41__Hello, little love.

“Dance with me, little love!” screamed the grinning, handsome Vamp as he kneeled on the bar like he were confessing his love for Kamilla. The place was dark, but she saw him from the red lights at the bar.

She saw him, but barely heard him over the loud music and the alcohol screaming through her veins as she downed her tenth shot, determined to keep up with this group of wild ones. She’d get all the information she could if it was the last thing she did.
Kamilla slammed her glass down on their table and wiped her mouth, waving away the groups noisy cheer.

“Uhh…” groaned the girl who’d challenged Kamilla to the drinking contest, her head dropping to the table.
The dancing girl clapped her hands excitedly. “Maya’s out! Maya’s out!” she screamed, falling over in fits of laughter. “She lost the challenge!”

“Now, now…” Kamilla said, brushing back her hair. She pointed a swaying arm at the group. “Ye all here owe me explanations!”

“Come and dance with meeee!!” screamed the guy from across the pub.

His friend turned around and threw a whole lime at him. “Shut it, Jaime!!” He turned back to Kamilla, his bright cat-like eyes filled to the brim with excitement. “Have another dop, red-hair!” he encouraged, pouring her another one. “Drink with me and I’ll tell ya!”

The guy called Jaime came stumbling back over to the table as Kamilla downed her shot. “Little love’s got hold!” he bellowed as he applauded her empty bottles.

Kamilla slammed her glass down and made an involuntary hiss at the strong alcoholic taste. Her head lolled back as she looked up at Jaime. “Ye said I’ve got *what*? What’s hold? Are ye insulting me?!” Kamilla pushed away from the table and stood with swinging fists. “How dare ye? Come here, ye swine! I’ll punch a hole through ya!”

The dancing girl on the floor threw back her head and laughed, the sound loud enough to be heard over the music. “He means ye can hold yer liquor!!” she yelled.

"Oh." Kamilla lowered her fists and sat back down as Jaime sat beside her, refilling her glass.
“Now look here, kids,” said Kamilla sternly, pointing a finger at everyone in the group. They leaned forward, listening attentively to their new-found leader. “I won yer stinking contest! So tell me everything ye know! Or I’ll hang ye from Witcher’s!”

“Blake!” Jaime yelled, throwing an arm around Kamilla’s shoulders. She looked at him curiously, trying to focus on the him that was clearer than the others. “Fill my little love a glass! We’re drinking to the death!” Jaime threw back a shot and gagged, his eyes filling with tears. “Ahhhh…” he groaned as his friend pushed his head onto the table.
“Hah!” Kamilla mocked him. “Ye little weakling! Can’t take a few shots, can ye?!” She pointed at Blake who at that moment looked identical to Jaime. “Now ye there!” Suddenly there were about five grinning Blakes, all blurring into each other. Squinting, Kamilla reached her pointing hand further until it was touching Blake’s nose. “Yes! You! Not that one! I won yer contest! So *speak*!”

Blake clapped his hands haphazardly and yanked up the dancing girl who’d fallen to the floor.
“Dre! She won. Tell her! Tell her now! Andrea!!” He shook the unresponsive girl by the shoulders until she blinked and grinned at him.
“Oh, my little Blakie!” she cooed, reaching forward to pinch huge chunks of his cheeks. “Yer so cuuute!”

Kamilla blinked angrily at the sight. What a waste of her time! “Ye there!” she barked, startling the girl so badly, she fell onto Blake’s lap. Kamilla pointed a finger at her. “Come to yer senses and tell me! What goes on in the private parts?” Kamilla blinked and frowned. Wait. “No! No… the private parbs… private pub… Tell me now!”

Immediately, Dre leaned forward, her eyes filled with mischief and drunkenness. “Oooooh, the private pub! It’s so secretive!” she whispered loudly, putting a hushing finger over her mouth.
Kamilla leaned over eagerly, meeting Dre halfway across the table so that they looked like they were rubbing noses. “Tell me!”
Dre bounced excitedly on Blake who groaned in pain. “Damn, Dre, I want kids, you know!”
Ignoring him Dre opened her green eyes wide at Kamilla. “Don’t you remember? Diana’s son, huh. The queen’s son bought that whole building for his sheganingangs… h-his sheningagans…”
Kamilla squinted at the bizarrely pronounced word. Didn’t she have Basic English knowledge? These Cassius Vamps, honestly! Kamilla shook her head. “You mean his shenagingangs?”
Dre nodded eagerly, nearly falling off Blake’s lap. “Yes! Now,” she came back within an inch of Kamilla’s nose. “He and his cousins are the only ones allowed there! That’s why Sniper wouldn’t let you in. They’ll kill you if you go in with no permission, little love!”

Kamilla gasped. “Reallly?! Those jerks! But… I saw someone else go in. A man.” She waved a finger. “And he’s not a royal.”

Maya’s head suddenly snapped up from the table and she too brought her nose into the little meeting at the centre of the table. “That man? Are you talking about that tall, deliciously beautiful man with the blonde hair and those black eyes?”
Kamilla made a face. “Gross! But, yeah, him.”
Maya nodded. “He’s been going in there for *yeeeaaars*. I also thought he wasn’t a royal. But guess what?” she paused for dramatic effect. Kamilla and Dre inched closer.
“What?” they asked simultaneously, mouths hanging open.
Maya lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Sniper finally told me and… that sexy man is close to Diana’s son and his cousins. Really really *really* close.”

Kamilla closed her mouth to swallow and moisten her dry throat. “Really? That means they’re working together. The swines!”

Maya swept a hand into her thick, black hair and closed her eyes. “Oh, a swine or not, that man is beautiful! Strong as yer horse! I’ll tell ye a secret! The other night, I was stumbling my way home and I tripped in the darkness. Just as I was about to kiss the ground, he appeared out of nowhere and swept of my feet! *Eeeek!* His eyes!”
Kamilla blinked uninterestedly. “What about them?”
Maya fluttered her lashes. “Dark and glittery! Like midnight with a splash of stars! He’s got magic in him for sure!”

Kamilla moved her tongue around in her dry mouth. Rogan’s eyes were scary, what were these girls on about? “Magic? What do ye mean?” With her elbow, she nudged Jaime in the ribs until he stirred and raised his head, pushing back his dark hair. Kamilla patted his shoulder. “Won’t ye pour me a dop?”

It was like he’d been charged with two electric cables. Jaime instantly brightened, more awake than ever. “Of course, little love! I’ll pour ye whatever ye want!”
Kamilla leaned back in as Jaime went about pouring drinks, yelling at Blake to call the waiter for more.
“So what’s that ye say? Magic in him?”
Maya nodded and glanced at Dre. “Ye know how we have those once in a century babes with the magic in their eyes?”
Dre nodded eagerly. “Yes! Yes! Oh! It’s so special.”

Kamilla shook her head in confusion, withdrawing to throw back the drink Jaime poured her as he looked on with adoring eyes.
She put aside the glass and leaned towards the women. She had to get it all out of them before they passed out again. “So what yer saying is…” Kamilla sighed and shook her head. “What are ye saying?”

Dre set her hands out and cleared her throat. “S-so it’s like this. Everybody knows our Cassius is an Enchanted Kingdom, ye know? Some say Cursed Kingdom, but let’s be positive. We’re halves here, half-Vamps and half-sorcerers. We welcome it. So then, the magic in us doesn’t always show. But very rarely, as rare as our marrying a human, *very* rarely we get the babes with the magic in their eyes! Oh, it’s precious.”

Kamilla blinked at her. “Really? I’ve never seen it? What’s this magic look like?”

Maya sighed in longing. “Oh, it’s just like that beautiful man. It’s that depth in one’s eyes, with that darkness and that twirl of magic. So rare! So beautiful.”

Kamilla watched them lean against each other, sighing contentedly over the thought of glittery eyeballs.

Tilting her head, she slowly lifted another drink to her lips and sent the liquid burning down her throat.
Hissing Kamilla hung her head low, letting her hair fall over as she thought. Oh. Okay. Maybe she understood this now. Rogan had a trait that only very rare Cassius babies got.

“Dance with me!” screamed Jaime as he threw his empty shot glass over his shoulder, turning all his attention to Kamilla.
She held up a finger. “Wait, I’m still thinking.”
Kamilla pursed her lips and nodded in silent conclusion. Well, that was it. Rogan has rare Cassius baby trait, Rogan must be rare Cassius baby.
She turned to Jaime. “Done.”
He grinned and flicked his dark hair to the side. “Let’s dance!”

He got up, dragging Kamilla out of her seat so they could lean drunkenly on each other.
“Okay, okay!” Kamilla said before lifting a stern finger. “Only once, however! I have a pet dragon who would probably eat us both if he saw this.”
She and Jaime made their merry way towards the dancefloor, arm in arm.
“Really?” said Jaime.
Kamilla nodded. “Yuup! He’s— oh!”

Kamilla gasped when someone grabbed her elbow and she was suddenly snatched away from Jaime and spun around.
Where her vision stopped blurring, Kamilla blinked up at a face that was more familiar, more beautiful and far more furious than any she’d ever seen.

Viktor’s enraged blue eyes narrowed. “What. The *hell*, Kamilla?!”

Kamilla gasped loudly before her mouth spread in a slow, delighted grin. “Oh, *helllloo*, little love!”