Diamond Eyes

[EternalStarLight]

The back allies of Baltimore were never a good place to go trolling at night, especially outside the inner harbor where the night clubs held sway over the population. Rams Head Live pulsed brightly right off of Main Street but if anyone dared to wander farther down they would come across the Sonar where it wasn't uncommon for concert goers to have their vehicles hijacked: that's one of the main reasons everyone took the taxi or charter buses in the city.

Even this late at night with the crescent moon suspended beside the tiny stars in the sky Baltimore pulsed with vitality, energy, and expectations. People bounced from the Hard Rock Cafe along the harbor railings to lean over with laughter in their voices while others exited the Ruth's Chris Steak House holding hands. Cars honked and crawled along the allies, faster in comparison to the stop and go from a few hours before.

One such individual walked slowly along the railing dividing the bustle of human bodies from the dark well of the Atlantic. She could see the spiraling forms of creatures far larger than those sea creatures held in the aquariums, larger than some of the boats placed to race along the dock for the night. Most were too preoccupied to notice, but she did. She always knew when others were near and most of the time they ignored her.

From her ragged jeans pocket she pulled forth a card with multiple stylized images, some of which she recognized, others that she couldn't name. Seven in total and given to her at random by a wandering vagabond, the paper may have once been white but now held smears of dirt and other stains she didn't want analyze to close. But despite all the images it was the name written in a neat, masculine cursive on the back that gave her body instant chills of foreboding: Lynia.

Her name.

Tucking a wayward curl behind her ear she pursed her lips together as she stopped under a light pole and watched the waves roll in. Much like the darkness in the sky Lynia's eyes were a deep and all-consuming sapphire-violet with tiny flecks of diamond dust. When she looked to her left at the sound of steady and purposeful footfalls her curls caught the light and they lit up brilliantly as if each strand had been woven with silver fire. Though exotic in appearance her moods and mannerisms kept many at bay but she held her foul mood in check. There was no reason to get bent out of shape when she didn't understand the implications of the card or the unknown stranger who had given it to her.

[Immortal Flame]

The night was dark, but the city lights never let the darkness rule.  Even the moon paled in comparison to the various glitters of neon signs that showered reflections of bright solicitation over passersby.  Places like this were a haven for the undercurrents of society.  The things that no one else realized walked among them.  People could be oblivious when they wanted to be.  And they almost always were.

It was crowded, even at this time of night.  More so now, maybe, because the night practically seethed with party goers.

Walking along the edge of the harbor, Nicholas glanced down at the shuffling waves steps beyond the rails.  Metal barriers to separate land from sea, air from water.  Simple structures, meant to be broken.  He wasn't a city boy, never had been, though he'd never characterized himself as a rural homebody either.  More like a loner, perhaps.  And there was something appealing about the anonymity of a place like this.  No one cared who you were and what you wanted.  No one knew your name here.  Like the anti-Cheers.

Blonde hair waved slightly in the cool breeze that blew off the water.  He probably needed a haircut.  Almost self consciously, he ran a hand through lazily combed locks.  But what was more interesting to him was who else was waiting in the harbor.

It went months sometimes before she contacted him.  Years on occasion, depending on their various pursuits.  But it was always dangerous when they were together.  Too much temptation, maybe, and not always of the pleasant variety.  Things happened around them.  Unfortunate... things.  But it didn't mean he didn't want to see her.  The truth was, she was the only woman who could really understand him.  Who saw all the way to his soul, whether she realized what she did or not.

And there were those beautiful starlight curls, bouncing about her shoulders as she leaned over the railing in a pose that looked far younger than her years.   Reminiscent of the girl he'd once known.  But this was no girl.  Lynia was a formiddable woman.  When those brilliant eyes looked up at him, Nick felt the automatic smile tug at his lips.  It had truly been too long.  Now if only they could leave the harbor intact...

"Mon ami, you are looking well."  Nicholas gave a slight bow, as was his custom.  The French was an old joke, mostly.  He'd had a quality European education, and his accent was slight but varied, belonging to no country in particular.  It made him difficult to place, and that was for the best.  "I have missed you."   

[EternalStarLight]

Such restraint, Nicholas had always been one to remain carefully in-check, always self-contained. It was absolutely infuriating especially when her temper only seemed to bring out the better assets of his nature. And even now as she felt those dark emotions tumbling in her mind she couldn't help but gloat at his attention. Though there had always existed the potential of physical intimacy those ideas had passed with her maturity and as she became more... sporadic.

Nicholas looked the same to her and though she had only known him for a small portion of his long life she had been tossed into his path at a young age... and he hadn't changed much. Breaking the distance she reached out, hugged him tight, and felt of the burden resting on her shoulders lift. "I've missed you, too." Exhaling shakily she gasped when the stubble lining his cheek scraped the bare flesh of her arm and she pulled away from him with narrowed eyes.

True, it had been awhile since she had seen her closest friend but things were always kept neater when they didn't cross paths: as much as they loved one another their affections and loves would only bring about tragedy... and in some ways Nicholas always suffered the most from their friendship. "There are things happening I can't control... and I need your help on them, Nick." Tucking the bit of paper back into her pocket she nodded farther down the sidewalk. "I'm staying at the Marriott. Come on, I'll explain everything once we are away from prying ears."

[Immortal Flame]

"The days have seemed restless," Nicholas responded, the words innocuous enough to those who might overhear.  But Lynia would undoubtably catch the underlying commentary, and by the glint her sparkling eyes, he knew immediately that she was still sharp as a tack.  His Lynia had never been dull by an stretch of the imagination, not even as the eccentric child who'd taken to hanging upside down in trees just to experience the world from a "proper perspective," as she'd once succintly informed him.

They exchanged not another word as the strolled, side by side, away from the dingy waters of the harbor and caught a cab to the Marriott.  The cabbie seemed to sense the tension in the air, though Nick could tell that the poor man had no idea where it stemmed from.  No doubt the man assumed that he'd just picked up some lover's quarrel, and it was just as well that he kept wisely silent.  Hell no fury like a woman scorned, after all.  Easier to let him assume.

Most ordinary mortals could pick up minute traces of the etherea around them.  Usually, these things were attributed to a "gut feeling" or simply premonitions.  ESP, maybe.  All these things those in the know perpetuated to keep people who were safer in the dark just that.  Certain power currents had a tendency to cause unease.  Generally, the more power a person carried, the higher the discomfort level of those around them.  It was another reason that certain persons tended not to gather in large groups.  Power was a lonely burden, no matter the kind, literal of figurative.

When the cabbie had been paid with a generous tip for his troubles, Nick watched him pull away.  He didn't miss the look of relief on the man's face reflected in the rear view as he zipped out of the parking lot perhaps a little faster than he might have otherwise.  Dismissing the event already, Nick turned toward his companion, hazel eyes flared with the faintest flecks of green. as he rolled his shoulders.  "After you," he said quietly, reaching for the door to hold it open.  Lynia curled her lip at the gesture but refrained from commenting.  A bit of feminist in spite of herself and ever the errant woman-child, she preferred to do things her own way.  Which included opening her own doors, thank you very much.  She did, however, usually indulge him those parts of an ancient past that were too well ingrained by the time they'd met to edit.  Not that he'd have tried, anyway.  Nicholas had a bit of a stubborn streak himself, when the time warranted it.

[EternalStarLight]

Minimal night staff hung about in the lobby and the two made it straight for the elevator without any interference. Clicking the up button Lynia found it easy to ignore the curious glances and assumptions as the humming tension of Nicholas' power quietly overlaid her own. One of his many talents seemed the innate ability to soothe most of those around him but he wouldn't be able to lower her anxiety tonight. once in the elevator she pressed the button to the seventh floor and when the doors remained opened she pressed the button an additional two times to help the piece of equipment get motivated.

Though he continued to smile ever so slightly her companion proved that his brain hadn't grown senile over the years by keeping quiet.

As the metal enclosure dinged upward Lynia took the time to pull out the crumpled up piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to him. "Have you ever seen any of these?" His traveling had been extensive and given Nicholas' long life he had been exposed to many artifacts and hieroglyphics no longer available to the modern world. "I recognize the Tree of Life, of course, and the Eye of Shiva but these two..." She pointed to the two icons she had been puzzling over, one twisted and braided much like a Celtic knot but in a pattern she didn't recognize and the other etched into the form of  broken arrow.

The doors chimed and opened on their floor and Lynia walked down to the room she had requested which nestled at the very end of the hall. Swiping the key card she entered and made damn sure she got in before Nick could demonstrate any more acts of chivalry. Going to the bar she pulled out two frosted beers and tossed one to her friend before popping the top off the bottle. Nothing like cold alcohol to remove the edge off of her anger.

[Immortal Flame]

Nicholas said nothing while they ascended to the top floor.  He found himself staring at those few scraps of paper that seemed so insignificant and yet...  Just wadded up garbage to most passersby, to those who could not know.

When the metal doors slid open, he followed Lynia sedately back to her room, casually folding his hand over bits of paper. He waited until they were safely within the confines of the room before he relaxed.  Lynia tossed him a beer, which he caught without effort, though he didn't pop the top as she leaned back against the wall to study him.

And she was studying him, with those intense eyes of hers.   Nicholas could feel her gaze upon him, and made an effort not to meet it. He set the beer down on the tiny table by the bed.  With a faint grumble about her disorderly habits, he reached over to smooth the covers over the bed before laying the scraps of paper on the now flat surface of the comforter.  "Where did you get these?"  Lynia stiffened slightly, and only then did he realize the edge he felt had translated into his voice. There was a tiny prick of energy in the room that he easily recognized as the woman's ire spiked.  Crossing her arms over her chest, she simply stared at him, as if awaiting a more polite inquiry.

But the time for politeness might very well be beyond them at the moment.  "Mon ami, this is important.  Please, tell me who these came into your possession," Nick amended, unable to take his eyes off those small scraps of paper.  Just paper, nothing more.  Nothing sinister at all, not really.  How long had she been carrying these around?  Just what had this falling star gotten herself into this time?

[EternalStarLight]

Her energy pulsed through the room and the translations of such power were displayed in the slight rattling of the sliding glass doors behind her that led out to the rooms' balcony. Inhaling slowly to reign in her emotions Lynia stared pointedly at a stain in the carpet before pinning her friend with a glare. The hazel held the beginnings of emerald, a sure indication that Nicholas' normal complacency was tipping toward aggression... which she could care less about. If the male wanted to get his thong in a knot it wasn't her problem.

"A gypsy off the streets in South Carolina slapped me with it. I recognized her as a follower of the Fae but she herself didn't have the appearance belonging to either house." Brushing more of the tangled mess of hair out of her face Lynia took a healthy sip of her beverage before beginning to pace in the tight confinements of the apartment. She wanted to be out in the open where she could melt the energy away. The night was still young in Baltimore and maybe after she and Nicholas finished up she could find a suitable outlet to the roiling power bubbling under the surface.

Looking at the pictures once more Lynia felt again the wave of malice wash over her and the sensation sent a sickening burn straight into her belly. Pressing the back of her hand to her mouth she turned away with a small gag. "Christ above."

[Immortal Flame]

"A gypsy."  Nicholas shook his head, turned his gaze away from the symbols sprawled over the bed. Just a random, wandering gypsy.  Sure, coincidence.  Right?  Of course it was. With connections to the fae.  "Lynia, what have you been doing?" he asked, finally settling his eyes upon her.  He knew they'd gone a deep emerald, could feel it as well as he could feel the turmoil bubbling just under the surface.  On a better night he might have felt bad for the other patrons of the hotel.  At the moment, he couldn't bother to care.  There was just too much tension to properly shield.  He wasn't sure he could if he tried.

Nick strode purposefully across the short distance to the tiny box that passed for a balcony and pushed open the sliding glass door.  The cool air burst into the room and it wasn't enough air suddenly.  Outside, a streak of lightning lit across the sky, a deep thunder rolling right behind it.  The shock of energy relieved a minute amount of the crackling power in the room, and Nick leaned an arm against the doorframe, his shoulders sagging slightly. "Do you have any idea what you've got there?"

[EternalStarLight]

"Don't patronize me like some child, Nicholas. No doubt that bullshit is some type of curse or a foot up the ass." Picking up her beer Lynia chugged it and didn't fight back the belch that tore its way out of her. As a ruled she never aimed for sophistication because that would only lead to false impressions about the kind of woman she was.

Sitting on the bed with a heavy thump Lynia snatched up the bit of paper and studied the etchings carefully and knew she would be able to recognize these markings anywhere. As to the question Nick proposed... "What have I been doing, huh? Apparently pissing off the wrong crowd of supernaturals, if you know what I'm saying..." Stuffing the grimy wad of paper into her back pocket Lynia flopped back across the blankets and stared at the ceiling, watching as the lightning lit up the small interior of her rented room. "I went across the pond to Ireland in search of the Aes Sidhe to uncover some alternatives to a magick funk I've been having over here in the states. The only problem is that by betraying my bargain by not providing my blood I've royally teed someone off. Maybe the Queen. The Overlord. Whoever the hell operates the damn thing..."

Reaching over she pulled Nick's untouched beer from the counter top and popped the top before taking a healthy swig. Her head felt fuzzy enough to assist her in forgetting some of her anger. Kicking off her shoes she swung her feet back and forth as she ignored the agitated male standing just outside the balcony door.

[Immortal Flame]

"Pissing off the wrong crowd, that's what you're calling it."  Nicholas shook his head, couldn't quite keep the exasperation out of his voice.  He glanced back at her, barely resisting the urge to lift her up and shake her.  It was best he resist that urge, too, because it would probably not end well.  Not that this was going well, anyway...

Nick slowly turned himself to face her, to take in her forcibly relaxed repose.  She was sprawled over the bed now, but he was not blind to the tension in her tightly coiled muscles.  No, Lynia was not unaffected by her situation.  But damned if she'd let on to such things.  It simply wouldn't do.  But it was the second part of her story that really caught his attention.  And nearly made his heart stop.

"You broke a blood pact with the a member of the Sidhe."  It was not a question.  "You made a blood back with a member of the Sidhe!?"  This second was less a question and more an accusation.  Like a parent scolding a child maybe, except they were neither and Lynia was hardly the type to be scolded.  She'd take your face off first.  "What the hell is wrong with you?!"  The very idea made his knees weak, and she was sitting there knocking back a beer like there was nothing to it.  Damn it all, this... this wasn't going to end well.  Hell, it might not end with anything short of complete chaos and destruction.

[EternalStarLight]

Turning her head up to look at him Lynia slowly rose from her sprawled position across the blankets and prowled over to where Nicholas stood. Her carefully contained power ebbed about them and she intentionally allowed her energy to prick along his skin. Unless caught in more intimate scenarios her magic held a bite like a crocodile: once clamped onto a life source it rolled and rolled until it had dismembered its victim completely.

Smiling slightly at him she arched a thin eyebrow at his outburst. "Don't forget who your yelling at, Nicholas. I might be a friend and lover but that doesn't stop me from becoming extremely... volatile if the situation requires such a reaction." She kept her tone cool and expressed how very much she did not like being bitched out. "Who I break ties and treaties with has nothing to do with you."

Brushing past him she walked out upon the balcony just as the first few droplets of water began falling from the sky but she was unaffected by the cold droplets stinging her cheeks. Her thoughts had already drifted on to other things and she refused to allow Nick's spiked anxiety to influence her actions. If need be she would annihilate the entire world to keep herself free from having the changes of enslavement about her. She had dealt with enough of that shit in the past. "All I want to know is what you know."

[Immortal Flame]

Nick laughed, the sound far from pleasant.  "Its not that simple, Lynia, and well you know it.  Its never that simple anymore."  Especially not now.  He wasn't even sure he wanted to tell her.  Lynia had a way of taking information and.... running with it.  Consequences be damned.  "If the Sidhe have an interest in you--an unhealthy interest--then nothing is simple about this situation at all.  You may well have started something that you cannot hope to control."

With a sigh, he stepped out onto the balcony beside her to lay a gentle hand on her shoulder.  The rain was falling faster now, and his hair was instantly plastered across his forehead.  They'd both be miserable tonight.  "These creatures, mon ami, I may be able to keep them from you.  You may not be able to hold them at bay either, regardless of your bravado.  You are formiddable, yes," he said quickly at her slashing look.  Eyes like daggers, that one.  "But the Sidhe are many.  You've heard the phrase "We are Legion.""  Nicholas let his head drop, closing his eyes as water ran down his face and dripped from his chin and nose.  "This is not good, Lyn," he said softly, using a nickname that she rarely allowed for its implied familiarity.   

[EternalStarLight]

Looking at him she found herself feeling guilty for ever contacting her friend: it would have been better to suffer in silence and discover the meaning of the symbols without any help. If the Sidhe decided to kill her it could well be years before any felt the rippling aftershocks of her death. Her poor, sweet Nicholas... forever tormented by the cruelest of people around her.

Including her.

"Fuck..." Rubbing at her eyes Lynia turned from him and tilted her head up toward the sky so that the chilling droplets traced over her features. Leaning closer to her friend she shook her so that her damp ringlets bounced about her face. "I'm sorry to include you in this mess, Nick. I'm not even asking you to cover my ass- if they come after me, let 'em come. All I want is for you to decipher what the damage is. I don't except you to come through Hell with me if that's what I've done to myself."

Ducking out from under his hand to avoid the close contact Lynia went back within her apartment, feeling a chill settling within her bones that had nothing to do with the rain and everything to do with her condition. The Sidhe would come for her and when they did she would have to face them down, alone. Just like every other aspect of her life.

[Immortal Flame]

"You are wrong about that, mon ami," Nicholas responded softly, not even sure if she'd hear him.  "I would walk through Hell and back for you.  We have both done far worse before."  He waited a few moments before following her back inside, idly thinking that it might be a good idea to kill the air conditioning before they both caught a death of flu and none of this mattered anyway.

Even if she hadn't contacted him, something like this would not have been well hidden.  She couldn't yet fathom exactly what those symbols represented.  How much they represented.  And he was tied to this, too, in more ways than Lynia could possibly know.  He had plenty of years on her... She was barely a child in the immortal realm, adult by human standards but barely out of diapers among those more ancient than God himself.  And the Sidhe were ancient among the ancients.

"I would find you, Lynia, no matter where you go."  And he would shield her as best he could from the coming events.  The Sidhe might not even be their worst enemy, but there were certainly a threat.  None to trifle with, the Fae-folk.

[EternalStarLight]

"Listen to yourself, Nick! Listen! How could you even think of doing any of that?" Collapsing onto the sofa Lynia crossed her arms over her chest and leaned her head back against overstuffed cushions so she could stare up at the white ceiling. The rage that had been simmering on the back burner swarmed over her once more like tiny ants munching on her skin.

Clenching her hands into fists she closed her eyes against his face, blocking out his weary expression. "Please leave, Nick." She couldn't handle the heightened sense of urgency that his own peaked stress caused in her. For a male who showed little in the way of distress she knew the situation to be dire just from his reaction. At this very moment she couldn't handle the force of his presence when she was attempting to disentangle herself from own screw up.

[Immortal Flame]

"You can't stay here."  Nicholas looked up at her, water, thin lines of water still dripping down his face.  He didn't bother to wipe at it; they were both so drenched it wouldn't have made much difference.  Lynia only dropped her hand to glare at him, and he knew that she was on the edge now.  Probably regretted calling him.  He couldn't even blame her as all he felt he'd accomplished so far was to exacerbate the situation.

It didn't change the fact that they'd created an energy spike here, the two of them, together, and that meant that others would notice.  A hotel room was not shielded, and while that might not ordinarily matter, right now it well could.  "You don't have a fresh clothes here."  Again, not a question.  He didn't have to ask; Lynia never carried anything with her that would encumber her movement.  That usually meant no bags.

Nicholas walked over to her side and offered her a hand that (as expected) she only sneered at.  "I know a place where we can get cleaned up and have a warm meal."  He didn't mention the fact that she hadn't eaten all day.  They both knew better than to bring it up, given her penchant for forgetting to fuel her body while she was... working.  People like them simply couldn't go without the fuel.  Their bodies consumed it far too quickly.  Lynia responded with a low, disturbinglin animal growl. But after a few moments, she stood anyway.

"Fine."  The muttered words were enough, and she made a  point to slap his hand away before striding past him to the door.