Underground

Chapter II

My feet barely registered that they were remarkably squished into ridiculous heels and sporting the beginnings of some butt ugly blisters; I had the creature up against the wall so fast, his eyes were wide with shock. My stake had entered his chest with ease, but hadn't quite hit the mark. Purely because I needed answers more than I needed him dead.

"Please!" he gasped out.

"Speak fast…" I looked into his eyes and their golden hue almost threw me off, but there was no denying his kind, "Nomad, or I will rip you apart faster than you can blink. What are you doing here?"

"I was invited by – "

"LIAR!" I jabbed the stake in further and twisted. He groaned and I leaned in closer, giving him the most menacing glare I could manage. Internally, my mind was going a million miles an hour. So many questions I needed answered. What was this party even for? Why in the hell were the Winchesters invited? Could Lissa … I shook my head. No. There's no way the queen would know such a creature exists, let alone invite it behind moroi guard lines. I needed answers fast.

"I swear – "

I reached down to push the stake up into his heart, but the sound of running feet from behind me made me falter. I turned my head slightly to reassess the danger I had possibly come into when I heard a familiar voice.

"Rose! Stop!"

The shadowy figure of Eddie Castile stepped into the light and I was almost relieved to see that, finally, someone was in guardian uniform.

"He is a guest," he said, once he was closer.

I turned my attention back to the monster before me and felt him noticeably sag with relief. A hand on my shoulder made me jerk, but Eddie's voice stopped me from shrugging him off completely.

"I know what you must be thinking, but it's true. Besides, he is no danger to our kind. He's a vegetarian."

I looked at him in disbelief, but his stern look told me that he spoke no word of a lie. A vegetarian nomad? Virtually unheard of! That would explain the colour of his eyes at least.

"You have a lot of questions, and it's my fault they haven't been answered already. We need to go inside. Come with me and I promise to answer any questions you have. Please, Rose. You can let him go. Come inside."

He spoke as if he were dealing with a mentally unstable person. I would have been offended, but it was quite possible that I may, at that very moment, been just a smidge unpredictable.

I looked at Eddie, then to the monster that remained staked against the castle wall, and then back to my former comrade. I noticed a flash of uncertainty in his eyes and I realise that he really does think I'm unstable and capable of anything. Internally I question what I'm about to do, I hesitate just slightly, before I turn and pull my stake from the nomads chest. His hand shot up to cover his healing wound.

His golden eyes bored into mine, and I held his gaze with my own, before a sudden wave of nausea made me close my eyes momentarily. When I opened them, he was gone. I tried to shake the fog from my mind, but I still felt dazed and confused when Sam and Dean joined us. Despite the mental haze, I didn't miss the fact that Dean's hair was wildly dishevelled and he looked as though he'd been rolling in the grass.

"Come on, all of you, let's get inside. There's something you all need to know."

Eddie's voice encouraged me to drag my eyes away from Dean. I furrowed my brows at Eddie, my confusion evident, and he nodded slightly in the direction of a doorway.

"I'll explain everything," he promised.

I walked beside Eddie, and, seconds later, I heard Sam and Dean's footsteps as they followed. I tried in vain to listen into their hushed conversation, but only caught snippets.

"A vegetarian vampire?"

"Beats me … squeamish … Well, I don't know. Anyway, dude, you just got your ass beat by girl. I saw it all. You were like Superman, only without a cape … or …"

"She's not a girl, she's a hybrid with a death wish."

For a moment, I didn't understand what they were talking about, though I knew it was about me. Then, while thinking back on the chaotic moment that was, I am reminded that among my eagerness to get to the nomad, I had put my arm out and knocked Dean to the ground. Maybe my natural protective instinct had kicked in, and I wanted him out of harm's way? Maybe I wanted a little revenge? I couldn't say for certain why I had done it, but it was hardly my fault that he'd fallen harder than I had anticipated. Served him right for being in my way.

I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Dean standing one moment and then being knocked to the ground the next. Eddie looked at me questioningly, but I simply shook my head

I heard Dean mumble something behind me, and it only makes me more amused.

Once we entered the side door, Eddie led us down a narrow corridor to a small room. Although the room was brightly lit by an ostentatious chandelier, there was an old oak side table in the corner of the room, atop it was a candelabra with three large candles; their wicks alight. The smell of sage was in the air, and I knew enough to know that something more was going on in this room. Something from another world. A world that has never had links to the maori. Yet here it was. In the court. The queen's castle. My best friend's home.

One glance at Eddie and I knew that I was about to be told something I really wasn't going to like.

I crossed my arms, and I waited.

FN: Thanks for being patient... Like super patient. Ya'll deserve a medal if you're coming back to read this chapter after reading the first when it first came out. I appreciate you all more than words can possibly explain.

I actually wrote this a while ago, but wasn't happy with it. I worked out it's because I switch tenses a lot and it just didn't sit right. I've tweaked it a bit, so hopefully it's not nearly as messy as it was ten minutes ago.

No promises of the final chapter soon, but some horrible life happenings has put me in the mood for some dark and snarky character writing. So, hopefully I'll get it written and this story in the complete status real soon :)

With love,

Chaz x