Part 11
"Do we have any sort of plan for how we're going to handle this?" Elisabetta asked, scowling as Orion drove around the tiny Kansas town of Oak Hill. It was 9:15 on a Monday morning and there was hardly anyone about on the streets. There were only two schools - a high school and an elementary school, a few shops and very little else.
No one would ever guess there was a girl there with the power to save or destroy the world. But didn't towns like this usually have some sort of secret to cover up? Aliens landing, a psycho killer had been raised there, there was something *different* about some of the kids, they had three headed dogs or whatever the hell else. She couldn't possibly begin to imagine living in a place like this.
"Not really," Orion said, pausing at a red light. "I thought we'd just cruise around and see what the town is like. Spy on her today, see where she stands. Do something to set the fire loose, then get her tomorrow."
She frowned at her reflection in the rear-view mirror. Her raven hair cascaded down to her waist, shimmering in the morning sun, her skin was the flawless creamy white of orchids, her eyes the colour of sapphires. And Orion, with his own unnatural good looks....looking at them any one in an ordinary vermin town would instantly tell there was something odd about them.
"How, exactly, so you plan on making sure this girl's really the Wild Power?" Elisabetta asked, smile curving her lips.
"Why should I spoil the surprise?" Orion answered pulling up in front of the high school and driving past. He parked in a near by street.
Elisabetta eyed him curiously. Normally he tended to leave all the planning up to her. It was rare he actually came up with ideas of his own. And if it actually *was* his plan, she'd be surprised.
He got out the car, eyeing her. "You've got a face."
Elisabetta glared. "Yes. I have. What's your point?"
Orion's eyes rolled. "Don't be difficult."
Elisabetta smiled a little. "Whatever. We can't just walk up there and look around?"
Orion shrugged, striding along ahead of her. "Why not?"
Elisabetta caught up with him. Was he totally stupid? She knew he had brain in his head, it would be nice if he actually used it sometimes. "Use your head once in a while, you idiot!" she snapped. "We're not local. And we probably look a lot better, more mysterious. Four new people in a small place in one day -"
"Four?" Orion said, glancing back at her.
"The Wild Power girl has a sister. She's starting today as well."
"Sister?"
Elisabetta nodded. As far as she knew the girl's family were supposed to be Daybreak witches. The girl herself was supposed to know nothing about her heritage.
"Know what I heard?" Orion said casually. "Rumour has it that this girl is the Dragon Princess."
"The who?" Elisabetta hadn't heard that one. Weren't dragons supposed to be extinct? She remembered when the third Wild Power had been found there was a dragon involved and from it came all the fuss of a 'witch who wasn't a witch'. So maybe dragons weren't as extinct as everyone thought.
"Dragon Princess," Orion repeated. "She was the only dragon left alive because she was so young at the time the witches conquered them."
Dragon Princess...no, it was far too fantasy-like. Finding the Wild Power was a hard enough task. It wasn't their job to find out who this person that could wake dragons was. It had to be someone pretty powerful - alive at the time? An Old Soul, maybe...never mind. It wasn't her priority right now.
They were skirting the back of the school. Elisabetta's nose wrinkled at the students stuck in their classrooms. Night World should have special schools for Night People. After the millennium battle there would be no need for whining anymore, because the Night People would be in charge.
"Let's go this way," Orion grabbed her arm and started pulling her off in another direction.
Elisabetta glanced back, wondering what he was trying to prevent her from seeing. She stopped, yanking her arm free, recognising the tall, sexy figure with the long black hair. At that moment he turned to look out the window and saw her.
Garret. It was Garret. He really was here. And very much alive. Or was alive as vampires could be.
"Let's *go*," Orion said, glaring at his younger brother, not bothering to hide his hatred. Garret turned away from the window in what must be response to someone calling him.
"We need to do something about him," Elisabetta said, finally letting him pull her away.
"Yeah, we do," Orion agreed calmly. "Kill him."
* * *
"Do we have any sort of plan for how we're going to handle this?" Elisabetta asked, scowling as Orion drove around the tiny Kansas town of Oak Hill. It was 9:15 on a Monday morning and there was hardly anyone about on the streets. There were only two schools - a high school and an elementary school, a few shops and very little else.
No one would ever guess there was a girl there with the power to save or destroy the world. But didn't towns like this usually have some sort of secret to cover up? Aliens landing, a psycho killer had been raised there, there was something *different* about some of the kids, they had three headed dogs or whatever the hell else. She couldn't possibly begin to imagine living in a place like this.
"Not really," Orion said, pausing at a red light. "I thought we'd just cruise around and see what the town is like. Spy on her today, see where she stands. Do something to set the fire loose, then get her tomorrow."
She frowned at her reflection in the rear-view mirror. Her raven hair cascaded down to her waist, shimmering in the morning sun, her skin was the flawless creamy white of orchids, her eyes the colour of sapphires. And Orion, with his own unnatural good looks....looking at them any one in an ordinary vermin town would instantly tell there was something odd about them.
"How, exactly, so you plan on making sure this girl's really the Wild Power?" Elisabetta asked, smile curving her lips.
"Why should I spoil the surprise?" Orion answered pulling up in front of the high school and driving past. He parked in a near by street.
Elisabetta eyed him curiously. Normally he tended to leave all the planning up to her. It was rare he actually came up with ideas of his own. And if it actually *was* his plan, she'd be surprised.
He got out the car, eyeing her. "You've got a face."
Elisabetta glared. "Yes. I have. What's your point?"
Orion's eyes rolled. "Don't be difficult."
Elisabetta smiled a little. "Whatever. We can't just walk up there and look around?"
Orion shrugged, striding along ahead of her. "Why not?"
Elisabetta caught up with him. Was he totally stupid? She knew he had brain in his head, it would be nice if he actually used it sometimes. "Use your head once in a while, you idiot!" she snapped. "We're not local. And we probably look a lot better, more mysterious. Four new people in a small place in one day -"
"Four?" Orion said, glancing back at her.
"The Wild Power girl has a sister. She's starting today as well."
"Sister?"
Elisabetta nodded. As far as she knew the girl's family were supposed to be Daybreak witches. The girl herself was supposed to know nothing about her heritage.
"Know what I heard?" Orion said casually. "Rumour has it that this girl is the Dragon Princess."
"The who?" Elisabetta hadn't heard that one. Weren't dragons supposed to be extinct? She remembered when the third Wild Power had been found there was a dragon involved and from it came all the fuss of a 'witch who wasn't a witch'. So maybe dragons weren't as extinct as everyone thought.
"Dragon Princess," Orion repeated. "She was the only dragon left alive because she was so young at the time the witches conquered them."
Dragon Princess...no, it was far too fantasy-like. Finding the Wild Power was a hard enough task. It wasn't their job to find out who this person that could wake dragons was. It had to be someone pretty powerful - alive at the time? An Old Soul, maybe...never mind. It wasn't her priority right now.
They were skirting the back of the school. Elisabetta's nose wrinkled at the students stuck in their classrooms. Night World should have special schools for Night People. After the millennium battle there would be no need for whining anymore, because the Night People would be in charge.
"Let's go this way," Orion grabbed her arm and started pulling her off in another direction.
Elisabetta glanced back, wondering what he was trying to prevent her from seeing. She stopped, yanking her arm free, recognising the tall, sexy figure with the long black hair. At that moment he turned to look out the window and saw her.
Garret. It was Garret. He really was here. And very much alive. Or was alive as vampires could be.
"Let's *go*," Orion said, glaring at his younger brother, not bothering to hide his hatred. Garret turned away from the window in what must be response to someone calling him.
"We need to do something about him," Elisabetta said, finally letting him pull her away.
"Yeah, we do," Orion agreed calmly. "Kill him."
* * *
