Chapter 2.

Removing her hand and placing it on the table so she could look at her visitor, she watched as he simply waited with a brow raised inquisitively. Opening her mouth to start speaking, she was interrupted by the waitress coming up to her table and refilling her glass of whiskey all the while staring openly in lust at her tablemate.

Smiling ever so charmingly at the young girl, he leaned forward and took the girls free hand, causing an instant blush to spread over her cheeks. “Aren’t you just exquisite? My dear, please tell me the name of such a beautiful creature such as yourself?” The girl giggled and Lyra rolled her eyes, knowing full well that she was already ensnared in his trap. Downing her drink in the glass and taking the freshly opened bottle from the occupied waitresses hand without her even noticing, Lyra shamelessly drank straight from the bottle and watched as her friend captivated yet another poor girl.

“Y’know, this is exactly why I never invite you to my pity parties. Talbot” she announced, ignoring the death glare the waitress shot at her when she spoke. “Sweetheart, why don’t you go get me a bottle of Chateau Margaux and let my companion and I converse in private” he kissed her hand and she giggled like a school girl. Walking away – more like sashaying, to be honest. She stopped suddenly as if she’d just come out of a trance and said aloud “But we don’t have Chateau Margaux”

“Then go find me some” he ordered and flicked his hand in dismissal, returning to smirk at Lyra as if he hadn’t just made the girl go on a wild goose chase for him. “You’re such an ass” shrugging, he scowled at the bottle in her hand as if she was drinking sewer water. “It’s not my fault my pallet is more refined than others”

Purposely taking a gulp and moaning at the burning taste, she chuckled at the obvious disdain on his face. “How you can drink such a disgusting concoction is beyond me” Quirking a brow, she shot back “How you can flirt with a woman and not run screaming ‘Ew, vagina!’ is beyond me”

“That’s easy, spending centuries with Liliana pawning after me has made me immune” he stated smugly. Rolling her eyes again, she took another swig of the whiskey and rested her elbows on the table. “What do you want from me? For me to just spill my secrets like some frail human and drown my sorrows in alcohol while you pat my shoulder and say ‘there, there’?”

Shaking his head, he put his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together. “I just want to know what made you lose control so suddenly” coughing a laugh, she leaned back in her chair and tongued her cheek in irritation. “You already know what it was, Talbot. You know all of your so called ‘friends’ weaknesses”

Shrugging, he winked at her. “Yes, but it’s always nicer to hear it right from the horse’s mouth.” Sucking her teeth, she sighed and indulged him. “Alistair tricked me into doing him a favor that had me seeing her after ten years of avoidance” He nodded his head while eyeing the couple making out at the booth behind her with a look of curiosity and mild disgust. “And how did that go?”

Waving her hands as if she was weighing something, she replied “Eh, I set her bed on fire with her in it” tsking at her, he hummed. “That didn’t go as badly as I’d expected” she gave him a droll stare. “Thanks for the vote of confidence” holding his hands up defensively, he explained. “I’m just saying that I know how you two can get and it’s a miracle the entire city wasn’t leveled”

“That was once and we’ve apologized to Haiti” Shaking his head at the ridiculousness of it, he added “I just think you should work out your differences sooner or later, it’s not like you don’t have eternity to reconcile” Chuckling, she made a silly face at him. “Has someone gone soft?” flapping his hand in dismissal, he pursed his lips in distaste. “I was simply trying to help, after all – you’ve been in a ten year depression to rival that of the 30’s”

Checking her imaginary watch and standing up, she mock saluted him. “Looks like I’ve got literally anywhere else to be. See ya around, Talbot” and without staying to hear his goodbye, she flashed herself out of the bar and back into her office to be welcomed with the sight of charred furniture.

Sighing, she opened the door to be surprised by a very pissed off Sophie with her arms crossed and a glare set right on Lyra. “Look, I’ve had a shit day and I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t remind me about it. I’m sorry I banished you from my room, it won’t happen again. Can we please go to your office and have make up sex now?”

Pursing her cherry red lips at her and turning around on her five inch stilettos to strut towards her office and walked right through the door. Stopping only to actually turn the door handle and open the door, Lyra started to shrug off her jacket as the door swung open and revealed the now naked Sophie with her hands on her hips. “I’m only sleeping with you because you’re the only one who can touch me and not go through me” She reminded her, scowling at the redhead.

“I’m only sleeping with you to relieve pent up aggression, now we’re both horrible people” Lyra joked, crossing the distance to connect their lips in a heated kiss. Sophie slid her hands down her torso and tugged at her tank top until she got the hint and removed all her clothes with her powers, leaving her just as exposed as the brunette. “Let’s get this done in an hour; you have another appointment at four”

Sparking the end of her vice with a flame on the tip of her finger, Liliana waited with her back pressed to the brick wall of the alleyway. Stifling a yawn behind her other hand, she heard footsteps and took a drag of her cigarette. “So, how’s your Tuesday going?” Alistair asked in a sing-song voice, he knew damn well how it’d went and he was purposely avoiding eye contact because of it. “Cut the shit, Ali.”

Blowing a raspberry in his usual childish manner, he whined “You’re no fun anymore.” Crossing her arms under her full chest and flicking the ash off the end of her cigarette, Lily simply stared at him with a blank face. “Can’t a Brother do a nice thing for his Sister once in a while without being questioned?”

Coughing a laugh, she rolled her eyes at his charade and took a drag from her vice. “Only if the Brother isn’t a manipulative little shit with an agenda” Holding his hand up to his mouth as if she’d offended him, he scoffed. “You dare assume that I would do such a thing?”

Flicking her cigarette right at his face and pushing off the wall to stand before him, she levelled him with a glare and spoke. “I told you to back off years ago, don’t make me have to enforce that on you just because you wanted to entertain yourself.”

Sucking his teeth and swatting the ashes off his face, he cooed lamely. “I’ve upset big Sis now – I hope she doesn’t punish me like the bad boy I am” Throwing him against the wall with her powers and holding him there, she walked up to stand merely inches from him. “Don’t you dare mock me, Siphon. You may be my Brother but you’re skating on very thin ice, I suggest you stop whatever the hell it was you’re planning and leave us be before I have to put you in your place…Again”

Eyes flashing with anger, he lashed out with his own power to free himself from her hold. “So typical of you to assume I’ve done something to help myself. For once, Sister, could you indulge the idea of me not being as selfish as you claim?” quirking a brow, she eyed him up and down. “You’re as conceited as you are because I spoiled you, perhaps I should’ve spent more time teaching you rather than coddling you”

Tossing his head back and letting loose a hearty laugh, he replied. “Very well, then. I’ll let you have this one because you’re clearly not in the mood. However, I actually didn’t have any ploy in mind. I just hated seeing you so very obviously depressed – Gloom is not a good look on you, after all”

Plucking a fresh cigarette from the pack on the inside pocket of her blazer, Liliana placed it between her rouged lips and walked away. “What, I don’t get a goodbye hug?” waving her hand, she chuckled when he spat out a groan of pain. “Very mature” he grunted, throwing her his own blast of power but not being able to reach her before she’d disappeared.

Banging on the main door of her office stirred Lyra out of her slumber and she buried her face in the nook of her companion’s neck in hopes of it going away. “You know he won’t stop until you let him in” Sophie murmured, rolling over to look at the redhead. Snuggling even closer to the brunette, Lyra sighed heavily when the banging didn’t stop.

Playing with a strand of her brightly colored hair, Sophie didn’t have to say anything else as Lyra groaned and pulled herself up. “I really don’t wanna” she whined, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “The last time you said that, he knocked for three days straight” making a face that showed just how excited she was for that possibility, Lyra got up and conjured her robe to cover herself as she unwillingly strode to the front door.

Turning the knob and swinging the door open, she yawned and held a hand up in a lame wave. “Howdy, Roz” not caring if he followed or not, she turned around and walked down the hall to the stairs that led up to her apartment above her office. Plopping down on her chaise lounge and gesturing for him to join her, she rested her head in her palm. “What can I do for you?”

Sitting on the couch across from her, the brunette rested his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers together. “The big man upstairs is a little piqued that another client of yours has committed suicide” Sophie entered the room in a robe of her own with a mug of steaming coffee in her hand, nodding in acknowledgement at Roz and handing the cup to Lyra. “Thanks, love.” Lyra patted her lap and Sophie sat down and snuggled up to her.

“What do you want me to tell you, Roz? That I’ll stop doing my job?” she made a face as she took a sip and the liquid burned her tongue. Sighing, the man ran a hand over his brow in frustration. “Look, I’m not trying to make you stop entirely – I know just as much as you do how annoying duties are. I’m just asking that you give it a rest for a few days so he doesn’t come down and smite you”

“Aww, I knew you liked me” She winked at him and he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Can you please be serious for just one minute?” Sipping her coffee with a raised brow, she replied. “Serious doesn’t pay the bills, sweet cheeks”

Wringing his hands in annoyance, he put them together as if in prayer and slid to his knees. “I’m begging you, Lyr. Just give me a few days and you can get back to your duties like nothing happened.” Eyeing him over her mug for the sake of a dramatic pause, she sucked her teeth and gestured for him to get up. “Fine, I’ll back off for a few days. But I’m doing this ‘cause you’re an adorable little shit and it’ll mean you’ll owe me.”

Grinning in victory until he realized just what she’d said, Roz facepalmed himself in stupidity. “As much as I love the idea of owing you a favor, I have work to do so I’ll just be off. Thanks again” he waved goodbye and she nodded, returning the gesture. “Adios, Buttercup”