"I see," was all Lydia said as she took in Morgan's words. She'd figured that that was the case, but the confirmation didn't hurt. The thought alone of Morgan's partner following them threatened to make Lydia's teeth grind, but thankfully, that wouldn't be on their list of problems. Her thoughts lingered on those last comments. Morgan referred to herself and the other Enforcers as "we," but Lydia doubted that many others shared her open-mindedness about vampires. The likelier scenario was that their curiosity only extended to finding new, exploitable weaknesses to make themselves feel safer, rather than truly understanding her kind.<br/><br/>Not that Lydia cared. She didn't see herself making nice with the whole of the Enforcers. Her clan operated within their laws, mostly, and that was enough. Besides, if Morgan wanted to learn about vampires, Lydia was sure there were one or two lessons she could teach her.<i>No. Stop.</i><br/><br/>She took a deep breath of the flowing air before that thought had time to develop. The ride was getting to her, and judging by a glance out the window, they still had quite some distance to travel. Meanwhile, the driver maintained his steady pace, blissfully unaware of the agony his damned carriage was causing her. She even heard him whistling a low tune over the clacking of hooves and wheels. Quietly sighing out the same breath, Lydia kept her eyes pointed at the passing scenery, accepting the long wait ahead of her.<br/><br/>--<br/><br/>"We're close," Lydia whispered, more to herself than to Morgan, as the scene began to shift.<br/><br/>As the driver had driven them deeper into rival territory, she'd closed the curtains, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention. Vampires of Adrian's brood had populated the streets as usual, but Lydia'd had little interest in staring matches. While she was sure that prying eyes had followed their carriage, none had engaged them, save for a few who'd poised their inquiries at the driver. One mention of his destination had been enough to turn their noses elsewhere.<br/><br/>After their slog through the city, however, Lydia sensed the dwindling presence of other vampires and an increase in other nightly sounds -- owls and crickets and rustling leaves. She drew the curtains back to reveal their forested surroundings, signifying the steeper, hillside path that connected Adrian's estate to the rest of the district. The natural barrier allowed Adrian to gaze outside his window without having to see the town riffraff first thing in the morning.<br/><br/>Lydia found herself adjusting her vest again, reassuring herself that the knife was still in its place if anything went awry. "Let's see how friendly Adrian's welcoming party is," she said, facing Morgan this time. With their destination so close, Lydia found it much easier to focus. "Don't let them walk all over you, if they try. I think it'd be more suspicious if anyone this close to me respected them."<br/><br/>The carriage slowly came to a stop. In front of them was the entrance to the Blackwell property, a large, bronze gate proudly bearing the family crest in its center, supported on either side by two stone pillars. Two gargoyles sat atop either pillar, both sneering, with arms wrapped around orb-shaped lamps that lit the gate. Behind the gate was yet another path that curved before it reached the front door of the mansion, which only began to peek into view from where the carriage rested.<br/><br/>A deep voice called out to the driver, accompanied by the soft crunch of two pairs of footsteps approaching. "Is this who I think it is?" the guard asked, his tone a tad too playful for Lydia's liking.<br/><br/>Politely, the driver responded, "I'm not sure about that, sir, but I have the paperwork here."<br/><br/>She heard a few rustles, and a snatch as the guard took the paper for himself. The footsteps drew closer to their carriage, on either side, and the deep voice continued, "Ah, ah, ah, it is! What an honor." The two guards finally arrived in front of both windows, blocking both doors with their imposing figures. The pair appeared to be twins, both with almost identical faces. They wore matching robes, fastened on one side by clasps that bore Carpe Noctem's emblem. The one on Morgan's side -- who hadn't yet spoken -- wore his hood pulled halfway up, revealing thick waves of ginger hair that hung well past his shoulders, and the other had both sides of his head shaved close and the rest of his hair slicked back. Neatly trimmed hair of the same color bordered his jaw. "Lydia Cleur. Whore of the Coven. So nice to finally put a face to all the stories I've heard," he said, swinging the window completely open on its hinge. The other guard did the same on Morgan's side, effectively un-jamming her window.<br/><br/>Already holding back a nasty threat, Lydia chuckled dryly. "How funny. Adrian's jesters guard his home."<br/><br/>"Oh, no. The only funny thing here is your little snack over there." He leaned closer, pointing a finger at Morgan. "I was told you'd be traveling alone. Unless, she's a gift for my brother and I?"<br/><br/>Lydia gritted her teeth.<i>Fuck</i>. "That's a shame. Adrian must have amnesia, in his old age. I'll go remind him,<i>inside</i>."<br/><br/>"Lord Blackwell<i>did</i>promise special payment after tonight's shift," the other guard said, softer spoken than his brother, yet just as irreverent. This one reached for Morgan's wrist, but Lydia snapped her fingers around his before he could. Her eyes bore holes into his skull.<br/><br/>"The two of you must not be very attached to your tongues. Whatever Adrian chooses to tell his lapdogs is of little concern to me. The human is part of my business with him, and I intend to conduct that business and be on my way. She is not yours to touch," she snapped, clenching her fingers tighter at the last few words. "You've tested my patience enough. Test it any longer and no amount of 'special payment' will make up for the problems you'll have on your hands. Open. The. Gate."<br/><br/>The long-haired guard, seemingly unfazed, started to wriggle his hand free, but Lydia held fast. With her other hand, Lydia reached for the door handle on her side and pushed, only to be met with another push of equal force as the first guard held the door, laughing. "I don't think so.<i>I'm</i>the one with the key. I don't let anyone in unless I'm convinced, and I'm not convinced. It's not often that enemy clan leaders show up with fresh blood at the gate. Who knows what you're planning?" He looked to Morgan, grinning widely. "Hey, delicious, tell me something. What's the difference, huh? I'm sure she's gonna drain you at some point. I'd do the same. Why not just hand yourself over?" He laughed again but kept his hand firmly on the door, waiting expectantly.