Carmilla gently placed a palm on Tatiana’s forehead to feel her daughter’s temperature. The sleeping teen’s face was thin and faded, possessing a corpse-like pallor with icy cheeks and lips. The two were figures of gloom and darkness in the otherwise screaming pink room. “Thank you, Morgana.” Looking away with a sigh, the vampire matriarch took the tray offered by the witch and left it and its contents on the nightstand. Immediately she found one of the herb satchels and let fall into a cup of steaming hot water and her nostrils flared with disgust. “One day we will have a long talk about how you came upon this recipe.”
The witch's brew was a Hunter’s tool. A poison that thinned out the venom that coursed through a Vampire’s veins. Harmless to humans, but could transferred through their blood when bitten. Death, or something close to it, followed in normal circumstances. Unfortunately, Carmilla cursed underneath her breath, Morgana was rarely in the habit of normal. Bad enough she had had one of Circe's dangerous toys in her possession.
“Sorry, I had to step out to help Jezebel with preparations for school. Sounds like she had a fun sleepover. Ah, maybe I should invite some men and women over for an orgy during the full moon when these two are away. So long since I had time for myself.” The bubbling voice came from Delilah du Charmé, Jezebel’s mother. And despite living in a suburban home painted pink with heart-shaped windows and a working as a (sexual) therapist, still had yet to be found out as a sex demon by her neighbors. “How is our sleeping beauty?”
Keeping her daughter in Delilah’s house meant both her and Morgana were closer on hand. She disliked the compromise, though Carmilla understood the necessity of it even if it put pressure on her spouse to run everything during her absences. “I am feeding my daughter poison and yours is pouring more through her ear.”
“My Jezzi-poo sees an opportunity to rid herself of a rival for Selena’s love, without killing anyone or breaking their hearts. Not that she isn’t saying anything that Tatiana hasn’t convinced herself of beforehand. Right, darling?” du Charmé peeked over the scowling matriarch’s shoulder and onto young vamp who rapidly closed her eyes. The Succubus clapped her hands together. “If you’re awake enough to spy on us then you can drink your medicine.”
Tatiana grumbled and fought through the vertigo and the weakness in her limbs when she tried to straighten herself. “Jezebel and I are on the same page, mom.” Her speech was slurred and once the tea was in her system it’d be worse for a long while. The cup already felt like lead in her grip and she dearly wanted to hold it with both, but knew the routine and offered her free arm to the Succubus who had joined Carmilla on the bedside. “Shouldn’t you worry more about Artemis Lyall. When Lena and I first began to hang out she was accusing you of wanting Vampire-Werewolf hybrids. This is pretty much it.”
“Don’t make light of the subject. As much as I think of Selena as a daughter, I hope she speaks some sense into you and ends this. Selena being an Alpha doesn't mean anything will become between you.” Even Delilah gave a small nod, showing her support for Carmilla’s position. The Vampire teen set her jaw firm and didn’t let anything show when her matriarch brushed her fingers through her hair.
Delilah du Charmé released Tatiana’s arm. “Whatever happens, your tattered spirit is vibrant and lovely. So long as Morgana is satisfied with the venom concentration, then I can transfer Selena’s soul into your body. Jezebel will make sure you two meld into one person afterwards.” A Succubus could use the same process to rebirth a soul into a succubus/incubus by taking it into their womb, this merely had her pushing Selena into another person rather than stopping. “Never expected her to be such a hard-working soul tender, yet when her heart is set then there’s nothing that my Jezzi-poo can’t do.” She then raised a cautioning finger. “Remember to thank her.” She formed a ring next, putting her outstretched finger through it repeatedly, making it clear what she meant.
“For mixing the supernatural equivalent of water and vinegar, yes. The dosage will be adjusted based on Selena, Tatiana, and Jezebel’s feedback.” A Vampire’s venom corroded their soul before it could build up resistance. Tatiana was an especially bad case, healing her spirit this much had been an extreme intervention. It wouldn't be enough for the Were-brush affect her. Selena had the opposite issue, being closer to a force of nature. “One last time, Tatiana you know what can happen if things go wrong?”
Tatiana shrugged dismissively, but did nothing to remove herself from her mother’s touch. “Best case, my venom burns away the Weretiger aspects of Selena’s soul and she becomes a full vampire. Bad, Selena burns away my soul. Worst, she purges my body of all unnatural impurities, killing us both.” Carmilla von Karnstein trembled as her daughter spoke and pulled several strands of her black hair out by their roots. “What will happens is my venom will eat at her slowly, Jezebel will patch the holes with my soul. Until then I’ll be the voice in her head telling her how awesome we are until one person.” The words were rote by now.
Carmilla leaned her head down in Tatiana’s lap and began to sob. As matriarch of the Von Karnstein clan, she had to put on airs of being an invincible and seductive queen of the night, yet seeing one daughters putting herself through all of this for weeks only to potentially lose both her and Selena was too much at once.
“Mom,” the emotions were slipping through, “Delilah agreed I could come home and wait there. Starting to feel pretty shit, so, uh, don’t think I should drive anywhere. I miss colors that aren’t pink, my room, and everyone else.”