Bat Country

"She gave us no warning." Andy said, at the bottom of the steps. "She's rather impatient, so if we could move quickly, that would be great."

In the new nest, they did not have the communal space at the very entrance. Instead, once you came to the bottom of the stairs, there was a long hallway before you got to any room at all.

Nikki had hung many pictures, pieces of art, that he had no doubt plundered throughout his life along the hallway.

Brian and Alexis followed Andy as close they could and when they stopped at the door to the den, Alexis grabbed Brian's hand. He could tell she was scared, because she knew from his memories that if this was the Original woman, she was not afraid to be destructive or mean.

"The disrespectful ape told me that she was dead. I nearly took off his pretty head and the pretty head of the newest disappointment he made before he admitted she wasn't dead. Told me she was with you, and so here I am."

"Wait, Matt made someone else?" Alexis blurted out.

The woman's head snapped up. She had an oval face, and thick, long, black hair. She was dressed rather formally, in a deep blue gown. Smiling at Alexis she nodded. "Indeed he did. Several, actually. It's like he's giving himself a harem of ladies to replace you." The woman stood up and came over to Alexis and straightened her out, dusting off her shoulders. "But he never could, and never will."

Alexis looked dumbfounded. Now she had even more vampiric siblings. Ones she did not want, and the very idea was enough to upset her. Alexis opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.

"My name is Amy. Amy Lee. At least it is now." The woman said. "And Mr. Haner. It's nice to finally meet you." Amy turned back and sat down again.

"Please sit." Nikki gestured to the elegant couch across from Amy. Andy had already taken his chair next to Nikki.

Alexis and Brian sat down as they were told, and Alexis did not let Brian let go of her hand, so he held it tighter.

Amy smiled wide at Alexis. "Ah," she said. "Another Original female. And such a great beauty. I'm glad someone finally knocked that crown off of my head. It could be quite a burden."

"What brought you here?" Alexis asked as confidently as possible. "It couldn't have been just to see me."

"You are right. It's not often I find myself willing to engage with, what name are you going by these days?" She turned her head to Nikki.

"Nikki, Amy. You know this very well. It's been the same for god damn near four decades." Nikki responded.

"Yes, well. The reason I'm here is because the one who has chosen to call himself Thor has been scouring all over for rogue vampires. Any idea as to why?" Amy looked back at Alexis.

Alexis shot her eyes to Brian who just closed his and sighed.

"To kill us." Brian said, leaning back.

"I thought as much. He's trying to assemble an army, and it looks as if he'll be quite successful with that. Tell me why they want any of you dead."

"No one should have to spell it out for you, Miss Amy." Jimmy said, waltzing in and plopping down next to her. "You've been here for hours. Nikki told you as much."

"Yes, that Brian stole Matthew's mate or some shit. It's true then? That you were Matthew's mate before and then Brian's?" Amy looked at Alexis with intensity that scared her.

"I mean...Nikki said..." Alexis stammered.

"Nikki said your bond broke. I'm going to call bullshit. I know exactly what happened. I mean that may have had a small part, but that's not the reason you were mated to one first and then the other."

Brian's eyes slid over to Alexis before he leaned back up. "Then what else could it have been? There were rumors that they're attracted to their own human blood within other vampires but--"

Amy threw her hand up. "False positive."

Jimmy crossed his legs. "Wait, what? What was a false positive? I can assure you her and Matt were mated. He damn near tried to kill her to keep Syn from getting her. Fuck, damn near killed him as his back up plan."

Alexis looked confused. "I hear people call him different names a lot, what is that about?" looking around, she finally let her eyes settle on Brian.

"I'll explain it to you tonight before we go to sleep." Brian whispered.

Amy sighed. "Okay, I'll be blunt. You fucked Matthew first, yes?"

A look of shock glazed Alexis's face for half a second. "Y...yes? But--"

"I'm going to imagine that you ingested his blood at that time."

Alexis went to speak but closed her mouth and just nodded.

"Are Brian's memories clearer than Matthew's ever were?"

"More than I can say. Some of Matt's I don't think I ever got. I thought it was just because he had so many." Alexis said, anxious for where this was going.

"I told you it was a false positive. Brian's blood was made by Matthew's, and since they are so similar, what do you think happened when you tasted Matthew's first?" Amy asked, leaning back and crossing her legs. "Your blood couldn't tell the difference. So Brian, feel victorious this time. She was always yours. God, both be thankful as well. If those elves hadn't done what they did, you'd both still be up to your eyeballs in Matthew's bullshit. He got what he deserved, too. Trying to take you," Amy pointed at Alexis "from him." Her finger turned to Brian before she laughed. "Karma is such a bitch."

"Yes, yes it is." Nikki said. "But that doesn't answer the question of why the fuck you're here."

"Oh," Amy said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "I know you know that females have extra...talents." She smiled. "I'm here to show Alexis how to use them. God knows we wouldn't want Thor and his fucking bastard of a creation to accomplish anything with that army."