All the cards

14

I walked back into the estate and found everyone in a room, crowded around Marcel. I pushed to the front and stood between Hayley and Mal. Marcel and another man were fighting. The two traded blows and pushed each other around until the other man pushed Marcel through a wall. I focused, lending Marcel some strength to finish the fight. The vampire was obviously older, centuries older, and he held Marcel up by the throat.
"Come on." I muttered, adding on to his strength as much as I could. He should have easily been able to beat the other vampire, with the strength of an original, but he wasn't. He fought well enough, but he wasn't using all of my strength, almost as though he wanted to lose. I watched as he and the other vampire crashed back through the wall where we could all see them better. I watched, trying to see what Marcel's strategy was. I didn't see until the man began to feed off Marcel. It was the small smirk that he allowed that clued me in. This is what he was waiting for. I closed my eyes, searching over Marcel's energy, and I found it. He was suffering a werewolf bite. I snapped my eyes open looking at Marcel, as the vampire held him up against a wall. I continued to provide him with some of my strength.
"You fought with honor. Embrace the nobility of this end." The vampire said.
"I will if you will." Marcel's smirk grew. "Or do you still not know?" He laughed as everyone continued to stare at him. "You must have tasted it in my blood." The vampire began to look uncomfortable and groaned. "Oh, now you're starting to feel it, aren't you? That burning sensation in your gut? Wolf's venom. A going-away gift from me. I may not have beaten you, but you lost all the same. I suggest you make your peace. We're both dead men walking."
"A desperate ploy! A lie!" The vampire accused and Marcel rolled up his sleeve showing off a vampire bite.
"Huh, that's kind of smart." Mal remarked. Marcel suddenly took advantage of my strength and spun the vampire around so that he had the upper hand.
"I don't know why they want you dead, but clearly they do." Marcel told the vampire, letting go of him. He turned to Tristan and the woman beside him and addressed them. "Why else tell me all about his little feeding habits, or give me a taste of his technique when you came into my gym the other day? All I had to do was be observant. But, I'm done picking up your bread crumbs. You want him dead? You're gonna have to do it yourself. As far as I can see, the only thing he's done to deserve it is picking his friends poorly." Marcel started to look drained. Hayley and I moved forward to catch him as he stumbled. I allowed him more of my strength. He stood up a little straighter then, still slightly leaning on Hayley and I. Tristan walked over to the vampire, and put his hand on the back of his head, before letting go, and patting his shoulder. He walked around, behind him and, without warning, ripped out his heart.
"You chose well!" Tristan smiled. "Now, I assure you, he did deserve it. He's been plotting unspeakable crimes against his sworn brothers and sisters. Of course, you couldn't have known. Beating such a worthy opponent is proof of your strength and courage, but your restraint, your refusal to kill without cause, demonstrates a rare integrity. You see, Marcel Gerard. This was the test." Tristan pulled Marcel's ring out of the vampire's pocket, handing it over. "Welcome to The Strix. Provided, of course, you survive your own gambit."
"No wonder you don't find him appealing. Huh." Mal remarked.
"Let's just go home." I rolled my eyes. Elijah moved to take Marcel off our hands and we headed out to the car.
"Thanks." Marcel groaned in the car. "I know you were helping."
"Well, you've grown on me. Wasn't going to just let you die."
"Wish I'd known earlier. Wouldn't have needed to get myself poisoned." He laughed.
"Don't worry. Klaus is going to heal you. Probably." Mal looked at me in confusion and I glared at him meaningfully. He didn't say a word. Hayley picked her phone out of her bag.
"Jackson called." She said before calling him again. He picked up.
"Hey." I heard him whisper.
"Jackson."
"Yeah, it's me."
"Why are you whispering?"
"I finally managed to get Izzy to sleep." He said. "I found this little toy that managed to get him to fall asleep though, I guess. He was out like a light after that." I frowned.
"What toy?"
"Uh, Jackson, what toy?" She questioned.
"Um, it's a blue snake of some kind?" He sounded confused.
"Izzy doesn't have a blue snake toy or a blue anything toy. Or any kind of snake toy, come to think of it."
"Jack, are you sure it's blue?" Hayley asked.
"Uh, yeah. Definitely blue. Like a really deep blue."
"You guys continue home. I'm gonna go check on that." I frowned, and disappeared. I reappeared at the apartment, and walked over to the children's nursery. Jackson stood at the door, while on the phone to Hayley. "Hey." I whispered and he turned around fast.
"Amity?" He asked.
"Yeah." I said walking forward, between Hope and Izzy's bed. Sure enough, Izzy was holding tightly on to a blue toy. I picked it up and his eyes immediately snapped open. "Shh shh shh." I softly said rocking him, and his eyes closed again. I looked the toy over and smiled softly. Only one person could have gotten the details right. I set it back with Izzy and walked out of the door. "Sorry."
"You know where the toy came from?" He asked. "I thought it was his."
"Its a friend of mine. She likes to check in on Izzy now and then. She must've brought it with her to help him."
"Right."
"I'm sorry. I guess I overreacted a little. Thank you, by the way. For looking after him."
"It's my pleasure. I like having the little guy around."
"Do you mind if he stays the night? I don't want to move him so late."
"Of course. It's no bother." He said.
"Thanks." I smiled. "I should go. And sorry about just appearing with no warning."
"You were freaked out for your son." He smiled, good-naturedly. "It's okay."