Chapter 4
Julian walked out of the shadows towards the tired crew, his moonlight hair glowing softly in the darkness. "Is everyone here, my angel?"
"Well if they're not, I can't worry about it."
"Everyone's here," Amber assured her. She had written down the number of people in her book, and had counted them when they stepped off the elevator. A few of the girls went off exploring while Julie took Patrick on a search for the circuit breaker.
"Hey Daybreakers, can I ask you a question?" Blaise suddenly asked, shattering the quiet that some sleeping people had been enjoying. Kalli shrugged and gave her a little half-smile.
"Sure." A heavy silence filled the air for a few minutes as Blaise figured out how to phrase her question.
"Is Thea still hell-bent on fighting CM?" Thea Harman was Blaise's cousin, their mothers having been sisters. But when they had passed into the next world, the two little girls were raised as sisters, the most important bond to a witch. They had once been together in CD, but Blaise chose to go with CM, and had finally switched over to CS. Thea had remained in Daybreak with her soulmate Eric Ross.
"You mean she didn't tell you?" Kalli asked, a little surprised.
"Tell me what?"
"Eric took Thea to Australia so they could study the wombat population, or something like that. They'll be down there for a few months. Truthfully, I just think Eric couldn't bear the possibility of losing his soulmate." Blaise was thankful that her "sister" was safe, but upset because she hadn't told her.
"Well, at least she's safe. I'll just beat her up later for not telling me." The lights came on right then, waking up the last of the sleepers.
"Morning already?" Daemon wondered, rubbing his eyes. Amber rolled over from her position on his chest and cat-stretched.
"No, we probably only got a few minutes of sleep." She looked over at the Tylers and smiled at the scene. Marik and Austin were leaning back-to- back, eyes closed in peaceful slumber. Kat was snuggled against Austin's side, his arm around her waist. Jason was curled into a furry ball, his head on Marik's legs. The lamia had his hand on the wolf's back, petting him every now and then while the two slept.
"Let's let them sleep," Dahlia advised, a tiny smile on her lips. Julie and Patrick returned, proud of themselves for turning on the electricity. Dahlia, Angel, Alex, and Acilacia pulled the ex-Hunter to the side so the various group leaders could discuss their options.
"What accommodations can this cave offer?" Acilacia got right to the point, although her tone made it clear she would not be reduced to living in a cave, even one with electricity.
"Well, it's not exactly a five-star hotel, but there are sleeping quarters. This is only the front section of our headquarters. The rest is heated and resembles the Circle Midnight facility," Julie politely replied. Respecting elders had taken on a new meaning for her since joining the Night World. Especially since most of her elders could wipe her out just by blinking if they chose to do so.
"You have food and water here?" Alex asked, being practical for once. He was usually one to maim first, ask questions later.
"There's an underground stream which feeds into a lake. There's also a kitchen and pantry, but I doubt any of the food is still good after a few years of no one being here."
"Gee, good thing we came prepared," Angel mused as Alex just glared at her for a moment.
"What about a security system?" Dahlia wanted to know. Julie crooked her finger at the four, so they followed her down a small hallway and through a stone archway. A huge computer system was set up and waiting for a command. TVs showed pictures of both the outside and inside of their new headquarters.
"That's our security system, built by our best technicians. An alarm will sound if we need to clear out of here. Any other questions?" Acilacia raised her hand, pointing to the computer.
"Yes. Do you know how to work this?.. Machine?" A blush crept into Julie's cheeks, giving them an answer.
"I'll go get my little hackers," Angel told them, walking back down the hall to the others. "Amber, Marik, and Austin, get your asses into the computer room and figure out how to work it. Blaise, you and Kitten find all the witches and start decoding that prophecy. Sage, you're with them. Dahlia, see if you can organize the 'shifters into patrol units while I do the same with the vamps. Now move!" A flurry of activity began after the young princess' orders were given. The three computer experts went off to play with their new toy. Every witch, plus Sage, went on a hunt for their books and notes. Amy went with them, leaving the rest of the Night Raiders to report for spy duty. Meanwhile, Dahlia divided her people into patrolling units. Acilacia watched in fascination as Angel ordered all the vampires into teams, noting the way she didn't take "no" for an answer.
'She could be my daughter, if only she were a few thousand years older,' the green-eyed woman laughingly thought. Acil's own mother had been the goddess Isis, while her father was a dragon shape-shifter. In Egypt, the young Luna -that was what her race was called, there being other half- goddesses. The half-gods were called Lunes- enjoyed the status of a living goddess. That was before Hunter Redfern had showed up with his sweet promises of guaranteed immortality. For the Lunas and Lunes were not truly immortal, only partially, so they would age and eventually die. She had given herself to him as his soulmate and wife. But as always, good things never last. Hunter divorced her and then had four daughters with Maeve Harman: Garnet, Lily, Dove, and Roseclear. Poor Dove had been killed in the sixteen hundred's trying to protect a human-turned-vampire boy that she loved, and Roseclear had been raised as a witch, to Hunter's dismay. Lily had died almost six months ago at the hands of a Wild Power, while Garnet had died of old age. She had simply chosen to move on into the next world. Acilacia came out of her daydreaming to see Angel in front of her.
"Acilacia, I need your help with something," the blue-eyed teen said softly, like she didn't want anyone else to hear her.
"What is it, my child? And please, call me Acil."
"Can you take charge of the patrol teams outside while I handle the groups inside the compound?" Angel knew the older woman could sense she didn't like sharing authority. The Egyptian Luna smiled softly at the young Redfern, marveling at her.
"Of course." She started to walk away towards the elevator, but stopped and turned around again. "Your grandmother would be very proud of you. And your father would burst with pride to see what kind of a leader he raised." Garnet and her elder son, Pierce, had kept in contact with Acil until their respective deaths. She did miss them, and felt compassion for Angel, who had grown up with no parents. Not that it had affected the sharp teenager, as she was a tough lamia and a good leader. Angel only nodded at her statement, betraying no more of her emotions. When she looked up again, Acil was gone and she was alone in the damp hallway.
"We try and stay neutral and look what happens. We get into a fucking war with the Night World!" She kicked the rock wall in anger, causing some rocks to fall from the ceiling.
"Um Angel, is this a bad time?" Amber softly asked, coming up from behind her friend.
"What now?" Even though she hoped there was nothing seriously wrong, Angel knew the Chronicler would only come to her when there was a big problem. Amber pulled her into the computer room where Austin was feverishly typing commands into the system while Marik stood at another console, his eyes glued to the TV screens.
"Marik, what's the situation?" Amber asked, tugging lightly on his shirt. The older boy turned around and adjusted the earpiece of the small transmitter he wore. The microphone was near his mouth so he could easily communicate with the groups out in the valley.
"Circle Midnight isn't our only problem," he began, pointing to a few of the screens. Cars and vans were winding their way into the valley, and tents were popping up in the woods. "Circle Daybreak is here too. The party just got bigger." Angel paced up and down, which was unusual. She always had a laissez-faire attitude about everything. If Angel Amethyst Redfern was upset over the situation, things must be bad.
"We're in," Austin called out, breaking Marik and Amber out of the trance which Angel's pacing had put them in.
"In what?" Angel asked as she stopped walking back and forth.
"I hacked into the CM computer. We have access to anything they do." He had a big grin on his face, quite pleased with himself.
"Don't get a swell head," Angel warned as she left the room. She smiled at the young man to let him know he had done a good job. Marik grinned and turned back to watch the groups in the field.
'Austin get a swell head? Perish the thought,' he said silently to Amber, who giggled softly.
'I heard that,' Austin shot back. Laughing at her two friends, the Ice Princess took a seat next to Marik, donning her own transmitter.
"This is Ground Base calling Eagle Eye. Please respond, Eagle Eye," she broadcast, wanting to know where Raven and Lilli were.
"Eagle Eye calling Ground Base. Nothing but cars and tents in Sunshine Land," Lilli replied, her falcon-talk being translated into English by a wonderful device invented by Dr. Leo Brunswick, a 'shifter scientist. Boy, if humans ever knew, animals would be in trouble. They would be hounded by humans just to hear them speak.
"Pride One calling Ground Base. Come in Ground Base," Peter's voice crackled to life.
"Go ahead Pride One," Marik answered, trying to find them with the cameras. He finally saw the lion, tiger, mountain lion, bobcat, and two panthers. Teia, Jezabell, Bobbi, and Mike had joined up with Peter and Dahlia, realizing there was safety in numbers.
"You would not believe how many bats are here in Dark Ground," Dahlia told them.
"And a whole bunch of furballs," Teia added.
"Don't forget all the wart-noses," Mike brought up with a chuckle.
"Austin, run a roster check of CM members. Get everything you can," Amber ordered as he got right to work. She smiled at the thought of what the witches would say if they had heard Mike using the code name "wart- noses" to describe their kin.
"Pride Two, this is Ground Base, please report," Marik called over the airways, wondering where they were.
"This is Pride Two. We've scouted the hippie camp and are returning to Ground Base," Ruby replied. She and Lyca had taken Jason and Jake to do ground work on the Daybreakers.
"Eagle Eye and Pride One, this is GB. Request you return home for the night," Amber said to the others.
"Eagle Eye is coming," Raven stated, happy to be heading back.
"This is Pride One. We're on our way," Bobbi added as she bounced around in front of one camera. The three vampires laughed at her, although they kept an eye on the other screens. Ten minutes later the three 'shifter groups were down in the cave. Acilacia led the other vamps into the elevator, all of them having guarded the cabin while the 'shifters were out and about. Luke and Alex went in search of Melody and Amy, wondering what they were up to.
"We're in here, Alex!" Amy called out, seeing them pass in the hall. The room they were in had cots, beds, and mattresses all over the place. Closets took up one whole wall, and a far door led into a full bathroom.
"You witches really made yourselves at home," Luke teased as he looked at the books and papers strewn all over the place.
"Yeah, looks kinda like your room," Melody shot back.
"What have you deciphered so far?" Angel asked from the doorway, pulling on her white peasant-blouse so it left her tan shoulders bare. She sat down next to Kat in lotus position, something she could do even in denim bellbottoms. Her graceful body never ceased to amaze her.
"This is harder than it looks, Angel," Daemon informed her.
"I don't want excuses, Daemon. I want results."
"Well, we got one part figured out," Faith told her, thin voice cracking and muddy-brown eyes wide and a little fearful. Her black hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail.
"You'll have to excuse Faith. She's a recently-found lost witch," Dagan explained, giving her cousin a small hug.
"What part did you figure out?" Angel asked gently, more to calm Faith than anything else.
"The part about "Twilight has fallen" might mean Circle Twilight," Skye replied, looking up from her notes.
"But the Old-Souls disagree," Blaise added in disgust, clearly unhappy with Leah and Sage.
"If CT was meant to be in the prophecy, it would've been mentioned in the beginning," Leah clarified.
"Circle Twilight was dissolved a few months before the Crone was killed. She wouldn't have put a non-existent Circle into her prophecy," Sage added, backing up his friend.
"So what do you two think it means?" Alex wanted to know. Leah shrugged and looked at her scribbled notes.
"I think it means that this battle will take place at twilight."
"You've been at this how many hours and you think that's what it means? I don't believe this!" Angel yelled, standing up and walking out of the room. Kat followed, not fully understanding the reason for her best friend's sudden outburst.
"Ang', what's wrong?"
"I don't know! Ever since Daylight and Darkness showed up, I've been a real bitch. And don't you dare throw that back at me." Kat was standing with her mouth open like she was in shock. "What's wrong?"
"Daylight and Darkness. Angel, you're a genius!" she squealed, getting all hysterical.
"Kat, what're you screaming about?" Amber wondered as she and the Tylers came running down the hall.
"We thought you were in trouble," Austin explained, taking her hand.
"Actually, Austin thought you were in trouble," Marik clarified, shooting a look at his brother. Austin ignored him, his senses tuning out the rest of the world because now he was with his kitty-witch. They had been dating for over a year, but only a few months ago she had allowed him to start using the nickname normally reserved for only Blaise and Angel. Mike and Bobbi came strolling down the hall just then, pausing long enough only to deliver a short message to the huddled group.
"Dinner will be served shortly. See if you can find the dining room," Mike told them in passing, going in to tell the magick-users.
"What's being served?" Austin came out of his little world only when food was mentioned. The Tyler boys were definitely ruled by their stomachs.
"How should I know? Lyca, Ruby, and Tyrna chased almost everyone out of the kitchen," Bobbi whined, frustrated and bored from not doing something productive. Sage and Mike came out of the room, followed by the witches and the two vampires. The five teens in the hall fell into step behind them. After a few wrong turns they finally found the dining room. Everyone else was waiting for them. Acilacia was at one end of the table, Delvain on her left. Alex sat to the right of her, the Night Raiders next to him. At the other end sat Julian, Dahlia on his left. Angel was about to sit on his right when he stood up and offered her his chair.
"For you, my princess," he whispered softly, his breath warm on her neck. The two locked eyes and smiled.
"Thank you, Jules." She took a seat and looked at the table heaped with all sorts of food. Meat, salads, fruits, veggies, drinks, rolls, and a couple of iced cakes. "Dig in." The vampires and 'shifters gladly obliged her while Sage and Skye led the prayers for everyone else.
"Great Goddess, accept our prayers of thanks for the food we are about to partake of," they all said solemnly before reaching for their dinner.
"This is good," Alan praised, his mouth full of a sourdough roll. Faith looked up from across the table and smiled at him, her face brightening and making her look the fifteen years she was. He smiled back with all the innocence of a twelve year-old, even though he was seventeen.
"Chew with your mouth closed," Tyrna chided. As the oldest girl in the gang she had assumed the role of everyone's mother, seeing as how most of them didn't have parents anymore. Alan swallowed and then stuck his tongue out at her.
"Do that again and I'll wrap it around your head," Matt warned, his voice like a chill wind blowing through the room, causing a few people to shiver. If Tyrna was the group's mother, then Matthew was the father figure, even though Alex was the actual leader. But even he sometimes deferred to the two lamia. All three of them were eighteen, but Alex would forever be sixteen. The Night Raiders had existed for five years, and Alex had been in another gang, The Diablos, since he was thirteen. All of them were street-smart and incredibly tough fighters, even Amy, a three-year vamp.
"Sorry," Alan apologized softly. While he and Matt didn't always see eye-to-eye, they often depended on each other for survival. Although only a year apart, Matt had raised his little brother since the deaths of their parents twelve years ago. Survival had been one reason why Angel had created the gang. Family was another.
"Kat, could you kindly explain the reason you were so excited earlier?" Angel abruptly asked as all eyes turned to the small blonde. She swallowed a bite of peach and thought about how to word her answer.
"You said something about Daylight and Darkness. I think it might fit the first part of the prophecy."
"How?" Blaise wondered, wanting to enjoy her meal without worrying about the stupid prophecy.
"The part about "When Darkness rises and Light descends" struck me as odd. And then Angel cleared it up when she used the nicknames for Midnight and Daybreak." Silence settled over the room while everyone processed the information.
"Circle Midnight is down in their underground safehouse, and Circle Daybreak is camped on the valley ridge," Jason stated.
"When the Millenium War begins, CM will come up to ground level and CD will head down to the valley floor," Daemon added.
"We're sitting on a powder keg," Derrick realized, a shiver going up his spine. Everyone started talking at once, the noise steadily increasing to intolerable levels.
"We have to get out of here!" Leah advised.
"No, we must stay and fight," Alex argued.
"We'll be killed!" Moonlight wailed forlornly.
"Don't be stupid. We can beat them," Kalli chided her sister.
"Hell no, we won't go!" Poppy proclaimed. The arguing continued for a few minutes more until no one could even hear themselves think.
"ENOUGH!" Acilacia roared, her voice carrying over the din. As they all shut their mouths and sat down, Angel stared at the woman, blinking her eyes in astonishment.
"Wow Acil, you're louder than me." She knew it sounded really lame, but it just sort of popped out. Blaise, Marik, and Austin snickered at her comment, but a glare from her gray eyes silenced them.
"Now that you ladies have our full attention, what are we going to do about this situation?" Delvain asked seriously. He and a few others had remained silent while everyone else had argued. Angel closed her eyes and massaged her temples, trying to alleviate the ache in her skull. Too much was happening at once.
"All the different groups will meet right after dinner. Discuss whether you want to stay or go."
"Anyone who wants to leave should do so tonight, before the Night World learns we're here," Acil added. Dinner was finished in silence, after which they cleared the table and followed their respective leaders to different areas of the base. Circle Starlight met in the computer room so the security cameras could be monitored.
"Why are we in here, Angel?" Peter asked. She turned to stare at him, her crimson mouth set in a tight line.
"Just shut-up, Peter! All of you sit down and shut the fuck up!" Amber noticed she was shaking and looked unusually pale. A tightening in her own chest alerted her to a serious problem.
"Angel, I think we need to feed."
"That's not why I'm upset," came the clipped reply.
"It's been almost twenty-four hours," Marik brought up.
"Fine, but I won't feel any better," Angel warned. She turned to Julian and grabbed him firmly by the shoulders. He felt her warm breath and the quick wetness of her tongue on his neck as she searched for the right spot. Angel felt her canines extend to needle-like points as she struck. Julian's blood was life and darkness, sweet as candy and intoxicating like too much fine wine. It warmed her veins and sent energy coursing through her entire body. She could even touch his mind; exploring his dark points and red curves, feeling his thoughts and emotions like they were own. After a few minutes she let go with a last kiss, licking the blood off her lips.
"How do you feel?" he wondered, running his lips along her neck and laying feather-light kisses on her warm throat, running his teeth and tongue over the pulsing vein.
"Better." Amber pulled way from Daemon, her smile a little obscured by a line of blood trickling down her mouth.
"I won't say it," she promised, a smile lighting up her eyes. Derrick fell heavily against Sage, the potency of 'shifter blood making him light- headed with too much power.
"I'm giving up humans," he vowed, liking the feeling of ecstasy that had wrapped itself around his body. Marik and Jason lifted him to his feet, the wolf wincing as Derrick's limp arm hit the healing fang marks on his left wrist. Sage had a matching pair on his right wrist. Austin wasn't feeding on Kat anymore, but his mouth was still locked over her throat. He slowly traveled upward until his mouth met hers in a possessive kiss. Everyone watched as the couple remained in that position for a while.
"Breathe guys," Ruby laughingly ordered.
"Someone got get the "Jaws of Life" quick," Peter teased.
'Very funny,' Kat shot back silently.
'Cute. Real cute,' Austin added. Blaise stood right behind him, feeling the sexual energy build to a climax. She lived for moments like this. Kat abruptly broke off the kiss, leaning her head against Austin's chest and feeling his heart pound against her ear.
"You okay?"
"I'm great," he assured her, trying to slow down his breathing.
"Perhaps we should discuss what we're doing," Sage pointed out. Marik frowned a little at the suggestion.
"What's there to discuss?" Angel raised one eyebrow and looked at each of her group members.
"Does Marik speak for everyone?" Julian wanted to know. They all looked at each other and nodded, intent on staying till the end.
"We've come too far to go back now," Jason spoke up.
"But will we respect anyone who wants to leave?" Daemon thoughtfully asked.
"You won't have to worry about that, honey," Rain answered from the doorway. They followed her back into the dining room where everyone else was gathered again.
"We're all staying," Lyca told them. Angel nodded, a shadow of a smile passing across her face.
"So are we." Poppy clapped her hands while Crystal yawned, her eyelids threatening to close over her cork-brown eyes.
"Maybe we should all get some sleep," Kalli suggested as she gave her baby sister a noogie. Moonlight giggled at her siblings, glad she wasn't the youngest anymore. Kalli was seventeen, she fifteen, and little Crystal had only recently become a teenager. If their parents had ever been disappointed with three girls and no sons, they had never shown it.
"Good idea. I'm exhausted," Luke added.
"What did you do today?" Melody sarcastically asked as everyone walked out and headed to the rooms. The four rooms were like those you would find in a hostel. Two rooms were joined by a bathroom on either side of the hall. Circle Starlight, the four CM girls, and the Night Raiders took over one room, each person claiming a bed, cot, or mattress for themselves. Julian was sandwiched on a bed between Angel and Blaise, enjoying the surroundings immensely. Alex and Amy snuggled into a cot, and Austin and Kat followed their example. Tyrna and Matt pushed two mattresses together and slept with their arms around each other. Derrick and Alan fell asleep on a double bed. Sage shifted and slept at the foot of Leah's cot, designating himself guard dog for the night. Amber lay her head on Daemon's chest, Marik and Jason on either side of her. The four of them fit very comfortably on three large mattresses. Lyca was asleep on a mattress in between Skye and Dahlia, who were both in cots. Peter and Ruby were in another double bed, cuddled up in their animal forms.
"Sweet dreams," Dahlia called out as Skye flicked off the lights with minor concentration. Everyone fell asleep quickly, hoping for a restful night.
* * *
Blaise couldn't breathe. There wasn't any air left in the room. She opened her eyes but couldn't see anything. There was only a silent darkness which pressed in upon her, squeezing the remaining air out of her lungs. Trying not to scream, she thrust her arms upward, only to hit solid wood a few inches past her face. Now she started to panic, but tried hard to suppress the hopelessness that was welling up inside of her. 'Calm down, girl. Just relax and get yourself out of here,' she mentally ordered. With a sudden burst of strength she pushed on the wooden cover, hearing metal give way as the locks snapped. Now she could sit up, but it was still too dark to see. Reaching carefully over her head she felt a slab of concrete right above her. This time she kicked out, using her powerful legs to move the slab. But as she did so, dirt came crashing down on her, cutting off the last of her air. 'I've been buried alive,' she thought, frantically clawing her way to the surface. At last she saw moonlight and breathed in the crisp night air. With a final surge, she thrust the top half of her body out of the earth and cried joyously: "I'm free!"…
Blaise sat up gasping for air and feeling the cold sweat running down her body. Julian was awake beside her.
"What's wrong, my fire?" he asked worriedly, seeing her death-white face. Blaise only smiled and lightly kissed him, getting her cool back now.
"Nothing Jules, just a bad dream. Go back to sleep." She sat there for a while longer listening to the others' breathing and occasionally snoring. "At least, I hope it was just a dream," she whispered in a sort of prayer before lying down again and going back to sleep.
Julian walked out of the shadows towards the tired crew, his moonlight hair glowing softly in the darkness. "Is everyone here, my angel?"
"Well if they're not, I can't worry about it."
"Everyone's here," Amber assured her. She had written down the number of people in her book, and had counted them when they stepped off the elevator. A few of the girls went off exploring while Julie took Patrick on a search for the circuit breaker.
"Hey Daybreakers, can I ask you a question?" Blaise suddenly asked, shattering the quiet that some sleeping people had been enjoying. Kalli shrugged and gave her a little half-smile.
"Sure." A heavy silence filled the air for a few minutes as Blaise figured out how to phrase her question.
"Is Thea still hell-bent on fighting CM?" Thea Harman was Blaise's cousin, their mothers having been sisters. But when they had passed into the next world, the two little girls were raised as sisters, the most important bond to a witch. They had once been together in CD, but Blaise chose to go with CM, and had finally switched over to CS. Thea had remained in Daybreak with her soulmate Eric Ross.
"You mean she didn't tell you?" Kalli asked, a little surprised.
"Tell me what?"
"Eric took Thea to Australia so they could study the wombat population, or something like that. They'll be down there for a few months. Truthfully, I just think Eric couldn't bear the possibility of losing his soulmate." Blaise was thankful that her "sister" was safe, but upset because she hadn't told her.
"Well, at least she's safe. I'll just beat her up later for not telling me." The lights came on right then, waking up the last of the sleepers.
"Morning already?" Daemon wondered, rubbing his eyes. Amber rolled over from her position on his chest and cat-stretched.
"No, we probably only got a few minutes of sleep." She looked over at the Tylers and smiled at the scene. Marik and Austin were leaning back-to- back, eyes closed in peaceful slumber. Kat was snuggled against Austin's side, his arm around her waist. Jason was curled into a furry ball, his head on Marik's legs. The lamia had his hand on the wolf's back, petting him every now and then while the two slept.
"Let's let them sleep," Dahlia advised, a tiny smile on her lips. Julie and Patrick returned, proud of themselves for turning on the electricity. Dahlia, Angel, Alex, and Acilacia pulled the ex-Hunter to the side so the various group leaders could discuss their options.
"What accommodations can this cave offer?" Acilacia got right to the point, although her tone made it clear she would not be reduced to living in a cave, even one with electricity.
"Well, it's not exactly a five-star hotel, but there are sleeping quarters. This is only the front section of our headquarters. The rest is heated and resembles the Circle Midnight facility," Julie politely replied. Respecting elders had taken on a new meaning for her since joining the Night World. Especially since most of her elders could wipe her out just by blinking if they chose to do so.
"You have food and water here?" Alex asked, being practical for once. He was usually one to maim first, ask questions later.
"There's an underground stream which feeds into a lake. There's also a kitchen and pantry, but I doubt any of the food is still good after a few years of no one being here."
"Gee, good thing we came prepared," Angel mused as Alex just glared at her for a moment.
"What about a security system?" Dahlia wanted to know. Julie crooked her finger at the four, so they followed her down a small hallway and through a stone archway. A huge computer system was set up and waiting for a command. TVs showed pictures of both the outside and inside of their new headquarters.
"That's our security system, built by our best technicians. An alarm will sound if we need to clear out of here. Any other questions?" Acilacia raised her hand, pointing to the computer.
"Yes. Do you know how to work this?.. Machine?" A blush crept into Julie's cheeks, giving them an answer.
"I'll go get my little hackers," Angel told them, walking back down the hall to the others. "Amber, Marik, and Austin, get your asses into the computer room and figure out how to work it. Blaise, you and Kitten find all the witches and start decoding that prophecy. Sage, you're with them. Dahlia, see if you can organize the 'shifters into patrol units while I do the same with the vamps. Now move!" A flurry of activity began after the young princess' orders were given. The three computer experts went off to play with their new toy. Every witch, plus Sage, went on a hunt for their books and notes. Amy went with them, leaving the rest of the Night Raiders to report for spy duty. Meanwhile, Dahlia divided her people into patrolling units. Acilacia watched in fascination as Angel ordered all the vampires into teams, noting the way she didn't take "no" for an answer.
'She could be my daughter, if only she were a few thousand years older,' the green-eyed woman laughingly thought. Acil's own mother had been the goddess Isis, while her father was a dragon shape-shifter. In Egypt, the young Luna -that was what her race was called, there being other half- goddesses. The half-gods were called Lunes- enjoyed the status of a living goddess. That was before Hunter Redfern had showed up with his sweet promises of guaranteed immortality. For the Lunas and Lunes were not truly immortal, only partially, so they would age and eventually die. She had given herself to him as his soulmate and wife. But as always, good things never last. Hunter divorced her and then had four daughters with Maeve Harman: Garnet, Lily, Dove, and Roseclear. Poor Dove had been killed in the sixteen hundred's trying to protect a human-turned-vampire boy that she loved, and Roseclear had been raised as a witch, to Hunter's dismay. Lily had died almost six months ago at the hands of a Wild Power, while Garnet had died of old age. She had simply chosen to move on into the next world. Acilacia came out of her daydreaming to see Angel in front of her.
"Acilacia, I need your help with something," the blue-eyed teen said softly, like she didn't want anyone else to hear her.
"What is it, my child? And please, call me Acil."
"Can you take charge of the patrol teams outside while I handle the groups inside the compound?" Angel knew the older woman could sense she didn't like sharing authority. The Egyptian Luna smiled softly at the young Redfern, marveling at her.
"Of course." She started to walk away towards the elevator, but stopped and turned around again. "Your grandmother would be very proud of you. And your father would burst with pride to see what kind of a leader he raised." Garnet and her elder son, Pierce, had kept in contact with Acil until their respective deaths. She did miss them, and felt compassion for Angel, who had grown up with no parents. Not that it had affected the sharp teenager, as she was a tough lamia and a good leader. Angel only nodded at her statement, betraying no more of her emotions. When she looked up again, Acil was gone and she was alone in the damp hallway.
"We try and stay neutral and look what happens. We get into a fucking war with the Night World!" She kicked the rock wall in anger, causing some rocks to fall from the ceiling.
"Um Angel, is this a bad time?" Amber softly asked, coming up from behind her friend.
"What now?" Even though she hoped there was nothing seriously wrong, Angel knew the Chronicler would only come to her when there was a big problem. Amber pulled her into the computer room where Austin was feverishly typing commands into the system while Marik stood at another console, his eyes glued to the TV screens.
"Marik, what's the situation?" Amber asked, tugging lightly on his shirt. The older boy turned around and adjusted the earpiece of the small transmitter he wore. The microphone was near his mouth so he could easily communicate with the groups out in the valley.
"Circle Midnight isn't our only problem," he began, pointing to a few of the screens. Cars and vans were winding their way into the valley, and tents were popping up in the woods. "Circle Daybreak is here too. The party just got bigger." Angel paced up and down, which was unusual. She always had a laissez-faire attitude about everything. If Angel Amethyst Redfern was upset over the situation, things must be bad.
"We're in," Austin called out, breaking Marik and Amber out of the trance which Angel's pacing had put them in.
"In what?" Angel asked as she stopped walking back and forth.
"I hacked into the CM computer. We have access to anything they do." He had a big grin on his face, quite pleased with himself.
"Don't get a swell head," Angel warned as she left the room. She smiled at the young man to let him know he had done a good job. Marik grinned and turned back to watch the groups in the field.
'Austin get a swell head? Perish the thought,' he said silently to Amber, who giggled softly.
'I heard that,' Austin shot back. Laughing at her two friends, the Ice Princess took a seat next to Marik, donning her own transmitter.
"This is Ground Base calling Eagle Eye. Please respond, Eagle Eye," she broadcast, wanting to know where Raven and Lilli were.
"Eagle Eye calling Ground Base. Nothing but cars and tents in Sunshine Land," Lilli replied, her falcon-talk being translated into English by a wonderful device invented by Dr. Leo Brunswick, a 'shifter scientist. Boy, if humans ever knew, animals would be in trouble. They would be hounded by humans just to hear them speak.
"Pride One calling Ground Base. Come in Ground Base," Peter's voice crackled to life.
"Go ahead Pride One," Marik answered, trying to find them with the cameras. He finally saw the lion, tiger, mountain lion, bobcat, and two panthers. Teia, Jezabell, Bobbi, and Mike had joined up with Peter and Dahlia, realizing there was safety in numbers.
"You would not believe how many bats are here in Dark Ground," Dahlia told them.
"And a whole bunch of furballs," Teia added.
"Don't forget all the wart-noses," Mike brought up with a chuckle.
"Austin, run a roster check of CM members. Get everything you can," Amber ordered as he got right to work. She smiled at the thought of what the witches would say if they had heard Mike using the code name "wart- noses" to describe their kin.
"Pride Two, this is Ground Base, please report," Marik called over the airways, wondering where they were.
"This is Pride Two. We've scouted the hippie camp and are returning to Ground Base," Ruby replied. She and Lyca had taken Jason and Jake to do ground work on the Daybreakers.
"Eagle Eye and Pride One, this is GB. Request you return home for the night," Amber said to the others.
"Eagle Eye is coming," Raven stated, happy to be heading back.
"This is Pride One. We're on our way," Bobbi added as she bounced around in front of one camera. The three vampires laughed at her, although they kept an eye on the other screens. Ten minutes later the three 'shifter groups were down in the cave. Acilacia led the other vamps into the elevator, all of them having guarded the cabin while the 'shifters were out and about. Luke and Alex went in search of Melody and Amy, wondering what they were up to.
"We're in here, Alex!" Amy called out, seeing them pass in the hall. The room they were in had cots, beds, and mattresses all over the place. Closets took up one whole wall, and a far door led into a full bathroom.
"You witches really made yourselves at home," Luke teased as he looked at the books and papers strewn all over the place.
"Yeah, looks kinda like your room," Melody shot back.
"What have you deciphered so far?" Angel asked from the doorway, pulling on her white peasant-blouse so it left her tan shoulders bare. She sat down next to Kat in lotus position, something she could do even in denim bellbottoms. Her graceful body never ceased to amaze her.
"This is harder than it looks, Angel," Daemon informed her.
"I don't want excuses, Daemon. I want results."
"Well, we got one part figured out," Faith told her, thin voice cracking and muddy-brown eyes wide and a little fearful. Her black hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail.
"You'll have to excuse Faith. She's a recently-found lost witch," Dagan explained, giving her cousin a small hug.
"What part did you figure out?" Angel asked gently, more to calm Faith than anything else.
"The part about "Twilight has fallen" might mean Circle Twilight," Skye replied, looking up from her notes.
"But the Old-Souls disagree," Blaise added in disgust, clearly unhappy with Leah and Sage.
"If CT was meant to be in the prophecy, it would've been mentioned in the beginning," Leah clarified.
"Circle Twilight was dissolved a few months before the Crone was killed. She wouldn't have put a non-existent Circle into her prophecy," Sage added, backing up his friend.
"So what do you two think it means?" Alex wanted to know. Leah shrugged and looked at her scribbled notes.
"I think it means that this battle will take place at twilight."
"You've been at this how many hours and you think that's what it means? I don't believe this!" Angel yelled, standing up and walking out of the room. Kat followed, not fully understanding the reason for her best friend's sudden outburst.
"Ang', what's wrong?"
"I don't know! Ever since Daylight and Darkness showed up, I've been a real bitch. And don't you dare throw that back at me." Kat was standing with her mouth open like she was in shock. "What's wrong?"
"Daylight and Darkness. Angel, you're a genius!" she squealed, getting all hysterical.
"Kat, what're you screaming about?" Amber wondered as she and the Tylers came running down the hall.
"We thought you were in trouble," Austin explained, taking her hand.
"Actually, Austin thought you were in trouble," Marik clarified, shooting a look at his brother. Austin ignored him, his senses tuning out the rest of the world because now he was with his kitty-witch. They had been dating for over a year, but only a few months ago she had allowed him to start using the nickname normally reserved for only Blaise and Angel. Mike and Bobbi came strolling down the hall just then, pausing long enough only to deliver a short message to the huddled group.
"Dinner will be served shortly. See if you can find the dining room," Mike told them in passing, going in to tell the magick-users.
"What's being served?" Austin came out of his little world only when food was mentioned. The Tyler boys were definitely ruled by their stomachs.
"How should I know? Lyca, Ruby, and Tyrna chased almost everyone out of the kitchen," Bobbi whined, frustrated and bored from not doing something productive. Sage and Mike came out of the room, followed by the witches and the two vampires. The five teens in the hall fell into step behind them. After a few wrong turns they finally found the dining room. Everyone else was waiting for them. Acilacia was at one end of the table, Delvain on her left. Alex sat to the right of her, the Night Raiders next to him. At the other end sat Julian, Dahlia on his left. Angel was about to sit on his right when he stood up and offered her his chair.
"For you, my princess," he whispered softly, his breath warm on her neck. The two locked eyes and smiled.
"Thank you, Jules." She took a seat and looked at the table heaped with all sorts of food. Meat, salads, fruits, veggies, drinks, rolls, and a couple of iced cakes. "Dig in." The vampires and 'shifters gladly obliged her while Sage and Skye led the prayers for everyone else.
"Great Goddess, accept our prayers of thanks for the food we are about to partake of," they all said solemnly before reaching for their dinner.
"This is good," Alan praised, his mouth full of a sourdough roll. Faith looked up from across the table and smiled at him, her face brightening and making her look the fifteen years she was. He smiled back with all the innocence of a twelve year-old, even though he was seventeen.
"Chew with your mouth closed," Tyrna chided. As the oldest girl in the gang she had assumed the role of everyone's mother, seeing as how most of them didn't have parents anymore. Alan swallowed and then stuck his tongue out at her.
"Do that again and I'll wrap it around your head," Matt warned, his voice like a chill wind blowing through the room, causing a few people to shiver. If Tyrna was the group's mother, then Matthew was the father figure, even though Alex was the actual leader. But even he sometimes deferred to the two lamia. All three of them were eighteen, but Alex would forever be sixteen. The Night Raiders had existed for five years, and Alex had been in another gang, The Diablos, since he was thirteen. All of them were street-smart and incredibly tough fighters, even Amy, a three-year vamp.
"Sorry," Alan apologized softly. While he and Matt didn't always see eye-to-eye, they often depended on each other for survival. Although only a year apart, Matt had raised his little brother since the deaths of their parents twelve years ago. Survival had been one reason why Angel had created the gang. Family was another.
"Kat, could you kindly explain the reason you were so excited earlier?" Angel abruptly asked as all eyes turned to the small blonde. She swallowed a bite of peach and thought about how to word her answer.
"You said something about Daylight and Darkness. I think it might fit the first part of the prophecy."
"How?" Blaise wondered, wanting to enjoy her meal without worrying about the stupid prophecy.
"The part about "When Darkness rises and Light descends" struck me as odd. And then Angel cleared it up when she used the nicknames for Midnight and Daybreak." Silence settled over the room while everyone processed the information.
"Circle Midnight is down in their underground safehouse, and Circle Daybreak is camped on the valley ridge," Jason stated.
"When the Millenium War begins, CM will come up to ground level and CD will head down to the valley floor," Daemon added.
"We're sitting on a powder keg," Derrick realized, a shiver going up his spine. Everyone started talking at once, the noise steadily increasing to intolerable levels.
"We have to get out of here!" Leah advised.
"No, we must stay and fight," Alex argued.
"We'll be killed!" Moonlight wailed forlornly.
"Don't be stupid. We can beat them," Kalli chided her sister.
"Hell no, we won't go!" Poppy proclaimed. The arguing continued for a few minutes more until no one could even hear themselves think.
"ENOUGH!" Acilacia roared, her voice carrying over the din. As they all shut their mouths and sat down, Angel stared at the woman, blinking her eyes in astonishment.
"Wow Acil, you're louder than me." She knew it sounded really lame, but it just sort of popped out. Blaise, Marik, and Austin snickered at her comment, but a glare from her gray eyes silenced them.
"Now that you ladies have our full attention, what are we going to do about this situation?" Delvain asked seriously. He and a few others had remained silent while everyone else had argued. Angel closed her eyes and massaged her temples, trying to alleviate the ache in her skull. Too much was happening at once.
"All the different groups will meet right after dinner. Discuss whether you want to stay or go."
"Anyone who wants to leave should do so tonight, before the Night World learns we're here," Acil added. Dinner was finished in silence, after which they cleared the table and followed their respective leaders to different areas of the base. Circle Starlight met in the computer room so the security cameras could be monitored.
"Why are we in here, Angel?" Peter asked. She turned to stare at him, her crimson mouth set in a tight line.
"Just shut-up, Peter! All of you sit down and shut the fuck up!" Amber noticed she was shaking and looked unusually pale. A tightening in her own chest alerted her to a serious problem.
"Angel, I think we need to feed."
"That's not why I'm upset," came the clipped reply.
"It's been almost twenty-four hours," Marik brought up.
"Fine, but I won't feel any better," Angel warned. She turned to Julian and grabbed him firmly by the shoulders. He felt her warm breath and the quick wetness of her tongue on his neck as she searched for the right spot. Angel felt her canines extend to needle-like points as she struck. Julian's blood was life and darkness, sweet as candy and intoxicating like too much fine wine. It warmed her veins and sent energy coursing through her entire body. She could even touch his mind; exploring his dark points and red curves, feeling his thoughts and emotions like they were own. After a few minutes she let go with a last kiss, licking the blood off her lips.
"How do you feel?" he wondered, running his lips along her neck and laying feather-light kisses on her warm throat, running his teeth and tongue over the pulsing vein.
"Better." Amber pulled way from Daemon, her smile a little obscured by a line of blood trickling down her mouth.
"I won't say it," she promised, a smile lighting up her eyes. Derrick fell heavily against Sage, the potency of 'shifter blood making him light- headed with too much power.
"I'm giving up humans," he vowed, liking the feeling of ecstasy that had wrapped itself around his body. Marik and Jason lifted him to his feet, the wolf wincing as Derrick's limp arm hit the healing fang marks on his left wrist. Sage had a matching pair on his right wrist. Austin wasn't feeding on Kat anymore, but his mouth was still locked over her throat. He slowly traveled upward until his mouth met hers in a possessive kiss. Everyone watched as the couple remained in that position for a while.
"Breathe guys," Ruby laughingly ordered.
"Someone got get the "Jaws of Life" quick," Peter teased.
'Very funny,' Kat shot back silently.
'Cute. Real cute,' Austin added. Blaise stood right behind him, feeling the sexual energy build to a climax. She lived for moments like this. Kat abruptly broke off the kiss, leaning her head against Austin's chest and feeling his heart pound against her ear.
"You okay?"
"I'm great," he assured her, trying to slow down his breathing.
"Perhaps we should discuss what we're doing," Sage pointed out. Marik frowned a little at the suggestion.
"What's there to discuss?" Angel raised one eyebrow and looked at each of her group members.
"Does Marik speak for everyone?" Julian wanted to know. They all looked at each other and nodded, intent on staying till the end.
"We've come too far to go back now," Jason spoke up.
"But will we respect anyone who wants to leave?" Daemon thoughtfully asked.
"You won't have to worry about that, honey," Rain answered from the doorway. They followed her back into the dining room where everyone else was gathered again.
"We're all staying," Lyca told them. Angel nodded, a shadow of a smile passing across her face.
"So are we." Poppy clapped her hands while Crystal yawned, her eyelids threatening to close over her cork-brown eyes.
"Maybe we should all get some sleep," Kalli suggested as she gave her baby sister a noogie. Moonlight giggled at her siblings, glad she wasn't the youngest anymore. Kalli was seventeen, she fifteen, and little Crystal had only recently become a teenager. If their parents had ever been disappointed with three girls and no sons, they had never shown it.
"Good idea. I'm exhausted," Luke added.
"What did you do today?" Melody sarcastically asked as everyone walked out and headed to the rooms. The four rooms were like those you would find in a hostel. Two rooms were joined by a bathroom on either side of the hall. Circle Starlight, the four CM girls, and the Night Raiders took over one room, each person claiming a bed, cot, or mattress for themselves. Julian was sandwiched on a bed between Angel and Blaise, enjoying the surroundings immensely. Alex and Amy snuggled into a cot, and Austin and Kat followed their example. Tyrna and Matt pushed two mattresses together and slept with their arms around each other. Derrick and Alan fell asleep on a double bed. Sage shifted and slept at the foot of Leah's cot, designating himself guard dog for the night. Amber lay her head on Daemon's chest, Marik and Jason on either side of her. The four of them fit very comfortably on three large mattresses. Lyca was asleep on a mattress in between Skye and Dahlia, who were both in cots. Peter and Ruby were in another double bed, cuddled up in their animal forms.
"Sweet dreams," Dahlia called out as Skye flicked off the lights with minor concentration. Everyone fell asleep quickly, hoping for a restful night.
* * *
Blaise couldn't breathe. There wasn't any air left in the room. She opened her eyes but couldn't see anything. There was only a silent darkness which pressed in upon her, squeezing the remaining air out of her lungs. Trying not to scream, she thrust her arms upward, only to hit solid wood a few inches past her face. Now she started to panic, but tried hard to suppress the hopelessness that was welling up inside of her. 'Calm down, girl. Just relax and get yourself out of here,' she mentally ordered. With a sudden burst of strength she pushed on the wooden cover, hearing metal give way as the locks snapped. Now she could sit up, but it was still too dark to see. Reaching carefully over her head she felt a slab of concrete right above her. This time she kicked out, using her powerful legs to move the slab. But as she did so, dirt came crashing down on her, cutting off the last of her air. 'I've been buried alive,' she thought, frantically clawing her way to the surface. At last she saw moonlight and breathed in the crisp night air. With a final surge, she thrust the top half of her body out of the earth and cried joyously: "I'm free!"…
Blaise sat up gasping for air and feeling the cold sweat running down her body. Julian was awake beside her.
"What's wrong, my fire?" he asked worriedly, seeing her death-white face. Blaise only smiled and lightly kissed him, getting her cool back now.
"Nothing Jules, just a bad dream. Go back to sleep." She sat there for a while longer listening to the others' breathing and occasionally snoring. "At least, I hope it was just a dream," she whispered in a sort of prayer before lying down again and going back to sleep.