Disclaimer: I own any original Circle Starlight members, and the Night
Raiders.
Chapter 2
Angel heard the cars pull into the driveway as she pulled on her leather jacket. "Ready?" Julian asked from the door. She took a deep breath and fluffed out her hair, satisfied with her reflection of absolute calmness.
"Ready." Amber and Jason were standing next to Daemon's red truck, waiting for instructions. Marik and Derrick were in the back seat, both asleep. Peter was at the wheel of his silver Nissan, Ruby in the passenger seat. Sage was talking to Daemon about possible safehouses. Austin and Kat were talking quietly and giggling. Blaise came striding up to Angel, her hips swaying all the while.
"We ready?" she asked, looping her arms around Julian's waist and ignoring Angel's dagger-like stare.
"I think so. We just need to double-check car assignments," Sage answered, wanting to make sure everything was in order.
"Peter, Sage, and Ruby are in the Nissan. Austin and Kat will take the station wagon while Angel has Julian and Blaise in her Ferrari. Daemon is driving Jason, me, and the two sleeping beauties," Amber read from her Chronicler book. Angel smiled and nodded at her.
"Okay folks, let's get the hell outta here." She climbed into her black car, and Julian slid in beside her. Blaise had the whole back to herself.
"Ang', where are we going?" Kat called out.
"Just keep the links open. I'll direct you that way." Everyone nodded and climbed into their vehicles. With Angel in the lead the caravan left the residential area and headed for the highway. Marik woke up an hour later.
"Where are we?" he mumbled. Amber turned around in the front seat to look at him. His light-brown hair was sleep-tousled and kept falling in front of his steel-gray eyes. She sighed happily and giggled.
"We're almost to the city. Angel wants us to communicate by telepathy only," she perkily replied. Jason looked groggily at his digital watch, his emerald eyes threatening to close any moment.
"It's one o'clock in the morning. How can you be this awake?" he playfully demanded.
"Coffee. Lots and lots of coffee." Daemon chuckled as the other boys groaned. Ten minutes later the three in the back seat were fast asleep. Amber then heard Angel's soft voice.
'We'll go through the city and then get off at exit fifty-four.'
'Okay,' Kat replied
'No problem,' Sage added.
'Ten-four,' Amber echoed, relaying the directions to Daemon verbally. He quickly checked a small pocket map.
"Fifty-four? That'll take us out of the state," he noted.
'And the plot thickens' Kat's high voice whispered to Amber.
'Hey, a few of us are trying to sleep,' Derrick complained. A soft giggle was heard and then there was silence. The city came into view: The bright lights, loud sounds, and general busyness. Blaise rolled down her window and took a deep breath.
"Aaah, city life," she sighed. A few rowdy teenagers spotted her and howled like wolves.
"Hey baby!" one yelled.
"Come home with us, doll!" another added. Blaise smiled and dropped her lashes to her cheeks. The boys went wild.
"If you can find me, I'm yours," she called back, throwing out a kiss. Then she rolled up her window.
"Aphrodite never sleeps," Angel mused. Blaise laughed.
"They're like sheep. It's almost too easy."
"Well get it out of your system. Where we're going, there won't be any sheep." Blaise frowned at her comment, but shrugged and went back to the window, not allowing Angel's pessimism to get her down.
* * *
Bright sunlight dragged Kat out of her peaceful slumber. "Where are we?" she asked, stretching in the seat and yawning. Austin smiled tiredly at her.
"We're in Vermont. Angel has us going into the middle of nowhere." The witch sat up and gazed out the window. A lush valley with forests and a lake lay below them. In the middle of a patch of forest there was a large circular clearing. Kat shook her head as a feeling of deja`-vu settled on her.
"Weird. I could almost swear I've been here before." Austin nodded while keeping his eyes on the road.
"I guess we'll find out when we get to wherever we're going." Derrick was staring out the window as the group wound its way into the valley. He had never seen such wide-open space. Now he knew why vampires lived so close to cities. Hunting was okay for celebrations and emergencies, but human blood was a better choice in the long run. Well, at least the 'shifters would be happy.
"This place is so… So open," he commented. Daemon smiled at him in the rear-view mirror.
"Welcome to Vermont, where Mother Nature still has a foothold." A few minutes later Angel stopped her car and got out. Everyone else followed suit, gazing at the scenery
"It's beautiful," Ruby proclaimed as she stepped out of the car and stretched. Sage nodded in agreement.
"A good hunting range," he added. Peter took a whiff of the cool air.
"So how long are we staying here?" No one could answer his question. Austin leaned heavily on the station wagon's roof, incredibly tired after the ten- hour drive.
"Just point me to a nice soft place so I can sleep," he mumbled. Daemon and Derrick woke the others in the truck. Amber yawned sleepily and rubbed her eyes, focusing on the landscape. A second later she was wide awake and her mouth hung open slightly.
"This place?" she asked in astonishment. All eyes watched as she began looking around.
"What's wrong?" Jason asked curiously.
"This is where CS first began," Kat gasped as the memories came flooding back to her.
"She's right. Circle Midnight has a huge underground facility here. We came here a few years ago for a big meeting," Amber agreed.
"That's where we first met you guys," Marik broke in.
"Yes, and we defeated some Hunters with the help of the Night Raiders and a few others," Sage added.
"And then you guys split off to become Circle Starlight," Blaise remembered. Angel just nodded at all of them.
"I had a feeling you'd remember once we got here. This was CM's headquarters until the Hunters showed up. After that, it was abandoned and all records of its location were destroyed. But I remembered where it was," she said, tapping her head and smiling. She walked over to a pine tree and pushed a small knot in the bark. A door swung out and Angel ushered them down the flight of stairs. "Jules, will you bring the cars down, por favor?" she called back sweetly.
"As my lady wishes." With that, he and the four vehicles vanished. The door in the tree closed, leaving no evidence of the thirteen teens who had just been there.
* * *
The group walked silently down the metal stairs before Angel stopped them. "This place is huge," Jason whispered, staring in awe at the large room they were in. Doors and hallways were everywhere, leading even further into the facility. Julian was waiting in one of the hallways, tapping his foot in mock impatience. He'd simply blinked himself and the vehicles down there.
"This way to your rooms," he told them, starting down the long corridor, pretending to be a British butler.
"Walk this way," Peter said, impersonating Igor. Laughing at the human-turned-'shifter, they found out where they would be staying. Every hotel-like room had three beds, closets, bureaus, a full bathroom, and a TV. Austin walked wearily into one room and flopped onto a bed.
"Goodnight," he said as Derrick also chose a bed to crash on. Jason, Daemon, and Marik went next door. After Peter lightly kissed Ruby, he and Sage went into the third room of the row. Blaise and Kat were across the hall from Austin and Derrick while Angel and Julian went next to them.
"I guess we're roommates," Amber said with a smile as she turned to her red-haired friend.
"Guess so." The two girls opened the door across from Peter and Sage's room, shutting it behind them. They wanted peace and quiet. "So what do we do now?" Ruby asked as she lay on her bed. Amber stared at the white sheets for a moment, feeling their cool softness.
"I think we should get some sleep. Then I want to check this place out." Ruby smiled and closed her eyes.
"I am all for that plan." A few minutes later they were both asleep.
* * *
Sensing a presence just outside the door, Amber snapped open her eyes. 'Ruby, we got company.' The other girl rolled off her bed silently and came to Amber in full shifted form: A red wolf.
'I'm ready.' The door opened softly and a girl walked in. Her shoulder-length hair was the color of old gold, and her yellow eyes were clearly startled. She dropped her suitcase and bolted down the hall. Ruby howled and gave chase. Other strangers came running out of the rest of CS' rooms, with everyone else in the group following them. They finally cornered most of them and it looked like a fight would ensue, when a voice reached Angel's ears.
"Angel of mercy, spare them!" the high but familiar voice pleaded. Circle Starlight whirled around to see Amy Winston and the other Night Raiders standing there. Angel motioned towards the group of unknowns, all the while looking at her former gang.
"You guys have five minutes to tell us what in Isis' name is going on," she calmly told them.
Chapter 2
Angel heard the cars pull into the driveway as she pulled on her leather jacket. "Ready?" Julian asked from the door. She took a deep breath and fluffed out her hair, satisfied with her reflection of absolute calmness.
"Ready." Amber and Jason were standing next to Daemon's red truck, waiting for instructions. Marik and Derrick were in the back seat, both asleep. Peter was at the wheel of his silver Nissan, Ruby in the passenger seat. Sage was talking to Daemon about possible safehouses. Austin and Kat were talking quietly and giggling. Blaise came striding up to Angel, her hips swaying all the while.
"We ready?" she asked, looping her arms around Julian's waist and ignoring Angel's dagger-like stare.
"I think so. We just need to double-check car assignments," Sage answered, wanting to make sure everything was in order.
"Peter, Sage, and Ruby are in the Nissan. Austin and Kat will take the station wagon while Angel has Julian and Blaise in her Ferrari. Daemon is driving Jason, me, and the two sleeping beauties," Amber read from her Chronicler book. Angel smiled and nodded at her.
"Okay folks, let's get the hell outta here." She climbed into her black car, and Julian slid in beside her. Blaise had the whole back to herself.
"Ang', where are we going?" Kat called out.
"Just keep the links open. I'll direct you that way." Everyone nodded and climbed into their vehicles. With Angel in the lead the caravan left the residential area and headed for the highway. Marik woke up an hour later.
"Where are we?" he mumbled. Amber turned around in the front seat to look at him. His light-brown hair was sleep-tousled and kept falling in front of his steel-gray eyes. She sighed happily and giggled.
"We're almost to the city. Angel wants us to communicate by telepathy only," she perkily replied. Jason looked groggily at his digital watch, his emerald eyes threatening to close any moment.
"It's one o'clock in the morning. How can you be this awake?" he playfully demanded.
"Coffee. Lots and lots of coffee." Daemon chuckled as the other boys groaned. Ten minutes later the three in the back seat were fast asleep. Amber then heard Angel's soft voice.
'We'll go through the city and then get off at exit fifty-four.'
'Okay,' Kat replied
'No problem,' Sage added.
'Ten-four,' Amber echoed, relaying the directions to Daemon verbally. He quickly checked a small pocket map.
"Fifty-four? That'll take us out of the state," he noted.
'And the plot thickens' Kat's high voice whispered to Amber.
'Hey, a few of us are trying to sleep,' Derrick complained. A soft giggle was heard and then there was silence. The city came into view: The bright lights, loud sounds, and general busyness. Blaise rolled down her window and took a deep breath.
"Aaah, city life," she sighed. A few rowdy teenagers spotted her and howled like wolves.
"Hey baby!" one yelled.
"Come home with us, doll!" another added. Blaise smiled and dropped her lashes to her cheeks. The boys went wild.
"If you can find me, I'm yours," she called back, throwing out a kiss. Then she rolled up her window.
"Aphrodite never sleeps," Angel mused. Blaise laughed.
"They're like sheep. It's almost too easy."
"Well get it out of your system. Where we're going, there won't be any sheep." Blaise frowned at her comment, but shrugged and went back to the window, not allowing Angel's pessimism to get her down.
* * *
Bright sunlight dragged Kat out of her peaceful slumber. "Where are we?" she asked, stretching in the seat and yawning. Austin smiled tiredly at her.
"We're in Vermont. Angel has us going into the middle of nowhere." The witch sat up and gazed out the window. A lush valley with forests and a lake lay below them. In the middle of a patch of forest there was a large circular clearing. Kat shook her head as a feeling of deja`-vu settled on her.
"Weird. I could almost swear I've been here before." Austin nodded while keeping his eyes on the road.
"I guess we'll find out when we get to wherever we're going." Derrick was staring out the window as the group wound its way into the valley. He had never seen such wide-open space. Now he knew why vampires lived so close to cities. Hunting was okay for celebrations and emergencies, but human blood was a better choice in the long run. Well, at least the 'shifters would be happy.
"This place is so… So open," he commented. Daemon smiled at him in the rear-view mirror.
"Welcome to Vermont, where Mother Nature still has a foothold." A few minutes later Angel stopped her car and got out. Everyone else followed suit, gazing at the scenery
"It's beautiful," Ruby proclaimed as she stepped out of the car and stretched. Sage nodded in agreement.
"A good hunting range," he added. Peter took a whiff of the cool air.
"So how long are we staying here?" No one could answer his question. Austin leaned heavily on the station wagon's roof, incredibly tired after the ten- hour drive.
"Just point me to a nice soft place so I can sleep," he mumbled. Daemon and Derrick woke the others in the truck. Amber yawned sleepily and rubbed her eyes, focusing on the landscape. A second later she was wide awake and her mouth hung open slightly.
"This place?" she asked in astonishment. All eyes watched as she began looking around.
"What's wrong?" Jason asked curiously.
"This is where CS first began," Kat gasped as the memories came flooding back to her.
"She's right. Circle Midnight has a huge underground facility here. We came here a few years ago for a big meeting," Amber agreed.
"That's where we first met you guys," Marik broke in.
"Yes, and we defeated some Hunters with the help of the Night Raiders and a few others," Sage added.
"And then you guys split off to become Circle Starlight," Blaise remembered. Angel just nodded at all of them.
"I had a feeling you'd remember once we got here. This was CM's headquarters until the Hunters showed up. After that, it was abandoned and all records of its location were destroyed. But I remembered where it was," she said, tapping her head and smiling. She walked over to a pine tree and pushed a small knot in the bark. A door swung out and Angel ushered them down the flight of stairs. "Jules, will you bring the cars down, por favor?" she called back sweetly.
"As my lady wishes." With that, he and the four vehicles vanished. The door in the tree closed, leaving no evidence of the thirteen teens who had just been there.
* * *
The group walked silently down the metal stairs before Angel stopped them. "This place is huge," Jason whispered, staring in awe at the large room they were in. Doors and hallways were everywhere, leading even further into the facility. Julian was waiting in one of the hallways, tapping his foot in mock impatience. He'd simply blinked himself and the vehicles down there.
"This way to your rooms," he told them, starting down the long corridor, pretending to be a British butler.
"Walk this way," Peter said, impersonating Igor. Laughing at the human-turned-'shifter, they found out where they would be staying. Every hotel-like room had three beds, closets, bureaus, a full bathroom, and a TV. Austin walked wearily into one room and flopped onto a bed.
"Goodnight," he said as Derrick also chose a bed to crash on. Jason, Daemon, and Marik went next door. After Peter lightly kissed Ruby, he and Sage went into the third room of the row. Blaise and Kat were across the hall from Austin and Derrick while Angel and Julian went next to them.
"I guess we're roommates," Amber said with a smile as she turned to her red-haired friend.
"Guess so." The two girls opened the door across from Peter and Sage's room, shutting it behind them. They wanted peace and quiet. "So what do we do now?" Ruby asked as she lay on her bed. Amber stared at the white sheets for a moment, feeling their cool softness.
"I think we should get some sleep. Then I want to check this place out." Ruby smiled and closed her eyes.
"I am all for that plan." A few minutes later they were both asleep.
* * *
Sensing a presence just outside the door, Amber snapped open her eyes. 'Ruby, we got company.' The other girl rolled off her bed silently and came to Amber in full shifted form: A red wolf.
'I'm ready.' The door opened softly and a girl walked in. Her shoulder-length hair was the color of old gold, and her yellow eyes were clearly startled. She dropped her suitcase and bolted down the hall. Ruby howled and gave chase. Other strangers came running out of the rest of CS' rooms, with everyone else in the group following them. They finally cornered most of them and it looked like a fight would ensue, when a voice reached Angel's ears.
"Angel of mercy, spare them!" the high but familiar voice pleaded. Circle Starlight whirled around to see Amy Winston and the other Night Raiders standing there. Angel motioned towards the group of unknowns, all the while looking at her former gang.
"You guys have five minutes to tell us what in Isis' name is going on," she calmly told them.