For watching the house for three days straight Lynx had learnt remarkably little about the reclusive witch occupant. She had gone out once a day always leaving by the front door always re entering the same way. From what she could see she was a harmless enough old woman; unless Theirry was killing off potential rivals for leadership after the millennium which was possible but a little part of her deep down would be a little disappointed if it were true. She shrugged off the uncommon burst of self pity and sank back into the shadows as one of the woman's visitors arrived carrying another of those curious little bundles but the cloth on this one slipped, revealing a thatch of baby blonde hair. Lynx went cold. Some things can horrify even an assassin and what her intuition told her was going on in that house was one of them.
She had retreated from her perch and was on her knees in the grass near the house trying to plan what she intended to do, the assassination wouldn't take more than half an hour is she played it right it was the aftermath; she had counted nineteen babies in that house, one more and she would have the ritual number. No wonder Theirry hadn't wanted Daybreak anywhere near this house they would have been so concerned about the children that they wouldn't have been able to concentrate on the target. Lynx was different she could kill the woman if it meant killing every single one of those children first. She sounded like a monster she knew but her train of thought looked around and forward never back; if she saved every one of those children she might die in the attempt and then they could all starve to death. Or worse in saving the children the woman could escape and then Lynx doubted she would be there for the next twenty or the twenty after that. She shook her head, keep you mind on the job girl, she admonished herself, this is about money nothing else; remember what tenderness got you. And as her fingers fluttered to her throat her eyes flared to a savage silver and across town in the motel the Night Blade burst into an sinister green blaze.
She was walking back to the motel from the edge of town when the college opened its doors for the end of the day and she paused to watch the human and inhuman flood break free of the chains of organised education. It had to be three quarters Night world, she was about to move off her interest only briefly entangled with the life she should have been part of when a small group on the tail end caught her eyes, or to tell the truth one boy. With night dark hair and just as she was about to turn away a freak ray of sunlight caught gold off of his eyes and she smiled sarcastically and whispered to the wind "Hello Cougar, do you remember me at all I wonder? Or did they arrange a mind wipe for you? Some nice false memories?" she ripped her gaze away feeling something dark uncoil within her, dark and unclean and for an assassin that was a statement. She ran the rest of the way to the motel; haunted and oddly jealous of the picture of her twin surrounded by laughing happy people. But the sentiment was gone by the time she reached her base.
The first thing she had to do was make a phone call to Circle Daybreak, not to Theirry but to Ash, for the first time in her life to plead for a favour; the very thought made her feel dirty and useless but it had to be done there were some things not even the Night Blade could do alone and this was one of them. First however she had to do penance, it was a habit made for her by her Grandfather, she saw no reason not to keep it, it helped her concentrate. She pulled the cuff of her sleeve away from her wrist and slit it with the silver tip of her Night knife and then allowed five drops of rich red blood to drop onto the Night Blades blade. It flared oily green for a moment before returning to black but her runes on the blade remained a glowing gold and they would stay that way for over an hour yet. The thought of the blood made her hungry but it would have to wait.
She crossed to the phone and stared at it for nearly ten minutes before she allowed herself to pick it up, then she swallowed her pride and dialled Ash's number from memory then she counted off the number of rings, one, three, five, seven "Hello? Ash Redfern Speaking." She took a deep breath and let it out on his name "Ash ?" there was a pause before his voice more uncertain than she had ever heard it came back "Lynx?" she sighed "Of course, who else?" she could almost hear his characteristic shrug "I didn't expect you to call" she shut her eyes and ground out "Neither did I" Ash remained silent and then murmured "What is it?" Lynx had bitten her lip so hard that blood was flowing freely "I" she stuttered "Lynx?" she screwed her eyes more tightly shut and said hoarsely "I need your help" there was dead silence and then Ash's voice came back "I'll be there tomorrow" then he put the phone down she gently replaced the mobile on the table and looked at it in wonder, no sarcasm, no comments, she wasn't all that sure if it had been Ash at all.
***
Ash stared at his bedside phone for almost ten minutes before he realised Mary was tugging at his arm wanting to know who had been on the phone "No one important" he tugged a black sweater on over his jeans and headed for the door when he heard her voice small and unsure of itself "If its no one important where are you going?" he shut his eyes "It's a Circle Daybreak thing Mare, you don't want to know, really!" She looked at him an uncommon piece of Night world wisdom in her normally human eyes "It's Lynx isn't it" he nodded reluctantly and to his surprise she smiled "If you two weren't cousins I'd be concerned" He flashed the Redfern grin and then sobered "No need, she would never sleep with anyone she needs" Mary Lynette blinked but Ash shook his head refusing comment then like a candle flame being snuffed he slipped out of the room leaving a confused Mary Lynette Carter looking at the door.
She had retreated from her perch and was on her knees in the grass near the house trying to plan what she intended to do, the assassination wouldn't take more than half an hour is she played it right it was the aftermath; she had counted nineteen babies in that house, one more and she would have the ritual number. No wonder Theirry hadn't wanted Daybreak anywhere near this house they would have been so concerned about the children that they wouldn't have been able to concentrate on the target. Lynx was different she could kill the woman if it meant killing every single one of those children first. She sounded like a monster she knew but her train of thought looked around and forward never back; if she saved every one of those children she might die in the attempt and then they could all starve to death. Or worse in saving the children the woman could escape and then Lynx doubted she would be there for the next twenty or the twenty after that. She shook her head, keep you mind on the job girl, she admonished herself, this is about money nothing else; remember what tenderness got you. And as her fingers fluttered to her throat her eyes flared to a savage silver and across town in the motel the Night Blade burst into an sinister green blaze.
She was walking back to the motel from the edge of town when the college opened its doors for the end of the day and she paused to watch the human and inhuman flood break free of the chains of organised education. It had to be three quarters Night world, she was about to move off her interest only briefly entangled with the life she should have been part of when a small group on the tail end caught her eyes, or to tell the truth one boy. With night dark hair and just as she was about to turn away a freak ray of sunlight caught gold off of his eyes and she smiled sarcastically and whispered to the wind "Hello Cougar, do you remember me at all I wonder? Or did they arrange a mind wipe for you? Some nice false memories?" she ripped her gaze away feeling something dark uncoil within her, dark and unclean and for an assassin that was a statement. She ran the rest of the way to the motel; haunted and oddly jealous of the picture of her twin surrounded by laughing happy people. But the sentiment was gone by the time she reached her base.
The first thing she had to do was make a phone call to Circle Daybreak, not to Theirry but to Ash, for the first time in her life to plead for a favour; the very thought made her feel dirty and useless but it had to be done there were some things not even the Night Blade could do alone and this was one of them. First however she had to do penance, it was a habit made for her by her Grandfather, she saw no reason not to keep it, it helped her concentrate. She pulled the cuff of her sleeve away from her wrist and slit it with the silver tip of her Night knife and then allowed five drops of rich red blood to drop onto the Night Blades blade. It flared oily green for a moment before returning to black but her runes on the blade remained a glowing gold and they would stay that way for over an hour yet. The thought of the blood made her hungry but it would have to wait.
She crossed to the phone and stared at it for nearly ten minutes before she allowed herself to pick it up, then she swallowed her pride and dialled Ash's number from memory then she counted off the number of rings, one, three, five, seven "Hello? Ash Redfern Speaking." She took a deep breath and let it out on his name "Ash ?" there was a pause before his voice more uncertain than she had ever heard it came back "Lynx?" she sighed "Of course, who else?" she could almost hear his characteristic shrug "I didn't expect you to call" she shut her eyes and ground out "Neither did I" Ash remained silent and then murmured "What is it?" Lynx had bitten her lip so hard that blood was flowing freely "I" she stuttered "Lynx?" she screwed her eyes more tightly shut and said hoarsely "I need your help" there was dead silence and then Ash's voice came back "I'll be there tomorrow" then he put the phone down she gently replaced the mobile on the table and looked at it in wonder, no sarcasm, no comments, she wasn't all that sure if it had been Ash at all.
***
Ash stared at his bedside phone for almost ten minutes before he realised Mary was tugging at his arm wanting to know who had been on the phone "No one important" he tugged a black sweater on over his jeans and headed for the door when he heard her voice small and unsure of itself "If its no one important where are you going?" he shut his eyes "It's a Circle Daybreak thing Mare, you don't want to know, really!" She looked at him an uncommon piece of Night world wisdom in her normally human eyes "It's Lynx isn't it" he nodded reluctantly and to his surprise she smiled "If you two weren't cousins I'd be concerned" He flashed the Redfern grin and then sobered "No need, she would never sleep with anyone she needs" Mary Lynette blinked but Ash shook his head refusing comment then like a candle flame being snuffed he slipped out of the room leaving a confused Mary Lynette Carter looking at the door.