If I'm Just Bad News, Then Your A Liar (Closed-C)

[Kaydence Morgan]

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous. The thought of meeting with her former friend again produced mixed feelings within Kaydence. The cause of the meeting created even more. It was risky altogether. The meeting, the location where they were meeting, the details exchanged, everything. This would be the riskiest thing that Kaydence had done in a very long time, but she had to do what she felt needed to be done. And this needed to be done. After the initial meeting with Centara at the training camp Kaydence had been left with a stirring feeling in her gut that the girl was up to no good. Her actions and persona had triggered it. She had known Centara long enough to know when the girl had something on her mind.

Her suspicions had grown obsessive. Each passing day had been worse than the previous. Questions that she was unable to answer sprung up daily. It was all maddening and Kaydence needed to get to the bottom of it.

She had been back in Austria for two weeks now and had done nothing in regards to her intention for coming back. The closest she had gotten to her brother had been at the Manor when she attempted to get back old things from the past. Even though she should have seen it coming everything had disappeared. He had removed any trace of her existence. It had been then that her family’s exile of her was permanent. They had no desire for a future reconciliation. To them, Kaydence was dead. She had tried to convince herself repeatedly that she didn’t need them. Why should she want to be with them if they didn’t feel the same? Nevertheless, the feeling of not being accepted in your family was indescribable. And it hurt. Bad. The only good thing about that day had been that the events further fueled her desire to get back at everything her brother had aided in doing to her. Darren Morgan needed to be stopped and Kaydence had to be the one to do it.

Halcyon Nights had been chosen as the location for their meeting. It seemed fitting for two reasons. The first being the comfort it gave her. Kaydence hadn’t stepped foot in the building for well over three years now. Once she had gotten heavily involved in the masquerade planning, and then the aftermaths of her family finding out about the pregnancy, it was safe to say her mind had been far from effectively being able to manage the business she shared with her brother. The place had also been home to many of Kay and Cen’s late night drunken ventures. Perhaps being back here would trigger Centara’s old feeling of their friendship, making it easy for Kaydence to loosen her up and delve into her. The second reason was Kaydence’s presence would not go unnoticed. To her knowledge, Darren still had no idea that his younger sister was back in the country. He would undoubtedly be tipped off about her appearance in the club. She had been looking to get his attention. This way would certainly do the trick.

As she took her first steps into the building a wave of memories came flooding back to her. Meeting Evan for their first date. Long, in depth conversations with her brother in their office. Drunken late nights with old friends. Kaydence was momentarily overwhelmed, but quickly brought herself back to reality. Going into this attempt to extract information from Centara she needed to be clearheaded. There was a list of things that needed to be done and ways that they needed to be done in. None of them involved depressing reminisces of good times past. She raised her arm in wave as one of the bartenders noticed her arrival. The look on the woman’s face was priceless. Perfect. That was the reaction she was looking for. It was inevitable that this witch would be the informant she hoped for.

Walking up to the bar, she smirked at the bartender. “Hello dear,” she started, not making any mention of her name. She knew she didn’t have to. “I’m meeting a friend and will be using that room right over there.” She pointed to one of the secluded VIP spaces. “I’m going to need a bottle or two of your finest sparkling wine chilled in one of those buckets. I insist on privacy and am warning you that if we are disturbed at anytime you will be the first and only person I come to since I’m telling you about my simple request. I don’t want you to be that person. You don’t want to be that person. Do I make myself clear?” The witch anxiously nodded. She had traitor written across her forehead. “Good, now get to work,” Kaydence demanded. It took three minutes for two wine bottles to be extracted from the cooler underneath the bar and placed in buckets filled with ice. Taking the buckets from the bar she began to walk towards the room. “Oh and honey? Put this on Darren’s tab will you? He won’t mind one bit.”

Upon entering past the curtain Kaydence wasted no time in opening the first bottle of bubbly. Pouring herself a glass she took a seat on one of the lush lounge chairs the room offered. Now all she needed to do was wait.0

[Centara Zealon]

The resistance was subsiding, muscles relaxing, and the breath beginning to fade away. The woman’s eyes were wide open and her mouth was in the shape of a scream, but nothing came out. The light in her eyes faded. In a moment, her dead body was dropped to the floor as Centara retracted her fangs, licking her lips slowly as she savored every last drop. The ends of her mouth curled into a grin as she knelt down and held a flask up to the two small pinholes in the woman’s neck. “No point in wasting good blood, now is there?” she asked the woman, knowing full well that she was not going to get a reply. Centara had been roaming the streets of a village near her home, looking to replace the bulk of her wardrobe. Most of her clothes were outdated after two years of being in a coma and she was not one to go out into public without an updated style. When she was in school, she made the style. People wore what she wore. Though not much had changed because she still set the trend, noticing as people in the stores where she went tended to follow her around the racks, picking out things that she had picked. Oh what it was like to be beautiful.

Once Cen was sure another drop from the woman would not be wasted, she put the cap back on the flask and tucked it away inside her p-coat before buttoning it up and rising to her feet. The alley she stood in was dark and damp. Just the way she liked it. The door next to her stood wide open as it was where she had come from. Stepping back through, she closed it and figured someone would find the woman in due time. The store she was in held some of the latest Austrian fashions and she already had a pile of clothes on the counter. Really, there was no reason for Cen to have killed the woman, but she had just felt like it. Her hunger was strong after the coma and she had to fulfill it somehow. Satisfied with her meal and clothing, Centara apparated to the border of the Zealon Estate. She walked through the barrier spell and made her way to her room, appearing in the doorway within seconds. “What the…?” The owl was sitting on the back of her chair with a letter in its mouth.

Dropping all of the clothes onto her bed, Centara picked it up and read the familiar handwriting. Kaydence. Why the hell would she want to meet up? The two had met only days after Cen had woken up from her coma and the meeting ended better than anyone could have ever imagined. They both walked away alive. Well, so to speak. The only thing she could imagine that Kay would want to meet about after that meeting is to figure out what Cen was up to. And honestly, Centara was not going to be against that idea. She had walked away from that meeting curious about why Kaydence was in her brother’s ‘throne’ and acting so strangely. There was something going on with that girl and she was interested to find out what. She grabbed a piece of parchment and scrawled a message right back to her. Even if she was wrong about the intentions behind the meeting, Centara could still possibly use it to her advantage.

Waving her wand, Centara allowed the new purchase of clothes to replace those that were already in the closet. The new wardrobe suited her well. When the clothes were away, she took a seat on her bed and leaned back against the head board. She ran back through what had happened during their meeting, realizing that she hadn’t thought about it since the moment it had happened. The moment she returned to her home, she had been thinking only about where to train her new vampires. Plotting had taken over most of her first days out of the coma, so much so that she barely even left the house during that time except to scout new areas for the vampires to train. Kaydence hadn’t even crossed her mind until this instant. A moment later, the owl returned. “Damn you’re fast…” She took the letter from the owl and read it, chuckling softly. Sending another reply, she shook her head and began to change into one of the new outfits she had just purchased. Kaydence would choose that particular place for them to meet.

Slipping on a pair of skinny jeans and a sleeveless top, adding a pair of black boots to the outfit to top it off. Glancing in her enchanted mirror, she turned and grabbed her wand from the bed where she had set it after organizing her wardrobe. She slipped her wand into her boots and pulled the flask from her coat, putting it in her back pocket. If she was going to have to sit through a meeting with Kaydence, she was going to need something to satisfy her hunger and she was pretty sure Kaydence wouldn’t enjoy her taking a bite. Making her way back to the barrier, Centara apparated to Halcyon Nights. She hadn’t stepped foot in this club in years, and many of the times where she had it was because she was supposed to be dancing that night. Not once did she miss the days where she had to dance for a living.

The moment she walked in, she could smell Kaydence. Her eyes moved into the direction of the VIP lounge areas. Making her way back to the room, she disregarded the comments coming from the bartender. When Centara did not pay notice to her, she stopped; probably realizing that she was the one Kaydence was waiting for. Her hand pushed open the door to reveal Kaydence already enjoying a drink of sparkling wine. “Leave it to you to start drinking before your guest even arrives,” Centara commented, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind her. She took a seat across from Kaydence and crossed her legs. “So tell me, Kaydence. What is the point of this meeting? Don’t tell me you want to kiss and make-up because I’m pretty sure you know that wouldn’t happen.”

[Kaydence Morgan]

Kaydence knew it would take no time at all for Centara to arrive. Propping her legs up against the stylish coffee table in the middle of the room she leaned back into the chair and continued to sip from her wine glass. The anticipation was growing. The nervousness that had once prevailed was now slowly sinking back to where the depths it had came from. Everything about this was risky. Centara was going to be the first person she told about what had happened with Darren, the night at the hospital and why she had left the country in the first place. If her old friend hadn’t made any mention of several years ago then she must not have known what had happened to her. Good. The hard part was going to be finding any sort of sympathy in Centara’s undead body. Everything would go much smoother if she had the girl’s support. If Kaydence managed to get it then perhaps that would be what pried the girl’s hold on her own secrets.

The sound of clicking heels confirmed her suspicions. Smirking, Kaydence raised the glass up to her mouth and took a sip that nearly left nothing in the glass. Centara suddenly appeared at the door and Kaydence merely waved her fingers in acknowledgement. It was time to get her game face on. ” “Leave it to you to start drinking before your guest even arrives.” She laughed. “Would you expect anything less from me dear? Not everything about a person changes over time.” She indicated towards the ice bucket as Centara took her own seat. “I opened it up so it’d be ready for you when you got here. Besides, I’m sure you’ll agree that if we’re going to make it through this meeting without wanting to rip each other’s heads off that we should go ahead and start drinking.” When the girl made no move to accept her offer Kaydence shrugged. “Suit yourself.” She leaned forward and poured some more of the wine into her glass. She needed to keep herself at ease if she was going to get through this. Hopefully Cen would join in sooner rather than later.

A smirk grew on her face as Cen began the expected round of questioning. “Is that really the way you want to go into this? Well, if you insist I suppose I won’t keep you waiting.” Where to start, where to start? Kaydence sipped on her wine for some time as she pieced together her thoughts. Resting the wine glass on her bottom lip, she lowered her gaze to the ground when she had decided on a starting point. “Centara, am I safe in assuming that you had no knowledge of why I just upped and left? Better yet, were you aware of my condition after the masquerade?”

[Centara Zealon]

Something with the situation seemed to be off. Centara couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but Kaydence’s demeanor was different. It was the same as it had been the day that they had met at the DE Training Camp, but she still could not understand quite what had changed between three years ago and now. She seemed… colder. That only led Cen to believe that this meeting was not going to be Kaydence’s futile attempt to rekindle their relationship from so long ago. Back then, she was bubbly and full of life, something that contradicted Cen perfectly. But now she seemed to have lost some of that flavor to her. What was her end game about this meeting? Maybe the girl just did want to rekindle the friendship but her comment about wanting to rip each other’s heads off did not point in that direction. What was the deal?

Centara raised an eyebrow as Kaydence replied to her question. Oh, if this was going to be the direction of their conversation, she was going to need a drink faster than she thought. There was no interest for her to grab a drink of the wine, but instead she pulled her flask from her back pocket and unscrewed the cap. Instantly, the room was filled with the scent of blood, so subtle that a human couldn’t smell it but so vibrant that a vampire could smell it a mile off. She took a drink from the flask and admired the fresh taste. She had her fill tonight, but if this conversation was going to be anything like she was thinking it would be, she was going to need a pick-me-up to keep her going. Cen screwed the cap back on the flask and set it beside her, deciding she should turn her attention back to Kaydence.

“Yes, I would say you are plenty safe in assuming that,” Centara replied, fingering the hem of her jeans. “And I assume because of that response, you are going to inform me of your particular condition?” The last she had heard of Kaydence, she was pregnant with McBain’s child. It was a disgrace to know that someone she once called her best friend would even consider getting into bed with Evan let alone having his child. After the first meeting the two had at the creek on Hogwarts Grounds, they had never been civil to one another. The moment Centara had found out that Kaydence and McBain were involved, she had tried to convince her friend out of it. Through all of their years of friendship, Kaydence had usually trusted Cen when she told her not to do something and vice versa but, in this case, there had been a complete disregard. He had torn their friendship apart in the end and it seemed at this point that he was going to be the bulk of their conversation. She couldn’t wait…

[Kaydence Morgan]

This was going to be much harder than Kaydence anticipated. Whether she liked to admit it or not exposing the truth about why she left was going to leave her vulnerable. She just act whatever way she wanted, but someone was finally going to know what had drove her away. The fact that it was Centara was going to be even harder for her to deal with. The last time she had let the woman in on something so personal was when she had told her old friend about the pregnancy. Centara had seen the mess she had been back then. It was right after Darren and her father had banished her from the Manor. Kaydence couldn’t remember if she had told Cen about that, but it would be brought up in a short moment’s time. Letting her head fall back she let the entire glass of wine flow down her throat. There was nothing like liquid courage. Right now that’s all that she had.

Taking a deep breath Kaydence brought her head back up. She was stone-faced. Centara couldn’t read her emotions even if Kaydence wanted her to. “As you may or may not remember,” she began, the tone in her voice wavering slightly, “I was disowned by Darren and my father. My mother, being unable to do anything, had no choice but to accept their decision. The night of the masquerade, I made it a point to show up. I made it a point to show both Evan and my brother that I was still as strong as I was pre-pregnancy. I felt invincible Centara. Letting my arrogance get the best of me, I was distracted for only a moment before being hit with a spell aimed straight for my stomach.” She paused, leaning forward to pour herself another glass of wine. “I was knocked out and taken to Everdines. I was under for three days before finally waking up. As soon as my eyes opened I noticed that my bump was gone. Figuring that the spell was still in effect I asked Evan if everything was alright. He could barely tell me that I had lost our baby. My foolishness in thinking that I could still show my brother I was still significant enough to do his bidding cost the life of my unborn child.”

She wondered if her words would have any effect on Centara whatsoever. Kaydence knew the girl’s heart had stopped beating a long time ago, but hearing of a mother losing her child at any point usually caused some sort of reaction from even the most cold-hearted. “Apparently it wasn’t my time,” she tried to convince herself, taking another sip of wine, “and I’ve accepted that.” Deep down, she hadn’t. “So I left. I pulled the wires and needles out of my skin and I left the hospital. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going because no one needed to know. It was like a light had turned on and I had exposed myself for who I really was. I realized that I didn’t need anyone Centara and that apparently, no one needed me. I travelled all over Europe for the past three years moreorless finding myself. I’ve changed in more ways than you could have imagined. While I’m still as attractive and conniving as I was before I left, I’ve expanded my knowledge of the world and its twisted secrets. I’m a much more formidable enemy than I could have ever anticipated.”

It was true that she had not yet gotten the chance to reveal the new side of her, but she was waiting for it. No one deserved to see the dark side of her until she was ready to show it. Kaydence had spent too much time on her defense to just let it be shot to hell in an instant. Staring straight into Centara’s eyes she grinned. “You wanna know why I came back Cen?” She wondered if the girl would be taken aback that she had used her old nickname. “I came back because I’m ready for my revenge.” The sudden excitement caused her hand to begin shaking and some of contents of the wine glass to spill over. “My brother picked the wrong person to screw with.”

[Centara Zealon]

The look on Kaydence’s face said it all. Though there was a lack of expression that showed exactly what Centara needed to know. Kaydence did not want to show emotion within this conversation and she was going to try everything within her power to make sure she didn’t. To Centara, this just proved that the girl was still human and still had to face the emotions of a human life. That was one thing she had prided about being sired. Emotions rarely took over her life anymore unless she forced them onto herself. That was a rare action that she only used when around her family and now that they were gone, she had no reason to show emotion ever.

As Kaydence began to tell her story, Centara brought out her flask once more and took a long drink from it. So the baby had been lost in the battle, had it? She set the flask down to her side rather than in her pocket, deciding to keep it in close distance to herself. It was going to be needed in this meeting. The conversation quickly turned to how she had changed after the battle and what she had been doing the previous three years. It was then that Centara began to wonder if she was in fact looking for sympathy during this conversation. If that was the case, she was going to be sorely disappointed when Centara wasn’t even going to flinch. When Kaydence finally stopped speaking, Centara merely stared at her. Despite all of the things that had separated these two girls, despite the different ways they were raised, and even despite the bloodtrait that separated the two, they still managed to have something in common. They both wanted Darren taken out of his throne and shown that he was not the only one who had the power to take over from the Ministry and reshape the world.

Centara tucked a piece of hair behind her ear before leaning forward. “You most definitely have changed, my old friend. However, I certainly hope that you do not have expectations of finding sympathy from me. See, you’re not the only one who has changed within these past three years and I have found that any humanity that was left in me died at the end of that masquerade. So if that is your expectations, I propose we end this meeting at this point. However, I have a feeling that you are looking for more than just that.” Her eyes glanced at the spilled wine before looking back at Kaydence. No, she had other intentions. Her anger the moment she had mentioned her brother showed that. The only question was why was Kaydence giving this information to Centara even after their relationship ended so long ago?

“If I remember correctly, the last meeting we had, I informed you that things had changed here in Austria. That you should watch who you trust and to whom you tell information. I find it entertaining that out of that conversation, you choose to tell all of this to me.” She grinned before leaning back once more. “So enlighten me. Why after me telling you that are you informing me of your intentions against your brother? Are you not afraid that I will take all of this information that you have just told me and run right to him? Are you not afraid of me betraying you?” The question was fair given that, as far as Centara knew, Kaydence had no idea of Centara’s allegiances. Of course, there was always the chance of one of those closest to her going and blabbing to Kaydence about all of Centara’s intentions. She wouldn’t expect if of Keara since she had never even met Kaydence, but she would expect if from Joshua. He had been close to Kaydence at points in time. Who knew if he understood how to keep his mouth shut about her plans.

[Kaydence Morgan]

Kaydence watched intently to every move Centara made and every look she gave. Not a single reaction that came from her was unexpected. She had expected the woman to be cold and heartless. She had expected her to look bored and irritable. When she had finished speaking Kaydence didn’t anticipate Centara saying anything worth listening to. Actually, she wouldn’t at all have been surprised if her friend just upped and left. It had been years since she had last seen the girl, but nothing had changed. Well, except for the fact that she looked considerably more evil. Her eyes were a darker shade of red now. The color set against her pale skin made her look incredibly intimidating. Kaydence couldn’t help but to be slightly jealous. She wondered what people thought of her when they saw her. She was known around Austria as a spoiled little rich girl with an attitude. They could tell she belittled people and thought she was on top of the world. Yet Kaydence doubted any of them really saw her as being fearful of. She would always be envious for Centara for that aspect. Years may have gone by, but she still thrived on feeling powerful.

She inclined her head as Centara acknowledged that she had changed. At least that had shown. She raised an eyebrow at her next comment though. “Expectations? Centara, you really think that I’m stupid enough to expect sympathy from you?” She laughed. “Darling, I knew you were curious about what happened to me, so I told you.” She wouldn’t reveal to her that she had been the only person she had confided in. Mostly because she knew the girl would laugh in her face and more than likely humiliate her for trying to be so open. Kaydence would not let Centara get the better of her. Looking down at the droplets on her lap she huffed and grabbed the rag that rested underneath the bucket. She dabbed at the spots as best as she could before placing it back to its original location. These pants had cost 75 galleons. And she was fairly sure that they were charm-proof and couldn’t be washed. She needed to control herself or be out of 75 galleons.

Centara made a point when she spoke again. Kaydence still didn’t know if she could fully trust her former friend. Then again, nothing had ever happened between the two where one of them directly betrayed the other. That had to be said for something. Besides, she wasn’t an idiot. The suspicious tone in Centara’s voice after their last meeting left her convinced that she had her own ill-will towards Darren. The way the girl had kept looking around was noteworthy as well. It seemed like she had been looking for something. Kaydence needed to find out what it was and bring it to light. “I respect your observation Centara,” she finally said, resting the edge of the glass on her bottom lip, “but need I remind you, that I haven’t forgotten when my old friend lies.” She smirked, fully satisfied with herself. “What I’m most curious about is what he’s done to make you so mad. If I remember correctly, you were quite the fangirl at times.” Kaydence knew the comment would strike a nerve with her old friend, but it needed to be said. Now she could only hope that she had provoked her enough to let the anger start spilling out.

[Centara Zealon]

“Honestly, Kaydence. Do you think I’m an open book? You may try and get under my skin all you wish, but I’m not about to sit here and spill my secrets to you, no matter if we stand on the same side or not,” she replied, unscrewing the cap from the flask once again. She brought the rim to her lips as she began to think about if she would tell any of her story to Kaydence. The past two weeks since she had woken up had been spent mostly finding herself. Her memories from before the coma had come back full force, but she had to deal with the reaction she was having to finding out she had been in bed for two years. It threw off her concentration, destroyed her trust in those closest to her, and put her into a confused state as she tried to figure out where she was to go next. She had a following of vampires, waiting for their next orders in her plan to overthrow Darren. She herself was trying to figure that out but the first step had been achieved. The feelings she had against Darren were still there but she had a difficult time remembering why precisely she hated Darren. Those memories came flooding back a few hours after she woke up and pushed her right back into the planning stage of removing Darren from his pedestal.

Centara had been in disbelief when she finally remembered her hatred for Darren, not understanding how she could have forgotten in the first place. Granted, she did not necessarily want him dead, she just wanted him to move out of the way so she could take over. The fact that when she woke up, things were still in nearly the same condition as they had been when she fell into her coma only made her want to move forward even more. The biggest reason for her wanting him out of power had been the fact that a year after the ball, he had yet to attack again. She had heard of biding time, but it was getting ridiculous. Cen was a person to see results, and see them quickly. Sitting around was not her cup of tea and that had led her to her position of wanting Darren out of power. In combination with that, his ideas were too small for her tastes. To rid the world of muggleborns was step one. But why have muggles in the first place? They were useless. The only thing they were useful for was food for her kind. It was time to take down the muggle community and burn them all, leaving the wizarding community to spread out across the world and take control. The muggleborn problem would never rise again if that were to happen. With no muggles left, how could it?

This plan also gave rise to the other problem in the back of her mind. She wanted the beastly world to be set free. The limitations of the Ministry on what vampires and werewolves could do and could not do drove her up a wall. No killing muggles was on the top of their list and she could not understand why. This was the biggest reason she wanted things taken care of now. The Ministry needed to be taken down and all of their restrictions with it. She was tired of having them breath down the necks of known vampires, informing them that they were disobeying the magical code. She had known countless vampires killed for laying a hand on a worthless muggle and that was not going to happen again once she took control. Vampires would, one day, have free reign to kill whomever they pleased. Now the only thing she had yet to work out was population control. That was just a minor detail to be dealt with later on.

When Centara realized she had drifted off slightly into her planning thoughts, she recapped her flask and set it off to the side. “However, you told me your story so I might as well give you a piece of mine only to be fair.” Of course, there were no intentions of telling her entire plan to the human in front of her, but she would entertain the girl with just a taste. “The masquerade took what was left of my humanity as I have already informed you. That was due to the fact that I have now lost what was left of my family. Jack by my own hand, Declan due to fear of what he might be involved with, and Roxane due to that bloody hound he keeps at his side at all times.” Her eyes narrowed at the thought of Isis. That wolf would suffer if Cen had anything to say about it. The feud between the two did not just end with Roxane, but it carried the weight of every rivalry in history between werewolves and vampires. They were sworn enemies and no matter what the situation, they were out to kill each other. The only exception? When both sides were being targeted by human kind. There had only been a few instances in history where they stood and fought together and it was to avoid extinction. Centara did not predict that happening in the near future.

“Now I know what you must be thinking, the same as all others have thought. Why would I care? Emotionless vampire caring about family?” She grinned and leaned forward, crossing her arms on her legs as her hair fell toward her face. “You’re thinking that, right? Everyone does. Well, turns out, every vampire has some sort of humanity left in them to a certain extent. Mine had been my family. Now that that’s gone, I’m left with nothing. I’m actually pleased about it, but it opened my eyes to the rest of the world and the goals I should have built for myself so long ago.” With a chuckle, Centara leaned back and ran her hand through her hair, pulling it back from her face. “Your brother just so happens to be standing in the way.”

[Kaydence Morgan]

Kaydence couldn’t help but to roll her eyes. Is this what the entirety of their meeting would consist of? Insults and defense mechanisms thrown back and forth at each other? While she had expected it, Kaydence realized that if this kept up she would get bored with the charade almost instantly. Taking a long sip from her wine glass she began to think to herself. What needed to be done to pry the information from Centara’s undead bones? Perhaps she had gone into this earlier then she thought. However, as she continued to think about it Kaydence came to the conclusion that Centara would act this way regardless of a different approach. As she was beginning to tell her, the woman had no traces of humanity left within her. She could just look at her old friend’s eyes and sense that. Her eyes were a black hole. She had never considered her old friend to be intimidating, but her feelings were beginning to change. Centara Zealon looked like a woman with a mission and Kaydence did not want to be her intended target.

“However, you told me your story so I might as well give you a piece of mine only to be fair.” Well this was a start. Positioning herself more at an upward angle, Kaydence listened intently to everything Centara had to say. She couldn’t help but to feel a twang of sympathy as the woman described what had happened to her family. She thought it was a shame that Zealon had no feelings towards the demise of her family. She pondered if there were still any traces of sadness within the woman. If so, Centara was playing an awfully good front to conceal her emotions. Her acting skills were superb. Then again, she believed more that Centara was being genuine. She had lost all slivers of hope in the years that had gone by. Kaydence couldn’t blame her. If Darren had been killed, she would have been relieved. The stress and insecurities would have been a huge weight off of her shoulder. Somehow though, there would be a part of her that would have been saddened by his passing. Kaydence wondered if that time would be coming sooner rather than later.

She chuckled at her mention of Isis. “I’m sure you’re just waiting for the opportunity to strike,” she commented. Adding, “That’d be a fight I’d like to see.” Kaydence had never been a fan of the woman either. Like Maeve before her, Isis was stuck so far up Darren’s arse she was curious if the woman was able to find her way out. She had no clue if Maeve was even in the country still, but she wouldn’t have been surprised that Isis had managed to worm her way up to her brother. The woman was the definition of a loyal follower. Before her, Maeve had been the only one to show such commitment to her brother. Kaydence was sure Isis was still very much attached to Darren’s hip. And if she knew her brother like she thought she did, he loved every minute of it. People’s undying devotion to him always made him a bit self-centered.

“Your brother just so happens to be standing in the way.” This is what she had been waiting for. Feeling a smile come from her lips, Kaydence finished the last bit of wine from her glass. “I don’t understand why you won’t have even just a little bit of this wine. It’s only the most expensive brand here Centara. I’m sure that you still share that expensive taste as I do. We’ve always had that in common.” Grabbing the bottle, she poured enough for herself and for Centara. She leaned over in her chair and pushed it as far as she could across to Centara. Kaydence needed a minute to get her thoughts back on track. Her admission had come much sooner than she had expected. She knew that there had been more on her mind then what the woman had led on. The satisfaction was so rewarding. Placing her legs on the coffee table, she crossed them at the ankles. The smile remained on her face, not going anywhere anytime soon. “So this is interesting,” she finally remarked, “the two of us, out of all people who feel like my brother is doing more harm than good.” Raising the glass to her lips, she said, “Funny” before taking a drink. “Who would have thought it?”

[Centara Zealon]

Centara’s eyes focused on Kaydence’s features as she became much more interested in the conversation. The story had obviously intrigued her, bringing the conversation to another level. The piece about Isis had even provoked a comment, making Centara bite down on her tongue. She had indeed been waiting for the opportunity to take on Isis hand to hand, but there was no way she was going to seek out a fight at this point in time. She looked down at her hand and clenched it tightly, knowing full well that she was not at full strength yet. Though not many werewolves were worth her time, she knew Isis was going to put up a decent fight and she was not going to allow the werewolf to leave unscathed just because she had decided not to wait for the full effects of the poison in her system to wear away. No, she would wait to hunt down Isis until she was sure that the wolf would not escape her.

When Kaydence poured another glass of the sparkling wine and slid it in Cen’s direction, she merely stared at it. Though she would never admit she had a twinge of fear within her, the last drink she had without taking it directly from a living human had put her into a two year coma. She wondered how long it would have lasted if she had drank the entire bottle, or worse. What had happened if she hadn’t been a vampire? Chances were it wouldn’t have happened at all. She would have still been Darren’s loyal follower, given she would have little to hate him for and no reason to stand up against him. Tasting the blood in her mouth from the moment before when she had bit her tongue, she made a decision. Reaching forward, she grabbed the glass and took a sip before setting the base on her knee. Letting this coma dictate her life was the last thing she wanted to let happen and if she never accepted a drink from a person ever again, how could she say that she wasn’t letting that happen? Plus, there was the fact that Kaydence was drinking from the same bottle. She doubted it was tampered with if she was still sitting there, conscious.

“I must say, that is one thing that has yet to change,” she commented, looking down at the wine before looking back to her. The only reason she went for the expensive stuff was because it was the only thing she could actually taste. Vampires had a terrible curse of not being able to taste much if anything but for her, the expensive alcohol was the only thing she could still taste. Food had gained the ashy taste that Keara had told her would come not long after the two had met up. Some vampires all the symptoms took right away while others it took time to happen. Centara had been lucky enough to be one of the one’s where it didn’t take right away. Taking another sip of the wine, she waited for Kaydence’s reaction. All she really wanted was for her not to pry. Cen loathed when people pried into her business and many people in the past had been killed for a lot less.

“Looks like somehow we always seem to have something in common, despite past events,” responded Cen, setting the drink down onto the table in front of her. They both wanted Darren out of the picture. However there was no chance of the two teaming up to perform the act. After the coma, Cen’s trust had spiraled downhill and there was no chance Kaydence would be one of the few to receive it. “Now the question is, where do we go from here?”

[Kaydence Morgan]

She was satisfied when Centara finally took a sip from the wine glass she had offered it. Although tempting, it would have done her no good to poison her old friend. Well, at least not until she had gotten the information out of her that she needed anyway. Kaydence continued to sip her own glass as a silence went over the two women. She wondered if Centara was thinking about what she had said. Given the look on her face Kaydence wouldn’t have been surprised. There was something turning those gears in her head and it was written all over her features. She bit down lightly on the edge of the glass in anticipation. How long was it going to take for her to finally say something? Besides their past, was there really anything that would keep her from agreeing that if any two people were more apt at taking down her brother it would be them? Kaydence couldn’t think of anything else. Then again, Centara had changed so much in these past couple of years. Maybe she didn’t know the woman as well as she thought she did. Kaydence began anticipating the worse. It would probably be a smart idea to start getting some insults ready if she turned her down.

When she finally spoke up, Kaydence listened to every word with fixation. “Looks like somehow we always seem to have something in common, despite past events.” She nodded. Their previous meeting and this one had already confirmed that. “Now the question is, where do we go from here?” A sly grin formed on her face at Centara’s words. “Where DO we go from here?” she repeated, slowly. What were the next words to be said? The actions that needed to be taken? Admittedly, Kaydence had no clue. She didn’t want to divulge too much of her own information due to being unsure of Centara’s own intentions. She knew the woman hadn’t come just to give her the benefit of the doubt. She imagined that when Centara had opened the post, she had instantly started wondering what she could get out of this meeting. Kaydence didn’t want to disappoint her. Nor did she want to waste both her and Zealon’s time. With the exception of more than likely stopping off at Ashton’s suite at Ilfracombe later, she could have been out meeting with the necessary people who had the same vendetta as her. People who wouldn’t keep her strung along like Centara.

Sighing, she placed her wine glass on the edge of her table. She crossed her arms and shrugged her shoulders in her old friend’s direction. “Well, frankly, I don’t know what else can be said,” Kaydence told her. “We’re at the point where we both realize that something needs to be done. Yet we are both unwilling to open up to each other to reveal our own intentions on how we feel that needs to go about getting accomplished.” Leaning forward, she placed her elbows on the top of her knees. “Am I safe in assuming that you haven’t spoken to Darren since the masquerade? Or have you just been doing your own thing until he comes calling again?” Kaydence hoped she still had some sort of insight she could offer even if the chances of her still having contact with her brother were slim. Using his own tactics against him, the two could infiltrate his defense the old-fashioned way. She doubted it would be that easy though. Too much time had passed for everything to remain the same.

[Centara Zealon]

Centara tipped the rest of the contents of the glass into her mouth, setting it down on the table. Her tongue ran across her fangs as she began to think about where they were going to go from here. The two girls knew so much about one another that either could send in an anonymous tip to the Ministry. They would be on the run for the rest of their lives if either forfeited that information. Though she assumed the reason either side hadn’t done it was because, no matter what happened to them, the two were still old friends. They had shared so many memories together that it would be hard to imagine either having enough of a grudge against the other to commit the action. However, times changed and Centara couldn’t think of anything worse at this moment then Kaydence knowing so much about her.

As Kaydence began to mention their current situation, Cen stood up from where she sat and made her way halfway across the room, her back turned from the female. “You’ve already mentioned how he disowned you so I’m quite sure you haven’t had contact with him. So why on earth would I divulge information about if I had?” The unfortunate thing about the situation was neither of them had any information on where Darren was going to make his next move or even when. Without that imperative information, there was little that either female could do to fulfill their current wish. Part of the reason Centara had even shown to this meeting was because she had hoped Kaydence would supply some sort of useful information. The only question that had so far been answered since she stepped into the room was the reason why Kaydence had been in the DE Training Camp the other day. She had indeed been searching for her brother but instead got Centara. She had ruined the girls plan for that night. However, that information was not much help to her now. If anything, it told her that she had competition going against Darren.

“When I asked about where we go from here,” she began, turning back to look at Kaydence. Her red eyes narrowed in the girls direction as her grin only got wider. If anyone would see her know, they would probably believe the vampire had intention to kill. “I did not intend for you to think that we would be sharing tidbits of information to one another. You see, I’m not looking to have another partner in this endeavor. I had a few of those and the last of them going to be dead in a matter of days. It seems like anyone who is there to actually help me, only gets in my way.” She crossed her arms across her chest, tapping her manicured fingers against her skin. “So my question wasn’t really directed towards you, but it was more of a question to myself about whether I should even let you leave this room or not. Because at this point, I see you as more of a hindrance to me than anything. Honestly, I don’t know why I even told you the information that I did.” Centara lowered her arms to her sides and moved to the closest wall to her, leaning her back against it as she stared at Kaydence with her sadistic grin.

“What were you really wanting to find out from me, Kaydence? I believe you wanted to find out where I stand in the situation and I believe you know the answer to that now. So tell me, why else would you be daring enough to call a meeting with me?" Her eyes scanned Kaydence's face, hoping to see the emotion that she loved so dearly. She loved to see fear on people's faces and the moment they knew a vampire wanted them dead, it usually caused the blood to become filled with the emotion. But if the meeting thus far was any indication of the new Kaydence, she would hide as much emotion as she could. Centara would get fear out of her eventually; if not today, than some later date. Because, of course, she wouldn't kill Kaydence in the establishment. She wasn't crazy enough to do that. At least, not right now. Her only motivation was that Kaydence knew a little too much about Centara's life right now. She had nothing else against the girl but her knowledge, and that was no where near enough for Cen to kill a person in such a public place. That wouldn't stop her from attempting to scare the girl, however.

[Kaydence Morgan]

Kaydence kept her eyes on Centara as the woman got up and moved around the small room. Had she something to annoy her already. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed her wine glass and finished off the last bit of alcohol. She could feel her temper growing from within in. Nothing was going to get accomplished if this kept up. Lifting herself up from her chair Kaydence stood and crossed her arms. She had an issue with sitting down while someone hovered over her. It made her feel inferior. Kaydence Morgan was inferior to no one. She had no idea what Centara would do, if anything, but she would prepare herself regardless. Centara would always have the edge over her given that she was a vampire. She had never stood face-to-face with her old friend so she had no clue exactly what she’d be getting herself into. One thing was for sure though; Kaydence would do her damndest to fight back with every ounce of strength she had. She hated being on edge all the time, but it couldn’t be avoided due to her circumstances. Eventually she had just learnt to accept it. It was a price that had to be paid. Hopefully, it would make her stronger in the long run.

Centara’s snappy remark didn’t surprise her. She had a point. If she had secretly known about the real reason Kaydence had left, there would be no reason for her to open up about any previous meetings the two many have had. However, Kaydence didn’t think her question had been too intrusive. “Well,” she responded, “a simple yes or no would have sufficed.” She folded her arms tighter into her body as Centara turned around. The woman’s face made her cringe. There was something behind those eyes that Kaydence didn’t like. Regardless of whether or not she was simply trying to intimidate her, Kaydence was bothered. The feeling of uncertainty was quickly replaced by the anger that had temporarily been subsided. How dare she try to use those scare tactics against her. She may not have been as involved with the nightclub as she should have been, but she still felt disrespected in her place of business. Dropping her arms from her chest she took steps to close the distance separating the two. The adrenaline coursing through her veins gave her an unbelievable amount of fearlessness. All it would have taken was one pounce and she would be done for.

“Cut the crap Centara,” she said, her voice cold as ice. “I get it. Woe is you. You’re a big, bad scary vampire who thinks it’s her against the world. If you consider me to be a hindrance Cen, then why the hell did you even agree to meet me?” Stepping closer to Centara, Kaydence poked her finger into the girl’s chest. “No offense dear, but if you really wanted to kill me, you probably would have done it by now.” She lowered her finger and stepped back away from the girl slowly. “If you didn’t want information from me, which I’m pretty sure you do, I highly doubt you would be here right now. I think you’re interested as hell in why I’m back in town and wait it is I have up my sleeve.” Kaydence stopped moving, but kept her gaze on Centara. Even she wasn’t stupid enough to turn her back on a vampire. She’d rather see what was coming for her then to not know at all. Sighing, she brought her hand to the side of her head. Merlin this constant bickering was giving her a headache. She listened closely to what she had to say next. Centara was not going to take Kaydence’s bravery lightly.

If there was one thing Kaydence hated it was when people put themselves on a higher pedestal then the one she sat on. The ones who thought they were invincible. Sure, Centara was close to as invincible more than anyone else she knew, but the girl still had flaws. Weaknesses. Kaydence had to find out what they were besides involving a certain wolf. Maybe she could find another one. She knew it would be cruel and heartless, but wasn’t that exactly the type of person Centara was? She quickly decided against that idea though. She didn’t need anyone else to do her bidding. She had never been that type of woman. Sliding her hand down to her jaw, Kaydence peered over to Centara. “We are not getting anywhere. The two things we have in common have been established. We both know the other has a vendetta against my brother and we both want to know what the other has been thinking, yet are unwilling to expose their secrets. We can banter and insult each other all we want, but nothing will get accomplished.” Her hands went to her hips as she started tapping her foot impatiently. Could any sort of comprise be reached between the two? The looks of pure hatred between the two suggested otherwise. Centara was clearly too stubborn to say anything so it would be up to her.

“Look, let’s put all our hostility to the side just for a second Centara, alright?” Kaydence said, clapping her hands to emphasize her point. “Let’s both agree that we’re nothing to reveal anything we have planned. But, let’s also agree that we both can have use of each other.” She leaned herself against the back of the chair she had been sitting on earlier. “How about this. I think the very least we can do is keep our ears open since we’ll be doing that anyway. Instead of keeping something worth sharing to ourselves, we can always…pass the information along to the other. What do you think about that?”

[Centara Zealon]

The human was daring, pressing her finger into Centara’s chest. The vampire raised an eyebrow as she backed away after her words. Cen’s grin didn’t falter, merely crossing her arms across her chest. She hadn’t had anyone do something like that in a long time. No one touched her ever. Once again, Kaydence had shown that she wasn’t truly afraid of this situation, but she wouldn’t turn her back. The girl knew better than to do that, apparently. However, Cen was not a vampire to attack someone when their back was turned. That was the lowest of low ways to attack in her opinion and she only did it in situations where she knew it was the only way she would get out alive. That did not happen very often. She had been contemplating how to reply to her comments when she spoke up again, laying out her thoughts on the table without hesitation.

Kaydence brought up a very good point. Both girls in the room were quite stubborn and this was not the first time one of their conversations had led them to run circles around one another. In fact, it had been quite common with the two of them. “I agree,” she commented, knowing full well that both of them could probably sit there all day and throw witty remarks back and forth with no avail. Cen could do it all night if she wanted, but that was the vampire nature in her. She loved to pick fights and she was never the first to give in. Her mind and body would never let her be the first one to falter in any situation. There was no way to tell if that was absolutely from her vampire side or if some of it just came from her heritage. Zealon’s had been known to be forthright and hardheaded. It seemed Centara had gotten both of those traits. It could have just been that the siring only made them that much worse.

Taking Kaydence’s idea into consideration, Centara came off of the wall she was leaning on and walked over to where she had been sitting, grabbing her flask as her back was towards Kaydence. She opened the top and drained the rest of it. If she was going to make any sort of compromise, she would need a lot more of where that came from when she left this club. A night on the town seemed like it would be in order. Or a night at Der Keller. She could always let Kea off of her shift so the vampire could go enjoy whatever the hell it was she did. Or she should say whoever the hell she did. “Well, I’d say you bring up a very good point,” Centara began, turning around to face her old friend. “This meeting was set up for failure to begin with because neither of us are willing to expose everything we know. I sort of figured that much when I walked in here, but I must say I was not expecting to walk out of here with a compromise. But I can see how it would benefit the two of us.”

Cen rubbed her thumb across the raised edge design of the flask as she thought it through once more before giving an affirmative answer. She had very little contact with Darren and it would be helpful to have access to someone who would have a little more knowledge. Granted, Cen did have her contacts, but she didn’t have the time to work on them and butter them up enough to provide the information she needed. Too many of them were afraid of what Darren would do if he ever found out who had betrayed him. No matter how hard she tried to make them understand that he wouldn’t find out (which was ultimately a lie), they would not budge on the situation. However, if she had Kaydence, a girl who already pointed out her hatred of her own brother, on her side then she was sure the information would be much more easily obtained. She walked over closer to Kaydence, holding out her hand in front of her. “I think we have a deal, Kaydence Morgan.”

When the formalities had finished, Centara made her way back to where she had been sitting previously, making herself comfortable once more. By now the grin on her face had faded and she looked much more like the normal vampire she was. Not crazy, just a girl sitting there with intent on finding out what she needed to know. “I haven’t seen your brother since the masquerade,” she said, finally giving an answer to the question that had been asked minutes ago. “At least not personally. I’ve had contact with people who have seen him but it’s been a long time since I’ve talked to them unfortunately. Circumstances have made conversation with others much more difficult as of late. So I’m afraid that I will not be of much help to you at this point in finding out where he is located.”

[Kaydence Morgan]

There were no words to describe Kaydence’s reaction to Centara’s calmness. Stunned, if anything. She briefly wondered if this was a dream. If this was her mind portraying a false sense of comfort when in all actuality, she was laying on the floor of the room bleeding out from her neck. Centara’s fangs exposed and her eyes completely bloodshot. Hoping Centara wouldn’t see, Kaydence moved her arm behind her back to pinch at the back of her forearm. She felt the sharp pain. Maybe Centara had some new ability she didn’t know about. If it wasn’t Kaydence’s mind portraying this image, then maybe it was her old friend who was doing it. If that was the case, then would she still be able to feel the pain from her pinch? She was so confused. Forcing herself to accept that this was reality, and that she was still very much alive, Kaydence eased herself more in the back of the chair. It may have been a bad idea to act so at ease. She wondered if Centara’s abilities allowed her to read people like a book. Was she able to sense the fear that she was hiding behind that smirk? She wasn’t showing it if she did. Then again, maybe she was just toying with her. Sighing out of frustration, Kaydence shifted her weight to her other foot. Merlin she hated being around vampires and all the conflicting feelings that came with it.

She was even more surprised when Centara actually seemed to agree with her. Kaydence fought the urge to accuse her of playing vampire mind games with her. If all of this was real and Centara was genuinely meaning the words she was saying, then the last thing she needed to do was ruin all of it. “So you agree?” she questioned, cautiously. ”But I can see how that would benefit the both of us.” Could it really be this easy? Had her arrogance really paid off in her favor? Centara wasn’t moving. She wasn’t laughing, she wasn’t smiling. It was then that Kaydence felt deep within her soul that her former friend wasn’t lying to her. There was truth behind every word that she spoke. Allowing her own ease to escape, she smiled. “I’m actually very happy that you agree to that Centara.” She wanted to flinch as the woman walked over to her, but she refrained. Things were going in a positive direction. She didn’t want the few lingering traces of her earlier bewilderment to show. Centara was going to do what she wanted regardless. ”I think we have a deal Kaydence Morgan.” Kaydence looked at the woman’s outstretched hand. She needed to take it, she knew that. Slowly, she extended her own hand in Centara’s direction, waiting for the woman to pull her by the arm and take a nice chunk out of the pristine skin of her neck.

It never came. Even when Kaydence grabbed Centara’s hand and shook it. Nothing happened. “That we do.” Her shoulders relaxed as she dropped the hold. Following suit, she went back to her chair and Centara went to hers. Grabbing the bottle of wine, she poured the remaining alcohol into her glass. Her former friend seemed satisfied with her flask so she wouldn’t risk a rejected invitation. Bringing the glass up to her lips, Kaydence took a well deserved drink. She could feel the bubbles going to her head, but drinking the wine for as long as she had, she knew they wouldn’t start really affecting her until she started in on the next bottle. The next round of information that Centara delivered to her was completely unexpected, but not unwelcome. The woman had taken the liberty of answering her question from earlier. She had a feeling that Centara hadn’t spoken to Darren, but wanted to be reassured. That took a load off of her shoulders. As she spoke about her own informants, Kaydence gazed off into the distance and nodded. It seemed like the girl was doing exactly as she was. Keeping track of Darren and his movements. Perhaps they had more in common then she thought.

“So have I,” Kaydence admitted, taking another sip from her glass. “I appreciate your honesty Centara. I can’t offer you much more, but I can tell you that I know Darren is still here. He’s been dipping in and out of the country though. If he’s a creature of habit like he was when I was still at the Manor with him, he’s planning something. I’m sure that much is obvious though. He’s getting all of his sources and doing his research. Though if that is the case, I have no idea what it is.” She wondered if Centara had spoken to Josh since Kaydence had bumped into him at the manor. She probably would have mentioned it by now if she had. Were they even still close? She made a mental note to do her own digging on that. “Do you still know of anyone still within my brother’s circle?”