we are the immortals

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers.

Chapter Eighteen

Hunter's phone vibrates from his pocket, and he pulls it out while doing his best to resist the urge to scratch his stomach. It's a text message from Blake, followed by another and another. All asking where Hunter had gone and if he was okay. He sighs, unsure of what to say. Lorelei had said not to tell anyone before she left. And she hadn't said anything about that changing. So he could only assume it hadn't.

He decides to text Blake back, saying that he was fine. And he's about to say that he would be back in the morning when the basement door opens. Footsteps come closer. Lorelei and the same woman he'd seen earlier come down the stairs. He sits up on the futon, as the two women approach. "What is it you want?"

"Karone here seems to think that you could be useful to us."

"Well, I thought we would give him two options. Help us or we kill him."

"What am I supposed to say to people? The academy is going to get suspicious with all these kids leaving without notice."

"First of all, let us deal with the academy. Second, I'm not a kid. I was nineteen when I was turned." Lorelei says.

"Whatever. My brother is asking questions, and I doubt he's the only one."

"Just say you're fine and you'll be back in a week. That is if you're going to help." Karone says.

"And if I don't you're going to kill me."

"Yes. You know too much." Karone says.

"Fine. I'll help you. But if I'm going to be here for a week, I'm going to need a few things. I didn't exactly think I would be spending a week in New York so I didn't pack a bag."

Karone and Lorelei exchange a look, before sighing. Karone breathes, "fine. Just come up with a list and you'll have it by morning."

Karone and Lorelei turn around and walk out of the basement.

After Lorelei leaves the room, Kira tries to wake up the others. But is unable to. She huffs, and stands up from the floor. But is so dizzy that she barely makes it to the door. She opens the door, and grabs onto the door frame to steady herself. She stumbles out into the hallway, which she was at the end at. She grabs onto the wall and starts to walk down the hallway. Eventually a door opens and Lorelei comes out of a room with another woman. Lorelei hisses, "what are you doing?"

"Are you going to keep me in that room?"

"Well, judging by the fact that you can barely stand up straight you're feeling the after effects of the spell. So until you can stand up straight, you're staying in that room." The other woman explains. Then she turns to Lorelei, "take her back to the room."

Then she goes back inside. Lorelei sighs, grabbing Kira by the arm. "You aren't going to make this easy are you, witch?"

"Is it so wrong to want the whole truth?"

"We'll tell you more in the morning." Lorelei opens the door with her free hand, and places Kira back on the floor. "Now stay here this time."

And with that, Lorelei walks out of the room. Kira slides down onto her side, losing consciousness.

"Kira. Kira. Kira, wake up." Trent shakes her shoulder, and Kira opens her eyes. Trent, Krista and Ethan are all standing over her. She sits up.

"You guys are awake."

"Yeah. And we've gotta get out of here. Wherever here is." Krista says.

"No. Lorelei brought us here. At the very least we aren't in immediate danger."

"Lorelei? But she's a vampire?" Ethan says confused. Kira, Krista and Trent exchange looks. "Are you guys hiding something?"

Kira bites her lip just as the door opens. Lorelei enters the room. "You're finally awake. If you can walk, come downstairs. I made breakfast."

Lorelei walks out of the room. Ethan says, "so what are you guys hiding?"

"We… we'll tell you later. Let's go get some breakfast." Kira says, as she stands up from the floor. The four leave the room, and walk down to the dining room. The woman from last night, Ashley Hammond and two men are sitting at the dining table. "Who are all you?"

"I'm Karone Lanaster. This is my brother Andros. My fiancè Zhane Grey. And I'm sure you already know Ashley as academy students."

"Lanaster? You're related to CJ?" Kira questions.

"She's our sister. But everyone at this table has their reasons to want CJ dead. But… there has been a change in plans. And we need extra power. You're going to be that extra power." Karone says.

"So you want us to help you take down your sister? Why would we do that?" Ethan says.

"Because you don't have a choice. Help us take out CJ and you can go on about your lives." Karone continues.

"Is that a threat?" Ethan says.

"Are you in?" Karone says instead.

Ethan opens his mouth, but Kira stops him. "We're in."

Lorelei walks down the stairs to the basement. She finds Hunter sleeping peacefully. Despite the brief thought that he actually looked cute when he was sleeping (and didn't feel like she was going to explode with rage), she shoves him in the shoulder. "Go away, Cam."

She rolls her eyes, before pinching his nose with her free hand. He startles awake, swatting her hand away. "Ow, you know you have really sharp nails?"

"No. But people do call vampires the cats of the supernatural community." She hands him the plate in her hand. And he just stares at it. "It's fine, I made it myself."

"All the more reason to question it."

"Oh, if I wanted to hurt you, I'd have done it already. And I wouldn't have used poison. It's not my style."

"Lucky me." He deadpans. "Wait, you cook?"

"Yes. I went to culinary school. Not that it's any of your business."

"When? You're a high school student."

"I've been nineteen since 1822. This is not my first time in high school. It's actually my fifth. And I have three degrees from three different colleges. Most vampires just use whatever age they feel is convenient in that moment." She turns around, and starts to walk toward the stairs.

"Can I leave the basement? It's kind of lonely down here."

"You've been down here one night." Lorelei shakes her head and scoffs. "But you won't be alone for much longer. We're out of rooms so the others will be joining you."

Then she walks out of the basement.

Tommy meets with Tanya in the fairy hall. The witch is standing outside Hunter Bradley's room. "Tanya, what are you doing?"

"Students that were awake at the time report sensing magic around 1:00 am. They also report seeing the protectors walking out of the school and into the woods in a zombie-like state. Hunter seemed to be following them in a normal state of mind." Tanya says. "I'm looking for any way that Hunter might be connected to what's going on with whatever's going on."

"He's friends with Marah King, isn't he?"

"I think so. His brother's dating her roommate if I'm not mistaken. Why?"

"Oscar drew a picture of Marah in his sleep last night. Now with this-" he trails off as he coughs. Then his phone rings from his pocket. "Ashley Hammond?"

"Why would she be calling you? She graduated ages ago."

"I don't know." He answers the phone.

"Do you have five students missing?"

"Yes. How did you know that?"

"Because I was the one who took them. I needed them for something, and it's very time sensitive and I didn't think I would have time to earn you beforehand. I'm sorry for any panic I might've caused."

"It's okay. But a little bit of advice for next time, call Tanya Sloan-Park or Hayley Hall. They're about as close as you're going to get to getting in touch with me if it's a late hour."

"Yes of course. They should be back in a week." Ashley hangs up the phone.

"She took the kids. Why?"

"She didn't say."

"Do you believe her?"

"I believe that the only way she could know that we had exactly five students missing was if she was involved. But Ashley isn't that type to just take five kids from the academy without telling us first. Someone else has to be involved."