Chapter 4
The entire group was sitting in Angel's room, when Luke and Amber walked in. Luke limped over to the bed and sat down with a groan. Amber seated herself next to him. Kat and Jake sat on the other side of the bed, a sling on Kat's left arm. "How're you two doing?" Angel asked.
"My shoulder's dislocated, so I need the sling. Those humans are going to wish they'd never been born by the time I get through with them!" Kat replied as she curled her good hand into a fist. Jake gently put his arm around her.
"What about you, Luke?" Sage asked.
"The arrow went right through my shin bone and shattered it. Even being a vampire, it'll be awhile before it's fully healed and I can walk without limping," he replied, lightly patting the bandage on his leg. Angel nodded as if to say "I see."
"So what do we do now, Angel?" Lilli wanted to know.
"I'm not sure. Those Hunters know we're here, so they're going to be looking extra carefully now. We'll get all the details at the big emergency meeting later," Angel replied as everyone shook their heads.
"There has to be a way that we can figure out what those Hunters will do next," Bobbi piped up.
"How Bobbi? We can't just walk in there and expect them not to know we're Night Worlders. They'd kill us," Mike argued. Suddenly Sage jumped up and smacked his palm with his fist.
"That's it!"
"What's it?" Jake demanded.
"We can infiltrate their operation and discover their plans! I just figured out how. I can't believe I didn't see it before!" Amber and Luke just looked at each other like "What is he talking about?" Angel realized what Sage had in mind and a smile crossed her face.
"I know what Sage is thinking of doing."
"So tell us," Bobbi said with her usual impatience. The lamia smiled and turned towards Peter.
"You're going to come in handy after all, vermin," she told him as Peter looked from her to Sage and then to the rest of the group. The others realized what she was saying and looked at him as well.
"What do you want me to do?"
"You're a human. We need you to become a Hunter and find out what they plan to do. Then all you need to do is tell us," Angel replied, a devilish smile on her lips. "That is, unless they figure you out and kill you first." Peter swallowed and shifted around uncomfortably.
"Will you do it, Peter?" Lilli asked, leaning forward on her seat.
"He probably doesn't have the guts to do it," Mike quipped as he and Bobbi laughed to themselves. Peter stood up and looked them square in the eye.
"I'll do it. You can count on me!" Just then, Amber rose and went to the door. A slight frown was on her face.
"What're you doing, Amber?" Luke asked as he watched her. She looked at him, her hand on the doorknob.
"This!" she replied as she swung the door open. Standing there was her cousin, Rain, arms folded across her chest. "Rain!" Amber cried, surprised and shocked to see her. The other girl laughed.
"What's wrong, little Amber? Afraid I'll tell Hunter we have a vermin in our midst? And that his sweet, innocent great-granddaughter Angel brought him here? Hmm? Is that what you're afraid of?" she wanted to know, laughing as she closed the door tightly behind her.
"You can't do that, Rain. Hunter will kill Peter and you know it. We need him if this plan is going to work," Luke told her, standing up. Amber stood in front of him, and he put his hands on her shoulders.
"Oh, isn't that sweet! The little Redfern stands up for his friend. You're breaking my heart, Luke," Rain replied, tossing her black hair over her shoulder. Her sapphire eyes danced with pleasure at the thought of killing Peter with her bare hands. No human had ever faced her and lived.
"He would be if you had one," Jake shot back, standing up. By now, the rest of the group was also on their feet. Bobbi and Mike even went so far as to change into half-form. Angel immediately saw what was going on and called for order.
"Enough! Bobbi and Mike, change back this instant. I will not have my group fighting with other Circle Midnight members," she ordered as they changed back.
"I don't need your protection, Angel! Just remember this. Hunter doesn't like humans, and there are rules that specify what to do in these situations. Ta-ta kiddies!" Rain said, opening the door and disappearing down the hallway. Peter sat down and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Whew, I'm glad that's over!" he said, wiping the sweat from his brow. The others merely looked at him.
"Over? You think it's over? Silly human, it is far from over," Kat replied.
"If I know Rain, there's real danger in her threats. She won't hesitate to tell Hunter," Amber added. Lilli sat down with a sigh.
"Great, we're dead!"
"No we're not. We'll think of something," Sage assured her.
"Are you kidding me? Do you think we can fight Hunter Redfern? You're nuts!" Mike nearly yelled before Bobbi clapped a hand over his mouth.
"We will think of something. We have to think of something," she said, letting him go after a moment.
"What can we do, Bobbi? It's not like we can fight all of Circle Midnight," Jake reasoned, sitting down.
"What do you mean by "we're all dead"?" Peter asked, getting worried.
"The Night World has simple rules. We can't tell humans we exist, and we can't fall in love with them. If that happens, not only does the human get killed, but so does the Night Worlder who broke the Law," Luke explained, realizing the danger they were all in.
"So what does that mean for us?" Peter asked, still not totally getting it.
"It means that Rain will have us killed!" Amber shouted as she started to sob. Luke hugged her until she stopped.
"Oh."
"We'll have to do some fast thinking before Hunter arrives. Maybe if I explain the situation to him, he'll let Peter live long enough for him to do his job. Then Sage can turn him into a werewolf or something," Angel suggested.
"Everything is falling apart," Kat moaned.
"So now what?" Lilli asked, afraid to know the answer.
"Now we wait and see if this plan works. And while we're at it, how are you guys at praying?" Angel said grimly. Everyone in the room bowed their heads. Praying alone wouldn't help them. They hoped the plan would succeed.
* * *
The group sat down and tried to think of what they could do. "Do you think Hunter will let Peter live, even if he can help us?" Kat asked, wondering what would happen to them all once Hunter found out.
"Probably not. He doesn't like humans at all. Even if they helped us, he wouldn't like them. It's his personality," Luke replied.
"He just has to understand though. I want to help you guys. And I will," Peter stated, sitting up in his seat.
"We know that you'll help us, Peter. The thing is to convince Hunter about that," Sage answered calmly. Bobbi almost screamed at him.
"Doesn't it bother you even a little that you could die soon?" she demanded, her patience wearing thin. Sage simply shrugged his shoulders and gave her a look that said "Been there, done that." Lilli looked over at Bobbi.
"He's an Old-Soul, Bobbi. Of course it doesn't bother him to die. He's already done it so many times anyway. Heck, what's one more life under his belt?"
"Well that's just great for him. But I don't feel like giving up this life just yet," Mike piped up, looking at everyone. Amber and Luke nodded in agreement.
"So what are we going to do?" Jake asked in exasperation.
"I'm going to tell Hunter, and take full blame for Peter's being here. After all, I said he could come," Angel said simply. The entire group gasped in amazement and horror.
"But Angel, you could be killed!" Amber protested, worried for her friend. Angel shrugged her shoulders in a "Yeah right" gesture. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Angel opened it and let Kelsey in.
"Hey guys, I just came to tell you that the emergency meeting is starting in a few minutes. And guess what? Hunter's here!" No one moved. In fact, it was almost as if they had stopped breathing. "Didn't you guys hear me? I said that Hunter has just arrived," he repeated, looking around at them. Angel finally found her voice.
"Thanks for telling us, Kelsey. We'll be there in a few minutes," she told him as he opened the door and left. Peter broke the silence that followed his departure.
"I don't wanna die!" Angel looked at him sharply.
"Shut up, pathetic human! You're not going to die," she told him as Peter stopped whining and closed his mouth.
"Now what?" Lilli wanted to know for the third or fourth time.
"How many times are you going to ask that question?" Mike asked.
"Until I get an answer."
"It's very logical that she does that," Sage added. Bobbi suddenly stood up annoyance clearly written across her face.
"That's it! Werewolf or not, I'm getting really mad at him always being "logical". It's now logical for me to rip your head off!" Jake and Angel stood up and pinned her arms at her sides.
"Back off, bobcat. Sit down and try and regain your self-control," Jake said, as Bobbi shook them off and sat down with a huff. Amber picked this opportune moment to quote a famous line.
"Slowly I turn, step by step." She giggled, and Luke couldn't help but laugh as well. Kat rolled her eyes.
"Oh hey, oi vay," she babbled
"Come on guys, let's get down to the meeting," Angel ordered as the group stood up and made their way to the meeting room. Inside, all five hundred members of Circle Midnight were gathered. They all picked seats in the back and quietly sat down. A tall man of about thirty stood up in the front. Angel's heart began to race. Hunter Redfern! She looked out at the crowd and saw Rain sitting there. Rain saw Angel and gave a wave. Telepathically she sent Angel a message.
'Don't worry, little Redfern. I'll make sure to end your life quickly. My cousin of course, is another matter.' Angel hissed softly at her and sent a reply.
'You haven't won yet, bitch!' Rain just laughed and turned to the front of the room. Hunter had started to speak.
"My fellow Night Worlders, it is a pleasure to see you all here instead of with those damn Daybreakers." The entire room started laughing. "As you know, I was called here because of how bad things are getting. The filthy vermin know we're in the world, and they're starting to hunt us down like animals. But we are the true hunters, and they are the prey! Not the other way around. We must find a way to eliminate these arrogant humans who think that they can compete with us!" he said dramatically as the room erupted with cheers and applause. One thing Hunter knew how to do was excite an audience. Rain's hand suddenly shot up in the air, and Angel's heart caught in her throat. This was the moment of truth.
"Excuse me Hunter, but I have something of dire need that I have to tell the entire Circle," Rain said, standing up.
"Well my girl, then say what you need to say," he replied, eyeing her warily.
"There is a human among us tonight!" The entire room went silent. Even Hunter was shocked by what she said.
"A human? Where is the vermin, so we can destroy him!" Hunter demanded. Rain pointed dramatically at Peter.
"There's the vermin!" she cried as five hundred heads turned to stare at Peter and the others. Sage rose and stepped in front of his friend.
"What is the meaning of this outrage? How dare you bring a human to a Night World meeting! Who is responsible for this?" Hunter yelled as Rain smiled slyly. Angel then realized what she was going to do.
"My cousin Amber. She befriended the vermin and brought him here," Rain replied, smiling evilly at Amber, who turned pale. Hunter looked at Amber a moment before speaking.
"Is this true?" Angel realized this was more for effect than anything else. Amber was too shocked to say anything, but Sage stepped forward.
"No, it's not true. Peter is my friend. He's a psychic, and I thought he was a lost witch. When we found out it wasn't true, he promised not to tell anyone about us, so we let him live." Hunter leaned forward and addressed Sage directly.
"You didn't kill him, even though he's not one of us?" Sage calmly nodded. "Kill the human!" Hunter shouted. As hands reached out for Peter, Angel reacted.
"STOP!" Time itself seemed to listen to her as the room froze.
"Angel? What is the meaning of this?" Hunter demanded.
"We can use that human to defeat the Hunters. I've come up with a plan," she replied, hoping with all her might that he would listen to her.
"Oh really, what's this great plan that you've come up with?" Iris Redfern wondered, becoming part of the conversation.
"We can send this human as a spy into the Hunter's hideout. He'll listen in on their plans, and then report back to us. Then we can send out our own hunting party to deal with the little vermin," she explained, trying not to sound too interested in Peter's welfare. Hunter and a few of the older vampires were thinking it over. Hunter suddenly snapped his fingers.
"I like it! This plan will work. I'm sure of it."
"There's just one catch," Peter spoke up. Angel sent him a silent message.
'You idiot, not now! Do the job, and then negotiate a reward!'
"And what would that be?" Hunter inquired.
"Make me a Night Worlder." Horrified gasps echoed around the room. Angel shuddered and braced herself if something went wrong. Hunter simply shrugged.
"We'll see. If you succeed, we'll talk. But not before." With that, he raised his hands and dismissed the meeting. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Outside, Jake walked up behind Peter and whacked him upside the head.
"You stupid human! This isn't "Let's Make a Deal"! What were you thinking?" he yelled as Peter rubbed his head.
"Let's just forget it, guys. Now what we have to do is find another group and have them work with us," Lilli brought up.
"What group is going to be crazy enough to associate with vermin?" Bobbi asked, folding her arms across her chest.
"We will!" a chorus of voices answered. Angel turned around and nearly fainted. Standing before her was her old group, the Night Raiders!
"Hey guys, long time no see," she said casually as her two groups stood face to face. "Um guys, meet my other gang. The Night Raiders." Alex and Corinne stepped forward first.
"Hello. I'm Alex. Corinne and I share leadership of the gang ever since Angel moved," he introduced. Alex's blonde hair was still unruly, and his blue eyes were still full of mischief. Amy Winston, who stood next to him, was still the same small, blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty that Alex had fallen in love with. Corinne DesCourdes' wild, red hair hung about her face, and her brown eyes danced with an inner fire. Alan Rasmussen stood next to Corinne, his dirty-blonde hair still making him look younger than his perceived age of fifteen. His amber eyes were exactly like Lilli's, only they showed affection for Corinne instead of Sage. Behind Alex and Amy stood Tyrna Goddard. Her long, raven-black hair was pulled into a braid, which accented her emerald-green eyes. Holding her hand was Matt Rasmussen. He still had his "I have seen it all" look coming from his steel-gray eyes. His light-brown hair was still wild, even though Tyrna kept reaching up and trying to smooth it out. Patrick and John stood in the back of the group. John's perfectly matched dark-brown hair and eyes made him seem very plain, while Patrick's close-cropped orange hair and hazel eyes really stood out.
"You guys would be willing to work with a human?" Mike asked, still not believing it. No self-respecting Night Worlder would take that job.
"Sure, why not. Me, John, and Patrick used to be human, so what the heck?" Alex replied. Patrick and John waved, and Peter and Sage waved back.
"Come on everybody, let's go back to the room and talk this over," Angel ordered. Soon they were all on their way back. Angel only hoped that her past and her present could get along with each other.
The entire group was sitting in Angel's room, when Luke and Amber walked in. Luke limped over to the bed and sat down with a groan. Amber seated herself next to him. Kat and Jake sat on the other side of the bed, a sling on Kat's left arm. "How're you two doing?" Angel asked.
"My shoulder's dislocated, so I need the sling. Those humans are going to wish they'd never been born by the time I get through with them!" Kat replied as she curled her good hand into a fist. Jake gently put his arm around her.
"What about you, Luke?" Sage asked.
"The arrow went right through my shin bone and shattered it. Even being a vampire, it'll be awhile before it's fully healed and I can walk without limping," he replied, lightly patting the bandage on his leg. Angel nodded as if to say "I see."
"So what do we do now, Angel?" Lilli wanted to know.
"I'm not sure. Those Hunters know we're here, so they're going to be looking extra carefully now. We'll get all the details at the big emergency meeting later," Angel replied as everyone shook their heads.
"There has to be a way that we can figure out what those Hunters will do next," Bobbi piped up.
"How Bobbi? We can't just walk in there and expect them not to know we're Night Worlders. They'd kill us," Mike argued. Suddenly Sage jumped up and smacked his palm with his fist.
"That's it!"
"What's it?" Jake demanded.
"We can infiltrate their operation and discover their plans! I just figured out how. I can't believe I didn't see it before!" Amber and Luke just looked at each other like "What is he talking about?" Angel realized what Sage had in mind and a smile crossed her face.
"I know what Sage is thinking of doing."
"So tell us," Bobbi said with her usual impatience. The lamia smiled and turned towards Peter.
"You're going to come in handy after all, vermin," she told him as Peter looked from her to Sage and then to the rest of the group. The others realized what she was saying and looked at him as well.
"What do you want me to do?"
"You're a human. We need you to become a Hunter and find out what they plan to do. Then all you need to do is tell us," Angel replied, a devilish smile on her lips. "That is, unless they figure you out and kill you first." Peter swallowed and shifted around uncomfortably.
"Will you do it, Peter?" Lilli asked, leaning forward on her seat.
"He probably doesn't have the guts to do it," Mike quipped as he and Bobbi laughed to themselves. Peter stood up and looked them square in the eye.
"I'll do it. You can count on me!" Just then, Amber rose and went to the door. A slight frown was on her face.
"What're you doing, Amber?" Luke asked as he watched her. She looked at him, her hand on the doorknob.
"This!" she replied as she swung the door open. Standing there was her cousin, Rain, arms folded across her chest. "Rain!" Amber cried, surprised and shocked to see her. The other girl laughed.
"What's wrong, little Amber? Afraid I'll tell Hunter we have a vermin in our midst? And that his sweet, innocent great-granddaughter Angel brought him here? Hmm? Is that what you're afraid of?" she wanted to know, laughing as she closed the door tightly behind her.
"You can't do that, Rain. Hunter will kill Peter and you know it. We need him if this plan is going to work," Luke told her, standing up. Amber stood in front of him, and he put his hands on her shoulders.
"Oh, isn't that sweet! The little Redfern stands up for his friend. You're breaking my heart, Luke," Rain replied, tossing her black hair over her shoulder. Her sapphire eyes danced with pleasure at the thought of killing Peter with her bare hands. No human had ever faced her and lived.
"He would be if you had one," Jake shot back, standing up. By now, the rest of the group was also on their feet. Bobbi and Mike even went so far as to change into half-form. Angel immediately saw what was going on and called for order.
"Enough! Bobbi and Mike, change back this instant. I will not have my group fighting with other Circle Midnight members," she ordered as they changed back.
"I don't need your protection, Angel! Just remember this. Hunter doesn't like humans, and there are rules that specify what to do in these situations. Ta-ta kiddies!" Rain said, opening the door and disappearing down the hallway. Peter sat down and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Whew, I'm glad that's over!" he said, wiping the sweat from his brow. The others merely looked at him.
"Over? You think it's over? Silly human, it is far from over," Kat replied.
"If I know Rain, there's real danger in her threats. She won't hesitate to tell Hunter," Amber added. Lilli sat down with a sigh.
"Great, we're dead!"
"No we're not. We'll think of something," Sage assured her.
"Are you kidding me? Do you think we can fight Hunter Redfern? You're nuts!" Mike nearly yelled before Bobbi clapped a hand over his mouth.
"We will think of something. We have to think of something," she said, letting him go after a moment.
"What can we do, Bobbi? It's not like we can fight all of Circle Midnight," Jake reasoned, sitting down.
"What do you mean by "we're all dead"?" Peter asked, getting worried.
"The Night World has simple rules. We can't tell humans we exist, and we can't fall in love with them. If that happens, not only does the human get killed, but so does the Night Worlder who broke the Law," Luke explained, realizing the danger they were all in.
"So what does that mean for us?" Peter asked, still not totally getting it.
"It means that Rain will have us killed!" Amber shouted as she started to sob. Luke hugged her until she stopped.
"Oh."
"We'll have to do some fast thinking before Hunter arrives. Maybe if I explain the situation to him, he'll let Peter live long enough for him to do his job. Then Sage can turn him into a werewolf or something," Angel suggested.
"Everything is falling apart," Kat moaned.
"So now what?" Lilli asked, afraid to know the answer.
"Now we wait and see if this plan works. And while we're at it, how are you guys at praying?" Angel said grimly. Everyone in the room bowed their heads. Praying alone wouldn't help them. They hoped the plan would succeed.
* * *
The group sat down and tried to think of what they could do. "Do you think Hunter will let Peter live, even if he can help us?" Kat asked, wondering what would happen to them all once Hunter found out.
"Probably not. He doesn't like humans at all. Even if they helped us, he wouldn't like them. It's his personality," Luke replied.
"He just has to understand though. I want to help you guys. And I will," Peter stated, sitting up in his seat.
"We know that you'll help us, Peter. The thing is to convince Hunter about that," Sage answered calmly. Bobbi almost screamed at him.
"Doesn't it bother you even a little that you could die soon?" she demanded, her patience wearing thin. Sage simply shrugged his shoulders and gave her a look that said "Been there, done that." Lilli looked over at Bobbi.
"He's an Old-Soul, Bobbi. Of course it doesn't bother him to die. He's already done it so many times anyway. Heck, what's one more life under his belt?"
"Well that's just great for him. But I don't feel like giving up this life just yet," Mike piped up, looking at everyone. Amber and Luke nodded in agreement.
"So what are we going to do?" Jake asked in exasperation.
"I'm going to tell Hunter, and take full blame for Peter's being here. After all, I said he could come," Angel said simply. The entire group gasped in amazement and horror.
"But Angel, you could be killed!" Amber protested, worried for her friend. Angel shrugged her shoulders in a "Yeah right" gesture. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Angel opened it and let Kelsey in.
"Hey guys, I just came to tell you that the emergency meeting is starting in a few minutes. And guess what? Hunter's here!" No one moved. In fact, it was almost as if they had stopped breathing. "Didn't you guys hear me? I said that Hunter has just arrived," he repeated, looking around at them. Angel finally found her voice.
"Thanks for telling us, Kelsey. We'll be there in a few minutes," she told him as he opened the door and left. Peter broke the silence that followed his departure.
"I don't wanna die!" Angel looked at him sharply.
"Shut up, pathetic human! You're not going to die," she told him as Peter stopped whining and closed his mouth.
"Now what?" Lilli wanted to know for the third or fourth time.
"How many times are you going to ask that question?" Mike asked.
"Until I get an answer."
"It's very logical that she does that," Sage added. Bobbi suddenly stood up annoyance clearly written across her face.
"That's it! Werewolf or not, I'm getting really mad at him always being "logical". It's now logical for me to rip your head off!" Jake and Angel stood up and pinned her arms at her sides.
"Back off, bobcat. Sit down and try and regain your self-control," Jake said, as Bobbi shook them off and sat down with a huff. Amber picked this opportune moment to quote a famous line.
"Slowly I turn, step by step." She giggled, and Luke couldn't help but laugh as well. Kat rolled her eyes.
"Oh hey, oi vay," she babbled
"Come on guys, let's get down to the meeting," Angel ordered as the group stood up and made their way to the meeting room. Inside, all five hundred members of Circle Midnight were gathered. They all picked seats in the back and quietly sat down. A tall man of about thirty stood up in the front. Angel's heart began to race. Hunter Redfern! She looked out at the crowd and saw Rain sitting there. Rain saw Angel and gave a wave. Telepathically she sent Angel a message.
'Don't worry, little Redfern. I'll make sure to end your life quickly. My cousin of course, is another matter.' Angel hissed softly at her and sent a reply.
'You haven't won yet, bitch!' Rain just laughed and turned to the front of the room. Hunter had started to speak.
"My fellow Night Worlders, it is a pleasure to see you all here instead of with those damn Daybreakers." The entire room started laughing. "As you know, I was called here because of how bad things are getting. The filthy vermin know we're in the world, and they're starting to hunt us down like animals. But we are the true hunters, and they are the prey! Not the other way around. We must find a way to eliminate these arrogant humans who think that they can compete with us!" he said dramatically as the room erupted with cheers and applause. One thing Hunter knew how to do was excite an audience. Rain's hand suddenly shot up in the air, and Angel's heart caught in her throat. This was the moment of truth.
"Excuse me Hunter, but I have something of dire need that I have to tell the entire Circle," Rain said, standing up.
"Well my girl, then say what you need to say," he replied, eyeing her warily.
"There is a human among us tonight!" The entire room went silent. Even Hunter was shocked by what she said.
"A human? Where is the vermin, so we can destroy him!" Hunter demanded. Rain pointed dramatically at Peter.
"There's the vermin!" she cried as five hundred heads turned to stare at Peter and the others. Sage rose and stepped in front of his friend.
"What is the meaning of this outrage? How dare you bring a human to a Night World meeting! Who is responsible for this?" Hunter yelled as Rain smiled slyly. Angel then realized what she was going to do.
"My cousin Amber. She befriended the vermin and brought him here," Rain replied, smiling evilly at Amber, who turned pale. Hunter looked at Amber a moment before speaking.
"Is this true?" Angel realized this was more for effect than anything else. Amber was too shocked to say anything, but Sage stepped forward.
"No, it's not true. Peter is my friend. He's a psychic, and I thought he was a lost witch. When we found out it wasn't true, he promised not to tell anyone about us, so we let him live." Hunter leaned forward and addressed Sage directly.
"You didn't kill him, even though he's not one of us?" Sage calmly nodded. "Kill the human!" Hunter shouted. As hands reached out for Peter, Angel reacted.
"STOP!" Time itself seemed to listen to her as the room froze.
"Angel? What is the meaning of this?" Hunter demanded.
"We can use that human to defeat the Hunters. I've come up with a plan," she replied, hoping with all her might that he would listen to her.
"Oh really, what's this great plan that you've come up with?" Iris Redfern wondered, becoming part of the conversation.
"We can send this human as a spy into the Hunter's hideout. He'll listen in on their plans, and then report back to us. Then we can send out our own hunting party to deal with the little vermin," she explained, trying not to sound too interested in Peter's welfare. Hunter and a few of the older vampires were thinking it over. Hunter suddenly snapped his fingers.
"I like it! This plan will work. I'm sure of it."
"There's just one catch," Peter spoke up. Angel sent him a silent message.
'You idiot, not now! Do the job, and then negotiate a reward!'
"And what would that be?" Hunter inquired.
"Make me a Night Worlder." Horrified gasps echoed around the room. Angel shuddered and braced herself if something went wrong. Hunter simply shrugged.
"We'll see. If you succeed, we'll talk. But not before." With that, he raised his hands and dismissed the meeting. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Outside, Jake walked up behind Peter and whacked him upside the head.
"You stupid human! This isn't "Let's Make a Deal"! What were you thinking?" he yelled as Peter rubbed his head.
"Let's just forget it, guys. Now what we have to do is find another group and have them work with us," Lilli brought up.
"What group is going to be crazy enough to associate with vermin?" Bobbi asked, folding her arms across her chest.
"We will!" a chorus of voices answered. Angel turned around and nearly fainted. Standing before her was her old group, the Night Raiders!
"Hey guys, long time no see," she said casually as her two groups stood face to face. "Um guys, meet my other gang. The Night Raiders." Alex and Corinne stepped forward first.
"Hello. I'm Alex. Corinne and I share leadership of the gang ever since Angel moved," he introduced. Alex's blonde hair was still unruly, and his blue eyes were still full of mischief. Amy Winston, who stood next to him, was still the same small, blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty that Alex had fallen in love with. Corinne DesCourdes' wild, red hair hung about her face, and her brown eyes danced with an inner fire. Alan Rasmussen stood next to Corinne, his dirty-blonde hair still making him look younger than his perceived age of fifteen. His amber eyes were exactly like Lilli's, only they showed affection for Corinne instead of Sage. Behind Alex and Amy stood Tyrna Goddard. Her long, raven-black hair was pulled into a braid, which accented her emerald-green eyes. Holding her hand was Matt Rasmussen. He still had his "I have seen it all" look coming from his steel-gray eyes. His light-brown hair was still wild, even though Tyrna kept reaching up and trying to smooth it out. Patrick and John stood in the back of the group. John's perfectly matched dark-brown hair and eyes made him seem very plain, while Patrick's close-cropped orange hair and hazel eyes really stood out.
"You guys would be willing to work with a human?" Mike asked, still not believing it. No self-respecting Night Worlder would take that job.
"Sure, why not. Me, John, and Patrick used to be human, so what the heck?" Alex replied. Patrick and John waved, and Peter and Sage waved back.
"Come on everybody, let's go back to the room and talk this over," Angel ordered. Soon they were all on their way back. Angel only hoped that her past and her present could get along with each other.