The Covenant and The Night World

Chapter 1

Along Came a Memory

I was sitting in Nicky's, nursing a drink. Allowing my eyes to flit around the room, looking for something or someone. I wasn't sure what I was looking for in here. The sea of bodies made it difficult to pick out any particular girl. They were all the same, I don't know why I bothered to find anyone here. These girls were all the same, vain people. Who were either too old for me, too young or generally, the worst people I've ever had the displeasure to know. Translation: old chicks, children and people I go to school with. The guys were with me - Caleb and Pogue with their significant others, Sarah and Kate - chatting amongst themselves. I had no reason to listen.

That was when I seen her. The girl I would love, only I didn't know it yet. She was in conversation with some guys from school, though by the look in her eyes she could not be more interested. But she was so beautiful. Raven black hair, so black that in the light it shined blue, and her eyes, bottle green and bright. When she smiled, you felt good about making the light come into her eyes.

"Dude, don't even try it with her," Caleb laughed and earned a glare from me. What was he trying to say?

"Why?" I glanced at Sarah. "Getting bored?"

Tyler laughed and playfully slapped my arm, grinning he said. "You can't have her," the guys laughed - including Kate and Sarah - and I felt as if I had been left out of some joke. "Sorry, Reid."

"And why the hell is that, Baby Boy?" I growled. I didn't see Tyler dating her. . Caleb and Pogue already had girlfriends, none of us had a sister. This being said, I seen no reason why I couldn't date her. None of our families lived here either, besides our parents and a stray aunt or uncle.

"She's out of bounds, I guess." Pogue shrugged, looking down and smiling.

I looked towards Kate and Sarah but they seemed as oblivious as I was. I guess that made sense. I had known the boys longer than either of them out together and I reckoned if didn't know what was going on then there was no chane they had a clue of knowing either. Perhaps though, I thought maybe all of my friends had dated this beautiful creature across the room and was searching for some signs of jealously. I found none. But then Kate and Sarah both simultaneously broke out into a grin. So they did know who she was. There was no need to ask, I would find out who she was soon enough.

"May I know why she is out of bounds?" I asked.

Caleb cleared his throat, strained his neck around the swarm of bodies dancing, and shouted over to the dark haired girl. "Hey, Alisa. Come here! We're over here." he gestured towards our table and urged her to come to us.

Alisa's head snapped up from the conversation she was having with our dear friend - yes, sarcasm - Chase Collins with a relieved look on her face. I watched as she apologised, but made an excuse to leave him and swiftly made her way over to us. I sat back in my chair, folding my arms as she expertly weaved her way through the bodies until she dropped ehrself in the seat opposite me.

"Hey, babydoll." Caleb chuckled as she lowered herself, gracefully, on to the seat next to him. Babydoll? I wondered where the name came from and why it sounded so familiar.

"Did that actually stick?" The girl, Alisa, giggles and I fought the urge to laugh along with her. You know those laughs. She didn't have a funny laugh, but it was so beautiful and cute and it made everyone in the vacinity want to brighten up and laugh along with her.

"Apparently so," Pogue grinned and touched her arm affectionately. "Good to see you, been pretty dull without you."

Alisa nodded and smiled sweetly at him. "Yeah? Been pretty boring with you guys, too. It's been so long." she turned to Tyler with a perfectly arched eyebrow hitched up on her face. "Hey, Ty, how's the family?"

I gawked at Tyler. How did he know such a wonderful creature of a girl and I didn't? This was so not the way the world worked. "Everyone's good, Ali. Glad you finally made time to visit."

I think after a while they all noticed me. Or maybe it was my cough.

"Oh, hey, Alisa you know Reid-"

"Garwin. Reid Garwin." I held out my hand and she slipped her smaller, cooler, smoother hand into mine, said hello and introdiced herself. Alisala Stewart - familiar name. I didn't know why I couldn't remember this girl and I had a hunch that I had never actually met her but only heard of her at some point of another and I never really listen.

"Good evening." Alisa murmured, letting go of my hand. "Very formal."

That was when Aaron Abbot came over, lingering by the edge of our table and sweating under the expectant eyes of our groups. I tensed for an argument which would soon turn into a fully fledged fight, but his eyes narrowed in on Alisa and I decided it probably wouldn't turn out as bad as I had orginially expected - as long as he didn't start on me while he was here.

"Hey babe, you like to hang out with losers?" Aaron asked, sneering, as he looked around our group and his eyes narrowed in on me. Might be uglier than my second thought.

Alisa looked behind him and I followed her gaze to Aaron's friends. "Evidently not. Correct me if I'm wrong but arent you and your friends over the other side of the room?"

"Nobody talks to me like that." Aaron glared at her, his hands clenching in to fists. I wouldn't put it past Abbot to beat on a girl. "Bitch."

Alisa smiled sweetly and stood up, only a few inches smaller than he was. "Sorry to be the one to break the news to you, honey," she patted his shoulder "But I just did."

Aaron grabbed her wrist and, as his face contorted in anger, he squeezed down so hard I was sure she'd have a mark on her skin for at least a few hours. Looking around our table, I found no one was looking worried. Perhaps, Kate and Sarah were a little. But, girls, you know?

"I'd advise you to let go of me now" Alisa said, voice calm and face straight.

Aaron smirked and I watched him tighten his grisp. "Or what, you whore?"

Alisa mirrored his smirk, raised an eyebrow. "This." in two seconds, Alisa had arron on his back with blood running from his noise and her foot on his chest, holding him to the ground. Woah. She leaned down and grinned, mischievously. "Oops, how's it going down there, Sunshine?"

By the point, Aaron's group of followers had surround them. I didn't have to look to know what they were thinking. They were gonna kick her sweet ass. Girl or no girl, she was doomed. I wouldn't sit around and watch a girl be beat up. I stood up and held my hands up in a timeout gesture. "Woah, guys. Those odds are not fair. Six against one? Have some dignity."

Alisa smiled softly to me and grabbed my hand. A jolt of electricity shot up my arm at her touch and we both jumped, looking down at our entwined hands as if we had suddenly sprouted fifteen extra fingers between us. We ignored it, though I wanted to ask what had happened.. I felt odd. But it was a good odd and it was good to feel something real, for a change. Alisa shook her head, as if shaking the feeling away and smiled, in the same way, pulling me towards the back exit. "The odds are fair now."

Tyler stood up and fixed a stern look on Alisa, who looked at me and rolled her eyes at him. I smirked as Tyler gave us instructions. "Either of you come back with broken bones and you are both dead. Got it?"

"Yes, mom." I grinned. "So us two against you four- Oops, five. Forgot about you down there, Abbot."

One of Aaron's friends, Josh, I think his name was, growled and took a step forward. Visibally, shaking for some fist action. "Aren't you guys gonna help?"

Pogue laughed, tipping his head back and shook his head at the group. "No way, man. Alisa and Reid together? Now that.. That is one deadly pair. I wouldn't not like to get on the wrong side of them."

"I'm actually worried for you guys," Caleb chuckled, allowing his arm to go around the back of Sarah's chair as he pressed his lips into a tight smile, shaking his head at the group. "God help you, that's all I'm sayin'."

Another one of Abbot's friends spoke up, glaring at us. "Can we get on with it or something or are you guys just avoiding your ass wooping?"

Alisa giggled as I laughed and I squeezed her hand. "Sure," she said pulling me to the backway.

Outside, we were in an alley and the minute the back door shut Abbot and his gang lunged for us. I mentally counted that if I had two of them on me and there was five, that meant Alisa would have three. Also, Alisa would have Abbot on her back, clawing and scratching - an all around dirty fighter - and for the first time I genuinely worried about the turnout of a fight. I didn't just have myself to worry about. I had a beautiful girl to look out for this time and by the look from Tyler's eyes earlier I was dead if anything happened to her.

I tried to dodge a fist but it hit me square on the face, bursting my lip. I grappeled my attacker and launched him across the alley as far as I could without Using. I grinned as I heard him hit against the trashcans and stumble for his balance. I elbowed my other attacker in the throat and he wheezed, aiming a kick at me which I narrowly avoided. I got him in the face a few times and slammed him against the nearest wall. He closed his eyes and slumped against it.

I turned around, wiping the blood from my face on my sleeve. Alisa was sitting cross-legged on an overturned barrel and brushing blood from her knuckled. I wasn't sure if it was her blood or someone else. All of the guys she was fighting were slumped over one another. Blood streaming from their mouths and noses. I wondered how such a little body could do such things to more stronger bodies.. I walked over to her. "Are you all right?" I inspected her face and body, staring at her knuckled that were blood stained. She rubbed it off easy enough - not her blood.

Alisa smirked "I think, my friend, the question is, are you okay?"

I smiled, a genuine smile "Yeah," I wiped my face with the back of my hand "How'd you learn to fight like that? You took them out in, like, five seconds."

Alisa smiled softly at me and took my chin in her hand, turning my head to see how badly my lip was. "I gues I just have good reflexes. It's not that bad, Reid." she gently brushed my lip with her fingers and I fought the urge to lean into her touch. The coolness of her fingers eased the pain, however little, of my lips. "We can fix you up okay."

"Sure, okay." I grinned, then added, gesturing to the five limp bodies who were barely starting to come to. "What shall we do with those guys?"

Alisa gave me a weird look "If it were the other way about, what would they with us?" she asked.

"Leave us, I guess."

Alisa laughed softly, provoking a smile from me. "Then we leave them, they'll come around shortly and demand a rematch." Alisa came over to me and slid her hand into mind, pulling me towards the bar. "C'mon, Aaron got beat off a girl, how long do you think it'll take for it to get around?"

"Word gets around."

"I figured," she giggled and her eyes flitted to our joined hands. Did she feel the shocks too, or was I just imagining it? It was probably just the leftover adrenaline from the fight I was feeling.

As we approached our table Alisa let go off my hand, much to my dissapointment and sat beside Tyler again. "Hey, Alisa, what did you say your second name was again?"

Tyler and Alisa got a lot of confused looks who just shrugged it off "I didn't." she told me.

"Then what was it?"

Alisa gave Tyler a sidelong glanced and looked down. "Alisa.." she mumbled so I didn't hear her clearly and I asked her to repeat herself. "Alisa De.." again, I asked her to repeat herself, this time more annoyed than I was the last time. Her reply was frustrated. Well, if she had spoken up I wouldn't have had to have asked her to repeat herself twice. "Devereaux."

"As in, Devereaux, Tyler's mom?"

Alisa nodded and shrugged, fiddling with my empty glass.

Caleb noticing the moment of discomfort, butt in "Yeah, shes Tylers cousin. We used to spend alot of time together when we were younger, you dont remember?"

I thought about it, trying to picture a much younger Alisa, when the light went on "Li-Li?" I asked, well exclaimed. How hadn't I recognised her? We were best friends, for God's sake.

Everybody laughed and she nodded. "Hey, Ree-Ree."

"Wow, you're looking good." I smirked.

"So I've been told," Alisa winked at me, ah, just like old times. Well, twelve years later. But still. Alisa and I had always been closer with eachother than we had the others and at the ages of 3-6 there had been what kids of that age would consider flirting.

"Wait, how do you know Kate and Sarah? They werent here when you were." I asked.

Kate answered for her "Alisa traveled a lot, didnt you? Yes, well she met me in California and met Sarah in...Boston, was it? Yeah, quite funny really."

Sarah nodded "Yeah, we've been like best friends since. And when I found out she was like Kate's best friends to I was, like, so happy. And then we were so relieved that she already knew you guys."

"Guys, do you remember all the things my dad used to say about you and your.. powers?" Alisa asked hesitantly, with a small voice. The stuff her dad had told us about what we would become had always seemed so cool as a child when it was all just fantasy, but coming of age and discovering it was all true. "And the stuff he'd say about me?" We nodded again and I thought, I know. It will be true won't it? Why wouldn't it be? He had been right, bang on, about us guys. We always just assumed that he had made those stories up - Alisa's story being more fake than ours - because he wanted us all to feel equal. "It's true.." Alisa's story was that when she became 8, four years earlier than our powers would progress and develop, she would take on all the traits of her ancestors. Each and every one of them. Something abot her being born to a prophecy. Vampires, Witches, Shapeshifters (different from werewolves, never get those mixed up) would become apart of her. I remember thinking that someone would explod to have so much inside of them. It wasn't hard to believe. Though she was the same person we all know and loved, there was definitley something different.

Pogue reached over and took her hand, running his thumb across the back of her hand. "Hey, baby doll. It's fine, okay? You know about us and we know about you. Besides, we all knew your old man wasn't as crazy as he seemed. If it was true for us then why not you?"

Kate and Sarah gave Pogue an alarmed look, probably thinking he was bout to blurt it out, when fact is, she already knew. She knew before them. Hell, she knew before Tyler.

Alisa snorted "Yeah, how can I forgot?" we laughed "Walking in on Reid..."

Sarah and Kate looked at Alisa then me. I smirked "So when you shift...what are you?"

Lise looked at Kate and Sarah, "They know yours. Can I tell them mine?" Alisa looked hopefully at Caleb and Pogue, probably wondering if it might scare them. I was a little freaked out myself, though I'd never admit it. Plus, I'd had years to accept the possibilities of all things weird and wonderful.

"Yeah, I think it'll be okay." Caleb said. Pogue nodded.

Alisa took a deep breath then laughed "Can somebody else do it? I want them to know but, it's still weird for me to say it, even after all these years..."

I gave her a sharp look "How long have you known?"

She looked down ashamed, "Since I was 5, I've known there was a chance that it might be true. I just couldn't be sure for a few years. I know I probably could have told you, but it was just a hunch. I'm sorry."

I sighed, "It's okay Lise, I understand." and I did. I know how it feels to feel like you were weird and different and a freak. To think that there was something wrong with you, even at such a young age, the tales her father had told us made me wonder. Why me?

Alisa glanced up and me and smiled her crooked smile she knew I loved, never changing . Before I really knew what I was doing, I smiled back.

Caleb cleared his throat and demanded our attention. "I'll them them, Lisa." he smiled and Kate and Sarah and proceeded to do so. "Well.."