Ovid felt warm and flushed from the older vampire's aggressive approving scrutiny of him. Taking Ovid's hand Michael caressed his palm, being ever so careful not to touch the vampire youth's' sensitive wrist. "There's all sorts of hidden away places I can take your coven to Ovid. Places you'll be amazed at. dark places where ashes of ancient vampires cling to old tombs filled with the bones of mortal victims sacrificed by other mortals a long time ago to appease the spirts of blood drinking demons."
Michael composed a gothic poem of seduction, star light, and skulls on the boy. Every nerve in Michael's body was taunt. Surprised, Pete listened to every word. Michael said to Ovid "Ever dance on a midnight hour amongst the remains of your own dead?" Michael purred,
"Oh great," Christov whispered with scarcasem, "The pervert wants to join their coven. Gee I wonder why?""
"About those tickets to Paris," Henry whispered, a sick smile plastered his face, "We don't let this coven or Pete out of our sight for a minute."
"A second," Christov whispered.
Henrri and Christov slammed their hands over their ears, Michael's thunderious voice projected into their minds, "The two of you will go back to New Orleans!! Your over seeing of Pete's safety is over. Have I made myself clear?"
"Of course Josh is going with us to Paris, "Pete said happily. His eyes lit up like shimmering candles.
"Josh!!" Henri and Christov blurted out in surprise.
"Josh!" Michael growled in shock and out rage.
"The sun walker, " Lena cried out in disbelief, wrinkling up her nose.
"Not Josh," Christov moaned.
Before Christov could say another word, Michael rounded on Pete, "You, you are not bringing Josh.! We are going to places scared only to our kind."
"We are a coven exclusive to night walkers, " Emil said appearing at Michael's side, casting a quick look at Michael.
Michael looked away, having promised Emil he would dispose of Ovid's leadership and give Emil the position of coven master of a provenance in Paris after sharing his power blood with him.
"Pete, you are throwing away with both hands as always your opportunity to become a man," Michael cried "This is your chance to travel, to live by your wits, to test yourself against the dangers a vampire faces when he leaves his makers. Pete the possible battles we face. The unknown."
"Josh should come with us,' Ovid said coolly, his voice laughing in Emil's and Michael's face.
Disgruntled, Michael slammed his fist on the table, making it shake.
"I am the leader of this coven Michael," Ovid said, leaning towards the powerful vampire, "I say the sun walker will be of our number. What say you Emil?"
"A a sun walker? Ovid you're being ridiculous. They smell funny. They look funny. Ovid, we can't even drink their blood." Emil sputtered out.
"Then I suggest you find another coven of your own," Ovid said smiling at Michael's frustration.
"How dare you threaten Emil! You may be the leader, but we vote on whether or not we accept a new member. I vote yes for Pete. No, for Josh," Lena declared.
"You're the leader Ovid. Whatever you want. What can I say? I vote yes for both of them," Emil said backing down.
"Fine," Lena said coldly, "Josh and Pete are one of us now."
"Ovid you'll do well on the devil's road. You have courage," Michael said, "As for you Pete, you're ever the fool."
"Michael leave me alone," Pete said, getting off his chair, "I'll miss you Christov and Henri. And if you follow me I'll hate you. Please let me go. It's time."
"Wait," Michael said grabbing Pete by the arm.
Michael cut his wrist, smearing his blood on Pete's forehead.
"Don't touch me," Ovid growled, backing away in his chair.
Grasping Ovid's shoulder, Michael smeared blood on Ovid's forehead, then Emil's and Lena.
Taking off an amulet, Michael put it around Ovid's neck.
"My scents on you all, it's mixed with the scent of Mekare and Maharet. Our blood is contained in this amulet you are wearing. Call on anyone of us to protect your coven. Christov, Henri there isn't any need for you to follow this coven. Let Ovid's coven find their own destiny without our interference. Pete I will leave you alone," Michael promised.
"Damion is going to kill us all if Josh joins your coven, Ovid," Henri cautioned, coming to his senses.
"It's not up to Louis," Michael said with a shallow smile on his face," Josh will deal with Damion."
"I'll tell Josh the good news," Pete said in a faint voice, "Michael thank you."
Putting his arm around Pete's waist, before Pete could protest Michael tenderly kissed his lips.
"Go tell Josh the good news," Michael said lovingly to Pete, "I will always love you."
Kissing Michael's cheek, Pete whispered "Thank you again Michael, I love you for finally letting me go." Throwing his arms around Christov," Pete breathed, "Thank you. " Going to Henri. Pete cried, "Thank you."
"You're welcome mincemeat, " Christov said, wiping Pete's tears away with a napkin Now get lost.
"We'll see each other again soon. Someday maybe decades from now," Henri reassured Pete kissing his cheek.
Running out the door, Pete hurried to Josh.
"Will surprises never cease? You're being decent about this?" Christov said, keeping his misgivings about Josh to himself. "You're right Michael, if you stay away, I will stay away. Pete's on his own," Chrisotv said tightly.
Christov hurried out.
"Are you perhaps being too decent about all of this Michael?" Henri said archly.
"Where Pete is concerned, haven't I always been decent? If I haunted him for much longer Pete would have grown to hate me," Michael said sadly.
"Oui, you're right," Henri said patting Michael's arm, "You did a noble thing tonight for love."
What do you or Christov know about love? Michael thought bitterly, You two dried up shells,
Henri left Michael and the coven.
"Well Michael do you still want to join my coven? By law it is my coven. Tell me do we live by laws still? Or do we live by force and trickery? It's up to you Michael," Ovid said quietly, "Do you desire my death?"
Surprised, Michael said quietly, "Ovid, we live by laws, I never had any designs on your life."
"How about my way of life? Destroying the bond I have with Emil and Lena, and for what? What do you want?" Ovid said steel in his voice.
"I have no idea what you are talking about. Have Josh join the coven, " Michael said in a ugly voice, "As it stands Ovid I respectfully withdraw my protection like I withdrew my request to join."
Grabbing the amulet, Michael jerked it off of Ovid's neck.
"You're protection. You never honorably gave us all your protection. You manipulative bastard," Oviid said smoothly.
Putting a knife under Ovid's chin, Michael said tensely, "If you are going to be immortal on the devil's road learn how to speak to your betters."
Making a small nick in Ovid's throat, Michael watched for any sign of fear on Ovid's expressionless face.
Emil's face broke out into a smirk; Lena started to laugh.
"What's amusing?' Michael's cautiously asked,
"In a sense your little plot worked," Ovid said softly, "You wanted Josh to come alone with us all along. You wanted to insure Christov and Henri would disappear out of Pete's life. Congratulations," Ovid said, to a surprised Michael, "You are such a brillant manipulative bitch. Wonderful show you put on for them. Thank you. I didn't want Henri or Christov shadowing us any more than you did. You being all noble and all that. You bribed Emil to vote yes after an initial protest on his part. You thought for sure Lena would vote no. Emil was your ace in the hole. You thought I was so much in love with Pete I'd magnanimously would insist on Josh joining us just so I could remain close to Pete."
"You couldn't offer me the coven or the blood could you? You had to go and bribe Emil you bastard of a male chauvinist pig," Lena spat out.
"Everything will go as you planned Michael. Josh and Pete joining our coven will prove to be the end of their affair, " Emiil said evenly, "A day walker traveling with night walkers. It will not only be I who will be working to destroy them. Using my influence to have Lena hurt them. It will be all a conspiracy carried out by all of us. Our life style, our disdain will put a knife through their love. Pete is handing Josh to us on a sliver platter. We'll destroy Josh with reproaches, little digs. when we're not ignoring him. All the while we will be perfectly accepting of Pete. Pete is so hungry to be accepted, so is Josh. When Josh sees Pete accepted by us it will hurt him. We'll start up arguements between them. Pete is already half in love with you Ovid."
"You think so?" Ovid laughed, unpleasantly.
"I know so Ovid," Emil said smiling, "His mortal sense of morality will wear down. Josh is nothing but a jock football player type Pete lusted after when he was a mortal. Once Pete has a real taste of excitement in his vampire life he'll become disillusioned by Josh. You will be the shoulder Pete will look for to cry on after fights with Josh. Then Pete's real life can start on the devil's road."
"With me? Do yo think Pete's life will be with me, Emil?" Ovid said coolly, flexing his hands, "I have no interest in playing house with Pete. You hate the idea of Pete being with a sun walker so much you prefer his falling in live with me, if not yourself Michael? Please, Pete's small time. Like I said I only wanted to have fun with the boy. I can think of a proposition so much more intriguing than having Pete as my partner in life."
"At the outdoor concert. It was obvious you had feelings for Pete," Michael said cautiously.
"He's a sweet kid. It's easy to be nice to him," Ovid said with a yawn, leaning over the table, his face in Michael's. Ovid said, "Honey, I'd crusify my mother for the blood of the first brood."
"And Ovid likes his mother, Lena laughed.
"You and the most powerful ancients of our race share blood often. Bottom line when I learned what you were willing to offer Emil I knew what I wanted and it isn't Pete. Besides there's nothing like putting it to an arrogant bitch who spurns you, isn't that right Michael?" Ovid said winking his eyes at him
"But you already have Khay's blood. It's even older than one of our most anceient."
It was unfortunately thinned out because Khay made all three of us at the same time. Taking turns giving us little bits of his blood," Lena said.
"Besides it always pays to have more and more of the first brood's blood, " Ovid said "I want more Michael."
"As do the two of us," Emil aid glancing at a grinning Lena.
tbc