Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers, and I am only borrowing them. There are some original characters that are mine, and I claim them as mine.

Spoilers:Anything from books 1-19 might be used, so if you haven't read them all, you might want to wait to read this story.

This is an AU story with a mix of characters in canon as well.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who review as guest as well as those of you who don't allow PMs. I love the reviews and want to tell you that I read and appreciate them all. Thank you all. Special thanks to JenRar for coming along as Beta on this one. I appreciate all your help.

Chapter 14: More Clues To Go

Julie's POV:

I was thrilled I would be spending the majority of the day with Jace. I kept glancing his way as Ram drove behind the other two SUVs. Once Dad gave us our section to check out, we headed out. After a while, we'd made our way through everything in our section and hadn't found anything. I noticed we'd picked up a couple of tails though and leaned into Jace as if we were more intimate than we were. He leaned down and from the tone of his voice, I knew he'd caught on to my actions.

His voice was barely a low whisper as he asked, "What is it?"

I snuggled closer and replied, "We're being followed—have been for about the past ten minutes or so—by those two guys in the black hoodies."

Jace pulled me into an embrace and my heart sped up, even though I knew this was his way of checking out our tail without letting them know he was aware of them. As Jace's head lowered to mine, I fell in with his plan and moved my head so he would be able to see them. His breath on my neck sent heat pooling to regions south, and I couldn't stop the moan. His hand cupped the back of my neck and drew me closer. I was getting ready to say something, when his mouth covered mine and he pulled me more fully into him.

When he pulled back, my eyes opened and I saw the heat of desire in his. His mouth was a hairsbreadth away from mine as he said, "They're heading out. I want you to head back to your dad and I'll follow them."

I rolled my eyes and made a sound. "Yeah, right! Like that's going to happen. We're a team. Either we go together or neither one of us goes."

A muscle moved in his jaw, but a few seconds later, he gave a single nod. "You do everything I tell you, when I tell you, no arguments."

I gave a single nod of my head to let him know I was listening.

He took hold of my hand and then we were on the move. If I'd thought I knew anything about following people before, I was wrong. What I knew was nothing compared to the education I got as I moved with Jace. He had us stopping at odd points and trying on hats that hid our faces, stopping for several seconds before cautiously peeking around corners, and the embraces he pulled me into were hot enough to engulf me in flames. When we reached the final destination, we were just in time to see the two men we'd been following get into a car with another man and leave. When I got a good look at the driver of the car, I couldn't hold back the gasp. My eyes flew to Jace's, and the look in his eyes promised pain for someone.

We stayed in our place of hiding until they had left the area, and then Jace turned to me and said, "Let's go find your dad and the others. He'll want to know about this as soon as possible."

"All right."

We headed back toward the hub of activity on the boardwalk in search of everyone else. As we walked, I had the uneasy sense of being watched. I placed my hand on Jace's arm, which caused him to stop and turn back to me. There was a question on his face, and then suddenly, he grabbed me and pulled me sideways as a black clad figure on a motorcycle went roaring by. A feeling of menace was left in its wake, and I had the feeling there were more eyes out there watching us. I turned to look at Jace, only to notice he had his phone out and was making a call.

I stayed where I was, wrapped in his arms, and listened as he talked with the person on the other end. I was curious as to who he was talking to, but would wait till he was finished before asking questions.

Jace was scanning the area around us, his voice was low as he said, "Они - в движении. Мы должны окружить от вагонов." ("They're on the move. We need to circle the wagons.")

After pausing for a second, he replaced his phone in his pocket before putting his hand on my waist and directing us back in the direction we'd come from. I couldn't shake the feeling of eyes on us and moved a step closer to Jace. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me even closer. We reached a little trinket stand, and there was an intricately designed wind chime. When I hesitated, Jace stopped, looking down at me with narrowed eyes to see what had caused me to pause. I motioned to the wind chime, and he turned to study it for several seconds before asking the vendor to wrap it up.

After he'd paid and received the small box, he handed it to me and said, "The silver lining to the day."

I grinned as I said, "This is the cherry on top. The silver lightning was the kisses."

Lowering his head with heated eyes, his face came within mere inches of mine, but we were interrupted when we heard a familiar voice calling out to us. Jace halted the progression of his head and turned to look in the direction from which we were being hailed. I turned as well, and sure enough, Hal, Bella, Binkie, and Mary Alice were headed our way. Suddenly, the feeling that eyes were watching disappeared. I glanced at Jace and saw him scanning the area with narrowed eyes, as if he were looking to see if there was someone leaving the area.

Bree's POV:

When I opened my eyes and saw Lester lying beside me with a grin on his face, I couldn't help the heat that entered my cheeks. When we'd come together the night before, it seemed as if the earth had moved. I felt connected to Lester in a way I'd never been before. When we climaxed, it was as if our bodies had merged and our souls had become whole. I was aware of Lester in ways that I'd never been before. There was no longer silence. I was totally aware of him, as if we shared the same mental and physical space. When he headed back to his room so we could each shower and dress for the day, I felt his loss acutely. When he joined me once again as I stepped out of my room, the feeling of being complete again was strong.

After breakfast, we headed out and climbed into the last SUV in line for the trip to Atlantic City. Lester helped me into the front passenger seat before rounding the front and taking the driver's position. A couple of seconds later, we were joined by Micha and Hector. Once we'd gotten underway, the two clowns in the back seat started making smart-aleck remarks about thinking there was an earthquake the night before because the house was shaking and there was a storm raging outside. That plus the noises in our wing didn't let them get much sleep.

I felt my cheeks heating.

Lester looked in the rearview mirror and said something in a language I'd never heard, yet I totally understood what he was saying. "Unless you want me to stop and kick your asses out of the vehicle, you will cease and desist this line of conversation."

Both of them just smiled and winked before settling back and relaxing.

After we arrived in Atlantic City and got orders from Ranger, I watched as everyone headed in their assigned direction. Les and I were given the job of returning to the Ferris wheel and seeing if we could find out anything more about the owner.

Not being one to take his job lightly, Lester bought a whole roll of tickets and waggled his eyes before saying, "Are you ready for some fun, Chula?"

I grinned back at him and said, "Yes. But since we can't do that in front of all these people, we might as well go on some rides."

He threw back his head and laughed before wrapping me in his arms and hugging me close. He kissed me thoroughly before whispering, "Let's get started."

We started with the first ride, figuring we'd leave the Ferris wheel till last. He held me close on each of the rides, and we took breaks occasionally to check out the trinket stands or to grab a snack. When we were finally standing in line waiting to go on the Ferris wheel, I had the sudden feeling that danger was creeping up on us. When the man took our tickets from Les, there was a look in his eyes that creeped me out, as if he was anticipating feeding on our fear.

Lester and I sat in the seat and the arm was locked into place before we lifted off the platform and moved up so the next seat could be emptied to allow others to get on. We were nearing the top when the sense of darkness closing in grew stronger. When we stopped on top, just like the last time, our seat started swinging. I was still anxious, but the fear I'd felt last time didn't materialize. I tilted my head to the side and wondered why it was different this time. Moving slightly, I looked at the area around us.

I was jarred out of my observations by screams coming from below us. I looked at Lester, who had his weapon out and at the ready. The look on his face was fierce. I leaned slightly to see if I could see what was going on, but no dice. The screams were getting louder, as they were coming from the seat in front, as well as the seat behind us. I placed my hand in Lester's and focused. I saw the creatures searching those on the ride and knew they were looking for us. Every time someone screamed, the man operating the Ferris wheel got a look of ecstasy on his face.

I blinked. With them being just below us, it wouldn't be long before they reached us, and when that didn't happen, I frowned. I looked to Les and kept my voice soft as I asked, "What happened?"

He shook his head slightly and held a finger in front of his mouth. There was a loud growl from well below us, and then the wheel was moving. We went around several times before finally coming to rest on the riser where the seats were stopped to empty and let others on. As the operator stopped our seat, I could see the confusion in his eyes as he looked at us. He unlocked the arm and raised it. As we stood to exit the ride, I saw his eyes glow as his hand reached out to Les.

I quickly called out, "Les!"

Even as I thought it, Les was moving and whirled around in time to deflect the hand coming at him. Before he could do any more, a cloud of smoke appeared and an unearthly pale man—six feet tall, with glossy shoulder-length black hair swept back from his face in a wave, eyes as black as his hair, and dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit and black dress shirt—materialized in front of us. (pg.4 Wicked Appetite)

The newcomer touched the Ferris wheel operator and the man disintegrated into thin air. We looked at the new guy, and he bowed his head slightly. "Tell my cousin we are even."

Les raised an eyebrow. "And your cousin is?"

Black eyes narrowed on me and he gave a sardonic half-smile, "She knows who I am."

With that, smoke billowed up around us and he disappeared.

I felt Lester's eyes on me as he asked, "Do you know who he was?"

I nodded. "That was Diesel's cousin, Wulf. He's an unmentionable as well."

We looked around at the crowd that was forming, and Les suggested, "We need to get out of here before we attract any more attention."

We made our way over between a couple of tents and stopped to scope out the area.

I hesitated a moment before asking, "Did you get the impression they were searching for us but weren't able to find us?"

A muscle jumped in Les's jaw as he gave a short nod and replied, "Exactly."

I let out a sigh. I knew what I needed to do…but I was hesitant. Lester placed a hand on both my shoulders and turned me to him. "I'm with you all the way, Chula. Where would you like to go?"

I looked into his steady gaze for a moment and then turned to look around at the area around us. There was an odd glow coming from one of the tented areas, and I headed us in that direction. When we arrived, the area was deserted. I felt drawn to a particular corner and found a spot to get comfortable. There were a couple of chairs, and we each took one. Lester took both my hands in his as I let myself look for the answers we needed.

There was darkness all around, and for a moment, I couldn't find my way through the maze of tunnels to the one where they waited. Then, as if I was being welcomed, one of the tunnels lit up and I made my way forward. I had gone a long way before the tunnel started to open up, and I knew I was coming up to a room of some kind. I walked into the room and saw people in white robes milling about. The design on their robes struck a chord in my memory. As I entered the room, they parted, giving me a pathway to an observation area. I stepped up to the two-way glass and watched the scene on the other side.

I saw the scene from when Lester and I had come here the day we found Hobbit and then the scene from earlier. A fog rolled in, and when it cleared, I saw a file being opened and a picture being placed on the top of the stack. I squinted, trying to get a look at the person who'd placed it there. I felt myself stiffen as I got a glimpse of the person standing there, sardonic smile and all. There were so many questions, and I needed answers.

From beside me, I heard, "What is it you want to know, Breezy?"

I turned in shock, my eyes and mouth opening wide. Hands came up and removed the white hood from the head of the person in front of me. Tears burned at the backs of my eyes. He was just as I remembered him twenty years before. His warm brown eyes were kind as he gently said, "Yes, Breezy. It's really me."

"How?" was all I could manage to say.

"You are in the Spirit World. The answers you seek are here. You can see the answers to that which you seek. It will then be up to you to figure out how to deal with them to get the results you desire."

"What I'm seeing is what we need to know to defeat Dreamstalker?"

There was a hesitation. "Those are not the answers you seek. It will take all of you working together to come up with a solid plan of action in order to defeat Dreamstalker. Know that you have a powerful ally willing to help you. Come. Look into the mirror and I will show you the connection to your dreams."

I moved closer to the mirror and once again saw myself on the Ferris wheel with Les. As I again felt the danger creeping closer, I heard the figure beside me whisper in my ear, and suddenly, everything cleared and I saw what was truly there.

I turned to the spirit beside me and said, "I know what to do."

He nodded. "There is one more thing you must see, and then I have something I want to tell you. Look into the mirror one final time."

I did as he asked and saw Angelina. She took out a necklace much like the one my father had given me just before his murder. I listened as she chanted a song and the necklace glowed. She placed it in its special place, then I saw Lester lifting the talisman from the back seat of the taxi and placing it around his neck. The view clouded over, and when it cleared, there were five children playing together. I knew who they were… Angelina was the little girl. The man beside me was one. Diesel was the third, and then the pale man in black from just a bit ago was part of the group as well. The fifth member of the group was distorted. I had an impression of evil when I looked at him, and suddenly, I knew that had been the Demon.

I turned to the spirit beside me and he nodded. "Yes. It was originally the five musketeers. Everyone thought Wulf was the bad egg because of his peculiar looks and his thirst for power. But they were wrong. Wulf was always redeemable."

"Is that what you wanted to tell me?"

He smiled. "No. That was an added bonus. What I need to tell you is this. The reason Diesel warned you about the consequences last night…"

My cheeks heated. I felt extremely uncomfortable talking about this with him.

There was a chuckle before he continued. "Don't be embarrassed, Breezy. As I was saying, Diesel knew you needed to go into intimacy with your eyes opened, because once you had done the deed, there'd be no going back for the two of you. You are linked with Lester now. That's why they couldn't find you. When Lester put the talisman on, he became a visible target. It was like they had the two pieces in sight and needed to destroy both before they could unite. Now that you are united, they can no longer track you through the necklace. You are invisible to them now, just like your young man. When soul mates connect, it's a beautiful thing; then and only then can two people with abilities procreate. Otherwise, the female will drain the male of his abilities. There are exceptions to this rule. That's where Julie, Stephanie, and you come into the equation. Because the three of you are second generation, you have the ability to mate with anyone and create a child with abilities. That leads me to the final point I wanted to tell you. When the battle is heated, remember: there is no stronger force on Earth than a mother protecting her young. She can single-handedly destroy all comers."

I felt myself sway and strong male arms wrapped around me to hold me in place. I opened my eyes and saw Lester with an odd expression on his face. I frowned, asking, "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Damn! It was like I was there with you, even though I was wide awake and sitting right here watching you."

I gave him a half-smile. "That's part of why Diesel stopped in to warn us last night."

He nodded. His eyes gentled as he looked at me in awe. "We're joined. Just so you know, Bree, I wouldn't change a thing. I feel more alive than I have in years. One of the hardest things I ever had to do was force myself to stay away from you."

I placed my palm against his cheek. "I wouldn't change anything either."

We just sat there looking at each other for several seconds before we stood and headed back to find the others.