1 Chapter 8
"Angel? Angel? Angel?" came Kat's voice. Even though she felt fuzzy, Angel immediately opened her eyes and sat up.
"What? I was sleeping!" she said, trying to sound really angry. As her vision cleared, she saw Kat, Amy, and Sage looking at her. Bobbi and Mike were leaning against the wall and groaning. Lilli was still knocked out, and Jake was struggling to stand up. Angel stood up and gazed at the other vampires. Luke and Amber were sitting on a bed looking dazed. Amy was waking Alex up, and Corinne and Alan were moving and moaning. John suddenly sat up with a jolt. Tyrna gently shook Matt, and he raised himself up on his elbows. Patrick was sitting against the wall and when he saw Angel looking at him, he smiled. She turned away from him quickly. Sage was over by Peter, who was still unconscious.
"What just happened?" Alan demanded, sitting up.
"Ask our little witches." Lilli reminded him, coming to and sitting up.
"What did you guys do to us?" Patrick asked, holding his head.
"We needed to stop you guys from killing each other," Kat replied as Jake came and stood behind her.
"Well it worked," Matt said bluntly, sitting down heavily on the bed. Kat and Amy looked hurt, and their concerned looks turned into pouts.
"Don't listen to them. They're just idiots," Angel assured them, glaring at Matt, who shrank away. Bobbi's head jerked up as she fixed her gaze on Angel.
"I'm not an idiot," she shot back, anger making her face turn red. Amber looked at Bobbi, her eyes holding no feeling except an icy-coldness.
"Cool it, Bobbi." Bobbi got the hint and began to talk to Mike.
"The Ice Princess strikes again!" Luke teased, laying down on the bed. Amber just threw a pillow at him.
"Having fun, Amber dear?" Angel asked.
"I forgot how much fun it is to do that to people," she answered as Tyrna smiled. Angel knew that both girls could freeze someone solid if they wanted to. Suddenly, the door swung open. Two girls walked into the room, and Angel recognized both of them.
"Unity Skye. Hey Lyca, what's up?"
"Unity Angel. Energy is what's around here," Skye replied, looking around at the others. Peter was awake now, but still groggy.
"What happened in here?" Lyca wondered, her gaze quickly shifting between Angel, Kat, Amy, and Sage.
"We had a little disagreement. Kat and Amy decided to settle it the "old- fashioned" way," Sage explained, pulling Peter to his feet. Skye arched her eyebrow and sent a look at Angel that said Oh really?
"Um, I know this is going to sound rude, but who are you?" Peter asked, puzzled. Sage hit him upside the head. Angel put her head in her hands. Amy and Kat put hands to their mouths to stifle their gasps. Skye and Lyca folded their arms over their chests and looked at each other.
"The question is, who are you?" Lyca inquired, looking at him. Angel quickly made Peter's introduction.
"Skye, Lyca, this is Peter. He's a human." She put a fake cough on the word "human". Skye's eyes went wide, and Lyca's jaw dropped. Peter just stood there. After a moment, the girls collected themselves.
"I ask again, who are you?" Peter repeated, getting whiny. Lyca went first.
"My name is Lyca Richards. I'm Angel's friend, and member of Circle Starlight. And I'm also a gray wolf on the side." Lyca said, showing Peter a toothy smile that didn't look too friendly. Her liquid-brown eyes went perfectly with her hair. It was set with soft, brown curls that hung halfway down her back, and framed her face like a picture. Skye stepped forward.
"I'm Skye-"
"You're a Harman!" Amy cried happily. Skye simply looked at her, and then continued with her introduction.
"It's Eirne now. I was a Harman, until my mom died. When my dad remarried, I took my step-mom's name. But I'm still a daughter of Hellewise Hearth-Woman. Angel and I were the ones who started Circle Starlight, so you could say that I'm an Elder." Skye's hair was a shiny, mousy-brown that hung down her back. Her amethyst eyes clearly showed everyone that she was a Harman. Only Harman witches had natural, permanent purple eyes.
"Okay. That's great that I know you. Now answer me one question. Who are they?" Peter demanded as three more girls came into the room. Angel just glared at him, but Lyca and Skye had to suppress giggles. The lead girl put her hands to her hips and shot a glance at him.
"Who am I? Who am I? Don't you know who I am?"
"If I knew who you were, do you think I'd be asking?" Peter replied in all seriousness. Skye turned to look at Angel.
"Angel, what exactly have you told this little boy? That deals with the Night World anyway?" Lyca started laughing again.
"Apparently not much!" she said between giggles.
"I didn't tell him about the families," Angel retorted, glaring at Lyca, who was fighting to stop laughing.
"Well then it looks like he's going to get another lesson from Dahlia right about now," came another voice. It belonged to a young girl with light, golden-brown hair. Her blue-gray eyes were shining with wisdom and understanding.
"Hi Leah! Didn't see you behind Dahlia," Skye greeted.
"Leah? Dahlia? Who's who?" Peter asked, confused now.
"My name is Leah Martin. I'm an Old-Soul, but human. I'm another of the members of Circle Starlight," Leah introduced herself, bowing slightly to Peter. Sage bowed back out of respect for a fellow Old-Soul, and she smiled at him.
"I'm Dahlia Drache, a tiger 'shifter. And I'm an Elder of the Circle." Dahlia said. Her curly, orange-red hair made it look like her head was on fire. Her jade-green eyes were those of a hunter, but a light of fun could be seen in them.
"And that name means what to me?" Peter questioned as horrified gasps ran rampant all over the room. Bobbi and Mike grabbed Peter and sat him down in a chair. Angel then started to explain.
"There are really three families that "run" the Night World. One controls the witches, one has reign of the 'shifters, and another has a say for the vampires. You already know who runs the vampires. Any dope knows that the Redferns are in charge. We're all descended from Maya, the first vampire." She and Luke caught each other's smiles across the room. The look they sent was We cool. We rule.
"The family who runs the witches is the Harmans. We're all direct descendants from Hellewise Hearth-Woman, who also happened to be Maya's blood sister. Their mother is the mother of all witches. Her name was Hecate, the Dark Goddess. Our Joint-Council is led by the Maiden Aradia, Mother Cybele, and the Crone, who happens to be Grandma Harman, the oldest Harman and witch period." Skye continued, her voice becoming more animated as she went on.
"The last group that runs the Night World are the 'shifters. The leader of them is the First House of Shape-shifters. They're the Drache family. Which makes me a 'shifter princess. We're descended from the dragons that were on earth in prehistoric times. But the witches put all the dragons to sleep and buried them. Only the three year-old dragon princess was allowed to stay awake. The witches raised her and taught her to be good. The First House is descended from her. That's why we can pick our animals. The dragons could be many things, but we only got a "diluted" version of their power. So there, does that sum it up for you?" Dahlia asked, looking intently at Peter. He was still looking at the three girls in shock.
"Dr-dra-drag-dragons?" Dahlia just nodded.
"Just nod your head "yes", Peter," Alex told him as the others started to laugh. Peter nodded his head, that look of stupidity still on his face. Just then, a voice popped up from out of the back.
"Hey! What about me? Don't I count?" It belonged to a young girl who stood near Leah. Peter stared stupidly at her.
"Who are you?" he asked, still staring. She stared at him with a cold look in her navy-blue eyes. Her long, wavy hair was a slight copper color. When Peter looked closer, he saw dark streaks, like stripes, running through it.
"I'm really no one important. Just the person that Dahlia got her shape from. My name is Silver Virgata," she introduced, making a dramatic bow to the others.
"The person that Dahlia took her shape from? How is that possible?" Peter asked, that glazed look coming back into his eyes. Dahlia just rolled her eyes.
"I guess I have to explain it one more time." Angel nodded for her to continue. "As I said before, the First House doesn't have a set animal. We look at all sorts of animals before we take an impression of one and make it ours. Sometimes our genes modify the impression, but it's a pretty close match," Peter was visibly trying to accept all of this information.
"You all talk about this stuff like it happens everyday," he finally said, looking around the room. They all just stared at him like he had five heads. Angel lost her patience and screamed.
"Of course we talk like it's a normal thing! Because it is! To US! Why can't you humans understand that?" she wondered, whirling around to face him. Leah started to say that she understood, but Skye put a hand on her shoulder.
"Not now, Leah. Angel's having too much fun ranting and raving," she noted, motioning to where Peter sat rigid in the chair while Angel kept on talking.
"...And another thing. Do you think we enjoy hiding here? This was our world long before you little vermin showed up! Why can't you accept the fact that the monsters in your closet really do exist?" she finished, grabbing the front of his shirt and hoisting him off the chair. She lifted him high enough that his feet were a few inches off the ground. John broke the long silence that followed her outburst.
"Excuse me, but I think that the boogey-man lives in your closet. Not vampires and what-not," he said as Angel dropped Peter to the floor with a THUD!
"What-not? Is that what you think we are? What-not?" Dahlia demanded threateningly as John took a step back.
"Both of you, quit it," Lyca chided, glaring at them. Dahlia was going to argue, but decided to save it for another time.
"Listen, when are the others coming?" Silver asked, sitting on a chair.
"What others? Aren't you enough?" Corinne asked, shooting a look at Angel. Leah supplied the needed info.
"We're waiting for Marik and Austin Tyler to get here. Marik is bringing a good friend of his. Her name is Melody Allbright. She's a witch, so maybe you three could talk to her?" Leah said, pointing to Skye, Kat, and Amy. Kat and Amy smiled at each other. Another witch! Skye was thinking, trying to remember where she had heard that name. Something about Hunters and Circle Daybreak... Oh well, no sense in worrying about it now.
"Is there anyone else you want to tell us about, so we won't be shocked later?" Jake asked. He knew that Redferns, especially Angel, made friends with many different people. But this was ridiculous!
"Actually there is one other person. Her name is Gepard Lowen," Silver added, looking at Bobbi., and she realized what it meant. Gepard was a 'shifter!
"Isn't "Gepard" German for cheetah?" Alan asked as Matt laughed at him.
"Yeah, it is. You're getting better with German everyday!"
"Shut-up loud-mouth!" Alan shot back.
"Du is blod," Matt retorted, a smile on his face.
"Dumkopf," Alan shot back, glaring at him.
"Scheis..." Matt started, before Tyrna clapped a hand over his mouth.
"Silencio!" she said in Italian, releasing him. He and Alan both listened. Corinne was going to say something really, really nasty in German, but thought it would come in handy later.
"Anyway! When are they all supposed to get here?" Kat asked. A voice from the doorway made them all turn around.
"To answer your question, I quote something famous: "Lucy, I'm home!" The last Circle Starlight members have arrived." The girl whom it belonged to stepped into the room, followed by three more figures who stayed in the shadows.
"You must be Gepard," Mike greeted extending his hand. She shook it and surveyed the rest of the group.
"That's my name, don't wear it out!" she replied, pushing her sunshine- blonde hair back. It hung full in her face. When it hung all down her back again, her grass-green eyes could be seen. She motioned for the three other figures to come inside. The two boys were stunningly similar. The other girl stayed partially in shadow, so that her face was hidden from view. Angel gave the boys a warm smile.
"May I present to you Marik and Austin Tyler. And I think Melody is hiding back there," she told them as Marik went back and tried to talk Melody into coming out. Marik was the taller of the Tyler brothers. His dark-brown hair looked black when he moved out of the light. And his smoky-gray eyes held a look of timelessness and wisdom. Austin was the shorter, and therefore younger of the two. He had dirty-blonde hair and an intense look in his brown eyes. Meanwhile, Marik was gently dragging Melody into the light. She had long, wavy, dark-brown hair that hung midway down her back. Her watery- blue eyes sparkled in the light. When Peter and Patrick saw her, they gasped and quickly shifted into a fighting stance. Melody did the same when she saw the boys.
"What is going on here?" Leah demanded, looking from Melody to Peter and Patrick and back again.
"That girl! You can't trust her! We should kill her now!" Peter replied, staring straight at Leah, who looked slightly shocked. Marik shifted into a fighting position when he heard the words.
"And why would we do a stupid thing like that?" he wanted to know, glaring at the others and instinctively assessing any means of escape. Angel was also shocked that they would want to kill Melody, whom they didn't even know.
"Yes, why do you want to kill Melody?" she asked in her You better give me a good explanation before I rip your sniveling little heads off! voice. Patrick looked straight into her eyes when he told her why.
"Because she's a traitor! She was one of the Hunters that brought us to the hideout!" Melody's breath caught in her throat as the entire group turned to stare at her, mixtures of shock, amazement, and horror on their faces. Marik was the only one who didn't look strangely at her.
"We can explain," he said quietly, hanging his head. Skye looked at him, then at Melody, who was twisting her hands in nervousness. She then looked at the others. Leah and Angel were talking in hushed whispers to Lyca. Silver, Bobbi, and Mike were staring at Melody in horror. All of the Night Raiders had shifted into fighting positions. Kat and Amy looked ashamed of their fellow witch. Sage was struck speechless, and simply stood there. Jake, Luke, and Amber remained where they were, looks of amazement in their eyes. Dahlia stared wide-eyed at the young witch. Gepard's jaw dropped, but she quickly closed it again. Austin stared thunder-struck at his brother and friend.
"I think that you had better start at the beginning." Skye said gently, putting a comforting hand on Melody's shoulder. Melody looked up at the older witch and nodded. She took a deep breath and began to tell her story. One that started before the Night Raiders or Circle Starlight had even thought about forming into a group.
"Angel? Angel? Angel?" came Kat's voice. Even though she felt fuzzy, Angel immediately opened her eyes and sat up.
"What? I was sleeping!" she said, trying to sound really angry. As her vision cleared, she saw Kat, Amy, and Sage looking at her. Bobbi and Mike were leaning against the wall and groaning. Lilli was still knocked out, and Jake was struggling to stand up. Angel stood up and gazed at the other vampires. Luke and Amber were sitting on a bed looking dazed. Amy was waking Alex up, and Corinne and Alan were moving and moaning. John suddenly sat up with a jolt. Tyrna gently shook Matt, and he raised himself up on his elbows. Patrick was sitting against the wall and when he saw Angel looking at him, he smiled. She turned away from him quickly. Sage was over by Peter, who was still unconscious.
"What just happened?" Alan demanded, sitting up.
"Ask our little witches." Lilli reminded him, coming to and sitting up.
"What did you guys do to us?" Patrick asked, holding his head.
"We needed to stop you guys from killing each other," Kat replied as Jake came and stood behind her.
"Well it worked," Matt said bluntly, sitting down heavily on the bed. Kat and Amy looked hurt, and their concerned looks turned into pouts.
"Don't listen to them. They're just idiots," Angel assured them, glaring at Matt, who shrank away. Bobbi's head jerked up as she fixed her gaze on Angel.
"I'm not an idiot," she shot back, anger making her face turn red. Amber looked at Bobbi, her eyes holding no feeling except an icy-coldness.
"Cool it, Bobbi." Bobbi got the hint and began to talk to Mike.
"The Ice Princess strikes again!" Luke teased, laying down on the bed. Amber just threw a pillow at him.
"Having fun, Amber dear?" Angel asked.
"I forgot how much fun it is to do that to people," she answered as Tyrna smiled. Angel knew that both girls could freeze someone solid if they wanted to. Suddenly, the door swung open. Two girls walked into the room, and Angel recognized both of them.
"Unity Skye. Hey Lyca, what's up?"
"Unity Angel. Energy is what's around here," Skye replied, looking around at the others. Peter was awake now, but still groggy.
"What happened in here?" Lyca wondered, her gaze quickly shifting between Angel, Kat, Amy, and Sage.
"We had a little disagreement. Kat and Amy decided to settle it the "old- fashioned" way," Sage explained, pulling Peter to his feet. Skye arched her eyebrow and sent a look at Angel that said Oh really?
"Um, I know this is going to sound rude, but who are you?" Peter asked, puzzled. Sage hit him upside the head. Angel put her head in her hands. Amy and Kat put hands to their mouths to stifle their gasps. Skye and Lyca folded their arms over their chests and looked at each other.
"The question is, who are you?" Lyca inquired, looking at him. Angel quickly made Peter's introduction.
"Skye, Lyca, this is Peter. He's a human." She put a fake cough on the word "human". Skye's eyes went wide, and Lyca's jaw dropped. Peter just stood there. After a moment, the girls collected themselves.
"I ask again, who are you?" Peter repeated, getting whiny. Lyca went first.
"My name is Lyca Richards. I'm Angel's friend, and member of Circle Starlight. And I'm also a gray wolf on the side." Lyca said, showing Peter a toothy smile that didn't look too friendly. Her liquid-brown eyes went perfectly with her hair. It was set with soft, brown curls that hung halfway down her back, and framed her face like a picture. Skye stepped forward.
"I'm Skye-"
"You're a Harman!" Amy cried happily. Skye simply looked at her, and then continued with her introduction.
"It's Eirne now. I was a Harman, until my mom died. When my dad remarried, I took my step-mom's name. But I'm still a daughter of Hellewise Hearth-Woman. Angel and I were the ones who started Circle Starlight, so you could say that I'm an Elder." Skye's hair was a shiny, mousy-brown that hung down her back. Her amethyst eyes clearly showed everyone that she was a Harman. Only Harman witches had natural, permanent purple eyes.
"Okay. That's great that I know you. Now answer me one question. Who are they?" Peter demanded as three more girls came into the room. Angel just glared at him, but Lyca and Skye had to suppress giggles. The lead girl put her hands to her hips and shot a glance at him.
"Who am I? Who am I? Don't you know who I am?"
"If I knew who you were, do you think I'd be asking?" Peter replied in all seriousness. Skye turned to look at Angel.
"Angel, what exactly have you told this little boy? That deals with the Night World anyway?" Lyca started laughing again.
"Apparently not much!" she said between giggles.
"I didn't tell him about the families," Angel retorted, glaring at Lyca, who was fighting to stop laughing.
"Well then it looks like he's going to get another lesson from Dahlia right about now," came another voice. It belonged to a young girl with light, golden-brown hair. Her blue-gray eyes were shining with wisdom and understanding.
"Hi Leah! Didn't see you behind Dahlia," Skye greeted.
"Leah? Dahlia? Who's who?" Peter asked, confused now.
"My name is Leah Martin. I'm an Old-Soul, but human. I'm another of the members of Circle Starlight," Leah introduced herself, bowing slightly to Peter. Sage bowed back out of respect for a fellow Old-Soul, and she smiled at him.
"I'm Dahlia Drache, a tiger 'shifter. And I'm an Elder of the Circle." Dahlia said. Her curly, orange-red hair made it look like her head was on fire. Her jade-green eyes were those of a hunter, but a light of fun could be seen in them.
"And that name means what to me?" Peter questioned as horrified gasps ran rampant all over the room. Bobbi and Mike grabbed Peter and sat him down in a chair. Angel then started to explain.
"There are really three families that "run" the Night World. One controls the witches, one has reign of the 'shifters, and another has a say for the vampires. You already know who runs the vampires. Any dope knows that the Redferns are in charge. We're all descended from Maya, the first vampire." She and Luke caught each other's smiles across the room. The look they sent was We cool. We rule.
"The family who runs the witches is the Harmans. We're all direct descendants from Hellewise Hearth-Woman, who also happened to be Maya's blood sister. Their mother is the mother of all witches. Her name was Hecate, the Dark Goddess. Our Joint-Council is led by the Maiden Aradia, Mother Cybele, and the Crone, who happens to be Grandma Harman, the oldest Harman and witch period." Skye continued, her voice becoming more animated as she went on.
"The last group that runs the Night World are the 'shifters. The leader of them is the First House of Shape-shifters. They're the Drache family. Which makes me a 'shifter princess. We're descended from the dragons that were on earth in prehistoric times. But the witches put all the dragons to sleep and buried them. Only the three year-old dragon princess was allowed to stay awake. The witches raised her and taught her to be good. The First House is descended from her. That's why we can pick our animals. The dragons could be many things, but we only got a "diluted" version of their power. So there, does that sum it up for you?" Dahlia asked, looking intently at Peter. He was still looking at the three girls in shock.
"Dr-dra-drag-dragons?" Dahlia just nodded.
"Just nod your head "yes", Peter," Alex told him as the others started to laugh. Peter nodded his head, that look of stupidity still on his face. Just then, a voice popped up from out of the back.
"Hey! What about me? Don't I count?" It belonged to a young girl who stood near Leah. Peter stared stupidly at her.
"Who are you?" he asked, still staring. She stared at him with a cold look in her navy-blue eyes. Her long, wavy hair was a slight copper color. When Peter looked closer, he saw dark streaks, like stripes, running through it.
"I'm really no one important. Just the person that Dahlia got her shape from. My name is Silver Virgata," she introduced, making a dramatic bow to the others.
"The person that Dahlia took her shape from? How is that possible?" Peter asked, that glazed look coming back into his eyes. Dahlia just rolled her eyes.
"I guess I have to explain it one more time." Angel nodded for her to continue. "As I said before, the First House doesn't have a set animal. We look at all sorts of animals before we take an impression of one and make it ours. Sometimes our genes modify the impression, but it's a pretty close match," Peter was visibly trying to accept all of this information.
"You all talk about this stuff like it happens everyday," he finally said, looking around the room. They all just stared at him like he had five heads. Angel lost her patience and screamed.
"Of course we talk like it's a normal thing! Because it is! To US! Why can't you humans understand that?" she wondered, whirling around to face him. Leah started to say that she understood, but Skye put a hand on her shoulder.
"Not now, Leah. Angel's having too much fun ranting and raving," she noted, motioning to where Peter sat rigid in the chair while Angel kept on talking.
"...And another thing. Do you think we enjoy hiding here? This was our world long before you little vermin showed up! Why can't you accept the fact that the monsters in your closet really do exist?" she finished, grabbing the front of his shirt and hoisting him off the chair. She lifted him high enough that his feet were a few inches off the ground. John broke the long silence that followed her outburst.
"Excuse me, but I think that the boogey-man lives in your closet. Not vampires and what-not," he said as Angel dropped Peter to the floor with a THUD!
"What-not? Is that what you think we are? What-not?" Dahlia demanded threateningly as John took a step back.
"Both of you, quit it," Lyca chided, glaring at them. Dahlia was going to argue, but decided to save it for another time.
"Listen, when are the others coming?" Silver asked, sitting on a chair.
"What others? Aren't you enough?" Corinne asked, shooting a look at Angel. Leah supplied the needed info.
"We're waiting for Marik and Austin Tyler to get here. Marik is bringing a good friend of his. Her name is Melody Allbright. She's a witch, so maybe you three could talk to her?" Leah said, pointing to Skye, Kat, and Amy. Kat and Amy smiled at each other. Another witch! Skye was thinking, trying to remember where she had heard that name. Something about Hunters and Circle Daybreak... Oh well, no sense in worrying about it now.
"Is there anyone else you want to tell us about, so we won't be shocked later?" Jake asked. He knew that Redferns, especially Angel, made friends with many different people. But this was ridiculous!
"Actually there is one other person. Her name is Gepard Lowen," Silver added, looking at Bobbi., and she realized what it meant. Gepard was a 'shifter!
"Isn't "Gepard" German for cheetah?" Alan asked as Matt laughed at him.
"Yeah, it is. You're getting better with German everyday!"
"Shut-up loud-mouth!" Alan shot back.
"Du is blod," Matt retorted, a smile on his face.
"Dumkopf," Alan shot back, glaring at him.
"Scheis..." Matt started, before Tyrna clapped a hand over his mouth.
"Silencio!" she said in Italian, releasing him. He and Alan both listened. Corinne was going to say something really, really nasty in German, but thought it would come in handy later.
"Anyway! When are they all supposed to get here?" Kat asked. A voice from the doorway made them all turn around.
"To answer your question, I quote something famous: "Lucy, I'm home!" The last Circle Starlight members have arrived." The girl whom it belonged to stepped into the room, followed by three more figures who stayed in the shadows.
"You must be Gepard," Mike greeted extending his hand. She shook it and surveyed the rest of the group.
"That's my name, don't wear it out!" she replied, pushing her sunshine- blonde hair back. It hung full in her face. When it hung all down her back again, her grass-green eyes could be seen. She motioned for the three other figures to come inside. The two boys were stunningly similar. The other girl stayed partially in shadow, so that her face was hidden from view. Angel gave the boys a warm smile.
"May I present to you Marik and Austin Tyler. And I think Melody is hiding back there," she told them as Marik went back and tried to talk Melody into coming out. Marik was the taller of the Tyler brothers. His dark-brown hair looked black when he moved out of the light. And his smoky-gray eyes held a look of timelessness and wisdom. Austin was the shorter, and therefore younger of the two. He had dirty-blonde hair and an intense look in his brown eyes. Meanwhile, Marik was gently dragging Melody into the light. She had long, wavy, dark-brown hair that hung midway down her back. Her watery- blue eyes sparkled in the light. When Peter and Patrick saw her, they gasped and quickly shifted into a fighting stance. Melody did the same when she saw the boys.
"What is going on here?" Leah demanded, looking from Melody to Peter and Patrick and back again.
"That girl! You can't trust her! We should kill her now!" Peter replied, staring straight at Leah, who looked slightly shocked. Marik shifted into a fighting position when he heard the words.
"And why would we do a stupid thing like that?" he wanted to know, glaring at the others and instinctively assessing any means of escape. Angel was also shocked that they would want to kill Melody, whom they didn't even know.
"Yes, why do you want to kill Melody?" she asked in her You better give me a good explanation before I rip your sniveling little heads off! voice. Patrick looked straight into her eyes when he told her why.
"Because she's a traitor! She was one of the Hunters that brought us to the hideout!" Melody's breath caught in her throat as the entire group turned to stare at her, mixtures of shock, amazement, and horror on their faces. Marik was the only one who didn't look strangely at her.
"We can explain," he said quietly, hanging his head. Skye looked at him, then at Melody, who was twisting her hands in nervousness. She then looked at the others. Leah and Angel were talking in hushed whispers to Lyca. Silver, Bobbi, and Mike were staring at Melody in horror. All of the Night Raiders had shifted into fighting positions. Kat and Amy looked ashamed of their fellow witch. Sage was struck speechless, and simply stood there. Jake, Luke, and Amber remained where they were, looks of amazement in their eyes. Dahlia stared wide-eyed at the young witch. Gepard's jaw dropped, but she quickly closed it again. Austin stared thunder-struck at his brother and friend.
"I think that you had better start at the beginning." Skye said gently, putting a comforting hand on Melody's shoulder. Melody looked up at the older witch and nodded. She took a deep breath and began to tell her story. One that started before the Night Raiders or Circle Starlight had even thought about forming into a group.