Too Much To Hope For
When someone as fragile as Iliana Harman finds her soulmate – it's not exactly something she looks forward to. Especially with her being a bit of blonde fluff and he being a cold-hearted biker. And Iliana isn't the only one who looks on in distaste…
Under Lock And Key
Iliana didn't feel particularly smothered at Circle Daybreak. Sure, they praised her and treated her like a princess – just like they did the other Wild Power, Jez, but… she didn't exactly mind being kept under surveillance.
So long as she got what she wanted – which involved dozens of shopping trips.
Not that she was allowed out herself, of course. Someone always went for her. And she ended up getting everything she wanted.
Life was tough for the people without blue fire in their veins.
Iliana smiled. She didn't mind being kept inside. Sure, before when it was Keller keeping her under a guard unit – that was stressful. But now that school was finished, she had free time. Jaime was allowed to come over any time she could manage and could you honestly get bored in a mansion, for Christ sake?
Living on the Strip was blissful, all Iliana had to do was step out onto her balcony and watch the world go by. Yes, she'd get some sharp warning looks from the guards – telling her to keep out of sight – but the view was spectacular and she couldn't help it.
She'd sometimes sit by the window and look out over the dozens of hotels, catching glimpses of the Manhattan Express roller coaster wrapping its way around New York, New York. Other times she'd gaze, full of awe, at the Stratosphere. But her personal favourite was the large beam shooting out and grazing the sky. Hosted by the Egyptian hotel: the Luxor.
Iliana turned at the sound of movement behind her bedroom door. Her blonde hair curtained her face, her violet eyes intense. The door opened slowly and in walked one of the guards. Lupe, she was called. Her long hair had recently been bleached – it was now completely luminous white, unlike the shabby grey it had been before.
Not that Lupe was shabby. Iliana admired and respected her. Between them, they had some weird eye colour thing going on.
Lupe's amber eyes washed over Iliana – inspecting her. She smiled, satisfied. "Hey girl. Chef sent up some of those Pringles you wanted."
Lupe waved the cylinder of crisps around and threw them at Iliana. Though she was no vampire and her reflexes weren't the best, Iliana caught it in midair – unlike how useless she used to be at catching things. Basketball tryouts had been humiliating… watching the balls fall to her feet. That was when I thought I was human…
She could thank her witch side for her newfound ability to catch. Or, even more particularly, Maeve Harman for joining her blood with the lamia.
Iliana looked at the Pringles container. "Where's the dip?" she asked.
Lupe produced a tub of something. This time she brought it over. "We only had the salsa dip, is that alright?"
Iliana waved a hand. "It's fine. When are you off-duty?" she asked.
Lupe shrugged and sat down next to Iliana – the mattress of the bed moulding to fit her shape. "Sorry. I'm on round-the-clock. Thierry's not taking any chances now that we got a new couple coming in,"
Iliana nodded and unscrewed the top of the dip pot. She looked wearily at her nails in case they showed any sign of splitting. They didn't. So she carried on, feeling a bit more happy than usual.
"Names, Lupe, give me names," Iliana smiled.
Lupe shrugged again and tossed her silvery hair over her shoulder. "No one knows who they are. Top secret, apparently. Thierry's not giving any information up." She paused and then leant back on the mattress.
"Ha! I bet you any money that he told Hannah," she finished.
Iliana looked down at Lupe. "Lady Hannah? Can't you just ask her?"
"Frankly, I don't care." Sighed Lupe. "We're getting enough couples as it is – what makes these soulmates different?"
Iliana pulled a Pringle out of its container and dipped it into the salsa. She pulled it out and pawed over it – eating it delicately so as not to get any of the dip around her mouth.
Lupe sat up to attention. "Any way, I was only running an errand for Chef. I just came to bring you those snacks up. You want any company? I can call Keller up for you…"
Iliana waved a hand. "Nah, it's alright. Besides, Keller's out with Galen – you wouldn't be able to get hold of her."
Lupe nodded, and made her way over to the door. "We got some new guys coming in too."
Iliana looked up. "Not the couple?"
"No, they used to be friends with Jez and Morgead – you know them, right?"
Iliana screwed up her face in remembrance of the boy called 'Morgead', and then nodded – recognition etching her features as she smiled brightly. "I know that Jez is the other Wild Power. Her soulmate's the biker guy, right?"
Lupe nodded. "Well, they managed to persuade their vampire friends into joining Daybreak. Thistle Galena, Raven Mandril and Val Stillman." She snorted – a very unladylike thing to do. But Lupe wasn't very ladylike.
"They'll be here in an hour. All the way from San Francisco. We're having another meeting in the grand hall downstairs – except Nilsson and I have to keep guarding outside. All the Daybreakers have to report there at around midnight. What with Samhain and everything,"
Iliana blinked furiously. "Samhain! I totally forgot! It's Halloween today, isn't it?"
Lupe nodded. "Don't worry, its not fancy dress," she laughed. "Except Thea and Gillian are throwing a little coven thing and they wanted you to be there."
Iliana cursed. She turned to face the girl standing in the doorway. She sighed. "Thanks, Lupe."
"You're welcome!" the half-werewolf, half-human replied. Lupe then shut the door behind her and strode down the corridor.
Iliana stared at her reflection in her mirror, critically. It hung above her dresser against the far wall. Hmm… she thought. Thierry's restless about this new bunch of Daybreakers coming in. I wonder why?