I don't own Night World. Mega writers' block on this chapter, then I worked out that I just needed to listen to Demi Lovato's CDs whilst writing and I got inspiration. Haha, thanks to Demi if by some weird but cool chance she's reading this. :) Also, the internet was down for ages :(

WOOP! FRANCE WON THE SIX NATIONS RUGBY!

Chapter 10

I walked slowly through the halls of my house. The day had finally come. We were moving out into the desert. It was a beautiful day, mocking me. I paused at different rooms, looking in. Adenah was following me, and frowned in confusion whenever I looked at her.

"Momma? What is it?" she said.

I looked into her room, then bent to pick her up. I held her tight, leaning my face into her dark hair. She didn't ask me again as I walked slowly to the front door, where Morgead was waiting.

"Are you ready?" he murmured.

I nodded once and walked up to him. He gently put his arms around me. Adenah was frowning again, not understanding why we were acting like this. We went outside.

A light breeze played with my hair as I sat down on the porch outside. Adenah was on my lap, Morgead next to me. Our luggage was in a pile at the bottom of the steps. We waited for Hannah to pick us up.

"We should have gone back to San Francisco," I said. "Just once more."

That had been where it had truly begun, seventeen years ago. In the park where I'd first met Morgead. I'd known, deep down, that we were Soulmates. Why had I repressed it? It was a perfect reality, being with Morgead. A perfect reality that had lasted only four years.

Morgead looked at me. He brushed a strand of my hair back and smiled wryly. "Circle Daybreak wouldn't have let us. Do you remember how difficult it was to get them to let us live by ourselves?"

"I remember that I had to blow out the wall so that we could escape."

Adenah turned, her expression so shocked that Morgead and I burst out laughing. A silver car pulled up next to the porch. Three burly vampires stepped out, vicious-looking guns in their hands, and made two complete circles on the spot, their eyes scanning for danger.

"Here we go again," I muttered to Morgead.

His arm tightened around me. I looked at him and saw that he was acting as much like a body guard as the actual body guards. I groaned and stood up, holding Adenah. Morgead followed me after a pause, picking up the suitcases. A body guard opened up the door to the back seat, where there was a seat for Adenah. I strapped her in as Morgead got in through the other side. Once I was in the car I relaxed against him. Adenah gazed out of the window, fiddling with her ebony curls. She didn't know what was going to happen to me. She was too young to understand. I watched her as the engine started and we pulled out of the driveway. I looked behind quickly, realising that this was my last chance to see my home. The picturesque wrap-around porch and flower-pots under the windows made it look like it was straight out of a fairy-tale. Maybe if I closed my eyes for one second...

I shut them, then opened them again.

It hadn't worked. We were still in the car. Morgead was paler than usual, watching grimly out of the window. Adenah still had the gently confused look as she scrutinised the surroundings.

I took a deep breath as the nerves twisted in my stomach. It hitched up my throat. Morgead noticed and looked at me, and his expression pained. He tightened his arm around me and leant his forehead against my hair.

"It'll be alright. I promise," he whispered. His voice was carefully controlled.

I knew that it wasn't going to be alright, but I let him comfort me. My stomach calmed as I closed my eyes.

~ * ~ * ~

I opened my eyes to strange surroundings.

It was a sort of wood-cabin. I was lying on an uncomfortable mattress and it was warm. The stained wooden floor had thread-bare rugs strewn across it, as if to hide the malformations. The window was warped and dusty, but showed a beautiful, red hill. We were out in the desert.

I tried to remember how I'd gotten here. I remembered driving, Morgead's arms around me. He'd kissed the top of my head a lot and his body had been tense. I dimly remembered leaving the car, Morgead supporting me, but nothing after that.

I sat up just as Morgead came in, Adenah in his arms.

"Finally awake?" he said with a smile. Adenah beamed at me, her blue eyes lighting up. Her black hair was in an untidy mass of curls around her head. Morgead came over and sat next to me. Adenah crawled over onto my lap. I started sorting out her hair, stroking it into the neat corkscrew curls it was usually. She looked out the window.

"I want to go outside," she said. She turned and smiled hopefully at Morgead and I. I smoothed back one more curl and nodded.

"I'll go get dressed," I said. I slid off the bed and went to the suitcases on the floor, choosing my favourite clothes. I went into the en suite and had a shower. Even over the rushing of the water I could hear Adenah chattering.

I took my time, washing my hair. Once it was done, I switched the water off and towelled my hair dry as much as possible, then pulled it back into a plait. I dressed and went back into my room. Adenah slid off the bed and came over to me, holding up her arms. I picked her up and held her. She fiddled with the collar of my shirt.

"You coming?" I said to Morgead.

"Yeah, oh and by the way your uncle Bracken and the rest of the gang are coming later. Claire and Hugh might come, too," Morgead said.

"OK," I smiled. "Race you outside."

"You're on!" Morgead said, laughing. We both shot out of the door and down the hall. Morgead won, obviously, seeing as I had Adenah in my arms. He grinned as I finally got to him.

"I win," he announced proudly. Adenah giggled. I just glared at him.

"What do you want to do then, Adenah?" I asked.

She looked around and her face suddenly lit up. "Uncle Bracken!" she shouted.

I heard a crunch on gravel and turned round swiftly. I saw my Uncle Bracken walking down a cobbled path, with what seemed like two tonnes of luggage weighing down his arms. He smiled as he saw me.

"Hey Jez, how are you, kiddo?" he said as I reached him and hugged him. He smiled as Adenah locked her arms around his neck. "Hey 'Denah."

I laughed and took a couple of the suitcases from him. "How long are you staying?" I asked.

"Three days."

I looked over the luggage quickly. "I though only girls over-packed."

He smiled. "I brought over some old photos and videos. Thought you might like to see how your relationship has changed with Morgead."

He started walking quicker as I glared at him. I could see Morgead smirking.

"I have a good memory," I muttered as Morgead and I lugged the suitcases inside.

~ * ~ * ~

Pretty soon, the small wood cabin was filled to bursting.

Iris and Adenah had been put to bed, in a pretty blue room that they would share whilst we were in the desert. In the kitchen, Raven, Hannah and I were talking and Uncle Bracken, Thierry, Val, Thistle and Morgead were watching some game of football or baseball in the main room.

"Wow. You and Morgead haven't murdered each other yet," Raven said with a smile. Her hair was longer, but still had the same style. The only visible midnight-blue eye was twinkling.

"Just about," I said with a laugh. "Although, if we do get into a fight, I don't really want to rid Adenah of her father. Anyway, we've locked the fighting sticks away. Morgead won't tell me where the key is."

"Because I don't want to die," a voice said behind me.

I turned and saw Morgead leaning casually on the doorframe. I rolled my eyes at him and one side of his mouth curved up, amused. He looked at Raven.

"Raven, Val wants to talk to you," he said, with a gentle smile. He turned and walked back to the main room. Raven exchanged a glance with Hannah and I, then followed him.

"Hmm. Wonder what that is about," Hannah said. Her grey eyes were serene.

"Maybe he's going to ask her out."

Hannah laughed. "What if she won't say when she comes back?"

"Then it's time to threaten Morgead to get the keys to the attic to fetch the sticks."

"I wonder what she'll say if he does ask her out."

"He probably won't. He isn't the romantic type."

Deafening roars came from the main room. Hannah and I jumped.

"Who scored...?" Hannah said. She shrugged. "I've forgotten what the weird name Thierry told me was that they're supporting. All I know is that it's some football team."

I smirked. "I love watching football. Those shoulder pads make everyone look like something Frankenstein created."

"Soccer is a much more delicate sport, isn't it? More graceful."

"Yeah... Rugby's funny as well."

"Isn't that practically a load of bundles?"

"Pretty much. There's always one poor guy at the bottom with a load of others on top of him. And they all weigh more than a hundred kilograms. Crazy."

"Ouch... sounds painful."

The door opened and Hannah and I turned to see Raven come in and shut the door, then lean back against it. Her visible eye was bright with happiness.

"He asked me out," she said, smiling.

"Wow, that's great!" I said. "I've turned psychic."

"Did you guess?" Raven said.

I nodded and walked up to her. "You know what, I'm glad he did. You two are great together."

Who would have thought that Val would be the romantic type? He'd always been a great guy, a bit hyper and always either incredibly bored or incredibly hyper. Maybe he'd calm down now.

"I hope so," Raven said wistfully.

As I said above, WOOP! FRANCE WON THE SIX NATIONS RUGBY!

I hope you noticed that I put some American sports in there. I don't know much about American football, though, so that's as much as I can do. Well, to be honest, I don't know much about regular football. I'm better at games when you're allowed to handle the ball. Like tag rugby; a much safer version of rugby :)