Echoes

Slick cobblestones echoed with the frantic click of her pursuer's boots, a chilling counterpoint to her own ragged gasps. Trapped. Panic choked her, etching desperate lines across her face. Bloody streaks marred the rough brick as she clawed for an escape that wasn't there.

A wisp of smoke, the telltale scent of dark woods – her pursuer. Spinning, she met the crimson gaze of a young woman, beautiful as an angel, yet radiating a deadly grace.

"Please, I don't know anything! I swear I'm innocent!" The vampire's voice trembled, a sliver of panic creeping into her eyes.

To her surprise, a flicker of doubt sparked in the hunter's eyes – Callista. "Five children," Callista murmured, her voice a chilling rasp. "They wouldn't lie, would they?"

The vampire's skin turned clammy, a sheen of sweat breaking out across her forehead. "No! It wasn't me, you've got the wrong one!"

The hunter flinched, pulling out her phone. A mugshot flashed on the screen, followed by gruesome crime scene photos. Seizing the opportunity, the vampire lunged, fangs bared in a primal snarl.

'Foolish little human,' the predator thought. The grin hadn't even left her face before the celestial blade sank into her flesh with a sickening sizzle. A choked gasp, cut short as abruptly as a flickering candle, was all that escaped her lips before she disintegrated into a cloud of dust.

Disappointment flickered across Callista's face. Her voice, a husky murmur, brushed against the undead's fading senses, "The excitement in your eyes as you saw the photos... despicable."

The earpiece crackled to life. Indigo's voice, laced with panic, sliced through the silence. "Callista! What happened? Why the hesitation?"

Callista grimaced, the stench of decay clinging to her like a second skin. Wiping the vampire's dust from her hand, she finally rasped, "No weakness, Indigo. Just... verification."

The summer heat, thick and oppressive, seemed to amplify the putrid odour. But it was a faint echo compared to the coldness that had settled in her heart, an emptiness that no amount of sunlight could touch. With a heavy sigh, she turned back towards the bar, the metallic clang of the door echoing hollowly behind her.

"Verification? Are you questioning Watcher intel?" Indigo's voice crackled with disbelief.

A beat of silence stretched, broken only by the throbbing bass from within the bar. "Double-checking never hurts," Callista's voice barely reached him over the music. "Even the best Watchers can make mistakes." 

The line went dead. With a sigh, Indigo pocketed his phone. He knew where to find her – at the bar, drowning her sorrows in the usual. A pang of sympathy lanced through him. Callista, vibrant and fierce, was a ghost of her former self, haunted by some unseen darkness. What could have broken her so?

*****

Feather-light touches danced across Callista's bare back, a whisper against heated skin. A choked laugh escaped her lips, thick with sleep and the afterglow of their encounter. "I should get going," she mumbled, the words lacking conviction. The sheets tangled around her legs felt suddenly restrictive. "It's been… a while."

A knowing smile curved Athena's lips. Her fingers, like liquid flame, dipped lower, sending a delicious shiver down Callista's spine. "You should, but then again…" she murmured, her voice a silken caress against Callista's ear. "Can you?"

Callista's breath hitched. The playful defiance she'd intended dissolved under the touch, replaced by a yearning that left her breathless. "I… I can," she stammered, the lie thick on her tongue. Her voice betrayed the delicious ache spreading through her limbs. The caress deepened, a possessive hand slipping beneath the curve of her spine, anchoring her to the warmth of Athena's body. The press of Athena's form against her back was a silent plea, an invitation both tempting and perilous.

Just one more touch. Then, she'd definitely leave. Maybe.

A low chuckle vibrated against Callista's neck, sending a tremor through her limbs. "Then it seems I haven't been persuasive enough," Athena purred, her voice dropping to a husky whisper. The words were a promise, followed by the sweet invasion of Athena's tongue in her ear. Fingers grazed the sensitive skin of Callista's inner thigh, slick with her arousal, sending a fresh wave of raw pleasure through her.

A sinuous smile played on Athena's lips as she let out a breathy sigh. "My, my, what have we here? Perhaps you should retreat before I'm tempted to explore this more… thoroughly." Athena teased, her fingers continuing their maddening dance, deliberately skirting the edges of Callista's desire. Her other hand trailed upward, fingertips grazing the rigid peak of Callista's nipple. With a firm twist, she elicited a moan, primal and raw, from deep within Callista's throat.

Frustration battled with the desperate need clawing at her insides. With a desperate roll of her hips, she pressed into Athena's palm, a silent demand for more. Athena grinned, her golden eyes flickering with a hint of mischief as she complied.

Athena's fingertips ghosted along Callista's drenched folds, the lightest whispers of contact igniting sparks of pleasure that danced agonisingly shy of satisfaction. Slick arousal coated her digits as they teased the velvet heat, each torturous spiral and swirl caressing everywhere except that bundle of nerves throbbing for firmer attention.

The very tips of Athena's fingers barely dipped into Callista's entrance. But just as quickly, they vanished, leaving an aching emptiness in their wake. A growl rumbled in Callista's throat, frustration warring with a simmering vulnerability. "Damn it, Athena," she hissed, the words barely a whisper.

"Can't hear you, darling." Athena purred, her palm finally ground firmly against Callista's swollen flesh. The touch was a balm, yet fleeting as her fingers resumed their dance, swirling through the slick heat without offering complete release.

"I-inside," Callista breathed, her voice ragged with desire. A flush crept up her cheeks, fueled not just by shame but by the building intensity. Her fingers dug into the crimson satin sheets, seeking an anchor against the rising tide of need.

Athena's grin was a predator's delight as her fingers, finally relenting, plunged deep in one smooth stroke. The slow, deliberate rhythm ignited a wildfire within Callista. Each languid exploration sent shivers through her body, her back arching with every delicious stroke. Whimpers gave way to moans that escalated with each thrust of Athena's fingers, a symphony of pleasure building towards an inevitable peak.

Athena's touch traveled beyond, her hand finding Callista's breast in a gentle caress. Hot breath trailed along Callista's neck, punctuated by nips at the sensitive pulse points exposed by her arched back. Every frantic roll of Callista's hips fueled Athena's own desire.

"Why can't I get enough of you?" Athena growled, her voice ragged with building passion.

She twisted her fingers, dragging firmly across Callista's most sensitive spots. Broken moans spilled out as Callista trembled on the edge, overwhelmed by the ecstasy Athena unleashed at last.

Athena lingered, her gaze locked with Callista's in the aftermath. A tremor ran through her own hand, barely perceptible. Finally, a single word escaped her lips, a question whispered against Callista's heated skin. "Enough?"

Callista, drained yet breathless, met Athena's gaze with a soft smile. A playful glint danced in her eyes, but a deeper vulnerability shone beneath the surface. She reached out, her fingers tracing a gentle path down Athena's cheek, a silent answer. "Perhaps a little...more convincing wouldn't hurt," she whispered, her voice husky with desire.

Athena's surprised chuckle gave way to a slow smile. The space between them crackled with unspoken promises. Their lips collided in a heated kiss, a silent vow for more to come.

"You're insatiable." Athena whispered against Callista's lips, her voice thick with affection.

The world snapped into harsh focus as the first tendrils of dawn light crept through the window, dragging Callista from the throes of sleep. The lingering warmth on her skin felt like a betrayal. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and buttery croissants wafted through the air. Stumbling out of bed, she felt a bitter aftertaste in her mouth, the aftertaste of fragmented memories and a forbidden indulgence.

After a quick, cold shower, she found Indigo in the kitchen, his signature porcelain cup cradled in his hands. He seemed lost in thought, the lingering fog clinging to the glass mirroring the haze in his eyes.

"We need to talk, Callie," Indigo murmured, his voice laced with a concern that made her heart clench. The use of her shortened nickname, usually a source of comfort, did little to ease the tension that crackled between them.

She slumped into the chair beside him, a sigh escaping her lips. Reaching for the croissant, she attempted a forced lighthearted tone. "Everything alright, Watcher? Existential crisis because the tea isn't exactly 'hunter green' today?"

Indigo's gaze held hers steadily. "I'm putting in a request to pull you out of the academy," he said, his voice heavy.

The fragile dam holding back her emotions crumbled. "No," she retorted, her voice cracking. "I can do this. I have to." The words were a hollow attempt to convince herself as much as him.

"Can you?" Indigo's gentle inquiry pierced through the tension, his eyes searching hers for a glimpse of the truth buried beneath her defences. "Because every time you hear Athena's name, you seem on edge. On top of everything else, you haven't been sleeping well, and frankly, you look exhausted."

Callista flinched, the half-eaten croissant forgotten in her hand. A tremor ran through her as Indigo mentioned Athena. She slammed the croissant down on the table, the clatter echoing in the tense silence. "Not because of the mission? Not because of some prophecy or whatever?" she spat, her voice raw with barely contained emotion.

Indigo's eyes widened in realisation. A heavy sigh escaped him. "Callie," he said, his voice laced with a fatherly tenderness, "it's never been about the mission. It's always been about you. You're hurting, and this… this isn't helping."

Silence descended, thick and heavy. Callista turned away, her shoulders slumped in defeat. She forced a mask of composure onto her face, but the tremor in her hands betrayed her effort. "Thank you, Indigo," she whispered. 

A gentle hand grasped her shoulder. Indigo's touch was warm and grounding, a silent anchor in the storm of her emotions. "Callie," he said gently, "avoidance won't heal this. Maybe… talking to her, facing this head-on, is what you need."

Callista let out a humourless laugh, a hint of bitterness clinging to the sound. "What's there to say? 'Here's my application to join your harem?'" she scoffed, a tremor in her voice betraying the depth of her feelings. "Her being Eydis's lover wouldn't be that far of a stretch, would it?"

"Because of her… flirtatious nature?" Indigo ventured, his voice laced with a hint of curiosity.

She scoffed, a dry, humourless sound. "Because who wouldn't fall for her?" she admitted, the words tumbling out in a torrent of pent-up emotion. Shame washed over her, hot and suffocating, but the truth couldn't be contained any longer.

Indigo's gaze softened further. He pulled her into a hug, his embrace offering a silent comfort she couldn't deny. "Oh, Callie," he murmured, his voice thick with empathy.

*****

The city's symphony of sirens and honking horns mocked Callista as she stalked through the night. It couldn't drown out the torment of her memories – Athena, a brutal tango of pleasure and pain that left her raw and reeling. A sardonic laugh escaped her lips. This self-pity? This wasn't her.

Normally, she'd dissect battles like the one with Eydis, strategizing improvements. Not wallow in some angsty teenager's melodrama.

Then again, she'd never had a normal life.

But a new, unsettling question consumed her: why did Eydis let her go? Did Amelia, the enigmatic vampire, see through Callista's facade? Yet, their twisted "relationship" was nothing but mind games, a game neither took seriously. It wouldn't have spared Callista's life.

The memory of the alleyway sent a fresh jolt of unease. Eydis' true nature. Was she a harbinger of the apocalypse foretold by the council? The council's intel had never failed them. And what role did Athena play in this tangled web?

A flicker of movement – blonde hair, darker than Athena's, catching the streetlamp's glare. Golden eyes. 

Amelia, The Queen of the Damned!