the sky cannot ignore us {Morgana}

[Vlad Dracula]

Dracula looked around his new office, a satisfied almost-smile on his lips as he took in his surroundings. He had spent the last little while scouting out the interior of the building, cleaning up things that didn't look like they might be wooden and sharp enough to do him in. That would be a horribly ironic way to go, he thought, after everything. Centuries of murder and devastation in his wake, to be taken out by a wayward tree branch while cleaning out his new lair. But as it turned out, having Morgana around was a pleasure in more ways than one; her talents had immediately proved useful in cleaning with minimal physical effort from either of them.

He had chosen this room for a few reasons - practically speaking, it was ideal because there were no windows to the outside world, although there was one that overlooked the main casino floor. There was a curtain rod over that window, remarkably strong still for the time that had passed, and Dracula made a note to fetch some curtains to hang on it from somewhere the next time he ventured out. There was also a very dark closet where he intended to do his sleeping, and the main feature of the room, a massive oaken desk that seemed to have lost none of its strength in the last century. It was the kind of desk you could sit behind and feel incredibly powerful, or upon which you could set out any number of maps for doing your evil scheming, or if you had an enthusiastic enough partner, get up to all kinds of other mischief.

It was definitely that last one Dracula had his mind on as he watched Morgana move around the place from his spot there, leaning against the edge of the desk, arms crossed over his chest. He had shed his coat by now, draping it over the back of the chair behind the desk, and had rolled up the sleeves of his collared shirt to around his elbows. He held one hand out to Morgana where she stood across the room from him, and made a come-hither sort of motion with his fingers.

"We've done well," he said, careful to use we instead of you or I. In his experience, the key to gaining and maintaining an ally was to make them believe they were vital and involved. And she certainly was fulfilling her end of that so far, he thought. "Come here," he said, his eyes locking onto hers. He still wasn't going to use any form of suggestion on her, not when she was cooperating so beautifully. No, this he could do with his own mastery of seduction (which, if you asked him, was unparalleled). "I want you."

[Morgana Le Fey]

The clean-up had been less strenuous than Morgana had imagined when she had first entered the casino, thanks to the fact that her magic meant she barely had to get her hands dirty. They had done a good job, and she couldn't help but be impressed by his forethought in choosing this particular location as their base. It would be perfect, and the ideal location for her to keep her head down and plan, unseen, until she was ready to reveal herself and put things into motion.

As she stood in Dracula's office, leaning against the wall she watched him, a smile playing about her lips. Unbidden, thoughts of Cazaril crept into her mind, and her smile faltered slightly. She hadn't stayed long enough to make sure her magic had done it's job - she did not doubt herself. But she had seen him start to age, seen the spell that had been cast originally cancelled out by her own powerful magic. She had seen Caz, her Caz, come back, and it had nearly broken her. It had nearly changed everything. But she had not let it, forcing herself to turn away and return to the casino, to her ally, to her destiny.

And here she was now, leaning against the wall and watching him at the desk, as he extended his arm towards her. The smile returned, and at his beckoning she moved towards him, taking his hand, her eyes dark as she stepped close to him, stepping in between his legs and pressing close to him. She leant down, her mouth against his ear as she breathed, "Then have me."

[Vlad Dracula]

It was rare that he came across someone who radiated darkness the way this woman did. When he came across dangerous people, they were usually dangerous because they were misguided or confused. And maybe she'd been misguided and confused before, but since he'd seen her last, she had veritably blossomed. The darkness about her wasn't just an absence of light, it was an aura that threatened to consume and extinguish the light around it, and he was enraptured by it.

Her breath was hot against his skin, and he hummed softly, breathing her in, letting instinct take the helm for the moment. Her hand was still in his, and he wrapped his arm around her waist, pinning her arm behind her back, not hard enough to cause any pain, but enough that he could pull her flush against him. He wove his other hand into her hair, meeting her eyes for a split second before pulling her in to kiss her.

"We are going to do such beautiful things together, you and I," he murmured, against her lips. His eyes were dark now, icy blue eclipsed by hollow, endless black, and his world centered on the woman in front of him, on the warm pulse of her blood. He kissed her again, tightening his fingers in her hair, then tilted her head to the side, trailing his lips along her jawline and down to the hollow of her throat. "Don't be afraid." He had a feeling that warning wasn't necessary, not with her, but people always tended to get a little nervous during this next part, and it was so much easier when they didn't struggle. He leaned back, baring his teeth, and...

What was that? There was something else there, someone else, and for a moment, he wondered where she had gone earlier, who she had been with. It wasn't a matter of envy; if Dracula didn't want to share his things, he didn't, there was no seething over it or fits of petty jealousy. It was just a matter of being aware of his circumstances.

"Should I be expecting company here?" he asked, leaning back just far enough to see her face again, eyes still jet black, fangs still quite obvious even in the dim lighting.

[Morgana Le Fey]

She gasped slightly as he pinned her arm behind her, allowing him to move her as he wanted without struggling. She allowed him to pull her closer, she pushed herself against his body, feeling a jolt in her stomach as their eyes met. As he kissed her, she felt passion and longing rise within her and she kissed him back with a deep and intense longing, her free hand snaking around his neck.

She smiled against his lips as he spoke, as she imagined what they could do together. His power was intoxicating, and she did not doubt that he could do anything he wanted, get anything he desired, and with him by her side she knew there would be nothing to stop her.

She moved at his touch, her head tilting to the side. She knew what was coming and she felt a strange sense of excitement as his lips moved down her neck. She closed her eyes, smiling at his words. "I'm not." she whispered in answer to his command, one arm around his neck, the other still in his grasp behind her back, and her heart beating fast in anticipation as she felt him lean back, as she waited for the bite to come.

She opened her eyes as he spoke, frowning and straightening her head to look at him. "What?" She was confused for a moment as he looked at her, her heart still beating fast as she noted his fangs. She felt a pang of frustration, wanting him to just take what he wanted from her, wanting to know what it would feel like, to feel that passion and strange intimacy.

She realised what he was referring to, and she smirked. "Do not fear, Vlad." She ran her free hand through his hair and down the back of his neck. "No, there will be no company. I took care of it. C- The man has no memory of seeing me." She leaned down to him and kissed him again, before whispering against him. "Nobody knows we are here. We are entirely alone." Straightening back up, she brought her hand up to her long hair, sweeping it off her shoulder to expose her neck before tilting her head and smiling at him. "Take what you want. We won't be disturbed."

[Vlad Dracula]

Dracula had no patience for being interrupted, even by himself. He also wasn't used to being reassured by the people he was with; it was usually quite the other way around, he had to convince them that they didn't need to worry about anything (although they usually did). She told him exactly what he wanted to hear, though, and he wasted no time moving past the issue.

"I'm glad to hear you say that." He worked his hand back into her hair, his other still at the small of her back, and turned them, spinning so she was pressed up against the desk now. "You're eager," he observed, smiling. "There's no rush, you know. We have all the time we need." They both wanted the same things here, he imagined, but centuries of existence had given him a perspective on things that let him maintain an element of control even when he wasn't feeling especially patient. He kissed her again, holding nothing back this time. If she wanted him to take what he wanted, he would show her in no uncertain terms exactly what that was.

"That's cruel," he said, a harsh whisper against her skin as he moved his mouth along her jaw to her neck again. "You are a memory worth holding onto." In the back of his mind, the part that wasn't being driven by the lure of her blood, he wondered how she had robbed someone of a memory so vivid as her presence, but that was a question for another time. Now, there was only this, only the two of them.

"You are especially beautiful when you want something," he said, against her ear. "I almost pity those who would deny you." He tilted his head back again to see her face, still holding her head to the side with the hand in her hair. "I certainly wouldn't want to be one of them." He said it in a way that made it plainly clear he knew he was testing exactly how far he could push without straying into that territory.

[Morgana Le Fey]

Her anticipation rose with every word he spoke, excitement and lust writhing within her as they turned and she found herself backed up against the desk. Her eyes were dark with desire and she couldn’t help but enjoy the play at helplessness, with one hand pinned behind her she was allowing him to have complete control over her movements. Her breathing was shallow and rapid, betraying her excitement and anticipation, and when he kissed her again she felt her legs tremble slightly, her free hand clinging onto his neck to keep herself fully upright.

It had been so long since she had felt wanted, in any sense. Sentenced to death for attempting to kill the king, and her manipulation of Arthur she had fled in exile from Camelot, taking only the boy, whom she had quickly trained to be self sufficient, and rely on her only for instructions. She had spent ten years convincing herself she did not need anyone, that her isolation was her choice, that it was what she wanted to plan her revenge. But now, in this intoxicating man’s arms, being told she was wanted, she was beautiful, she was powerful - of course she was eager. It had been ten years since she had experienced a man’s touch and there was a desperation growing inside her.

It had been ten years since she had felt anything other than hatred and resentment, and now, with Vlad holding her in place, feeling the pull of his hand in his hair, the touch of his mouth on her skin, she wanted to feel everything. Pleasure, pain, and everything in between. “You are immortal; time is nothing to you.” She whispered as she closed her eyes, her skin tingling as his lips moved across it. “I am just a mortal; my time is limited. I should make the most of every moment, don’t you agree?” She slid her free hand down his back slowly, letting it drop lower and lower until it was no longer on his back.

She smirked at his comment, her mind briefly drifting to her cruel words to Cazaril and feeling a moment of vindictive glee as she remembered the pain on his face. “It would have been crueller to allow him to remember.” Her voice was tinged with hatred and malice as she spoke. “If I did not want my presence here to be kept secret, until I am ready to begin my task, I would have left his memories intact. But, alas, I don’t want us interrupted just yet.”

She looked at him as he pulled his head back, her head held to one side and one hand still pinned behind her back. She was allowing him complete control over her and her body, and he was toying with her, allowing her frustration to rise and her desire to deepen. She stood completely still, letting her free hand come to rest at her side, leaning slightly back against the desk and locking her eyes on his. The darkness in his eyes intrigued her, she felt herself drawn to him in a way she had never felt with another man. She was not afraid of him, though a part of her wondered if she should be, instead she felt utterly enthralled by him. She wanted to submit to him. She reached up and touched his face gently, tracing his features with her fingers, running them over his lips.

She leaned forward slightly, her eyes never leaving his. She whispered to him, her words playful but with a shadow of the darkness she held within. “Oh, but you are denying me.”

[Vlad Dracula]

She had her finger right on the metaphorical pulse of the matter there; he would always have an unlimited supply of time, more than she or any other mortal would be able to count on. And he tried not to make promises, especially when it came to immortality, but he had already been hinting at the possibility since the moment she'd stepped through the portal. "We'll see if we can't do something about that soon enough," he said, "not now, but soon."

Her fingertips were hot on his skin, and he closed his eyes as she touched him, savoring the warmth of it, the intimacy of the moment. She was fearless around him but when she touched him, it almost felt reverent, like she was worshipful of everything he was. And if there was one thing Vlad Dracula loved, it was being admired, especially by people who knew what he was capable of. She wasn't stupid. She knew what he could do, she knew what he was...and she had to know she ought to be afraid of him, but she looked that danger right in the face and she all but basked in it.

He lifted her onto the desk and kissed her hard, one hand still woven through her hair, the other at her side, fingers slotted into the notches between her ribs. "Nothing will be the same for you after this," he warned, between long kisses. "You will look back on this every time someone else touches you, every time someone breathes your name out in a whisper of pleasure, you will hear me." He had no problem with bragging, saw no reason to be humble. "Is that what you want?"

He knew the answer to that. She had made her desires quite clear, and he had no reason to hold back anymore, no more desire to toy with her that would overrule the things he wanted himself. Breathing her in one last time, he paused at the arch of her neck and bit down, fangs piercing her skin in that deliberate application of pressure...and with that, there was a sudden spike of something, like a jolt of electricity through him, a river of power that flowed through her blood that he could taste. He had never felt anything like it, and all he wanted was more...

-intermission to maintain PG-13 rating-

[Morgana Le Fey]

Some time later, Morgana sat on the edge of the desk, readjusting her dress. She brushed her hair from her shoulder, her fingers brushing the two small holes in her neck. Her breath was still coming fast and shallow, and she couldn’t help but smile to herself as she thought back on what had just happened. It had been unlike anything she had experienced before, and she took a deep breath, feeling lightheaded and resting one hand on the desk to steady herself and bringing the other to her forehead.

It hadn’t hurt as much as she had thought it might, and she had to admit to herself that she had enjoyed the strange, sensual feeling, the flow of power she had felt between them, the strange connection in that new level of intimacy. And later, she was sure she had heard his voice in her head, heard him speaking to her. She turned her head to look at him, a dark smile playing about her lips.

She wondered if he had felt it too, that connection, the flow of power between them. She licked her lips and took another deep breath, reaching out and resting her hand on his chest. “Is your thirst slated?” She asked with a smirk, her words asking more than one question.

[Vlad Dracula]

Dracula buttoned the top two buttons of his shirt slowly, then adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves. He was still contemplating the experience they'd just shared, and his expression was distant as he finished tucking his shirt in and re-fastening his belt. In the centuries he had been alive, he had been with countless people; one night trysts that the other party rarely walked away from alive, ill-fated longer romances in the early days, when he had believed he could find someone to bring across and share this life with. But in all that time, he could not remember having experienced anything quite like this.

He had heard her speak, not out loud, but in his thoughts, like they were connected on a level that mere physical intimacy couldn't approach. Her blood had been like a stream of energy shot directly into his system, and he could still feel it now, could hear it singing through his system in an almost dizzying rush.

"I am...satisfied, at the moment," he said, giving her a knowing smile. His attention was mostly on his outstretched hand, which was extended in front of him. It felt almost as if there were a current of something buzzing underneath his skin, a channel of something he couldn't quite seem to draw into focus. "You have given me a gift, I think," he said, glancing back over at her. "Though I don't know if you intended to do so."

[Morgana Le Fey]

She watched him carefully and with interest - there seemed to be something slightly different about him. The way he studied his hand had her intrigued, and she wondered if her blood had done something, if it had transferred something to him. Her suspicions seemed to be confirmed as he spoke, and a small smile played about her lips.

"Indeed." She said quietly, standing and turning to face him. She wondered what he might be able to do - she had heard his voice in her head, and although she knew that couldn't have been deliberate, she wondered what he could do if he was focused, and how long the effects would last. She took his hand, turning it so his palm faced the ceiling, and looked into his eyes.

"Can you feel the magic flowing through you?" She asked quietly, placing her own hand underneath his and focusing her energy on his palm, creating a small, glowing energy ball hovering just above his hand. Her smile grew, her eyes glowing gold as she felt the magic flow through her.  "Do you want to see what you can do?"

[Vlad Dracula]

It had been a long time since anyone had taught him anything he didn't already know. There is nothing new under the sun someone had once said, and that went for the moon as well. Society changed throughout the centuries, but people and their tendencies were entirely predictable, with a few notable exceptions. And this...this was definitely an exception. He felt more alive than he had in years, and it was honestly a little unnerving.

"Tell me," he said, watching the orb of energy appear over his hand. "Tell me how to wield this." He looked into her eyes, saw the change in color, and let out a low hum of surprise. "There is something there, something I have never felt. I am intrigued."

He rested his hand on hers, lifting his other hand up to rest at her waist. There was a connection between them, he could feel it as surely as he could sense the blood flowing through her veins. It was more than the usual closeness he felt with someone once he'd fed off them if he let them live, it was something deeper than that. For the first time in recent memory, he felt something like emotion, something beyond just the usual sense of attraction coupled with necessity and convenience that he usually harbored for the people he tolerated.

[Morgana Le Fey]

She smiled as she watched him, feeling a sense of excitement at what she could teach him. She had taught Mordred how to wield and control his magic but that had been different, his magic had been his own, stemmed from hers but different - Mordred could do things differently. If it was her blood that was giving Dracula this power, if it was her power siphoned off into him, then he should be able to do exactly what she could, she could train him to wield her power. Together, who knew what they would be capable of.

Her eyes still glowing gold, she looked at the orb hovering above their hands. She let out a small sigh as his other hand found her waist and the ball grew slightly, crackling with energy.

"Concentrate on the energy you can create." She said quietly, leaning forward and almost whispering in his ear. Focus on that spot, focus on the energy flowing through you and pinpoint it to that place." She slowly began to move her hand away from his. Leaving the crackling orb floating on his hand. If he was concentrating hard enough, if he was focused, he would be able to take control of it, keep it alive as long as he wanted.

[Vlad Dracula]

Dracula tried not to get his hopes up; he was sure that whatever he could do with the aid of her blood must be a highly diluted version of her powers. It was tempting, to try everything he possibly could, as quickly as he could, but he had a thought that the magic he'd absorbed from her might be a limited reservoir. If it was in her blood, well, he had a limited supply of that; he couldn't just take it all and expect it to stick around.

He watched the orb in the palm of his hand, marveling at the raw power of it. He wondered for a moment what effect it would have on him, what damage it could do his body. Fire could harm him, and he wondered how much in common this energy would have with that. He was not anxious to find that out, and it wasn't harming him sitting there in his hand, so he focused instead on channeling the energy within him into it.

It felt like nothing happened at first, but then, suddenly, all in a rush, he could feel the current of power in his veins pool in the palm of his hand where he was willing it, gathering there before weaving itself into the energy of the orb in his hand, and suddenly, he had a connection to it, like it was an extension of his own energy.

"What can I do with it?" he asked, turning his hand slowly, letting the sphere of energy roll from the palm of his hand to the top, then back again.

[Morgana Le Fey]

Her smile widened as he took control of the orb, and she folded her arms across her chest, watching him move it. He was a quick student, and she was impressed. It had taken her much longer to learn to control the orb so well. But then, he had her magic inside him, and she wondered if perhaps some of her learned skill had transferred to him as well.

"What do you want to do with it?" She asked with a smirk, holding her own palm out and focusing, creating a second orb in her own hand. She whispered a few words and gently threw the orb into the air, where it hovered, casting an odd blue, flickering light over them both. "With a few words, it can guide your way in the darkness." She said, her eyes raised to watch the orb floating above them. She brought her eyes back to meet Dracula's. "Or it can a force for destruction. With enough focus, with enough power behind it, you can destroy brick and stone." She smirked.

She moved towards him again, gently stroking his cheek before resting her fingers on his temple. Or flesh and bone. She did not speak these words aloud, instead allowing them to pass from her mind into his. Keeping her eyes locked on his, she smiled at him darkly.

[Vlad Dracula]

Dracula gave her a smile. "Seeing my way in the darkness is not so much a concern, but..." It went without saying, probably, that he was always interested in new and terrible ways to cause physical destruction. "I can feel the flow of it in my veins," he told her. "It is...not unlimited, it feels as if there is a gathering of it that I can use but...it will not return once I have used it. It already feels a little less for having done this." He held up the orb, watching hers in the air above them.

He wasn't quite sure how to do what she'd done with it, so as she came closer to him and touched his face, he held his own sphere of energy to the side, so it wasn't between them. And then she spoke, directly into his mind, and his eyes widened. "That," he said, "could be quite useful. Does that require touch? I can...suggest, shall we say, thoughts to others, but generally it's not so simple as just speaking to them, it's more of...guiding their thoughts in the direction I want them to go."

He leaned in and kissed her, unable to resist taking advantage of their close proximity to one another. "You are quite incredible, have I told you that? It is a rare thing that frightens me anymore, but I would not care to be in the way of your plans."