Day 10, 14:15, Las Vegas

Sweat ran down her spine. She could feel a single droplet travel down tantalizingly slowly even though she was moving extremely quickly. Her hands were steady but her arms had started to quiver with the weight of the staff she was using. Sometimes it was plain unfair to be faced with an opponent who didn't have to worry about stamina or strength.

Quinn threw a grin at her from the other side of the training mat before rushing forward again, his own weapon extended. Wood rang against wood as she parried the blow and then spun on the ball of her foot to get behind him and aim for his knees. He didn't bat an eyelash when the staff knocked against his briefly exposed legs. A heartbeat later he was on the ground but not without dropping his lance and catching hold of her ankle with both hands.

Completely thrown, she tumbled right down beside him. She thrashed backwards with her other leg but he was already rolling out of reach. Before she could flip over to protect herself, his weight crushed onto her back and left her breathless. The pressure forced her flat against the floor and she bit back a groan as her cheek collided with the surface.

They'd been at it for thirty minutes and neither was backing down. Today Quinn was harder in her than he'd been before. Maybe that was due to this being their first session entirely alone in Thierry's underground lair. Everyone else was on missions and they'd found themselves down here without another soul around. Even Ash had left for the week.

It had been her idea to spar, truth be told. They hadn't actually fought another one-on-one since the island and even that had been a rapid defeat since she had surprised him. She'd known since their first meeting that there was incredible experience in him. Right now, she got a good impression of what he'd had centuries to obtain. Apart from his obvious strength and technique, he knew almost as much as her about pressure points. She could feel him dig his knuckles into that area on her spine that had her immobile on the ground.

She sucked in a breath, then bit through the pain to throw an elbow jab at the leg he had on the floor beside her. She aimed right at the upper thigh muscle and this time she got a low hiss from him as she made impact. She knew the pain well, that sharp and instant burst of agony. It had him lose focus on his grip and she had enough time to buck upwards against his weight and smack another elbow into his stomach.

He was stubborn though. She had to twist around in the most uncomfortable way to shove him off her as he sat winded. Even as he recovered and leapt for her again, she was prepared now. Since he was unarmed, she didn't bother recovering her weapon either, letting him engage in plain physical combat.

She landed a couple of good punches but one miscalculated step later he caught her around the ribcage. With a laugh at her stunned face, he lifted her off the ground to flip her over his head. Recognizing the move in mid-air, she grabbed for his neck with her arms. Even as she should have fallen onto the ground like a ragdoll, she anchored herself around his neck, landing on her feet and attempting to throw him with the momentum instead.

The trouble with the skin contact was that he saw her moves coming when she brushed against him. He grabbed her linked arms around his throat, forcing her back against him in order to keep her arms in their sockets. She immediately tried to unwind herself but even as she attempted to spin back around he had ducked out from under her hold and tackled her to the ground. If there was one aspect she would acknowledge she was outmatched in, it was in speed.

This time she was on her back instead of the stomach and the collision left her seeing black spots for a second. She wasn't defeated though. Even though her breath rasped, her heart pumped wildly and she was soaked, she still had a couple of tricks up her sleeve.

His fangs were nearly translucent in the white light of the room as he loomed over her, the vampire eyes opaque to her. She smirked despite her exhaustion and surged upwards to head butt him squarely in the nose. It seemed this was the trick that always caught the opponent off guard. The familiar crack resounded around them and blood flowed.

There was a beat of silence in which the made vampire reared back, simply frozen above her as the break registered with him. The air seemed to sizzle with her small victory despite him not making any sound to indicate pain. Then he focused back on her. Instead of spending his time howling in pain like Marcus had, Quinn simply responded by using the proximity to grab her neck.

Even one-handed, she felt him apply enough pressure to close her windpipe. Suddenly, a new sensation flooded through her that added to the adrenalin. Good, old-fashioned panic made her cold as she struggled to inhale. Something was wrong. He had never done this before. Not even the times when she had beaten him in group sessions with Ash and Lupe.

Quinn was so close, staring right through her as he pushed her back against the ground. His eyes were the most reflective she'd seen them in a while. Now that she faced him with little distance between them, it struck her that she couldn't read them. Empty, bottomless holes. Not that his face was shut off, there were definitely emotions running wild but all of them indicating bloodlust.

She had no idea what was going on. Surely a bleeding nose wouldn't have triggered this kind of extreme reaction. She'd bruised him plenty of times before this last week.

Quinn, she spoke through their link, willing him to snap out of whatever he was playing at, Stop it. Get the hell off me. Quinn!

No sign of understanding in his eyes. It was as effective as talking to a wall. Rashel felt the lack of air go to her head. What the hell was he doing? It was as though Quinn had just left his body on autopilot with the order to crush the enemy. Her survival instincts were screaming to kill him but she was trapped under his weight braced across her hips.

She realized the reason she couldn't give him a direct mental shout was the gloves he had put on for wielding the wooden lance. There was no contact possible in any place she could reach from where she lay. The same void reigned in his mind as it had when they'd battled the Night World thugs on the road.

Her hand was free though. Even though it had automatically gone to her throat to pry his fingers away unsuccessfully, she could still move. Feigning weakness, she let it drop to her side and slide into the waist of her training shorts. It was a tiny knife, barely a five-centimetre blade, but it would have to do. The sharp oak would hopefully do its job.

She tried to breathe one last time against the cruel grip on her throat, then jabbed the weapon against the first place she could reach. Straight through the glove into his wrist.

Blood spurted, splattering both of them as he pulled back with a growl. Air flooded her lungs and she almost choked with the rush. It was the most blissful sensation and despite her body convulsing in coughs as she inhaled, she felt refreshed. Just her luck that she prepared herself for every crisis scenario at all times.

He stood back in that fluid movement of his, snarling through his teeth like a crazed animal as he ripped the knife out. She'd probably hit an artery. The blood kept coming, gushing down his fingers and already forming spots on the ground where he was. She scrambled backwards in between gasping breaths, staggering to her knees a lot less gracefully but determined.

His head snapped back up as she moved, watching her with widening eyes. As the blood spraying from the wound increased, the feral appearance shrunk, leaving him standing with a stricken expression on his face. The blood on his lips dripped down as he opened and closed his mouth, seemingly trying to find his voice.

A minute passed in tense silence, only disturbed by the steady beat of drops hitting the ground. Finally, he got a single word out and that by itself was filled with such self-loathing that she had half the urge to cross the space and hold him to her.

"Rashel…" he whispered, having the good sense to clamp a hand around his open wrist. She couldn't tell if he'd become paler from the blood loss or the shock.

She couldn't reply. Even though it was more than obvious he was himself again, she didn't know what to say. He'd just attempted to kill her and painfully at that. How could she know what reaction was appropriate here?

Rashel couldn't even look at his face. This picture was even worse than that of the one who'd just tried to strangle her. She didn't know how to deal with this. She swallowed heavily, feeling her throat constrict then relax painfully. Without any further reaction, she stooped to collect their abandoned weapons and return them to the adjacent wall.

She sensed that he wasn't moving behind her. The next moment, she realized to have noticed this, she must be on full alert as though awaiting another ambush while she had her back turned. She willed herself to calm down. Maybe he had a perfectly good explanation for this… blackout or whatever had just happened. He was still Quinn, still her soulmate. Maybe this was just a slip-up during an intense sparring session, nothing more.

She touched her head gingerly where it had hit the floor multiple times. It felt tender but not overly achy. No blood either. Only Quinn had been cut today.

She turned back to find him still rooted in the same place, his gaze averted to his arm. She sighed inwardly. He looked lost, a pale figure in dark clothing. For some reason, Zora's words decided to ring through her mind as she stood there looking at him. Somebody who has done so much is dangerous. Even for someone he thinks he loves. Damn the witch for putting these kinds of doubts in her head in the first place.

He didn't move a muscle when she approached him again, bending down to retrieve the knife from beside his foot. There was a trembling in his legs that she hadn't noticed before and she felt the rational side take over when she noticed.

"You need to patch that up. Wood won't heal so fast"

His voice sounded nothing like him when he replied the affirmative. It wasn't steadfast and self-assured anymore. It had gone monotone as though he had no energy to speak. Stepping away from her instantly to retrieve some first-aid material, she could see the tightness in his shoulders. It was like he was still reigning himself in from exploding all over again. This was the most absurd behaviour coming from him. She truly had no idea what had caused this.

She absently rubbed the blood off the dagger with a cloth and then proceeded to mop up the worst of the blood. The single rule down here – leave it as you found it. She would need more to get rid of the stain before it dried.

She couldn't take her eyes off Quinn though. As he finished strapping the wound tightly enough to stem the wound, he seemed miles away. Through the bond she could sense turmoil, almost worse than the night he'd told her he'd make her a vampire. It was mostly fury and directed at himself, the situation, the world. Not a good thing.

She dropped what she was doing and moved over to his side of the room, crouching beside him and reaching for his damaged wrist. He surprised her by raising his head to stare at her neck where they both knew bruises would reign tomorrow.

Will I get an explanation?

She thought she saw actual shame cross his face. Rashel…I'm sorry.

At least you didn't rip my head off, she tried to lighten the mood but it fell short. To detract, she reached up to wipe away the blood from his nose; do you even know what happened?

Not hard to figure out. I tried to kill you.

She actually snorted at the deadpan reply. At least it sounded more like him. Did I tick you off that much? Guess I'm doing my job well then.

It's not you. But in that moment, you were just another human, he brushed her words aside, and despite what I think of humans now, they're still so easy to kill.

What the hell are you saying?

He raised his eyes up further, meeting hers squarely. When we said we'd do this…go become the good guys, did you really believe I could stop killing? Did you think that it would change what had come so naturally for hundreds of years? Hundreds, Rashel. That's thousands of people. That's my instinct. Where you've got self-preservation, I've got the urge to kill for satisfaction.

I know that. She groaned in frustration, Look, I'm not blaming you!

He pulled his head away from her, face growing stormy. Of course you do. You can't help yourself. Your soulmate tries to choke the life out of you…you feel betrayed. If you're not blaming me then there's something wrong here.

Listen to yourself. You're saying being a vampire makes you the murderer and being human means I'm the good guy? That's not true. We both know we've done enough. We've accepted that. I didn't expect to be strangled but you didn't plan this.

But I did it. His jaw clenched violently.

So what? Should I stab your other wrist and let you bleed out so you feel we're even? Rashel threw the soaked cloth away. She felt angry all of sudden. Angrier at his reaction than his attempt to hurt her. It happened. What we are going to do about it matters. I've been choked while working before and always got out of danger. I can deal with it.

Are you even listening? He stood with her, equally angry. I'm straight out telling you this won't go away and you're talking about 'doing' something to change that?

Thierry looks like he's got it under control just fine and he's the oldest I know. If the original can handle it, you can at least try. It wasn't the best tactic to be antagonizing him by comparing others to him. She knew he would immediately feel threatened but she needed to get this through to him.

By going on animal blood? He sneered.

It would be a start if you want to stop being a stubborn asshole.

He barely reacted physically but his mental tone went icy. I want to see you compromise when you get impaled through the wrist.

You shouldn't have choked me, then you wouldn't have a hole in your arm. Come and talk to me when you're done being angry at yourself.

With that she marched out of the room. She didn't even know why she was steaming like this. Really, what Quinn could probably use now was someone patient with him. But the reality was she did almost get throttled and she was allowed to be cranky about it. He'd fucked up, no question about it.

She'd known this relationship would take time but moments like this, she really got the impression she had no idea what she was in for. Moments like this were worth wondering what this soulmate principle was trying to do because apparently building bridges between the races was going to be pretty difficult. Killing instinct being only one of many differences.

As for the factor of love, she was still a long way from figuring that out too.

She ended up in the kitchen; filling a bucket with soapy hot water in order to remove all the bloodstains they'd caused downstairs. She scrubbed the worst off her hands, watching the red liquid drain away down the sink. Quinn's different faces kept swimming in front of her inner eye. His bestial, violent creature and his self-destructive, regretful face of shock. Both were faces she didn't want to see again in the near future.

Worse than that, she got the feeling these parts of him were hovering under the surface, always in search of an outlet. She knew he was right. His nature was different from hers and she'd gotten used to that but that he would turn on her…it had seemed unthinkable.

She hadn't even realized she'd been staring into an empty sink until somebody cleared their throat behind her. She spun to see Nilsson standing in the doorway, silent as a shadow in his trademark serious stance.

"Do you need help with that?"

She glanced at the bucket and rag she'd dumped on the floor. She shook her head quickly. Her voice still sounded raspy when she answered, "Just got to clean up downstairs. It's not a big deal"

"Do you need medical attention?" he probed, inclining his head and she realized she had blood smeared all over her legs. So much for keeping the chaos under lockdown. She gave the man a smile and a second shake of the head.

"I'm fine. I'm just going to go get this down there," she picked up the things, breezing past the suited guy as fast as she dared, "It's a bit messy. Blood is terrible to get rid of"

She was babbling and Nilsson probably noticed the crack in her usual composure. Honestly, she didn't want questions asked by others wanting to use the room. Though her argument was valid logically - blood did have the tendency to produce stains if it was left alone.

The room was deserted when she re-entered and she was strangely glad for it. Quinn had to take a break and she was grateful for a silence that wasn't uncomfortable. She sloshed the water on the red areas, making it tint dark while she scrubbed at it. There was more blood than she had initially realized. Having hit an area where it ran at high pressure in the body, he'd lost a lot in a short time. So somewhere around the place Quinn would surely be feeding now to recover. Or maybe he wasn't. Maybe she was wrong and he would be sitting in their room with his anger and throbbing wound, punishing himself.

The bloody puddles spread but grew lighter as she worked, wringing water into the bucket. She took the time to get every last speckle off the floor as well as carefully washing the knife that had caused the damage. She looked at the object in the light, dangling it between her fingers. It had saved her life today. She didn't quite know how to wrap her head around that.

She had to defend herself against Quinn in a life and death situation. She couldn't explain how it had happened. Was it really the case of him snapping at random in situations of stress, unable to control it? He had been winning the fight. She couldn't see how he'd felt more threatened than usual.

It couldn't have to do with them being cooped up here either. Just because they weren't sent around the country on missions yet didn't mean there was nothing to do. People came and went all the time so they made a bunch of acquaintances from the Circle.

She'd even ventured down to the witches' sector of the mansion to converse with the healers on occasion. Many nights now everyone sat together combing through Newspaper articles, video clips, police reports and whatnot trying to find signs of a Wild Power.

When all of that wasn't happening, they sparred or spent time wandering the grounds, exploring every last corner of the place. They'd found several secret niches and even though Quinn held himself back since their first day here, she was perfectly happy to let him claim her lips whenever they found themselves alone. It truly wasn't as though she'd given him reason to snap and that bothered her most of all. There had to be a reason.

She was done accepting the explanation that it was just the way he functioned as a being. Drinking blood didn't automatically make him a killer and being instinctively predatory did not make him homicidal enough to turn on anyone. The answer had to lie in his past. Something he wasn't telling her about. Again that witch's statement rang in her ears, the words following her as she finished clearing up and shut off the lights.

A very, very dark heart.

She'd be damned if she couldn't do something about that.

Thinking of that girl also tagged along flashes of Marcus. Apart from being a stoner, he'd had that air of mystery that only witches seemed to possess. To top that off, he was someone who had information about everything and everyone. She paused at the top of the stairs as his final words came back to mind.

He'd said she had a sibling. Coming from a guy like him it could easily be a lie but she'd gotten the impression that his pride and joy in life was his knowledge of other people. If this was truly a fact he had dug up about her then that made an impact. She wanted to know more. She wanted clarity about her past at least if the present was being so complicated.

Just seeing all the data Circle Daybreak gathered all the time it surely wouldn't be impossible to find what Marcus had found as well. She would do it herself if she had to. All she wanted was a lead so she could find absolution in knowing she either did or didn't have a sibling out there somewhere. The rest she would do herself.

She dumped the bloody water and considered her next actions. Find out where Quinn was or find out if Thierry was around? She glanced at the clock in the entrance hall as she passed through. It was only three in the afternoon. She'd have to wait several hours at least until Thierry returned. He only seemed to show up at night despite him technically living here.

She ended up in their room, only to find it equally empty. There was no sign of Quinn having stopped by. Sighing, she stripped to take a shower. The warm spray touched her skin and she relaxed under the heat, feeling blood and sweat washing from her body. Her shoulder still ached slightly from a week ago but there was barely a scar left. It had been overstretched during her fight today though and she rolled it a bit to ease the feeling.

Now that she felt clearer about everything, she wanted to see him. She needed to talk to him. Having parted with such an argument was their first time to separate in a fury. It made her uncomfortable to think about it and suddenly her bruised neck was secondary to making sure he was all right. She knew he could take care of himself but that didn't make her feel any less concerned.

A quick shower later, sitting on the bed, she pulled out her wallet from under the mattress and retrieved a photo from the inside. Her mother's face smiled back at her from the tiny picture. Even tinier in the background, she could see herself and baby Timmy fighting over an ice cream. She must have been about two at that point in time. It was the only photo she purposely kept of her past.

She traced her mother's cheek with a fingertip and found herself wishing she were here. She would have known what to do, given Rashel some motherly wisdom. She'd always been mature beyond her years and even so, had long since become an adult, but somehow she craved her mom back for support, now that everything had changed.

She didn't let herself miss her often. Her run-in with Hunter and Timmy had brought back memories and emotions she'd believed buried. Now this issue with Quinn and everything she'd learnt about herself and the world…it wouldn't hurt to have a parent here.

She flopped backwards onto the mattress, clutching the photograph to her stomach. She hoped everything would figure itself out. She couldn't do much about this situation right now but continue forward. She glared at the ceiling, muttering, "Why does nobody give a warning that it's a pain to care about people?"

She couldn't sit still for ages though. It was clear that wherever Quinn was, he wouldn't be showing up soon. Maybe it was the trained hunter in her but sitting around made her edgier than moving from place to place. She dug around in the heap of clothes she'd piled up on the sofa, rummaging for swimwear. It hadn't taken her long to find the indoor pool during their stay here and most days she'd woken early to go for a swim. The water was as soothing as it was a method of keeping active and she'd never encountered anyone else in there.

Finally finding something that was sturdy enough to swim laps in without losing the top, she slipped into it and headed to the third floor. She knew the layout of the building by now, which rooms were bathrooms, bedrooms or parlours. What had once been a platform attic of sorts had been entirely modernized, panelled in marble and a pool installed. Somebody had even gone into the trouble of adding a rack with towels even though nobody seemed to frequent this place. Though Quinn would find her if he was searching. He always did.

She stepped into the water, not bothering to let her body adjust to the temperature difference. She leapt right in, diving the length of the pool before coming up for air. For all the feline mythology associated with her, she was not shy of water. It was one of the few places she felt she could blend out the real world. There was perfect solitude under the surface where sound only reached in muffled scraps.

She broke into a lazy breaststroke, balancing her movements and feeling the power in her legs as she swam. A couple of times she dove as far as she could, testing her lung capacity before she had to take a breath. It hurt because of her bruised windpipe but she tried to ignore it. Even then, Quinn occupied her thoughts. She had seen his disgust at having hurt her. She couldn't believe he'd done it on purpose. He wouldn't. Even though he had, she had felt the fear in him when he came to his senses. He had been scared of himself. He seemed to have no control over the unannounced bloodlust.

She dove again, willing the water to wash away her own fears. Not that she was scared of him. Just as she had told him what she feared most was losing him, whether physically or emotionally. If this thing came between them, she had no idea what to do.

Eventually she stopped with the laps, pulling herself up to sit on the side. She didn't bother with a towel; rather watching the drops run down her skin, follow the curve of her legs to drip back into the pool. She didn't know how long she sat there until her hair only felt damp and she couldn't even see the wall she had been staring at. She blinked and suddenly there was a dark figure in her peripheral vision she hadn't picked up before.

Her head snapped up, thinking for a second it was Quinn who was hovering there. Then the figure stepped closer and she realized her mistake. She jumped up quickly to address him but he gestured for her to stay where she was.

"No need for that. I was the one interrupting you after all," he smiled at her, coming over to settle on one of the deckchairs beside the pool. She was struck by how easily he fit into the environment despite him looking very much out of place in the business suit.

"I didn't expect anyone," she explained, crossing her arms. She wasn't quite sure if she should sit back down or even grab herself a towel. Not that he was paying attention to her lack of proper clothes, "Especially not you, Lord Thierry"

"Please no formalities," he gave her a small smile and the cheerfulness made him look so much younger, "It's bad enough to be hearing it from the staff all day. Thierry will do"

She couldn't help rolling her eyes. "I'm sorry doesn't it feel absolutely ridiculous to have a title?"

"It's a responsibility I have. The title comes with the role. If you were in my position, you'd get used to it quite quickly. I've had many names over the centuries. Lord being one of the nicer ones"

She nodded, observing the way he was leaning forward onto his knees with his hands linked. A posture that indicated a serious conversation was awaiting her. "I'm guessing you're not here to swim?"

"I usually do at a later hour," his smile waned gradually, "No, it is more important than that. I would like to discuss a mission with you. I need somebody of your expertise. I did not plan for it to be your first task for Circle Daybreak but as it is, my other field agents are busy around the country. I wouldn't ask if it was not urgent."

"No, it's fine," she replied. Her body was already tingling with anticipation at the thought. Finally back out in the world doing what she knew best. This was exactly what she had been waiting for the entire week. She quickly grabbed a towel and sat down across from the original vampire. Strange to think she'd once given anything to take him down. Now he just seemed like any person to her, "What's the job?"

"You should know it is not a one man operation. I would like you and Quinn to team up with two others that I have sent for," he told her, "I'm hoping that is not a problem?"

"No problem," she assured him. As long as the additions weren't complete nuisances to work with, she would adjust to a team. All she wanted was to be on the move with a purpose again.

"It's a task that goes against my agenda but especially now we have to use every opportunity we get. Yesterday, the Council decided to dispatch a team to track what they believe is a Wild Power. Even if the trail proves false, this is a risk we can't take. If they kill the right person, the war is lost. I must ask you to follow them and ensure that they do not make contact"

Rashel heard the words he was not saying. Find, engage, eliminate. These Council pawns had to be taken out of the equation permanently. Preferably so that their disappearance was quiet enough not to alert the Council, which would buy Daybreak time to continue their own search.

"Do we have identities of the team? What about the target?" she asked, already mapping out the approach in her head.

"Being obtained as we speak. Nilsson assured me it would be ready by the morning. The agents should have arrived by then so you will be dispatched immediately," Thierry still looked reluctant and Rashel gave him a fierce look to quench the doubts circling in his head.

"Leave it to me," she said, "It's what I do"

"That I'm sorry about. It must have been difficult to be forced to grow up like that," he turned those solemn eyes on her. She saw no pity but sympathy extended towards her, "You are one of the few humans I've met who began seeking out the Night World at such an early age. Seeking out for revenge, that is"

"The choice was made for me," she replied, looking away across the still pool.

He seemed to understand that there was not much more to be said on the matter. She was glad he didn't comment further until she realized that by turning her head, she'd presented him with the growing finger-shaped bruises. She didn't even have to look at him to know his attention was immediately drawn there. It was pointless to hide it anyway. Sooner or later somebody in the mansion would have spotted them.

"You want to know about it," she stated, not meeting his eyes.

"It's my business to know when somebody comes to harm while they are under my protection here," he responded, "Is this something that can turn into a problem for the others in this house?"

She hadn't even considered that aspect yet. Mentally kicking herself for not immediately entertaining that thought, she let out a breath. "I don't know," she confessed, "I'm putting it off as an accident. We were sparring and he lost control for a minute and…"

"Quinn?" he clarified.

She nodded. "Everyone has a dark side right? We all let it take over sometime."

He didn't reply for a while and when she glanced back at him, she noticed how his face had become clouded, as though the words had caused him pain. She came to realize for the first time that his dark eyes held not only wisdom and knowledge but also the torture of many lifetimes past and the cruelty of the world. She'd only had around twelve years of it so far. It must be an unimaginable burden to have experienced a thousand.

"I've known your soulmate long before you came into his life and changed him," he started, "And I'm sure you both know that he was far from the person he is now. Hunter's control over him reached deeper than anyone could possibly understand. I had plenty of time to observe their relationship. Even though he gave up that life for you, it is difficult to tear yourself away from what you've believed in and what you've practiced for centuries. I suppose you could compare it to the discovery that the sun does not revolve around the earth. When his world came crashing down on him, he would have felt torn in his very nature once the shock subsided"

He hit the nail on the head there. "I don't know how to help him," Rashel admitted quietly, "I don't even know why I was naïve enough to ignore these problems"

"The soulmate principle," he said with a smile, "works miracles, but some things each person has to figure out alone"

"I know it's not my place to ask but could you speak with him? If he won't listen to me because I don't understand then maybe he would to you. I mean, you don't seem to struggle with bloodlust so I just thought, well, you come across as very calm," she winced at the terrible choice of words. She was no good at asking favours, especially from people she had to respect as an authority. He didn't seem to judge her for it though.

"I'll see what I can do," he assured her, "If there are any problems, you can always take them to Nilsson. I entrust him with everything that goes on here"

"I'm fine," she shook her head, "I'm not worried about myself"

"And you're comfortable with pursuing this mission with Quinn?"

She shot him a questioning look that he returned with a raised eyebrow. "Of course"

He nodded once before rising from the seat. She watched his back as he headed towards the entrance again before she realized she'd missed out the most important part. She jumped up and called it out before he could round the corner and disappear.

"Thank you"

He paused to face her once more and she swore she saw a smile tugging at his lips as though he'd known this was coming. "You're welcome"

Then it was just the quiet slosh of the water and the tranquillity again. She couldn't help feeling better. The ancient vampire seemed to have a way of simply taking stress away with his presence even though he'd just asked her to risk her life by hunting down Council agents.

She relished the thought of being able to fight again. Only this time she was certain they were the bad guys she'd kill. She hoped Quinn would be with her on this. After hearing Thierry's recount of his connection with Hunter, she wondered whether openly engaging the Council's people was something he was willing to do.

She'd have to talk to him either way but she got the distinct feeling this was a vital step. How this mission turned out would determine a lot. She only hoped Quinn would agree to it.