Chapter 1:
Stained with Blood

As soon as Karliah's last client went upstairs to the street and she locked the door, a monstrous hand grabbed her by the neck and threw her down the stairs. The Malkavian stood up, ready to recite her mantra of madness, but someone with a powerful presence seized her from behind with a gag and whispered in her ear:

"You came to my city, didn't introduce yourself, and even provided information that helped the Anarchists conquer part of my territory. Tell me, Madame Kristal, is there any good reason why I shouldn't grant you permanent death?"

The intruder hadn't tied her hands, Karliah could wriggle and grab the sharp knitting needle she carried in her boot and plunge it into his neck. Then, send the troglodyte's mind to a place never before visited. However, the invader wasn't holding her tightly or hurting her, only preventing her from speaking. Besides, he emanated a feeling she hadn't felt since receiving her Embrace. It was a delicate and persistent warmth that she had felt only with a few partners.

He'll be hoisted by his own petard, said one of the Voices in her head.

Seduction wouldn't work on her, and Karliah imagined the Ventrue already knew this, so that seductive presence was unintentional, which made the whole situation more intriguing. He loosened his grip, removed the gag, and spoke in a cordial tone:

"I would like very much if you cooperated with me and explained everything you plan to do in my city, why you helped the Anarchists, and why you didn't present yourself at my tower. Sit down and tell me everything."

Karliah couldn't resist such cordiality. She sat in the chair where she conducted her readings, and faced the intruder. He was a man of European descent, elegant, well-dressed, well-groomed, and definitely a Ventrue. No one she knew.

The Prince followed Cinderella's footprints, one of the Voices commented.

"I'm saving money for a trip. They paid for it. I don’t know you. As soon as I was born—"

The Ventrue raised his hand to interrupt the life story that was about to unfold.

"You don't know who I am? You come to Los Angeles and you don't know who I am?" he asked, a little resentful.

She remained staring at the intruder with an overwhelming desire to help and be useful, but she had no idea who he was.

"No. Yes and no."

"Let's clear up this misunderstanding, then. I am Sebastian LaCroix, Prince of Los Angeles."

"Karliah Karmina Karmen, occultist."

Sebastian smiled, made a polite bow, and sat down in the client's chair.

"Since we're so friendly, why doesn't the mademoiselle find out for me where, when, and how the next Anarchist attack will happen?"

Karliah picked up her deck and began shuffling. Setting a price for the reading was a thought she dismissed because she still desired to help Sebastian.

Vizier of the Sultan, one of the Voices commented as she laid the cards on the table.

"Hollywood. Full moon. Trojan horse."

Sebastian pondered for a long time. A mortal would think he hadn't understood what was said, but the Ventrue had a very useful secret that helped him in dealing with the Malkavians, so his gray matter was working to find the point through which the Anarchist infiltration would occur, as indicated by the Trojan horse comment. He concluded that it could only be in one of the nightclubs, since they were always crowded and frequented by all sorts of people.

He almost got up to leave, but decided to confirm.

"Are they going to infiltrate one of the nightclubs?"

Karliah shuffled and drew another card.

"No."

"No? How is that?"

"No. Not being a nightclub."

He took a deep breath.

"Where then? Be more specific."

"Movie theater. Projector."

And then Sebastian understood the Anarchists' plan. He grinned, pleased with himself, with the reading, and even with a touch of admiration for the ingenuity of the rival faction.

"They're going to recruit through movies, of course. Brilliant. Stirring the hearts of young people without risking anyone. A little time-consuming, but much more effective in the long run. After all, money only buys the moment. Passion buys the desire."

Before getting up, he glanced at Karliah and decided it wouldn't hurt to confirm his suspicion.

"Is that right?"

She shuffled and drew a card.

"Yes."

He stood up and put the chair back in its place.

"Are you going to tell the Anarchists that I know their plan?"

"If they pay me."

He approached her and caressed her face. Karliah felt the seduction, but couldn't enjoy it. It was like when she had a cold back in her mortal days and could taste the sweetness of the fruits, but not the individual flavor to distinguish and enjoy them.

"And how much does your silence cost?"

"A trip to Egypt."

Sebastian smiled. It was a cheap silence, very cheap, so cheap that it could easily receive a counter-offer. He signaled to the brute accompanying him.

"Look, mademoiselle Karmen, I have a better offer."

The monster bagged her in a black blanket, tied her up tightly, and gagged her. Sebastian grabbed her legs, put two fingers inside each boot, and pulled a knitting needle from each. Then, the henchman tied her legs.

"Do me a favor and sleep."

Karliah fainted.

🦇🦇🦇

She woke up to the scent of men's cologne, flowers, pine disinfectant, and blood, but it wasn't ordinary blood. She sat up and examined the place. It was a luxurious suite that she could never afford even if she saved up a lifetime's worth of money. On a cupboard near the door was a vase with a colorful bouquet of wildflowers, a red envelope, and a bowl with ice and a blood bag. Her boots were beside the door. Near the bed were a pair of pink slippers. She was chained to the bed by her hands and feet. She shook her body, but couldn't free herself. The clanging of metal called the attention of someone who approached the door and unlocked it with a magnetic card.

Sebastian entered with a cordial smile, carrying a wine glass. He approached the table and picked up the red envelope.

"Good evening, Sleeping Beauty. Did you sleep well?"

"I can't lay the cards with my hands tied."

He smiled.

"I know. You're not here for that. Well... you're not here only for that." He raised the envelope. "Do you know what's in here?"

Riddles, commented one of the Voices.

"You really want me to guess."

"I want to know the limits of your abilities."

Karliah closed her eyes and positioned herself on the edge of her inner abyss.

Decipher me or I'll devour you, whispered a chorus of Voices from the depths.

"A picture of a sphinx."

Sebastian stared at her with the look of someone who had just won the lottery and handed her the envelope. Karliah opened it. A postcard from Egypt with an image of a sphinx on the back.

He placed his glass, the envelope and the postcard on the bedside table, and pulled a small key from his pocket.

"You know... I don't think we met by chance." He signaled Karliah to stretch out her arms, she obeyed and he removed the handcuffs. "There's something that was discovered there, near Egypt, that I really want. But I know I'll have trouble getting it."

Gehenna! the Voices shouted.

"Gehenna," Karliah whispered.

Sebastian smiled.

"That's certainly what many believe, but it's just a legend."

He removed the shackles from her feet, and that's when she noticed she hadn't been gagged.

"You didn't gag me."

Sebastian still held her ankles when he smiled, but it wasn't cordiality. He was ready to subdue her if she threatened to utter anything strange.

"Unlike the Sabbat, I don't usually mistreat my associates."

"But you kidnap them."

He smiled, stepping away from her and putting the key back in his pocket.

"Sometimes the beast within us speaks louder. Forgive my bad manners. Do you accept blood? It's a special kind. I spent a fortune on the batch."

Monster... the Voices whispered.

Karliah sat on the edge of the bed, put on her slippers, and walked to him. Sebastian took a wine glass from the cupboard, poured some blood from the bag, and offered it to her. Karliah took a sip and groaned involuntarily. It was the best blood she had ever tasted. Sebastian grinned.

"It won't be hard to get used to life here, will it?" he asked.

Princess LaCroix, said the Voices, then giggled as if mocking her.

"I have appointments," Karliah replied.

"You have appointments?" he asked disdainfully. "What appointments could you possibly have?"

"Yes. My clients."

He stiffened and became serious for a moment.

"Who do you assist besides the Anarchists?"

"Everyone."

"Everyone? Even the Sabbat?"

"Yes. Yes."

"You assist the Sabbat?" he asked again, incredulous.

"Yes."

"What do they ask about?"

"Gehenna."

Sebastian sighed irritably.

"Of course, they're obsessed with it." He pointed to the wine glass and said, "Babies. I have a supplier at a maternity ward."

The Voices emitted the hissing sound of a snake.

Karliah thought it was unnecessary, but she wasn't in a position to complain, or the ventrue would simply demand that she set herself on fire and she wouldn't be able to refuse. Even so, she finished drinking the entire content of the glass and returned it.

"Whether you like it or not, you are my guest and will be here for quite some time. I'll provide everything you need. But I warn you that my patience is short and I have a low resistance to tests. Furthermore, the longevity of your life will be proportional to your usefulness. Understood?"

"Yes, but I can't lay cards without the cards."

Sebastian smiled.

That won't be a problem. I took the liberty of creating a personal collection for you.

He pulled a picture frame from beside the wardrobe as if it were a door, revealing a built-in shelf in the wall filled with luxurious decks, some collector's editions and some gold-plated ones that she didn't even know existed.

Ventrue, one of the Voices commented with a hint of resentment.

"I believe there's a version of each oracle you used, and some new ones, according to my supplier."

Karliah ran her hand over the boxes and chose a shiny, shimmering one. She threw herself on the bed and shook her feet, tossing her slippers aside.

Sebastian smiled, picked up the slippers and placed them beside the bed. Karliah passionately shuffled the cards, feeling the glide of the quality material. Every now and then she stopped to sniff the deck.

"What do you want to know?"

Sebastian sat in the armchair facing the bed.

"Will I get what I want from the region of Egypt?"

Karliah shuffled and drew a card: The Tower. A lightning bolt cut through the night sky and struck a tower, breaking it in half and forcing two people to jump from the top towards an abyss.

"Disappointment."

Sebastian became serious, interlaced his fingers and placed his two index ones on his mouth as he pondered.

"What do I need to do to get what I want?"

She shuffled and drew two cards: 10 of Swords and The Fool. A dead man with ten swords stuck in his back and a man walking carefree on the edge of a precipice.

"Eliminate the Fool."

"The Fool? Which Fool?"

"Yes. The one who laughs."

Sebastian pondered a little longer, until an idea occurred to him.

"Smiling Jack? Is that it?"

Karliah drew two more cards: 7 and Ace of Swords. A man stealthily fleeing with seven swords from a camp and a disembodied hand holding a single sword.

"Yes. Yes."

"Those Anarchists are bothering me again... But killing Smiling Jack would bring me many problems. Besides, he's an elder. The Camarilla and the Anarchists would probably go to war, which would be catastrophic for the Masquerade. What will happen if I try to retrieve my item without killing Smiling Jack?"

Karliah gathered all the cards, shuffled them, and drew two: The Tower and 10 of Swords.

Blood... the Voices whispered.

In the abyss of her mind, she saw the entire apartment stained with dried blood.

"Stained with blood. Everything."

Sebastian stared at her seriously. He wouldn't give up on his plans, but he also couldn't kill Smiling Jack, nor could he let the bloodbath happen. There had to be an alternative.

"Is anyone else going to try to stop me?"

Karliah shuffled and drew two cards: The Moon and 5 of Pentacles. A wolf and a dog howling at a full moon, and two beggars walking in the snow outside a pompous church.

"Nosferatu."

"All the Nosferatu or Gary Golden?"

She drew another card: King of Swords.

"Gary Golden."

"Another one for my list then. And the Tremere? Can I trust them?"

Again she gathered everything, shuffled, and drew two: 2 of Cups and Ace of Pentacles. Two people exchanging cups, and a disembodied hand holding a huge gold coin.

"Only as long as it's advantageous for them."

"Unsurprising. Who else should I worry about?"

She repeated the ritual: 3 of Wands and 5 of Swords. A man watching ships on the horizon, and a smiling man holding a sword while two other men walk away defeated after dropping their swords on the ground.

"Foreigners who go after what they want no matter the cost."

Sebastian pondered again and then had an idea.

"The Kuei-jin?"

The Devil. A demonic figure seated on a pedestal observing two figures chained with a loose collar.

"Yes."

"I'm not surprised at all. I can't trust any of them." An idea crossed his mind and he added, "Can I trust you?"

The Lovers. Naked man and woman in a verdant field under the gaze of an angel in the sky.

Like peas and carrots, said one of the Voices.

"The cards say yes."

"And what do you say?" he spoke in a low, firm, yet cordial tone.

Karliah immediately felt the urge to be honest with him.

"I won't betray you because you would kill me, and I want to go to Egypt to worship my Gods before I die. I want to cross the underworld to the afterlife. I want to know the other side. And for all that, I need to go to Egypt and become a priestess of Anubis and Sekhmet."

Sebastian looked a little disgusted and amused at the same time, finding it exaggerated.

"I can't let the Setites know of your existence. They would try to steal you from me."

"I've already laid cards for them and participated in communion rituals with the Gods."

"And why didn't they absorb you into their faction?"

"I don't worship Set. I don't like wars."

"Terrible time to be a vampire, mademoiselle."

"What else do you want to know?"

Sebastian stood up.

"That's all for now. Is there any personal belongings you'd like to be brought here?"

"My knitting needles, my journal, and my plants."

The Ventrue smiled.

"I'll keep the needles for now. As for the journal and the plants, I'll send someone to get them."

"The journal is hidden."

"Where?"

"Inside the freezer, in an ice cream container."

Sebastian chuckled a little disoriented.

"And my rent is due next week," said Karliah.

The Ventrue regained his haughty composure.

"I'll pay off the remaining months for you. Courtesy of the house. As for next year, it will depend on your usefulness."

Karliah shrugged and leaned back on the bed. She couldn't hide her skill anyway, and she didn't care who her clients were as long as they paid.

"You know where to find me," she said.

Sebastian smiled and gave her one last look from head to toe before leaving. Outside, he locked the door with the magnetic card and thought about what would be like to govern the entire country. To attend the Camarilla elders' meetings with the Malkavian by his side, as his personal seer. Perhaps he was dreaming too much, as his late mother did, but what was life made of if not dreams and plans? He straightened his impeccable suit and went downstairs to greet some associates.

In the room, Karliah laid out the cards for herself.

"Will I be able to travel to Egypt?"

The Wheel of Fortune. Animalistic figures trapped around a large wheel.

The Voices offered distinct opinions, all at once.

"Is LaCroix going to kill me?"

Ace of Cups. A disembodied hand holding a goblet overflowing with water.

"It's love, that messes with my head and leaves me like this...", sang the Voices in chorus. "That makes me think of you and forget about myself, that makes me forget that life is meant to be lived..."(1)

"Is there anyone who would try to kill me?"

Seven of Wands. A man holding a piece of wood and defending himself from six other pieces of wood pointed at him.

Karliah sighed wearily. She used to assist too many people and now she was confined to a room with nothing to do.

She put away the tarot cards and decided to try the other oracles that were unknown to her. She dumped everything onto the bed, read the manuals, shuffled, and drew a few cards. Then she put everything away again. Without clients, she didn't have much to ask. Her life was quiet and mundane as much as possible.

She had some human clients. Also, she had already exchanged favors for readings and made some trusted contacts who would certainly notice her absence and ask questions. She wasn't sure if anyone would try to negotiate her freedom. After all, she wasn't that important to anyone. What she did with the cards could be done by any other fortune teller. The difference is that vampires would always prefer one of their own to a human.

Karliah decided to keep jumping on the bed until she had something to do or the furniture broke. She couldn't wait to get back to her routine or for Sebastian to become dependent on her divination and ask her about everything, even what color of suit to choose. At least she would have something to do.

Idle hands are the devil's workshop, commented one of the Voices.

Karliah turned inward, gazing into her inner abyss, searching for some distraction, and suddenly the Madness Network seized her and pulled her into the abyss. Karliah entered a terrifying trance in which she laughed, spoke in unknown languages, and writhed uncontrollably.