Chapter Fourteen

The Ultimate Betrayal

The table had been set for two, and two alone. Rightfully so, Lord Black had chosen to sit at the head of the dining table. The other place setting that had been put to his left was for his desired guest, Karou. Warren had escorted his fledgeling to the dining room; on their arrival, he'd quickly gotten the hint that he wasn't welcome. Warren wasn't surprised or deterred by Roman's bold rudeness and chose to sit beside Karou, regardless of whether he'd get to share in their meal or not - there was no way he was going to leave Karou alone with his Coven Lord.

Four courses had already been consumed, and around nine pm, the fifth and final course, dessert, was served before Karou and Roman. Expectedly, Karou had felt awkward, sitting and eating while Warren sat there with nothing at all, but he'd told her that it was best that they just play Roman's game for now. That way, he was liable to get bored of her novelty quicker and leave them alone sooner. Up until now, that had been working out for them. The conversation had remained sparse and tame in its topic. That was all to change, though.

The moment Roman set down his dessert spoon, he turned to Karou and said, "My subordinates tell me that we're distantly related, you and I. More distantly on your side of the family than mine, of course. It was my father, Lucian, that threw caution to the wind when he decided to breed with Lucifer's granddaughter." Lord Black lounged back into his throne-like chair. He smiled at Karou, gauging her reaction. Roman had a 'talk to me' smile that was warm and disarming; it made him seem almost friendly, and Karou seemed to lose the ability to focus on anything else. She couldn't escape the idea that he appeared to be a completely different person than the one she'd met the evening prior; even his aura had changed. His frank statement wasn't nearly as attention-grabbing as his facial expression at this point.

Regardless of Karou's staring, Roman continued, "My family didn't appreciate his choice at the time, but... I think..." He paused thoughtfully. Then, out of nowhere, Roman's tone turned sultry. His deep eyes zeroed in on Karou's, which only intensified her feeling of vulnerability. She couldn't stop staring at the point of his left fang as it protruded from his devious grin. "... it was the best decision he ever made."

"Uh, why- why is that?"

"It's a conversation starter even if it isn't to serve any other purpose, wouldn't you agree?" Roman chuckled and slapped the arm of his chair. Suddenly the intensity of his allure vanished; in its place was just boyish charm and a curious smile. "Do you believe in fate, Karou?

"I've been thinking about that a lot lately." She admitted readily, without thinking. Truly the words had been on the tip of her tongue for a while now, but she hadn't dared talk to Warren about it for fear of sounding cliché. Still, in her moments of quiet contemplation, the idea that her meetings with Warren were somehow preordained was born. It all just seemed too perfect to have been accidental. "Uh, what I mean is... -"

"You wonder, as I do, whether or not you were always destined to be sired?"

"Yes!" Karou exclaimed with a pleased smile. Without having to explain herself, Roman understood.

"With that in mind Karou, please consider my Elder's proposal very carefully. For a fledgeling vampiress with your prestigious heritage and awesome natural born talents, there is no better place to nurture your strengths than here. I'm sure I've no need to boast over how well you'd be looked after..." Roman shot a look Warren's way. "I'm sure Warren has shared all the stories of his glory years with you... He was hand-chosen by Kostya Davikov himself. Many an enemy has been slain by your formidable Sire without shedding a single drop of blood."

Warren shuddered where he sat. Roman spoke of the worst times of his life, calling them his glory days only to mock him. Warren had been sent on many procurement missions by Kostya because he had a particular talent in "picking ripe fruit without bruising it". Broadly meaning that he could subdue mortals easily without setting a finger or fang on them. Stealing their air and thus rendering them unconscious to be easily collected, served and drained by the thirsty army of the Black Winter and Davikov Coven. Many of the slain enemies Roman spoke of were women and children. Though the memories of those regrettable years still haunted him, he refused to be beaten and defined by them. Instead, he'd become driven to find another means of feeding vampires. He'd escaped Kostya's clutches; his murder had been timely. Warren didn't hesitate fleeing the Black Winter, and soon after that, he formed REDford.

"Your talents needn't lie in combat for you to make your home here, though, Karou. Whatever path you choose, you could belong here. You'd be an asset to our Coven. You have so much potential - you could become a scholar, a politician, a doctor even!" Roman was on a roll and pouring words that Karou had so desperately wanted to hear her whole life right into her ear.

"A scholar, A doctor?" Karou asked, disbelieving that she could finally realise her dream of amassing intellect. Making medical breakthroughs was her lifelong ambition. Hopefulness flowed from her blue eyes, gleaming and in awe of Roman. His proposal was too good to resist. I could still see Warren if I stayed here.

"Yes, of course," Roman replied as if he'd heard her private thought.

"You're too late." Warren finally spoke out.

"What?" Karou turned to look in the direction of her Sire, confused. That was when she realised that the more Roman spoke, the closer she had leaned towards him. Shocked by how near to himself he'd lured her, she sat up straight and pressed her back to her chair to regain some composure.

"Yes. You might as well tell him about your visit from Cambria Morningstar." Warren glared over at Roman; he had his own bullets to fire.

Roman visibly flinched in his seat, though he attempted to disguise it by changing his position. "I see. Family reunions are a running theme at the moment."

"Uh, yes. She visited when I came out of dormancy."

"And gave you a proposal of her own, I've no doubt." Roman didn't hide his disappointment, but so as not to sour the mood and perhaps reveal too much of his character too soon, which could foil his plan, he changed his tune. "Well then, my dear Karou, you've got some decisions to make. Now I feel rather foolish… I would hate for you to feel pressured by me..."

"Especially when you've already decided what your future will hold," Warren added.

Karou looked into her lap; she could feel herself starting to shrink when she sensed Roman and Warren gearing up for battle; she was about to be sandwiched between their ego's. Her gut instinct had been correct; the discussion was getting heated.

"Now, now Warren, you really mustn't let your desire for control sway Karou. Perhaps we ought to change the subject so as not to soil the waters with our wants. This is your choice, alone, Karou. Understandably, you need time to consider your options, now that you've been presented with so many desirable ones."

"She's nephilim first. She belongs in Enoch." Warren insisted.

"Perhaps The Compound has become too crowded; it sounds to me like you want rid of her." Roman guessed, and then came another epiphany, "Oh, you don't mean to say that you regret siring her, do you? That's what it sounds like I'm hearing."

"No. I don't. But neither do I intend on trapping her and keeping her from a bright future for my sake."

"How noble… How unlike you." Roman scoffed. "Out of curiosity, What future would you pursue in Enoch, Karou?"

"Whatever sort of future she chooses." Warren gritted his teeth; his words were almost a growl.

"I… I think Cambria wants me to become her understudy at court." Karou admitted mousily.

"Court life is so tedious… Surely, a youngster wants to explore more than that?"

"Actually, I've taken an interest in vampiric anatomy; I would love to understand more about our healing capabilities and how that might be applied, medically, to other races that perhaps don't heal in the same way."

"See, such a fertile mind that would go to waste in that wretched desert!" Roman was adamant about getting the last word – suddenly, he stood from his chair and moved to leave the table. "I've enjoyed our dinner greatly, Karou, but if you would excuse me, I have some work to attend to before I retire to bed. I do hope we can talk again soon, perhaps alone…" Before Karou could properly reply, Roman was out of the door, and she and Warren were the ones left alone.

Bewildered by his abrupt exit, Karou took a moment to gather herself. At her side, Warren audibly sighed. "I can't decide if he was as irritating as I'd expected or not."

"I didn't find him all that bad. He seemed interested in me, at least…" Karou chose her word carefully, she didn't want to upset Warren, but Roman had taken more of an interest in her mind during that short dinner than Warren had in a year.

"Don't fall for his theatrics. His interest is only to meet his own ends." Warren assured.

His pessimism put Karou down immediately, and she found herself sighing too. They left the dining room and went back to Warren's room. Little else was discussed about Enoch that night though Karou had been dying to talk to Warren about everything! Her future. Moving to Enoch. The possibility of staying in Blue Ash and still being able to see him. Yet, silence prevailed, and even as she lay in bed that night, despite laying next to him, she couldn't shake her doubtful thoughts. Roman had incepted some dangerous idea into her fertile mind.

Yes, Roman Black had set his sights on Karou. He'd never had a celestial in his "collection" before, and to have a descendant of Lucifer himself was too tempting to pass up. The only way he stood a chance at getting Karou to himself was first to separate her from Warren. The only way to sever a bond such as theirs was to facilitate Karou's deepest urge and make her biggest dream come true.

One of Karou's dreams would eventually come true as they sometimes did. Though not the one she wanted. Fate could be cruel that way.

Warren had been in Blue Ash four days, but he seemed to disappear from the castle and into thin air on the afternoon of the fourth day. That morning, before Karou had even woken up, he'd received a telephone call from a Coven administrator to inform him that his presence had been requested at the Elder's Hall for their meeting that noon. Confident that Karou wouldn't be out of bed anytime soon, Warren had dressed and made his way to the Library to take his morning coffee with Magnus; however, he hadn't found his mentor on his arrival.

On the way back to his room, a familiar voice called down the corridor to him, "Magnus is looking for you." Warren turned to see Lillianna dashing off towards The Oval with purpose. Assuming she couldn't stay and chat, he chased after her.

"Where did you last see him, Lilli?"

"Oh, in the Lounge..." She replied casually, waved and proceeded on her way, jogging over the arena to join a training class that she had already missed the beginning of.

Warren sighed. Typical. It wasn't unusual for Magnus to attend The Oval Lounge, mainly to drink, but Warren never joined his sessions there. For a moment, he's stood, looking lost and wondering if he should risk it and bother going to see what he wanted; he doubted it would be important, or he would have called on his company.

The amount of time he'd remained stationary while thinking through his options had attracted the attention of Lilli again. She was removing some of the outer layers of her clothing to reveal her skin-tight workout gear. Reluctantly she jogged back over to Warren and stood before him with her hands set on her hips. "Too frightened to go in and see what he's after, huh?"

"Frightened, perhaps isn't the right word." Warren rolled his eyes, and on the way, he gave Lillianna a quick once over. For old times sake, he checked to see if she'd altered at all; she hadn't. She was still perky in every sense of the word, both mentally and physically.

"My eyes are up here, or are you shamelessly comparing my assets to that stunning fledgeling of yours?"

"Stunning, is she?"

"You can't pretend you haven't noticed. Even though you never have your feelings written all over your face Warren, don't forget that I know you quite well. Well enough to know the reason you sired her in the first place."

"Oh, do enlighten me. I'm not sure I've figured out why I did it yet." Warren scoffed and folded his arms over this chest.

"I was going to tease you but... I believe you. You really don't know why, do you?" The jovial tone of their banter dissipated as Lillianna picked up on something that lingered on the fringes of Warren's aura. "Something like this really ought to be discussed over a stiff bourbon. I'm buying, if you're brave enough to join me?" She nodded her head towards the stairs and started to make her way towards the Lounge. "Besides, Magnus is up here."

Hesitantly Warren followed, though he paused for another moment of indecision when he watched Lillianna open one of the double doors to slip inside. She looked back and smiled. Her purple eyes twinkled; they were so lovely and otherworldly, yet familiar. "Warren..." She whispered his name softly and tentatively reached for his hand. "Back when we were together, did I ever hurt you?"

He shook his head; no. It was true. Ellis had always been his punisher. Lillianna kissed him better after the torture was over.

"Ellis is in Budapest. She left this morning. It's why Magnus is in here, drinking his anger away. They had quite a nasty argument last night." Lilli explained. It wasn't news that the couple often fought in front of their coven mates; Ellis had a big mouth and loved the drama of a public display, and Magnus' temper was sometimes too hot to tame away from an immediate explosion.

Lulled into a sense of security, Warren followed Lillianna into The Oval Lounge.

All it took was one or four glasses of bourbon trickled down his throat for time to rewind. Lillianna had always been so easy to talk to. Like Karou, she was patient enough to listen to him. Although she wasn't dishonest and masochistic like Ellis, she was driven by the same desire; she wanted Warren to be hers, or rather wanted to be his. Seduced by the allure of it being just like old times was what stopped him from pushing her away when she'd kissed him the first time. After that, muscle memory and Lilli's gentle encouragements aided them along the way. Soon, they left the bar behind and found an empty side room. It'd been a long time since Warren had been the one in control during rough, urgent, carnal relations. To his fault, he fed off of being in control. Lilli knew that he found it intoxicating, making her do exactly what he wanted when he wanted. In return, she wanted to facilitate his fantasy. The rationale by which he made every other decision had been temporarily stolen from him – he couldn't stop.

As he was released back onto the balcony over the arena, dazed and still buttoning his shirt; the first person he thought of wasn't the person he'd just had; it was Karou. The sensation of profound emptiness that came over him was no stranger. He knew that what he'd done was a dishonest, shameful thing. That summed up how he felt as he staggered down the stone halls, on auto-pilot, back to his room.

In his mind, all he could hear were echoes of Lillianna's honied words ringing through his ears. "We were always so good together. You still feel the same. You know just how I like it. It doesn't matter if she leaves you Warren, you'll always have me. I'd never leave you. Warren, I love you." Her moaning his name over and over and images of her naked body wrapped around him were still arousing. It had felt so good, yet now that it was over, he was hollow. Like a horrific out-of-body experience, he'd watched and felt himself doing things his heart didn't really want him to. He knew he was being manipulated, but he wouldn't have been able to stand the shame if anyone sympathised with him. Lillianna had known him at his worst and adored him regardless. She didn't need to forgive his wickedness like Karou. He'd have been an idiot not to consider that Lilli could've been right; they were good together, a better match than he and Karou could ever be.

When Karou finally found Warren later that evening, he'd been sat in his room in a comatose like trance for hours. He sat in the position of someone in deep thought, lips pressed into the mid-section of his knuckles as he curled his hand into a tight and anxious fist. He was staring blankly into space. Ironically, despite his position's impression, he was trying to think as little as possible. He couldn't shake the horrible feeling of foreboding.

Karou had spent her day with Magnus, who had incidentally never been in The Oval Lounge. Together they'd looked for Warren until he'd been called away to the noon-time Elder's meeting. During her hunt for her Sire, Karou had regrettably come across Roman again. The two had gotten consumed by a conversation about her future again. He was eager to know if she had been deliberating her options. For now, she didn't want to make any rash decisions and had managed to sate Roman's curiosity and get away unscathed. She'd made her excuses to Lord Black, reminding him that she didn't mean to be rude as she departed, but she really had to find Warren.

Little did she know that Roman had had a hand in his whereabouts. He had been the one to inform Lillianna that Magnus was looking for Warren - he'd provided the location, stating that the Spaniard was drowning his sorrows in the Lounge after a spousal feud. The argument wasn't fabricated but didn't the best lies always birth from the truth? And he did not doubt that Lillianna's infatuation with Warren would take care of the rest of his cunning plan organically.

Roman was content to play the long game, so he let Karou flee his side, knowing that she would no doubt uncover Warren's infidelity one way or another.

The sound the heavy door made behind her as it closed didn't stir Warren, but when Karou realised she wasn't alone, she hurried over to him, relieved to see him. Being alone with him brightened her mood instantly. "Here you are! I've been looking for you all day. What've you been up to, hmm?"

There was a long pause in which neither of them spoke. Warren didn't even acknowledge that Karou was there even though she'd sat down next to him on the couch. Alarm bells rang for Karou; she knew something wasn't right. "Warren? What's wrong?" She asked, but when she leaned closer to peer at his face, she could smell a scent on him. Since returning from the Lounge, he hadn't bothered to change his clothes or shower, so the scent of Lilli all over him was raw. Karou didn't take many seconds to put all the pieces together.

An argument was coming; that was the reason for Warren's feeling of foreboding.

Sinking back into her seat, Karou signed. Reality had ambushed her. It took her a moment to figure out how she felt about what Warren had spent his afternoon doing. Pulling her legs up onto the couch, she wrapped her arms around her shins like she was holding herself together. A million thoughts buzzed about her head, but she couldn't shake how angry she was; it was vibrating off of her.

Karou was primarily upset because she'd forgiven him on so many previous occasions and let his sexual escapades with Ellis slide out of pity. She'd sympathised with him because he was a slave to his impulses and manipulated endlessly by his Sire. It'd been difficult and felt wrong to be angry with him when Warren was a victim too. However, this time was different because the woman he'd been with was different. Lillianna didn't have the same hold over Warren that Ellis had, so why had he done it? Especially after all the progress they'd made recently.

When she announced, "Whichever way I look at it, you're a liar," Warren finally acknowledger her and turned his head to look her way.

"Do you want me to apologise?" Warren asked. His tone was so dry; it made Karou bristle.

"You wouldn't mean it even if you did, would you?"

"You don't have a right to feel any particular way about who I sleep with, Karou." He replied, equally as dry as before and got up to pour himself a drink. In one of his glass cabinets, he kept his liquor stock.

"I'm tired of you telling me how to feel!" Karou stood, too; she wasn't going to back down. This time, he'd pushed her better nature too far. Warren had no intention of keeping his promise, it seemed, and she had no more pity for him. Now she felt like he deserved the hurt Ellis, or Lillianna or whoever wrought on him when he so willingly fell into their bed. He'd taken advantage of Karou's kindness and patients, and it'd finally run out. Now he would feel how cold she could be, even if she missed him. The broken promise hurt her so much that she wouldn't allow herself to crawl back to him. It was a matter of dignity, not pride. "It's not like you're some fucking expert on feelings, is it? I think I have a right to feel upset, especially when you've been sleeping with me too."

Warren downed his first glass quickly, and in turning his head to look back at her, he replied, "I'm not exclusively yours."

"Evidently, 'Mr I don't do commitment'. But you still promised me you wouldn't sleep with anyone else, and you have. I know you have. I dreamt about it, and now you're stood there smelling like that!" Karou flung her hand towards him in a gesture that expressed her disgust.

"It happened, and I can't take it back. What more do you want me to say?"

"Up until now, even though you constantly blow hot and cold, I never actually thought you were untrustworthy, but now I don't know what to believe." Karou marched her way towards the door; she needed to leave before she started to cry. She could feel the heat behind her eyes, a sign that she would soon. While she made it to the door, Warren was on her tail, and when he reached out to grab her arm, she turned to look at him with a deathly glare. "Don't you dare touch me! Don't you ever touch me, ever again!"

Warren's brows had been furrowed, reflecting his anger and frustration at the situation, but the moment he beheld Karou's eyes, his expression drew a blank. Her pain was plain to see in how her eyes glistened with tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. The hollowness she felt now that her heart was broken had stolen the beautiful blue colour from her eyes and left them black and empty too. Mostly, she looked earnest; she meant what she said, so Warren didn't protest. He let her go.

Curled up on the sill of her favourite window in the Library, Karou took refuge. She didn't use the spot has her secret reading nook today, though. No, there, she steepled her knees, wrapped her arms about her legs and cried and cried for almost an hour. She felt small, insignificant, and used, which was the most horrible of her feelings. The rain poured outside and drowned her out and empathised in her sorrow. Her heart ached.

Once her tears had run dry, leaving behind a trail of salt down her cheeks, she sighed out her pain and found peace. At least now she had some clarity about the direction her future should take. Just as that thought had formed, out of the stillness and deafening silence, she heard a man clear his throat. A dark figure appeared and then stepped out into the dim candlelight. His face illuminated and revealed his identity.

"I wondered how long you would cry." He said.

"Roman…" She whispered. "Lord Black, I mean. How long have you been standing there?"

The nearer he stepped, the more of his person Karou could see. He was smiling again, and his fangs glinted in the candlelight. His expression wasn't malevolent, though; it was sympathetic. "I must have arrived after you began to cry, at least. I didn't interrupt; I believe it does one good to cry when they're sad. It relieves tension and allows one's mind to clear. With a clear mind, you're able to see that things are not all bad. And please, Karou, do call me by my name. Only the members of my Coven use my title."

"Aren't I part of your Coven?" She asked meekly.

Roman came to lean against the archway that created the nook the window dwelled in. Adjacent to her and face to face, he sought the attention of her eyes and offered, "Only if you want to be."

"What if I wanted to be but didn't want to join the Black Winter? Would you still have me then?"

"First, tell me why you've been crying." Roman requested.

"Warren," Karou simply answered. "He's…been dishonest,"

"Yes. He always has been." He sighed. "Of course, I am in no position to throw stones. I, myself, am no glistening example of morality and perfection. Rumour has it that I am a fearsome tyrant. A madman. A womaniser, amongst other things." Making light, self-effacing remarks, he attempted to lighten Karou's mood with a charming grin.

Karou smirked down into her lap and took a moment to centre herself before she made her move. With her following comment, she would take her destiny into her own hands and chase the future she felt she deserved. Right now, she was ready to abandon Warren, regardless of him being her Sire, but until the time came that Cambria was ready to collect her and whisk her off to Enoch, she needed Roman. She needed him to be her stepping stone and give her shelter.

Looking up at the Lord through her thick lashes, she put on her sweetest smile and said, "I'll take you as I find you, Roman."

"That would please me."

Over the following days, a friendship began to form. Karou was far from dumb and knew that it was all built on falsehoods because just as she was bending her personality to flatter Roman and remain on his good side, Roman was also altering himself to suit her too. She appreciated his gentleness and kindness, especially since she was still feeling rather raw over her domestic with Warren.

It turned out that they had rather a lot in common, which initially came as a surprise; being that Roman was even older than Warren meant that their age gap was vaster too. Roman's taste in literature was expansive, but they found plenty to talk about in the way of books they'd read and aspired to.

On a grand tour of the castle, Roman had shown her paintings of some of their shared relatives. He'd shared stories, stories that had become legends to mythicals all over the globe, about the Black family. So, Karou could now put faces and personalities to the people she'd read about during her research into her family tree. While admiring an impressively large and detailed canvas, a portrait, Roman revealed he was an avid painter. He'd claimed to have painted the one they stood before. It was of a woman he introduced her to as Vesper. Vesper Black.

"She was my mother... and my aunt."

"How?" Karou cocked her head, bird-like in the movement and the way her wings twitched too. "What do you mean?"

"Remember, I told you of my father, Lucian? He and Vesper were half-siblings." Roman explained and anticipated Karou's shock by focusing all his attention on her face. "I suppose your side of the family tree wouldn't show that record..."

"No, but I've read that that's common amongst pure-bloods..." She nodded without flinching.

"Yes, it's an ancient practice. It was believed that it kept our blood pure but I'm afraid that incest has been the ruin of my kin's minds. My father's mind fractured. He became several men, versions of himself, all fighting to get to the forefront. Apparently, it was quite harrowing to watch him argue amongst himself. Eventually, though none of the personas won, he became a sort of no-man... his mind simply abandoned his body to run itself."

"That sounds awfully sad."

"Yes, it is my destiny to share in his fate. I have good days and bad days, but more frequently they're the latter. I make rash decisions on those days and have fewer and fewer periods of clarity to rectify my own errors... It is what it is." Roman said, and even at that, he was downplaying the state of his mental health.

Karou decided to make no comment on the matter and instead changed the subject; "Would you show me some more of your paintings?"

Roman heartily agreed. A conversation ensued about their shared hobby of expressing themselves through pictures.

One evening after dinner, Roman suggested playing a game where they draw each other. There was a mood set that night. Staring at each other intently had stirred up some confusing feelings of attraction for Karou. Roman was physically handsome; he had thick, almost black hair and penetrating green eyes that the Black family were notorious for. But mostly his manner was attractive - he seemed a strong-willed, diplomatic, dependable sort of man, a natural-born leader. He had a way of talking that grabbed you and pulled you in. Yet without flattering a person shamelessly, he could make them feel of significance. How talkative he was meant he was verbally attentive to her emotions, unlike Warren, who silently facilitated her material needs. So it was no wonder that in her Sire's absence, she found herself drawn to Roman in a way that was more than platonic.

As she lay in bed that night, while thinking over all that she'd done that day, her thoughts ran deep. When she analysed her new relationship with Roman, she wondered if their behaviour was normal - she supposed everyone presented the best version of themselves when attempting to kindle a new friendship. Maybe that was all they were doing. Slowly she was becoming comfortable enough to be herself around him anyway. All she could do was hope that he felt the same.