Chapter 8

I was lost in thought as I headed back to the car in the last vestiges of twilight. We had one of 'The Sisterhood' on ice. Now we could get some real answers. Also maybe we could work out a deal to get some protection for Abbey as well.

I don't remember what happened first, if I noticed the quiet of the parking lot or the creepy icy feeling going up one side of my body. I would love to say I am that quick on my feet, but truth be told it was reflex or instinct that caused me to pull up my shield, because there was no rational thought behind it. The black flabby body came crashing out of the shadows of the tree line with an inhuman speed and slammed into my barely formed shield. I staggered back a few paces, my chest and back screaming in pain from the sudden jarring. The vampire slid over my shield and landed on the ground with a satisfying thud as I reached for my blasting rod. There was a blur of motion in my peripheral vision as I pointed the rod at the belly of rubbery phage at my feet and coughed, Feugo! A fine orange beam of light jumped from the end of the wood and sliced the thing in half. It let out a loud scream of pain and terror and even missing its lower half it tried to claw its way back towards the tree line. This guy wasn't your usual red court lackey. With another push of energy I fired another blast of superheated fire into the back of its head causing a sick hissing sound just before it exploded sending red, gray and black goo onto anything within a five foot radius.

As I looked up I saw another dropping in an arc as if to land behind me, it must have been at least fifteen feet off the ground. I spun my rod and pushed my rage, fear and pain into the rod and released it with a vengeance. The blast of energy caught the vampire in the belly and doubled him over. There was the cracking sound of a large bone being snapped and this one too howled in pain and rage as the energy of the blast reversed his course sending him/her, it tumbling in the air back the way it had come. It's arms flailed and blood was raining down as if from a macabre sprinkler, as it slammed into a tree limb, impaling it high in the tree. Fangs bared it screamed again and tried to free itself but its blood sack had been ruptured and was leaking down the trunk of the tree. It slowly stopped moving and finally went limp.

Note to self: Next time, ride back with McCoy!

My heart was racing and I was having a hard time getting air into my lungs as each breath came with a new adventure in pain. I felt myself becoming tired as well as I scanned the area, still feeling the sticky cold feeling that meant that there were more vampires on hand and they were close.

I made my way to the Blue Beetle and was pulling open the trunk as another blur rounded the end of my car, pausing only long enough to orient on me and then charge. He/she/It didn't stop for long but it was long enough. As it rushed me I brought up my shield again as I grabbed a large plastic sack out of the trunk. I was shoved hard into the car bumper by the force of the creature hitting the shield. The vampire was forced back about and was now maybe ten feet away as I pulled an orb from the bag. The orb itself was only the size of a grapefruit and was a cheery yellow with, "Happy Birthday!" written in small letters on either side of it.

"Catch!" is said as I tossed the orb quickly in a low arc at the things face. It lashed out with one of its sharp claws to bat the thing away, but instead it exploded with a quiet gush. The liquid filling the orb splashed down the arm and across the body of the creature. It screamed in surprise and pain as any spot touched by the liquid ignited in a white hot fire and began to devour the creature. Black greasy smoke began to pour from its abdomen and the arm it had hit the balloon with was now a smoking stump and there were smoking pit marks on its face where drops of the holy water had hit it. I dropped a few more balloons in a semi-circle in front of my car as the thing tried to back away, however one of the balloons was very full and the splash covered the things feet and legs from its knees down. I couldn't help but be reminded of Dorothy and the Wicked Witch as I watched the thing fall to the ground melting and screaming. I leaned into the trunk and grabbed my secret weapon as the hood came crashing down on my shield.

I pulled myself out of the trunk to see a new vampire standing on the roof of my car bouncing in anticipation and denting my roof. I looked the thing in the face, smiled and said, "Hasta la vista baby!" and flipped the on switch to my 100' super soaking squirt gun. It took 4 C cell batteries, but they were fresh. The stream of holy water was about an inch thick and the thing lived up to its name. As I fired it tried to jump over the top of me, but I lead it by about three feet and covered the creature from head to foot and all orifices in between that I could get a line on. It landed a howling, melting, greasy, smoking mess. Fangs and claws pitted or melted off as it slowly disintegrated into a black pool of ooze and stink.

I stood there turning a slow circle, using the last of my strength to keep up the shield spell in case there were any other unfriendly things lurking about. As I reached out with my senses I could feel the cold and sticky sensation quickly retreating from the area. As I looked at the carnage quickly disappearing in the family oriented park, I couldn't help myself from turning towards the fleeing vampires and screaming, "AND DON'T COME BACK!"

I chuckled to myself as I put my new toys back into my car and released my shield. I had to remember to thank Father Forthill for blessing the 50 gallon barrel of water I had brought in earlier this month. I wasn't sure if this would work in real life as well as it had in that movie, but I wasn't disappointed.

I was very tired now, I had been throwing a lot of magic around today and must have tapped my soul fire in this last battle. I remember closing the hood and then getting into the car feeling really light headed. I fumbled with the keys and then I was suddenly floating in a sea of blackness.

I was unconscious so I don't expect this to make a lot of sense because you kinda had to be there. I wasn't warm or cold, it wasn't an intimidating darkness nor was it comforting it just was. I just was and I felt like I was holding my breath and could do so forever just to keep from breaking the silence. I felt a presence, it was on the periphery of my perception, I knew it and trusted it implicitly, I knew I was safe as I floated in the quiet darkness. Somewhere there was a slight vibration, like small ripples on a pond as I started to notice it I heard soft faint chanting in the distance but it didn't count so much as a sound as a physical thing. I felt the energy associated with it. Like this place it was neither good nor evil, it was balanced, neutral, neither creation nor entropy but still part of both and tied inexorably to the fate of either of the two. I don't know how I knew this, but it just was and its existence was just that plain and simple. Kind of like the way you don't have to tell a duck that it's a duck for it to do the things that a duck does. This thing and place just was what it was and did what it did and being a part of it I knew it for what it was, because it was a part of me and I was a part of it, and we were.

I heard a faint sound, almost a buzzing but it wasn't constant. It came in short bursts and I could almost hear it, but really didn't want to because I was so comfortable and at peace. Then the peace was shattered, mostly across my left cheek as pain splashed across my face and I felt my head jerk slightly to the right. "Hoss! Hoss wake up boy!" and then there was a more frantic familiar voice, "Harry, wake up. HARRY, you're scaring me!"

I heard them but I was still clinging to my quiet place like a sleeping bag, trying to pull it over my head and make the world go away. Then I felt another feeling across my face, this time wet, warm and smelled like doggy breath. This sensation wiped away the safe place where I'd been floating like an eraser can wipe away the background in a cartoon, leaving me awake again, Damn it!

I found myself sitting in my car with Mouse's large brown eyes staring into mine as if studying me. The he let out a low Woof and crawled out of my lap as if satisfied that I was okay. I looked around and Ebenezer, Molly and mouse were all around the driver's door of the blue beetle looking at me worried. I saw Abbey standing behind them, looking nervous.

"Hoss, are you okay?" asked my mentor his face ashen and the lines on his face seeming deeper.

"Ya, I'm fine. I just ran into a little bit of trouble when I got back to the car." I said pointing to my dented roof. "A red court team jumped me, I killed four and I think two more bugged out." I said as my head cleared.

"Damn it, Hoss. You have to be more careful." the old man said with a relieved sigh.

"Boss, um, when we got here your car was… hard to find." Molly said, her voice a little hesitant.

"What do you mean hard to find?" I asked confused.

"It was like a veil, your car was here it just blended in, we looked right at it but didn't notice it until Mouse started barking." Molly said with a little red appearing on her cheeks.

"Ya Hoss, it was the damndest thing, if your pooch hadn't jumped out and started barking we would have probably left and gone looking for you at Macs." Ebenezer said with a look of concern on his face. "If that's a ward you put on your car, it was a hell of an idea son." He said looking partly confused and partly impressed.

"No, I didn't do it, I tried putting wards on the car once but they kept causing the car to break down." I said with a shrug remembering how Bob had used that against me for over a year.

"We'll figure it out later. Right now we have to move." He said, "Let Molly drive, I'll follow you back to the house." He said as mouse let out a deep growl.

I got out of the car to circle around to the passenger seat there was a loud deep POP, then the sound of something metallic hitting the ground, immediately followed by a loud BANG! And a flash of light and concussion that threw me into the car. Things went hazy again as another concussion and loud bang threw me across the hood of the car, sending pain through my chest and back causing someone that sounded a lot like me to let out a very loud scream. I heard Molly gasp and then grunt as the waves of force threw her past the front bumper of my car and dropped her hard onto the ground. There were the quiet pops of silenced rifles firing rounds and I heard the ticking sound of spent rounds hitting the ground in quick succession. My sight cleared for a moment and I saw Mouse lying in a pool of blood next to Ebenezer who was convulsing at the end of a Taser. Then everything went black.

It wasn't a comfortable floating feeling this time, I was out, no sensation until what I assumed was some hours later. I felt my chest burning, back aching and my head was pounding but I was fairly rested. I don't need much sleep. For a moment I considered letting myself fall back into unconsciousness until things felt better, then I remembered seeing Mouse lying limp in a pool of blood and Ebenezer being attacked and suddenly the rage and anger filled me, the pounding in my head went from a throbbing headache to the pounding of war drums.

As I opened my eyes I found myself looking up at the sky. It was dark out and we must have been some way from town as I could see in the blackness of the new moon, the myriad of stars that one can only see when in the country, away from the glow of the city and its millions of lights. The stars shown down upon me, like a shower of ancient light. We were in a small clearing near what appeared to be an old growth forest, standing there ancient and enduring. There was power in this place. I could feel a light pressure and tingling against my skin that was radiated by the plants, ground, trees and even the very air here seemed to hold on to an ancient and dormant power.

My hands and feet were bound. Thankfully my hands were tied in front of me so I still had circulation in them as I lay on my back. I heard a groan from my left as I turned to look I saw Molly's dark hair move next to me. Next to her lay Abbey and past her I saw Ebenezer's form lying quiet, his chest was moving so I knew he was at least still breathing. In the distance I heard quiet talking, a man and woman were discussing something and they were obviously not agreeing. Then I heard other voices next to them, quiet but insistent. I calmed my breathing and both extended my senses and listened closely. I could just hear what they were saying.

"This wouldn't be a problem if you're red court flunkies had done their job!" a male said pointedly.

"He was weakened, he should have fallen easily." another man said getting annoyed, "Who carries balloons and squirt guns full of Holy Water?"

"I will from now on, seemed to work out rather well for him, don't you think." A female voice purred.

"They are White Council! Kill them while they are still unconscious." One of the male voices insisted.

"They are of gifted blood. We do NOT kill our own!" one of the female voices replied sharply.

"They are gifted, true, but they are not of us." one of the women said more thoughtfully.

"They are two of the more powerful wizards on the council and their witches are also from strong lines. Their children would carry their power and that is worth keeping them around for. We could use their power and their children would add strength to our numbers!" the first female voice said.

"So you intend to enthrall a senior council member and another of the white council for their seed?" asked another male incredulously.

"Not enthrall, charm them." The first women's voice said.

"Interesting idea," the second woman's voice said, "A Love potion perhaps or were you thinking of going directly into their minds?"

"We do not want to damage their minds, only persuade them to join us. They have proven themselves worthy and resourceful. They would be strong allies. The tall one has quite the reputation in this country, he may join us outright." The first woman said. "Otherwise a memory enhancement and a persuasion spell should do nicely and the love potions may be a good way to hedge our bets as well."

"I still think that we would be better off just slitting their throats and dropping them into the middle of the lake." The male voice came back pointedly. "We haven't been in open war with the White Council for over five hundred years, why start that up now when we are so close?" he asked.

"That's your problem Edmund, always thinking small and short term." The second female said in a mocking tone. "These two could lead the charge at the council once we are done here and if they fail, we move in in force and decimate Edinburgh. With the Goddess at our side, none shall stand before our fury!" She said with a cackling laugh at the end.

"Has anyone heard from Emily? She was sent to collect Camilla, poor dear, all this time and she still doesn't know who or what she really is. Tonight she will truly become one of our sisters." The first woman said.

"Emily hasn't checked in yet but she has another hour. You know her, very unreliable. She's probably in a bar flirting with anything in pants." Edmund said with distain in his voice.

"Don't be silly, she knows how important this is to us and what will happen to her if she fails us again." The second female voice said.

What they didn't know is that the Carlos Rodriguez had already paid Emily a little visit and taken her to the senior council and she wouldn't be going anywhere except to the L.A. County morgue as a Jane Doe, less her head.

My head raced, this may buy us some time to get out of this mess if they are waiting for Camilla, as her escort would never come by to gather her.

Then I heard Molly stir again, "Boss?" she whispered.

"I'm here grasshopper, keep it down, they aren't far off." I said in a quiet whisper.

"Tell me this is part of the plan." She said in a hopeful tone.

"Wasn't part of mine, but they seem awful happy with themselves." I whispered, nodding towards the voices in the distance.

Then I heard a low, guttural groan and looked down past my feet. There lay a large mound of gray and brown fur. Mouse was alive and seemed to be breathing, albeit shallowly. His eyes were closed but his paws twitched and eyelids flickered as if he were dreaming of chasing squirrels. He didn't seem to be bleeding and with another low groan, he began to give off a faint silvery green glow. It was very dim and subtle, as if the ends of each hair were reflecting the starlight. Then his breathing began to deepen and his eyes opened as he seemed to cough/gag once and something that looked like a brownish red fur ball came out of his mouth. He gave a little sneeze and looked around. When he saw Molly and I he stretched and then walked over to us, using only three of his legs and plopped down between us still weak. He then proceeded to wash our faces with his enormous tongue. What can I say, he's tough.

A plan started to formulate in my head, oaky not an A-team or Mission Impossible plan, it was more of an outline still working itself out in my head, but it was something.

"Molly, can you get free?" I asked.

"I tried, my hands are tied pretty tight. How about you?" she asked struggling with her bonds.

"Hold up your hands so I can see them and then don't move." I said quietly. She lifted her hands up and held them out in front of me. I rolled onto my side and brought my hands up between my face and her hands. I turned my right palm up and muttered a couple nonsense words, very quietly. Then an orange orb of compacted fire appeared in my palm about the size of a quarter. I willed it to move forward until it touched the first of band of rope around her wrists. It only took a moment, then it snapped and then the next. She then pulled her hands away and I stopped feeding the orb power and let it simply pop out of existence as Molly quickly freed her hands.

Once freed, Molly turned away from me, and then turned back with a small knife in her hand. I didn't want to speculate where she had hidden the small blade but was glad she had it. Soon she and I were free.

I heard Molly rouse Abbey as I moved over towards Ebenezer, as quietly and stealthy as I could. Being 6' 7" it's hard to be stealthy but I tried. Ebenezer was out cold it seems that the Taser really did a number on him. Ebenezer was moving towards consciousness slowly moving his head. Molly made quick work of Abbeys ropes and the two moved over to see if they could help with Ebenezer. Molly was looking at the ropes on the older gentleman's hands then we were spotted.

"Hey Stop!" yelled Edmund as he turned a flashlight our direction.

"Molly Veil and get yourself and Abbey out of here. We'll be right behind you." I snapped as I grabbed the knife from her hands. She grabbed Abbeys hand and they simply vanished. It suddenly occurred to me that I had my duster on, but I was missing my shield bracelet, rod and staff. I did however have my rings still on my slightly swollen fingers. This should get interesting.

Mouse tried to stand but one of his back legs buckled causing a painful yelp. I cut the ropes around Ebenezer's wrists and then leaned over to stash the now closed knife in Mouse's collar and scratch his ears as Edmund came closer. He was accompanied by another person as I could distinctly hear two sets of feet coming over the thick turf. I could hardly see anything as the flashlight was aimed at my face and my eyes lost the ability to focus in the low light for a moment. I was only seeing large white, black and purple dots in my vision. I pulled my duster closed and hooked one or two of the buttons on my chest.

"Don't Move wizard." The voice of a female purred nearby. I could make out the glowing tip of a rod leveled at me. I slowly raised my hands and shushed Mouse as he began to let out a low growl.

"Where are the other two?" Demanded Edmund.

"What other two? It was just me the dog and old man when I woke up." I lied in reply.

"Where are the two girls?" the other voice purred from the darkness with a slight pout to her voice.

"I don't know, maybe they had to go to the bathroom. You know women can't seem to do that by themselves." I said with a smile slipping onto my face.

"No matter," the female purred, "You see, Edmund here has been making nice with the phages of the red court. Well, when they heard your name come up they were happy to loan use a number of their underlings. So if they escaped into the forest, they will be found very soon, but I fear never seen again." She said with an, "oops" in her voice at the end.

"Edmund, aren't you the social butterfly." I said my eyes beginning to focus again.

"He is, you know the white court would have nothing to do with him, poor thing. The red court was happy to talk to him though. It seems that we have a common enemy in the white council." She said as if talking to a girlfriend. "I also hear that you and your friend here don't have a terribly good relationship with them either and he's a senior council member." She said in a voice smooth and silky.

"Let's just say that we have philosophical differences with some of the entrenched management." I said trying to sound diplomatic.

"As do we," she purred again, moving closer and from behind the glare of the flashlight. She was average height, fire red hair, pale skin and light blue eyes. She was wearing a silk ceremonial robe of black and obviously little under it as a cool mountain breeze pushed her hair and her robe back. She could have been anywhere from late twenties to late thirties, in the light it was hard to tell but she was still striking, even in the low light. "Perhaps we should talk, unless you would like to duel Edmond perhaps? Oh but I see you have no weapons, such a pity. He does need a good thrashing now and again to let him know his place." She smiled pulling her full lips across her face, making her pert nose wrinkle near the eyes.

"Alicia, what are you doing?" Edmund demanded safely behind his flashlight.

"Talking to our new guests Edmund, you should try it some time. It's amazing what one can accomplish by having a civil discussion." She purred as she squatted down and gave me a closer look. "I think he can be trusted for now." She wore a perfume that was both sweet and musky at the same time. The sweet and sensual scent filled my head giving my body and subconscious a lot to think about as she sat on her feet smiling at me. "What do you say Wizard, a truce for an hour while you and I talk," She purred through her smile. "I promise that you and your friends will be safe from any harm from me or my people, does that work for you?" she asked.

"What about the vampires? I seem to be missing two members of my group." I asked politely, mostly, okay I growled a little.

"I have no sway over them and would never think to speak for those monsters, hideous creatures really." She said with distain. "I can only speak for myself and my people. From them you will have nothing to fear. As for your friends, unless they return I can offer no such protection." She said, her head high and shoulders back in the glistening robes. "Do we have a deal or no?"

"How about we ask Edmund to call off his hounds?" I asked trying to maintain my smile.

"No can do, buckaroo." He said in a really bad John Wayne voice somehow mocking me, "It's after night fall and they are hunting. Even if I could find them at the moment, I don't think they'd listen. You are more than welcome to go out and talk to them yourself wizard Dresden." He finished with in his normal Eastern European accent and speaking my name as if it was an accusation.

As if in answer to his question, deep in the forest there was an enraged howl of pain from something inhuman, then another that seemed to end in a gurgle and then all went quiet again. I felt a warm glow of pride well up inside me somewhere. She may not be the most powerful wizard I've met but my apprentice was formidable in her own ways.

"Na, it looks like my friends are taking care of them, but thank you for the offer." I gave a fierce grin at the light in my face. "Sure, let's talk." I said smiling at the stunning woman next to me.

Promises were exchanged and Ebenezer was moved about fifty yards to a cot next to a large pickup with two sets of tires under the bed. I was lead past a large fire and into a tent by the nice lady, Edmund as it turned out had 'other things' he was responsible for and went to tend to them. The tent was nearly empty except for a few cots and a card table with four folding chairs. We sat across from each other and after asking if I'd like anything she had another woman bring us each a can of coke and she handed me a large bottle of aspirin. I took the aspirin followed by a large drink of coke, which fizzed a little too much and left the aspirin taste in my mouth. I really hate it when that happens.

"You may call me Alicia," She began. "You know that the red court and white council are at war but what you may not know is that the red court has been reaching out to others that are both part of the Unseelie accords and those whom are not. Although we have no love for the white council, neither do we wish to see our fellow wizards destroyed. However, if the white council decides to try to stop us, we will have no choice but to strengthen the other courts and those who move against you indirectly." She said looking serious, but with a touch of a smile in her eyes.

"So either we play nice and help you to open the outer gates or if we manage to stop you, you will throw in with the red court. Sounds like a veiled threat to me." I said.

"Not a threat so much as a cause and effect. Surely you can see that our options are limited." She said with a wolfish smile.

"So what exactly do you have planned with this little shindig?" I asked leaning back in my chair. As I did I saw Mouse walking slowly into the tent, favoring one hind leg. "Over here boy." I motioned for him catching his doggy smile. He walked over slowly and dropped down at my feet as she spoke.

"We are simply trying to ply our craft here as our ancestors did a millennium ago. You feel it important to use your gift and have made quite a reputation for yourself for it. Still the white council treats you like an outlaw. It's sad really, they council is as stubborn and rigid as they were when it was first formed and nothing has changed." She said with a faraway look in her eye. "We choose to live outside their rule and shall continue to do so. If you interfere we have no choice but to consider that an act of war." She looked at me eyebrows slightly raised and eyes a little more narrow at that last part. The council was already stretched thin as it stood, the last thing we needed was an underground group of practitioners, some powerful, to step up and take pot shots at us as we fought off the red court. I'd already started one war and I wonder what the Merlin would say if he learned that I had started another? Since the Merlin didn't like me much and I was training someone he assumed to be a warlock I was pretty sure he'd find a way to bring a sword down on me for that, if not on Molly too. However if I threw in with this bunch, I was sure to get dead if not by a warden then likely by Edmund. I just Love politics.

"Somehow I don't think that enslaving humanity would go over too well with the council, even if you do have your own personal god on your side, I think they'd put up a ruckus." I said with a grim look on my face.

"We have no intention of enslaving humanity, simply reorganizing it. We can put a stop to the wars and suffering. We can focus humanity on the problems that face it and take greed, need and poverty out of the way. I know change is scary, but we can truly help solve the world's problems, if they will just hear us out." She said with a smile spreading across her face, sounding perfectly reasonable and genuine.

"Letting them focus on things like serving your group?" I asked.

"No, each other. We will have them work to feed the hungry and educate all children and work to cure their illnesses. We can also train the gifted and lead the rest. I'm sure that things will be, difficult for them at first, but when they see the benefits, they will be glad for it. I'm sure that there will be a few who will wish to serve us or even worship us as in the old days, but that will only be a small minority." She said still sounding perfectly normal and reasonable, except she was talking about using mortals as laborers. Sure there would be no wars, they wouldn't allow it.

"What happens to those who don't want to be part of your world order? What if, say a group decided to blow up your castle?" I asked perfectly reasonably.

"Then they would need to be dealt with. We'd eliminate those who were causing the problem. I assure you our interrogation techniques are very effective." She finished.

"What's in it for me and my friends if I buy in?" I asked in a very serious tone of voice.

"Well," She began to purr again, her eyes sparling and slightly widening "you would have many fringe benefits. Once you had proven your loyalty and been accepted, you could have just about anything you've ever wanted. Land, power, money and as a practitioner with strong power, you'd be one of the ruling class and a very eligible bachelor in our circle." She gave me a suggestive smile and stretched with a feline grace, pulling her robes tight over all the best parts.

"I hate to burst your bubble but most of my best friends are mortals and I really don't think they are going to take too kindly to being herded like cattle." I said frankly.

"But Harry, don't you see they are cattle. They live where they are told, they work when they are told and do what they are told. They are raised that way since birth and the white council is trying to do that to you. Don't you see this?" She said pushing a few stray hairs out of her face and behind her ear, "The very few that are gifted with the ability of leadership are mostly corrupt and use the masses to raise them up and rule over them. How is this any different?" She said honestly not getting it.

"Because now, people can choose where to live, what to do, and how they live their lives. You would have them as a surf class in your fiefdom. Torturing and killing all who stand in your way like a tin horn dictator." I said giving her a serious look. "That and how do we know that once your Goddess makes it over that we won't end up being her slaves? What makes you think for a second that she isn't just like you? I'm sorry but if I have to choose between how things are now, in an imperfect world or a Theocracy that is likely to enslave not only the mortals but those who try to put it in place. I have to go with the status quo." I said leaning back in my chair, folding my arms over my chest. Mouse, who had been snoozing at my feet for a while gave a loud sneeze as if in agreement.

"I'm truly sorry you are so short sighted. You could have been a king if you so chose." She said rising from her chair. "At least you'll get front row seating to the ushering in of a new age." Then she turned to leave, stopping at the door of the tent and looked at me with a mix of pity and sorrow, "Enjoy your last minutes as a free man wizard." Then she walked into the darkness.

I reached down and scratched Mouse behind the ears and closed my eyes. I heard Alicia walk past McCoy and speak to a man who was grabbing things off the truck.

"How are the preparations going?" she asked curtly.

"We are just about ready. The alignment won't be for another forty-five minutes so everything will be done in plenty of time." He replied in a subservient manner. I almost expected a m-lady at the end.

"Alicia!" called Edmund, "She's here."

At this I rose from my chair and walked to the door of the tent, followed by Mouse, still hobbling. From the door I could see Edmund and Camilla coming into the ring of light from the fire, Edmund was holding her upper arm firmly 'guiding' her to the camp.

"Where is Emily?" Alicia snarled. Good question, I thought and how the hell did she get away from Ramirez?

"She said she had to go back through the ways to grab something important and that she would be here well in time for the ceremony." Camilla said confidently.

I saw Camilla notice me in the doorway and her gaze quickly went to Alicia and she continued, "She said she'd have a beautiful Chorizo for you when she gets back."

"A what?" stammered Alicia.

"I have no idea, I thought you would know." She said simply with a shrug. I smiled and walked over to check on Ebenezer. He'd want to be awake for this.

Alicia walked away in a huff and disappeared into the darkness and Camilla was ushered to another tent to prepare for the ceremony as another inhuman scream cut through the night. Then a few moments later it was followed by a screeching howl as if something in the darkness was dying a painful death. Ya, Ebenezer needed to be up for this.

I was able to get a few bottles of water from a chest in the back of the truck, as our truce was still on I didn't think they would mind. Ebenezer sat up slowly and sipped at the water as his eyes cleared.

"How long have I been out for Hoss?" He asked groggily.

"I'd guess three hours maybe four. I've been up for about an hour myself. Molly and Abbey slipped into the forest before we learned it was full of red court vampires keeping a perimeter." I said with a solemn look. "By my count she's killed at least four so far."

"Hoss, I have to hand it to you. I don't know many apprentices who could handle four reds on their own." He smiled with his mouth but his eyes looked concerned, as did mine.

"I have to get her out of there, sir." I said in a low voice.

"Hoss, if you go running into the woods at night you are more likely to get yourself killed than save her. With her veils, you could run right behind her and neither of you would know the difference." He said making more sense than I wanted to hear at the moment.

"Then I guess I'll have to announce myself and light up the place a little." I replied with a wolfish grin on my face. Ebenezer was about to say something but was cut off by a commotion coming from the direction that Edmund and Camilla had come from.

"He's MINE! I get to kill that bastard myself!" Fiona's voice echoed shrilly in the clearing.

"Oops, I think our friend has woken up." I told Ebenezer with a frown.

"Looks like it." He smirked.

I turned to see her tromping into the camp, hair disheveled and her clothes dirty and she had clumps of dried grass everywhere. Her brown hair was a mess looking like an Aztec head dress in the dark. She turned towards me and I waved at her and smiled politely.

"DIE!" she screamed as she pulled her wand and thrust it towards me.

Alicia grabbed her outstretched wrist and with a twisting motion, spun Fiona around and held her arm behind her back, poking her wand into her own back. It was very Murphy-esq.

"We have a truce. He is our guest for the time being, you will treat him accordingly!" Alicia told her in a smooth calm voice.

"Truce! After what he and his friend did to me! I'll hang them both from their entrails and let the ravens eat their eyes before I let them die!" Fiona screeched.

"That may be mother, but not until after our business is completed." Alicia told her quietly. "Now go and clean up. I need you to be ready for the ceremony." With that she released Fiona and pointed her at another tent set up on the far side of the fire.

"You two should keep your distance from her unless you wish to meet an untimely demise." Alicia said with a slight smile on her face. It was obvious that she took some small pleasure at seeing her mother so agitated. She gave me another glance and shook her head before walking away.

"What was that about?" Ebenezer asked.

"She invited us to join the sorority with full perks. We'd each get a castle and human servants to worship us, blah, blah, blah." I said with a scowl.

Ebenezer simply chuckled and shook his head looking at me like I was crazy.

"Oh by the way, Emily dropped Camilla off earlier and then Emily took off," I said as my mentors eyes widened in surprise and shock. "She said she was going to get a beautiful Chorizo for Alicia. Then they took Camilla to the tent next to the one Fiona is in to get ready." I said with a slight grin.

Ebenezer smiled, "Gotta love them Chorizo's." he said.