The blood mixed delectably with the sweat and the fear of Chloé d'Apchier. It filled her mouth, the taste unbelievably, almost unbearably, tangible. It had been so long since anything resembling blood had passed her lips, so long since she'd properly felt anything at all. All her instincts were screaming to drink more, more, drain the woman dry if she had to, steal her warmth and life. It was rightfully hers.
But, no, that wasn't appropriate. Madame d'Apchier's punishment wouldn't be so forgiving. Whether or not her actions had granted Faustina awareness, they had been intended to kill her, that was unforgivable. The curse Chloé d'Apchier had held on to would be what destroyed her, the gift Faustina had given her that had been wasted so ungratefully.
If she were unlucky the curse wouldn't kill her until after she'd snuffed out every life in Gévaudan.
Faustina - Naenia - whatever her name was in this form, let Chloé d'Apchier go. Her curse would do the rest. Faustina licked the remaining blood from her lips, almost regretful that she'd never taste it again. It really was fine blood. A shame she'd never get the full experience, drinking it in a real body.
Although the form Chloé d'Apchier had given her was physical, it was temporary. It wasn't altogether there, not really. She wanted to be whole again, consequences be damned. It didn't matter why she'd become a shadow of herself, this taste of corporeality was intoxicating. It made her ache with the desire to reclaim herself. Even this approximation of living was far better than the creature she had been not moments earlier.
Her power was coursing through her veins, singing with the wanton desire to be unleashed. Oh, what she would be capable of if she had access to all of her natural strength. She still wasn't able to feel with as much depth as she would in a true body and she could feel so much. The entire world formula was spread before her, as easy to manipulate for her as what others would consider to be the material world, perhaps easier.
A wave of her hand was all it took to stop Jean-Jacques interfering, sending him flying despite his size and strength. Such strength meant nothing to her, he might as well have been a fly for all the good it did him. Faustina did like him though, such an amusing vampire with a wonderful true name. She always liked the ones who gave up their names willingly, enthusiastically. They were always more interesting than those who had to be forced into accepting her kiss.
Everything was breaking around her as Chloé d'Apchier lost control. Faustina quietly rejoiced in the destruction, so pure and beautiful, the best way to be welcomed back into the waking world.
Then she jolted.
Something inside her seemed to snap, her body seizing up. Faustina opened her mouth in a silent scream. No. No. She couldn't be losing her grip already. There was so much she needed to do as herself. With her last shred of awareness she understood that the alteration device that had been keeping her present was loose from its moorings, the devastation she had wrought was what would drag her back to becoming Naenia. She couldn't stop herself from fading.
But the door to reality was open to her now. She'd be stepping through again sometime soon.
