Bloodlines: Severed Ties

Chapter 37: Quiche and Infiltration

As Sylvia stepped through the archway, she was greeted to the delicious smells of Zalla's apartment. The smell of baked pastry wafted through the air, with a hint of parsley and oregano twisted in. Underneath it, however, Sylvia could also smell oil and the slightest bit of metal.

Zalla had been cleaning and sharpening her weapons.

"It's so lovely of you to invite us over for dinner," Dirella cooed as she was ushered in by the large mass that was Zalla.

Zalla's apartment was by no means larger than the guest house. However, she had cleaned and decorated it beautifully and made it her own home. As Sylvia walked through the door, she saw picture frames hung up on the wall of the passage.

Each one had something different. Most were of Zalla and her family, painted over the years as she grew up. It was amazing to see Zalla growing up right before Sylvia's eyes. She was a big kid, no wonder she's so tall as an adult.

However, there were also paintings of landscapes. One was of a forest, another of the beach. It seemed Zalla collected them on her travels, the travels she made for the Hunter Sigil.

For Sirius.

Sylvia gritted her teeth just thinking of his name. She wanted to confront him then and there, but knew there would be a time and place. He proved he was not only a terrible leader, but also a terrible friend when he ratted out the Trellom family.

"Please, it's no burden. It does get a bit lonely here sometimes, and besides I'm not going to eat this whole quiche myself!" Zalla replied to Dirella, snapping Sylvia's attention back to the present. When she looked at Zalla, all Sylvia could see was her alliance to the crown.

What if Zalla knew something about what happened that night? No, she would have only been a child. But still, her parents maybe?

Sylvia decided she should just keep quiet tonight.

The group was sat at a small bench top on bar stools. Above them, small hanging pots held cascading plants that dangled down in front of them. They were arranged in a fashion so that they then draped down the benchtops and onto the floor. It left little room to eat, but was beautiful nontheless.

"Do your parents visit often?" Aliyah asked. Zalla was currently head first in an oven, gently prying out her delicious creation.

"Funny you should mention that," Zalla replied, turning around with the quiche in hand. It smelt amazing, and Sylvia could visibly see the steam wafting off from it. She placed it down on the bench top on a placemat, before removing her bright pink oven mitts.

"Sirius has requested they return to the Sigil. We're running low on hands here, as you can see. Says he needs them back for protection, just summoned them today," Zalla concluded. She produced a large knife from her drawer, comically large in fact. She then delicately placed the tip into the quiche, and ran it down lengthwise. She repeated the process until she had six neat little slices of quiche.

Sylvia pondered Zalla's words as she watched the woman plate them up. So Sirius was summoning more guards now. It could be a coincidence he summoned them the day Sylvia arrived, or Sirius could be worried about something.

Or someone. Someone like Sylvia.

It was definately shifty, everything that had happened since she arrived here. She no longer felt like this was her home, like she was welcome here. Instead, she felt like a stain. Someone who was meant to be disposed of, so her family name could also be burnt out on the tapestry.

"All the Pallin's in one place, how great," Darian retorted sarcastically. Zalla's family were just as annoying as she was to him. They all stuck to the rules, following the Regalia's every wish and whim. Despite saying they were equals to them, it was clear who was in charge.

And Darian couldn't stand the arrogance. Just because she beat him in an arm wrestle a couple times...

"Eat up!" Zalla said gleefully. She placed a plate in front of everyone, each with a slice of the mushroom quiche. Sylvia tentatively poked it with her fork. She contemplated how well a warrior could cook, before the smells over took her. She stuck the fork in, separating a piece neatly from the rest. She popped it in her mouth, and felt her eyes widen.

It was an amazing experience of the tastebuds. The gooey nature of the eggs mixed nicely with the earthy texture of the mushrooms to create a symphony. And finally, the crust. Not too thick, not too thin, just right to have a slight bite but not crumble to dust.

Perfection.

"Zalla darling this is divine," Dirella summised, perfectly capturing how everyone else felt about the baked good. Even Darian couldn't deny it, it was a damn good quiche.

Suddenly, Zalla looked up abruptly. She turned to the back wall of her kitchen, and as Sylvia followed her gaze saw a small red light flickered next to an odd device. Zalla rushed forward, grabbing the device off the handle and holding it to her ear.

The group continued eating, not letting anything distract them from the fantastic meal before them. But Sylvia made sure to watch Zalla intently out of the corner of her eye.

"What? How long do we have?" Zalla seemed worried, her stance shrugged over, her idle hand fiddling with the knife on the bench top as she stared intently at the wall.

"Impossible.... How did they even know?" She asked, before listening to a response Sylvia could not hear. Zalla then closed her eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. She seemed to be submissing to orders of some kind, orders she didn't necessarily agree with.

"I understand. Right away," she said before letting the device click back down into it's holder. She then turned, and Sylvia made sure to sit up straight to look her in the eyes as she did so. Eyes that were now filled with dismay and anxiety.

"We need to evacuate, now," Zalla said sternly, switching her expression instantly to determination. It was clear all concern was now behind her. She had a task. And it will be completed.

"What? Why?" Darian questioned with a mouthful of quiche. Zalla was already on her way to the door, however. She picked up her large sword and her shield, sliding them both in to place on her holster behind her back. She then turned, looking at the group.

"The vampires are coming."