Jealousy

Jealousy


by Janette Zeitler


Copyright 1996


 

Chapter 1



      Lillie leaned back against a booth in the Haven, her eyes roaming

around  the club.  She was dead tired, and everytime she closed her eyes 

she saw  Julian's face.  His eyes haunted her, those eyes that had stared

at her with  such distrust it made her want to cry.  She knew she deserved it,

of course,  she had nearly gotten him killed because of her jealousy.  Not to 

mention  she'd endangered the Masquerade.

      

     She took a sip from the glass she held, trying to hold back the wave of

tears that threatened to overwhelm her.  But she could not, as red droplets

began to fall into her glass.

 

 ***

 

    The fire's roar was in the distant background of Julian Luna's thoughts.

At one moment he thought of Archon, whom he had trusted like a father, and

been so bitterly betrayed that despite the years between the deed it was

hard  to forgive.  He reflected upon his relationship with Caitlyn, who accepte

him  despite what he was.

     

     However, he couldn't help but contemplate his relationship with Lillie.

It surprised him to be thinking of her, but he was just the same.  Her red

hair, fiery eyes, and the way she would melt like a snowflake next to him.

At times he wondered what was behind the mask she wore for the world, and

he  knew at times she wondered the same of him.

      

    Of course, there was Cameron to worry about.  Cameron, who would make

Eddie look like a saint.  There was something about Cameron that got to

Julian in a way Eddie had never been able to.  Brujah always got to Julain,

however.  He winced at the mental image of Sasha, whom he had tried so hard

to protect.  With a bitter sigh, he leaned back into his chair and closed

his eyes.

 

 ***

 

    Cameron walked into the Haven, ignoring the fact that it was closed.  He

watched Lillie crying silently, red droplets falling into her glass.  He

knew  almost immediately that this was quite a rarity.  This seemed, also, to be

the perfect time to get close to her.  With a self assured smile, he slid

into the booth next to her.  Gratefully, he wiped the tears from her face

and  licked them off his finger.

    

     "It is that dog Julian that has upset you so, is it not, Ms. Langtree?"

    

     Lillie looked up at him.  "What are you doing here?  The Haven's

closed."

    

    "I came only to lay eyes upon your beauty," Cameron responded smoothly.  

  

     "Well, take a picture," Lillie said, standing.  The last thing she

needed  was to get involved in any way with another Brujah.

  

      "A picture could never capture your beauty," Cameron said, standing as

well.  "He is not worth your tears, Ms. Langtree."

   

     "Oh, and you are?"  Lillie retorted, moving away from Cameron.  He

grabbed her hand tightly, pulling her back towards him.

  

     "Come with me, just one night.  Come with me and I'lll take you any

where  you desire.  Then if you still wish to sit here and weep over a man who'd

rather have a," Cameron's lip curled in disgust, "mortal, be my guest."

    

     Lillie raised an eyebrow delicately.  "Let me guess, this is the part

where I cuddle up against you and say I will be with you forever," she

replied sarcastically.

   

     "No, you do that after this," he said, and kissed her passionately.  The

move stunned her, and so she did not resist.  As the kiss grew in intensity,

she found herself returning it, hesitantly at first, until her whole body

and  soul melted in his embrace.



Chapter 2



 Julian walked into the Haven and looked for Lillie.  He'd tried to come

up with some excuse for going to her nightclub: everything from Kindred

business, to an urge to listen to the music, but the truth of the matter was

he only wished to see her.

 

       That, and the fact that Caitlyn is out of town, a small part of his

mind whispered to him.  But he ignored it.  He wished to see Lillie, not

Caitlyn.  The fact that Caitlyn was out of town for the week had nothing to

do with it, he rationalized.

 

       But his motivations for coming ended up proving futile, as she was

nowhere to be found.  He wandered over to the bar, still trying to find her.

Briana, a Kindred waitress with long blond hair and beautiful gray eyes,

leaned forward on her elbows as the Prince of the city sat down.

 

       "She's not here," Briana said wiht a smirk, pouring him a glass of

wine.

 

       "Where is she?" Julian asked, trying to sound as if he wasn't

interested, but just making conversation.

 

       Briana pushed a glass towards him.  "She went out," the beautiful

Toreador stated coldly.

 

       Julian shrugged and took a sip from the glass.  But Briana continued

to  press the subject.  "Aren't you at all curious as to where she went?  And 

whom she went with?"

 

      "You're going to tell me anyway," Julian said with a smile of his own.

 

      Briana gazed at him from under her dark lashes.  "What, Caitlyn's not

here so you want to have Lillie instead?"

 

      "What about Caitlyn?" Julian asked, instantly on guard.

 

      "Everybody knows about the two of you, Julian.  And I do mean

everybody."  Briana saw another customer seat himself at the other end of

the  bar and hurred over to serve him.

 

      Julian, meanwhile, was surprised that Lillie had let the rumors get so

far out of hand.  He took another sip from his wine as Briana walked back.

 

       "So?  Do you want to know who she's with or not?"

 

       Julian gave a sigh.  "Fine," he said, leaning back.

 

      "Well," Briana licked her lips, savouring the moment.  "Lillie's

finally  decided not to sit around and wait for you.  She's out with *Cameron,*" at

Julian's blank stare she added, "the new Brujah primogen."

  

     Julian did his best to keep a reign on his temper.  "Is she?" was all he

could say, his anger at Cameron rising.

 

      Briana smirked yet again.  "Yes, she is.  So why don't you go run back

to your little mortal girlfriend.

 

      Julian gave her a warning look, at which Briana simply laughed.  "You

don't scare or frighten me.  You can't hurt me simply because you do not

like me.  If you banish me from the city, I'll simply go somewhere else.  It

doesn't make that much of a difference." Briana tossed her golden hair

behind  her head.  "So, now who you going to go to?" 

 

      Julian was doing a rather bad job at controlling his temper at this

young Toreador with little to no class.  She didn't know enough to be afraid

of his temper.  "No one.  As I said, I an not here to see her."

 

      "You never said that," Briana grinned again.  "In fact, you didn't say

anything, I did!"  Suddenly, Briana's grin faded as she spotted something

interesting by the entrance.  "Julian, dear, I think you should turn around,"

she said, her voice satisfied and confrontational.

 

      Julian did.  Lillie was sauntering into her club, on the arm of the

primogen of the Brujah.

  

 

Chapter 3



     Julian stood slowly, his face composed and calm, if not his emotions.

Lillie smiled at him, stopped about 20 feet away from him, and turned to

Cameron.

  

       "Would you like to dance?" she asked, pushing her body against his.

He  brushed his lips against hers softly, and she purred and moved even closer

next to him.

  

        "Maybe we should greet the masses first," Cameron replied to her

request.  She gracefully nodded her head, giving in.

  

        "Maybe we should at that," she smiled and linked her arm with his as

they walked towards Julian.

  

        "Hello Julian," Lillie purred when she saw him.

  

        "Lillie," he greeted cooly, composed as always.

  

        Cameron nodded his head towards Julian in greeting.  Julian turned to

look at him, his eyes cold.  "Cameron."

  

        Lillie was overcome with a strong urge to say it wasn't what he

thought, and she smiled.  {{It's not like he owns me}} she thought.  {{He

never has.}}

  

        "So what are you doing here?" she asked him.

  

        "There's some business we need to discuss."

  

         "Regarding?"

  

         "Not here."

  

         "Oh *that* kind of business."

  

         "Kindred business," Julian said, his voice cold and low.

  

         "There's a meeting in two hours, it couldn't wait until then?" 

  

         "No it couldn't."  

  

         "Well, then, since it's Kindred business where's Cash, and Daedalus

and all of them, hmm?"  

  

          Julian shot her a cold look.  "It has to do with *your* clan."

  

          "Oh does it?"

  

          "Yes."  Julian said shortly.

  

          Cameron, meanwhile, leaned against the counter of the Haven and

sighed, getting a little bit bored.  Briana leaned against the other side of

the counter as well, and couldn't help but stare at him with interest.

  

           "Yes?" Cameron asked.

  

            "Nothing," Briana said with a small smile, and turned away.

  

            Cameron smiled, as she left, then turned his attention back to

Julian and Lillie, who were still arguing.

  

            "Well, what *about* my clan?"

  

            "There getting out of control, in case you haven't noticed."

  

             "And what is *that* supposed to imply?"  

  

             "It's supposed to imply that you aren't doing your job.  Your

Primogen of the Toreador first."

  

             "It used to be that I was your girlfriend before all else, or

don't you remember?"  

  

             "It *never* was like that.  And we were over a *very* long time

 ago."

  

             "Whatever you say Julian," Lillie responded coldly.

  

             Cameron, who was beginning to feel a little left out of the

argument, jumped in, "Well, however it was before, it's not like that

anymore."

  

             The two of them turned to look at him like he was an intruder.

Cameron sighed and leaned back against the counter, while they went back to

there argument.

  

             "What I have to discuss with you has *nothing* to do with

yourself and *him*," Julian nodded his head, indicating Cameron.

  

              "Why didn't you bring it up at the Conclave then?"

  

               "Because your position as Primogen isn't that secure right

now, and you know that  Ever since that incident with Zane."

  

               "So you're going to throw *that* in my face now?!"

  

               "I wasn't throwing it in your face, Lillie.  I was simply

 pointing out that any more damage to your reputation at this point could

 prove to be very difficult."

  

               "Are you saying that being with Cameron is damaging my

 reputation as Primogen?" she asked, her eyes widening with anger.

  

               Cameron looked up as his name was mentioned.  Both Lillie and

Julian were glaring at each other, still.

  

               "I never said any such thing," Julian said quietly, "but if

you  think so . . . who am I to argue?"

  

               "I don't care if you're the Prince of the Universe, you don't

control who I date!"

  

               "I never said I did," Julian smiled inwardly, knowing how it

annoyed Lillie when he acted so calm.

  

               "You implied as such," she hissed.  

  

                "I assure you, no matter *what* you thought I implied, I

didn't mean that you couldn't date whomever you like." 

  

                "And why should you anyway?!!!  You have Caitlin, why can't

*I*  have Cameron."

  

                Cameron was getting rather annoyed, and spoke up, "Who's

Caitlin?" he asked curiously.

  

                "You stay out of this!!!"  Lillie hissed, acting as if he was

the enemy.

  

                "Caitlin is Lillie's replacement," Julian said darkly, then

blinked, surprised that he'd let his temper get the best of him.

  

                 "I *knew* it!"  Lillie's voice rose in anger.  "She's

nothing more to you than Cam -- " Lillie blushed and looked away.

  

                 "Then Cam *what*?"  Cameron asked sharply.

  

                  "Then you are to her, of course."  Julian seemed to have a

habit that day of answering all of Cameron's questions.  "And if that is

true than the two of you were meant to be together."

  

       "Oh, so now you and Caitlin are*destined* for each other?  Give me a

 break, Julian."

  

       Cameron sighed and leaned back against the counter, again.  "I liked

it better when I was out of the conversation," he muttered.

  

        "This is getting tiring," Julian said.  "I am here to discuss Kindred

business, if you wish to discuss something else, make an appointment."

  

         "Excuse me?  Make an appointment?  Just who do you think you are,

Julian?" 

  

         "I think, that I am Prince of the City, and that if you dont't get

your clan organized within a week I'll have to find another Toreador

Primogen."

  

          "First you'd better concentrate on finding yourself a new roommate,

Julian.  I'm out of there, I'll just stop by tomorrow to get my thngs."

  

           "Whatever you feel you must do," Julian replied.  "Just tell me

where you are moving when you get settled in so that I can contact you in an

emergency."

  

           "Oh, no need Julian.  I already know where I'm going to live.

With  Cameron."  Lillie leaned back against the counter and wrapped her arms

around  him.

  

           Julian didn't miss noticing Cameron's slight look of surprise,

immediately covered.  "Of course," Cameron replied.

  

           "I wish you all the happiness in the world, Lillie," Julian said.

"But remember, you have a week."

  

           "Thank you so much for your generosity," Lillie said icily.

  

            Julian turned and left without glancing back.  Lillie watched him

go with very mixed emotions.  Cameron also watched him go, then turned

towards Lillie.

  

            "Shall we have our dance now," he asked.

  

            "Of course, Cameron," she said, and they moved out to the dance

floor.

  

            While dancing, however, Cameron looked distant, and quiet.

Lillie  bit her lip lightly, wondering just how much the Brujah primogen understood

of Julian and her conversation.

  

             Suddenly, for no reason she could possible understand, she

kissed  Cameron, hard, and whispered into his ear, "Let's go home."



Chapter 4



           Lillie stood outside Julian's mansion, pausing to get her thoughts

together.  She knew Julian couldn't really fire her as Toreador Primogen, but

she also knew that it would be to her advantage to do as he demanded and get

her clans act together.  Many Toreador had become restless, coming

dangerously close to endangering the Masquerade.



   But knowing that she should do something and actually doing it were two

very different things.  With all that had been going on lately between the

two of them, she was tempted to disobey him just to anger him.  Since he

couldn't really ask for a new primogen.  If he could have, he would have

asked for a replacement for Eddie long ago.



   Lillie walked inside and headed for her bedroom.  When she arrived there

the first thing she did was fish her suitcase out of the closet, place it on

the bed, and begin to open drawers and closets.  



    She was half-way through her task when she saw Sasha standing in the

doorway, watching her.  Lillie turned towards the teenager and motioned for

her to come in.



    "Lillie?  Why are you leaving?" Sasha asked softly, trailing into

Lillie's bedroom, taking a seat on the couch, and watching her continue to

pack.



    Lillie paused in her task to consider the question seriously.  "Because,

I'm tired of watching him and Caitlin together."



    Sasha hesitated, knowing that what she was about to say could be

perceived as rudeness.  But she continued anyway, "You'd rather be with the

Brujah primogen then with the Prince of the City?"



     Lillie smiled.  "You remind me so much of myself when I was younger,"

she said softly.  "But it's not about that.  I don't have a choice.  I can

either continue to play the desperate woman, following Julian around and

hoping to patch things up, or I can move on.  I'd rather move on." 



      Sasha thought about that for a while, as Lillie finished packing.

 Lillie was just about to leave when Sasha thought of something.  "Lillie?

 What if he still loves you?"

 

     "He's proven that he doesn't enough times.  I don't know if he ever

did."  On that note, Lillie left, leaving Sasha to ponder her own love life.



***



    Lillie really hated Cameron's apartment.  It was dark, drab, and far to

business like.  And since Cameron was busy doing whatever it was Brujah did

during the day, Lillie decided to redecorate.



    Last night they'd come to his apartment and went to bed.  She hadn't had

much of a chance to look around.  So the first place she headed was towards

the bedroom.



    One glance, and she knew that Cameron was the perfect Brujah.  Of course,

the regular requirement was that they must be obsessed with two things, money

and power.  Obviously Cameron fit that profile perfectly.  Because his tastes

. . . 



    Lillie couldn't repress a shudder.  ((This is going to take all day)) she

thought, and she headed downstairs for the phone.



   Five hours later, Lillie prowled around the renovated apartment feeling

much more at home.  The walls were pained in an assortment of color by

various hired professionals.  The bedspread Cameron had used was in the

trash, replaced by her own.  Cameron had zero personal items in the

apartment, so Lillie put in her own.  The place looked great.  It smelled

terribly of paint, but other than that it was wonderful.  



   Lillie hummed to herself as she left the apartment and headed towards her

club.



Chapter 5





Cameron was completely and utterly shocked that members of his

clan could have been so stupid as to appoint Eddie Fiori Primogen.  

It was no wonder Julian hated Brujah after having to deal with Eddie

on a daily basis.



It had been two weeks since he had first come to San Francisco --

and he hadn't had more then twenty minutes peace, besides when

he was sleeping, because things were so completely out of hand.

There were thousands of papers in Eddie's filing cabinets, with 

thousands of forms, and thousands of problems.



Cameron signed what had to be the millionth paper and gave it to

one of Cameron's personal secretaries to deliver to a member of 

the Toreador Clan.  He couldn't help but wonder just what it was 

that Eddie did all day and all night, while these things piled up.



* Probably he either flirted with Lillie, or ploted different ways of

killing Julian, * Cameron thought with contempt.  Not that he had

anything against either two pasttimes, but his plots and plans 

for both of them were so pathetically stupid it made him ill just

thinking about it.



Eddie had been about as subtle as a moving train, if that much.

Maybe it was just personal taste, but Cameron liked to think

that his own personal technique worked much better.  But 

at the rate things were going now, it would probably be another

ten years before Cameron could put any of his plans in to 

action, save the one with Lillie.



Cameron signed a form as he thought some more about Lillie.

He wasn't quite sure himself what his plans for Lillie were, or 

even if they would work or not.  He knew that it would be a very

intelligent plan to use Lillie against the Prince.  What he wasn't

so sure about was what to do now.  Lillie had moved out of the

mansion, and was treating Julian the way he should be treated,

like garbage.  But Cameron had no idea where to go from there.



One possible idea was to find out a bit more about Caitlin.  It

seemed as though Caitlin and Julian were quite close, from what

he'd heard at the Haven the other night.  Possibly Caitlin had taken

Lillie's place in Julian's life.  And that would mean that Cameron's

plan had been for nothing, because Julian didn't care what Lillie 

did anymore.  But for some reason that didn't seem quite right,

in Cameron's opinion.  Julian had looked genuinely jealous last

night at the Haven.



Cameron sighed and stood up.  Every Kindred he'd ever known

had always said that it was impossible for Kindred to be physically

ill.  Cameron's headache was proving them wrong.  The best thing

to do, he thought, was to go home and get some sleep.  All this

paperwork could certainly wait another day, after all, it had waited

for twelve years.



***



Lillie watched with contempt as Julian wakled into the Haven, with

his slut, Caitlin, on his arm.  * He has some nerve bringing that

bitch into my establishment, * Lillie thought icily.



"Lillie?" Lillie turned around and saw the waitress, Briana, standing

behind the bar and watching her.



"What is it?" Lillie asked.  She rather liked Briana, the young Toreador

was fresh and honest, if a bit abrupt.  She was refreshing.



But this time Briana appeared to be a little bit nervous.  "Um," she

started.



"What is it?" Lillie repeated, impatient.



"Are you using Cameron to get to Julian?" Briana asked bluntly, after

taking another deep breath.



Lillie smiled at her.  "I'll put it to you this way -- I'm using Cameron as

much as Cameron is using me.  No more, and no less."



"But what if he's not using you?" Briana asked.



"Briana, think for a minute.  Cameron is a Brujah.  What is it that 

Brujah want more than anything?  Power," Lillie answered her own

question.



Briana appeared happy by the news.  "So -- you don't think he cares

about you?  I mean, not at all?"



Lillie couldn't help but laugh at how obvious Briana could be.  "You want

him,

don't you?" she asked.



Briana smiled.  "Guess you found me out," she said sheepishly.



"It was rather obvious," Lillie told her.  "Anyway, no I * don't

* think Cameron truly cares for me, at least not in the way

you mean.  So, feel more than free to get him for yourself."



"Thank you, Lillie," Briana said simply.



"Wait," Lillie said to her.



"What is it?" Briana asked.



"Do you think you could do me a favor, seeing as I've been so

generous with my advice and everything?" Lillie asked.



"Anything," Briana agreed.



"Find a way, anyway at all, to get them," Lillie gestured to

Julian and Caitlin, "out of here."



"But, why?" Briana asked, puzzled.



"Right now Cameron thinks I'm the closest person to Julian.

If he finds out about Caitlin, my plan will be ruined."



"But that could work to your advantage as well, couldn't it?

If Cameron and Caitlin get together, Julian would be free

to be with you."



Lillie shook her head.  "You're wrong, Briana.  Julian would

* never * in a million years allow Cameron to be with

Caitlin.  But there's nothing he can do about Cameron and

myself."



Briana laughed, "You're right of course!  That's why you're

the primogen and I'm the waitress!  Just one more question."



"What?" 



"You planned all of this from the very beginning?"



"Not from the beginning.  Let me put it to you this way, the

opportunity presented itself, and I simply couldn't resist.

Understand?"



Briana nodded and hurried away on her mission.



Chapter 6



Caitlin Byrne was getting extremely tired of being used.  As

far as she was concerned, Julian Luna was the biggest jerk 

of all time, and deserved to die a slow and painful death.



Which still didn't answer her question as to why she agreed 

to go to dinner with him that night.



The Haven was as crowded as usual, if not more so, 

considering it was a Saturday night.  Lillie was over 

by the counter, talking to the waitress behind the bar, 

presumably about Club business, and Julian was 

sitting across from her.



So far neither one of them had said anything.  She didn't 

know if it was because neither one of them could think of 

anything to say, or because both of them knew that 

something was hanging un-said in the air, and both were 

waiting for the other to come clean.



Caitlin simply did'nt know, but thinking about it gave her a 

headache. "So," she started, fidgeting nervously and 

trying to think of something to say.  "How are things?"



"Things are fine, Caitlin.  How do you like your job at 

the paper?"  he asked, sounding equally polite.



Somehow the conversation seemed artificial, and it had only 

just begun. "It's . . . busy," she finally answered.  "I haven't 

had much time to myself I'm afraid.  It seems as if the more 

papers we sell the more work there is  to be done, instead of 

less."



"Well," Julian agreed, "Some jobs are like that.  The better 

you are at them the more work must go into them."



"I supopse," she said, agreeing with his agreement.  "So, 

what else -- " 



"What do you want?" interrupted another voice.  Caitlin turned and

saw the waitress Lillie had been talking to before was now standing

at their table, waiting for their order.



"Nothing, thanks," Caitlin said to Julian as he prepared to tell the

waitress.



"Nothing, hmm?  Look, this isn't a park bench.  Either you order 

something, you dance, or you leave!"  



Julian shot the waitress an icy look, and the waitress glanced 

over towards the bar where Lillie was sitting, watching with a 

satisfied smile.



"Um, I'll just have some wine, then," Caitlin said, sounding 

uncomfortable.



"What kind?" Caitlin read the waitresses, name plate, and 

then looked up again at Briana.



"What kind do you have?"



"This is a night club, not a winery!"  Briana complained.



"I think you'd better leave now," Julian warned her.  Briana 

tossed him a cold look, then stalked away.



"Do you want to go someplace else?"  Julian offered.



"No, thanks, that's okay."  Caitlin told him.



"Are you sure?"  he offered a second time.



"It's no big deal," Caitlin said, somewhat coldly.  "Anyway, you

were saying?"



"I wasn't."  There was a long pause in the conversation, and Caitlin

nervously looked around the room, trying to come up with a topic of 

discussion.  "Look," she began, "about the other day . . . "



"Yes?"



"I'm sorry I didn't believe you . . . about, you know, what happened

in Manzinata."



"It's no problem Caitlin," Julian pacified her, then looked at his watch.



Caitlin looked at hers as well, and took the hint.  "I should get going, 

I have a deadline in 2 days, I really wanted to start writing that article."



"I'll call you tomorrow," Julian promised.



"Yeah, right.  Good night, Julian."



"Night Caitlin, you need a ride?"



"No, I have my car with me," Caitlin informed him.  She stood up, and 

without another word walked out of the Haven.