Turn Of Events

When twighlight came that evening, Novus's ethereal eyes fluttered open. They immediately focused on Blaine's sleeping face, only inches from his own. His chilled heart felt a sudden rush of adrenaline caused by a flash of fear. The young Diabolizer quickly calmed himself though, and tentitavely reached out and pushed some of his Master's hair away from his face. He placed a soft kiss on Blaine's lower lip, then nibbled on it. "Awake..." he said, voice soft, lips a pale blue.

Blaine shifted slightly before his eyes fluttered open. His own lips were beginning to turn a pale shade of blue. As it stood now, they were white with the slightest hint of blue. He smiled softly at Novus. "I thought I was going to awake to find you gone." He cupped Novus's face after stroking the back side of his head softly.

Novus blinked, nervous at the feel of Blaine's touch, but finding comfort in it too. "No...." he said, his eyes scanning Blaine's. "I wouldn't leave you before I had to," he told his master, trying to be reasurring. Novus kissed Blaine again and scooted as close to him as he could get.

As soon as Blaine got his arms wrapped around Novus and was just getting comfortable, Garet woke up and began screaming incoherently. Blaine sighed, knowing just what had caused the insanity. "Shit...... Too much." He sat up slowly and pulled on a pair of pants. "We might as well go and shut him up. He'll bring the whole town to our doorstep if he carries on like this."

Novus yawned, then slid out of bed as well, only wearing his longish shirt that reached down to mid-thigh. "Wow...you really took care of him didn't you..."he said, eyes wide. It was evident Novus was getting more and more eager to finish of Garet himself. His petite fangs were even slightly longer than normal.

Blaine nods slowly. "I didn't plan on being done with him just yet. I wanted him sane for tonight. When we go downstairs you'll see just what I did to him...." He stood up and pulled on a silk, black button-up and left the front open. He then gently took Novus's hand and led him downstairs.

Novus followed Blaine, keeping his eyes open and alert to see Garet. Novus didn't seem to care he was still half-naked while Blaine was well-dressed. "What do you plan to do to him tonight?" Novus asked, blinking.

"Well.... Should he be able to comprehend what's happening to him.... Torture him with hooked cattails, garlic, holy water..... Maybe some fire. I've already given him the ultimate torture though." He rounds the corner and walks down the stairs straight to Garet. Garet was shivering, screaming with every intake of breath. His skin was still un-naturally white. Natchios was nowhere to be seen, but Blaine knew he was somewhere in the mansion.

Novus glanced up at Blaine with a slightly awed expression on his face, then looked at Garet as they entered the room. Novus flinched a little, but was actually enjoying Garet's cracked screaming. It stoked the fire of the more predatorial side of him. The whites of his eyes slowly shifted to black as he stalked in a circle around Garet, studying him closely as a cat would a mouse.

Blaine walked into Garet's vision and Garet screamed even louder trying to get away hurriedly. "Yeah. He's gone." Blaine waved a hand in a circle, and Garet's voice dropped off suddenly. "You see his skin and how white it is right? Those are the ashes of his cronies. I forced him the memories of all his dead companions as I tortured and killed them. He has their worst memories replaying over and over in his mind."

Novus's mouth opened slightly, in awe. What a perfect punishment. "wow...." was all he managed to say. "well...if you can't get him to be sane....can I have him sometime before dawn...?" Novus asked hesitantly, eyes still on the writhing Garet.

Blaine just waves a hand in submission. "Sure. I'll be right back." He walks off into a hallway under the stairs. No telling where he went off to. He comes back a few seconds later, carrying a laden bag. Whips of varying cruelty were hanging out of it. He sets the bag in front of Novus. "Have fun. Just... don't clean them. They haven't been cleaned since I first got them six dead vampires ago." He glared at Garet, who shivered uncontrollably.

Novus's attentioned shifted to study the bag, then looked up at Blaine. "Alright," he said, but wasn't even sure if he would use any of it. "Wait, before you go, can you please tie him down better? And so that he's laying on his back?" Novus requested, tapping his own shin with a fingertip. "And make sure Natchios or whatever doesn't walk in on me....and..I don't really want you watching either, but you may, if you really want to..." Novus said, eyes turned downwards at the floor.

Blaine bubbled with anger, but managed to suppress it, barely. With a flick of his hand, Garet was laying flat on his back, spread eagle. Another wave of his hand made all the doors shut and lock on the outside of them. He turned to leave shortly.

Novus flinched at Blaine's anger, and was suddenly nervous. He had made Blaine angry...but these thoughts were quickly shoved to the bottom of his mind as his black eyes beheld the helpless form of Garet. The one that had almost killed him, and caused Blaine much grief. Novus would have him now, what was left of Garet's soul and power.
Later, about 2 hours later to be precise, Garet was finally silent. Novus had silenced him forever. That vampire would never even be reincarnated.
Novus unlocked one of the doors and stepped silently out into the hall. Quickly scanning the hall with his eyes and senses and finding it empty, he quickly headed for one of the bathrooms on the first floor that also held a shower. He hastily stepped in, not caring what temperature the water was. The sound of the water helped obscure his chuckles of the rush of power he felt, but his laughter was punctuated by sobs here and there as black, inky tears flowed down his cheeks.
Garet lay where Novus had left him, eyes wide, staring and blank...and his throat completely torn out. Nail and teeth marks also marred his flesh, all deep lacerations.

Blaine, sensing Novus was finished with Garet, walked into the foyer. A loud thud echoed in the empty room as Blaine fell over on his rump, eyes wide in terror. This was not what he was expecting at all. "oh dear god..... What have I done.....?" he whispered to himself. What would happen to Blaine if he ever crossed Novus? His anger and jealousy were quickly wiped away. Blaine was afraid at what Novus could do.
Natchios entered the room and sighed. He walked up to Garet's dead form and staked him through the heart to complete the act. Garet's form fell apart into ash. Natchios left the ashes there for Blaine to do with as he pleased. He then walked up to Blaine, who was staring with shock and horror at the pile of ash on the floor and rubbed his shoulder gently. "Blaine... Blaine! Come on now. Novus needs you to protect him. Don't seclude yourself from him because of what he's capable of. Instead, protect him, love him, nurture him so that you might never have to see that side of him ever again." Blaine couldn't doubt the logic and slowly stood up. He followed Novus's scent to the bathroom and heard the shower running. "Little one? Are you alright?"

Novus's attention snapped up to glance in the direction the bathroom door was in. His hands seemed to more desperately scrub at the blood stains that covered his mouth, neck, and most of his torso. "Fine, fine..." he lied, voice a bit shaky. He wasn't sure he wanted Blaine to see him at the moment...Blaine sounded concerned, but his anger had flared up earlier and that made the young Diabolizer nervous.

Blaine sighed softly and leaned against the door. "Alright..... I'll be out here if you need anything, Novus." That was quite likely the only time Blaine had called him by name. He didn't really mean to, it just slipped. He sat down on an antique bench in the hallway and just waited, concerned for Novus.

Novus finished his shower about a half hour later and shut the water off. He towel-dried his hair, taking his time, as if moving too quickly would set him into a momentum he wouldn't be able to stop. Next he dried his body, inspecting himself in the mirror as he did so. Bloodstains gone, good. And his alabastor skin...had a new luster. With a gasp Novus realized that he looked human again, then a normal skin color and all. But that would be temporary, as was the rush of power he was going through at the moment. That would taper off and become more level, making it easier for Novus to handle. But at the moment, he was like a toddler that was used to a tricycle, and then that toddler being placed on a motorcycle instead.
Novus stepped out into the hallway, wrapped in one of the large towels, for his shirt had been left back at Garet's chamber. Novus's black eyes instantly alighted on Blaine and he took an involuntary step back.

Blaine, who had fallen asleep out of boredom, didn't even wake up when Novus walked out. He remained sitting up, head propped up against his fist. He was peaceful at the current moment, even breathing as he napped.

Novus paused, black eyes studying Blaine warily. He slowly knelt down beside Blaine, the towel wrapped tight about his shoulders. "Why were you angry..." he whispered, hardly any sound coming from his lips at all. His black eyes were wide as he continued to study Blaine's sleeping face. Novus's breathing was quicker than normal, but still quiet.

Blaine groaned slightly in his sleep, shifting only a little bit. He was obviously quite tired. ~Novus... This is Natchios. Leave Master Blaine to his sleep. I have some things that I would like to discuss with you.~ Ever since Natchios arrived, he had been wanting to catch Novus at an opportune time to talk with him. But, the young diabolizer was always within Blaine's sight, making it hard for Natchios to catch Novus alone.
Novus hesitated. He didn't know Natchios that well...but he did remember vaguely that the man was there, trying to comfort him after Blaine attacked. After a couple more minutes of studying Blaine's sleeping form, Novus stood, and went to meet Natchios.

Natchios met him in the kitchen where he was making dumplings. "I hope you enjoy homemade. My own special recipe. Dumplings are a very good heartwarming food. Much like noodle soup. Very good for the soul." He smiled at Novus warmly, as a father, or possibly even a mother, would to a child.

Novus paused at the doorway of the kitchen, sniffing at the air. Food...come to think of it, he hadn't had any actual food since before he died. "....smells good," Novus commented, stepping into the room a little. He kept the towel wrapped tight aroung himself as craned his neck, trying to get a better view of what Natchios was cooking.

Natchios just took the pot off the heat and set it down on a heat pad. He then scooped the contents, obviously nothing but dumplings, into two bowls and set one, along with a spoon, in front of Novus. "Dig in, youngling. You'll love it. I make vampires go crazy over this stuff." It was true. He'd had a couple of fights over the last dumpling before.

Novus sniffed at his bowl, and even poked at one of the dumplings with a finger. "Why are you feeding me?" he asked, popping a dumpling into his mouth. He chewed slowly, then with more vigor. They were good, and Novus was starving for some regular food.

Natchios poked at one of his own with the spoon. "Well, I had a feeling that you might want a little human food, as us immortals tend to do from time to time. Plus, this is soul food, Novus. It warms the heart. You'll see." He eats a small bite. "I want you to be comfortable around me, and one of the best ways to do that is to feed you homemade dumplings."

Novus sat in a chair and continued eating the dumplings. Why had Natchios suddenly showed up the other night anyway? "Oh yeah? Well thank you...but why? Are you a good friend of master or something?" Novus asked, studying Natchios with large black eyes.

Natchios nodded. "I am indeed. He and I worked together for a time to encourage intercooperation between vampires and incubi and succubi. Blaine even saved my life from a vampire once. His own brother I believe. All of that aside, I do believe it is time that I introduced myself properly." Natchios, with his ever smiling gaze, looked Novus in the eyes. "I am Natchios Marchina. King of incubi and succbi. You have become quite the talk of town in my community and I just had to come here to see what all the fuss was about."

Novus's mouth dropped open slightly. The King?! "Well, uh..."he began, then took a second to gather his thoughts. "I'm Novus Erua...but Novus is my middle name..." he said, then tilted his head. "Everyone is talking about me..??" he asked, not sure he had heard correctly. Meanwhile, his bowl was just about empty, he had eaten so quickly.

Natchios passed his still mostly full bowl to Novus. "I know who you are. And yes, everyone is talking about you. We keep tabs on Blaine. He's something of a savior to our people. Hunting down and killing the vampires responsible for the deaths of incubi and succubi." Natchios sighed, reminiscently. "Blaine is a great man. But I have the feeling that lately, you aren't thinking the same way... Care to explain?"

Novus scowled slightly, turning his eyes away from Natchios and concentrating on his new bowl. "He attacked me while we were making love. I forgave him, but I can't help but remain nervous..."Novus told Natchios, stuffing a few dumplings into his mouth. Novus reeked of nervous energy, but this was being amplified by his current power rush that he was barely keeping control of.

Natchios shook his head, feeling the amplified nervous energy. He had a good idea as to where some of it was coming from. "So his apology wasn't sufficient? I can understand. But I would think that by murdering Garet, you would have released some tension, not gained more. Why so tense and nervous? You were just slightly uncomfortable today when you awoke, and now you're about to bolt."

Novus set his bowl down carefully. "That was my first...Diabolization, or whatever...and I can feel my own shaking, the rush in my veins. I feel like I want to attack Blaine and take him too...and that scares me..." Novus admitted, bringing his trembling hands up to his face, then over his damp hair.

"You fear him now, don't you? It'd just make it so easy if you could just kill him, yet you are afraid to." Natchios realized the last statement rolled out as more of a brainwashing statement, so he tried to cover it up a little. "But you know, somewhere, that Blaine is your shelter. He'll always pull through for you time and time again, rain or shine, no matter what. Blaine will never let you down. You're lucky to have him as your master. You just need to let go of the stress." Natchios refills both of the bowls with dumplings and sets them in front of Novus. "Eat. Eat. Eat."

Novus nodded slowly, then a bit more quickly as he became more confident in Natchios's words. He ate more dumplings like he was told, but didn't get much further before he decided he was full. Novus pushed the bowl away, then layed his head in his arms. Black tears once again stained his face as he began coming down from the rush, beginning to relax.

Blaine finally awoke to the smell of dumplings. With a rush, he got up and practically flew into the kitchen and at the pot. "Dumplings!!!!" He hastily grabbed the pot and the serving spoon and huddled away in a corner with it, eyes daring both Natchios or Novus to come and take it away from him. Natchios just laughed at him. "See what I mean? My dumplings make them go crazy."

Novus sighed. So Blaine's first thought upon waking was of dumplings, and not Novus. "Yeah, I see," Novus said, wiping his eyes on his towel. "Did you have a nice nap?" he asked Blaine, shifting a little so he could look at him. Novus's eyes were starting to turn back to normal, but he still looked a bit shaken.

Blaine laughed and took a bite of the dumplings. Apparently, the glomping of the pot was just for show. "Yes, I did little one. Are you feeling any better?" he asked, concern lacing his voice. Concern was also written on his face and in his body language.

"I'm...doing better," he began, then sat up straight. It was true, he was feeling much better. He could handle the amount of power he had attained now that the initial rush was leaving his body. It actually felt good. "And how are you?" Novus asked Blaine. He was still slightly nervous...Blaine had seemed so angry when he had left him with Garet.

Blaine inhales and exhales deeply. "Refreshed. Very much so." He hesitated, taking another bite of dumplings, chewing it slowly before he swallowed, before continuing. "I must say, little one, I was quite jealous when you asked to be left alone... I'm quite over it now, because I realize that if I had sat in on you while you were.... doing that I wouldn't have been able to stand it. I would have lost control. Funny what an hour's nap does for one's thinking." Natchios chuckled agreeing. Blaine walked over to Novus, setting the pot down on his way, and wrapped his arms around him reasurringly. "I trust you, little one. I trust that you'll not make the wrong decisions, yet I'm afraid to let you go. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" Blaine was having a hard time forming words. This was a somewhat difficult situation for him, seeing as how he had never been in it before. Natchios pretended he just wasn't there at the moment, twidling his thumbs and staring at anything but the two. You had to respect him for that. Natchios never wanted to impose on people, so he didn't.

"Well, I won't go into details, but we didn't actually do it or anything..."Novus told Blaine, wanting to clear that up right away. He blinked as he studied Blaine with his now normal, blue eyes. "Wrong decisions?" he asked, tilting his head. He wasn't grasping what Blaine was trying to say. "What do you mean?"

Blaine was obviously struggling with the correct way to say what he wanted. "What he means," Natchios started for him, "is that he trusts you not to stray down the same path as his brother. Not to be consumed by power and greed. He trusts you not to become evil, as many vampires before, and many will after you have become." Blaine nodded and continued, "It's a dangerous path, Novus. You'd face persecution on all sides. Vampires like me would hunt you, vampires like Spike would judge you, and, possibly worst of all in my eyes, I'd forsake you." Blaine left it at that, hoping the message would come across loud and clear.

Novus blinked his wide blue eyes and nodded. "No...I don't think I could become evil...and I'll try my best to make sure that doesn't happen..."Novus told Blaine, placing one of his small hands on Blaine's cheek. His skin was still quite warm from the recent meal. "You're all I have, I love you..." Novus told Blaine, taking one of Blaine's hands and placing it on his lower stomach. "And even though i'll be gone for a while...I am yours. Only yours..."

Natchios, sensing more alone time, silently got up and left the kitchen right as Blaine snaked his arms out and pulled Novus to him in a tight, yet loving embrace. He never wanted to let go of him. In his arms, Novus was safe from the world outside. He was safe with Blaine.... He was safe...

Novus closed his eyes and sighed, a slight smile playing across his lips as Blaine held him close. "But I have to go..." he said, lightly stroking Blaine's back with a hand. "Sometime before dawn tomorrow. We have the rest of tonight and most of tomorrow night left, I believe...and I'll only be gone for a short while..."Novus said, trying to be reasurring even though he wasn't sure. "And then I shall return to you, more powerful and learned...I'll be able to defend myself so you don't have to worry about me so much," Novus continued, feeling confident in his words.

Blaine nodded, trying hard to make himself believe Novus's words. Wordlessly, he bent over slightly and placed a soft kiss on Novus's lips. All Blaine wanted was for Novus, his little one, to be safe. Nothing more. Nothing less. He truly loved Novus from the depths of his heart. He never wanted to see Novus hurt in any shape or form.