"Willow"
"Not now Bones"
"Willow, look at me," Lothaire grabbed her arm, turned, and stared down at her.
"I said not now Bones. We can discuss your caveman tendencies later when I can process what happened without boiling with rage. Now, let me concentrate on making this guy sing," Willow said to his chest, still not meeting his eyes.
Lothaire frowned, not liking the fact that she is not meeting his eyes. He touched her chin tentatively with his right hand and raised her face until she met his eyes.
After looking into her troubled eyes for few minutes, he nodded and said,
"We will talk later"
"Ya ya... sure," when hell freezes over, Willow muttered, moving her chin and releasing herself from his hold.
She is still shocked at how easily he came down and swooped his neck as if he was snapping a twig. She should be scared. She is. At the same time, she can't help but feel hot and bothered.
Willow turned away hiding her emotions behind a mask as she strolled towards the bound vampire.
Lothaire watched her back, his mind disturbed, his hands clenched. This... this is not part of his plan. He was meant to use her and be done with her. Then why... Why did he kill that vampire? Why did his blood boil at seeing the other vampire's fangs almost reaching her? She has it in control. He knew she had. Then why did he kill?
Because he doesn't like the fact that someone else is touching her, tasting her. Because he doesn't like that she is within arm's reach. He never knew he was possessive. But this woman is turning him into a green-eyed devil.
Willow's emotions are all over the place. He terrifies her. Not because she saw him kill without much effort. But because of what he is making her feel. Now she knew where his arrogance came from. Arrogant bastard.
She looked into the terrified vampire's eyes and said in a calm voice, "I'm asking nicely only this once. Who is behind the captures? Where do you take the captives from warehouses? Why are you taking the blood from them? Who is using it? For what purpose? Why are you turning them into rogues? I need answers"
The vampire's eyes bulged with each question, his gaze frantically searching left and right in hopes of finding an accomplice.
Willow gripped his chin in a firm grip as she narrowed her eyes and said, "if you fail to answer even one question, then the consequences will be dire"
"I don't know anything... I don't know anything," the vampire frantically shook his head.
Willow backed up a step, cracking her knuckles as her mouth set into a thin line, "thought so"
For the next few seconds, Willow used her power to strain his movements, the veins squeezing his body, tightening their hold on him.
And then, she next tried the thorny, poisonous vines. She made them crawl on his legs first, the thorns piercing the flesh and dripping blood.
By the time the vines reach the torso, the vampire is withering in pain. She doesn't want to prolong his suffering but the vampire is not giving her a choice.
She placed the suffering of thousand other Supernaturals on the forefront of her mind, resolving to go through with this.
"Your torture technique is making me hard tinker bell. You have this dominant vibe that is hard to overlook. I can't wait to test that dominance on the bed," Lothaire said, his voice hoarse.
A laugh escaped from her stern facade. Only him... he must have sensed her reluctance. Willow didn't dissect at his attempt to lighten the tension. She took it at its face value as she replied,
"That is sick, Bones. However, I don't think I favor a pile of bones," she countered, sarcasm oozing out of her voice.
"Only for you Tinkerbell. Only for you," Lothaire said, a smile evident in his tone.
Willow didn't reply to his blatant display of flirting. Instead, she concentrated on the vampire before her, closing everything else from her mind.
Soon the vampire cracked.
"No more... please no more," he started begging as his skin lay shredded at his feet.
"Then tell me what I want to know. Answer my questions," Willow said.
"I don't know... I really don't know," the vampire wheezed, his breath coming out in slow pants as he struggled to contain the pain and failed.
His pleading increased as he repeated the same thing.
"I can do this whole day, every day until you are nothing but ash. The only thing you are doing with your reluctance is prolonging your torture. Who are you trying to protect? Will the person do the same thing if he is in your place? Does the person even know your name? Is it worth it?"
Willow probed, trying to find a weak link to get in.
"Come on, give me a name. Who is behind this?"
The vampire finally broke and replied, "it's... it's Elite Peter. I don't know any more than this. Please... no more"
Willow gazed at the pained expression of the vampire for a long time.
"Very well," she said in a resigned tone and killed him the next instant.
Lothaire didn't say anything. There is nothing more to say. Willow swiftly cleared the evidence and walked out of the alley with Lothaire following behind. Her constant shadow.
Willow decided that she can't go to Reagan's hideouts anymore. If by chance they get caught, then she too will be dragged in this mess. And Willow doesn't want her to be the reason for her team members' captivity.
She turned reluctantly to the person beside her and asked, "where to?"
"You lead. I will follow," Lothaire replied, shrugging his shoulders. If only it's that simple.
Willow directed them to her previous board where she was staying before shuffling around Reagan's other hideouts.
Thankfully, it is still intact and no one came sniffing around.
Willow took her clothes and went into the bathroom to take a shower and get rid of the blood on her body. She feels dirty. It's as if the blood has absorbed into her pores.
With each passing day, she is committing new sins. She is walking far from what she is. Before also she used to murder, kill. But then it was swift and not playing around.
Now, she is torturing people with a cool precision that makes her shiver. She never knew she was dark inside. And this darkness is seeping out of her, pouring out with each passing day. She is becoming one with her darkness.
Though she is torturing them, it feels like she is giving away a part of herself. A part that feels compassion for other beings. Is this wrong of her? What is she turning to?
When will this end? What will it cost her by then? Her soul?
Willow scrubbed herself raw until her skin turned pink and her fingers wrinkly. She can't get clean fast enough.
Huge, fat tears trailed down her cheeks mixing with the water. She let herself cry for her lost soul. Just this once. Then, no more. There is no time. There is never time.
Her body was wracked with guilt. She fears she is becoming like them, those evil beings, with no regard to life, who thrive on torturing others.
She didn't know how long she stood under the water spray, but after a while, her body shivered to let her know that it had more than enough.
She dried herself with weightless bones as if she was inside the body of an old woman.
She changed into her clothes and without looking up, threw the dirty clothes on the chair thinking of throwing them away later. Now that she has got that out of her system, she felt light. Still wary, but no more on the verge of self-discrimination.
Lothaire walked to the clothes she just laid there, raised the shorts up, and tore them in one go.
"Hey!!! Those were mine," Willow turned towards him and shouted, her grief forgotten for the moment.
"Not anymore. I hate when others watch your perky little ass hanging out of it," Lothaire said with satisfaction ringing from his voice as he got busy tearing those ridiculous shorts to bits. His eyes concentrate on the job at hand.
"Too bad you have no say in what I wear. Dollop your opinion to someone who cares," Willow faced him, her legs wide, her hands on her hips.
"Don't test me on this Willow. Promise me you won't wear shorts from now on"
Willow scoffed at his ridiculous demand.
"As if!! What gave you the idea that I will follow you?"
"Willow..."
"No Bones. Your demand is ridiculous to bestow it with an answer"
"Dammit woman, why do you always test my patience? No one dares to question me yet you openly taunt me to my face," Lothaire threw the tatters to the side, finally looking at her.
"Where is the fun in following you blindly? And you wouldn't be tagging me along if that is the case. Admit it"
Lothaire didn't acknowledge the truth. That will only give her more ammunition to tease him. Instead, he scrutinized her puffy eyes.
His eyes narrowed, he advanced upon her, invading her personal bubble until there was only a foot distance left between them.
"What happened? Are you hurt? Why were you crying?" Lothaire gripped her arms and bombarded her with questions, worry lacing his tone.