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Chapter Text

When Margot asked Talia to come to their house for dinner she wasn’t joking. She didn’t feel like they were going to be best of friends, considering Talia was a vampire hunter, but she didn’t feel threatened by her either. She was just curious about what the Burns knew about Legacy Vampires and thought the best way to investigate that was to actually talk to them. People in stressful situations tend to spill the beans and wouldn’t be sitting across the table with vampires you tried to kill and failed a stressful situation? And since after the raid Margot was certain that Talia and her family had no idea how to kill Legacies, the dinner seemed to be a safe idea. Besides the curiosity, Margot Fairmont didn’t care that much about vampire hunters. She had more important matters on her hands. The Burns were just a slight inconvenience.

On the other hand Talia was pretty sure Margot was playing with her. What’s more important, that Juliette was playing with her daughter. She was worried and ready to fight. Her family was sent to a town full of powerful Legacy Vampires and even with her training, Talia was afraid. She knew they had to be careful, but with everything going on with Cal, there were moments she acted without thinking first. Seeing Margot for the first time at school, talking with her like she was human, just after learning Cal has been bitten… It was horrible for Talia. She couldn’t stand those monsters. And the fact that one of them chosen her daughter as her target. Truly outrageous.

With Margot not really bothered and Talia being on edge, they didn’t try to cross paths on purpose. But the town wasn’t that big, and they both had to pretend to live normal life, so it was just a matter of time when will they meet again.

“Talia! How good to see you!” Said Margot with false and yet warm smile.

“Margot.” Talia didn’t even try to act happy to see her.

“How are you?”

“Don’t. I just came to talk to Cal’s teachers, I don’t have to speak to you.”

Talia started walking away from the vampire but that didn’t work exactly as she hoped. Margot joined her.

“I was just going back home but I guess I can walk with you for a moment.”

“You don’t have to. Leave me alone.”

Margot pretended to not hear that.

“What about that dinner I invited you to? What about this Sunday? Bring your husband with you. We still haven’t been properly introduced.”

Talia rolled her eyes and stopped walking. She wished there was no one around them, so she could grab Margot by her throat and put a stake through her heart. Doesn’t care if it would kill her, at least it would be painful and shut her mouth for once. She met Juliette’s mum just two times, but she had already had enough of her. So false. Pretending to be better than anyone else. But Talia knew she was just a monster.

Looking at her, standing there, waiting for an answer with that smile on her face. It made Talia even more angry. How could she just simply invite her for dinner? To her house? To her monster family? And suggesting to bring Jack with her? Talia was offended by it.

“How…” In that moment she got an idea. She had never had Legacy so close to her. It was a chance. A chance to capture a Legacy Vampire. “How about we meet for a drink instead?” She smiled showing all her teeth. “Alone? Just us, women.”

Margot smiled even wider, as if she wanted to beat Talia in being false. “That’s a great idea! How about my place, Friday? Sebastian has some business out of town and I’ll make sure the girls won’t bother us.”

No vampire husband and no vampire daughters? Just them? Talia couldn’t believe it will be that easy. But she had to sharpen her mind, because after all, it could be a trap.

“Okay. Great. See you then.”

Margot walked away, smiling towards the sun. She knew well that Talia didn’t just change her mind about vampires and that she will probably plan to harm her in some way. But she genuinely didn’t care. She was as much of a weapon as Talia was. And was definitely more deadly to her than the other way round. But still, she looked at it as an opportunity to learn more about hunters.

She knew things about them but since Legacy Vampires were so good at hiding in plain sight, they didn’t often cross their ways with hunters, thus she didn’t know enough. Talia probably knew much more about Legacies. And yet she didn’t know how to kill one.

In some way Margot found Talia intriguing. She thought they were similar in a way. But maybe it just felt like it because of their daughters who decided to shake their worlds up by acting like Romeo and Juliet. That was one subject the mothers agreed on, the relationship should not have happened. As much as Margot wasn’t worried about herself getting hurt, her innocent daughter was different, more fragile and she was truly worried about her. She would do anything to protect her daughter, and so would Talia to protect hers. They both loved their families very much. They would do anything for them. That’s why they decided to take the matters in their own hands.

Talia didn’t tell a soul she was going to meet Margot. On the other hand, Margot told both her husband and her older daughter about the plan, saying that she has everything under control and they don’t have to worry about anything. Sebastian trusted his wife more than anything but he really was going to be out of town, so just to be sure, he asked Elinor to keep an eye on her mother.

The huntress dressed as she usually did, hiding a knife on her calf, a stake in her purse and another knife, smaller one, on her waist. She got to the Fairmonts’ house, feeling a bit stressed but with clear head. She had one mission. Get Margot a bit drunk, talk to her without spilling any secrets and capture her.

Margot dressed in one of her best black dresses and put on pearls. When she saw Talia approaching the door she opened it for her, without any rush, and with a true smile for once, she welcomed her.

“Welcome Talia. I’m so happy you came.”

Chapter Text

Margot literally said two sentences and Talia already wanted to go back home. She felt weird for being there, she felt out of place. And if that wasn’t bad enough, she felt underdressed too. The vampire was dressed like she was going to a lavish banquet and Talia was dressed for a bonfire at most. For a split second she felt little. She looked away from Margot and took a deep breath. Then she was back. She raised her eyebrow and walked towards the vampire.

“I hope you had no trouble with finding our home. After all, you’ve found your way here once before.” Margot said with a smirk on her face.

“Part of the job, you see. To know where your enemies are.”

“Why do you jump to enemies right away? That’s kind of rude, don’t you think?”

“Really?”

Talia followed Margot through the house right to the garden. Under a gazebo there was a table set, with two chairs. On the table there was a snacks plate, two glasses and a bottle of Pinot. With vines surrounding everything and sky slowly turning dark, it seemed almost peaceful. The huntress let out a single smile.

“Pinot?”

“Why so surprised? You mentioned you like it, right? Or did I get it wrong?” Margot was genuinely worried she mixed something up.

“No, you got it right” Talia sat down. “I just didn’t expect you to remember that.”

Margot smiled humbly, taking Talia’s words as a compliment. She reached for the bottle, opened it with a corkscrew and poured herself a bit of the alcohol. She grabbed the glass by the stem, examined the colour, swirled the glass a bit and took a sip. She then put her glass back on the table and reached for Talia’s glass, proceeding to fill it. It was like an important ritual for her.

“You’re quite a connoisseur, aren’t you?”

“Let’s say I can appreciate wine.”

“Thanks.” Talia took a sip of the liquor as well. “That’s some good wine.”

“See? If you thought of me as a friend instead of putting a silver stake through my heart, that could be our routine. Good alcohol, fresh air and two intelligent women.”

Talia laughed at that remark. Friends? That is the last thing they could be. But she had a plan for today. A plan that required her to at least keep talking to Margot. She didn’t have to be polite, the vamp didn’t deserve it and didn’t seem to care either. But Talia couldn’t just bail now, she had to put up with her company for a bit longer.

“If you weren’t a killer, maybe we would get along.”

“Well, I didn’t attack your family at your own house, did I?”

Talia got nervous. She stood up. The emotions started getting the best of her. And on the other side of the table, Margot sat calmly, legs crossed, sipping the wine. She took pleasure in teasing Talia. It would be a very different conversation if anything would have happened to Margot’s family. But thankfully everyone got out of it safely.

“At least my children didn’t kill anyone that night…”

“Yes. But they definitely came with a goal to do so. Now, sit down Talia before you do something as reckless as attacking a Legacy Vampire.”

“Why would I sit with you?” She said with disgust.

“Why did you come in the first place?”

Margot was looking at her, waiting for an answer. She didn’t seem bothered by the conversation at all. While Talia’s hand was so close to reaching her knife. But it was too soon. The sun didn’t came down yet, someone could see her taking Margot to her car. Also, they were now too far away from each other. The vampire would see her coming immediately. She needed an element of surprise.

“You came” Margot finally said “because you’re like me.”

“Like you?”

“You came because you care for your daughter. For your family. I’m a mother too.”

Part of this was true. Talia did come because she wanted to protect her family. In this, they were similar. But she didn’t come to talk. She didn’t come to share gossips, have drinks with umbrellas in them and to do each other’s hair. She came with a mission to capture the most dangerous type of a vampire, a Legacy.

Margot got up and brought Talia’s glass to her. The huntress took a step back when she was approached but she took the glass.

“Talia. Listen to me. We both know something bigger is going on. Me and my family, we’ve been in this city for years, and we saw no monsters.” Margot saw how Talia rolled her eyes. “Well, besides us, we saw no monsters. Something is happening. We should work together to stop it. Please.” Margot put a hand on Talia’s arm and smiled to her. “You must know more about this than we do.”

That was Margot’s game. The conversation she was interested in has just started. And she was the narrator. She rarely didn’t get what she wanted. And tonight was also about her getting what she wanted. She needed to infiltrate the Burns family to make sure they were as little of a threat as she thought. She couldn’t get to the point right away but addressing a common enemy as the base of the problem was the right way to approach it.

Talia looked at Margot’s hand but the hand didn’t move. It was almost a perfect situation to stab the vampire. But the stake was in her purse, next to the table she wasn’t close to at the moment. She had one good option, her waist knife. But it wasn’t so easy to take a knife out while a vampire is literally holding your arm and in your other hand you are holding a glass of wine. A fine wine to add. She decided to wait a bit longer.

“Alright.” She said and sighed.

“Come on, let’s go back to the table. You didn’t try any of the snacks I prepared.”

Margot put her hand out, showing Talia to the table. And just when the huntress past her, she placed her hand lightly on Talia’s waist. Dark-haired woman rushed to sit back on her chair, hoping the Legacy didn’t feel the knife there. But Margot did feel it.

The blonde stood behind Talia’s chair and put both her hands on the woman’s arms. Talia could feel her heartbeat rising.

“Maybe I…”

“Shh, don’t.” Margot stopped her. “How dare you come to my house with weapons, trying to hurt me, again?”

Chapter Text

At first Talia felt fear. A Legacy Vampire was standing over her and she wasn’t happy about what she had discovered. It was a natural thing to be afraid. The point was to use that fear properly. To calm down and use the adrenaline to protect yourself, to fight. And after all, it wasn’t the first time Talia found herself in a difficult situation. During her guild training she was many times tied up to a chair without a possibility to move in any direction whatsoever. This was a similar thing, she thought.

During the few seconds Margot was talking to her, she scanned the place and considered a few possible ways of escaping. She had some options. However, she knew that attacking the vamp wouldn’t be the right choice. Not now. At the moment, it was Margot who was in a better position, Talia couldn’t risk. If only she had told her husband about where she was going… Maybe he would be nearby, trying to cause a distraction of some kind. But she did not tell anyone. She was in this alone. She had to do something.

Talia still had her three weapons. Even though Margot discovered one of them, she didn’t think of confiscating it. Which, when you think of it, was really dumb. It should’ve been the first thing to do. So, there was a stake and two knives. But any movement of any kind, could cause Margot to react, to attack. And that was something Talia had to avoid.

Margot didn’t think as intensively as Talia did. She simply didn’t think she had a reason to. She was offended by Talia’s behaviour, but she wasn’t surprised. It would be stupid to assume that Talia wouldn’t come with any weapons. However, Margot was counting on those weapons not making an appearance. She believed they could have a civilized conversation. It seems, that wasn’t the case.

The Legacy was enjoying it though. She couldn’t really say why, but she was smiling. She was tapping her fingers on the huntress’s arms. She could hear how hard Talia tried to slow down her heartbeat but she was not very successful. But what Margot was mostly paying attention to, was Talia’s neck.

“You know what Talia, I could easily…” Margot flicked Talia’s hair from the right side of her neck to the other. Her neck was now naked. Waiting for a… “Bite you now.”

Talia didn’t react. She sat still. Didn’t move, didn’t say anything. She was centimetres from getting bitten and she kept still. She was waiting for the right moment. She had already figured out the plan in her head. It only needed to be executed with precision.

“You’ve got amazing skin.” Margot said, while tracing Talia’s neck with her finger. “I genuinely don’t understand why you hate us so much. We didn’t threaten you in any way and yet you attacked us.”

The huntress was ready. She needed to get up really fast, push back Margot and get both of her knives out. Easy.

“I hoped we could be friends, or at least help each other, exchange information.”

Talia put her hands on the edge of the chair, preparing to stand up.

“But if you do hate me so much, I guess there is not much I can do. Cause you see, I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t care about hurting you.”

Margot let go of Talia and stepped back from the chair. She walked to her end of the table and took a single grape out of the plate.

“I tried so hard to make this evening nice.” She put the grape between her teeth and just before she bit through it she had shown Talia her fangs. “You’re free to go. And don’t try anything.”

Talia was left speechless. She was getting ready for a fight and she didn’t even get the chance to free herself from the chair. Margot’s behaviour confused her. She did not expect what had just happened. What was she supposed to do now? Just walk away?

She was torn between attacking the vampire and giving up. She couldn’t decide whether she had blown her chance or if she should be happy she’s still in one piece. It was a situation between a rock and a hard place really. Giving up meant not completing the mission, going back with nothing. And yet risking it was much more dangerous.

They both kept looking at each other, so intensively, as if it was some kind of a staring contest. The stares were very different though. Talia was looking at the monster with the hate it deserved. And Margot was looking at her guest, a light smile on her face, waiting for the next move.

The Legacy did what she did and said what she said because she wanted to confuse Talia. She used the finding weapon situation to raise Talia’s stress level. It was a better plan than getting someone drunk. Margot knew well, that even though Talia was a trained hunter, she was still human. And humans tend to get nervous and less logical during stressful moments. She used that and then she let her go, causing even more weird emotions, stress and made Talia question the whole thing. Margot couldn’t be sure it would work in any way. The huntress could just get up and walk away but also it all could backfire. There was a big chance Talia would attack the vampire who let her go.

“I don’t understand you” Talia said after a moment.

“What is that you don’t understand? Let me help you.”

“That.” She pointed her finger at Margot. “That I don’t understand.”

The Legacy laughed.

“I don’t feel the need to kill you. I don’t care. I think you are a brave, intelligent woman, an amazing mother. All I want is for us to get along. I don’t hate you. Although I am quite offended by you trying to hurt me. But there’s nothing a bottle of wine can’t fix.”

“I probably should go.”

“Take the Pinot with you. That’s the least you can do for me after almost attacking me with those knives you have on you.” Margot saw that one wrinkle that appeared between Talia’s eyes. “Oh hun, I know you hunters always have more than one weapon.”

“This was a waste of time” Talia said, getting ready to leave. “Just leave us alone. Get Juliette far away from Cal and don’t cross paths with me. I don’t know what you’re playing but we will never be friends. Never. And if I catch you trying something on me or my family, I won’t hesitate.” Talia sent Margot a gaze of hate.

“And the same to you.”

Chapter Text

Talia went home with mixed feelings. There was a part of her, which she thought was being very stupid, that felt bad about treating Margot the way she did. That feeling had its reasons, it was because Talia saw in Margot a human being. For a moment, just before entering her house, she even lost the desire to kill the Legacy. But then she opened the door.

She was back home, where her husband and her three children were waiting for her. All of whom were monster hunters. And what was a vampire if not a monster? A threat? An abnormal creature? How could she have wasted such an opportunity to capture the vamp…? She had some responsibilities to her family. She had to protect them no matter how nice the monster seemed. And the worst are those who look and act human.

Her husband was in the kitchen, preparing himself a snack. He smiled as soon as he saw her and when she got closer he grabbed her by the waist and kissed.

“Where were you?” He asked getting back to making the food.

“I had some stuff to do.”

“What stuff? Are you keeping secrets from me?” He laughed.

Talia smiled at her husband. He was clearly in a very good mood and that made her happy. She didn’t feel good about keeping things from him, but she still thought it was for the best not to tell him about her meeting with Margot. Just as she was about to lie into his eyes, their conversation was interrupted by Theo and Apollo.

“Hi mum” they said one after another.

“Has dad already told you?” Apollo asked, excited.

“What?”

“I didn’t tell her yet. You can do the honours.” Jack took his food and went to the dining room to eat it in quiet, since the boys were now occupied with Talia.

“We just got back from a mission. I killed two zombies.”

“Don’t be such a brag.” Theo commented.

“Good Apollo, you did good job. And Theo? How many did you kill?” Talia tried to bury the hatched of whatever was going on between her sons now.

“I was on the lookout.”

“Why were you on the lookout? Wasn’t Cal with you?”

“She stayed at home with dad.”

“I’ll go check on her. You know your sister, she’s probably disappointed she didn’t go.”

Talia went upstairs and knocked on Cal’s door. She didn’t often knock but she assumed she should be considerate if her daughter stayed home while her brothers went on a mission. Cal wanted to be a good hunter so bad. But she wasn’t ready yet. At least that’s what Talia and Jack decided on.

“Cal? It’s mum.” Talia opened the door. “Cal?”

But Cal wasn’t there. However, there was an open window. Without thinking much, Talia got to the window and looked around. She was hoping she would catch her daughter somewhere on sight. She didn’t.

Talia ran downstairs. She wasn’t really worried. She was just angry, it was almost obvious where her daughter was. Or better, with whom.

“Cal’s not in her room.” She said calmly to her husband. “Where is she?”

Meanwhile, Margot was taking a hot bath. Her mind was still going through the evening she spent with the huntress. Well, it wasn’t a long evening, but still it took some place in her head. She wasn’t thinking about how she almost got hurt or that the meeting didn’t bring her the desired information. She was thinking about Talia, she was analysing her.

Margot was intrigued by what had happened. For a moment during their meeting, she had a feeling Talia was beginning to accept that they could coexist. It was fascinating. Margot wanted to know what could bring such doubt in Talia. Since all those hunters were almost brain washed to believe that all vampires are as bad as other monsters, it was surprising to see doubt. Surprising, fascinating and exciting too. Was it the moment Margot compared them on the basis of being mothers?

When she got out of her bath and wrapped herself in a towel, she called Sebastian. She told him everything about the evening and about her analysis afterwards. Sebastian was always on her side and he supported her in everything, but he couldn't understand why Margot was so busy getting to know the Burns, with everything that was going on in their family now, that is of course, Emerald Malkia and its keeper. He was hoping she knew what she was doing, but it only seemed as if she was running away from solving the bigger problem.

When they hung up after a few hours of talking, Margot saw on her phone a few missed calls. They were all from Talia. The Legacy knew, there was only one reason for Talia to call her so many times. After putting on something slightly more covering, she went to check Juliette’s room. As she suspected, it was empty.

Her phone rang again.

“Hi Talia. Missed me already?” Margot answered the phone with a smirk on her face.

“Where is my daughter?”

“It’s nice to hear you too.”

“Don’t play games with me. I’m in no mood for it. Where is Cal?”

Before Talia decided to call her enemy, she and her family had organized a search party. They immediately assumed Cal ran somewhere with Juliette. They searched the school and the woods after that they ran out of ideas. It was Talia who proposed to call Margot. After all the girls could just be hiding in plain sight, at Fairmonts’ house.

“How could I know where is Cal?”

“Is she there? At your house? Why didn’t you answer your phone when I called an hour ago? Are you keeping her somewhere?”

Margot laughed.

“I was talking to my husband. Was just telling him how you tried to kill me in my own garden. I have no interest in your daughter. I have no idea where she is.”

“Is Juliette home then?”

“She’s not.”

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know.”

Margot’s short and enigmatic answers just added fuel to Talia’s anger.

“I swear I’ll kill your daughter if I find her with mine.”

The Legacy could take on a lot from Talia. But threating her daughter? That was too much. The smile disappeared from her face, as she tightened the grip on her phone.

“You better leave my daughter out of this. Remember who ran away when we last met.”

Margot heard some noise in the phone and then Jack’s voice.

“Hi Margot… Do you, by any chance…?”

“Your wife’s way out of line.”

“She’s just worried about Cal. You must understand this. You’re probably worried about your daughter too.”

The blonde would has never suspected Jack Burns would be the calm and reasonable side to Talia’s chaotic anger. But it did calm her down, listening to Jack.

“I’m not worried. Wherever she is, she can take care of herself. And your daughter is probably the same.”

“Can you take a guess where they are? They are not answering their phones. Just a few hours ago we came back from killing a few zombies, there might be more out tonight. Can you help us find our girl? Let’s stop fighting for the night.”

“Alright. I might have a few ideas. We can search for them together.”

Chapter Text

The Burns picked Margot up from her house. The very moment she sat down in the car, she started regretting her decision. She could’ve searched for them on her own. It would be even better to search for them in smaller groups. But no. Now there were three very angry and not really friendly characters in a car together.

Jack was driving and Talia was sitting next to him. She didn’t say a word since Margot got into the car. She ignored her and at the same time acted offended. It was Jack who tried to stay civilized, even though it was a very hard thing for him to do.

Margot’s first thought was that they all are probably hiding at Ben’s. After all, where do hurt-by-their-parents-teenagers go, if not to their best friend’s? After she told that to Jack, they drove there silently. None of them said a single word after deciding on the destination of their small road trip.

Talia tried to act out as much as it was possible, sneakily observing Margot through a mirror. She still hasn’t said a word about their meeting to her husband. Deep down she was just hoping that Margot wouldn’t say anything about it either. She didn’t need another bomb to go off today. It was enough for her that Cal was nowhere to be found and she had to drive around car with a vamp in the backseat.

“I’ll go ask Bunny about them. You stay here” Margot said when they got to Ben’s house.

The blonde left the car and walked up to the door.

“I can’t believe we are sitting in the same car with a Legacy” Talia said after a moment.

“It was your idea to call her.”

“And you didn’t stop me.”

“If she can help us find Cal then I’m good with pretending she’s not a monster for just a few hours. And as much as I hate this situation, it’s helpful to see that she doesn’t support Cal’s and Juliette’s relation too.”

“I don’t find this helpful.”

Margot came back to the car.

“They are not here. But Ben’s not here either.”

“Any ideas?” Jack asked.

“I’ll try calling him. And we should keep moving. There is this place in the woods where teenagers have parties, maybe we should check that.”

“I know where that is, let’s go.”

Margot called Ben but she got no response. She was getting more and more irritated at the situation. And so was Talia.

They finally got to the woods. There was no sign of any kids.

“What now?”

“We should search the woods anyway. In case something dangerous is there” Jack suggested. “Let’s split and meet here back in fifteen.”

“If there is any chance Cal is here, I’m not letting this vamp find her alone. I’ll go with Margot.” Talia sounded like she was made to eat something disgusting. She eyed Margot up and down. The Legacy rolled her eyes.

Jack didn’t want to argue with his angry wife and agreed, even though he had at least three reasons for why it was a bad idea. He took his guns out of the car, looked at his watch and disappeared in the forest.

“For a person who says they hate me, you try really hard to spend a lot of time in my presence” Margot said with a satisfying smirk on her face.

“Shut your mouth.” Talia took a sword-looking weapon out of the boot and they started walking.

“When I first met Jack I got a very different idea of who he is. But now I can see who truly wears pants in your house.”

Talia didn’t say anything. She didn’t decide on going together with Margot because she liked her company. She decided to go with her because she wanted to keep an eye on her. One can never know what a creature like this will do. There was a chance Cal was there, and Talia didn’t want the vamp to be the one to find her. Knowing Margot, she could just save Juliette and leave Cal to die.

At that point the Legacy only wanted to go home. She had already prepared a speech for when she will be alone with her daughter. Juliette was in trouble. Not because she didn’t say anything about leaving the house, not because she had her mother worried, no, it was because Margot had to spend time with a very angry and not at all funny huntress. She was bored to death and quite irritated. The only thing that kept her going was finding new ways to irritate Talia more. Maybe she would spill some beans too if she was angered enough.

Margot wanted to help. She understood how parents could be worried about their children more than anyone. It’s just, she didn’t really believe Juliette and Cal were in any danger. They were missing for less than a few hours, they were in rebellious relationship, and they were quite sure it was love. There was nothing that made Margot think something bad had happened. She didn’t approve of the relation, after all it was a vampire and a monster hunter, but still, she had bigger things to take care of. She went with the Burns on a motherly impulse and that’s it. Now she was just regretting it. And Talia’s attitude didn’t help. Or did it?

“She’s a lot like you, Cal, you know? All serious and threating whenever she gets a chance to. I’ve met her three times and the vibes she gave me are almost the same to yours.”

“And what vibes are those?”

“Oh, that she would love to kill me of course.”

Talia let out a single laugh.

“Juliette’s nothing like you.”

“No, she is. She’s just my younger self. I’ve lived through enough to get a thick skin. After years you teach yourself to react differently, to control your emotions. I think you know what I’m talking about.”

“I do.”

They’ve gone quiet. It’s like they felt bad for starting a civilized conversation. It just didn’t seem natural.

Talia rapidly stopped.

“Did you see that?”

Margot stared at the trees in front of them but she didn’t see anything. She turned around to see how far from the car they were. She didn’t see the road or any lights. However, she did hear a noise behind her. When she turned back, Talia was a few steps further from her. The huntress was slowly moving forward.

“What?” Margot tried asking quietly, but she got no response.

Talia drew her weapon. She was still a few steps ahead of the vampire. Suddenly she was attacked by a fast-moving ghoul. It ran straight at her but with a single swing of her sword, it dropped dead. She looked back at Margot as if she was showing off her skills.

“A ghoul. I hope our girls didn’t…” She couldn’t finish as another high speed creature attacked her, knocking her sword from her hand. She tried to kick the monster, but she fell down.

The huntress was lying on the ground, the ghoul standing right over her, getting closer with every second. Talia tried reaching for her sword, nervously crawling on her back. But she didn’t have to worry. Not making a sound, Margot appeared behind the creature and snapped its neck with her bare hands. Both women froze, holding the gaze on each other.

Chapter Text

Talia’s heart was pounding. She couldn’t catch her breath. So many thoughts were running through her mind now. But her body couldn’t move. Her eyes locked on Margot’s eyes, her fingers stuck in the ground. Her knees seemed to shake, unable to lift her up. Everything was wrong.

Two questions, how, after years of training, something like this could’ve happened. Why did she loosen up? It was clear that there might have been more monsters. She should’ve been alarmed at all times. It could’ve been her end… Could have. But wasn’t. Because of the second thing, Margot. Why the hell would she help? Talia didn’t understand it.

After what seemed like an eternity, Margot reached for Talia’s hand and helped her get up.

The Legacy wasn’t as confused as the huntress was. Although her adrenaline level did increase, she kept her cool. They weren’t in a fight, they weren’t at war, they were looking for their children together, in fact, Jack made it clear today wasn’t about fighting. It was obvious for Margot to help Talia when she needed it.

“Are you hurt?” Margot asked. She was genuinely concerned.

But she didn’t have to wait for Talia’s answer. She could smell blood. It didn’t make her fangs appear, it didn’t make her lose control, but she did feel affected by it. She grabbed Talia’s right hand and gently twisted it. There was a small wound there. She must have cut her forearm on a stick or a stone laying on the ground, as it didn’t look like something a ghoul did. Margot rubbed the blood with her thumb just before Talia withdrew her arm.

The huntress seemed offended. It was far out from her comfort zone. She squinted her eyes and clenched her jaw. She looked for her weapon, ready for another fight. After all, a vampire has just smelled blood, it’s supposed to end badly, right?

But Margot didn’t attack her. In fact, Margot didn’t move a single bit. In comparison to what was happening in Talia’s head, the Legacy was on holidays.

“It’s nothing serious but still, you should get that cleaned” Margot smiled.

She looked Talia straight in the eyes and licked the blood off of her thumb. Talia was grossed by this, but she didn’t get a chance to comment on it, as they both heard someone coming in their direction. The huntress quickly picked up her weapon off the ground, but she soon saw a friendly face. It was Jack.

“What happened here?” He asked.

Margot raised her eyebrows, two ghouls on the ground were quite a clue.

“They attacked us” Talia answered. “Well, me. They attacked me.”

“I see you handled them.”

She nodded her head and looked up at Margot. She was too proud to admit to her husband she needed help and that she received it from a vampire. It seemed to be wrong with their rules, it made Margot look good. And why was it important what really happened? Now it was only important to find the girls.

The Legacy didn’t say anything either. She understood why Talia kept quiet about their ghoul encounter. To her it seemed like Talia often lied to her husband. Back in the car, Margot easily realised Talia didn’t tell Jack about their little meeting. He would’ve acted different towards the vampire if he knew. It seemed weird to her, Sebastian knew everything important that was happening, she couldn’t possibly keep things from him. But Talia was playing a different game and Margot wanted to see who will win. Also, why would she come between the couple… Now?

“Come on, I came to find you cause the boys called. Cal’s home.”

Talia let out all the air she had in her lungs. She ran her hand through her hair and smiled.

“I’m glad she’s safe” Margot said quietly to Talia, who ignored her.

“Let’s go home.”

Margot didn’t care much about whether Cal was home or not. She didn’t care if Juliette was home either. Since the very moment she got into that car, she just wanted to go back, finish her skincare routine and go to sleep. She wanted to wake up in the morning and wait for her husband to return, and to not care about any monsters or hunters. But not every dream comes true.

They got back to the car and Jack, generously, drove Margot home.

“Thanks for your help.”

“No problem. I’m glad girls are okay.”

“We’ll talk to Cal about all this and we hope you’ll do the same with your daughter. We don’t want them to hang out anymore.” Jack stated.

“But today doesn’t change anything between us” Talia added.

Jack looked away from the Legacy but he didn’t say anything else. Talia, on the other hand, kept looking at Margot with hatred for as long as she was in her sight.

When they got home, they immediately stormed into Cal’s room and had a serious conversation with her, which was more like shouting at each other than talking to each other. It ended with Cal slamming the door and Talia grounding her.

Talia then poured herself a glass of wine and sat on the couch with her husband in silence. Both of them too exhausted to talk about Fairmonts and Cal’s rebellion.

“Jack?” Talia asked after some time. “Do you think it’s hard for a vampire to learn control when they see blood?”

“It’s just like learning to control themselves in front of humans in general. Some are better at it, some are worse. It takes time, like every other practise. I guess it gets easier with age.”

“Do you think Legacies have it easier?”

“I don’t know. We still know little about them. Why are you asking?”

“I got hurt when the ghoul attacked me…” She admitted, breaking eye contact with him. “I cut myself” she showed him her arm. “And Margot didn’t move at all. She even seemed more in control in that moment than I was. I think I was scared she’ll kill me.”

Jack was concerned. He hugged her and kissed her forehead.

“But she didn’t do anything” Talia continued. “We have never faced Legacies before. Normal vampires go crazy when they smell blood. I just wonder how much more dangerous Margot and others really are.”

That moment, when Margot casually licked off the blood, that was the moment Talia thought about for the rest of the day. She couldn’t think about anything else. It was so strangely compelling for her. She was intrigued. She was playing it over and over in her mind, trying to grab all the feelings that ran through her then. Suddenly she got it. She felt like this once before. The same day, the same vampire, different place. It was when Margot threatened to bite her. The control that vamp had… She was dangerous.

Chapter Text

Two days past and Talia still couldn’t stop thinking about Margot. She didn’t share her thoughts with anyone but she did think about it a lot. She analysed everything since their first day in the town and she read whatever she could find online about the Fairmonts. There was a lot of stuff about Sebastian but not as much about Margot, who Talia was clearly more interested in. She gathered every scrap of information she found in the guild about the Legacies and studied them thoroughly.

But after two nights of reading, writing and talking to herself, she didn’t find too much. She learned a bit about Sebastian’s political career but besides that, everything was just old news. When she checked online articles about weird and unexplained deaths, the city seemed to be normal. There weren’t any more deaths of locals than in any other city. It seemed the Legacies lead a peaceful life without drawing too much of unwanted attention to themselves.

However, gathering information and learning wasn’t all Talia was doing. On her mind, she had one more thing. The reading, studying, searching, that was something that fed the analytical part of her, but the emotional one was still very lost and confused. She was thinking that maybe Margot did something to her, that maybe, somehow, she did bit her. And when that thought came to her she got scared. For a moment even paranoid. What if they were connected? But they couldn’t be. Besides being intrigued, Talia didn’t have any symptoms of a bite. And she was always alert, well, almost always. But she would surely notice something like a vampire biting into her skin.

The rationality didn’t stop her curiosity. She needed answers and she needed them now. She couldn’t bear the thought that maybe Margot was an ally. The guild strictly forbid something like that and even thinking it only pointed to being bitten. That’s why she couldn’t tell anyone about her feelings.

Margot was clearly more powerful than any other normal vampire. Her strength, her behaviour… Her humanly behaviour… She knew what she was doing. Studying all of their interactions, Talia was pretty sure she was being manipulated. That Margot was playing mind games with her. And since she was a vampire, these were no ordinary mind games. That train of thoughts seemed logical to Talia. All that was left was to test her knowledge and her thesis.

Sebastian came home two days after Juliette and Cal disappeared. Both him and Margot sat down with their daughter and explained why it was dangerous to continue the relationship between her and the young huntress. Juliette, of course, didn’t take it well but after some time she pretended to understand at least a part of it and finally was excused to her room.

“Do you think we are doing the right thing?” Sebastian asked his wife, putting his hand on hers.

“We are doing what is best for her, even if she doesn’t agree with it.”

“Doesn’t that remind you of something?”

“What?” Margot asked, but she knew where this was going.

“When your mother tried to arrange a marriage for you?”

Margot stood up and took a deep breath. She looked back at her husband, resting her hand on his chair.

“This is different. She’s just a kid. She doesn’t know better. Not mentioning the part where they are hunters and want to kill all of us.” She rolled her eyes.

“You don’t agree with all you say.”

“I don’t agree with the part when you compared me to my mother.”

“It was your idea to get to know them. To get out some information. To find out what they know and what they want. What happened to that plan?”

“I spent some time with them and realised they are the least of my problems. First is Juliette, and the second Emerald Malkia.”

Margot didn’t have much against Juliette’s relationship. She truly wanted her to be happy. Especially since her own mother didn’t want that for her. She felt bad about forbidding the relationship, but she knew it was the best way to keep both of the girls safe. Even though she didn’t know that much about the guild, she wasn’t stupid, she was aware of the danger. The Burns maybe didn’t know how to kill a Legacy, but they were only soldiers in the guild. What if people higher in the hierarchy knew more? They definitely didn’t care about who they were killing, they are brainwashed and therefore dangerous.

As a mother, she wasn’t afraid that something may happen to her, she cared only about Juliette. And it seemed that she was the only one close enough to the hunters to actually be in danger. Margot still didn’t acknowledge the threat Talia was but she was pretty aware of the danger the guild was if they ever decided to attack the Legacies all together. She had to protect her family. There was a way to do it better. Emerald Malkia.

“I know that whatever you decide it will be a right decision. I just hope we knew more. Just like you.”

Sebastian looked her in the eyes and smiled. He got up to kiss her, but suddenly they heard a doorbell.

“At this hour?”

“I’ll get it” Margot went up to the door.

Talia fought with herself for another hour and finally decided to leave the house. She knew where she was going, but she felt like it wasn’t her feet that did the walking. After some time of battling in her head she found herself outside of Margot’s house.

What was the plan? She didn’t come to hurt her, not this time, so she didn’t have any weapons. She didn’t come to make peace either. So what was she doing? Before leaving the house she was certain this was the right thing to do now, but it seemed she forgot everything that she was supposed to do. She could still back up. She could leave, go home. Instead, she paced in circles in front of the house.

All she could think of was that all her previous thoughts were against the guild. She was doing something risky, something wrong…

Finally she rang the doorbell. After a moment Margot opened the door. She wasn’t shocked. She seemed to have known who will be on the other side of the door. Talia was thrown off by it.

“I’ll start to think you developed some crush on me.” Margot said with a teasing smile.

“Can we talk?”

Chapter Text

Margot was not surprised to see Talia. If there was anyone to come to her house at this time, at this hour, it would be the huntress. Not many people showed at that door anyway. The guess was easy. Although Margot didn’t have to guess.

She stood there, at the top of the stairs, her hand still on the doorknob, her head high, looking down on Talia. She was powerful, she was fearless, she had the upper hand no matter what was going to happen. Talia was alone and the Legacy had her family nearby. They both knew that, they both were very aware of the situation and Margot decided to use it and show it.

“What do you want to talk about?”

But Talia didn’t have an answer for that. She came there because, after hours of thinking, she decided it was the best thing she could do in the current situation. In this moment, wondering what to tell the vampire, she felt alone. She felt wronged that to talk about what was bothering her, she had to go to talk with the enemy. More than anything, Talia wanted to speak about all this with her husband. But she knew he wouldn’t understand that. He would probably inform the guild and they would make sure she would never again be bothered by thoughts like this. She had no one to talk to, to ask questions, to get support from.

Of course, Margot wasn’t going to give her any support. Talia couldn’t even be sure if Margot would answer any questions, it was a really long shot. Worth trying? Maybe.

“Us?”

Margot raised one eyebrow almost as if it was an impulse, but she immediately knew what Talia meant. It was her tone that made her smile. This strong woman was so lost and she needed help of an enemy. How amusing.

Still, the look on Margot’s face made Talia blush. She looked away from the vampire, hoping she was standing too far for Margot to hear her heartbeat, that was quickly rising.

“Oh, darling” the Legacy said after a moment. “And how can I know you really are here just to talk?”

The vampire didn’t feel threatened in any way. Not only did she feel confident but also her husband was inside, ready to help her if she needed that.

“You can pat me down” Talia said with embarrassment.

With every word that came out of Talia’s mouth, Margot rose in confidence. Every word that Talia said made her smaller, less threatening and more desperate. The vampire enjoyed it more than she thought she would. In comparison to their previous interactions this one was the most rewarding for her. This time, they weren’t equal.

For a split of a second, a thought appeared in Margot’s head. What if this was a game? What if this was an ambush? What if Talia wanted Margot to feel confident, so that she would lose her focus? With that in mind, the Legacy made her way towards the huntress.

Talia observed her slowly moving towards her until it made her too uncomfortable.  Margot stopped right in front of her, looking her straight in the eyes, with a smirk on her face.

“You better not be carrying any weapons.”

Margot put her hands on Talia’s shoulders, still looking into the escaping eyes of the huntress. From the shoulders, she went lower, patting down her arms, until she reached the end of Talia’s sleeve. With a subtle move, she made Talia spread her arms, which she did with a reserve and Margot proceeded to touch the sides of the huntress chest and then her stomach.

To the woman who was being searched, all of this seemed unnecessarily long. She didn’t want to seem irritated, after all she came up with the idea herself, but she ostentatiously turned her head away from what was happening. She just hoped the embarrassment will end soon.

But Margot did take her time. She inspected Talia’s waist, searching for weapons in her belt and later in her back pockets. She could feel the tension that went through the huntress’s body when she placed her hands on her butt. Then she had to go lower. She could no longer comfortably reach Talia, so she broke the eye contact and crouched. She checked Talia’s thighs, inner thighs and her calves. With each centimetre Margot paid less and less attention to what she was feeling. She just hoped to make Talia even more uncomfortable.

When she stood up, Talia finally brought herself to look in her eyes. She wasn’t happy to see the smile on the blonde’s face.

“You happy?”

After making sure there was no weapon on the huntress and no wire of any sort either, Margot scanned closest trees, houses and lampposts, making sure they were really alone. Seemed like there was no ambush, no backup, no ulterior motive. The huntress truly was defenceless and did came to talk.

“Very” said Margot with satisfaction.

Get yourself together – Talia was repeating in her head. She’s been in weirder and more dangerous situations before. And the weird thing was already over. Now they could talk, and that is why she came there. She needed to toughen up if she was supposed to get anything out of tonight.

“I would invite you inside, but I believe my family wouldn’t be too happy.”

“We can talk here. Or in the garden…”

Suddenly the door of the house opened. Another blonde walked out of there and when she spotted the huntress, she locked her eyes on her but she didn’t take attacking stance. Talia on the other hand, felt adrenaline rush. As if she was more threatened by the young vampire than the older one. Something was wrong here.

“Mum?” The girl just asked.

“It’s okay Elinor. Talia’s here to talk.”

Talia could swear there was an invisible emphasis on the last two words. She tried her best to read the situation, to get the most information out of it. Because if her gut was telling her that something was off, it probably was.

“Alright. I was… Just going out.”

“That’s okay sweetie. Go. We’ll just talk for a bit.”

Elinor walked down the stairs, giving Talia one last harsh look as she passed the two women. And like that she was gone.

Talia was surprised to see it play out like this. Her family would never leave her alone with the enemy, armed or not. She didn’t know if she was amazed by the trust that was given there or is she thought it was incredibly stupid to leave someone like this. Either way, she was again left alone with Margot. The adrenaline went away, faster than it should. And even though her heart still beat very quickly, she felt calm. Almost as if she… Trusted Margot.

Chapter Text

Margot once again sized Talia up with her eyes, a small smile on her face. She felt amused by the situation. Talia clearly looked uncomfortable, but it almost seemed like she was more tense while Elinor appeared than when Margot patted her down. Something that Legacy decided to store in her mind and remember for later.

She remembered that in the house there is her husband, who she was just talking to and who was probably waiting impatiently for her return. She had to let him know that she might not be back for some time.

“You must excuse me for a moment, darling. Sebastian’s home and I really should let him know who rang the doorbell.”

Talia opened her mouth to say something but didn’t make a sound. She didn’t want the husband to join them. She felt safer and more comfortable with only one monster around. But if Margot wanted him there with them, she had no say in it.

The vampire noticed that hesitation.

“But don’t fret, I won’t invite him to join us. Unless of course, you’d like to make it a party” Margot said playfully. But it did not amuse Talia.

“Sure. Take your time.”

Margot turned towards the door and after grabbing the doorknob she looked back at Talia.

“Wait in the garden, I’ll be back soon,” she said with a polite smile.

Talia looked as Margot closed the door behind her and after a deep sigh, she made her way into the garden. The vamp disappearing to tell her husband about Talia only made the huntress more restless. But the thought of the two of them teaming up to kill her did not cross her mind. Not even once.

She tried really hard to calm down her heartbeat, to figure out what to say to Margot when she comes back, to make some sense out of her coming here. She found herself near the same gazebo where her and Margot had talked before. The memory of the danger she thought she was in that day, was lingering in her head like a dense mist. But she was not in danger then and she is not in danger now. And even if she was, she is a huntress and she can protect herself… Why did she feel like she was not in any danger?

At the same time Margot was talking to her husband, asking him to trust her and leave the two women alone.

“I can handle her” Margot said to him confidently.

Sebastian was sitting in a chair, his legs spread wide, while she was standing between them, holding his face in her hands.

“I know you can. And I trust you, you know that. I am just worried, she did try to kill you before.”

“I can’t explain it but I feel like she finally realised we may be working towards the same goal. It’s like she knows she can’t beat us, so she came here to join forces.”

“You can’t know that.”

“And I will never find out the truth if you keep me from going out to her” Margot said just before giving him a gentle kiss. “I’ll be fine. Don’t intervene, don’t check up on us, don’t peek.”

“I trust you.”

Margot smiled at him and left. She did not hurry, she had no reason to. However, a small part of her was excited for the conversation with Talia and suddenly she regretted having stairs in the house.

The Legacy wasn’t surprised on how it all played out so far but even she couldn’t figure out what exactly brought Talia to her house, unarmed, ready to finally sit down and talk. And the curiosity was killing her. Luckily, Margot knew how to contain herself. She knew how to play the game and she was not letting Talia off easily.

She left the house through glass door leading to the garden. She immediately saw Talia pacing around the gazebo. Margot laughed quietly to herself, that sight entertained her deeply. The other woman looked a bit like she was deciding whether to stay or run away without a word.

When Talia heard the glass door closing, she looked up and saw the blonde making her way over to her. She moved with a certain grace. Not that Talia had not noticed it before, Margot always looked very distinguished. She was a classy lady, not only in appearance but also the way she spoke, behaved. In some way it irritated Talia. She knew exactly why it made her feel that way, it wasn’t the style that bothered her, it was the unsettling calmness that came with it. How could someone so bad and dangerous be so calm all the time?

Their eyes met, Margot tilted her head and without skipping a bit she asked with a smile.

“Missed me?”

Talia had hard time telling whether it was a joke or a genuine question. While she was trying to gather her thoughts, Margot sat down on one of the chairs, her legs crossed and one arm resting on the backrest. As she looked at Talia’s face, even though Talia standing up had physical advantage over her, it was the huntress who felt small.

“You can sit in my presence, darling” Margot added after a moment of quiet. “So, what brings you here?”

After another comment from Margot, Talia decided she needs to toughen up. It was the first time she felt so insecure with the vamp and therefore was letting her to behave like that. It had to stop. They were supposed to be equal here, to talk in a civilised way, but up until now Talia was giving in to her emotions.

“I just want to talk” Talia sat on the chair opposite to Margot. “You must understand, my family doesn’t know I came here tonight.”

“You seem to hide a lot from them” Margot replied, her voice tinged with amusement. “Especially when it comes to me.”

Even though this remark irritated Talia, Margot was not wrong. She didn’t tell Jack about a single of their private meetings. Of course, she had her reasons. She wanted to protect them, to take care of the whole situation without involving them. Also, she was quite afraid that her husband would not understand her actions. That maybe he would feel the need to inform the guild about all this.

At the same time she knew her family trusted her and she didn’t have to tell them about every little thing she did. On the contrary to Margot, she thought, who somehow in a matter of minutes managed to alarm both her daughter and her husband. Was that necessary?

“Well, not all of us have the need to report everything to their families” she said back with her previous confidence. “Besides… They don’t need to know everything.”

While saying the second sentence, her eyes dropped from Margot. The Legacy noticed that.

“No need to get defensive. That was just an observation.”

Talia knew that at this point she needed to open up a bit. She was not going to achieve anything if the conversation looked like that. She needed to start treating this situation as a reconnaissance and instead of trying to be equal to Margot try to be above it all.

Unfortunately, her emotions were all over the place and she could not control them. She needed to get a grip, to figure out what was happening to her before it was too late. However, the only thing she could think of was asking Margot how did she end up in her house instead of sharing her feelings with her family. But that would be a rhetorical question, wouldn’t it? No point in asking, she already knew the answer. She was too afraid they would not understand her struggle.

“You know Margot, for a split second I thought you bit me.”

Margot laughed at that remark.

“And why would you think that?”

“Cause I came here alone?” Talia looked at Margot with a bland smile. “And unarmed?”

“Yet, here you are, still in one piece. I must be losing my touch, don’t you think?”

The Legacy was enjoying talking to Talia more than she thought she would. Even though Talia looked much more confident than at the beginning of the meeting, Margot could still feel how nervous she was. And with every small comment the vampire made, Talia was losing control and Margot was gaining it.

“If you’re asking me if you’re still a monster to me, the answer’s yes,” Talia said without thinking much.

“Monster, how,” Margot gestured with her right hand, “original. But still, you are here. Let’s focus on why.”

Margot could go on teasing Talia for hours, but it would be a false assumption to say she was not interested in why Talia came to her in the first place. It was time to ease up on the taunts and start getting answers. She straightened on the chair and crossed her arms.

Talia felt a bit of relief that this conversation finally seemed to be getting somewhere but at the same time she felt lost again, as she didn’t exactly know how she ended up talking to Margot. She thought that maybe she should risk it and be honest with the vamp, at least to some extent. Possibly, Margot could have the answers Talia was looking for.

“You said you thought I bit you. Want to elaborate?” Margot added after a pause.

“I… uh…” Talia started but couldn’t say a proper word. She sighed loudly and looked away from Margot. “I hate vampires. I think they, you, you are evil. And I do hate you.”

“How consistent of you. Do go on.”

Talia ignored Margot remark. She was finally getting somewhere. She just wasn’t yet sure where her confession was going.

“But ever since that ghoul attacked me and you… Helped me…” The last two words were extremely hard for Talia to admit. Even Margot was surprised to hear that. “I can’t stop thinking about your kind. You in particular. That maybe, just maybe, you and I aren’t that different after all, just like you said. That maybe we could… Coexist.” She exhaled sharply, almost as if the admission burned her throat while she was saying it.

“That is very progressive of you. I am touched.”

Margot couldn’t give up all the teasing, especially when Talia referred to vampires as “Margot’s kind”, but she was nonetheless taken aback by Talia’s words. What happened to the huntress that in such a short time she changed sides? Well, not entirely. She made it clear that she still hates Margot, but still, Talia proposing coexistence is far from what the Legacy imagined this conversation would bring. Did something as small as helping her made her question everything she had been taught?

“Don’t be. I still don’t trust you. I still hate the idea of our kids being together. And do not mistake all I said for a weakness. One wrong move and I’ll make your life hell.”

After opening up, proposing something in a form of truce, Talia felt vulnerable. She could sense how her body alarmed her, sending anxiety through her whole body. The natural reaction for the huntress was to get a little aggressive and that did help her to calm down. She needed Margot to know that even though she admitted some deep feelings, she was still dangerous and was not to be underestimated.

At this point both of them were looking into each other’s eyes, trying to quietly establish who has more control over the situation. Talia was trying to lie to herself, that even on vampires’ ground, she had some power. But it was Margot who had the upper hand.

“Again with the threats?”

“I don’t trust you and I should not be here, not unarmed.” Talia’s words were laced with disgust, but her gaze faltered. She quickly looked away from the vampire, focusing on the grass in the distance. “But since that day I feel safe around you? Like you had a perfect chance to leave me to die and my blood wouldn’t even be on your hands, but you saved me.”

Talia looked back to Margot, waiting for understanding.

“We are not that different Talia. We just want to protect our families.”

Margot at last understood what this was all about. Talia was not conflicted by her own actions, she was conflicted with Margot’s. She could not understand how someone she hated could protect her. She probably would not protect the vampire if the situation was reversed. It was not in her nature and as she could never understand if she saw a lion protecting a gazelle, she could not understand a vampire protecting a human. Additionally, when someone saves your life you do tend to be grateful for it. That’s why Talia felt so safe with Margot. How could she hurt her if she had already saved her life once?

The Legacy smiled. She thought it could be the end of one problem. Talia would take care of the Guild, so that they would stop bothering the family, and possibly they could learn more about what the Guild knows.

“I think you could easily get rid of my family if you really wanted to. You are the Legacies. Why don’t you? Why do you sit and talk to me? Why bother?”

“I’ve got bigger things on my mind, no offense.”

When Margot said that with a dismissive and gesture, that’s when Talia got really interested in what the vamp had to say. However, that feeling quickly went away, as Margot continued.

“Why don’t you bring Jack next time, we can talk about truce.”

Margot stood up from her chair with intention of shaking Talia’s hand. She made her steps towards the woman and only then realised that the huntress is no longer looking at her. Her facial expression changed rapidly and she began playing with her hands under the table.

“Jack… He…” Talia started but couldn’t bring herself to look back at Margot. “Wouldn’t understand.”

“What do you mean?”

“I should go, it’s enough for one evening.” Talia shook her head and got up from her chair.

“Tell me, please.” The vampire said quietly.

Margot reached to touch Talia’s arm but quickly backed up. What she said was genuine. She saw that the huntress has a problem and with all that happened today she was ready to listen to her and help.

For Talia that was it. After hearing Margot’s soft voice she was ready to admit what probably hurt her the most. Without thinking, truthfully, more to herself than the woman standing in front of her.

“I couldn’t tell him about how I feel lately. Sometimes I think he would choose the Guild over me. And he would be right to do so. After all, how can someone like me even think of a truce with your kind?”

There it was. She said it exactly how she felt it. Talking this way to a vampire was just disobeying the Guild, destroying everything she was taught, everything she believed in. Talia thought that maybe she was just weak. That Jack was simply stronger than her and a part of her admired that. She was just afraid that he would not be able to take her side if she came to him saying that maybe not all vampires are monsters.

She looked at Margot expecting understanding, support, but she quickly realized that it was not support that was on the Legacy’s face. For a moment she had no idea what happened.

“My kind?” Margot said slowly. “It’s not the first time you say it like that. So, you agree with him and still instead of him, you come to me. Convenient.”

The vampire got angry. She created a space to talk about possible truce, but it turned out Talia has never truly thought about the two of them being equal. She never considered the Legacy as an ally. In Talia’s head there were only people and monsters. Margot understood everything Talia said as repulsion towards her and her family and she was going to pay back with the same.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that you came to someone who you knew would save your arse from the Guild. Who you feel safe around, correct? A monster instead of your own husband?”

Right now, Margot was sure that it was the only reason Talia came to her. She may have felt safe around the vampire since the ghoul’s attack, but it was never more than that. She considered Margot someone strong enough that it would be better to have them on her side. And this thinking was enough to break the Guild’s code. So, for sympathy she came to the monster instead of her family. But she was far from calling a vampire a friend.

At that moment Margot remembered how Talia reacted seeing Elinor. She was more afraid of the daughter than the mother. She does not know Elinor and therefore fears her more. She knows Margot can behave herself near blood, she is ready to protect and help, but what about other vampires?

“No, it’s not like that. How dare you?”

Talia was surprised by how quickly Margot’s attitude changed. She could not grasp what happened, but she wasn’t going to cry over that. If the vampire does not appreciate her honesty, she was not going to waste any more time on it. Her instincts kicked in, it was time to fight back and leave. After all, she had nothing on herself that she could use to attack the vamp.

“Touched a nerve, have I?” Margot said almost proudly. That only made Talia angrier.

“You’re unbelievable. You only prove that it was a bad idea to come here. Why the fuck did I come here?”

“You are acting like you’ve got everything under control, but you would not be here if that were true. Let’s see how long you can pretend you’re the one running this, darling.”

Margot didn’t think much when she was saying that, but she knew one thing – she had to destroy her. She had only a few seconds to think of a way to ruin Talia before she leaves and harming her was not on the table. It had to be much more sophisticated. It had to leave her as confused as she was when she rang the doorbell and at the same time it had to crush her. If not physically then emotionally.

The thought struck Margot like a lightning and she acted on it instantly, not giving herself time to think it through. Without a warning she grabbed Talia’s neck, her thumb on the huntress’s cheek and she pressed her lips onto her.

The kiss wasn’t tender, it was an invasion, a display of power and a taunt. It definitely brought the expected result. Talia’s body tensed, her hands forming fists at her sides, caught completely off guard for a moment she had no idea what to do. However, she came back to her senses as Margot put her other hand on Talia’s waist, pulling her closer. She pushed the vampire away abruptly, as if the kiss had stolen not only her control but the very ground beneath her feet.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

Talia was furious, she did not understand what that was supposed to mean. It definitely didn’t feel like a romantic kiss, that she could tell. But even though her mind was going crazy with anger and trying to understand what happened, her body was betraying her. She could still feel Margot’s lips on her own and with that realisation she felt her heartbeat rising with every second. Her hands were trembling when she looked back into Margot’s eyes. They were back to their usual self, calm and smiling. She got what she wanted.

“Do you still feel safe?”