Of Flesh and Bone

Satine sat, a desolate island of humanity atop the Arachnos building. Her mind was elsewhere entirely, flitting from one conversation to the next.

“Take care of Lord Valen…”

“Am I a monster?”

“Satine…what will you do now?”

It was all too much…The past couple of days she had survived in a haze of detachment, speaking only when spoken to, and sometimes not at all. But, as all things do, every haunting moment had caught up with her, cruelly managing to catch up to her at once. She couldn’t take it anymore…and let out a pain-ridden scream, tears spilling down her face.

For several moments, she simply let herself feel again; feel all the anguish and vulnerability that her heart had been steeled against for the last few days. She abandoned herself completely to her grief, clinging desperately to the edge of the building less she also abandon herself to the cold concrete that lay several hundred yards down.

That was her first mistake.

Slowly, achingly, she managed to free her mind from her heart’s entrapment…and snarled. There, propped up against the thick spire he stood, as beautiful and dark as any of the devil’s angels. Mathieu.

Satine turned slowly to face him, muscles twitching in anticipation of the fight to come. Seemed Mathieu had other plans. “Crying over your dead lover? Pathetic. You are a disappointment, Satine. He never loved you, only told you that so he could use your body…” He stopped for a moment, black eyes running down her supple form. “I would never have done such a thing to you, pet. I would be kind…Forgiving…All I ask is that you bow to me.”

Satine simply stood there watching him frostily, furiously wiping away her tears…But stopped rather suddenly. By admitting her pain to him, she let him win; when in all essence, her ability to feel was what made her stronger than this swine. She let her tear stains stand as a testament to that fact, facing him no longer as a scared little girl, but as a true predator and he her prey.

Mathieu didn’t seem to notice. “Bow child, and I will spare you. Give you the best that slavery has to offer, the coveted place as my Prime. What more could you want?”

She just stood there, looking at him. Motionless, though every muscle, every fiber of her being screamed for her to lunge. Let the mouse make the first move, she told herself. Let him make his bed in which to lie.

“No, Satine? You will not take my most generous offer? Then be prepared for the consequences.” And he lunged, just as she knew he would, catching her about the shoulders, attempting to propel her towards the spire. Satine simply threw her weight back, and the combined force sent them both over the edge, plummeting towards the concrete below.

Mathieu watched in horror as she disentangled herself from his grasp, and hit him repeatedly. Blood was spewing everywhere, and the most satisfying cracks of bone could be heard. But Satine took no pleasure from it, just as Claurice had taught her. Make it impersonal.

They hit the ground with a sickening crunch as bones gave way to concrete, flesh gave way to bone. Several moments passed, neither able to breathe past the pain that was threatening to spiral them to unconsciousness. But vampires heal quickly, and soon, Mathieu rose, still clutching his arm to his chest, hip stuck out at an odd angle. People watched in total horror as he stumbled off…And in greater horror as Satine pushed herself up. A compound fracture of the tibia, totally obliterated shoulder held her back, but Satine followed, forcing bone back into place, forcing herself to transcend the pain.

His fear was evident as she lunged for him this time. They hit the ground forcibly, bodies entangled in a sick imitation of two lovers. She rolled off of him, regaining her feet, and kicked his injured hip viciously as he tried to rise, arm flying to hit his soft temple, dazing him.

She towered over him as he lay there on the ground, moaning. She stood for a moment before roughly pulling him to his feet, cradling him in a vampiric embrace. It was only then that she spoke in soft whispers.

“I will never be yours. You are a monster, Mathieu. Prepare yourself for death, my friend.”

Mathieu began to uncharacteristically plead. “No, I have lived along time. I paid a high price for this life, and I would not loose it now. I offer my blood as repayment for the debt between us.”

“Fool! You would sink so low as to offer me your infection for your own life? I shall take your offer then, swine!”

Mathieu tensed beneath her as she had done so many times under her Lord’s embrace. Leisurely she leaned down, laying a soft kiss on his neck before savagely sinking her teeth into him, letting his blood flow across her tongue hotly, unconsciously swallowing before she withdrew, whispering in his ear, “Fool. Your blood means naught to me.”

A look of pure terror crossed over Mathieu’s face as Satine broke his neck, twisting as hard as she could…When something hit her like a pure adrenaline rush, causing her to tear Mathieu’s head off completely.

Her entire body was trembling with pure energy…Her mind, realizing after a moment, her infinite stupidity…Mathieu’s blood was in her system. She stumbled off a few feet, and promptly fell to her knees, body quaking with the power…And the pain. Bones shifted in her back, grating against each other in terrific agony. Her vision blurred, mind ripped apart…

She let out a soul searing scream as wings forcibly broke from her skin, extending behind her in a blood soaked mess, and she collapsed on the pavement, blissfully unconscious.