Seline kept her distance, muscles coiled with unreleased power. The woman in the blood-red dress had not moved an inch from her post by the window, her bearing deceptively casual, as if a siren strolling uninvited in her private suite was a trivial occurence. "You've been watching the city," Seline observed coolly. "And him. And you've been watching me. That makes two nosy busybodies."
The woman finally turned around. "Viktor Mikaelson has a way of announcing himself when he emerges from his self-imposed exile," said Seraphine smoothly. "And I assume you've also been watching me since our little meeting at the club. Two dangerously curious people, then. Tell me, Miss Seline, what did your employer want you to ask me?"
Seline narrowed her eyes at the woman. She had indeed been hired to find the broker responsible for supplying the witches with both motivation and means, but seeing the woman up close for the first time was an unexpected bonus. "My employer," she said icily, "is currently most concerned with obtaining your full name."
Seraphine smiled, a small, amused smile. "I go by many names, most of which I'd rather leave buried, but you may refer to me as Seraphine Duval." She inclined her head. "It seems you've done your homework."
It was not the name that caused Seline to stiffen, but the confirmation of the woman's long presence in New Orleans. "How long," she demanded, "have you been watching the city?"
Seraphine sighed. "Two centuries, give or take a year or two. I stopped aging in my early twenties, so as to appear human in all respects – save, of course, for my unnerving resilience and regenerative capabilities. I can still die, if pushed hard enough."
She crossed the room at a leisurely pace, halting a few inches from where Seline stood. "I do not intend to waste your time with my life story," she said, her tone almost apologetic. "The pertinent details are that I learned rather quickly how fragile such a precarious existence is, and that I should build my resources on more stable foundations. You understand, surely, since you appear to be in much the same position as I am?"
Seline said nothing. She was listening all the same. Everything this woman said would be relayed to Viktor, who would decide what to do with it in turn.
"I don't keep vampires,"Seraphine," Seline said after a moment, "what precisely does that mean?"
Seraphine gestured vaguely around the room. "All of this, ultimately, comes to the Originals. Which means, inevitably, that I always have to operate within their boundaries. They are the only real threat to me in this city, aside from the occasional random vampire or werewolf with delusions of grandeur. If one of the Mikaelsons so much as suspects that I might have contributed to the witches' attack in any capacity, they will simply compel me into obedience when they come to investigate." She shook her head. "The last thing I need is another master, especially one as ruthless and short-sighted as the Mikaelsons are likely to be. Witches are rather more pliable when the right incentives are dangled in front of them. Fortunately for me, there are always those willing to sell information or power to the highest bidder. The wolves, however…"
She paused meaningfully. "Have you ever heard of the Guerrera pack?"
Seline gave a short, almost imperceptible nod.
"Francesca Guerrera and her pack have been quietly working for me for some time now, providing me with much needed muscle in crucial moments. I am, in turn, supplying them with a steady stream of rather special charms that enable them to transform at a moment's notice." Seraphine's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "They get to test their new toys and, if all goes according to plan, the appropriate punishment will befall anyone who disobeys my orders in future."
Her smirk widened at the memory of the moon rings she'd given the Guerrera pack members. As for said werewolves, they would most certainly suffer for their lapse in judgement and for crossing Seraphine, but that was a matter for another day.
"I assume you want to know why I told you all of this," Seraphine said, turning to face Seline. "Do go on, then."
"Viktor will not be pleased to know that his orders were not followed," Seline replied evenly. "But I doubt you called me here so he could kill me outright. Obviously, you want something from me as well, aside from my employer's instructions."
Seraphine's gaze narrowed. "You are remarkably perceptive for a siren."
Seline allowed herself the barest trace of a smirk. "It would be foolish of me not to be, wouldn't it? I have rather a lot to live for, after all."
"I must admit," Seraphine said, her smile returning, "that it is not every day that I am bested by someone as… unimposing as you. That is why you are still breathing, as is your employer, in fact. I would be quite disappointed if something were to happen to you now, but it seems fate has other plans for us both."
She took a small step forward, tilting her head in mock consideration. "Tell me, Seline, what will you do now that you know all of this?"
The woman in the blood-red dress gestured dismissively around the room. "I have rather a lot to lose, as I said before, so I would be quite foolish not to take any and all precautions. I have invested rather heavily in the Guerrera pack and their wolves, ensuring their loyalty with a steady stream of moon rings, as well as their silence in regards to my other activities. In addition to the wolves, I have access to a small group of particularly talented witches – what little information I have, they managed to obtain with considerable effort. You, however, are not expendable, despite your employer's orders to the contrary. You could very easily have been killed when I discovered you sneaking around my estate, so you are not as utterly useless as I thought."
Seraphine stopped in front of the bar, pouring herself a glass of wine with practiced ease. "Do not mistake this for any particular fondness, Seline. There are few enough people in this world that I can trust, and even fewer still that have the means or the inclination to stand against forces far greater than themselves. I do not take opportunities like this for granted." She turned back to face the siren, eyes gleaming with a strange intensity. "Do not think for a second, however, that I am incapable of eliminating you if the situation ever changes. There are other people in this city as dangerous as you, and I am quite willing to use them if the need ever arises."
"You seem to have it all worked out," Seline said dryly. "Tell me, then, what it is that you want?"
Seraphine laughed lightly, though there was no humour in her expression. "What I want, for now, is for you to keep watching. Do whatever you want to report to your employer – I do not doubt that he will find his way to me eventually. When he does, I intend to be prepared. You may help me, hinder me, or do nothing at all. That choice, ultimately, is up to you." She turned to leave. "Do keep an eye out for me in the future, will you? And please, tell Viktor that I am most grateful for his attentions, if he ever decides to extend them again."
When Seline left the room, the air seemed colder somehow. Behind her, Seraphine turned back to the window, already considering her next move.
Far away, Francesca Guerrera received a short, unsigned text message. She immediately called her pack together, her wolves' moon rings catching the light as they converged on her.