptance. "Do you guys have some sort of problem with vampires?" He watched several dozen sets of eyes narrow at him as a few of the larger demons rose and purposefully strode towards him. "Guess that answers my question," he muttered in sheer glee. Finally a real challenge, he thought as he eyed the three burly Jct'ar demons moving toward him.

Now, how should I play this? Seth knew enough about Jct'ar demons not to take them for granted. Of course, they couldn’t kill him but with their battering ram heads and pointed hooves…well, he didn’t want to get too marked up before the big night at the Bronze coming up.

"Vhgo now," the leader spoke in what Seth barely recognized as English. Jct'ar's weren't the greatest linguists in the world, rarely able to grasp more than a dozen words from a language other than their native tongue. That was odd in itself when Jct'ars themselves were highly intelligent. Well, at least the leader of a Triumph was. Speaking of Triumphs, Jct'ars always traveled in groups of five and since there were only three in front of him, then that must mean…

"Shit," he muttered under his breath. He had scarcely sensed the two Jct'ar's that rolled up behind him through the cloaked door. Damn cloak, fuckin' with my senses, he cursed. He sighed heavily, the plan already formed in his head. Though he wasn’t worried about taking on a Triumph of Jct'ars, he was certain that he'd come out of the brawl unscathed especially when one considered Jct'ars were trained to fight as a team from an early age. Though they kept to themselves for the most part, not too keen on the carnage other demons reveled in; if provoked, however, they were an extremely unpleasant lot to deal with.

Seth's smile broadened as a new idea spurned in his head. These Jct'ars were quite possibly just the things he was looking for. With the dispatch of Primal and his gang, he and Jennifer were lacking in the minion department. And with everything that was to go down in the next day or so, they'd need some backup. One slayer, he could handle, even two (of course little Ms. Faith would probably cower like a little lamb, as always). But throw in a vampire and two witches, one of whom had a potential that rivaled Gabriel…he had to admit that it would be a tall order even for him.

"So, Gents, how's the drinking? Going down nice and smooth I hope. I mean, with all those nasty follicles in your esophagus, it's a small miracle that you can eat at all." All five demons snorted angrily while Seth only smirked. For reasons unknown to Seth, Jct'ars were a tad sensitive about their abhorrent appearance. Hell, I guess I would be too, if I looked like them.

"Okay, okay," Seth said backing up, his hands held up in peace. He stopped just short of backing into the two sentries behind him. He was in the perfect position to demonstrate his dominance if need be.

"So I guess that'd be a 'no' to any sort of pleasantries. Fine. Not one for small talk myself." All joviality disappeared from the vampire's gait and his eyes narrowed, a glint of yellow dashed with green passing through them.

"Here's the deal. You five…things do what I tell you to do," he smirked as they bristled with anger at his derogatory reference to them. "If you do that, I'll let you keep your dignity."

The five demons laughed heartily. Evidently, their lack of linguistic speech did nothing to hinder their understanding of words.

Seth merely smiled, forcing his muscles to relax. He knew it was pointless to talk as action spoke a hell of a lot louder than words. Still, he’d try one more time.

"Well, I’m glad you think it’s funny," He walked up to the leader and glared into the purple eyes of the seven foot tall beast as best he could. When he next spoke, his voice took on a tone that sent chills down the spine of the demons that were close enough to hear it. It was filled with the promise of pain and torture in ways even their demonic minds were unable to comprehend.

"But will you think its funny when I rip those substandard horns out your skull and fuck you with ‘em 'til you say you love me?" The laughter ceased immediately and the look of rage on the leader’s face was priceless. Seth closed his eyes for a split second, tuning himself into their auras. Won’t do much good to kill them, now will it? He knew they could take a beating but he also knew he had a habit of getting out of hand.

"Vhfuck you!" the leader spat, craning his neck toward the vampire. It was just what Seth had been waiting for.

With speed that even startled him, Seth sent an uppercut to the creature’s windpipe, its most vulnerable area. The remaining four stared in amazement at their leader crumpled in disbelief. It took a second for them to react to their fallen leader but when they did, it was as a team.

The Jct’ar closest to Seth let loose a primal roar before letting fly a hate-filled right cross that the vampire ducked easily. Unfortunately for Seth, the other Jct'ar facing him crashed its knee into the vampire's face. Momentarily dazed, Seth stumbled into the two demons at his back. His confusion was quickly eliminated as two hoofed claws ripped into his back.

Seth howled as the pain coursed through him. It was quickly overshadowed by the anger that surged through him, raising his demon to the surface as the third Jct'ar connected with Seth's chin, sending the vampire's blood everywhere.

The force of the blow sent the vampire careening into a nearby table, sending tatters of wood and alcohol into the air. Seth grimaced as a shard of the table impaled itself into his right leg.

Well, guess falling into a piece of wood isn't the same as being staked, he thought, amusedly. With a quick twist and pull, the vampire ripped the splinter from his thigh and staggered to his feet. He felt the four demons at his back, waiting rather patiently.

"Gotta hand it to ya, boys," he said, rising from the debris. "You really pack a punch." He stood to his full height, back turned to the Jct’ar. The rest of the bar however was in view of the downed vampire and they all gasped when they saw his face. Seth only smiled and whirled around toward his attackers.

Despite their virtual fearlessness, the Jct’ar demons couldn’t help but take a step back at the thing that stared back at them. The handsomely angular features of Seth had dissolved into a visage far more pronounced than the traditional vampire lumpies.

Where his nose should have been jutted two horns that bisected his line of vision. The bones in his jaw looked to have shifted through the skin and clung tightly to his face not unlike a wild boar. Three rows of teeth snapped open and closed at them, blood congealing between the grooves as he slowly advanced on them. His skin had taken on a marble glean and his tattooed arms were lined with bony protrusions culminating in four inch talons. But as horrific as it all was his eyes were what had the blood of the demons running cold.

Though they were little more than angry slits, the coldness and evil pouring from Seth’s bright red/jaundiced yellow eyes was something that even a demon was loathe to face. There was an absence of everything remotely human or demon alike. It was akin to gazing into Hell itself.

Craning his neck from side to side (mostly for effect) Seth smiled hideously at the four unnerved demons. Rarely did he ever change into his true nature, content on retaining his human features when feeding, something only a few vampires had ever been able to do. Not only was it more personal, but it also cut down on the mess as well as the pain associated with his bones rearranging. Thus, he never tired of the reaction his vampiric mask.

"What?" he asked, arms spread in mock-exasperation, "haven’t you guys seen a vampire before?"

"Vd’sua’ta," the closest Jct’ar whispered, its husky voice tinged with apprehension. Their once steely resolve threatened to buckle under the gaze of evil incarnate before them.

Seth figured that their paralysis meant one of two things. Either they would attack him in frenzy and he would have to kill them, or they would bow in supplication to him. He sighed. Neither option was acceptable since he did need them for the ritual and at the same time he was in a fighting mood. So, being the problem-solver that he was, Seth did the only sensible thing; he attacked.

Reigning in his claws, Seth slammed his fist into the face of the nearest Jct'ar, shattering its jaw. It flew back into the bar and slumped to the ground, unconscious. The remaining three reacted instantly. The blond vampire absorbed the brunt of a kick with his arm but a second kick connected with his rib, staggering him back. The third attacker took that moment to charge, its curved horns glistening in the faint light. Regaining his composure, Seth took the charge head-on, grabbing the Jct'ar's horns and hoisting it through the air and into the wall where it slid to the floor, out.

"Thought you fuckers'd be tougher than that," Seth taunted, massaging his cracked ribs. In truth, he was surprised that in less than sixty seconds he had effectively neutralized three Jct'ars while not sustaining any major injuries. "Either you guys aren't as tough as advertised or I'm just wicked cool." He folded his arms and the bony protrusions that were his eyebrows furrowed in debate. "No, definitely the latter."

The final two Jct'ars roared before charging simultaneously. Seth feinted to the left, effectively cutting off any chance of being surrounded. He shot out a left that the demon parried but quickly followed it with a right backhand to its face and brought his left back around, only this time it connected, sending the beast spinning to the floor.

Taking advantage of the distraction, the last Jct'ar hoisted its brutish arms around the off-balance vampire, lifting him into a crushing bear hug. Even with his strength, Seth couldn’t help but to cry out as the Jct'ar's iron grip constricted around him. He knew it couldn’t kill him, but it could still do a lot of damage and the vampire wasn’t about to let that happen.

Using his free hands, Seth drove his fists to either side of the demon's head. He felt its knees buckle but it refused to relinquish its grip. So he drove his fists into it for a second time. Then a third. And a fourth. Finally on the fifth succession of blows, the Jct'ar's grip loosened and Seth felt the ground under his feet. Sliding his hands to his sides, the vampire broke the tenuous grip. The demon staggered backwards, barely able to stand and Seth steadied braced his hands against its massive biceps.

"Well, I did tell you guys I was all about letting you maintain your dignity," he admonished, his face slipping back into its handsome visage. But he wasn’t done just yet. Rearing his knee back, Seth drove it into the sternum of the Jct'ar which gasped before falling to its face in a heap. An elbow strike to the demon's bowed head was the final blow that ushered it too into unconsciousness.

Sighing, the vampire sauntered over to the leader, who was just now waking from the voidless realm of unconsciousness. Kneeling down towards the helpless demon, Seth wrapped his hand around its throat, bringing the Jct'ar eye level. His unnatural blue eyes gazed into the dazed purple slits of the Jct'ar.

"Now," he said in a void devoid of emotion but laced with the promise of retribution. "Do you understand what I meant earlier? About the dignity?" His eyes swept around the bar at the four unconscious demons and he noted the stunned looks on the face of the bar’s other patrons.

"Well, buddy, seems like all that dignity of yours is out the window. And I know you guys are all over that honor and dignity kick. And judging from your current situation, I mean, how many Triumphs have been bested by one lonely vampire?" Seth shook his head in disappointment before continuing. "I’m pretty sure you and your butt boys’ll have a tough time garnering any respect in the demon world anymore. In actuality, I’d be doing you a favor if I just rip out those curly intestines of yours. Sure save you guys a lot of grief what with you being a mockery of the demon world and all." Abruptly, Seth’s fingers slid from the Jct’ar’s neck and it’s arms shot out, balancing it on all fours.

Seth stood, glaring down at the beaten demon in disgust. "But why would I make it that easy for you? Once word gets out…well, let’s just say your Clan mates won’t take to well to you and the four stooges disgracing their reputation." He crossed his arms over his chest, mindful of his rapidly healing wounds as a slight smirk touched the edge of his lips. "And from what I know about Jct’ars and how they treat their disgraced, I’d wager you’ll be begging for death like a thirsty man craves water. But you’ll never get it. They won’t let you. They’ll just pine away at you, with all those fancy pins and needles they like to use." Seth smiled wickedly as the Jct’ar’s eyes bulged with fear, its throat constricted as it tried in vain to speak.

Seth turned on his heels and headed for the exit. He stopped an instant before disappearing through the other side and threw the demon a look over his shoulder.

"Of course, there is a way you could redeem yourselves in the eyes of everyone here and your clan. I mean, if you're bold enough to do it…" He trailed off, turning his head. The Jct'ar scrambled to its feet and rushed over to the vampire.

"Wvhuat?" it choked out.

Seth slowly turned to face the demon, again looking it up and down before cracking another smile. "It's simple really. All I need you to do is kill somebody. I'd do it myself but…let's just say I'll be busy."

"Wfho?" The demon practically begged. It knew Seth was right and that when the other Jct'ars learned about this disgrace, death was the last thing these five would face. Thus, they would relent to any task presented by the vampire.

"The slayer…"

CHAPTER 27

Jennifer was sprawled across her four-post bed, surrounded by red and crème colored pillows. The matching silk sheets clung to her naked flesh like a second skin and in their translucence left little to the imagination. Her hand casually ran up and down the smooth flesh between her breasts, patiently awaiting the return of Seth.

He had left two hours ago though he didn’t say where and he seemed more than a little preoccupied with this Gabriel fellow. It was strange how his train of thought that had originally been centered on reclaiming his precious 'slayer' shifted to Dawn and now it was focused on his sire. Need less to say Jennifer found Seth to be more than a handful.

But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

The exotic beauty smiled at the wicked thoughts that pervaded her mind. The way it felt when he kissed her, claiming her most intimate of areas for his own with a cup of the hand. The lust-filled glint in his eyes before he disappeared into the night held a promise of things to come.

She smiled ruefully at the thought of him. It had been far too long since a being had peaked her curiosity like Seth. Not even the souled vampire’s dichotomous existence was as of interest to her as Seth. Not only was she intrigued by the evil and potential for destruction he exuded but also the purely physical ardor that radiated from him. She loved his wiry arms, corded with muscles and lined in tattoos. His unnatural blue eyes glistened with a tint of green and were filled with life. The small stubble of black at the tip of his chin clashed expertly with his bleached locks. But most of all, it was his attitude that drew her close like a moth to a flame. They were kindred spirits, their wills offering supplication to no one. And although she had felt his fear upon their first encounter, his unease around her had subsided.

Good, she thought as her delicate hand roamed further down her body. Wouldn’t do good to have a lover afraid of me, now would it? Her skin sung at the gentle caresses of her fingertips. It had been well over five centuries since she had taken a human body. Though she had taken the very same form to torment the souled one, it was not flesh and blood. Now, she was incased in the fragile shell of humanity. Though she was prone on a lesser scale to the weaknesses of a human body, she was also in possession of the many sensations of pleasure that coursed through mortal pores.

Closing her eyes, Jennifer caressed the supple mounds of her breasts. She gently squeezed the flesh while her fingers sought out and kneaded her erect nipples. There were definitely advantages to having a human body.

After a few minutes, her wandering hands found the damp curls between her legs. She was taken aback by the moisture that had accumulated in such a short span of time but that didn’t deter her from exploring this sacred place with more scrutiny.

She expertly ran a thin finger along the folds of her lips, mindful of her true destination though she refused to go there just yet. There was still much to explore and the mounting ball of anticipation in the pit of her stomach (and other places) held promises of untold bliss if she just waited a little longer. Her free hand stroked the outside of her thigh, her middle finger trailing down the grove of her 'sprinter's muscle'. Her other hand was busy stroking her heated core until her patience cracked a little more and she plunged two fingers inside of her rich temple. She moaned in pleasure and her other hand instinctively cupped the sensual curve of her ass, imprinting crescent moons into her flesh from her nails. She continued to work her fingers in and out slowly before picking up pace until her thumb breezed across the ultimate treasure.

"Oh, god," she moaned as her thumb and two fingers worked in tandem with her other hand that had found solid purchase between the crevice of her ripe ass. Jennifer squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as she could, the sensations in her body threatened to overwhelm her slight form. It was when her other fingers found her second opening that she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Seth!" she moaned, her thrashing body finally dismissing the sheets in totality. The air hitting her most sensitive areas only heightened the bliss and she shuddered involuntarily as the first wave crashed through her. The intensity was such that she could only growl incoherently at the budding flowers of pleasure sprouting throughout her lithe frame. Her hand was covered in her own nectar and Jennifer wanted so badly to taste it but was unwilling to remove her fingers from inside her, even for a single moment of oral fascination.

"Mmmm," she rumbled as a second inundation of physical gratification was fast approaching. But she would not accomplish her task as two cold hands seized her wrists and hoisted them above her head.

Her eyes shot open in surprise at the intrusion until she caught a glimpse of the perpetrator.

"Starting without me," Seth asked huskily. He had watched her for the last two minutes unabated as the moon shone through the curtains and highlighted her bronze flesh. It wasn’t until she had kicked the covers off completely that his resolve had broken. He had undressed quietly but with the preternatural speed of a vampire and silently crept from his place in the shadows to the bed. He had waited until she was about to ride her second crest to orgasm before he acted. As it was now, Seth straddled her thighs; his erection sandwiched against his cold abs and the blisteringly hot mound of her sex. Her obsidian eyes were drunk with desire as they trailed a path down the length of his sinewy flesh to the cool member that pressed so eagerly against her.

"Looks like someone's glad to see me," she purred before lifting her hips and grounding them into his manhood.

Seth clinched his teeth, refusing to rise--well, any more than he already had--to her baiting him. He had to be in control, period. It has always been like that and he wasn’t about to change. Only Emerald had had the power to change his ways and though this woman before him was spectacular in her own right, reminding him in some ways of his long gone love Seth refused to allow her to tame him.

"Did you enjoy the show?" she asked, attempting to spread her legs but he had them trapped between his deceivingly powerful thighs.

The hunger continued to build in Seth as Jennifer's arched eyebrow raised in invitation. "You knew I was there." It wasn’t a question. "And here I thought that I was the one surprising you." He squeezed her wrists a little harder and Jennifer moaned at the slightly painful grip but her lascivious smile never faded.

"I'll always know when you're around," she cooed, snaking her tongue out. Seth stared at its tip as it beckoned him to her moist lips. She retracted her tongue and again took the opportunity to push her hips into his, eliciting a predatory growl from his throat. Seth's control was slipping and Jennifer knew it. She gave him one final sultry look before seductively biting down on her lower lip. That was when he lost it.

Seth plundered the inviting lips of the exotic beauty, pressing his entire weight against her. Jennifer gasped into his mouth but he did not relent his tongue's assault on her mouth. His legs, however, managed to slip between her slick thighs and nudged them apart, his cold, stiff shaft pressed at the throbbing entrance to her sex.

Jennifer’s breaths came in overwhelming gasps as the simple feel of his cold, hard body against her soft and delicate figure was almost enough to drive her over the edge. Seth had released his grip on her arms and his hands greedily explored her soft curves. Free to do as she wished now, Jennifer desperately clung to him, her nails dug into the corded muscles of his back as they shifted back and forth underneath her palms. She hooked her right leg around his waist and her heel dug into his buttock, urging him to enter her awaiting embrace.

"I need you inside me," she forced out between breaths while Seth returned her plea with grunts of anticipation before impaling her with his ample shaft.

Jennifer screamed as his thrust tore into her virgin flesh. Her thighs quivered and for several agonizingly powerful thrusts, she could feel nothing but the pain of being ripped open. She wasn’t aware of the blood that congealed around her nails where they had pierced the vampire's skin and Seth, too, was oblivious of the injuries. His purpose was one-dimensional now; to tear into this beautiful woman with all the rage, frustration, pain, desire and love he had experienced throughout his life and though he knew she was human, part of him knew that by some miracle she would survive his ravaging onslaught.

After the first minutes of excruciating torture, the pain in Jennifer's extremities slowly transformed into welcoming pangs of pleasure. The mixture of it, the agony and the ecstasy was wonderful and she cursed herself for never doing this earlier. Taking a vampire lover in a human shell was beyond any physical sensations she had ever experienced. If not for her true aura that strengthened this vessel, she knew that survival of this rambunctious onslaught of her womanhood would have resulted quite possibly in her death.

Seth was more than surprised when he rammed himself into Jennifer's tender flesh. Though she smelled human, there was also a much deeper, much more evil sense about her. Never would he have thought his penetration would be her first. Just like Faith, he thought and smiled as he relentlessly sucked the flesh just above her jugular. He had remembered the first night he had been with Faith and how she had cried when he told her what he was going to do. He had toyed with her for hours, brushing his erection against every part of the terrified slayer until the final penetration. It was because of that he had broken her and what had aroused him even further during those nine months was that each time he used her, she cried like that first time. He had felt a grain of disgust at his actions but the demon within him reveled in her fear and degradation and sex. But most of all it was enamored with the orgasm that rocked both him and it when he came inside her and simultaneously sank his teeth into her sacred flesh. The blood of a slayer was indeed a powerful aphrodisiac. Only his experiences with Emerald had been better than his constant violation of the slayer.

Although this is not far behind, he thought as he rammed his shaft deeper into Jennifer's core. Though she lacked the slayer muscles to clinch around his swollen cock, there was a power in Jennifer that drew out his baser instincts unlike any other. It was to the point where his actions were almost completely animalistic, filled only with unintelligible grunts and groans.

By now the pain had subsided to a dull ache as her modified form adjusted to Seth's intimate invasion. It had been so severe at one point that she was sure that her second orgasm had come and gone. Now, as she felt the stirrings of another pleasure-filled release, she spread her thighs even further and was thrown into a fit of unheralded passion as Seth's strokes delved even further into her core while his fingers simultaneously explored her equally erect nipples and clit.

"God, Seth," she cried. "Fuck me, please, fuck me." She raised her bloodstained hands over her head in supplication and her breasts stretched out, highlighting her burgeoning nipples even further. She smiled at the purely savage gaze of lust that marked Seth's face as he studied her twin-peaks before he enveloped the right breast greedily.

"Shit, yes!" she screamed as Seth suckled her nipple as if it was his only remaining connection to life. The constant pounding into her flesh had slowed to a dull hum as he ground instead of pumped into her. The friction against her clit was even greater this way and his now free hands again clasped her thin wrists while she circled her hips first clockwise then counterclockwise, with his masterful gyrations.

Seth couldn’t quite fix his mind on the contradictory sensations that overtook his body and mind as Jennifer's walls shivered as he motioned inside her. She was both unique and eerily familiar, as if pieces of a previous encounter continuously danced at the corners of his vision, refusing to be seen head-on but quite discernable from the peripheral. She was soft and hard, delicate yet primal, equally innocent and vilely corrupt. The nagging parts of his brain that were able to function worked furiously at the familiarity of not her body, but the essence of her sex that permeated between them.

All thoughts were lost however as Jennifer's blunt teeth tore into his chest. He growled as his borrowed fluid seeped into her hungry mouth and his body ceased its urgent motions. When she pulled her lips from his flesh, her mouth was covered in the life giving fluid and her lips curled into an inviting smile. He knew what she was urging but he wanted to hear the words. Emerald had been the only person that had willingly allowed him to feed from her and he had demanded that she also say the words.

"Say it," he growled, clinging to his demon's nearly overpowering impulse to bite into her flesh now, consent be damned.

Jennifer knew what she wanted him to do as well as what he wanted her to say. But she wasn't going to give it up that easily. She smiled coyly at him, mustering whatever vestiges of innocence she could, taunting him viciously.

"Say what?" she asked and was rewarded with a wrenching of her arms even further over her head. Seth didn’t waste time as he drove his engorged cock violently against Jennifer's already bruised pelvis.

"Say it," he demanded again and punctuated the demand with a particularly fierce thrust into her. He couldn’t contain his release much longer and by the sinister glint in her eyes, she knew it too. He glared at her murderously but couldn’t quite contain the pleading in his eyes. It wasn't just for the physical pleasure of the moment but her acceptance of him. Not just the man but the demon within whose sole purpose was the destruction of life without pity, without remorse. It was odd to say the least, but the human part of Seth only desired to be wanted and loved. He had found that with Emerald though it didn’t last and a small part of him wondered if he could find it in this woman who had, for the first time since he was sired, sent a twinge of fear down his back. Even his demon reveled at the chance to be with a kindred spirit and the vibes that emanated from this exotic beauty gave it reason to believe that she, indeed, could be the one.

Despite being on the edge of nearly unbearable orgasmic pleasure, Jennifer could still discern the conflict waging in the man/demon on top of her. In its basest form, the demon would be content to drain her dry, leaving an emaciated corpse. But she had known and studied demons behavior for millennia and understood that on top of their baser proclivity toward destruction demons only wished to garner their own niche in the world. In that way, they were not much different than the humans they shared the world with and whatever humanity that was left of Seth only amplified his desire to belong. In that instant, Jennifer knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that, if she could, she would always be there for him as lover and companion.

"Drink from me, Seth," she whispered and couldn’t helped but be touched at the way Seth's expression softened before he buried his face in her neck. The feeling was like none she had ever experienced and she shuddered as he resumed his timely strokes inside of her, the sensations too much.

"Seth!" Jennifer screamed at the top of her lungs as two successive orgasms, equally powerful, rocked her slight form. She reached heights of bliss she had never thought possible and for the second time tonight, she praised the advantages of human flesh.

As soon as his fangs broke the skin, Seth felt Jennifer jerk underneath him. He drank slowly from her and slid in and out of her with the same languid strength. Her blood was rich and awe-inspiring. The humanity of her physical form was tainted by something very old and very powerful and for a moment he again feared her. But as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, all reservations disappeared and he pumped into her with a greater urgency until they both tumbled into the waters of unheralded pleasure. His cold seed burst into her warm core for untold minutes until the strength was drained from his limbs and he collapsed onto her splayed form.

"God," she panted, out of breath and covered with a glistening sheen of sweat. Her body shook uncontrollably as the aftershocks continued to bubble to the surface. Though she couldn’t see it, Jennifer knew the wound on her neck had already closed. Thanks to the wonders of being the First, she thought. She groaned when Seth pulled out of her and flopped on his back next to her. The dull ache between her thighs was a touch more than that now and she knew it would take an hour before she would walk properly. The thought of it caused her to burst into uncontrollable giggles.

"What?" Seth asked as he turned on his side and propped himself up on a weary arm. His free hand caressed the tender flesh of her stomach and he couldn’t help but be amazed at the tenderness this woman exuded from him; something he had though he had lost long ago. It was frightening though he would never admit it.

"It's just that…" she burst into another fit of giggles and tears of laughter squeezed out the corners of her eyes.

"What?" he asked again, a bemused smile touching his lips.

"Well, here I am, The First of pretty much all Evil and I can't stand because of that blistering shag," she laughed again and ran her fingers through his tangled hair.

"Shag? I thought only Brits used that term," he replied absently. There was no thought behind his words as his hand was too busy swimming through her hair while his eyes drank up the erotic sight of her naked body. He was awestruck at her beauty. Even if there wasn’t a magnetic attraction between them, Seth was almost certain he would have wanted her anyway.

He spent the next few minutes marveling her curves as his hand traced along the side of her body. Her skin was so smooth, so delicate. And yet she had taken everything that he had given to her without breaking. Since his existence in the un-life, he had never been with a human without breaking her.

"What are you?" he asked, his eyes still transfixed on the subtle shifts of her muscles. It had been the second time she had referred to herself as ‘The First’ and Seth knew there was much more to her than he knew.

Jennifer was lost in Seth’s eyes, her body shivering as his fingertips glided effortlessly across her skin. It was incomprehensible that a cool touch such as his lit a fire so deep within her that had nothing to do with her passion for destruction. That latter part, though fascinated by his power and grace in the bar earlier was overshadowed by the human part of her that was inexplicably drawn to Seth on a far deeper level. Roaming the earth and between realms for eons was still not enough for her to put into words or even coherent thoughts what she actually felt for him. The humanity within her accepted it all as love at first sight, or something equally mundane. But she knew better than that. This was something cosmic, something that, as ridiculous as it sounded to her, was beyond her comprehension. But even she, The First, was limited into her understanding of the universe.

"What am I?" she reiterated as she stroked the side of his face. Even with its budding garden of stubble, his skin still held the selfsame smoothness as his chest and arms. She shuddered at the brief vision of how he had looked on top of her before filing it away for later.

"I didn’t mean it like that," he backtracked sheepishly. Seth shook his head in disgust that he had been eager to set the record straight. What did he care if he hurt her feelings? Since when did he care about anyone but himself? Since Emerald, a voice in the back of his head replied flatly, effectively eliminating any inclinations toward indignation.

Taking an unneeded breath, he started again. "I mean, you can’t be human," he chuckled, "unless you’ve got some sort of super secret thigh master that’s not sold in stores 'cause baby, I gave you all I got and all you are is a bit sore?" He glared down the length of her body, a glint of lust glazing over his blue eyes. " ‘Course, I’m not complaining in the least. ‘S just that I can feel that you’re human. Your taste, the way sweat beads against your skin, your scent. All of it is 100% human. But your aura…" he shook his head in exasperation. "When I first sat in front of you at the bar, the demon part of me was scared shitless," he admitted, never once feeling ashamed. "Now, though, it’s like I never was afraid. I mean there’s a lingering sensation of…I don’t know, apprehension maybe? But it’s different. More like a deep sense of respect and I don’t know why. It’s like my demon knows this…thing…about you that I can’t consciously grasp."

Seth closed his eyes, rolled over to his back, and clasped his hands behind his head. Truth was, despite the wonderful ‘shag’, as she put it, they had just had, he was utterly frustrated about not knowing. Something he couldn’t quite place tickled at the forefront of his thoughts, only to retreat when he attempted to reel it in. Usually, things like this never bothered him since 'Can't figure it out, might as well destroy it' was his motto. But this, this thing with Jennifer refused to be put to bed so easily. For one, he didn’t want to kill her, not to mention the fact that he wasn't all too sure that he could. That was a whole other mystery on the long list of questions that took purchase in his mind.

Jennifer snorted unpleasantly at the loss of contact when Seth had switched positions. She propped up on one elbow and studied his chiseled form. The moonlight glinted off his chest, highlighting every sharp cut and smooth angle. His stomach muscles looked as if they were painted on, far too defined to be anything but. Angry bruises lined his ribs and Jennifer ran her hand just above them, careful not to touch. Someone was busy tonight, she thought as her eyes traveled further down when a dull glow caught her attention. What was that? Sure as hell isn't a bruise. Trying to remain inconspicuous, Jennifer scooted further down as if to snuggle but never quite pulling herself to him. From this new perspective, she could make out a slight discoloration of the skin that appeared to be some sort of burn.

"Like what you see?" he asked neutrally. The dark-haired woman jumped at his voice cutting through the silence, her hand automatically reaching to her breast.

"What?" she asked unsteadily.

"I said 'like what you see?'" Seth craned his neck to the side just enough to catch her eyes into his. He laughed humorously at her face. "You know, the deer-in-headlights look is so you," he glanced up at the sky's sentinel as it watched them before turning back to her. "Complete with said headlights." She chuckled softly at his barb. She had been caught. An ageless entity caught sneaking a peak at her lover's scars and feigns ignorance. It was too 'movie of the week' for her.

"What' that?" she asked and ran her hand lightly across his ribs and down to the offending spot.

"Nothing. Just ran into some Jct'ar demons. Took care of 'em, recruited them actually," he said and reached over to touch his still tender ribs. "When those fuckers hit you, you know." He twisted slightly, testing the extent of his injuries. In all honesty, he had totally forgotten about them. Well, seeing a very nude and very beautiful woman pleasuring herself, all the while screaming your name had a way of doing that. But now that he was aware of them, they still hurt like a son of a bitch. "Shit. Ribs haven't totally healed yet."

Jennifer slid down his body and ran her tongue along the outline of Seth's ribs, causing him to shiver in equal amounts of joy and discomfort. She left a trail of butterfly kisses the length of his upper body before nestling into the crook in his arm.

"Better?" She purred into his skin.

"Oh yeah," he sighed and sensed the familiar increase of blood flow to a particularly sensitive spot on his body.

"Good," she kissed him on the nipple before turning her obsidian eyes to him, "but I wasn’t talking about the bruises."

"Oh," he said. His eyebrows scrunched for a moment before he realized what she was referring to. "Oh," he repeated softly.

"So?"

"Nothing," he said after an unneeded breath, "just got burned is all. You know how we vampires are when it comes to fire; don’t always heal quite right. Damn lucky it wasn’t my face, you know. Many a women would have cried if any part of this beautiful profile was singed."

"Fire, huh?"

"Yep."

"That's really interesting, because from here," she placed her hand against it, "it looks like a handprint. And that glow it gives off looks very similar to the cute little tattoo the slayer's little sis left on your forearm."

Seth closed his eyes and sighed. He was doing an awful lot of unnecessary breathing but things were just spiraling around in his head. He looked down at the tousled black hair of his lover and snaked his arm around her shoulders. He brought her closer to him and unconsciously planted a kiss on the top of her head. It was routine gesture made after every lovemaking session between he and Emerald yet Seth failed to realize the parallel.

"Emerald," he whispered.

"What was that?"

"Emerald. She did it to me." He brushed his left hand absently against the scar perched atop his left brow. "This too. Fact is she did a lot of things to me. Not that they were bad or anything although this," he motioned to the burn under his ribcage, "hurt like a mofo." Seth looked down when he felt a rumbling against his chest which, by happenstance, coincided where Jennifer's face was currently positioned.

"What?" he asked curtly. He wasn’t used to people laughing at him, especially not in the bedroom. Only Emerald had ever…

He cut off any thoughts of his once goddess and focused on the beautiful…woman, for lack of a better term, giggling into his skin.

"Sorry," she said, brushing a lock of hair out of her face. "It's just that 'hurt like a mofo' thing. I mean that was so not 'Big Bad'." She giggled again but sobered up quickly as she reflected on her word choice. That was definitely not active speak in my vocabulary, she thought shrilly. Oh my…she bolted up in the bed much to the chagrin of the more than relaxed vampire by her side.

"Jennifer?" he pried and sat up with her. "What's up?" She ignored his pleas and ran two shaky hands through her raven hair.

"It's happening. It's happening already." She was speaking more to herself than anything and Seth knew it. Taking the initiative, he grabbed her forcefully by the shoulders, allowing his hard stare express his urgency.

"Jennifer," he said coolly, though there was an unmistakable warning in the tone. "What is going on?"

The dark beauty heard the warning in Seth's tone but also detected a trace of apprehension. He really cares, she thought and for a moment forgot about the events already set into motion. As quickly as her thoughts of his sincerity surfaced, they passed and she was now in focus.

"Seth," she said. The vampire knew that his lover was back in control of her faculties and released his grip.

"Yeah?"

"You said Emerald did this to you," she set her right hand over the scar and noticed that it was a fraction smaller than her hands. But not the child's.

"Yeah," he chuckled at the memory of it. His undead heart lurched as he remembered the tender look in her eyes when she touched him…

"In past. In present. In future," Jennifer said interrupting Seth's thoughts of the future past.

"What did you say?" he asked with a hint of rage in his voice. They had been his memories and his alone. How had she…

"Relax. I didn’t read your mind. I don’t know what it is about you that prevents it but I can't read them. Oh, I can detect your moods and emotions, but no coherent thoughts." Seth visibly relaxed at her words only to tense up almost immediately.

"Well, that's really funny that you knew what the hell I was just thinking. And you say you weren't reading my mind," the sarcasm was overshadowed by the venom dripping from his every word.

"Will you shut up," Jennifer spat, her anger getting the best of her. She felt the dark cloud within her stir but kept it at bay. She didn’t want to lose it over something so ridiculous, especially since she still needed her body to complete the ritual.

The silence ticked away until Seth broke through it. "So, how did you know? What I was thinking?" His tone was smooth and in control.

"You really don’t make it too hard to accomplish. You really should keep a reign on your feelings, 'Luke'. They'll only lead you to the Darkside," she quipped and they both laughed softly.

Seth was the first to sober and turned away, his eyes focused on the sprawled web of sheets around them. He inhaled sharply but didn’t blow the breath out. "It was the same thing she said to me," he said and Jennifer had to strain to make it out.

"Said what?" she asked leaning forward.

"That thing about this," he pointed to his side, "would connect us in the past, the present and the future," he snorted humorlessly. "Funny thing is, I still don’t know what the hell she was talking about."

"I do," Jennifer replied, gazing into his all-too blue oceanic eyes.

"How is that?" he asked and cocked his head to the side.

"Because I'm her," she said simply. The transformation in Seth's body language was apparent. First, he stiffened unnaturally before almost slinking into his predator-like stance.

"What. Did. You. Say?" He asked. He couldn’t have heard what he thought he did. She couldn’t have, he thought. She wouldn’t have.

"I said, I know what Emerald said to you because I'm her. I'm Emerald."

***Well, for those of you who are like 'huh', everything will be answered in due time: trust me.

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