Chapter Two: "Angels and Demons"
The moon shone brightly later that night, with stars glittering like diamond boats in an onyx sea. Justin had just gotten home when he heard a pencil scratching on paper, along with a light humming. He walked silently to the bedroom, where he knew a beautiful sight awaited him. The children were asleep, each curled up like an infant in their bed, off in a land of dreams. He pushed the door open, thinking for a moment that an angel had floated down from heaven; he already felt it flowing through him.
Their room was large, and had a giant square window with a seat that was one of Elizabeth's favorite spots. She was there now, resting curled up on the soft cushions with a pad on her lap, a pencil in her hand. The window gave them the most beautiful view in the valley, the waterfall that fed the stream, the evergreen forest; the crescent moon lake that rested nearby, it was all so lovely in moonlight. She was working by candle light, a single golden flame illuminating the paper, and setting her aglow.
Her fur cast a soft light, and her eyes sparkled like gemstones; her hands moved slowly, capturing the view in painstaking detail, sketching in even the smallest grain of sand. He walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"That's bad for your eyes, you know," he whispered, nuzzling her neck.
"You know I always work best by candlelight," she replied softly. She continued to draw as he sat down behind her, making a halfhearted attempt to see the image. Justin reached up and began rubbing her shoulders, the silken sleeves of her robe giving way to his hands.
"You're beautiful in moonlight," he kissed her cheek, smiling slyly.
A grin began to spread across Elizabeth's face. She set her pad aside without any desire to take it back up, then stood and walked to the bed. The wine red silk slipped down past her shoulders, and she turned toward him.
"You coming?" she asked seductively.
Justin got to his feet, following her promptly. He knew exactly where this was going. She climbed up onto the bed, giving him a look that could melt steel. He pulled off his cape, letting it fall to the floor as he undid his belt, slipping under the covers. Elizabeth nearly ripped off his vest, letting the fabric crumble and slide to the floor. Justin's hands went to her waist, undoing the sash of her robe and letting it slip to her arms. She quickly undid the buttons of his shirt, pushing the fabric from his firm shoulders. Their bodies met, and they kissed.
It started slow, Justin still being careful when he guided himself into her, no matter how quickly they progressed nearer the end. Elizabeth didn't mind, she enjoyed teasing him as he took his time, though he seemed a bit bolder with each passing occasion. The warmth also became more inviting each time, and they could feel their love for each other growing deeper each night. What they didn't know, was that they were being watched.
A black NIMH drone sat outside, completely hidden by the shadows, staring through their room's smaller window beside the bed. It could see and hear everything that went on; every sound uttered, every move made. It quickly sent this data back to its superior, someone the rats had believed to be gone for good. The drone slipped away undetected as they finished, taking a few shots to show its master back at HQ, its sinister grin a silver beacon in the night light.
Justin and Elizabeth lay panting, drenched in their sweat and juices, gazed happily at each other.
"I love you," Elizabeth said softly, running her claws along the strong muscles of his arms. "You're my brave warrior."
He smiled, embracing and kissing her. "I love you too, my precious angel."
They soon fell asleep, wrapped in warmth, but completely unknowing of the force that again threatened their lives; and, Elizabeth had completely forgotten what she had wanted to tell him.
Cynthia lay awake in bed, thinking deeply about what she had seen. Others believed her to be scatterbrained and babyish, but in reality she highly intelligent, she just chose to hide it.
What could be going on? She wondered, tossing and turning. As she faced the window, a black shape played across her vision, and she instantly sat up. Getting out of bed, she pulled off her nightclothes to prevent them catching, and went quickly to the small shape of glass. Staying hidden by the dense shadows of her room, she watched as the drone silently took flight, speeding back toward the city, and in the direction of…
NIMH! She realized with a gasp. This was terrifying news, what could she do? There was no way she would be able to prevent this on her own, but who could she tell that would believe her? Not her parents, or her siblings, they all would just say she had dreamt the whole thing; she quickly recognized that that's what everybody's reaction would be.
There's only one way to make them see the truth. She thought gravely. And that's to be captured myself. She gulped, having to admit that she was a little scared. Shaking it off though, she reached under her bed, and pulled out a backpack. She thought long and hard about what she would bring, knowing that she had only until tomorrow before NIMH arrived.
If this is the only way to make them see, she thought. Then so be it!
Her decision made, she quickly packed her things, taking every scrap of paper and pencil she owned, knowing that she had to record every bit of information she came to; if she failed to get even the smallest detail, she ran the risk of putting hundreds of lives in the worst danger that they had ever faced.
Life is packed full of angels and demons, she decided, then slipped back into bed; trying to get as much sleep as she could before the humans came.