Chapter 10: Love, Lies and Wicked Ties – Part 5.
“Quit pestering me.” Faye half laughed and closed her green eyes once more, to focus on the task that Vivienne requested.
“I have the utmost faith that you can do this, mon amour.” Vivienne mentioned while relaxed on the bed that Casey occupied a few nights before. “You didn’t kill either of the two on the pier a few hours ago.”
“That was because I asked you to help me out with that.” Faye picked up a bottle of the blood infused wine and tipped it down her throat until it was empty. “I counted to five and couldn’t stop. Both times.” Glancing over to Vivienne, Faye felt the heat start pulsing in her dead veins. Admiring Vivienne’s smooth hourglass shape, Faye lightly suckled on her bottom lip and half smiled at the thought of tracing her lips on her curves.
“Faye?” Vivienne turned on her side to face her creation, leaning her head on her hand. “Mon amour, I would conclude that you are lost in thought.”
When the bottle slipped from her hands and clattered on the floor, Faye blinked out of her little trance. “Lost in you is more like it.” Faye licked her fangs. “How is it possible that no matter how you move or sit, you are incredibly sexy?” Walking over to the bed and crawling beside her girlfriend, Faye took the liberty of a soft kiss. “I mean you are just laying on your side and…and…all I want to do is lick your navel to the curve of your hips.”
“I might suggest that perhaps it is the wine that is affecting your judgment at this point, mon amour.” Vivienne added her own kiss to the one that Faye had given her moments before.
“Proving once more that I am not as adaptive as you think I am.” Faye huffed, sat back on her knees and pointed up where the sounds of redecoration were taking place. “That is also very distracting, Vivienne. How can I concentrate when all I hear are hammers and drills?”
Curling up one of her thin eyebrows, Vivienne smirked. “I do believe that you are making excuses, Faye.” Vivienne reached over and twirled the pink braids in Faye’s hair. “The actions of the people upstairs weren’t on your mind when you kissed me.”
A spine tingling shiver coursed through Faye as her hair was twisted in Vivienne’s gentle touch. “Fine. You got me there.” Faye admitted and pulled Vivivenne’s hand to her lips. “You are the best distraction though.” Faye scooted closer to her partner, “Why can’t we just do what we did upstairs?” She asked and started to run her fingers along Vivienne’s shapely hip.
Fighting back the urge to pull Faye into her arms, Vivienne elected to reach the more logical part of her girlfriends persona. “I will endeavor to explain, since you asked.” Vivienne let the tiny pink lock of hair fall from her hand. “First, we only have a case and a half of blood-wine left for the entire day.” She pointed to the half dozen bottles on the floor. “Second, you need to know how to use the full range of abilities.”
“The abilities consume blood too, Vivienne.” Faye tried to counter.
“True. However, they will consume less.” Vivienne blew a kiss to Faye, “Don’t make me put my hair up in a bun.”
Faye laughed and reluctantly pulled away from Vivienne and stood in the middle of the floor. “The terrifying teacher look.” Faye once more closed her eyes, “Okay, let’s try the flying thing. Tell me once more what you do.”
Vivienne scooted to the edge of the bed and leaned back on her hands. “I never had to honestly think about it.” Tilting her head and looking up briefly in thought, Vivienne finally suggested something for Faye to try. “Perhaps if you visualize what you want to become, rather than just telling yourself to change.”
“What do you mean, Viv?” Faye peeked open one of her green eyes, “How did you know I was thinking about flying?”
“I didn’t.” The ancient vampire responded. “I am trying to explain it in more practical means, mon amour.” To prove her point, Vivienne changed into a small raven and flew over to Faye, landing on her shoulder like she had done before.
Faye kissed Vivienne’s small beak and watched the elder vampire fly all over the room before changing back to herself in the same spot she’d left a couple minutes before. “You make it look so easy. Here I am failing miserably.”
“You aren’t failing, Faye.” Vivienne laughed. “Don’t think of it in terms of failure, but degrees of success.” Vivienne added, “You are very successful in controlling yourself, and even know when you cannot. I have seen many newborns that can’t even articulate their name.” Standing up and walking behind Faye, Vivienne started rubbing the Korean woman’s shoulders. “You have recovered part of your memories, took charge of clearing up the messes left in your family hotel and the hospital.” Vivienne kissed Faye’s neck lightly, “When you are not wound up, you are very focused and know what you have to do. You even knew not to feed on Casey while you were getting us through the computer thing.” Vivienne kept praising Faye, “These are all successes.”
Forcing herself not to melt into Vivienne’s arms, Faye kept her eyes closed and kept perfectly still. “Go back to the visualize thing you were talking about before.”
Vivienne felt the wavering change in posture and stopped kissing her partner. “Perhaps it would benefit you to think about what you want to change into.”
“I know I don’t want to be a stupid bat.” Faye shook her head so her short hair flew wildly. “I can’t see myself flying all over, confused and leathery.”
Vivienne chuckled and walked back to sit on the bed, “Although…” Vivienne pondered for a moment, “...Seeing you in tight leather would certainly impress me.”
“Not helping, Viv.” Faye spat and hopped in place a couple times trying to loosen herself up, “Quit changing the subject and help me.”
“Oh, very well.” Vivienne buried the thought of her partner in blood red leather, “What can you see yourself as, mon amour?”
“An osprey.” Faye blurted out, “With black and white stripes. Much like I do with the stripes on my body.”
“Mon amour…” Vivienne took a deep breath as the image of Faye in tiger stripes and the tight red leather came back to her. “...I..okay, um..” Vivienne felt the cool blood in her veins start to heat up and send tantalizing pulses all over her form.
Vivienne’s scent carried over to Faye and she placed her hands on her hips. “Okay, that is distracting, Vivienne.” Faye opened her eyes and glared at her girlfriend. “Didn’t you just say that we don’t have the blood to waste?” Faye winked, “After I get this at least once, I want to know what you are thinking with those very hungry blue orbs of yours.”
Vivienne grabbed a bottle of wine and guzzled it down quickly, “If I were to inform you to the degree of what I desire, we might not make it to Petersburg for a few years.”
“Osprey, Vivienne.” Faye did her best to ignore the comment and clamped her eyes shut. “They eat fish and fly around the water. I think they are dangerous and lovely at the same time.”
Placing the bottle back in the little wooden case, Vivienne used some of the blood infused in the wine to enjoy the euphoric effect alcohol provided. “Two things, mon amour. First, if you don’t want the wine to bother you, simply don’t use blood to fuel the sensation. Second, I would suggest that you keep the vision of the bird in your head and how you want it to look as you think about its shape and how you float on the air.”
-Damn. I forgot. Blood is everything.- Faye chasisted herself and pulled back the blood she’d not realized she was using with regards to the wine. Pushing the light fog in her mind, Faye built the scene in her head starting with a small lake surrounded by sand and very tall maple trees. She pulled the vision to one large bough and saw the image of the predatory bird she wanted to be. Sharp and pointed talons much like her tiger claws, firm black and white feathers spread over its majestic body, a smooth and round head gazing down over the ripples in the water where the fish it needed were just below the surface. Faye watched as her vision spread its wings and dove towards its target, plucking its meal seamlessly from the quiet lake.
Faye opened her eyes and saw the smile on Vivienne’s face, just as she realized she was hovering in place. She flapped her striped wings and propelled forward zipping across the room getting used to her new form. -This is fantastic.- She thought to herself as she spun and flipped in the air, finally coming to a soft landing beside Vivienne. -How do I change back?- Faye asked herself.
“Perfect, mon amour.” Vivienne looked down at the bird with admiration. “Changing back should be as easy as thinking of how you normally look.”
Faye felt her feathers disappear and her body shift back to normal. “I can’t believe it!” She tossed her arms around Vivienne and shook them both, “I did it, I did it!”
Vivienne kissed Faye and held her newborn tightly to her. “I knew you could, my love.” Vivienne waited until Faye pulled out of the hug before looking into her partner's red rimmed eyes. “Perhaps you should have a celebratory bottle.” Reaching for the wood crate, Vivienne popped the wax seal and pulled the cork free on the bottle of wine. “You certainly have earned it.”
Reminding herself to drink slowly, Faye took small sips like Vivienne had suggested the day before. “Does this mean we can fly together to Petersburg?” Faye inquired.
Vivienne scooted back and laid back on the pillow she’d been using earlier. “I am hesitant to place that much strain on you at this point, mon amour.” Vivienne patted the open space beside her, “I have consequently made alternate arrangements for us to get to Ravenstead Manor.”
Setting the bottle of wine on the floor, Faye ignored the request to cuddle and instead climbed on Vivienne. “So, you planned this little exercise?” Faye sensually asked and started to bite lightly on Vivienne’s collarbone.
“I…indeed…mmm, Faye..” Vivienne gasped lightly.
“Vivienne.” Faye purred playfully. “I think you should tell me more about the tight leather.”
Vivienne rolled over and pinned Faye to the bed, “I would much rather do this.” Vivienne heatedly pressed her lips into Faye's, sharing the taste of blood wine between them.