Indentured Servitude

[Black Philip]

Reserved for Matt, your welcome bish!

Thestia Thane had been imprisoned for a month. She'd been so triumphant over Sabrina it made the young witch cocky, and so she was unprepared for the ambush that took place only a few nights later. She'd been snatched from her home, and her magic was largely neutralized. She'd made her fingers bloody from trying to tear away the leather cuff that cancelled out her magic, but to no avail. She assumed it could only be taken off by someone other than her, and possibly only the person who'd placed it on her. Tess knew very little about her captor, except that he had dark hair, a slick sounding voice, and wings he thought she couldn't see. Even weakened, her eyes saw those things that were hidden. Different planes were like changing the channel for Tess, and so she'd figured out that her captor was a dark angel.

Zoheret must've been behind this. It was the only explanation. Tess had made her interest into Zoheret too clear, too early, and now feared she was paying the price for it. On the other hand, she'd assumed in the first few days that she'd be turned over to the coven and Sabrina. Instead, she was still here. She blamed herself for the length of her ignorance. She'd insulted and tried to fight her dark angel captor at first, but he'd quickly shown her how debilitating the cuff on her wrist really was.

He wasn't mistreating her, not really. She had food, clothes, a cell to move around, water, toilet, and even some entertainment magazines. She didn't mind the isolation save from Wren and Black Philip. She didn't understand her captor's game. Tess decided that it was time to stop rebelling and see what the fucker wanted. She'd summoned enough power to contact Wren, and he was looking for her Tess knew. However, she just couldn't wait for him to find her. Black Philip was likely becoming impatient with her. She banged on the door of her cell, and shouted, "tell the fucking bird boy I'm ready to cooperate!"

Tess wasn't sure she'd been heard, but a few hours later she heard light footsteps that she knew belonged to him. She wore a simple flower dress, no makeup or shoes, and her hair was combed down with a headband. The only other thing she wore was the leather cuff. If only she had a knife to cut off her arm. Necromancy would likely let her grow it back. She took a chair in the room, and sat, legs crossed at the ankle and hands in lap.

"Is boring people to death your kink," she asked, as the door swung open.

[Seragil]

Saraekiel sat at his desk, a self-satisfied smile on his face as he leaned back in his office chair. It was done, the werewolf compound was finished and magically secured, more importantly, the small hospital and the laboratory beneath it were also finished. He had just finished sending out an email to Dana Fields, a very intriguing reporter who apparently wrote for Werewolf Monthly, inviting her to meet with him and tour the new complex for the lunar-challenged the North had built.; when his phone rang.

"Yes?" He sighed softly, his storm kissed eyes narrowing as he listened to the person on the other end. " I will be there shortly." his eyes now thoughtful as he set the phone back in its cradle.

It would have been easier if he had handed the witch over to the other District Leaders when he had first captured her but that would have just led to her quick and useless demise, a total waste of potential in his opinion, and his opinion was the only thing that mattered.

He entered the elevator and inserted his key which triggered the elevator's descent to the building secret basement levels. Once there he entered the hallway and took the stairs that led to the level the necromance was being kept on. He smiled as he stood before her door then pushed it open. he leaned against the door frame dressed in black slacks, a white, long-sleeved shirt with the three top buttons left undone, giving glimpses of the buffed chest beneath it and smiled at the rooms single occupant.

"You have no idea what kinks I have my darling little witch, but we can explore them if you like." He flicked his gaze slowly over Tess, admiring her body and beauty before catching her eyes with his own. "So, you want to talk?"

[Black Philip]

She looked at him like he was stupid. Of course she wanted to talk. She was being held prisoner. She stood from her chair suddenly, and tried to summon a fire ball. Nothing came to her and she cursed, "fuck." Her magic was useless for the moment.

"What do you want with me? Head? You don't have to work that hard."

Her vulgarity was a defense, the only armor she had left without her magic or patron. She looked liked a caged animal, desperate and furious.

[Seragil]

His eyes gleamed with dark amusement as he watched Tess try to summon her magic and fail. "Those cuffs must be really annoying huh?" He asked with a drawl, amusement rich in his voice as he entered the room. "and I can get better head elsewhere, trust me."

He tilted his head and studied her anew, his eyes curious and calculating. Witches had always been a fascination to his kind, both light, and dark; and many a battle had been fought over them, to keep them in the light or bring them to the dark, their power could help bring forth a new golden age or make Earth a living hell. This one was fully in the dark, which, for him, made her both easier and more dangerous to deal with.

"I want answers, information, and power." He answered as he flipped his hand palm up and indicated the seat Tess had just vacated. " I am willing to work with you to obtain all three." He took a seat for himself and watched the still standing woman with slightly narrowed and wary eyes, waiting to see how she would react and preparing to defend himself if need be.

"Take a seat and let's start discussing our collective needs and desires Miss Thane."

[Black Philip]

Tess didn't know what to make of her captor. He wasn't revolted or turned off by her excessive advances. Men were normally so easy to insult - fragile  egos - or seduce. She scoffed as he insulted sexual skills to which he wasn't privy, but didn't fight him on the subject. It hadn't been a serious offer. The man knew her name, which she shouldn't have found surprising, but her eyebrows raised when he said it. She sat back down, and started at him with apprehension.

"My biggest need is for you to remove this cuff. How bout it, friend!"

She raised her arm and pointed with her head at the binding. She doubted he'd listen at this point. She'd given him nothing. She imagined removing the cuff would come at the end of this conversation, or not at all. She hoped he was a stupid fool, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

[Seragil]

He watched her like a scientist watches a new specimen trapped withing one of its glass cages. He doubted Tess was as crazy as she portrayed, crazy no doubt but...still workable. He smiled at her request and leaned back in his chair.

" An interesting proposal and one I will give serious consideration too." He tilted his head and raised his hand to rub his chin between his thumb and forefinger as if considering what next to say, his eyes however remained coldly amused and never left her face. "I need an artifact, two actually and a future favor to be collected at my convenience." He smiled sharply and crossed his feet at the ankles, making himself as comfortable as possible. "Since we are now such good friends I'm sure you'll be totally obliging yes?"

[Black Philip]

Tess looked sheepish as her captor gave her terms she couldn't possibly agree to. Her deal with Black Philip was a touch exclusive, but that didn't mean she couldn't meet some of his needs. She lowered her beautiful arm, and relaxed more into a comfortable position for negotiation.

"What artifacts," she inquired bitterly, "and I'm not allowed to accept something so open ended as a favor. It's too close to a pact, and if you know anything about me..."

She gestured to herself like she knew she had top billing for this little show. "Then you'll know I'm incapable of doing that. If you ask me for a favor now though, and it's only one I might be able to help you."

She had such little power in this room, but her captor didn't need to know that. She looked him over one more. He was a good looking boy, and she bet he knew it.

"You have me at a disadvantage," she said, actually playing it for the tongue and cheek triple meaning. There was the literal fact that he was holding her captive, the fact that he'd taken her magic, and she didn't know his name. "What should I call you," she clarified. "You look like Louie from Interview with the Vampire."

[Seragil]

He smiled openly now, truly amused. "I'm more of a Lestat type actually...without the fangs, blood-drinking, and penchant for melodramatics." he tapped his fingers rhythmically against the arm of his chair. Did she really have no idea who he was? In whose territory she had been hiding in, fucking around in, raising fucking zombies in? Did she even know what he has let alone who?

"How rude of me though, I assumed since you were living, killing and raising the dead in my territory you knew who I was. It's refreshing actually...everyone seems to know who I am these days, makes trying to sneak around and getting up to no good so much harder."

He eyed the cuffs binding her and her powers and smiled to himself. They were an exquisite acquisition, costly true, but worth every dime and the child. What was one more missing fae from Central anyway? jake's problem, that's what. Just another victim to be laid at his and his undead clans feet. Undead....He looked at Tess and raised an eyebrow.

"Talking about Anne Rice and before we continue, answer me this. Do your abilities with the dead have any effect on vampires?

[Black Philip]

Tess didn't know or care who ruled where she lived. She wasn't so sure that was the person who had her, doubting that a district leader would keep her, instead of giving her to Sabrina. She'd chosen the north because she heard it was leaderless, but it seemed some jackass had moved on in. Fuck. His question confused the witch, and she let her skepticism show.

"Vampires aren't dead," she said like it was the most obvious fact in the world. "They're a biological species that eats, sleeps, and can be killed. Their immortality isn't an indication of undeath. Lots of things live forever."

She enjoyed his ignorance. He needed gaps filled in, and she had many answers. "Of course, necromancy is great at killing living things, so since Vampires live, I can think of several ways to make sure they die."

She wondered who she'd have to murder. She hoped it wasn't the fuck wad in central, Jakey poo Mcgee or some shit. He was well protected she'd heard. Some redhead with too much makeup was his mom or something. Tess didn't really care. The ancient bat dude was out of the question. No. Fucking. Way. She'd rather die here than go for some super old vamp who could snap her neck before she uttered a syllable. She hoped it was some bothersome loser vamp. She needed vampire blood for her ritual anyways.

[Seragil]

"Vampires aren't dead, they're a biological species that eats, sleeps, and can be killed." He mimicked back with a childish look of distaste on his face. "Sounds like the typical propaganda those blood magicked, reanimated, blood-drinking corpse's spout." He waved the comment away. The vampires could claim to be whatever they wished; but they had no life pumping through them, no heartbeat, no breath. Hell, even fishes, plants and slugs breathed, they were alive. Vampires? meh.

Her comment about being able to kill them though regained and captured his attention. he didn't have any targets in mind but knowing there could be a way to remove any if and when required was useful.

"Interesting, you Miss Thane are very interesting, which is one of the reasons I decided to save your life by bringing you here." He smiled darkly as he indicated the room with his eyes. He hated been trapped in here, buried beneath the ground. If Tess could prove to be trustworthy, he would move her to one of the executive suites he kept on the second level of the building for visiting dignitaries. Not that he had any that had requested a room to stay in as of yet, but they were there, and they had windows, big windows, filled with the view of open and endless sky.

 He narrowed his eyes slightly before dropping his glamour, his dark wings suddenly looming above and spilling out around him. maybe she really did have no idea. "So lets get acquainted. I'm Saraekiel, District Leader of the North and I have no intention of letting you die at present. Regardless of what the other District leaders have ordained" His lips twitched as he scoffed slightly. "Fuck them."

Now that his wings were out he pulled forward from the chair, squirming in it,  hating how its back pushed against and pinned them in. He should have put stools in here.

"Why are you here in the city Miss Thane, Why do you want to kill Sabrina? What are you after?" He asked in a quickfire fashion."Let us start there and see where we end up."

[Black Philip]

"I'm only a necromancer, so what da the fuck I know," she mocked back, feeling like the squealing was sexist man crap. She'd been ready to cuss him out some more, but then his wings flashed into view, and she stumbled back. Her mouth began to speak a twisted form of Latin, the Devil's tongue and her words sounded guttural to the ear.

"And those who fell after were known as the fallen ones, and to them Lucifer gave the gift of darkness, and acceptance for what god could not."

She knew what he was, another servant of the master. These birds thought they were free of him, but the ritual that made them was his. He had a plan for those dark fallen ones, just as he had a plan for her. She rolled her eyes that he'd saved her, kidnapping her being the accurate word for the situation. Of course he'd frame this as a benevolent gesture, but he clearly wanted her for something. His rejection of the district leaders was not surprising. She was shocked that the leaders of this city would let a single dark angel be among them. They couldn't be trusted. They spoke in lies, and corrupted souls. The birds were no different than her.

"I am here at the behest of my master," she said honestly, "and my feud with Sabrina is purely personal. She's a cunt, and I want to kill her. It's really that simple."

She considered what else she could tell him, and decided less was more. "As for what I'm after, I'm afraid you'll have to ask him if you want to know."

They both knew the he that Tess spoke off.

[Seragil]

He laughed, he couldn't help it. Dark scripture? Oh for fuck sake. Fucking Lucifer and his fucking lies. How quickly these creatures sucked it up. Oh well, to each their own. Still, he needed to set the record straight, for his sake at the very least.

"Believe as you will love, but Luci gave me nothing, he certainly gave none of us the 'Darkness' as you put it. The knowledge was his originally, sure, him being the First and all. but the ritual itself was not. That my dear, was Lilith's creation. She being the First Witch and all." He had certainly not gone through Lucifer to learn about the ritual, nor had he sworn his loyalties to him when he performed it. Fuck Lucifer and his war and his endless and fruitless search to escape the Creators Prison. It so wasn't his problem, not that the little witch before him needed to know that, best perhaps is she didn't.

"Lucifer and I aren't exactly on speaking terms. He's busy with his plans and I'm busy with mine, if you get my meaning."

He tapped his fingers against the chair when Tess refused to answer his question. Did he really care about what Lucifer was planning? It would be about trying to escape, it was always about trying to escape. Did he wish to get involved was the real question.

"What to do now?"He tapped his fingernail annoyingly over and over again on the chair arm as he gazed at Tess. "If you are no use to me I could just kill you I suppose."

[Black Philip]

"If you think I have no use than you have a lack of imagination," she said, hopefully calling his bluff. She didn't want to die, but her deal with Lucifer was exclusive, and she doubted she'd walk out of here alive if she told Saraekiel the truth of her purpose. She was shocked he didn't already know.

"I'm a powerful witch, the most powerful in the city without this cuff. I just wiped the floor with Sabrina. You can use me for something truly wicked."

She tired to sound in control, but frankly she was begging. She'd have this blasphemous bastard somehow. For now, her best chance was to dangle what she could do, instead of what she wasn't capable of doing.

"Oh and Mr. Saraekiel, you never told me what artifacts you needed. Let's start there and see where it takes us."

She was hitting the reset button. Better to end all this killing talk before somebody - namely her - got hurt.

[Seragil]

"No need to kiss my ass Sweets. No Mr required, its plain Saraekiel, or even Kiel to a few." And Rae to one. It would be easier to kill her, simpler, With less irksome repercussions. Too bad she was so tied to lucifer and the only ultimate outcome for her was death; he could have used a witch on his team.

"So back to the artifacts then. I want something that can allow me to disappear instantly and move quickly. A mix of a shadow demons abilities and vampiric speed. I want to come and go in a blink of an eye." He wasn't shy about asking for things at all. " and something to prevent mental intrusions and manipulation,"

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You strong enough for that witch?"

She had better be, or know how to obtain these things for him at the least.

[Black Philip]

She smiled as the bastard threw on his demands. This was a costly randsom, but she could obtain the things he wanted, somehow. Apep might come in handy for one of them, and she might be able to make the other. Crafting wasn't her strong suit, but it only needed to meet his basic needs. It wouldn't be a good idea to say no. She nodded at his absurd wishes.

"I can do it," she assured, but pointed to the cuff, "but not like this."

He couldn't possibly expect her to work with this cuff on, and she hoped he could see that.