Keeper of Cerberus

The woman who had been dead only moments before was standing, or hanging rather, against a table. A vase lay at her bare feet where it had fallen and shattered. She was breathing heavily, her head turned down so that her long bangs curtained her face. She must have heard him for her head snapped up and her gaze flashed toward him. Vincent took one step back.

The eyes which had once been blue were solid black shot through with wires of chrome. This was not the woman he knew. She struggled to get her feet under her again and stand. Her face was gaunt and her skin was almost blue in color. She cringed and she made a silent scream as one wing pushed through the skin on her back. It was sickly, the usually white feathers were grey and withered.

"Help me," she said. Her voice rasped dryly.

Vincent became aware of the sharp elegant fangs that pressed into her bottom lip. "Shadow…" he mumbled.

"My true name is Mai, but yes I am Shadow," she trembled as the second wing struggled to release itself from her skin. The first started losing its feathers and receding back into her skin. She was not strong enough to maintain them.

"How?" Vincent felt his earlier resolve breaking.

"You released my power before her body could fully die," Mai said weakly. Her eyes were hooded and she bit deep into her lip. Where blood should have bubbled up around her sharp fangs, there was nothing.
Vincent remained utterly still.

Mai inhaled deeply and gave a soft, needy groan. "So much blood," she purred.

Vincent shut the door quickly behind him, blocking the path to the others.

"What is wrong with you?" He inquired in a dark manner.

"I am weak… I can not call her back unless I am stronger," Mai stumbled sideways a few steps before managing to catch herself. Her lips quivered as the heart beats around her flooded the room with the smell of blood.

"You can bring her back?" Vincent's voice hitched in his throat a little. Desperation bubbled to the surface of his eyes and he forced it back down.

Mai nodded, "Yes… she is still here, but I must feed to regain my strength."

His heart was suddenly racing. It thundered inside her chest as if it were trying to reach out to something that wasn't there.

It made her feel drunk. "Your blood… and the smell of the others… its driving me right now… and nothing more," she struggled to stay upright.

In his mind Chaos asked for control. Vincent was unsure but obliged none the less.

"But… I can't…she would be so upset," Mai clashed with herself over her morals.
A flash of dark light broke her musings and she found Chaos in Vincent's place.

The vampire tensed visibly in his presence, "Not now Chaos… this is not the time."
He stepped forward, his burning yellow eyes hooded a little as they filled with the emotions Vincent held down. His powerful cawed hand gently took her by the arm.
"Listen closely," he spoke in a smooth voice.

Again she bit deep into her lip to control herself, making a second set of deep punctures. Had she been alive her heart would have been pounding. She was drawn to the sweet, mouth-watering, scent of his blood. Her hunger was growing harder to suppress. His heart was steady, but as it washed over her it drew her deeper into her blood lust.