1.1 Chapter 13
The remainder of the group walked slowly back to the door. Jake carried the dead Kelsey, and Sage and John gingerly carried Iris. Angel led the group, walking with her head held high. Peter held on tightly to Rain, who allowed herself to be carried. Julie was still bound hand and foot, so Patrick carried her the entire way. Kat, Skye, and Leah walked up near the front, followed by Amy, Alex, Silver, Dahlia, and Lyca. Matt and Austin were half- carrying, and half-supporting Marik. Melody had pulled the spear out as best she could, but a large hole was still there where the spear had gone through him. Melody walked behind the trio of boys, talking to Marik the whole time. Luke limped along beside Amber, the fight having taken a lot out of him. Corinne and Alan walked side by side, occasionally looking back at the blood-covered field. Lilli walked near Bobbi and Mike, who were still cats. Tyrna was helping Matt to steady Marik. Gepard walked on the other side of Austin. They reached the door and Angel opened it. They descended into the depths of the earth to tell the others of the fight.
* * *
Hunter and a few of the other Elders were sitting around a long table in the main meeting room. "Are you serious? A whole lost kingdom of vamp- Why hello, Angel! Back so soon?" Hunter asked, startled out of his initial conversation. Angel stared back at her great-grandfather.
"How did the rumble go?" wondered a man who looked no older than eighteen. Angel knew for a fact that he was at least thirty.
"It went fine. We won, if that's what you really want to know."
"Fine, fine! Did that little vermin...Never mind, I can see that he's very much alive," Hunter noted, giving Peter a cold, hard stare. An older woman then noticed what Sage, John, and Jake were carrying.
"Who are they?" she asked, pointing. Angel gave a signal, and the bodies were laid at the Elders' feet.
"Kelsey Harpy and Iris Redfern. A 'shifter and a vampire. The Hunters killed them. I leave it up to you to notify any relatives."
"Fine. We'll do that. So what do you plan to do now that you've, in a way, "saved" Circle Midnight?" Hunter wanted to know, expertly changing the subject.
"What do we plan to do? We intend to leave the Circle," Angel revealed, as gasps came from some of the Elders. Most of the shocked ones were Redferns.
"What do you mean? You killed the Hunters and now you feel sorry for them? Is that it?" the eighteen-looking vampire asked.
"No, that's not it at all. We just don't want to be affiliated with any political Circle right now. After the Millennium, we'll see what happens," Dahlia explained, standing next to Angel.
"So what do you want us to do?" Hunter wondered, looking at the motley crew of Night World teens.
"Allow us to leave without a fight," Skye suggested as Angel closed Peter's mouth before it got them in trouble. Hunter turned to the others and they whispered amongst themselves for a few minutes. They finally faced the group again.
"Fine. Leave now. You don't know the fun you'll miss though," Hunter said as the teens turned to leave.
"One more thing! What will you call yourselves?" an old witch asked. Lyca turned around, but didn't stop walking.
"We're Circle Starlight," she told them as they walked out of the meeting room to get their stuff and go home.
* * *
It was a cold winter night when Angel received the call. The others waited for her to come back into the room, then pelted her with questions. "Calm down everyone! I'll answer all your questions!" she assured them, sitting down gracefully on the couch.
"What's the latest news from Circle Daybreak? You know, what's happened in the past week or so?" Kat asked, getting anxious waiting for the answer.
"Well, CD sent out a three-person team to track down the Witch Child."
"Who was on the team?" Dahlia asked, wrapping her arms around her knees.
"It was Keller, who's a panther 'shifter, Winfrith Arlin, who's a witch, and Nissa Johnson, who's lamia," Angel continued, smiling at Amber, who rolled her eyes at the mention of her cousin's name.
"Anyone else?" Matt wondered, laying down on the floor.
"There was one other person. Dahlia's older brother, Galen," Angel revealed. Dahlia looked pleased that her brother had done something heroic.
"What about the Night World?" Melody wanted to know as she and Marik sat together on a small bed.
"Apparently they found a very formidable ally. For some unknown reason, they got a dragon." Gasps of shock and horror ran around the room.
"A dragon? No way!" Bobbi said, not believing it.
"Way," Angel replied in the same valley-girl voice that her friend had used.
"What happened with the dragon?" Patrick asked as Julie sat wide-eyed next to him. She had been made a vampire, so was now part of the group.
"Keller and Galen killed it. It had five horns on its head." Sage looked skeptical, as he knew the history and morphology of dragons.
"Five horns? Are you sure?" Dahlia backed up Angel's story.
"It's true. My brother and I were talking just a few minutes ago, and he told me everything. Even about how Keller is his soulmate, and he took his shape from her. He's a leopard now. And Iliana, the Witch Child, did the promise ceremony with Keller instead of him. Because she saw how happy they were together, and she didn't want to ruin it."
"That's so sweet." Tyrna stated, looking at Matt, who smiled at her.
"Gag me with a spoon," Corinne replied, pretending to be sick.
"I'd be happy to." Julie told her, teasing her new friend. Corinne saw she was out-numbered and shut-up with a pout.
"Anyway. What else is going on in the outside world?" Amber asked, wanting to know more. Angel sighed.
"Where do I begin? The second Wild Power was found before Iliana was discovered. His name is Delos Redfern. He was a prince of the Dark Kingdom. Hunter tried to get him to join his side, but Delos' soulmate, Maggie Neely, convinced him otherwise. Delos killed Hunter with the blue fire."
"So Hunter's dead?" Luke asked, hardly believing it. Angel nodded, then continued her story.
"And I have even more bad news. You all know that the witches seceded from the Night World, and that the 'shifters have joined them?" she asked, as they all nodded their heads. "Well it turns out that before the promise ceremony could take place, a bunch of 'shifters killed Grandma Harman, the Crone," Skye and Kat sniffed, knowing that the witches would never be the same. Amy looked shocked, and Melody let a tear fall from her eyes.
"So now Circle Daybreak has three Wild Powers on their side. Is it just me, or does anyone else think they're going to win?" Gepard asked, looking around.
"Well, if the Night World can find the last one and kill him or her, which of course, you know is never going to happen, then they'll win," Rain commented as she and Peter snuggled up close.
"And pigs may fly," Austin joked as the entire group burst out laughing. Angel sat back and surveyed the scene. They were all Circle Starlight. All fifteen vampires, three wolves, two humans, three witches, two tigers, one falcon, one bobcat, one mountain lion, and one cheetah. They were friends. And together they could make it through anything, even the Millennium.
The remainder of the group walked slowly back to the door. Jake carried the dead Kelsey, and Sage and John gingerly carried Iris. Angel led the group, walking with her head held high. Peter held on tightly to Rain, who allowed herself to be carried. Julie was still bound hand and foot, so Patrick carried her the entire way. Kat, Skye, and Leah walked up near the front, followed by Amy, Alex, Silver, Dahlia, and Lyca. Matt and Austin were half- carrying, and half-supporting Marik. Melody had pulled the spear out as best she could, but a large hole was still there where the spear had gone through him. Melody walked behind the trio of boys, talking to Marik the whole time. Luke limped along beside Amber, the fight having taken a lot out of him. Corinne and Alan walked side by side, occasionally looking back at the blood-covered field. Lilli walked near Bobbi and Mike, who were still cats. Tyrna was helping Matt to steady Marik. Gepard walked on the other side of Austin. They reached the door and Angel opened it. They descended into the depths of the earth to tell the others of the fight.
* * *
Hunter and a few of the other Elders were sitting around a long table in the main meeting room. "Are you serious? A whole lost kingdom of vamp- Why hello, Angel! Back so soon?" Hunter asked, startled out of his initial conversation. Angel stared back at her great-grandfather.
"How did the rumble go?" wondered a man who looked no older than eighteen. Angel knew for a fact that he was at least thirty.
"It went fine. We won, if that's what you really want to know."
"Fine, fine! Did that little vermin...Never mind, I can see that he's very much alive," Hunter noted, giving Peter a cold, hard stare. An older woman then noticed what Sage, John, and Jake were carrying.
"Who are they?" she asked, pointing. Angel gave a signal, and the bodies were laid at the Elders' feet.
"Kelsey Harpy and Iris Redfern. A 'shifter and a vampire. The Hunters killed them. I leave it up to you to notify any relatives."
"Fine. We'll do that. So what do you plan to do now that you've, in a way, "saved" Circle Midnight?" Hunter wanted to know, expertly changing the subject.
"What do we plan to do? We intend to leave the Circle," Angel revealed, as gasps came from some of the Elders. Most of the shocked ones were Redferns.
"What do you mean? You killed the Hunters and now you feel sorry for them? Is that it?" the eighteen-looking vampire asked.
"No, that's not it at all. We just don't want to be affiliated with any political Circle right now. After the Millennium, we'll see what happens," Dahlia explained, standing next to Angel.
"So what do you want us to do?" Hunter wondered, looking at the motley crew of Night World teens.
"Allow us to leave without a fight," Skye suggested as Angel closed Peter's mouth before it got them in trouble. Hunter turned to the others and they whispered amongst themselves for a few minutes. They finally faced the group again.
"Fine. Leave now. You don't know the fun you'll miss though," Hunter said as the teens turned to leave.
"One more thing! What will you call yourselves?" an old witch asked. Lyca turned around, but didn't stop walking.
"We're Circle Starlight," she told them as they walked out of the meeting room to get their stuff and go home.
* * *
It was a cold winter night when Angel received the call. The others waited for her to come back into the room, then pelted her with questions. "Calm down everyone! I'll answer all your questions!" she assured them, sitting down gracefully on the couch.
"What's the latest news from Circle Daybreak? You know, what's happened in the past week or so?" Kat asked, getting anxious waiting for the answer.
"Well, CD sent out a three-person team to track down the Witch Child."
"Who was on the team?" Dahlia asked, wrapping her arms around her knees.
"It was Keller, who's a panther 'shifter, Winfrith Arlin, who's a witch, and Nissa Johnson, who's lamia," Angel continued, smiling at Amber, who rolled her eyes at the mention of her cousin's name.
"Anyone else?" Matt wondered, laying down on the floor.
"There was one other person. Dahlia's older brother, Galen," Angel revealed. Dahlia looked pleased that her brother had done something heroic.
"What about the Night World?" Melody wanted to know as she and Marik sat together on a small bed.
"Apparently they found a very formidable ally. For some unknown reason, they got a dragon." Gasps of shock and horror ran around the room.
"A dragon? No way!" Bobbi said, not believing it.
"Way," Angel replied in the same valley-girl voice that her friend had used.
"What happened with the dragon?" Patrick asked as Julie sat wide-eyed next to him. She had been made a vampire, so was now part of the group.
"Keller and Galen killed it. It had five horns on its head." Sage looked skeptical, as he knew the history and morphology of dragons.
"Five horns? Are you sure?" Dahlia backed up Angel's story.
"It's true. My brother and I were talking just a few minutes ago, and he told me everything. Even about how Keller is his soulmate, and he took his shape from her. He's a leopard now. And Iliana, the Witch Child, did the promise ceremony with Keller instead of him. Because she saw how happy they were together, and she didn't want to ruin it."
"That's so sweet." Tyrna stated, looking at Matt, who smiled at her.
"Gag me with a spoon," Corinne replied, pretending to be sick.
"I'd be happy to." Julie told her, teasing her new friend. Corinne saw she was out-numbered and shut-up with a pout.
"Anyway. What else is going on in the outside world?" Amber asked, wanting to know more. Angel sighed.
"Where do I begin? The second Wild Power was found before Iliana was discovered. His name is Delos Redfern. He was a prince of the Dark Kingdom. Hunter tried to get him to join his side, but Delos' soulmate, Maggie Neely, convinced him otherwise. Delos killed Hunter with the blue fire."
"So Hunter's dead?" Luke asked, hardly believing it. Angel nodded, then continued her story.
"And I have even more bad news. You all know that the witches seceded from the Night World, and that the 'shifters have joined them?" she asked, as they all nodded their heads. "Well it turns out that before the promise ceremony could take place, a bunch of 'shifters killed Grandma Harman, the Crone," Skye and Kat sniffed, knowing that the witches would never be the same. Amy looked shocked, and Melody let a tear fall from her eyes.
"So now Circle Daybreak has three Wild Powers on their side. Is it just me, or does anyone else think they're going to win?" Gepard asked, looking around.
"Well, if the Night World can find the last one and kill him or her, which of course, you know is never going to happen, then they'll win," Rain commented as she and Peter snuggled up close.
"And pigs may fly," Austin joked as the entire group burst out laughing. Angel sat back and surveyed the scene. They were all Circle Starlight. All fifteen vampires, three wolves, two humans, three witches, two tigers, one falcon, one bobcat, one mountain lion, and one cheetah. They were friends. And together they could make it through anything, even the Millennium.