Chapter Two:

Chapter Two:

Chime stiffened imperceptibly.

He was watching her closely, looking for some sign that would give her away but she controlled herself, all expressions closing down. So, someone knew then. Boy, the Goddess was really shining down on her now.

"I'm not Selena Chimes, I'm sorry." She said, feigning confusion. "You have the wrong person." She shrugged. She realized she was functioning on auto-pilot. Inside she was itching to start running and screaming. She wished he would go away.

He tilted his head at her. "You're not Selena Chimes?" he stated with an arched eyebrow. He wasn't believing her for a moment and she saw that now. "You're not the half-dragon, half-tiger?" He paused and his teeth flashed in the moonlight, "Not the soulmate of Rayne Endymion?"

Her stomach clenched.

Endymion ...

How long had it been since she'd heard his name in its entirety? Her body still shivered at the mention of him. She stared at the man before her and thought quickly. She could tell him the truth and say she was Selena Chimes in hopes that the strange man knew where Rayne lay sleeping. Or she could save herself because knowing the Night World today, he was probably out for her blood and hide.

"I'm sorry. I'm not Selena Chimes." She said finally. She turned away and began to walk back down the hill. "I'm going now." She called back over her shoulder. "Please don't follow me or I will have the authorities handle you."

The man laughed and the cold chuckle sent ice up her spine. "The authorities can't hurt me, sweetheart." He said. And then he was moving, vanishing from her peripheral vision and just suddenly appearing behind her, his hand sweeping up.

Her hair flew off the nape of her neck and she gasped, whirling, raising a hand to her horns automatically.

He was smiling. "Selena Chimes, you'll be coming with me, I'm afraid." He said, faking a woeful expression. And he reached for her.

Chime swung away, batting his hands aside. He stumbled back a step in shock and Chime felt a certain surge of victory but then his face darkened. Two canine teeth glinted in the moonlight, impossibly long and she knew then.

"So," she said casually, a shrug of her shoulders. "You found me, good for little old you. But a vampire?" she frowned at him. "Why would a vampire be after me?"

He stared at her. "Are you that stupid?" he asked through sharp teeth.

Her face darkened, became icy. "Humor me," She said, clenching a jaw.

The vampire shook his head wearily. "There's a price on your head, pretty girl. Whoever brings you in alive gets a very nice reward."

"Brings me in to who?" she demanded.

The vampire smiled. "The Mother of Witches." He answered.

And Chime's heart stopped. She stared at him dumbly because she had been right. All along she had been right. She exhaled, body slumping. "So, Hellewise, even in death, you haunt me from your grave."

"You're going to make this difficult, aren't you?" he stated, as if he already knew.

Her lips quirked. She understood him, oddly enough. "Yes, I am," She said. "But don't worry 'cause it'll be fun." She smiled.

He frowned.

And with that same mischievous grin she leaned forward into his face suddenly, fiery blond hair misting from the hollows under her cheekbones. "Boo!"

The vampire flinched backward.

With a laugh, Chime turned and ran, her body beginning its shift. Cat ears sprang from her head, unfolding. Whiskers protruded into the air from her the corners of her lips, floating as she sprinted and she felt instinct take over. Beautiful primitive instinct. Her powerful legs carried her down the hill, across the grass and away from her jeep. Today was a good night and she was in the mood for some fun. She almost seemed to fly, a blur among the shadows of the night. She heard the vampire's angry snarl behind her as he moved with her, right at her heels.

They played cat and mouse, Chime's legs assisting her graceful leaps and bounds. From one tree to another she sprang, losing herself in the forest bordering upon the gravesite. Behind her she felt the vampire following, taking her exact path through the trees. But he was louder, much louder. He was newborn, she realized. Just made. Any other vampire would have caught up by now and they would've done this all much more quietly.

How long had it been since she'd been through an actual run and hunt? Years, perhaps. But then, this was nothing like the old days. The old days beside Rayne, beside him after he got off duty. He would be tired from it but his arrogance always made him ready for her games.

Her Endymion.

The vampire suddenly crashed into her from behind and she went toppling out of the trees, the breath knocked out of her. Curse her thoughtlessness, she groaned as the ground came to meet her.

Time slowed for her. That was what it felt like, what was special about the Night World. It wasn't that they made time stop. They just reacted faster. For them, a second was long enough to come up with strategies and analyze their situation. One of the many problems with humans was that their minds didn't function fast enough.

Even as she was falling off the tree with the vampire tangled around her she was already reacting. She pointed her arms downward, feeling the vampire's arms slip from her shoulders and wrap around her waist instead. He was like a slug, hanging on almost possessively. And maybe she was going to enjoy this after all.

A shiver ran through her body, hot and cold. And there was a release, a trembling in her body as she let go of the power building up inside her. Black magic burst from her palms, dark and powerful, thick and streaming endlessly. It struck the ground, smashed into it mercilessly, the heat eating away at the soft green grass. But the force pushed her away, the black energy striking the ground and then bouncing back up towards them exactly the way she had planned it. She felt it wash over them, and she absorbed the power, absorbed the heat back into her body, melding it into herself once more. But it struck the vampire as an attack, burning his skin and scorching him. He released her with a howl and his body went sailing off hers. Her energy blast flung her as well and she forced her body into a flip, directing herself toward the ground. This time as the ground rose to meet her she accepted it, landing on her feet and falling into a crouch to lessen the impact on her legs. Her hair blew around her face as she raised her eyes to look for the vampire. He had landed several feet away, seconds before her and she stared at him, at his arms and legs sprawled out over the grass. Smoke rose from his charred skin and clothes.

Chime smiled wryly, rising. He was down for the night. His body was still and the only sound was the faint sizzling of his skin. With a raised eyebrow she turned away from his smoking form.

Rayne had taught her that trick so many years ago. She silently thanked him once more for it.

And as she walked away her features melted from those of the half tiger. Her fur darkened and sank back into her flesh, vanishing. Her irises blackened, her blond hair fading to a dark brown. And then she was the vampire, taking on the remainder of his appearance. With a feminine swing to masculine hips she melted into the shadows, heading for her jeep.

It was definitely time to go home.

The Past

Selena Chimes gazed at the black-haired woman sitting before her. Cassandra, as she was known to everyone, was a half-witch and made vampire. It hadn't been her fault she had been changed but she didn't dwell on it anymore. Which was just as well because she always had more important things to think about. Like the reason for the presence of a certain two-horned dragon. One who was pleading with her at the moment.

"Selena, we're friends. You know that, right?" the witch asked her, cutting off the dragon's sentence.

And Selena felt her heart clench. The last friend she had made had turned on her. She shoved the thought away and instead frowned at the witch. "Is that a no?" she asked innocently.

Cassandra's expression softened. "Chime. Stop and think what you're asking me," She said, purple-blue eyes full of compassion. That or pity. "You're asking me to betray the witches and tell you where Endymion lies. So that you can wake him, I'm guessing?" she asked with an arched eyebrow.

Selena inhaled deeply. "Cassandra-"

The witch rose. "No, Selena. It's out of the question. This happens and I take the fall. You'll be perfectly happy and I'll be off dead somewhere for my betrayal."

"I wouldn't allow that." Selena said quickly, rising with her. "Cassandra-"

"He has to sleep." Cassandra cut her off. "For a while. And I am sorry, Chime. I am," she turned away as if she couldn't bear to see the sadness on Selena's face. "But he's not going to wake up anytime soon. If ever." She said shortly.

Selena stared at the back of her friend's head, shaking her head wordlessly, as if the mere motion would force reason into the witch But that was it. Rayne would continue to sleep wherever he was.

Cassandra sighed sadly.

Selena opened her mouth, feeling herself tremble inside. The nights. The lonely nights. "Help me, Cassandra." She whispered, "I don't want to live like this anymore..." she swallowed and said in a faint breath, "I'm lonely."

Cassandra seemed immovable for a moment and Selena thought her plea had fallen on deaf ears. Everyone always told her they would be her friend, would always be there for her but when it all came down to it none of them ever stuck around. It seemed Cassandra was the same as the rest of them. Why had she ever thought the witch was any different?

And then as if by miracle, Cassandra's shoulders slumped. She turned slowly, holding out slim arms to the dragon. Selena placed her own hands in the witch's and felt heat seep into her cold, abandoned form. Cassandra looked deep into her blue eyes and said quietly, "Many years from now, someone by the name of Devlin will set you free."

Selena frowned, blanking. That was rather unexpected. "Devlin…But Endymion is my soulmate-"

"I never said you would fall for this person." She corrected her swiftly. "I said Devlin would set you free. Remember this. It determines your future…and your fate."

Selena stared at her in confusion.

But Cassandra was moving right along. "There's only one thing I can do to help you and it's been done on someone else before you, someone who had a problem almost like you." She said softly, an urgent tone entering her voice. "I can put you to sleep, like the one before you, make you sleep for years. Like Endymion. And then perhaps one day the future will hold promise for you."

Selena's eyes were wide. "I would sleep like Endymion?" she asked faintly. "For how long?"

"Until I wake you. Or until I die." She answered. Her voice was low.

Selena's thoughts were a whirl of confusion and also a mixture of anxiousness and heady delight. Her lips parted slowly and she said, "The other one that this was done to...when will he awaken?"

Cassandra paused thoughtfully. "There were different terms to his case. He will awaken when his soulmate is reborn. Your soulmate has not died. You will awaken when I discover Rayne has awakened." She lowered her head. "When that happens I only hope the witches will live long enough to get to you and tell you."

Selena inhaled, her body stiff.

To sleep. Like Rayne. To sleep years and years, and to wake up one day to realize hundred, maybe thousands of years had passed in the course of a dream. And perhaps he would be waiting for her when she awoke. Perhaps she would wake up and it would be a horrible nightmare that was finally over.

"Do it, Cassandra." She whispered, smiling and glowing. "Let me dream with him."

The witch lifted her hands to Selena's face and her expression was sad, lost. "Then let it begin."

The Present

Chime sat up in bed, stirred from her dream by the faint odor of...something. Something familiar but ultimately strange. Something that didn't belong in her room. She blinked sleepily, sitting up in bed. And she saw the shadow by the window.