" Loïc, wake up."

A tall girl with short golden brown hair leaned over the sleeping body of a man with long black hair and pale skin. She shook his shoulders lightly. His eyes opened revealing deep black eyes. He looked to her.

" Leigh, what is it?" He asked with a thick French accent. He sat up on his elbows, the sheet sliding down showing his bare chest.

" The TPN and Iliaster are going to have a battle today. Caleb saw Maurice and Damien talking about it this morning."

" I thought I told him not to pry into the TPN's business. Besides if they needed help Morganne would tell me."

Leigh sat back on Loïc's bed, pulling on the bottom of her black camisole. She looked at Loïc then looked down.

" What aren't you telling me Leigh?" Loïc asked sitting up more.

" Elena thinks that it is an unfair fight."

" What are you saying? What has Elena done?" Loïc got out of the bed, his voice rising.

" She told Garrett we would help them."

Loïc stood there, his anger radiated off him. Leigh stood up and backed toward the door.

" Do you want me to get Elena?" Leigh said softly.

" Do that." Loïc went to his dresser and started to get dressed as Leigh went off to find Elena. As he put on his shirt, he looked toward a picture on his drawer. It was of him and Morganne when they were thirteen years old living in Brittany. He picked it up and studied it when a knock sounded at the door. He set the picture down and straightened his shirt.

" Come in."

The door opened and in came a half-snake, half-woman with long straight black hair and dark forest green eyes. Her lipstick matched the bright blood red metallic halter-top she wore and around her neck was a dainty silver serpent necklace. From the waist down her body turned to green and black scales in the back and sage green and silver scales down her front. Her serpentine body was at least twelve feet in length. She "stood" and faced Loïc smiling, fangs showing.

" What is it, Loïc? Are you angry with me?" She slid over to the bed. " Leigh was quite shaken."

" You gave you the authority to give aid to the Iliaster?"

" I don't need any. Might you remember this is my house and I am allowing you to live here, Loïc."

" May I remind you, dear Elena, what it was like before I came. You couldn't even leave the house to get food, the water had been shut off, and the townspeople were starting to suspect something. Remember Elena?" He walked toward her. She looked down at her red polished fingernails, avoiding Loïc's stares. " Well Elena?"

" Yes, yes, I remember," she spat, " and don't think I am not grateful Loïc but I will do want I want and help who I want."

" We are a team and we act together. Neither you nor anyone else is allowed to do this type of act without consulting all of us. Is that understood Elena?"

" I guess so. What am I to tell Garrett?"

" Tell him we vetoed your decision and we will not help either side."

Elena slinked out of the room and Loïc shut the door behind her. He leaned against the door and there was a knock. He opened it slightly and saw amber brown eyes staring at him from a frame of pale gold skin and dark brown black hair. He opened the door and saw the girl was dressed in a long black vinyl dress and matching arm socks. He smiled and let her in. She walked in a sat in the chair in the corner. Loïc sat on the bed.

" What is it Lilena?"

" What is with Elena, I heard she offered aid to the Iliaster?"

" She did but she will have to inform them that the plan has changed." Loïc smiled and Lilena let out a sigh of relief. Loïc went over to her.

" Don't worry Lilena you never have to help Aurian. I understand that and that is one of the reasons why I was so harsh with Elena. She did not think."

" Thank you Loïc, I thought…" she looked at the floor.

" Don't worry," he gently touched her hair and she looked up. " I believe Caleb, Dmitri, and Leigh are to be hiking today. Why don't you change and go with them, try and get a tan."

" Oh look who's talking," she smiled brightly and stood up. " I think I might go to the store is that ok?"

" Yes."

Lilena went out the door and shut it behind her. Loïc went and lie down on his bed to think and slipped off into a light sleep.