You wake up with a headache straight from hell. You can’t even move. Your torso is wrapped up in bandages. It takes a moment to look around and realize that you are in the bedroom of the cabin. But you hear talking in the front part of said cabin.

A flash of flickering candle light bounces softly across your body when the door opens. “Amygdala?” Kamilah asks softly.

“...yeah?” 

“She is awake now. You can come see her.” 

“Dude! Oh my god!” Lily runs to the bed and sits along the edge. You try to sit up and hug her but you can’t move at all. “Look at you. Kamilah even gave you the wounded anime girl bandages. It keeps getting better and better.” 

“Tell that to my stab wound.” You snort softly.

You look at Kamilah rolling her eyes. “What you did was stupid. But very brave. Never try to die for me again.” 

“I still have eight more lives. So I can die for you eight more times.”

“So stubborn.” She shakes her head. 

You hear the mufflings of another in the front. It must be Vega. “You have a gift that will change the world.” Adrian explains.

“If it wasn’t for Kamilah. I would not have had the strength to do what I did.”

“What do you mean?” Kamilah asks. 

“I mean. I passed out reviving a tarantula. Since we have this strong bond… I… We have this… Um… What is the word for it?” 

“Symbiont. The two of you have a symbiotic relationship.” Everyone turns to stare at Lily. 

“It is basic animal science and in a hell of a lot of media.” Lily shrugs helplessly. 

“She’s right. But I think it is more than that.” Kamilah says. “Amy said that she can learn through shared memories when she is bonded to another. Our bond is stronger so it makes sense that I can share my strengths with her.”

“Vega got the perfect punishment because of it.” Jax hooks his thumb over a shoulder. “He is still crying about it.”

“We’ll have to study him for any effects.” Adrian is already formulating thoughts and theories. You can see it in his eyes.

“This is really big. If there are no bad effects it could help those who never wanted to be turned.” Jax says clearly weighing that thought heavily in his mind.

“No.” Kamilah says sharply. “We don’t know what it might do to Amygdala.”

“No. I want to help when I can.”

“We’ll talk about it later.” Kamilah says tersely. 

“Did you guys get here after all the action?” It is easy for you to change the subject. 

“I came as soon as I remembered what Jameson could do. I forgot to take that into consideration.” Adrian looks down ruefully. 

“But you both are the queens of bad asses. Not gonna lie. You took care of all of ‘em.” Lily says.

“What Lily said.” Jax grins wryly.

“We are queens. But we definitely don’t have ‘bad asses’.” Kamilah is grinning with the rest of them.

“That is not what that means--” You begin to correct. 

“Let her have it.” Lily presses her fingers against your lips. 

“How about we take this to the city and have a real celebration?” Lily asks excitedly.

“I don’t see why not. So long as Amy is feeling okay with it.” Kamilah takes your hand.

“As long as my vampire doesn’t mind holding me and never letting go.”

“Awwww… That is so sweet!” Lily’s eyes even water up. 

“Absolutely.” Kamilah does not seem to mind Lily’s statement or your catlike demands. 

“Meet up at my office.” Adrian says. 

“I will meet with my people and be there after.” Jax says. 

_

“Vega is secure in my labs. The man is absolutely ruined. I think he would have preferred death over becoming a human again.”

“The punishment suits his crimes. Even as a vampire he turned his insecurities into delusions of grandeur.” 

You sip on your champagne and look out the window. The city lights make it so hard to see the beauty in the stars.

“What is going to happen next?” You turn back around to look at the others. 

“Now that the council has been disbanded. We can make a better one with Adrian, Jax and I.”

“The clanless will be accepted into their rightful place as legitimate vampires. We will learn from our past mistakes. The other vampires will either offer fealty or be exiled.” Adrian says.

“I will make sure I won’t be apathetic. I won’t let this happen again. As my duty as queen.”

“My app will help with that too!” Lily claps her hands. “Picture it: social media for vampires and humans that know about the masquerade. You can only use it if you have proof you are a vampire and if you are human like me you have to be vouched for by a vampire.” 

“That sounds ridiculous.” Kamilah softly huffs. 

“That is because you are almost a luddite that only uses technology because you absolutely have to.”

“Social media makes people stupid. It rots their brains.”

“Oh my god, Kamilah. You sound like a boomer.”

“I don’t know what a boomer is. But if I sound like one of them then I must be right.”

“Yeah… No--”

“Just let her have it, Lils.” You laugh. 

_

“I need to stop by my office to pick up something and then we can finally go home.” She takes your hand and kisses the top of it. 

The lights of the parking garage are so sterile and bright they come off as oppressive. There is something that doesn’t feel right. 

“You feel that don’t you?” You ask, squeezing her hand.

“As a matter of fact, I do.” 

Before she can even think of what to do… Multiple people in black paramilitary outfits fill the garage like locusts. They point crossbows and grenades at the car. 

“Get out of the car slowly. If you make any sudden moves we will not hesitate to kill you, Kamilah Sayeed. Queen of the vampires.”

“...the hell?” You fight hard not to tremble.

“You too, Amygdala.” Another voice booms. 

“Let’s do what they say.” Kamilah rolls down both windows and you hold out one arm out of them, while carefully opening the doors to get out of the car. 

Several more hurry over to you. They pin Kamilah up against the door and she lets them handcuff her. 

“You know I could break these in a thousand pieces.”  Kamilah is not being cocky, she is stating a matter of fact. 

“Not with these you can’t. They are supernatural proof.” 

While you are distracted you are pinned too. Your stab wound goes back to hurting. 

Once they pull away from you both, you are forced on your knees by a strong volt of electricity that brings you both down to your knees.

“What the hell is going on?” Kamilah tries to break free but another volt keeps her in position. 

“You are being detained for your crimes against the earth. We are the containment agents from The World Bureau of Protection. We contain the supernatural that steps out of line for the protection of the earth.”

“If that doesn’t sound like some sort of terrorist organization in a Saturday morning cartoon…” 

“Hush!” The shock makes you fall on your face. 

“Don’t you hurt her!” Kamilah is so bad ass she fights to stay on her knees and will not fall.

“Get the wagon.” 

Sure enough the highly secure paddy wagon turns around the corner and the two of you are thrown inside.

“This is it.” Kamilah puts on a brave face and gets up. She quickly throws on her clothes. 

“Maybe we could escape somehow.” You chew on your lower lip.

“There is only one door and the windows are too small, Amygdala.” She sighs warily. 

“But--” 

“Come out here now with the girl! I don’t want to tear down your quaint little cabin.”

“So this IS it.” You frown, eyes watery with burgeoning tears. 

“Well if we are going to be taken out at least--” She pulls you close. Her fingers press under your chin to lift your head up. You close your eyes savoring the moment your lips come together as one. 

“Don’t cry, my pet. We will fight hard and give them hell.” Tenderly she wipes away your tears. 

“I love you.”

“There are no words to describe how much I love you too.” She kisses your cheek before leading you out of the bedroom. But before you step outside you shift into a cat. She picks you up and you curl around her shoulders.

“Good. You behaved. I was wondering whether or not you were going to try and hide or show your face.”

He gets out of his car. The rest of the council plus the psychic vampire follow behind him. Each holding dangerous weapons. 

“Does this all look familiar to you?” The Baron asks while smirking.

“Yes. But I will not let history repeat itself.”

“Hand over the girl and maybe we will let you live in shame.” Priya steps up beside Vega. “Face it grandma, it is over.”

“How in the world did you find us?” Kamilah asks, completely ignoring Priya.

“Simple.” Vega shows his fangs. “Psychic magic more or less. Jameson here used his abilities to seek you out. He is like a hound dog when it comes to finding someone’s psychic aura.” 

“Can we move on from this villainous monologue.” The greasy man--you don’t even know his name--points the sharp end of his dagger towards you both.

“What is it going to be? Surrender or a fight?”

“We fight. You will lose.” Kamilah replies and all of the sudden two daggers spring in her head.

How did you NOT know about that?!

“Whoa… where have you been hiding those?”

“Magic.” That's all she will say about that. “Do not let them catch you. Do everything to defend yourself.”

“I will try.”

“On three.”

The two of you count in each of your minds. You jump on the railing of the porch.

“Do not kill the cat.” 

You get up on the roof of the cabin. 

“Do you not think we can climb?” The greasy man doesn’t even climb; he jumps on to the roof. 

“Oh shit!” Of course he can’t hear you speaking. But you are fast. You see an old broken fence post. If you can trick him to jump in that direction maybe he will end up killing himself. You jump off the roof and effortlessly land down on top of the post.

“Come and get me you fat fuck.”

“Amygdala, please keep the commentary to a minimum.” 

“Right! Sorry!”

“It would be easier to just stab him with the post, by the way.”

“I can do that!” 

In fact Kamilah was very right. He doesn’t even jump close to the post. You go back into your human form and yank the post from the ground. He keeps moving forward and you carefully follow him.

Moving light on your feet, you raise the stake up and fly at him. The post goes straight through his back and into his heart. It is a good thing you have super good reflexes or else you would have fallen face first onto the ground after he turned to ash.

You circle back around the cabin. Kamilah is dodging each assault from The Baron’s long butcher’s knife.

“You have to be faster than that if you want to beat me.” 

Vega is watching everything unfold as if he is a king in his own right.

Priya is nowhere to be found. It might be easier to find her than to run away.

“No way.” Kamilah admonishes. 

“But--”

“If we survive this I swear to my ancient gods and goddesses that I will spank you.”

That really shouldn’t be frightening to you but for once you actually mind your person. 

“Gotcha!” You feel Priya’s fingers starting to scruff your neck. You wriggle free and slash your very sharp claws across her face. 

“Ow! My beautiful face! It is a good thing I can heal this up!”

You don’t give her a chance and take off running through the woods.

The forest is straight out of a fairytale. You know the one that has a cabin in the woods where the old wicked witch resides. The trees are dead from the winter. 

“Holy hell! This is creepy!” 

By the time Priya catches up to you, her face is healed up. You really hate that about vampires except for your vampire. 

You have a couple of choices. You could scale the trees and leap out of her way. You could fight her head on. But then you realize the forest is full of dead trees. What if you could bring them back to life and do the work for you?

You turn back into a human. Only to have Priya look at you like you are a piece of meat. “You do look good enough to eat. Too bad I can’t just do that. Now come here. Don’t make this any harder than it has to be.” 

You press your palm against the trunk of the large dead tree. The power to bring life to death tingles along your fingertips. It makes sense you can bring back trees from death as they were once living.

The tree’s branches stretch out and vines crawl around the trunk. You are caught off guard… How can this tree turn to something differently?

“What the everloving hell?!” She shouts only for the branches to pick her up off the ground. She tries to wriggle free and gets a branch staked through her chest for the effort. 

“Yes! I did that! It was a thing I did!”

You go back to Kamilah to back her up. The baron is now just another pile of ashes. But there are no signs of her and Vega. 

You follow Kamilah’s scent. It leads you to a field of wildflowers. Kamilah and Vega are in a standoff. 

“You are just a weak imitation of what an actual vampire queen could be like. You have softened over the centuries because of your closeness to the golden boy Adrian.”

“It is called growth and realizing there is more to life than just violence and control over humans. You haven’t changed a bit after four centuries.” 

“Gods don’t need to change. That is what we are. We should be ruling this world. Not hiding in the shadows! We are wolves, we shouldn't pretend like we are sheep.”

“Spoken just like Gaius. Just a parrot of him. It is actually pathetic. You’ll only be hanging on his coattails forever in his shadow.”

“Yes. Yes. You were always his favorite. His simpering plaything. You have skill and strength on your side. But I always had something that you never truly had.”

Jameson is creeping up behind Kamilah. 

“Kamilah!” You shout into her mind. “Jameson is going to launch a psychic assault.”

She has two choices. She spins around and plunges a dagger into Jameson’s chest. But that leaves her wide open for Vega to stab her in the back. 

Hurrying as fast as you can, you leap in front of Vega. The idea flashes before your eyes, as his knife plunges in your chest. Your hands grip his shoulders and use your abilities to bring him back from death… Which means…

He is no longer undead. 

“What have you done?!” He steps away and falls to his knees.

Kamilah captures you in her arms. “I got you.” 

You open your eyes and stretch your arms as far as they can go above your head. A giant yawn wracks through your whole body. Kamilah is beside you. Her head is propped up under her hand. A little smile only meant for you is on her face. 

“Good morning, beautiful.” Before she gives you the chance to respond she takes your breath away with a deep kiss. Her tongue pries your lips apart. She takes your hand and twines her fingers through yours.

But you capture her by surprise by rolling on top of her. She gasps hotly into your mouth, “Mm… My Amygdala.” 

“We had a lot of fun together last night. But I never got to return the favor.” Your hand slides between your bodies. The muscles of her abdomen flex and tighten beneath your palm. She has already begun to breathe deeply. The scent of her arousal flows up to your nostrils. 

You press your palm flatly against her mons. She holds on to that breath and pulls you back down for another kiss. 

Her hand cups over the one between her legs guiding you in how she likes it. The heel of your palm claims her clitoris and she can’t help but undulate her hips more into it. 

“Like that… Mm… Good girl.” 

Her urging makes you very happy. The purring that comes out of you makes you vibrate like a tuning fork.

“Ah!” Once more you prove to surprise her. The vibrating hand over her clitoris makes her tremble in ways you’ve never seen before.

Your fingers move in ways that aren’t normal to humans and vampires. They are double jointed and touch spaces inside of her that she never before felt. 

“...Damn!” She anchors herself firmly to you and rides the waves of your movements. 

You lower yourself and capture an erect nipple between your lips. The pulsating purrs become seismic and spread pleasure to all of the ancient vampire’s erogenous zones.

She yanks on your hair and crumples beneath you. Her chest heaves in and out heavily like she might just explode all over you. Tears glisten in her eyes. Sweat gleams against her perfect skin. 

She flips you off of her and maneuvers into a position to cuddle and pepper your cheek with kisses. 

“You are incredible, pet. I love you so much.” 

“Mrr… I love you too Kamilah.”

Her lips play with your earlobe making you flutter your eyes closed.

“When was the last time you had it that good?” Your cat's curiosity can never go away.

“Never. Not like this. The last time I even had a sex was over a century ago.”

“Why did it take you that long to have sex?”

“I don’t know. I guess I was too busy.”

“For a century.”

“That and--” She takes a moment to mull over her words. “I was busy trying to undo all the bad things I did.”

“You went celibate to atone for your sins.”

“That is one way to look at it. I really wanted to make a change. I wanted to keep up the masquerade. I wanted to not become the person I hated so much. I couldn’t be like him.”

“You were never like him to begin with.”

“That is…” She nods. “True. Very true. He spent centuries trying to make me his perfect mirror image. It only made me resent him more.”

“Do you resent being turned?”

“No. I appreciate immortality. I just wish I wasn’t turned to be manipulated. He made me the worst version of myself.” She kisses your shoulder.

“Now you are the version of yourself that he can never change. You are free from him.”

“I am determined to make sure that I will be free of him for good.”

“Have I ever told you how awesome you are?”

“No. But don’t stop. Tell me over and over again.” The both of you share a laugh.

You reach up and play with her hair. Even with bed hair it somehow remains nearly perfectly intact. 

“You are the best owner a cat could ever ask for.”

“Is that why you give me hell?”

“How else am I supposed to keep you on your toes?”

She tweaks your nose. “You really are a cat. I think most cats think like you.”

“You doubted my validity as a cat? That is not nice.” You nip at her finger.

“I--” She looks away guiltily. “--shouldn’t have.”

“Make it up to me then.”

“How?”

“Let’s stay in this bed and only get out unless we absolutely have to.”

“I think I can manage that.”

After making out for an exceedingly long amount of time, you go back to cuddling. Your eyelids become heavy and slowly you drift off into a sleep. You can always feel Kamilah watching you sleep.

Hours later you roll over and find the space next to you empty. After rubbing your eyes, you see Kamilah by the window looking under the shade. The moonlight casts a blue gray hue over her naked body.

You get up and stumble sleepily behind her. You have to get on the very tips of your toes to rest your chin on her shoulder. You encircle her waist with your arms and squeeze her tightly. Why did she have to be so freaking tall?

“A penny for your thoughts?”

“Oh. My thoughts are far more expensive than mere pennies. But for you I can give you a discount.” She sighs and leans into you.

“Here with you like this brings me peace. But there is that darkness that is clouding my mind. I feel something bad is going to happen. I don’t think we are wholly safe yet.”

She turns around, taking your face in her hands. “All I want is for us to be happy and live a life without danger. Yet danger is an obsessive stalker that will not relent. It shows no mercy.”

“The only solution is taking out the ones that enable the danger.”

“I know. It is a terrible truth that I hate to admit.”

“We have to fight and we have to win.”

“Can you even fight?”

“I am a trickster fae. I can use tricks to defend myself. I don’t need to fight. Not only that, you haven’t seen me hone my skills yet.”

“That… I never thought about what you can and can’t do.”

“When it comes to it I will do anything to fight by your side. I have your back because that is what a good cat does for her person.”

“How can one person be so adorable and beautiful in one little package?”

She lifts you up and you wrap your legs around her. She swiftly carries you back to the bed. 

Suddenly bright lights illuminate the whole of the cabin. “I found you!” Vega’s voice booms through loudspeakers.

“How did he find us?”

The full moon casts the trees in a gnarly frightening way that leaves you a little jumpy. Kamilah casts a brief sideways glance in your direction. Her hand comes to rest on your thigh. You shiver at her touch. The skittishness begins to fade away. 

“Are we there yet?”

“Don’t you think I would be stopping the car if we were?”

“Good point.”

“A truthful point.” 

“Have you been to this cabin before?”

“No. I had no idea that Adrian actually had one. I can’t be too surprised about it.”

You immediately pick up on her disappointment. “You sound a little unhappy about it.”

“I can’t hide anything from you. Can I?” 

You shake your head. “No. Never.”

“I suppose I am. He usually tells me everything. He says it makes him ill keeping secrets.”

“Does it make him ill to hide the fact that he is a vampire?”

“In all honesty? Absolutely. It is the oldest and biggest secret he has to keep.”

“What about you?”

“I have always been private. But there are times I wish I could be free to be myself.”

You drop your hand on top of hers. “I love it when you are able to be yourself.”

She takes your hand and brings it to her lips. “It looks like we have to walk from here. The forest is too dense for the car.”

The both of you gather all the stuff in the trunk. You walk in silence for what seems like forever. Like a movie segue the cabin appears behind a clearing. It is small and looks nothing like the cabins you’ve seen on television and movies. 

“Where are the Lincoln logs?”

“Excuse me? ‘Lincoln logs’?”

“I mean why doesn’t it look like the cabin Lincoln grew up in?”

She lifts her head up and lets out a laugh, “So we’re stereotyping cabins now?”

“...It is not that funny.”

“It is.” Kamilah reaches for the very top of the door where an old key is hidden in the door’s natural nook. The door creaks loudly making you jumpy all over again.

“You really are a little scaredy cat, aren’t you?”

“Shut up.” You whimper and your cat ears peek out of your hair. A low rumble comes from your stomach. 

“You should probably eat.” It is her stomach that growls next. 

“You too.” You note looking at the hand that pats her stomach. She pulls out a cold blood bag and gives it a withering look. 

“Don’t like it cold?”

“Cold blood is an acquired taste.” She wrinkles up her nose. “I have yet to acquire it.”

You go up to her and sweep your hair to one side. “Why not take fresh warm blood from the source?”

It is rare to see such an attractive smirk dancing on her face. The wider it becomes the deeper the dimples. “If I may?” She grabs your hips and pulls you tightly against her. Her lips skim up and down the strong vein that pulse vigorously. 

The pain of the bite is sharp and goes away instantly. Blissful pleasure warms through your limbs. You feel a throb between your legs and know exactly what that means…

“Kamilah…” Her breath is smoldering against your skin. 

When she pulls away she is panting. “Your blood is the richest I’ve ever tasted. Delicious… Thank you.”

She pricks the edge of her thumb with her fangs. When a droplet of blood forms she presses it against your bite marks.

You fall against her feeling a little weak in the knees. She guides you to the table to rifle through the bags. “All the bare staples of food. Peanut butter. Bread. Cheese. Water. Take your pick.”

“Peanut butter sandwich.” 

She goes to a pantry in search of the proper utensils. “I think I know why Adrian kept this a secret.”

“Oh yeah?”

“I can tell that this was his home before he turned. He probably built this place from the ground up.” Her fingers stroke a portion of the wall. “It even looks like lightning struck this particular tree.”

“That is really observant.” 

“It is a gift I have accomplished after living for over two-thousand years.”

Your mouth waters watching her make a thick peanut butter sandwich.

You eat it in three bites. “Mmph… good.” You say with your mouth full of peanut butter and bread.”

“How charming, Amy.”  She begins to get the fire started. “It is chilly out tonight.”

“It is a good thing I can keep you warm tonight.” The thought occurs to you that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad finding pleasurable ways to keep warm. 

It is certainly not lost on her. She turns in time to see your cheeks glowing a pinkish hue. “What do you mean by that?” She knows. She just wants to hear you say it.

You get up from the chair and walk to the bedroom. “The sun will rise soon, we best get to bed.” You deflect. She follows you quickly. 

She grabs you by the hips and spins you around. “You’re not getting away without answering.” She begins to undress you… More like ripping the clothes right off of you instead. You untuck the blouse from her trousers before unbuttoning it. 

Her lips easily claim yours hard and fervently. It is her way of showing you that she’s the owner in this relationship. She shrugs out of her blazer and blouse. 

Air hits your lips when she pulls away. She turns you back around while sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Let me get a good look at you. Spin around slowly and show me.”

“Oh! Of course…” This is happening. You finally get to have the sex that you mentioned all those weeks ago when Kamilah found you naked in bed. You do a slow turn and lift up one of your legs.

“You really are a pretty kitty aren’t you?”

“I--thanks!” Why don’t you know how to use words anymore? 

She reaches for you and pulls you on her lap. You straddle her and wrap your legs around her waist. She marks your neck up with sharp nips and suckles. You bounce up and down on top of her. 

She moves you to lie down on the bed and pulls away to remove the rest of her clothing. The shadows caused by the flickering flame of the candle bounces off of her body and accentuates her well toned abs.

Her fingers paint brush strokes up your sides and stop at your breasts. Her thumbs flick your hard nipples down then up.

Suddenly, she pins your arms above your head. Her other hand grips your chin. “You have been a naughty little cat. I am going to make you work for this.” Her hand slides down the front of your body. Her fingers are teasing against your aroused folds. You squirm beneath her hold. She is far stronger than you are. 

“...Kamilah?”

“You are wet. You really want this don’t you?” 

“Please?” You do not hide your desperation. 

“Beg for it.”

“Um…”

Her thumb presses against your engorged clit. “What was that?” Her hand rests languidly against your thigh. 

“Kamilah! I am sorry! Please… I need you to fuck me…”

She clicks her tongue loudly against the roof of her mouth. “Tsk… Tsk…”

“You’re so cruel…”

“Would a cruel woman do this?” Her thumb draws designs firmly against your clitoris. At the same time she teases her middle finger inside of you. 

“No…” You shake your head. Soon she quiets you with another kiss. Her fangs prick your bottom lip. 

Her hand works over your quim faster and harder. It makes your body one tight giant nerve. 

“You’re getting closer.” She groans against your ear. With a moan and a shudder, you succumb to her intense pleasure. 

“That… was amazing.”

Kamilah grins flashing off her sharp fangs, “Oh my sweet little pet, we’ve only just begun…”

Loud ominous footsteps ring throughout The Bloody Cellars. “Here, kitty kitty kitty.” One of the men taunts. “We’re here for your majesty the queen too.”

“Don’t forget--”

“I won’t forget and I won’t do it.”

“Amy, Please.” 

“Let me protect you.” It is about time you protect your owner. You are not about to let anything happen to her. 

“Hey!” A man shouts. 

“Shut up you clanless scum.”

Somebody is about to have a bad night too. You have to wonder how he got caught.

“It is funny how Adrian turned tail when his precious queen was dethroned.” 

“This is it, Amygdala.” Kamilah goes to speak through your mind.

“How do you know? What if he did betray you?”

“I’ve known him since the war for independence and never has he betrayed me.” 

“Get the cat and the ice queen.” Commands another guard when the fire torches go out. It is a good thing that your eyes excel in the dark. 

“What the hell?”

Then sounds of a struggle begin to ensue. You draw out your sharp claws. 

“Goddamn, these fuckers are hard to kill.” The clanless man complains. He begins to jingle the keys. 

“Kamilah where are you?” He asks as his footsteps get louder as he gets closer to your cells.

“Down here.” 

The man follows her voice and lets her out first. 

“Get her out too.” She steps out to straighten out her suit. 

“You’re welcome by the way.” He tosses Kamilah the keys. 

Once you are free you run into her arms. Her hands run all the way up your sides, stopping at cupping your cheeks. You press your forehead up to hers. The world drowns out again when the two of you share a brief celebratory lip lock. 

“If we’re done with this happy reunion?” The clanless butts in.

“Right.” She takes you by the hand. You are made suddenly aware of all the other prisoners. 

“We can’t just leave them!”

“We won’t.” Kamilah stops by the back entrance and pulls down a lever that opens up all of the cells.

“Now we really have to get out of here.” She lifts you up and carries you over a shoulder as she and the clanless take off. The sounds of sweet chaos behind you are beautiful to your ears. 

A black sports car does a donut spin at the opening of the alleyway you run out of. 

“I always wanted to do that!” Shouts Lily as she rolls down the window. “Get in guys. Adrian is still in there pretending to switch sides.” 

The man slides across the hood to get to the passenger side. Kamilah opens the door and pushes you inside first. 

The prisoners are running wild all around the area… And then the whole building goes down in flames. 

“Do you think he got out of there fine?” Lily asks. 

“Yes. He is probably pretending to save The Baron from the fire.”

“That will take away any suspension that he was in cahoots with Jax.” Lily nods as she drives off at top speed. The tires screech as they burn across the concrete of the streets.

“Speaking of--” Lily says awkwardly, “--we wouldn’t have made it this far without his help.” Her head tilts to the side in the man’s direction.

Kamilah nods and extends her head. “Your help is very much appreciated, Jax.”

It takes Jax a moment before he reaches out to shake her head. “Yeah. Well. I was returning the favor. Adrian and Lily made some promises on your behalf. I expect you won’t break them.”

Staring through the windshield thoughtfully Kamilah eventually answers with: “I will follow through on those promises. In my two millennia of living I have never broken a promise.” 

“I will hold you to that.” He smiles and punches the car’s ceiling. “That was one hell of an adrenaline rush. You know how to make a night fun.” 

“I am glad you approve.” Kamilah responds with a grin of her own. You lie down on your side and rest your head on her lap. 

“Why in the hell did they turn against you?” He gives you and Kamilah a curious sideways look.

Her fingers run through your hair. Your purring rumbles loudly in the car.

“...is she purring?” He asks before Kamilah can answer the first question.”

“Yes. She is purring. Because she is a cat.” Lily is the first to answer.

“No way! How?”

“She is literally a cat girl.” Lily answers with a dimpling grin. 

“You mean they are real?!”

“You are a vampire. If vampires can live in this world it stands to reason that a cat girl can too.” 

Jax laughs and shakes his head. 

“That is not the funniest part. Kamilah is her owner. They have a magical bond too.” Lily turns around a street corner sharply and if Kamilah were not holding on to you, you’d fall on the floor. 

“Like some sort of anime?” 

“They are talking like we are not even here.” Kamilah notes with a deadpan tone.

You crinkle up your nose and softly giggle under your breath. You think it is amusing too.

“Of course you find the humor in what they are saying.” Kamilah looks down at you rolling her eyes. 

“It is kind of funny that Kamilah would be the one to ‘own’ a cat girl.” Jax keeps on talking. 

“I know! I mentioned that before. I guess only jaded ancient vampires and teenage boys in anime can own a catgirl.” 

“I mean… some people do have all the luck. .” 

“Would you have owned a catgirl? I know I would.”

“Hell yeah! They’re cute. I don’t think I could actually own her though… Cats are the real owners in the relationship.”

“I think she is more than okay with Kamilah owning her. The queen spoils her.” 

Jax chuckles harder and slams his palm on his knee. Enough is enough and Kamilah softly clears her throat. 

“I am sorry. I meant no disrespect.” Jax comes across as genuinely contrite. 

“I thought you wanted to know why I ended up where I am now.”

“I do. But--”

“You literally own a cat girl, Kamilah.” Lily states emphatically. “He just found out about the existence of catgirls. You totally don’t have a humorous bone in your body.”

“Stop guys.” You chime in. “Or she will sulk.”

“I do not ‘sulk’. See what I have to put up with?” Kamilah comes very close to whining. Very close. 

“That is just the way cats are.” Jax points out.

“You all are giving me a headache.” Kamilah finally gives into her grumpiness. 

As Lily drives out of the city, Kamilah explains what happened. It is very important that they don’t capture you again. 

“That is definitely not a typical anime plot.” Jax responds more seriously. “We have to do everything possible to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“I am certainly glad you agree.” Kamilah is back to being diplomatic and aloof. 

Lily drives to a small road off of the freeway. There is a car waiting underneath a large tree. 

“This is where we part ways. There are clothes, food, and blood in the trunk. There is a map in the glove compartment to a cabin in the woods upstate.” Lily pulls over to the side of the road. “Adrian will arrive as soon as he can. It might be a couple of days. Just hang in there until some of the smoke clears.”

Kamilah reaches out to squeeze Lily’s shoulder. “I can’t tell you how thankful I am for all of your help. Be careful out there.”

You lick Lily’s cheek before leaving. “I will see you later, bestie.” 

“Not if I see you first.” She winks. 

The both of you wait until the car drives away before getting into the other car. 

“What happens next?” You ask after putting on the seatbelt. 

The cries and wailing is almost too much for your sensitive hearing. You are starting to see double. Your eyes water from the intense stench reeking from the Bloody Cellars. 

“Please… I need to get out of here. Someone help me!” A woman cries out from the other end of the cellars.

You cup your hands over your ears. Why does this place even exist?

“Who are these people?” You ask outwardly. Kamilah is in the cell right next to you. 

“Anybody that has crossed The Baron in any sort of way.” 

“But why did you let it happen?”

“How am I to blame for this?”

“I wasn’t--”

“I am projecting. I have been apathetic a lot to keep the peace. He can get away with this since technically he doesn’t kill them. He isn’t breaking any of the rules that have been set forth.”

“Can you really say that he doesn’t kill anyone?”

“You have a point. He skinned a man alive and sent the flesh to his new widow.”

“Ugh…” You gag a little. “Why?”

“He insulted The Baron’s hat.”

“That is comic book levels of villainy.” 

“...you read comic books?”

“Why does that surprise you?” You snort and laugh. Of all things to surprise the vampire queen. 

“I thought living as a cat you wouldn’t know how to read.”

You slide down against the wall and press your palm against it. You can feel Kamilah doing the same. “When I am bonded I learn things from said bonds. I learned how to read and write without even doing such a thing before.”

“Is that so?” Kamilah muses. “What have you learned about me? I want the truth.” 

“You are a very strong woman. But you are also tired and feel like you are getting too old ‘for this shit’. You want peace. You want tranquility. You want a garden. You want to see life grow through your fingers. Still yet moving at the same time. And you are very lonely. You learned to live with such solitude.” 

“That is a very astute interpretation of me. I almost feel like you’ve invaded my psyche. When I know you haven’t.”

“When this is all over. Once we get out of here. You can have all of that some day. I will help you have your dream.”

“It is a dream that is so far away. I hope it will happen.”

“We just got to get out of here first.”

“Right. Remember what I said.”

“I have. I won’t do that.”

“Now is not the time to be stubborn.”

“You are important. I will not let them harm you to get me to do what they want. Like you said I bet Adrian is working on freeing us.”

“You don’t understand--”

“I do! I do understand that Gaius is a certified bad guy. I also know that I don’t think I have the power to raise him from the dead.”

“How do you know that?”

“I don’t know how I can turn ashes back into a vampire.”

“You are far stronger than you realize, Amygdala.”

“Why are you giving me a pep talk about being strong enough to bring a dead villain back to life?” 

You hear a light chuckle coming from her. “Since you said it like that. I suppose I should have thought more about my words before I said them.”

“You mean the Kamilah Sayeed spoke on impulse? Who are you and what have you done to my Kamilah Sayeed.”

“Enough of that. Hush.” 

“I can practically feel you smiling. I made a joke that you liked.”

“Yes. Yes. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“Do you really think Adrian will come through for us?”

“It is not a matter of thinking. It is a matter of when. I know he will figure something out.”

_

Third person perspective. 

Lily paces around in the office. Eventually she might even burn a hole through the carpeting. She tugs on a couple of her dreadlocks. 

“Oh man. Oh man. This is bad. We have to figure out a way to break them out of there.”

Adrian is leaning all the way back in his chair behind the desk. If one didn’t know him, it would look like he had a thousand yard stare. But there are gears grinding and working hard in his head.

He stands up and goes to the bar. He reaches for a carafe filled with the strongest of alcohol. 

“How can you think of drinking at a time like this?”

“Drinking helps me to think sometimes. I’ve come up with great innovations from drinking.”

“You sound like a frat boy trying to be intelligent.”

He turns to face her and shakes his head with a smile. “What you said just gave me an idea.”

“I don’t think a frat party is going to help us.”

“Lily…” He looks at her as if she grew a second head. 

“I tell jokes! It is my coping mechanism!”

“I know you do. It is time we turned in a few favors.”

“From who?”

“Jax and his clanless.”

“I can arrange a meeting.”

_

“Why are meetings in dark alleys so creepy?” Asks Lily, hugging herself tightly.. “All we need is fog and it would be very thematic.” 

“Are you sure he will show up?”

“For me? Yes. He’s my boy.” 

“What’s that about me being your ‘boy’?”

“I told you! Here he is my boy Jax!”

Jax steps out of the shadows as if he were summoned. “Why in the hell is he there?” He snarls, showing his fangs. 

“Hold up! Hold up!” Lily stands between them. “I didn’t bring Adrian to start a war or whatever. We actually need your help.” 

“You tricked me Lily. No way am I going to help a member of the council who has done fuck all for my people.” 

“I hate to do this…” Lily places her palm against her forehead. “All of the help I gave you? The places where you could steal from? They were willing donations from Kamilah. And she needs your help.”

“Like I am going to believe that. If she really was helping she would fight for us. She’d see us as legitimate vampires. We would not be in hiding. We would not be illegal.”

“You may not believe that but it is the truth. She shares a lot of her wealth to help your people out.” Adrian says. 

“I am supposed to help her because the ice queen sees me and my people as charity?”

“If they kill her they will come for you next. You may view her as apathetic. When she is in fact pragmatic. She can’t openly support your people when the others are against her.”

“I will protect us. We will be ready when they strike.”

“Do you really think that you can?”

“We have so far.”

“Because of her.” Lily reminds Jax. “Who do you think encouraged me to help you guys? I couldn’t have done it without her saying so.”

“Is this about me returning the favor? I should help her because she lets my people live another day?”

“If you help her with this. She will take out the council and legitimize the clanless.” Adrian keeps his voice calm and level.

“I think we can do fine without her.”

“Really? What about Lula? Or Liv? Your hubris isn’t going to protect them Jax.” Lily can only shake her head. 

“That is really low, Lil.” 

“It is the truth.”

“I know dammit. Alright. I’ll do it. Only because this is a huge benefit for my people. I won’t hesitate to take her out if she betrays me.”

“That’s the spirit.” Lily grins cheekily and pats the rebel vampire on the back.

“What is the meaning of this?” Kamilah’s eyes squint sharply and her plump lips cast downwards in an expression of heavy frustration. She and Adrian are the only two who haven’t stood up. 

“Read the room, grandma.” Priya rolls her eyes all the way back to her head. 

“We’re tired of your bullshit, your majesty. You’ve done nothing more than weaken and dilute the vampires in this city.” The gangster known as The Baron says. 

“Gaius never wanted us to hide who we truly are. He never wanted us to go gentle on humanity. We are what we are because we are superior. We should hold dominion over the humans. They should fear us. We shouldn’t hide in the shadows because of them.” Vega speaks grandly as if rousing an invisible audience. 

Finally Kamilah stands up and moves into a position that means she is ready to fight. “If that is what you want. I dare you to try it.” Her shadows move behind her giving her a bigger presence. She makes the underground temple look smaller and smaller. 

“You’re not a goddamned goddess. You can be taken out.” The greasy man says. 

Adrian moves to stand in front of Kamilah. “You’ll have to get through me first.” 

“The golden boy really thinks he can protect his precious queen.” The Baron half laughs and half snorts. The sound lacks any sort of humor.

“Actually… We have a better idea.” Vega folds his arms against his chest. 

A new scent begins to waft through your nostrils. But it is not so new. It is highly familiar. It is the second person’s smell that came to the shop that night. Vega’s accomplice. 

All you begin to see is red behind your eyes. Blood starts to dribble out of your nostrils, ears, and lastly your eyes. 

“What the--” Now you can’t even stand up. Somehow you have fallen to your knees. It feels like fingers have gotten into your skull and are molesting your brain… Painfully. 

“Amygdala!” Kamilah cries out. 

“Nuh uh…” The man controlling you says. He sounds like a scholarly Brit. 

“...you too Jameson?” Growls Kamilah.

“We’ve been looking for this girl. Imagine my surprise when I recognized those eyes at the ball.” Vega is gloating; you wish you could actually catch his tongue.

“You see Jameson here read the dying thoughts of that witch’s mind. We learned that she was incapable of necromancy. But her cat could. Or should we say ‘pooka’? It is even rare for her kind to have such an ability.” 

You wish you could fight but you can’t even move. You can barely even see a few inches in front of you. 

“We could all kill you both.” Vega says. “Or we could take the cat with us and force her to bring back Gaius.” Vega approaches. All you can do is flinch as he drags a sharp nail down the side of your cheek. It cuts through your flesh like a knife in butter.

“No offense. But we kind of miss our king.” Priya says.

“If you fight us Kamilah your precious little pet will die a painful death and you will lose either way.” The Baron warns.

“I say we vote. All for deposing the queen say aye.” Vega says. Everyone says aye all except Adrian who firmly and emphatically says no. 

“Overruled.” Vega laughs. “You can still have your dignity, Kamilah. You can come with us and be arrested willingly.” 

“Never.” Adrian clinches his hands into white knuckled fists. 

Kamilah grabs his shoulder and shakes her head. “No. I will go.”

“Kamilah…” He frowns. 

“I’m not worth dying over, Adrian.”

“You are. You are my sister.”

“You have a lot to give to this world.” She walks away. Men file in and surround Kamilah. She is escorted out with her head high and you barely make out her head nod.

“I love you Kamilah.” You say through your bond. She gives you the quickest of smiles that is gone as quick as it came.

_

You are thrown in the trunk of a car and warned not to shift. You have to behave or else they might do something to Kamilah. 

The car is driving very fast. The Jameson guy doesn’t have a psychic hold over your mind anymore. You drown your mind out by singing: 99 bottles of beer. 

“Would you stop with that?! I can’t hear myself think.” Yes. The voice is unmistakably Kamilah’s. But how is she speaking to you through your mind? It is usually a one way sort of thingamajig.

“Wait? Are you speaking through my mind?”

“Does it sound like I am speaking through your mind?” 

“...well obviously! Yes!”

“You have your answer.” 

“Right! That means our bond--”

“Is strong because we have a deep personal connection?”

“You make it sound so romantic!” You are so swooning right now.

“Pfft. I will let you have this little thing, Amygdala.” A pause. “And I love you too. Even when you get on my very last nerve.” 

“I knew it! You love me. You love me! La la la! Kamilah loves me!”

“I give you one inch and you decide to take a whole mile…” She grumbles. “You are giving me a headache.”

“You have a headache because you love me!” 

“I will learn how to muzzle your mind.” 

“No you won’t!”

“I will. Just wait for it.” 

You quickly remember where you are and what will happen or might happen. “What are we going to do?”

“We’ll find a way out of here. By now Adrian is brainstorming on how to rescue us.”

“But how can you be so sure?”

“Listen to me. I know how they operate. They will try and do horrible things to me. They are going to use me to get you to cooperate. Don’t let them do that. You can’t be manipulated.”

“But--”

“We can't let them resurrect Gaius."

“But I don’t want you to die, Kamilah!”

“Now is not the time to be a selfish cat. You got to think about the greater good. If it means me dying to save the world from Gaius it has to be done. Do you understand?”

You don’t want to think about that! You don’t want to answer her.

“Do. You. Understand?!”

“No! I don’t want to. We will escape before that happens!” 

“Answer me--” 

The car comes to a grinding halt. You must be at the dreaded destination.

A huge giant of a man opens the trunk and hurls you effortlessly over a shoulder. Kamilah is pulled out of the backseat of the same car. 

What?

How come she wasn’t thrown in the trunk with you?

The rest of the guards are on her like white on rice. They are ready to launch an assault should she try anything. 

You and she are shoved into a back entrance of an old building. Then taken down at the lowest level. You hear screams, moans, and groans. The area smells like death, decay, and despair. 

“What is this place?” You wish you could pinch your nose. It stinks so bad you grow nauseous. 

The guard takes great pleasure in smacking and goosing your ass. “This little kitty is the Bloody Cellars.”