Chapter 2
The alarm went off in Sage's room at four a.m. sharp. Rolling over, he shut it off and then rolled out of bed. He gently nudged Peter, asleep on the floor, with his foot. "Wake up, Peter. It's morning and we have to leave." he said. Peter stirred and opened one eye.
"Coming mommy." he said sarcastically. Sage just groaned.
"You're not going to start that again, are you?"
"No, just testing."
"Let's go." They all met at the airport, where a small plane was waiting for them, courtesy of Circle Midnight. Mike came up carrying Bobbi in his arms. She was asleep in her bobcat form. Amber and Angel just looked at each other.
"Rise and shine, sleepy head," Angel sing-songed when they had boarded the plane. Bobbi woke up and changed back to human form.
"I'll rise, but I refuse to shine," she replied, indicating that she really wanted to go back to sleep.
"The flight's only an hour, so sleep is not the best choice right now," Sage brought up. Bobbi merely looked at him.
"I really hate Old-Souls at five in the morning." Everyone except Sage laughed. The plane started up, and soon they were flying towards Vermont, and whatever dangers that might lie in wait for them.
* * *
"Here we are guys, beautiful Vermont!" Angel said, making a sweeping gesture with her arms as she stepped off the plane. The others looked around. As far as they could see there was nothing but woods, hills, rivers, and mountains. It was indeed a perfect setting for a conference.
"Now where do we go?" Kat asked. Just as she finished speaking, an eagle floated down to them. It landed and looked them over for a moment with its piercing eyes. Mike, Bobbi, and Lilli looked at each other and said in unison:
"Shape-shifter." Moments later, a boy was standing where the eagle had been.
"Hello. You must be Angel Redfern," he greeted, nodding his head at Angel. She merely nodded ascent. "My name is Kelsey Harpy. If you'll come with me, I'll show you the entrance to our headquarters as of right now," Kelsey said. The entire group followed him into the woods. Kelsey pushed open a door that was carved into a tree. A set of winding staircases led down into the depths of the earth. They walked down the steps until they were in a large room. People and animals were all over. Many were rushing around yelling out orders to others.
"What's with all the rushing around?" Lilli wondered as she looked at the scene before her. Kelsey turned to look at her.
"Don't you know?" The entire group shook their heads. "Hunter Redfern is coming tomorrow to start the conference." Angel's eyes went wide when she heard this news. Things must be serious if Hunter was coming. Then she felt a stab of fear. Peter! If Hunter found him, his pathetic little life was over!
"No Kelsey, we didn't know he was coming," she told him
"Hey listen, where can we put our stuff?" Luke asked. He pointed down a long hallway lined with many doors.
"There's four free rooms down there if you want them. Same sex sleeping arrangements are not required," he joked, a small grin lighting up his face. At this, Luke, Amber, Bobbi, and Mike all blushed.
"You have a mind like a vermin!" Kat teased.
"Hey, living with them almost every day, you're bound to pick up some bad habits. Oh, and one last thing! There's a meeting for all the vampires in the Red River room. Be there in ten minutes!" Kelsey called back as he left them alone.
"Come on guys, let's store our gear and then head for the meeting," Angel said. They walked down the hallway until they came to four open doors. Kat, Lilli, and Angel went in one while Jake, Sage, and Peter went in another, Luke and Amber took one room, and Bobbi and Mike set their stuff down in the last room. Once they were all set, Angel, Luke, and Amber went to the conference room and took seats in the back. Other vampires were already there, and Angel and Luke recognized many faces. Amber saw only one of her cousins, the darkest member of her family, Rain Johnson. The meeting started when Iris Redfern stepped to the front of the room. Raising her hands, she signaled for quiet and attention.
"I'm glad you could all make it. As you've probably heard by now, Hunter Redfern will be here tomorrow to really get the conference, especially on our part, moving. I am also sorry to report, but we have lost some of our fellow lamia, and I think a couple of the made-vampires." At this, she took out a list and began to read off names. Some were familiar to Angel and Luke as family, others were known by Angel, Luke, and Amber as friends, and still others were unknown to them. Iris read off these names: "Lily Redfern- killed by a Wild Power. Pierce Holt- killed by a Wild Power. Contessa and Brooke Fields- killed by Hunters. Jewel and Quince Rasmussen- killed by Hunters..." The list went on with about fifty names. Angel heard names of cousins that she hadn't seen in years. She willed herself not to cry. The Redfern family was being stalked and killed one by one like animals! If she ever got her hands on any of those Hunters, she would make them pay a blood price. The meeting ended with reports of a possible Hunter hideaway somewhere nearby. All were advised to be on their guard. They walked out and went back to the rooms. Angel was surprised to find the entire group in her room.
"What are you all doing here? This is my room," she said indignantly.
"It's our room too, Angel," Lilli told her.
"Whatever."
"Hey Luke, I've got something really funny to tell you," Mike said.
"And what would that be?" Luke asked, not sure if he really wanted to know. Mike cupped his hands over his mouth and did a very good Darth Vader impression.
"Luke, I am your father." Even Sage started laughing at this one. Bobbi laughed so hard that she fell off the bed. Luke and Amber looked at each other.
"Hey Simba, shut up," Amber shot back. Mike and Bobbi stopped laughing, even though Amber and Luke had started laughing along with everyone else.
"Is she great or what?" Luke asked as he put his arm around Amber.
"I'd go for the "or what" part myself," Bobbi joked as Amber looked at her friend with a look that said I'll get you for that later. Mike put his arm around Bobbi and stuck his tongue out at everyone.
"Come on guys, let's go exploring for now," Angel suggested. With a whoop of excitement, the group sprang up and ran to the entrance to go outside.
The alarm went off in Sage's room at four a.m. sharp. Rolling over, he shut it off and then rolled out of bed. He gently nudged Peter, asleep on the floor, with his foot. "Wake up, Peter. It's morning and we have to leave." he said. Peter stirred and opened one eye.
"Coming mommy." he said sarcastically. Sage just groaned.
"You're not going to start that again, are you?"
"No, just testing."
"Let's go." They all met at the airport, where a small plane was waiting for them, courtesy of Circle Midnight. Mike came up carrying Bobbi in his arms. She was asleep in her bobcat form. Amber and Angel just looked at each other.
"Rise and shine, sleepy head," Angel sing-songed when they had boarded the plane. Bobbi woke up and changed back to human form.
"I'll rise, but I refuse to shine," she replied, indicating that she really wanted to go back to sleep.
"The flight's only an hour, so sleep is not the best choice right now," Sage brought up. Bobbi merely looked at him.
"I really hate Old-Souls at five in the morning." Everyone except Sage laughed. The plane started up, and soon they were flying towards Vermont, and whatever dangers that might lie in wait for them.
* * *
"Here we are guys, beautiful Vermont!" Angel said, making a sweeping gesture with her arms as she stepped off the plane. The others looked around. As far as they could see there was nothing but woods, hills, rivers, and mountains. It was indeed a perfect setting for a conference.
"Now where do we go?" Kat asked. Just as she finished speaking, an eagle floated down to them. It landed and looked them over for a moment with its piercing eyes. Mike, Bobbi, and Lilli looked at each other and said in unison:
"Shape-shifter." Moments later, a boy was standing where the eagle had been.
"Hello. You must be Angel Redfern," he greeted, nodding his head at Angel. She merely nodded ascent. "My name is Kelsey Harpy. If you'll come with me, I'll show you the entrance to our headquarters as of right now," Kelsey said. The entire group followed him into the woods. Kelsey pushed open a door that was carved into a tree. A set of winding staircases led down into the depths of the earth. They walked down the steps until they were in a large room. People and animals were all over. Many were rushing around yelling out orders to others.
"What's with all the rushing around?" Lilli wondered as she looked at the scene before her. Kelsey turned to look at her.
"Don't you know?" The entire group shook their heads. "Hunter Redfern is coming tomorrow to start the conference." Angel's eyes went wide when she heard this news. Things must be serious if Hunter was coming. Then she felt a stab of fear. Peter! If Hunter found him, his pathetic little life was over!
"No Kelsey, we didn't know he was coming," she told him
"Hey listen, where can we put our stuff?" Luke asked. He pointed down a long hallway lined with many doors.
"There's four free rooms down there if you want them. Same sex sleeping arrangements are not required," he joked, a small grin lighting up his face. At this, Luke, Amber, Bobbi, and Mike all blushed.
"You have a mind like a vermin!" Kat teased.
"Hey, living with them almost every day, you're bound to pick up some bad habits. Oh, and one last thing! There's a meeting for all the vampires in the Red River room. Be there in ten minutes!" Kelsey called back as he left them alone.
"Come on guys, let's store our gear and then head for the meeting," Angel said. They walked down the hallway until they came to four open doors. Kat, Lilli, and Angel went in one while Jake, Sage, and Peter went in another, Luke and Amber took one room, and Bobbi and Mike set their stuff down in the last room. Once they were all set, Angel, Luke, and Amber went to the conference room and took seats in the back. Other vampires were already there, and Angel and Luke recognized many faces. Amber saw only one of her cousins, the darkest member of her family, Rain Johnson. The meeting started when Iris Redfern stepped to the front of the room. Raising her hands, she signaled for quiet and attention.
"I'm glad you could all make it. As you've probably heard by now, Hunter Redfern will be here tomorrow to really get the conference, especially on our part, moving. I am also sorry to report, but we have lost some of our fellow lamia, and I think a couple of the made-vampires." At this, she took out a list and began to read off names. Some were familiar to Angel and Luke as family, others were known by Angel, Luke, and Amber as friends, and still others were unknown to them. Iris read off these names: "Lily Redfern- killed by a Wild Power. Pierce Holt- killed by a Wild Power. Contessa and Brooke Fields- killed by Hunters. Jewel and Quince Rasmussen- killed by Hunters..." The list went on with about fifty names. Angel heard names of cousins that she hadn't seen in years. She willed herself not to cry. The Redfern family was being stalked and killed one by one like animals! If she ever got her hands on any of those Hunters, she would make them pay a blood price. The meeting ended with reports of a possible Hunter hideaway somewhere nearby. All were advised to be on their guard. They walked out and went back to the rooms. Angel was surprised to find the entire group in her room.
"What are you all doing here? This is my room," she said indignantly.
"It's our room too, Angel," Lilli told her.
"Whatever."
"Hey Luke, I've got something really funny to tell you," Mike said.
"And what would that be?" Luke asked, not sure if he really wanted to know. Mike cupped his hands over his mouth and did a very good Darth Vader impression.
"Luke, I am your father." Even Sage started laughing at this one. Bobbi laughed so hard that she fell off the bed. Luke and Amber looked at each other.
"Hey Simba, shut up," Amber shot back. Mike and Bobbi stopped laughing, even though Amber and Luke had started laughing along with everyone else.
"Is she great or what?" Luke asked as he put his arm around Amber.
"I'd go for the "or what" part myself," Bobbi joked as Amber looked at her friend with a look that said I'll get you for that later. Mike put his arm around Bobbi and stuck his tongue out at everyone.
"Come on guys, let's go exploring for now," Angel suggested. With a whoop of excitement, the group sprang up and ran to the entrance to go outside.