A/N: Hey guys. Just continuing with the second chapter. Thanks to heavenzdevil911 for reviewing. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Oh, and I forgot to add a disclaimer in my first chapter, but you all know that LJ Smith owns basically everything to do with the Night World. Although a couple of the characters are mine, as is this story line.
Chapter 2 – Circle Daybreak
Las Vegas - 2007
"Mica!" Hannah Descouedres called out from the bottom of the beautiful mahogany staircase of the famous mansion of Thierry.
"I'm telling you, that girl isn't gonna get down here until you put some more growl into your wake up calls." Keller purred, stretching her long legs along the dining chair across from her as she read through the latest mission report.
Rashel shared a mischievous look with Keller before going over to the bottom of the staircase, standing firmly beside Hannah. "Mica Brigit Everet, I swear if you aren't down here in five minutes, dressed and ready for school, I'm gonna have Keller training you for the next three months!"
Hannah winced as Rashel's wake up call broke through the early morning silence, but her cool grey eyes lit up in a smile as she heard subtle footsteps upstairs.
"What's with the yelling?" A tall lanky boy with dishevelled ash blonde hair trudged down stairs.
"Ash! How fantastic to see your ever changing eyes open this early in the morning." Poppy North sang as she pranced past him in a dressing robe, taking special care to speak as loudly as politely possible in his ear.
Wincing openly, Ash ambled into the kitchen, away from the noise the girls made in the dining room.
"Just one question, Rashel," a young female voice spoke from the doorway. A short teenage girl stood there, her long silky black hair pulled back from her beautifully creamy porcelain face. Her small, slender body stood in a defiant stance and her rich mahogany eyes narrowed at the vampire hunter. "Why would you threaten such a naïve young innocent as myself with such treachery as three months of hard training with Ms Raksha Keller?" The young girl's face fell into a false innocence.
"Good morning, Mica." Hannah greeted her foster daughter with a plate of hot breakfast. Mica's deep eyes suddenly brightened at the sight of food, taking the plate immediately and sitting down across from Keller. Pulling back the chair that Keller's long legs had been propped up on, Mica had disturbed the shapeshifter who appeared annoyed that she had been disrupted.
Mica just smiled at Keller. "Thank you, Hannah." Even though Keller was glaring at the young girl, Mica did not appear to notice. It was how the girl acted all the time. There were many personalities in Thierry's mansion, ones that were much tougher and colder than others, but Mica had a way to break through all of them.
"Morgead Blackthorn!" A sharp female voice called out from the staircase. "If you so much as touch that dagger, I promise you, your hands will not be touching anything for the next three days!"
"Oh please, Jezebel,that is the weakest threat I've ever heard." Morgead rushed past the dining room, vaguely nodding a good morning to the other occupants before heading towards the basement.
"Morgead!" Jezebel Redfern shrieked, following him down into the weapon storage area that Thierry had built into the basement.
"What's so special about a dagger?" Mica asked, wrinkling her nose as Hannah placed a cup of herbal tea in front of her.
"It's good for you." Hannah said gently, knowing that Mica hated herbs of all kinds.
"It's disgusting." Mica said, pushing the mug towards Ash. "What's wrong with coffee?"
"Coffee is full of caffeine and sugar. Two things that will deteriorate your body and stain your teeth in the process." Keller said absently as she flipped through the report.
"Ew, horehound and hyssop." Ash grimaced as the scented steam of the tea cup wafted towards his sensitive vampire sense of smell.
"What is wrong with you people?" Rashel rolled her cat-like green eyes. "Horehound strengthens you and hyssop cleanses your body. This is the prime of all witch concoctions."
"Speaking of witches," Poppy sat down at the table with a bowl of cereal. "Have you guys seen Thea lately?"
"No," Mica frowned immediately. Thea was probably the person she was closest to in all of Circle Daybreak. "Is she okay?"
"Don't worry, Mica, dear." Hannah immediately soothed. "Thea should still be at college for the next week or so. She'll be back soon, though." Mica immediately relaxed, smiling.
"Come on, kiddo," Jez returned from the basement with a particularly intricate and wicked looking dagger in her hands. Morgead followed her sullenly, joining Ash in the kitchen. "Time for school."
"But we've got fifteen minutes." Mica whined, although standing up and taking her plate into the kitchen.
"Ok, your choice. You can be late and break that clean record of yours, or Ash could drive you." Jez suggested, a cheeky glint in her eyes that were more blue than silver that morning.
Mica's already porcelain skin paled even further. "Okay, okay, I'm coming." It wasn't that Ash was a bad driver, but he drove like…well, much like a vampire would drive a car. He drove fast and he drove dangerously. It was fine for him to drive like he didn't care for his safety or that of his passengers, for he would survive a car crash, but Mica's skin wasn't as thick.
"So, what're you up to this afternoon?" Jez asked as she started the engine of Morgead's new car with a mischievous smile.
Biting back her own smile, Mica fastened her seatbelt. "Going around to Greg's place."
A cheeky smile crossed Jez's beautiful face. "You know, Ash and Quinn and James don't much like your boyfriend."
"I know." Mica rolled her eyes. The three male vampires were incredibly and insanely protective of her. Probably because she was younger than they were, and that she was human. "But its not like they have control over me." Jez grinned proudly at Mica's defiance. Just one of the reasons why she loved the girl so dearly.
"How are things with dear Gregory?" Jez queried as she came to a stop at a red light.
"Things are pretty good." Mica gave a small smile. She lied. Things weren't going good. She was very much in love with the human boy, but their relationship was nowhere near as strong as it had once been. Fortunately Mica pulled the lie off and Jez was oblivious to the false smile. It would have been different if she'd told Morgead. He could've spotted the lie a mile away before it was even spoken.
"Great." Jez smiled as she pulled her – Morgead' – car to a stop in front of the school.
"Thanks, Jezebel." Mica gave her an sweet smile when she saw Jez narrow her now very silver eyes at her, a normal reaction when anybody called her by her full name. She quickly escaped, getting out of the car and walking around to the pathway. "Oh," Mica added, bending down to Jez's level with a twinkle in her deep mahogany eyes, "good luck with explaining to Morgead about nicking his car." With that, Mica winked at her and left for her first period class.
Her first class was English Lit, a class studying poetry. Surprisingly, Mica loved poetry. While the rest of the class moaned and groaned about having to read verses of rhymes out loud, Mica embraced it. Poetry was art, and she loved all art.
Taking her usual seat next to Greg, who smiled warmly at her Mica felt the usual sensation of warmth and love that she always did when she saw her love. Smiling back, Mica tried to push away the feeling of regret when a stranger walked into the classroom. A new guy, she supposed. Although not just any new guy. He was tall, on the skinny side though, a small, strong frame. He had blonde hair and striking green eyes. Those eyes, they seemed so familiar.
"Mica?" Greg sounded agitated, as if it wasn't the first time that he had called for her.
She turned back around. "Yeah? Sorry, I'm a little tired."
Greg sighed, his gaze moving from her to the new guy. "Are you okay?"
She smiled. "Of course I'm okay. Why, what's wrong?"
He paused for a moment. His dark eyes darted to the new guy, who took a seat in front of Mica.
"Um…about this afternoon…" Greg began. Mica sighed. He was cancelling on her again. Emotions rolled in her, bursting to be released and heard. Taking in a deep breath, she cut him off.
"Look, I get that sometimes people just don't click anymore after they've 'clicked' for a year and a half.." Mica stopped. Her breath was caught in her throat. She knew they weren't working out. And that she needed to end it before he did, or the hurt would be much worse. But she couldn't do it. She loved him too much. Taking in a wavering breath, Mica began again. "Greg.."
"Okay class!" their teacher entered the room with a stack of messy papers in her hands. "Take a seat, let's begin." Mica shut her eyes, took in a breath and turned to the front of the class.
Mica's second period class was biology, a subject that Greg didn't take. Happy to have a break from the pressure of their relationship, she moved quickly to the bio lab, surprised to see the new guy already standing outside the classroom.
"Hi," he greeted her. They were alone in the corridor, all the other students were still dawdling to their lockers.
"Hi," Mica smiled. "I'm Mica Everet."
"Drake Blackthorn." Mica froze. Why was that name so familiar? "So what are we doing in biology?"
"Um…genetics." Mica responded automatically. She looked up at him. Why did he seem so familiar? Those gem green eyes that shone different shades of emerald. And that name. Blackthorn….Blackthorn…
"So you're new around here?" Mica queried, feeling insanely embarrassed at her idiotic observation.
"Yeah." Drake nodded. "I moved here yesterday actually."
"Where from?" The boy paused. His eyes, for just a split second, shone a steely pale green. He looked – as much as Mica hated using clichés, even in her thoughts – like a deer caught in the headlights. But when the split second passed, Drake seemed to have recovered, his eyes returning to their usual cool emerald colour.
"Australia."
"Really? You don't have much of an accent." Mica spoke innocently and softly. She wasn't really there. Her mind was still running through every single piece of information that she'd overheard from Thierry and his special meetings. But she was coming up blank. Blackthorn…Blackthorn…
"Oh," Drake's deep green eyes darted down to the floor and back to Mica. "I wasn't there for long. My family and I have been moving around a lot since I was ten." Mica just nodded. Something didn't add up. But before she could investigate any further, the teacher opened the classroom door and soon class began.
"I thought you were going to Greg's house this afternoon." Ash spoke the human boy's name so bitterly that Mica felt shivers run down her spine.
Instead of responding, Mica just gazed up at him from her biology textbook. Her rich mahogany eyes solemn and hurting. Immediately Ash's gaze softened. She knew what he was seeing and feeling. A small, young girl who held the world's hurt and pain in her large brown eyes that seemed as if they were tinted with the slightest red. And he was sympathizing more than she had seen any vampire do so, for any human.
"He cancelled on you again." He spat in a very bitter brotherly sort of way. Mica shut her eyes and nodded, pressing her lips together to try to achieve some sort of control over herself.
"It's fine." Mica shrugged, shutting her textbook. As much as she attempted to suppress it, Ash was a vampire and he could tell that Mica was upset. Sighing, Mica stood up from the comfortable lounge seat and headed towards the staircase.
"Mica," Ash's voice was filled to the brim of what seemed to be hope and desperation. Mica could see in his eyes that he hated seeing her upset and that he was grasping for a way to cheer her up. "A few of us are going for some research at the Black Iris."
"Okay," Mica said slowly. Was he trying to rub it in my face? All of the Daybreakers knew that Mica had desperately wanted to join in their missions and help out and go do undercover work like they did all the time. But Hannah and, especially, Thierry banned it. She was just too young.
"Well," Ash could see the anger flash in Mica's gaze. "You see, Thierry is out of town and Hannah's going to visit her mum in Montana for the weekend." Mica was catching his drift. "And if you were to come along, well if you don't say anything, I won't either."
Mica jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "Oh, yes!!! Yes please." Ash grinned at her as she ran to him and leapt into his arms, hugging him tightly.
"Ash?" A female voice spoke softly from the hallway. Mica released Ash and turned around to see a slender woman in her mid twenties with dark brown hair and beautiful blue eyes.
"Mary Lynette!" Mica rushed over to hug Ash's soulmate, happiness and joy filling her and pushing the memory of Greg completely from her mind. "Oh my Goddess! I can't believe you're here. I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you too, kiddo." Mary Lynette smiled down at the smaller, younger girl. Her bright blue eyes travelled to Ash and Mica recognised the signs.
"Um, I'm gonna go upstairs and get changed." Mica said quickly, leaving the couple alone.
"Hi," Ash said softly, smiling at his soulmate, kissing her softly.
"You can't take Mica to the Black Iris. She will be eaten alive. Literally."
"Mare, I know. But I will be there to protect her every second of the way. And I'm sure Morgead and Jez will be there too. We wouldn't let anyone even touch her." Ash pleaded. "You should have seen her. She looked so depressed."
"Ash…" Mary Lynette closed her eyes. She had just gone for a very long car drive and she felt exhausted. "Thierry will be furious."
"I know he will." Ash nodded. "But it will be worth it. Mica needs this." But Mary Lynette was shaking her head.
"I can't let you take her there. She could get hurt. She could be killed."
Anger flashed in Ash's eyes. "I wouldn't let that happen. You know that I love her like she's one of my sisters. She'll be perfectly safe."
"She'd be even safer here at home." Mary Lynette muttered.
"Hey guys." Jez stepped into the lounge room carrying a long wooden staff with a sharp tapered end. "Mary Lynette." She added warmly, smiling at the human girl.
"Hi Jez."
"Jez, we're going to the Iris tonight." Ash announced. "Thierry left me a memo about getting some research work done while he's away."
"Okay, perfect." Jez smiled wildly. "Who's coming with us?"
"Anyone who's up for it. As long as there are at least four of us." Ash supplied as Jez nodded, taking in the information. "Plus Mica." Jez's eyes became a liquid silver.
"Why?"
"Because she's depressed." Ash said simply. "We need to cheer her up and this is the only way I know how." Taking in a breath, Jez seemed to consider it for a second before nodding.
In the end, the research team turned out to be Ash, Jez, Morgead and Poppy. They decided not to inform Keller or Quinn, who would have definitely have told Thierry and would've gotten them all in trouble.
"Okay, ready." Mica bounded down the stairs dressed in a pair of tight black jeans and a black lace corset. She had seen the other girls dress up in their 'undercover' clothes and she knew that she had to blend into the crowd.
While Ash did not seem completely thrilled with Mica wearing such a revealing outfit at all, not to mention, outside the house, he knew it would be better off than making her change into some more appropriate for a seventeen year old but less appropriate for the Black Iris.
The four vampires were armed with various protective and offensive weapons. Jez gave Mica a wooden blade and a small silver pocket knife just in case. Mica felt slightly nervous but extremely excited.
Stepping out of the sleek black car, Mica gazed at the entrance of the Black Iris. As inconspicuous as it was, she could hear the muffled music from outside and her heat beat faster as Ash led her inside.
So that's it. Next chapter will be about Mica's little adventure at the club and a couple of added twist that you might have already guessed. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, keep reading and reviewing. Dreaming June.