Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L

Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith as are any of the characters you recognise like Thierry, Hannah, Keller, Lupe etc.

Spoilers: All of the Night World books especially Witchlight as this story occurs at the same time as Witchlight.

Part 1.

There are soulmates who describe their connection as a silver cord connecting them, binding them soul to soul. There are others however, those who are bound by fire, joined by heat and flame. A fire that burns bright and long but fire cannot be controlled, it cannot be mastered and the fire that binds can burn.

This is the story of two such souls, two souls bound against their will, without their consent or desire, bound be a cruel or careless Lachesis. Two people, two hearts who are ignorant of the dance their souls began without them, two hearts so far apart that even their connection may not be able to bring them together.

It started in darkness, the way things sometimes do, proper darkness, well as dark as a clear night could get. The moon had waned and disappeared for another cycle do there was no silvery sheen added to the night. The only light came from the thousands of pinpricks of light that filled the sky, beautiful and awe inspiring for anyone who took the time to look. It was in that night, that darkness that Winema Moon was born. Born in darkness, born in night but for her parents a child of light, the only joy in their solitary and hidden world. It was in that night unknownst to anyone that this story began.

Desdemona turned the volume on her c.d. player up as she sat on her bed concentrating on her breathing, almost meditating but not quite, just trying to forget everything for a minute, to forget the world and everything in it for even just one second maybe find an atom of peace. She concentrated on drawing the air in and out and how her body reacted. It was calming but it didn't change anything, she still felt the same, tormented, miserable, her parents had been uncharacteristically correct and apt when they called her a name that meant misery.

A knock on her door brought her back to reality. Lupe stuck her head around the door, "Des Thierry wants to talk to you."

"Coming," Des replied wondering what Thierry wanted. For the umpteenth time since she joined Daybreak and had moved into Thierry's mansion she wondered if she had done the right thing. She was just human, not even an Old Soul, just an ordinary, plain human girl who was living with people who were perfect, beautiful, wise, strong, so perfect it made her teeth ache to look at them sometimes. It wasn't like she was much use, she wasn't exactly smart, she could fight but she was no Cat. It had been a bad idea, she knew that now, all this place had done was show her how inadequate she was. They were nice, well some more than others, friendly and well meaning but that made it worse because she couldn't even hate them and when she thought badly of them it made her feel worse about herself.

She knocked gently on the door to Thierry's office and heard a muffled voice say, "Come in."

She entered the room slowly and discovered there was a bit of a crowd gathered in there. Thierry sat at his large hardwood desk with Lady Hannah standing behind him one hand resting on his shoulder. There were six chairs on the other side of the desk, five of which were already occupied. She slid into the last chair and examined the others who were there, she didn't know any of them, only their reputations. She was absolutely certain that the three girls on the other side of the room were Keller and her team, Daybreak's best. The two young men sitting beside her had to be Gwern Burdock and Icarus Phelan, too guys she knew were unhappy about their position as Daybreak's second best especially when a group of girls were first.

Gwern was a lamia, connected to the Redferns through marriage or something but he sure seemed to have the arrogance and haughtiness of the Redferns down. Icarus was a werewolf, Des didn't know much about him.

"Now that Desdemona's here we can begin," Thierry said. "We have a lead on the third wild power."

"Which one?" the cool vampire from Keller's group interrupted.

"The Witch Child," Thierry replied with a smile.

The tiny witch let out a sound that sounded a lot like a squeal to Des. "The Witch Child really, the one who will unite the shapeshifters and the witches?"

Icarus started paying attention all of a sudden, "Huh?"

"The Witch Child is supposed to marry the Prince of the First House and unite us all," the strawberry blond witch told him.

"A Harman, I assume she's a Harman is going to marry a Drache," Icarus said then snorted, "I'd like to see that."

Keller was looking at Thierry intently, "I don't think you brought us her just to tell us that."

"No," Thierry replied playing with the pen he held in his hand, "I want your team to go to North Carolina, get her and protect her." He tossed a folder at her, "there's the file."

Des saw anger and envy flash across Gwern's face. "Why may I ask are we here?"

"I have a job for you three too," Thierry replied.

Desdemona looked at him startled, he hadn't said you three had he. He couldn't have.

"Yes, I said you three."

"No offence sir, but no, I am not taking some useless human on any job. She'll just be a liability."

Des sighed she should have found that offensive but she knew Gwern was right. Thierry was beginning to argue for her but she interrupted. "He's right sir, I'd only be a liability, I don't want to put anyone in danger, my presence would only be a hindrance if not dangerous."

Everyone looked at her speechless, that was obviously not the reaction anyone had been expecting except maybe Hannah, she looked at Des with nothing but compassion in her eyes.

"So if you please sir, I'd like to be replaced."

"No, I don't please," Thierry replied sternly, "the three of you are doing this job together or I'll pass it on."

"Fine," Gwern said reluctantly, "what's the job?"

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So what do you think? Do you like it so far?