Fandom: Night World, LJ Smith

Disclaimer: I only own what you don't recognize.

Dedication: This first chapter is for the dream.

Summary: The fourth and final Wild Power needs to be found, and time is running out. Circle Daybreak is taking more desperate measures. But is accepting the aid of a traitor to the Night World desperation or brilliance? And what about their own agent - loose cannon Belladonna Turner?

Author Note at the end.

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Where There's Moonlight, I See Your Eyes

Chapter One

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This is ridiculous. I've never been able to bloody stand Thea and her nice-nice attitude – people call her 'wise' and all that, but I just didn't see it. She's soft-hearted, but since when does that guarantee her being right? And now, her plan to negotiate with the Night World and their cronies?

"Thea, you're insane. There is NO WAY that Ragnar will listen to any of our emissaries. He's too caught up in his search for the fourth Wild Power!" a plaintive voice called out.

Wait, that voice was mine! I winced as everyone glared at me for interrupting for what is perhaps the twelfth time in as many minutes. Oh wait, not everyone. Keller and Rashel are nodding in agreement, and Ash is – um, getting far too friendly with Mary-Lynette in a public place.

Thea fixes me with a firm brown-eyed stare. "Belladonna, what now?"

I rolled my eyes and pursed my lips.

"I'm sorry; I meant – Bee, what now?"

Yes. You read right. My name is Belladonna. And no, I'm not a Night Person. I'm not lamia, to be given a 'natural' name. No, I'm just the daughter of a good old-fashioned run-of-the-mill average PSYCHO. I'll come to that later though; everyone's staring at me expectantly. I rise to my feet, utterly comfortable – speaking is something I've been doing for almost my entire life, after all.

"Listen, Thea. As much as you hate to admit it to yourself, Ragnar is just as bad as Hunter. As wonderful as it is that Hunter is gone –" Here I paused and gave a congratulatory nod to Delos, who is standing by the bay windows; tall, cool, and arrogant. "Ragnar is more of a threat. Hunter was at least predictable. We don't know anything about Ragnar, his motives or desires. We know he's just as cunning and as intelligent as Hunter, but he's stronger, more brutal. Hunter had a side of diplomacy to his dealings – Ragnar is of a different breed. He's lured countless lamia and shape shifters and witches to his side by promising them an endless supply of human, well, meals."

I glanced around. Everyone was staring at me, eyes fixed. Mother always did say I had the gift of 'people-speaking', as she called it.

"Now, as much as we need the Crowley Crystal, we cannot rely on the other side! What, we waltz in and say 'Hey guys, we need to find the fourth Wild Power so would you mind helping us locate that amazingly powerful crystal so we can scry for him or her? We'll let you kill him slash her later, we promise'. God, Thea! Possible scenarios: He kills our representative and searches for the gem himself, he joins up with us and then kills us once he's found it, or…yeah that's it. We still end up being slaughtered. He cannot be trusted under any circumstances."

Thea looked hurt, and I felt a little guilty, but squashed it down.

"You're absolutely right Bee," Thea began. "But what's our other option? We need to find the crystal – it's our last chance at locating the final Wild Power."

I hugged her tightly. "Thea…you know what we have to do."

"I know. But it's risky. It'll take knowledge that our spies can't even begin to discover."

"We've got to take that risk." I looked around. Circle Daybreak were nodding along with me, faces grim, jaws set.

Okay, I'll just pause right there for a moment so I can explain some things to you.

FACT: My name is Belladonna Turner. I am not a Night Person, not a shifter or a vampire or a witch. I'm just a plain old ordinary teenage human girl. My mother was under the impression that Belladonna was a beautiful name. I disagree. People call me Bee, or Don. I like Don. It makes me sound like I'm in the Mafia. Mwahaha.

FACT: I am a Daybreaker. Trust me, they would be entirely lost without me, if I do say so myself. But a brief breakdown – the millennium is edging closer and closer, and with it; the end of the world. We still haven't found the fourth and final Wild Power, and time is running out. Hence, our crazy plan to find the Crowley Crystal. Might I also add that this ingenious plan was thought of by our crack team that comprises of me, Hannah, Gillian, and Jez. We argue a lot.

FACT: The Crowley Crystal is an immensely powerful magical artifact that both sides are after. The crystal can be used to locate the remaining Wild Power.

FACT: The Night World is still out and about. Well, duh, of course. Although Delos got rid of Hunter; Ragnar, one of the oldest made vampires around and Hunter's second-in-command has taken over. He's vicious and brutal and needs to be killed. Soon. Preferably by me.

FACT: We still haven't figured out who 'the witch who isn't a witch' or whatever that stupid dragon said, is. Said witch may be at this very moment waking up more dragons.

FACT: We are screwed. Unless we put aforementioned crazy plan into action. What is this crazy plan, you may ask? Oh, we're just going to send someone into the Night World to spy and figure out whether our enemies are any closer to finding the crystal or Wild Power than we are. Just one person, alone. Not to mention that first we have to find out where their base is. Not a problem. Nope.

FACT: Did I mention we are screwed?

Anyway, back to the meeting.

Jez spoke up, flipping her wild red hair over her shoulders. "Thea, Bee is right. We need to send someone in as soon as we can. We start by infiltrating the clubs – the Black Iris, the Death Prayer, the Etas Besanar. Once we've got someone we know is high up in the Council, we follow them and work our way in."

"You keep saying 'we', Jez. You realize this is a solo operation?" Rashel, no doubt. I chanced a look. Yep – Rashel, her fierce green eyes blazing.

The two just couldn't help needling at each other, but that was just a front for the deep respect they have for each other.

"I realize that, Shelly. It was a figure of speech."

Galen cleared his throat. "That's great, you guys – can we get back on topic?"

Ahh, Galen. As calm as ever. Ever since he's chosen his animal and became a real shifter, he's been a bit more predatory and less squeamish about the whole fighting aspect of our war. It's a bit of a shame – he had an innocent heart, those are hard to find.

"Listen, this is all just going over what we already know. We can't keep planning and not doing. We've got to send someone in." David, looking around with that quizzical expression of his.

"We do." I stood. "I'm going."

Instant uproar.

Huh. That's reassuring.

"You're crazy! You're a human, what can you do?" That would be Keller.

"Excuse me; being human doesn't make you less than a vampire!" And Rashel.

"She means that Bee won't be able to get in as easily as, say, me."

"The Night World won't accept humans! On any circumstances!" Eric called, his sandy hair flopping into his eyes.

Okay, time for my input.

"GUYS! Shut up. It makes sense for me to go. Keller, I'm human, so what? Rashel, sing it girl. Morgead, you've gone down in vampire annals as THE WHIPPED ONE, so don't get cocky. Eric, thank you for your point. It's valid."

I looked around.

"Who else thinks they can do it?"

Hands flew up – Rashel, Keller, Jez, Ash, Morgead, Delos, Quinn, James – I stopped counting. Pretty much everyone in the damn room.

"Well, that's too bad. Because you know the first rule of war – don't lose anything indispensable."

Expressions of skepticism.

"Bee, sweetheart, that's very touching, but none of us – with the exception of the three Wild Powers – is indispensable."

"Oh yeah? Well, Ash, look to your right. That girl Mary-Lynette there? Is she dispensable?"

Ash blinked with those ever-changing eyes – at this moment sea green. "Touché."

"Thank you." I gazed around at the room. "You are all indispensable. And I'm not saying this to be thoughtful – it's a strategic decision. One of you dies; your soulmate will be useless. And at this point in the war, we need all the people we can get."

Thierry rose to his feet and I met his gaze straight on. "Belladonna –"

"Bee! I don't care if you are the boss here!"

Thierry chuckled. "Bee, then. Forgive me, I'm a little old-fashioned. You make good points, Bee, but there are as many against you. You're a human, and while I don't contest that humans are perfectly competent, Night Worlders won't allow you near them. I'm sorry, it's much too dangerous. We need to send a Night Person. I myself was considering someone like Lupe."

I glared at Thierry. "Listen, sir, Lupe and her staff are busy protecting the Wild Powers and the members of Daybreak who can't take care of themselves."

Oops, that wasn't really a politically correct thing to say, was it? Oh well, these guys are used to my bluntness and lack of tact.

"Timmy, Melusine, the people from the Dark Kingdom? They need her. It has to be one of us – one of the inner circle – who goes. And I'm the only one who isn't a Wild Power or with baggage. Uh, I mean, with a soulmate."

Thierry sighed. "Stop arguing. There really isn't anything we can do, Bee – unless you get yourself turned into a shifter or vampire – WHICH YOU WILL NOT DO." He glared at me. "Not for the sake of a mission." As I opened my mouth to argue he looked at me testily. "Tell me; are you in possession of a death wish? Shut up!"

I rolled my eyes. "I have to go. It's your only option."

"They'll kill you," Hannah said, looking at me with wide, pure Old Soul eyes.

"Maybe. But that's better, isn't it? I'm a human – I die easier. Less time to give out information. And if I manage to convince them that I'm some sort of traitor to my species, they'll let me in. It's do or die, Hannah."

"But Bee…"

I looked into Gillian's violet orbs. "Gill – you're one of my best friends. Don't go against me too."

It was at that precise moment that the answer to all our problems arrived. Of course, we didn't know that. Me? I thought it was the beginning of them.

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This story is just something that I dreamed up one night and began writing. I'd like to know what you think. You can expect the next update very soon, as I know this chapter is pretty short.

Notes

My beta, Spookie 33333 pwns. And I love her to death. And beyond. If she were an Old Soul, I'd be her Thierry.

Etas Besanar – when you add a certain word onto the front of that, it becomes a Name of Power that is said to 'call up all the spirits of hell'.

Crowley Crystal ­– named for Alexander Crowley. More in upcoming chapters.

Ragnar – is a name that took me forever to come up with, it means 'Judgment Warrior' in Old Norse.

Death Prayer – is a term used to describe a technique designed to deprive a person of life, e.g. the ability to command demons to kill the living.

- WalkThruTheFire.