Vampires don't eat chocolate:
A/N: Pretty much everything about the PTBs is an inside joke with one group of friends or another. So if you're going 'Why a …" at the end, it's because I get a little obsessed when it comes to inside jokes. And I'm very very sorry for the wait. i have a ton of REALLY good reasons, but You'll probably want to read.
It was a short hike to the spot Odette had seen. They all got there a little before dawn. The vampires and werewolves, in wolf form, were waiting for them. The spot was in the middle of dense forest. It looked like something had blown a house-sized hole into the middle of the ground last night. The southwestern edge rose up to the forest floor. The opposite side sloped downward into a cave.
"This wasn't here before," Sam said worriedly to witches.
"Of course not. It would be mossy." Kira retorted. There wasn't a speck of green inside the hole.
Odette took Bella and Mark over to a few tree stumps behind where everyone else would be. She sat them down. "You two are not to move. You are the most vulnerable of us all. If I had any say in the matter, you would both still be asleep at the Cullen's. But you have to be here if this is to be resolved, so you are only going to move if there is a dire threat to your immediate area. Or. Else."
Mark rolled his eyes and nodded through Odette's speech. "Yes, Hun." Bella just nodded worriedly.
Brie dragged her husband and Edward over to the werewolves. " 'Ello!" She said cheerfully.
Edward sighed mournfully, knowing he was only there to talk for the wolves. "They want to know what we're fighting," he droned.
Brie stared at the wolves for a moment, slack jawed. She spluttered before exclaiming, "You can't fight PTBs! We're here to meet them. If we meet them, they're much less likely to explode or something. They'll either demand a Price, or a Fight of Champions. God knows what we'll do if it's the latter . . ." Brie explained. "But trying to fight PTBs is like trying to burn the sun." Brie shuddered.
"But you said . . ."
"We need everyone involved here if it's a Price, and we sure as hell need you all if it's a champion. Hopefully, it won't be a champion. We have friends in these circles, and they'll usually give us a Price, or convince other PTBs to give Prices." Arawn squeezed Brie's hand, warning her of the imminent dawn. "Oh. I need to go stand with Kira and Odette. Edward, go stand with the other Cullens."
Brie went over and took point in their formation. As the sun rose, so did the tension. The witches held themselves taller, more composed. The first ray of light found it's way across the ground and hit the witches. In a burst of light, they transformed. Their clothing had changed. They were Huntresses now. Odette was in the getup of an Icelandic Princess, complete with a bronze glaive. Kira looked like the assassin she was in red leather, wicked looking knives hanging from a black belt with an assortment of vials. Brie's change was the greatest, however. She looked far too mature to be a teenager now. She was in soft, light blue leather leggings and a tunic length dress of the same material. It had only one strap, leaving Brie's right shoulder clear. There were two tomahawks and an assortment of knives in a matching belt around her hips. The vampires and werewolves didn't notice, being too focused on the dark gravel in front of them.
When the glowing orb was fully above the horizon, a small form emerged from the debris. Kira shivered in horror at the sight of the little creature. It was horrible. One of the werewolves leaned forward, trying to see what it was. The sun rose a little higher and the light revealed the form of a small pink bunny.
Emmett stared at it incredulously, "It's just a . . ."
"Don't say it!" All the witches and Alice yelled at the same time. Brie continued, "The person to underestimate it is always the first to die. You wouldn't want to make it – him – angry with words like 'cute' and 'adorible'." They all paused to give Brie a questioning look. How would she know that the bunny was male?
Seven identical old men followed the pink bunny out. Odette was the one to groan this time. "Not you!" she whispered.
Having formed a semicircle behind the bunny, one of the old men turned and spoke to the others. "You said there would be no Wisewomen." He sounded disgruntled.
Another old man retorted, "Do you share the same love as your brother, young one? It shouldst not matter." They may have been physically identical, but their voices were different.
Brie smiled happily. They were fortunate this time, it seemed. Maybe they would get a lenient sentence. The old man in the middle stepped forward, glaring at the two who had argued. He cleared his throat, attempting to sound official. "As a wage for thy work, and thy peace kept, thy Price shall be small. Peace forevermore, but blood spilled this morn. Thus sayeth the king."
Everyone balked except Brie. The two seemed contrary. Even if someone was willing to spill their own blood, the vampires would surely break the peace when they smelled it. Alice gasped. Her vision of Brie earlier this morning suddenly seemed to make sense. But Brie ignored the noise. Instead, she pulled a bone knife out of her belt and sent Kira and Odette both significant glances. Odette was taken aback by Brie's idea. It would take so much magic. It might not work . . .
Brie spoke with all the authority that the old man had tried to convey. "If blood spilt is thy price, then spilt the blood shall be." She raised the knife with her left hand.
Odette and Kira spun around, screaming "Immobulus!" as Brie brought the knife down on the hand. The vampires cringed, waiting for the smell to reach them. When it did, Jasper lunged forward, but was stopped two inches from where he began. None of them could move Brie flipped the bloodstained knife into the ground in front of her. Scowling, she squeezed some more blood from her wound onto it. Odette and Kira were obviously straining under the effort of their spell, and Jasper slid forward another few inches.
Brie straightened. "There is thyblood."
There was a ceremonial pause, interrupted casually by the old man who had spoken first. "Ali and Leandra are very thankful for what you've done. They're married now." The other old men were livid.
"That's great." Brie smiled. She wouldn't have expected anything else.
Jasper was almost a third of the way to the witches. The pink bunny cocked its head and hopped over to the knife. After sniffing the blood, it took the knife in its mouth and bounced back over to the old men. There was a rumble and the bunny transformed into a large azure dragon. The old men behind it changed into smaller gold dragons. Emmett's jaw would have dropped if he could move. It was good that he hadn't said anything.
The dragons shot into the air. Brie felt a cold sensation across her right palm. She looked down at it. It was fine. The barren whole in the ground was no longer there; instead, all they could see was forest. Everything that had indicated the dragons' presence was now gone. Even the blood droplets were missing
Brie turned around and smiled, "That, my friends, was the Dragon King and his Court."
