Gasoline

It had been such a long year. Finding her mate. Losing her mate. Getting caught in doing blood magic. Punished. Kidnapped, almost killed and now she was in a new vessel. It had taken a toll on her seeing her dead body mangled, and no longer able to maintain a host. So, she had gotten this, next best thing. A woman that had been in a coma for the last five years, to say that someone was home would have been a shame. She was back in her darkskin, and normal height. Even though at times she had missed her towering stature as it had been so easy to discourage men that tried, they were better than her.

Now it was time to get back on her feet, and since Killian had made it very clear what he wanted. She had to move on, which had meant leaving everything behind that was connected to him. Including the coven. It made her vulnerable of course, being coven less. But it wouldn’t be the first time. When her contacts had told her that Bentley Sinclair was in Athena, and had in need of an artifact, more like a gift for her mother. She had quickly taken it on herself. Mostly because she wanted to see his face when he saw her.

She had given the front desk specific instructions what to do when he would show up. And he would be given a key to the smaller cabin that was property of the Winther’s Tavern & Inn. So now she was sitting beside the bed, nursing her drink with the artifact ready on bedside table. As the keyhole turned she looked up “Long time no see, Bentley” she poured and sat up straighter still with one leg crossed over the other.

Bentley arrived at the Winther’s Tavern & Inn and went directly up to the reception and said his name. He was given a key and instructed to where he could find the room. He gave the receptionist a pleasant smile and a nod before he followed the instructions until he was out of sight. As soon as he was out of sight for the receptionist, he teleported down to the room. He wasn’t going to walk all the way. He looked to each of his sides before he put the key in and locked the door up. Better use it since Artemis had made such a big deal out of him having to use a key. The door unlocked, and he pushed the door open. As he looked up and stepped in, he didn’t see the usual face nor hear the usual voice. He closed the door behind him without a word. There was a slight frown which made his brown knit a bit together. “Did you get a haircut?” he wondered with a light smile. He took off his jacket and with a slight throw of it, it found a hanger. He folded his hands in front of himself as he approached her and studied her. He didn’t give the artifact much thought for now. “What happened?”

She clicked her tongue, and slowly got up of the chair she was sitting in. Just like him she let her jacket fall on the chair. But she didn’t need a fancy spell to put it on a hanger, it would do nicely just on the chair. “Yes Bentley” she poured "I got a new haircut" even though it was clear that she was sarcastic and didn’t find him very funny. Her fingers snapped and a rush of power glided through the room, only to ignite all the candles giving them more of a light in the darkened room. Another whisper and the fireplace lit up. Making it all nice and cozy. Artemis hadn’t been stupid, coming back like this had needed sacrifices and she had gone back to the old roots. Bathed in blood to regenerate. But not just a simple tub. No, she had made a god damn river turn red. It had almost been therapeutic in a way. Getting so much anger out.

Her eyes lifted as he looked down at her, given their height difference it wasn’t that hard to not be the one being looked down on. Also gave the advantage of people underestimating her. Which would always be fatal. “Your mother happen” she grinned, “Or the first time, you know how she likes to punish with a bit of flair, and it gave me this new opportunity to start over” she looked down at her body “And to be fair, I quite like it – now I don’t think you’ve come here to admire my body" She let her eyes glide down his body before they caught his eyes "Unless?" the smirk dancing on her lips was a signature Artemis before she went back to business "the artifact that you wanted me to acquire is over by the bedside” she let her fingers dance over the tattoos as she turned around and walked over to get the fallen star that he had wanted. “A fallen star, I must say, it was a long shot, but you always knew how to make me work for my reward – do you have the payment?” she asked as she turned around taking the cloth of the box that contained the powerful artifact.

Bentley hummed a little as if he found it funny that she didn’t think it was funny. His head turned slightly to look at how she changed the lightening in the room and lit up the fireplace. His green eyes looked back at her dark ones. He understood why so many people underestimated Artemis, because with that height, it was easy to think she was just a kid – and well, if the two of them compared their age, she also was just a kid. Young and without much experience.

His brows raised a little as she mentioned that his mother had a finger in the work with Artemis. His eyes looked her up and down as she explained. Rebekah had clearly believed that Artemis had been a bad little baby witch. He looked back up at her as she reminded him that he wasn’t there to admire her body. As their eyes caught, he simply had a little smile on his lips. Unless? “Maybe later,” he almost whispered, admiring her smile. As she mentioned where the artifact was, his eyes glanced towards the spot and started to walk after her. Do you have the payment? He looked over his shoulder and out of nowhere a gigantic bag with jewels, crystals and folded money appeared. He turned around to walk over to the bathroom. He stood in front of the tub and made a simple movement with his hand to make the plug go to the drain. With a little mouthing the tub filled with blood from newborns. “Who would I be if I didn’t have the payment,” he said from the bathroom while he turned around and walked back out to her “The tub is filled,” he said and stopped a little from her, eyeing the box. “The box?” he said, waiting for her to give the box to him or open it for him so he could take a look. He wasn’t leaving emptyhanded. After all, he wanted to treasure his mom a little. She was working hard after all.

Her eyes followed his line of sight to the appearance of the bag filled with the content that she had asked for. Now she had asked for another, but it was always a test to just how much he had appreciated what she had done for him. She didn’t move with him as he walked towards the bathroom, she could see very well from her place by the bed how he filled the tub. Excellent. Then she didn’t have to go out finding it herself, and it was always such a hazzle. People getting so worked up about maintaining the old ways.

“Always know how to make me happy” she turned and took the box in her hands and then handed it to him “And here we are, an intact falling star” when he was inspecting it, she walked past him and over to the chair where she started undressing herself. Didn’t want all that blood to go to waste now would she. Looking over her naked shoulder, she felt how her braided hair danced over her now naked and tattooed skin. Filled with markings that helped draw in power, making it easier for her to bind it into her spells. Just because you were young, didn’t mean you couldn’t work smart. “Would you like to join or are you in a hurry to leave?” she asked with a subdued voice before she started shimmering out of her pants. The light around them almost making her look golden with her once again dark skin. Instead of that pastel color.

“I have my ways,” he replied. After all, he knew how to please various of people, and he didn’t even have to care at all. Just pretend or get to know their desires. The box was handed to him, he took it and started to simply inspect the box. He opened the box and it immediately started to shine on him. No expression was filled on his face, but this had really been a jackpot. He closed the box again and looked over his shoulder as she talked to him, noticing she was getting ready for her bloodbath. He turned all the way around to have his front pointed towards her and put the box safely onto a desk next to him. “Would you really share your precious payment?” he said pulling on a cheeky smile. His eyes were kept on her, while he crossed one arm across his chest and had the other hand picking up the necklace which was hanging around his neck. “I got some spare time,” he finally replied. Her skin seemed so delicate, and he could surely see how she was covered in tattoos for the purpose of magic. As soon as he got close enough to her, standing behind her, he let go of the necklace to trace her hair with his hand and let the other hand find her hip, “This is the second ‘new start’, hm?” he mumbled somewhat close to her ear.

Well of course she could be selfish and take it all to herself. But there was something about sharing these types of things with people that were more powerful than you. Almost as if their magic awoken something in the ritual that just made it so much more powerful. So, to him it might seem like she was sharing her payment. To her, she just took more than he had actually offered. If. He was lured in by her question. Well, it seemed like it did, as she could hear that he started walked towards her. His voice that replied that he had some spare time. Good thing she was standing with her back towards him, so he couldn’t see the smirk that formed on her lips.

Artemis couldn’t help how he made her small hair rise all over her body, as his delicate fingers only slightly touched her back as he traced her hair. Even more so when the hand found her hip. Now she had been starving closeness for months. But hadn’t allowed herself it, because she had more important things to do. Like planning her return to the world. She turned her head and looked at him, her eyes slightly narrowed before a smile broke her stoic face. “Let’s just say it’s a new start” she whispered, as she turned her body around towards him and let her fingers glide over his jawline. “we both know this isn’t the first one I’ve gotten” completely naked at this point she walked past him to get out the tub he so kindly had filled.

As Artemis turned her face towards him, his eyes traveled from her skin and back to her face. As she turned around he let go of her hip and stopped tracing only for his hands to find her waist. It was a comfortable place to put her hands. His eyes stayed up at her face and as her fingers slid over his jawline, it was like small minimal explosions electrified his skin, right underneath her touch. It was a new start. It made him wonder if she was even ready for a new start and what she had been doing to deserve this new start that his mother had given him. Was it a present or a curse? Was his mother mad at Artemis or wanted to praise her for some work?
Artemis walked past him, and he let her slide out of his grip ever so delicately and for a moment he stood left and thought things trough. But then he let his hands open up his necklace and put it right next to the box, shortly after to be followed by a shirt and pants nicely folded. As he turned around, and started to walk towards the bathroom again, the shoes untied themselves and sock slid off. Completely naked he entered the bathroom. “Do we really?” he wondered a little late for a reply. “Are you sure you didn’t waste the first new start, which was why you were granted another? Or do you think you’ve restarted more than twice? Entering a new chapter in your life is not a new start,” he mumbled not caring if they didn’t share the same vision about the topic. As soon as he stood in front of the tub he looked down at the precious blood. He glanced up at her. “How was Fiji?” he asked before he stepped into the tub.

She had already slid down in the porcelain bathtub with iconic lion feet. She had never understood the attraction that some would have about these kind of design choices. One designed it, and it just kept coming back, like a bad fashion style that you just thought where finally out of style, and then it would come back. Like a never-ending story about bad choices. The dark eyes glided up as he stepped into the bathroom. She didn’t even care if was rude, she let her eyes glide down the full length of his body before she let them redirect towards his face as he spoke. But only because of that.  “Because I’ve changed bodies three times now” she said quite nonchalant. “Now the first one was priceless, as it was a two-meter high – white – woman” she mused as her fingers grabbed the many braids of her hair and pulled it up in a bun on her head. She had missed these kinds of hairstyles. How was fiji. She looked towards him as he stepped into the water, and she moved around so she was sitting on her knees. “Informing, I found the cave” she mused “Found Killian’s weakness, but he had kept one from me, that turned up unexpected” With that she of course meant that pesky soul demon. Her bloodied hand did the same, and grabbed his chin. “Now, why are you so interested?” she smirked. She knew that the Jones and Sinclair had never seen eye to eye.

Bentley raised his eyebrows a little as she mentioned how many times, she had changed body by now. He watched how she talked about the first body she had changed to. It sounded interesting and quite intimidating. Artemis had probably liked being a two-meter-tall woman. He watched how she pinned her hair up in a bun.
He sat down as soon as she had moved around to make space for him. He sat on his bum and with his legs spread underneath the blood. He pulled a little smirk as she mentioned she had found the cave. Of course, she had. He guessed that was also where the star had been found. He hadn’t been in the cave himself, so he couldn’t know for sure. His brows raised a little as she mentioned something about Killian’s weaknesses. He had both of his arms resting on the edge of the bathtub and let one of his hands touch the surface while he thought a little. Now, Bentley wasn’t all-knowing, so there was no way he would’ve known what weaknesses she was talking about, and it made him wonder what she mean with it turning up unexpected. She grabbed his chin and he looked up at her, mirroring her smirk. Instead of replying immediately he took the hand which had been soaked in the blood and grabbed her wrist. “Well, you might’ve experienced something worth listening to,” he said and twisted her hand away from his chin and tried to pull her closer. “And both the cave and those weaknesses sounds interesting,” he spoke a bit lower and let his other hand find it’s way behind her neck to keep her close.

She looked at her handy work from the stripes of blood she had managed to drag over his beautiful well-kept skin, before he grabbed her wrist and twisted it away while telling her she might had some interesting things to share. Not that he said it in so many words, but she could read between the lines. Not that she always cared to do so. She let him pull her closer, which in her having to lift her hand and place it behind him, letting blood glide from her hand down the before perfectly polished white porcelain. “Oh, do they now?” she whispered against his lips, letting her eyes fall into his, an almost twisted smile formed on hers. “And what are these information’s worth to you?” she could of course just tell him because he was interested. And she did so enjoy when he looked at her with those eyes. But that didn’t mean she would give anything that valuable up, just for him to get out of the tub and leave her. She was a hunt for power and getting strong enough to prove her mother wrong. And you didn’t get up that ladder by giving people valuable things for free.

Bentley breathed out slowly as she whispered to him. “You want something in return?” he replied to her question, seemingly on the edge of being unsatisfied, but on the other hand, he understood that it was valuable information, and she wouldn’t just give it up for free. “What do you desire?” he wondered and raised his chin a bit. Of course, if Artemis wouldn’t want to play along and tell Bentley what the weakness were, he would just make sure to hire someone who could figure it out for him. It would just cause so much more trouble than Artemis just opening her mouth and tell him.

She leaned her head up a little, looking towards a corner of the room. Seeing the moldings that was made alongside of the ceiling. Almost as if she was thinking about what she wanted, before looking towards him again. Now what Artemis desired, and what she knew she could get was to very different versions. Him in this very moment, yes, she wanted that very much. Craved it even, as it had been too long. Then there was the power, magically and politically. Her eerie desire to rule the world had never really left her, but that was a thing for an entirely other timeline. Maybe not ever in her timeline, and she was okay with that. But question was. Which one was she going to tell him.

“And if I simply decide not to tell you, what would you do then, Bentley?” she whispered, after having moved her lips closely towards his. “Send one of your goons after me? Because that would just make business so difficult, wouldn’t it?” she theorized, leaning in placing a very soft almost featherlike kiss against his lips, before she leaned back and glided towards the other end of the bathtub, until her back hit the cool porcelain.

Bentley watched how she thought about what she wanted, looking away from him for a moment. She looked back at him and his eyes simply seemed to get tired of her games, as she explained how she could choose not to tell him. His chin raised a bit as she mentioned how he could send someone after her. “You’re correct,” he said with a low voice, agreeing that it would be a difficult business to send someone after her. She kissed his lips and leaned all the way back until she rested against the end of the bathtub. “But honestly, it’s none of my business.” He said and leaned a little forward, making both of his hands grab onto each the edge of the bathtub, almost as if he was done. “I can figure it out myself” He started to get up, “and I can explain what kind of pain in the ass you are to Rebekah and make her choose whatever while I’ll get the information you had the possibility to share,” he said, and if she didn’t act upon his movements or words, he would step out of the bathtub.

A crocket smile formed on her lips, as he started playing those cards. The, I don’t really care and, if you aren’t going to tell me, I’m just going to figure it out myself. Then he threatened her with his mother. Artemis started laughing, looking towards Bentley in his naked glory. “Really Bentley?” she asked, as her laughter quieted down, a smirk formed on her lips. “Threatening me with your mother?” she asked, letting her tongue glide almost sensually over her lips. She wanted nothing more than to mock him about being this childish, but she decided against it. Slowly letting her eyes blink before trying to catch his gaze. “Killian Jones is no threat to you, nor Rebekah, is and crappy old fart that cares more about his business than anything else, and it should be fairly easy for you and any witch to figure out what another witch weakness is” she said leaning back in the top spreading her legs. “Such a shame that you have to leave so fast, and here I was thinking about showing my appreciation to you, for being so generous with your payment” she closed her eyes. “But if you have to run along like a good momma’s boy, you better do so” she added still with a smirk on her lips. Whatever Bentley wanted to do to her, she had already gone through worse. She wasn’t afraid anymore, and that might be one of the most threatening things about the young witch at this point.

Okay, she acted on his words, but he still got out of the tub and put on his necklace as the first thing. It was almost soothing him as he let it fell onto his skin as he let go of it. He turned to look at the small young woman who was having what seemed to be the most fun in a while. His face was stoic as she started to blabber her words. Telling him what seemed to be Killian’s weaknesses. His businesses, and what every witched cared the most about – he figured it would be Killian’s mate. His eyes didn’t leave hers even though she spread her legs under the thick blood. He blinked slowly as she talked about something with showing her appreciation of him. She basically told him to leave, and for a moment it conflicted the stoic mind. He wished to leave, but there was just something about being told to leave, that made him want to stay.
He licked his lips and shook his head a little before he stepped closer to her. He leaned down towards her, only mere inches from her lips. “Thanks for the deal,” he whispered, making sure she could feel his breath close to her lips before he straightened back up. With a whip of his fingers, he was dressed, and he was just about to go ahead and leave when he stopped in the door of the bathroom. He looked towards her. “Artemis?” he spoke and gave her a chance to respond. “I would prefer to see you in December,” he announced, before a slightly turn on his lip appeared. “Don’t be late,” he said before he mumbled a few words which would turn the dear witch into an elf. One which could resemble those Christmas garden gnomes. “Toodles,” he said and waved to her before he would walk out the door. If he reached outside, he would teleport home.