Sanctuary and Epiphany

Standing in surprise of the events unfolding in front of her, Zatanna could only stand and watch as Oliver fell to his knees in the presence of his wife Black Canary. She had wondered what had happened to the man after he had quit the League all those years ago, she never imagined he would be found here of all places. Feeling a presence behind her, Zatanna turned and found Selina come up behind her in a look of complete relief, clutching at her arm. “It’s about TIME you showed up, I was worried I couldn’t get through to you out here with my phone.” Hissed Selina through her teeth while she too kept her eyes on what was unfolding. “I was worried he’d bring the entire castle down around him if he didn’t get Dinah back.”

“What is going on?” Zatanna asked, not getting an answer but keeping her eye on Dracula as he stood back and let the couple have time together. Reaching out to his wife, Dinah looked as if she would take Oliver’s hand before pulling away to cross her arms and playfully tap at her lip in thought with one of her fingers. Confusing Oliver just as she turned her back to him and stepped away. “Honey… It’s me, please can’t we just go home?” Her reply back was laughter.

Finally turning around and staring down at the man, Dinah gave her husband a condescending smirk before laughing sweetly down at the man. “I honestly can’t believe you FOUND me! I’ve been playing a game of cat and mouse with you for over four years now…”

Blinking back stunned, Oliver could only look up in disbelief as Dinah explained herself. “I mean… It was fun, keeping you guessing where I was, enjoying that little thrill that you would ALMOST find me. Meanwhile I’ve been fucking every other guy I’ve met while feeding off them.” Looking over her shoulder, Dinah gave Dracula her most demure smile while tilting her shoulder. “Oh, but they NEVER held a candle to YOU my love, a means to an end, what can I say? I like to play with my food.”

“Dinah… What are you saying?”

“What I’m ‘saying’ Oliver Queen is I don’t like what you’re offering anymore, I mean, look at you, you’re temporary, but this? ME?” She gestured to herself, flaunting her alabaster complexion and near hypnotic beauty back to the man she once loved as her husband. “THIS is permanent, this is eternal… And Lord Dracula is FAR more satisfying in the sack than you ever were.” Pursing her lips into a smile, Dinah grinned as the hope extinguished from Green Arrow’s tired eyes, his body slumping on the floor looking down at his broken bow. Blowing the broken man a kiss, Dinah sauntered over to Dracula and held close to his arm, nuzzling against his shoulder and fluttering her eyes seductively to the man on the floor.

“Awwwww, is the little archer going to cry?”

“THAT’s enough!” Hissed Zatanna, storming over to crouch down and pull Oliver into an embrace, his face still drained of colour after the ordeal. Now that she got a closer look at him she realised he was a mess; underweight, bags under his eyes, and his beard unkempt, it was more than obvious that rescuing Dinah was his only drive… Up until now.

“Daw, look at that, the FORMER bride found a new puppy.”

“I agree with Zatanna, that is quite enough.” Hissed Selina, glaring back at the vampire woman while coming to stand between her and the Green Arrow. Giving the werecat a haughty look, Dinah was surprised when Dracula separated from her and joined his wife in the defense of Oliver Queen. “My beloved siren, I too must side with my wife and former bride on this, go to your quarters, we shall speak of this at a later time.” Confused, the Black Canary looked down at the now sobbing man in Zatanna’s arms and scoffed, turning sharply, and floating up into the air to disappear into the shadows overhead.

Suddenly the main gates of the castle barged wide open, alerted everyone in the main hall of a procession of 50 amazon warriors led by Artemis herself marched inside and stamped to a halt just 2 meters from Dracula and his guests. Turning her furious gaze down to the broken sobbing man in Zatanna’s care on the floor, the amazon warrior sneered in disgust, pointing her spear towards the man accusingly.

“THIS is the filth that infiltrated our island paradise, his presence will NOT be tolerated, we demand that he be taken with us for trial and execution!”

Holding Oliver more tightly, Zatanna found herself hissing back at the battalion of amazons, her eyes glowing indigo while her hair billowed behind her. Even Selina looked ready for a fight as her feline traits began to take root.

“No!” responded Dracula, as a matter of fact. Something that made Artemis glare back at the undead count more intensely and make her nostrils flare.

“You dare?! Amazon law…”

“ENDS AT THE FRONT DOORS OF MY CASTLE!” Dracula bellowed out loud enough that his voice echoed through the entire hall and castle structure. Gesturing to the Green Arrow still being cradled in Zatanna’s arms, Dracula spoke more calmly. “As of now, I declare Oliver Queen as my brother in arms, so long as he resides within my castle, he is under MY protection!”

Breathing hard and barely containing her indignation, Artemis darted her eyes towards Green Arrow and back to Dracula, stepping forward so she could look up eye to eye with the vampire king. “If not for the wishes of my Queen… I would not humour this!”

His face still stoic with a charming grin, Dracula lowered his gaze to the woman and his eyes glowed blood red. “Then it pleases me to know that it is not YOU I am humouring, return to your highness Hippolyta and let her know that I shall be entertaining a guest for the foreseeable future, and he will not step on Amazonian shores again.”

Gritting her teeth in barely restrained anger, Artemis turned to her battalion and gave the order for them to leave. As soon as she was the last one at the gates, Artemis turned back and pointed towards Oliver with her spear. “If he so much as take a single step out of these doors, he is DEAD!” Stamping her spear’s pommel on the tile floor, the woman stormed out of sight.

Turning his attention to Selina, Dracula kissed his wife on the forehead and embraced her in a loving hug. “I shall speak to Dinah personally on the matter, please see to it our guest is properly cared for.”

“As you wish my love, I shall be with you soon.”

Watching the man bow and turn to leave, Selina joined Zatanna on the floor, helping the man up to his feet and guiding him deeper into the castle. Walking up the elegant staircase and down the hallways of the living castle, the two finally had a chance to speak. “Selina please, tell me what’s been going on, I thought Dinah went missing after the war.”

“No, she was with us the entire time, as was Talia.” Answered Selina, guiding the pair down another hallway. “She only began to lay low after the war… Here, these will be his quarters.” Ever since she had merged with the many lives she lived as Dracula’s lover; Selina seemed… Different, kinder. She still had an eye for the extravagant and was arguably more cat-like than ever, but now there was a gentleness to her she did not have before, she heard rumours that what visits or interviews with Dracula were made with the public, he seemed calmer, soothed, no doubt because of her efforts. Something Zatanna appreciated as the two of them helped the broken Oliver to his new living arrangements. The room was exquisitely decorated and furnished, with silk cushions and bedding that was soft to the touch. Sitting the man down, he did not move from his seat after the two women turned to leave for the door.

“I still don’t understand how he found Themyscira, this island is practically invisible, and its co-ordinates are secret by amazon law.”

Giving the vampire woman a credulous face, Selina pulled her cellphone from her dress pouch, waving it between her fingers. “I told him where the island was Zatanna, I may be the reincarnate lover of Dracula, but I’m also a werecat, we’re driven to promote peace… Especially for those in pain.”

Clutching her indigo lantern ring, Zatanna closed her eyes and nodded. “You think Dracula will approve of your actions?”

“My love enjoyed every minute of it! Had he not, we would not be speaking, and HE wouldn’t still be alive.” Forcing herself not to chuckle, she was reminded of how Dracula had treated Mr. Freeze back in Gotham, one of the few men he showed respect even in the end for his sacrifices. “I will speak with my husband on the matter, HOPEFULLY he will not be angry enough NOT to accept me in bed.” Winking back to Zatanna, Selina turned and made her way down the shifting hallways like she did so many times before, confidently as if she always knew her way around. Closing the door and joining Oliver to sit across from him on the edge of the bed, she could still hear him whispering to himself, in denial.

“Why… How… How could she say that? That wasn’t Dinah… That wasn’t my wife.”

Holding the man’s hands in hers, Zatanna guided his face up to look her in the eye. “That WAS your wife Ollie, but vampirism changes people, and not for the better…”

“B-but… You’re still you… Maybe, maybe she’ll…” Feeling her delicate finger press against his lip with a shush, Zatanna showed him her indigo lantern ring. “No Ollie, this is the only thing keeping me from acting like the monster I really am… It is the embodiment of compassion itself, an indigo lantern ring. With it, it gives me back my conscience and lets me feel the pain of others.”

Catching the man by surprise, Zatanna cupped his face in her hands and kissed him deeply, making his tear streaked eyes go wide with surprise. “Wha-What are you?!”

“It also compels me to show compassion to those in pain, and I can FEEL your pain, so much pain… Let me sooth it for you.” Unbuttoning her vest, Oliver was taken back when the woman peeled off her clothes and gently pressed him back to lay on top of the bed, climbing on top of him and kissing him deeply against while unbuttoning his vest and uniform.

“Zatanna! We can’t…”

“Yranac kcalb ekil kool em tel.” With a shimmer of indigo light, Zatanna’s hair went from midnight black to golden blonde and her face and body changed from hers to Black Canary’s before the man’s eyes. Seeing her look down at him with a caring smile and gently combing her fingers through his hair, the man no longer held any strength of will to resist her when she bent down to kiss him again. Managing to peel off his clothes, Zatanna found the man underweight and bruised from his injuries fighting Dracula, her ring compelling her even further to show care for the man as it bathed the room in a sense of euphoria, healing his body and filling his mind with a sense of peace. Like a warm blanket wrapped over him after being left in the biting cold, the indigo light calmed him as he continued to kiss the vampire woman on top of him. When she felt him become hard underneath her, she guided him between her legs and sunk down on him, gasping and thrusting out her chest for him to capture her breasts just as she leaned down to capture his lips again. “Dinah… I love you so much…” Letting the man bask in the illusion she created for him, she did everything she could to mend his broken heart. For almost an hour she had sex with him, trying to play the part of his wife even as he gripped at her thighs and thrust hard inside of her, riding the man out and gently caressing his sore body. By the time he went rigid, the man slumped back and Zatanna collapsed on top of him, gently caressing his face and hair as sleep finally took him. “Dinah… Why couldn’t YOU have had the ring?” He moaned, kissing her neck and chin before falling asleep from exhaustion.

Hearing his words, Zatanna looked back at her indigo ring, undoing the illusion she had over her. An idea coming to her as she rested her head over his chest and listened to his beating heart.

“Gasp… Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?”