The meeting
The first stop we made was at Madelyn's house to pick her up. I was disappointed Damon wasn't there. Next we stopped at Joan's estate to pickup cash to spend that night. Then we went to the discreet little pub/dance club.
Madelyn and Joan rushed me inside so quickly; I didn't even get the name of the place.
Inside the sounds of trance music blared from speakers along with a few of the patrons playing panpipes and bongos around the bar area.
Joan danced toward a booth with Madelyn and I following a short distance behind.
"Maddy'll have a root beer float, I'll have a Virgin Mary." Joan told the waitress a moment later as they sat down.
"Angel what would you like?" Madelyn asked trying to coax me to speak.
I shrugged and looked away. I wish I could have one of those frozen mochas Morigan drinks, I thought silently.
"A frozen mocha for the angel." Damon said sliding in beside me as Julian slid beside Madelyn on the other side.
The waitress gave Damon a flirty smile and left with their orders.
"Was that what you wanted?" Joan asked me.
I was trembling and pale with anticipation but turned a frightened gaze to Joan and nodded.
"Stefan is coming for Madelyn's graduation." Julian said casually. "He's bringing Elena and Bonnie with him."
Damon continued watching me and replied, "Am I supposed to care?"
"No, I thought you'd like to know."
A moment of silence passed between everyone.
"Is Rob and the others coming to graduation too?" Madelyn asked breaking the silence.
"He said to expect him." Julian replied glancing in my direction. Why do these guys have to stare at me!
"That's great." Madelyn said as their drinks came.
My tension eased some as my mocha was placed before me. I directed my full attention to it and tried to forget who was sitting next to me.
"I haven't introduced Angel to you." Madelyn exclaimed sipping her float. "Angel the gentleman beside you is Damon Salvatore. Damon meet Angel Taliesin."
I ignored Damon and continued to sip my mocha.
"Guess she likes the drink." Joan said wryly.
I looked up briefly, nodded my head and returned my full attention to my drink.
"Guess that answers that question." Julian commented, "Hey Angel, want another mocha after you get done with that one?"
I glanced up at him and quickly returned my attention to the mocha. Boy was he hot! So was Damon, in a dark vampire sort of way.
"I think she's trying to ignore Damon." Joan announced, "She's usually friendly to everyone."
"Who wouldn't ignore a vampire." Julian retorted.
"Ha ha, very funny, Julie." Damon replied as I saw my chance.
Before Julian could reply, Madelyn cried, "Don't start you two."
"He started it." Julian exclaimed as I slowly pushed my drink away from me
"Don't be such a baby, Jules." Damon said with a yawn as I slowly lifted a foot up.
"Don't call me Jules, Salvatore." Julian warned as I slipped a stake out from under my pant leg where it had been taped.
"Would you both stop arguing?" Madelyn demanded as I eased my foot back down, and kept the stake hid from view under the table.
"Please?" Joan begged.
I returned to drinking my mocha, covertly watching for the right moment to strike.
"I'm not arguing. " Damon said casually "How can one engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person."
I hid a smile. He was funny, too bad he had to die.
"Damon stop messing with Julian." Madelyn told as she held Julian down.
Damon gave a fleeting smile, "If you *really* want me to."
Madelyn sighed and started drinking her float.
"So Joan, what are you going to do after graduation?" Julian inquired.
Joan yawned, "Not much, intern at father's company. Party in the Bahamas, maybe tour Italy."
"You must visit the Uffizi Palace if you go." Damon told her.
Julian smirked, "What do you know about art?"
"I know there are many nudes."
"You are such a …" Madelyn began and searched for the right insult.
"Man." Joan filled in.
Damon's laugh was cut short as I drove the stake into his side. Instinctively, Damon grabbed the stake as I kicked him out of the booth and rolled out after him.
Madelyn and Julian were froze with shock at the transformation the meek girl went through. I was crouched in a defensive position. My eyes were seeing everything around me, watching for danger.
My face was the most startling change. Where once there were only shy expressions and eyes that looked far away, there was an expression of fierceness and eyes direct and cold as ice.
"What's wrong with her?" Joan whispered in the suddenly silent pub.
"She's like another person." Madelyn said stunned.
"She's not who she appears to be." Damon replied through gritted teeth. "I've touched her mind several times since I sat down."
One of the other patrons edged toward me and in a blink of an eye was sent sailing across the pub.
"There's got to be an explanation for this change." Madelyn said
"Who cares about explanations, we got to calm this chick down!" Joan shouted.
Julian carefully rose out of the booth and edged toward me, "Angel, calm down. No one's here to hurt you. We can talk this out."
I smirked and thought yeah right
"Julian, let me try." Madelyn told him and then addressed me, "Angie, wow you're a vampire slayer."
I smiled coldly and nodded.
"You don't know Damon very well, do you?" when I didn't respond Madelyn continued, "Damon's my friend, like you are."
I nodded and Madelyn took it as a good sign.
"You wanted to protect me didn't you?"
I nodded. Give the girl a cigar.
"You don't need to. Damon saved my life, sort of."
Suddenly I sensed something wasn't right at home. I sent my mind out and touched Branton's. Fear clouded his surroundings but not the voice he heard.
"Come out Branton, or do you want me to capture your wife instead." A sinister silky voice purred.
I let my guard down for one instant and in that moment Julian tackled me to the ground. I struggled against his iron grip and we were evenly matched. That is until Damon jumped into the fray and together they pinned me to the ground.
Someone chuckled and boot clad feet came into my view. I looked up and saw skintight blue jeans and a billowing shirt that looked like it once belong to a pirate. Shoulder length light brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Ice blue eyes I only saw on a husky looked down at us with amusement.
Julian and Damon looked up and loosened their grip enough for me to sit up to ram an elbow into Damon's gut.
Damon knocked me on my back as Julian stood and addressed the mysterious gentleman.
"Keegan, what are you doing here?"
"Watching you and your drinking partner play with her." He replied barely glancing at me and then frowned, "Does Madelyn know what you're doing?"
"I'm right here." Madelyn said as I sat up, "And he was trying to disarm Angel there."
Keegan had a faint smile on his face, "I know I'm a bit out of the times but I didn't know they call *it* disarming." He shrugged, "Though if you look at it, sex is a disarming."
"You're sick." Joan snapped, "Tell us what the heck yer doing here or buzz off."
Keegan's face darkened menacing and I took up a defensive position. In a blink of an eye his mood changed to humor.
"Alright Riley, I'll tell. I'm here to invite everyone to a Game." He told, "Madelyn, Julian, Damon, Angel and *you* are the players."
"Why Angel?" Julian asked. Yeah, why me? I don't know this guy from Adam, I thought.
"Because I have her brother and I will continue collecting the Taliesin family until I have everyone." Keegan smiled sinisterly, "Unless.."
"Unless we play your Game and win." Julian finished for him.
"Correct. Here are the rules: I will say I spy something and you have to guess it. Here's the twist: it won't be something in the room. If you get it wrong, I get a member of the Taliesin family." Keegan told us. "If by next week you don't win, I get your newest friend and another person of my choice."
"How will we know the clues if what you spy isn't in the room? And how will we win?" Madelyn demanded. "It wouldn't be fair."
Keegan smiled devilishly, "Life isn't fair but I see your point." He looked at Damon and with a bright smile yanked the stake out of his gut. Damon hissed through extremely gritted teeth as Keegan continued.
"Each I spy pertains to the Taliesin family and is a clue to a puzzle. Collect all the clues and solve the puzzle and you win."
"And if we can't solve the clues, a member of Angel's family goes missing. I get it now." Madelyn said.
Keegan turned to leave but Julian stopped him.
"You do realize since you told us your name that Maddy can summon you." He told Keegan.
1 Keegan smirked, "That is if I was a full Shadow man, *Julie.*"
Julian scowled as Keegan continued, "You see, I can't be commanded by a person who knows my name."
"Meaning we're up a unsanitary tributary with inadequate transport." Joan murmured.
Keegan smiled, "That's one way of saying it."
"So when is this Game supposed to start?" Damon demanded.
"Now. I spy something dead." And then Keegan was gone.
"We're dead."
The first stop we made was at Madelyn's house to pick her up. I was disappointed Damon wasn't there. Next we stopped at Joan's estate to pickup cash to spend that night. Then we went to the discreet little pub/dance club.
Madelyn and Joan rushed me inside so quickly; I didn't even get the name of the place.
Inside the sounds of trance music blared from speakers along with a few of the patrons playing panpipes and bongos around the bar area.
Joan danced toward a booth with Madelyn and I following a short distance behind.
"Maddy'll have a root beer float, I'll have a Virgin Mary." Joan told the waitress a moment later as they sat down.
"Angel what would you like?" Madelyn asked trying to coax me to speak.
I shrugged and looked away. I wish I could have one of those frozen mochas Morigan drinks, I thought silently.
"A frozen mocha for the angel." Damon said sliding in beside me as Julian slid beside Madelyn on the other side.
The waitress gave Damon a flirty smile and left with their orders.
"Was that what you wanted?" Joan asked me.
I was trembling and pale with anticipation but turned a frightened gaze to Joan and nodded.
"Stefan is coming for Madelyn's graduation." Julian said casually. "He's bringing Elena and Bonnie with him."
Damon continued watching me and replied, "Am I supposed to care?"
"No, I thought you'd like to know."
A moment of silence passed between everyone.
"Is Rob and the others coming to graduation too?" Madelyn asked breaking the silence.
"He said to expect him." Julian replied glancing in my direction. Why do these guys have to stare at me!
"That's great." Madelyn said as their drinks came.
My tension eased some as my mocha was placed before me. I directed my full attention to it and tried to forget who was sitting next to me.
"I haven't introduced Angel to you." Madelyn exclaimed sipping her float. "Angel the gentleman beside you is Damon Salvatore. Damon meet Angel Taliesin."
I ignored Damon and continued to sip my mocha.
"Guess she likes the drink." Joan said wryly.
I looked up briefly, nodded my head and returned my full attention to my drink.
"Guess that answers that question." Julian commented, "Hey Angel, want another mocha after you get done with that one?"
I glanced up at him and quickly returned my attention to the mocha. Boy was he hot! So was Damon, in a dark vampire sort of way.
"I think she's trying to ignore Damon." Joan announced, "She's usually friendly to everyone."
"Who wouldn't ignore a vampire." Julian retorted.
"Ha ha, very funny, Julie." Damon replied as I saw my chance.
Before Julian could reply, Madelyn cried, "Don't start you two."
"He started it." Julian exclaimed as I slowly pushed my drink away from me
"Don't be such a baby, Jules." Damon said with a yawn as I slowly lifted a foot up.
"Don't call me Jules, Salvatore." Julian warned as I slipped a stake out from under my pant leg where it had been taped.
"Would you both stop arguing?" Madelyn demanded as I eased my foot back down, and kept the stake hid from view under the table.
"Please?" Joan begged.
I returned to drinking my mocha, covertly watching for the right moment to strike.
"I'm not arguing. " Damon said casually "How can one engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person."
I hid a smile. He was funny, too bad he had to die.
"Damon stop messing with Julian." Madelyn told as she held Julian down.
Damon gave a fleeting smile, "If you *really* want me to."
Madelyn sighed and started drinking her float.
"So Joan, what are you going to do after graduation?" Julian inquired.
Joan yawned, "Not much, intern at father's company. Party in the Bahamas, maybe tour Italy."
"You must visit the Uffizi Palace if you go." Damon told her.
Julian smirked, "What do you know about art?"
"I know there are many nudes."
"You are such a …" Madelyn began and searched for the right insult.
"Man." Joan filled in.
Damon's laugh was cut short as I drove the stake into his side. Instinctively, Damon grabbed the stake as I kicked him out of the booth and rolled out after him.
Madelyn and Julian were froze with shock at the transformation the meek girl went through. I was crouched in a defensive position. My eyes were seeing everything around me, watching for danger.
My face was the most startling change. Where once there were only shy expressions and eyes that looked far away, there was an expression of fierceness and eyes direct and cold as ice.
"What's wrong with her?" Joan whispered in the suddenly silent pub.
"She's like another person." Madelyn said stunned.
"She's not who she appears to be." Damon replied through gritted teeth. "I've touched her mind several times since I sat down."
One of the other patrons edged toward me and in a blink of an eye was sent sailing across the pub.
"There's got to be an explanation for this change." Madelyn said
"Who cares about explanations, we got to calm this chick down!" Joan shouted.
Julian carefully rose out of the booth and edged toward me, "Angel, calm down. No one's here to hurt you. We can talk this out."
I smirked and thought yeah right
"Julian, let me try." Madelyn told him and then addressed me, "Angie, wow you're a vampire slayer."
I smiled coldly and nodded.
"You don't know Damon very well, do you?" when I didn't respond Madelyn continued, "Damon's my friend, like you are."
I nodded and Madelyn took it as a good sign.
"You wanted to protect me didn't you?"
I nodded. Give the girl a cigar.
"You don't need to. Damon saved my life, sort of."
Suddenly I sensed something wasn't right at home. I sent my mind out and touched Branton's. Fear clouded his surroundings but not the voice he heard.
"Come out Branton, or do you want me to capture your wife instead." A sinister silky voice purred.
I let my guard down for one instant and in that moment Julian tackled me to the ground. I struggled against his iron grip and we were evenly matched. That is until Damon jumped into the fray and together they pinned me to the ground.
Someone chuckled and boot clad feet came into my view. I looked up and saw skintight blue jeans and a billowing shirt that looked like it once belong to a pirate. Shoulder length light brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Ice blue eyes I only saw on a husky looked down at us with amusement.
Julian and Damon looked up and loosened their grip enough for me to sit up to ram an elbow into Damon's gut.
Damon knocked me on my back as Julian stood and addressed the mysterious gentleman.
"Keegan, what are you doing here?"
"Watching you and your drinking partner play with her." He replied barely glancing at me and then frowned, "Does Madelyn know what you're doing?"
"I'm right here." Madelyn said as I sat up, "And he was trying to disarm Angel there."
Keegan had a faint smile on his face, "I know I'm a bit out of the times but I didn't know they call *it* disarming." He shrugged, "Though if you look at it, sex is a disarming."
"You're sick." Joan snapped, "Tell us what the heck yer doing here or buzz off."
Keegan's face darkened menacing and I took up a defensive position. In a blink of an eye his mood changed to humor.
"Alright Riley, I'll tell. I'm here to invite everyone to a Game." He told, "Madelyn, Julian, Damon, Angel and *you* are the players."
"Why Angel?" Julian asked. Yeah, why me? I don't know this guy from Adam, I thought.
"Because I have her brother and I will continue collecting the Taliesin family until I have everyone." Keegan smiled sinisterly, "Unless.."
"Unless we play your Game and win." Julian finished for him.
"Correct. Here are the rules: I will say I spy something and you have to guess it. Here's the twist: it won't be something in the room. If you get it wrong, I get a member of the Taliesin family." Keegan told us. "If by next week you don't win, I get your newest friend and another person of my choice."
"How will we know the clues if what you spy isn't in the room? And how will we win?" Madelyn demanded. "It wouldn't be fair."
Keegan smiled devilishly, "Life isn't fair but I see your point." He looked at Damon and with a bright smile yanked the stake out of his gut. Damon hissed through extremely gritted teeth as Keegan continued.
"Each I spy pertains to the Taliesin family and is a clue to a puzzle. Collect all the clues and solve the puzzle and you win."
"And if we can't solve the clues, a member of Angel's family goes missing. I get it now." Madelyn said.
Keegan turned to leave but Julian stopped him.
"You do realize since you told us your name that Maddy can summon you." He told Keegan.
1 Keegan smirked, "That is if I was a full Shadow man, *Julie.*"
Julian scowled as Keegan continued, "You see, I can't be commanded by a person who knows my name."
"Meaning we're up a unsanitary tributary with inadequate transport." Joan murmured.
Keegan smiled, "That's one way of saying it."
"So when is this Game supposed to start?" Damon demanded.
"Now. I spy something dead." And then Keegan was gone.
"We're dead."