Chapter Eleven

The night had taken a joyful lull until Sequoia yet again brought himself to their attention and beseeched that Jessica would join him in the gardens.

Jessica had no pretences about this. Sequoia must have already guessed that she knew about the nightworld, her little actions to his mind scan the other day would have told him if he hadn't before and for some reason he unnerved her.

She had seen it when she had looked into those clear eyes of his; that indefinable amount of knowledge and experience that laid there, there was no doubt that he hadn't lived for a long time, it was in the way he moved and the way his eyes surveyed everything around him with that tiny amount of humour, as if he had seen it all before.

They walked out into the chilled night air; spotlights were circulated around the garden, leading through a little path that led further and further away from the hall.

"I know what you are."

Jessica looked at him, it was obvious that he was Night world; his beauty belied any fact of humanity.

"Really," she wasn't in the mood to play games, "at least one of us does."

He laughed and shook his head, "Jessica Thompson, one of the top assassins of A.S.G, recently been out of commission. But still as dangerous as you can be."

"And your point of telling me this?"

"Just so we know where we stand."

"And where's that?"

He stopped, the hall just a humming background noise now. She stilled, trying to figure out his motive, no matter how see through most night worlders were, Sequoia's motives were hidden to say the least.

She stood a few paces away from him, unaware how she looked in her black flowing dress and dark long hair, she was suited to the night and in moments like these, only very naive people would see her as a beautiful face, other would see her as a deadly opponent.

"Just a warning, anything happens to anyone I know and by your elegant hand, I will have no restraint in taking that out on your dear family."

Her face hardened and she walked closer to Sequoia so they were eye to eye, "If you touch my family, even if not in the intention to harm, I will skin you alive."

He laughed at her brusqueness.

Her features didn't change, still the cold blooded killer, "you think I'm bluffing," she shook her head lightly, "I've done it before my friend and as long as you have the right knife and an accomplice willing to hold the person down, it's like a hot knife through butter."

None of them moved and they were at a stalemate; none of them were going to back down, thankfully a voice calling from the hall that got closer and closer, made them both take a step away from each other.

A figure emerged out of the shadow, "Jessica, I saw Beni and he said you were out here." Zeke emerged in a neat suit and tie. He glanced at Sequoia and stood by Jessica's side, "so I see you two have already met."

Jessica looked at him, in shock that he was here and his acquaintance with Sequoia, his arm came round her waist and she was comforted at least by his warmth.

"Yes we have," Sequoia confirmed, "and you know each other how?"

Zeke smiled, "this is my girlfriend Jessica and Jessica," he turned to her and smiled, "this is my brother Sequoia, or to anyone else in the family – Avan."

Jessica froze and looked over to him, that was Avan? And worst of all, her boyfriend's brother.

Avan and her gaze locked, both in acute dislike, "it was nice to meet you," she said dryly, "and for some reason, I'd never like to again," she turned to Zeke and kissed him on the cheek, "I'm going inside, I'll see you later."

And with that she left, a fear brewing in her stomach she had yet to discover.

Zeke turned to Avan with a bemused smile, "making friends already I see."

Avan just shook his head, "you could say that, nice to see you turned up little brother."

Avan and Zeke had taken an active stance in not speaking to each other for the last few decades but out of a plea from their paternal grandmother they had given in and had tried to look like brothers getting on, in public anyway.

"Well, last minute thing turned up; thought I wouldn't make it. But hey, I made the effort."

"You do know your girlfriend is an assassin, don't you?" no matter the years they had avoided each other, Avan had always held the power in their kinship and at moments like these, Zeke had to keep all of his old emotion close to his chest, fearing that their old bitter feud would break out again.

Zeke dryly laughed, the effort to make it sound flippant was excruciating, "I wondered when you'd notice that, yeah I do actually," he paused trying to choose just the right words, "and I just don't care."

Avan surveyed him for a few seconds and shook his head, "you and all your Day breaker morals, what can I say? I thought she wouldn't be your type."

"When have you ever known what my type has been?"

Avan quickly diverted the conversation before they reverted to their age-old squabble, "let's head back in, I'm doing some announcements soon and it would be good for Gran ma ma to hear that we're in public with each other again."

Zeke amicable agreed and followed him inside.


Mia looked around at the company of the Day breakers around her, they had welcomed her in nicely enough and had given her compassion when needed, but they still held that uncertain suspicion.

She was always going to be that assassin the Company had trained to be and no matter how haunted or scarred she was, the shadow of what she was, was always looming behind her.

She sat in a large common room with a lot of other night worlders and humans, everyone was at ease here, but Mia was still sat in the corner on her own, the ghosts of hers still haunting.

She had discussed what was happening to her with the circle witches and they had all looked at her puzzled and had promised her that they would try and help her in exchange for her help. She had refused to give them any information about the Company; she still had friends there. Gunner was there and no matter what he now would think of her. She would always do her best to protect him.

Someone sat beside her, his face kind with compassionate blue eyes, he was dressed in a smart suit with the collar open and tie loosened, he smiled at her.

"So you're our new addition, my name is Zeke. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

She smiled at him, she was tired and no matter how she tried nowadays it was getting harder and harder to get any sleep.

"Thanks, but you don't have to speak to me you know. Your friends have all made it clear how they feel about me."

His eyes hardened as he looked over to them, "yes, I've seen that," he shook his head as if genuinely nonplussed by it. "Soon enough they'll realise what arses they're being."

Mia just shook her head, "no they're not, they're just being realistic, why would they want to associate themselves with a killer. I'm a dangerous breed; they all know that and anyone with half a brain would be wary."

Something flashed in his eyes, "we're Day breakers though," he reminded her, "we accept and integrate people into our team."

"But I'm still a killer, even if an ex-assassin. I kill and move on and my team were only other killers and would still be so if I weren't in these circumstances."

He stood up and looked at her if hurt, "you're wrong," he said to her simply and moved away.


Jessica stared at the dress neatly hung up on the hanger behind her bedroom door, things had happened to night that would change everything, she knew that and yet she still reeled in the knowledge that she had gained.

Sequoia was Avan – Zeke's brother and Beni's business partner. If she went through with what she promised Mia the implications that would arise from it would be formidable.

Would Zeke speak to her again, but how would he know it was her? But Beni, well he had a finger in every pie around here and would soon make up the lost income. She pulled on her black pants and a slipped on a tight black shirt over her head.

Her fingers lingered over her katana; if she went through with this there would be a lot of other people affected. That was the trouble with being brought up to follow orders when the time finally came along for individual thought where she, herself would have to decide upon someone's fate, their life wasn't the only one going to be affected by it.

Avan ran a successful business, what about them? But there would always be a second in command who would be able to take over and from the way Zeke had acted after the Ball she could tell that his relationship with his brother wasn't the strongest and what about Beni?

He would survive, worst things had happened.

She grabbed her katana and attached the sheath to a piece of rope so she could attach it to her back, someone like him deserved to die, someone that preyed on people like Mia. Jessica was merely doing a job, from the sounds of it; it was all a hobby to Avan.

Jessica grabbed the rest of her equipment, her lock picks and other trinkets she had gained over the years.

Avan deserved to die and it would be by her hand that the sentence would be dealt.


Hira stilled and took a deep breath - Mia was gone.

He wasn't in the least surprised.

He had been listening to the rumours for the past month, he had heard what was being said and in all honestly Hira had understood why she had done it.

The Company wouldn't have helped her, Mia was more of a hindrance right now than anything else and they would have to spend money on her to make it all right. Hira knew people in the offices and the Company were spending their money elsewhere and where to, was anyone's guess.

Gunner waited in the other room, impatience etched in every pore. Circle Daybreak had spread it's influence wide and no matter how many contacts Hira had accumulated over the years, it would still take a couple of weeks to pinpoint exactly where Mia was without the Day breakers catching on and moving her to a different place before they could get to her.

If the Company found out about Mia's desertion before they got her back, it would be an old training grounds execution and Hira wasn't the only one who was going to mutiny over that. Too many people had been lost over the last few months without more going, especially by their own hand.

But no matter how many times he went over it in his head, he still couldn't place the feeling of panic inside of him, what if the Company did find out? Would the recruits risk mutiny for just one person?

The truth was he didn't want to find out, if it was going to happen, let it. But if not, well Hira's life would get on exceedingly well without it.


Jessica slipped over the wall and climbed into his bedroom window, she knew this was his as she has gossiped with an obvious harlot a few hours beforehand, who had assured her that she had been there herself. It was stupid of Avan to leave his bedroom window open anyway, yet when she entered she suddenly realised that he was aware of his vulnerability.

She could see the shadow of his figure sit straight up in the bed and their eyes met at the exactly the same time and both of them clashed, warring to come out the strongest. Jessica, who unlike many, wasn't disturbed by his predatory ways and walked further into the dim room, he was sat up in his bed, the cover pushed to the side.

He was ethereally beautiful, she had enough sense to admit that, but she knew that all night worlders held that curse and he was like the rest. All with their weaknesses, she had killed many with the same worth of his beauty and all had shrivelled to decadent husks in the end.

Beauty never lasted eternally.

He got up, only boxers adorning his body. The moonlight gleamed against his skin and it didn't take a lot for her to imagine why humans could be instinctively afraid of such a creature.

"Jessica Thomson," he declared, his voice soft and deadly at the same time, she wanted to congratulate him on his talent, "may I ask why you're here?"

"To kill you," she said smoothly, "for some strange, unknown reason I get vengeful when people torture my friends."

His eyebrows rose, "If you would please refresh my memory."

She sighed, she could somehow sympathise with him here, when you had done so many horrid things to people over the years, the memories of them all merged into one blur.

"A Witch, this height," she stretched out her hand just above her own shoulder, "ash blonde hair, blue eyes, I don't think you could forget her."

Something flashed in his eyes, something like recognition, but as soon as she noticed it. It fell instantly and his eyes returned to their shadowed self.

"Yes," he nodded, a smile gracing his face, making him heart achingly beautiful, Jessica used all her power to ignore it, "It's all returns to me now, a girl named Mia, yes?"

Jessica nodded, "well done, not as dense as you look, are you?"

They still maintained a distance, both knowing that it would be a hard fight. Jessica as always knowing that she was human and weak compared to him, the difference between it was that she would use her skill in this one, not brawn.

"So you're going to just stare or are you actually going to kill me? Because I would like to catch up on my sleep," he said dismissively.

She knew what he was playing at, he was trying to make it sound like she mattered little compared to him and that it would take a fraction of a minute. She unsheathed her katana and saw the glint in his eye.

"We can start now if you want," she smiled at him, the smile she used to make the targets more submissive. The look that made them realise their time was near.

He nodded, "Come on then."

But she didn't do as he said; she stayed where she was, waiting for him to make the next move. She had to be in control here for as long as she could be, for she knew the truth even if many wouldn't admit it.

She was doing this out of blind anger and vengeance and some one like Avan wouldn't be an easy fight, it was fifty/fifty here and now she realised she should have written some goodbye letters at least out of precaution.

He took the first steps forwards, cold defiance in his eyes. She flexed her wrist and her katana bounced lightly in her hand, as long as she watched out for his moves and stayed one step ahead she could get out of this alive.

She hadn't reckoned on his speed.

Avan must have been a century or few old and with each year, they all picked up new tricks. She dodged him as he lunged for her and swiped out with her katana, it sang as it sliced through the air and nicked Avan on the shoulder.

His eyes came up to meet hers and a lazy smile curved on his face, "fast today, aren't we?"

But he didn't leave any time for her to answer and he came in for another attack, she came at him with a balanced blow with her katana but he came in too fast and she didn't have enough space to give it enough force, she brought it down to his knees as the next target.

His hands grasped around hers though and they fought control of the only visible weapon in the room, he chuckled quietly to himself as all just a game, Jessica ground her teeth together in the force to keep control of her only chance of winning.

He twisted her hands around and Jessica was sure she could hear a click as pain arced up her arm, yet she hungrily gripped on. In another bid, he swung them both around and the katana flew out of both their grasps, they both stilled and watched it fly and hit the wall. It stayed cemented, stuck out the wall at a ninety-degree angle, now just another part of the room.

Avan took a step back, "now what do you call an assassin without her katana?"

She glared at him as if in answer.

He smiled, "dead," he supplied.

She removed the katana out of her thoughts, she didn't need it, she would kill him tonight – sword or no sword.

He came in for another attack and grabbed hold of her shirt, "ready to die?" he muttered.

"Not yet," she spat as she kneed him expertly in the groin.

He staggered back and shook himself down, he gave her a controlled look and a cold smile came to view. He came towards her again and blocked an attack to his face, with another assault from Jessica his hand clasped over her own and she bit down on the pain as she could feel her bones grind together.

"You see the trouble with today's youth is that they have no respect," he threw her across the room and her head slammed sharply against the wall.

She stumbled to her feet, realising she was fighting a losing battle, she had underestimated him and no matter how many times she had imagined her own death, she had never imagined it being taken by someone like him.

Her last thought gave her more courage and she grabbed the nearest object, to Avan's dismay it was a very expensive antique vase. He swooped in and it smashed into his head, he stood staring at her, unmoved by her actions.

"Bad move," he motioned and his hand came to her head and he shoved her down to the floor.

"Ready to give up," he had crouched down beside her, eying her like some curious predator, he touched the side of her head gently – a move she flinched away from, "that head wound doesn't look so good."

"I'd die first."

He nodded, confirming his own thoughts, "Yes, I suppose you will."

He pulled her up by her shirt, supposedly immune to all her thrashing about, "pity something so pretty as you will soon be decaying in the earth."

Her legs kicked out at him in response. His eyes brightened and lips parted a fraction as his canines lengthened and sharpened.

"Now say goodbye," he muttered as he went for her throat.

Elizabeth stilled outside the house, the place she thought she would never make it to. It had taken her so long just to get to this point – she had never envisioned anything beyond it.

She took a few more steps forwards and she could hear an alarm go off in the house that was now just a few feet off. A shadow of a figure played on the inside of the house, she wondered how long it would take him to figure out who she was; she didn't even knew if he had been awakened.

But that was the problem with old souls – one lifetime they would recognise you on the spot and another they would flee from you never wanting to know.

She kept on going anyway, she hadn't suffered all the things she had and got this far just to turn away. But still that didn't help her at all with courage. What was she going to say to him?

The figure moved again and a middle-aged man came to the door nearing his early sixties. He had that look on his face, the one where the past finally catches up with you.

He nodded at her in welcome, "I never thought I would see you again."

She smiled at him and she could see something twist in his face, "me neither, it took longer than I ever expected to find you."

He sighed a sigh of an old man and shook his head, "I think it's about time got this thing sorted out."

She nodded, "yes it is," and with that she followed him into the house.

Two things were going through Jessica's mind as Avan bit her, one was of her Father and the other of Mia. She had let both down, she waited for the pain he would put her through – the thing was…

It never came.

A sharp tingling sensation seemed to jump through every nerve but for the merest second it was like time had stopped and the afterlife was welcoming her in.

She had figured later on that she really should have known better.

She shut her eyes against the blazing light that seemed to surround her and fumbled further into the nothingness that swamped before her. Eventually her eyes flickered open and she swung round uncertainly – if this was the waiting room for the after life, how come Avan stood not ten feet away looking furious?

Puzzlement played on her face, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same question, why am I here?"

She shrugged, "how should I know, you're the one who killed me."

His eyebrows rose, "not exactly my dear, unfortunately enough you're still alive."

"How?"

"This…" he looked around unimpressed, "Is a mind connection and a fully immersed one I might add. Some inexperienced telepaths get themselves into this situation where they're lacking in something and find themselves lost in their victim's minds." He laughed humourlessly, "but I'm not inexperienced and I had every mental shield up when I bit you," he shook his head, "this shouldn't be happening."

"You don't have to tell me that twice," she looked at him expectantly, "so go away then."

"Don't you think I'm trying? I can't!"

She looked at him aghast, "Leave!" she shrieked, right now she just wished there was something that was about that she could throw at him – on cue, a antique vase, one mirroring the one she had thrown at him earlier, appeared beside her.

She quickly grabbed it and threw, unfortunately Avan dodged.

He laughed at her, "at least I can tell whose mind we're in."

At the moment he said it, it was like the sun just descended from Jessica's mind and the space they were in darkened and only dim shadows of them selves could be seen.

Avan had figured Jessica was smart but now just confirmed it because from the moment she realised she was the one in the worst position it was like automatic shut down and the places that he could have gone and prodded through could no longer be seen.

"Get out," she said to him, calm this time. All her emotion kept under a leash exactly as her mind was.

"If I could I would, believe me."

"I don't believe a word you say."

He didn't reply to that – he was thinking, he would have to distract her and then just maybe he could figure a way out of this. If he got her angry enough, just maybe she would unconsciously push him out and break whatever had been forced between them.

He then changed his tactics.

"No I believe you don't, but who can blame you – especially after my disgraceful behaviour to your friend Mia, that was her name, right?"

He could feel the tension rise but as it would have reached it climax and he would have started to gain the advantage, something seemed to click and it was all gone and the shadow of Jessica stayed still, silent as if brooding.

"You're a cruel conceited man," Jessica muttered, her shadow seemed to wander around him as almost pondering upon him, "probably lonely, most probably a sadist, the sort of person who maims small animals like puppies and such like."

She stilled, "yet still an enigma; I don't know how you can sleep at night with a life like yours, a life without purpose."

He shook his head, yet another person misinterpreting him, "You seem to despair with my life, but have you taken a look at yours recently?"

"Regularly," she quipped.

"Not that I don't like this self examination, but I have other stuff to do – like finding a way out."

A glow stopped them from continuing on with their bickering, where Jessica had stopped a couple of feet beside him they both turned around to look at the thing that seemed to have taken centre stage.

They both stared in silence, Mia had said something about this Jessica was sure, but she just couldn't bring it to mind.

"This is bad." Avan said evenly.

She looked at him in confusing yet knowing that what he said could only be true, "make it stop," she whispered.

"I wish I could."

They both stood staring at it and it wasn't until pictures started playing behind Avan did she realise what it was.

She didn't want to be his soul mate, how could she when she didn't believe in it?

Yet the pictures still played from centuries past – a young man in smart dress standing coldly over his first kill, the look on his younger brother's face as Avan had to tell him she was dead and that it was all his own fault.

She stood in mute disbelief – how could she see these things, how come Avan was allowing her?

It was only when she looked back at him and followed his line of sight was when she realised he had been distracted with her own past.

A child with a mop of black hair screaming in anger at her mother, blood streaming from the child's wrist and a bloodied knife in her other hand

Her of eight watching another execution on the training grounds, a child beside her screaming out in anguish and then being dragged away.

The smiling face of Mia as they promised with their spell to be friends forever, it then merging into her ashen face as she explained to Jessica how the past ghosts were haunting her.

Ryan and her, then the betrayal – all this played out in front of them, she tried to keep her eye on the one of Avan with different people and different places, him always with a cold knowledge that he held the power. But her own past kept her distracted.

How could he be allowed to see it when she didn't even like to see it herself anymore?

She shook her head as the picture of an age old victim took up the picture that played on the wall, a woman in her late forties – an activist or something if she remembered right.

It has been a lone kill, just after Ryan's desertion and a cold hatred had filled Jessica for a while. Jessica had approached her with a knife; its blade was long and covered in blood, the same knife that had just killed the woman's lover.

'Please' the woman had said, but Jessica had just shaken her head. Her cold glacier eyes telling the woman everything she needed to know and from somewhere the woman had gathered some resolve and a painful smile trembled to life and a tear slid down her face.

'I can beg all I want and you do not hear, for you'll never be the person who can make that final decision and grant me my life.'

Jessica had merely advanced, the pain of Ryan still burning inside her.

'God forgive you!'

Had been the woman's last words and Jessica had stood over the fallen woman and shook her head and walked away.

It was always amazing how some few last words could strangle out the essence from her; make her doubt what she had become. How could God forgive her when she had purposely stopped believing in him so she wouldn't have to face that final reprimand.

She turned away from the pictures and walked into the darkness that surrounded them, she didn't want to see anymore and she didn't care where she ended up.

The real world crashed into her like a ton of bricks and she was left dizzy and confused. She had somehow fallen to the floor and a dazed Avan was beside her, before she could fully get herself together she lurched away from Avan and backed away to the furthest recesses of his room.

She was back, her hand came to her neck, it was still bleeding but she kept her eye on Avan who was now making his way to his feet. Her eyes darted around the room and they went to her katana stuck smartly in the wall.

With her back to the wall she inched her way to where she had made her entrance and towards her weapon. She would go home without achieving her goal, but she was going back with her life so she figured it all balanced itself out.

"Leaving so soon?"

Jessica just nodded and her hand finally reached the hilt of her katana and with one forceful move it was out of the wall and back in the sheath behind her back.

"I think we have nothing left to say," she muttered as she made her way out of the window.