Disclaimer: The Night World is the property of L.J. Smith as are any of the
characters you recognise like Thierry, Hannah, Lupe etc.
Spoilers: All of the Night World books and my story Bound by Flame.
Author's Notes: See almost on time this time. Thank you so, so much to everyone who reviewed the last part, you guys are the best and I'm not just saying that, you guys truly make writing this story a pleasure.
Mandy: Thanks so much for reviewing. I'm glad you think they have good chemistry, that was the first time I really got a chance to write the two of them in that sort of situation so I'[m glad it was okay. The ending of the chapter, well I don't know it was just what I had to write, but it is just the end of the chapter not necessarily the end of the story, though I'm still not a 100% sure how I'm going to end it.
Orange: Thank you so much. I don't know if Icarus well ever find his soulmate, not in this story anyway unfortunately, he seems to deserve to find his so much more than Gwern and Diablo. Well here's chapter 12, I think the next chapter will be up even sooner as I'm finished college and I've got a lovely job where I sit and do nothing for most of the day so I'm getting a chance to write then.
Redaura: Awww, thank you so much. I don't know how Aniela and Wenona are going to work out that they both know about the Night World but I'm sure they will, they're pretty smart. As for the happy ending, I really don't know, it might be happy for some and not for others but I really have no idea yet.
Tjones: Thank you, actually you deserve two thank yous for reviewing both Bound by Flame and The Fire That Binds so Thank you, Thank you, I'm so glad you like them. Des's soulmate, well I'm going to let you be the first to know that he's definitely going to be in this fic I just haven't worked out when, where or how just yet.
Serena: I hate Diablo's attitude too, he can be such a pain to write but hopefully Ani might change him a little.
Part 12.
Des stuck her spoon into the tub of chocolate ice cream. She was sitting at the kitchen counter with Wenona and Cynthia. Icarus was sitting watching television a few feet away from them with a bowl resting on his lap. He'd said that once the ice cream came out the knives were sure to follow and he didn't want to be too close when they started to attack his gender.
"So," Cynthia said licking her spoon.
"So," Wenona replied.
Des glanced between the two girls and giggled softly.
"So," she grinned, "Do we have anything to talk about?"
"Maybe we should take Icarus's advice and have a little male bashing session," Wenona suggested.
"I don't know," Des replied, "you might get a little more than you're expecting."
"I doubt that," Wenona replied, "if it's usually so bad that Icarus stays a safe distance away then consider me adequately forewarned."
"Okay," Des said, "let's start with you. Who's the guy that arranged for us to protect you?"
"A very overprotective boyfriend," Wenona replied.
"Overprotective, let me guess he describes it as concerned," Cynthia said.
"Exactly," Wenona replied smiling, "but what can you do, guys tend to get like that."
"Yeah sure," Des said, "but most overprotective boyfriends don't get Lord Thierry to send a team out to protect their girlfriends."
"That's true," Cynthia agreed then turned to Wenona, "so come on dish the dirt."
"Hey, why's everyone picking on me?" Wenona asked.
"We're just curious," Cynthia told her, "but if you tell us I'm sure Des will give you the low down on her love life."
"Well what about yours?" Des asked her.
"My what?" Cynthia asked. "Oh my love life, I don't have one, well none to speak of, definitely none as interesting as yours."
"Really," Wenona said, "now you've got my attention. What's so interesting about it?"
"Nothing really, it's not so much interesting as depressing," Des replied.
"Well we do have chocolate ice-cream for that," Wenona told her.
"Come one," Icarus said without taking his eyes from the television, "I think we've had enough of when Gwern met Des for a while yet."
"Who's Gwern?" Wenona asked. "This is so unfair, how can we have too much when I don't know anything about it?"
Des smiled at the pouting witch. She hadn't known Wenona for long but she liked her, she liked her a lot and it was a little unfair to talk about her and Gwern and then not tell Wenona anything about it. She didn't really mind talking about it, it was getting easier every time, maybe sometime soon she'd be able to talk about it and not feel the emptiness around her, the absence that was still noticeable.
"Gwern's my soulmate," Des told Wenona.
Diablo sat in the car outside Wenona's house wondering how on earth Cassian and Charlotte had failed to notice how unhinged he was. It seemed so obvious to him, he was crazy, he had to be; it was the only explanation. He had truly and utterly lost his mind. He had let her remember everything, how stupid was he? How long would it be until she worked out that Wenona was a witch and how long until she worked out exactly why he'd come to town.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid, Diablo," he thought. "You're going to have to fix this but how is the question." This was so unfair, what the hell had he done to deserve this? Well that was a fairly stupid question, he'd done quite a lot to deserve this and this was fate or karma coming to bite him in the ass. It seemed unfair that Ani got stuck with him. She was so, good, she deserved someone so much better, maybe he could be someone better.
He laughed bitterly. He couldn't change; he knew that, he didn't want to change. What he did, who he was, it was in his blood. He was part of the Night World and that world had shaped him, formed his nature and most importantly he liked that world. Up until two days ago he had loved his life and his job, probably a little too much considering what his job was. And now, and now his world was all askew, hell he wasn't even sure which was left and which was right anymore. Why couldn't have things remained the way they were, simple, easy and uncomplicated, when humans were simply vermin, Daybreakers were idiots and he was perfectly happy killing both. Now he had to admit humans weren't vermin considering he'd knock the head off anyone who suggested Aniela was vermin and he was beginning to feel remorse. Guilt over all the things he had done before. It was sad really, he'd gone from formidable Dark Ninja to blubbering pile of sap all over some human girl, okay she was his soulmate but that really wasn't much of an excuse. It was all that stupid girl's fault, stupid girl who didn't even want him.
"Oh wow," Wenona said softly wiping the tears from her eyes. "That's the saddest story I've ever heard. You guys are soulmates you have to be together."
Des smiled sadly, "Not necessarily, just because we're soulmates it doesn't mean we have to be together, it doesn't mean we can be together."
"Well it should, I mean how can you stand to be apart form him? Doesn't it tear you up inside to feel that emptiness? Doesn't it kill you not to be able to see him, to hear his voice or just to sense his presence?"
"You sound like someone who knows what they're talking about," Des said softly.
Wenona's eyes widened slightly. Des couldn't tell if it was fear or something else but she decided to let it go, obviously Wenona wasn't ready to tell them about it, whatever it was.
Icarus yawned and stretched his legs out in front of him. "I'm so beat," he said, his bleary eyes proving his point. "I'm so glad you're the one stuck with the night shift tonight Des, ha ha."
"I won't mind doing the night shift," Cynthia said, "It's not like."
"Don't say it, don't say it," Icarus and Des shouted in unison.
"Anything's going to happen," Cynthia finished faintly bemused by the looks of consternation that appeared on her partners faces.
Des groaned, "Well that's it you've totally jinxed me."
"What?" Cynthia asked.
"You just said nothing's going to happen," Icarus told her, "that means that something is now definitely going to happen."
Cynthia laughed, "You guys watch way too many movies, it's not like I mentioned the Scottish play in a theatre. I'm off to bed, I'll see you guys tomorrow morning when absolutely nothing has happened."
Des and Icarus exchanged looks as Cynthia traipsed up the stairs.
"So much for the quiet night I was expecting," Des said to Icarus.
"I can't believe she said that," Icarus replied, "I mean what do they teach them in England."
Des laughed, "Okay off to bed with you and let's hope our paranoia cancelled out Cynthia's optimism."
"Here's hoping," Icarus agreed waving crossed fingers at her before laughing and taking off up to his room.
Diablo stared at the patch of shadow under the tree across from Wenona's house. Either he really had gone crazy and was hallucinating or the shadow was moving. No the shadow, the man sized shadow was definitely moving. His mind ran through a list of possibilities, Daybreaker, rival council agent, random human stalker, random human wandering around. He cancelled out the random human because if it was as human he'd have noticed them before now, that left Daybreaker or rival council agent. Either way they were stepping on his assignment. He paused for a moment before throwing caution to the wind and climbing out of the car. He was Diablo Mandril, a Dark Ninja and no human soulmate was going to make him soft or weak. Whoever that shadow was they had a heap of trouble coming their way.
Spoilers: All of the Night World books and my story Bound by Flame.
Author's Notes: See almost on time this time. Thank you so, so much to everyone who reviewed the last part, you guys are the best and I'm not just saying that, you guys truly make writing this story a pleasure.
Mandy: Thanks so much for reviewing. I'm glad you think they have good chemistry, that was the first time I really got a chance to write the two of them in that sort of situation so I'[m glad it was okay. The ending of the chapter, well I don't know it was just what I had to write, but it is just the end of the chapter not necessarily the end of the story, though I'm still not a 100% sure how I'm going to end it.
Orange: Thank you so much. I don't know if Icarus well ever find his soulmate, not in this story anyway unfortunately, he seems to deserve to find his so much more than Gwern and Diablo. Well here's chapter 12, I think the next chapter will be up even sooner as I'm finished college and I've got a lovely job where I sit and do nothing for most of the day so I'm getting a chance to write then.
Redaura: Awww, thank you so much. I don't know how Aniela and Wenona are going to work out that they both know about the Night World but I'm sure they will, they're pretty smart. As for the happy ending, I really don't know, it might be happy for some and not for others but I really have no idea yet.
Tjones: Thank you, actually you deserve two thank yous for reviewing both Bound by Flame and The Fire That Binds so Thank you, Thank you, I'm so glad you like them. Des's soulmate, well I'm going to let you be the first to know that he's definitely going to be in this fic I just haven't worked out when, where or how just yet.
Serena: I hate Diablo's attitude too, he can be such a pain to write but hopefully Ani might change him a little.
Part 12.
Des stuck her spoon into the tub of chocolate ice cream. She was sitting at the kitchen counter with Wenona and Cynthia. Icarus was sitting watching television a few feet away from them with a bowl resting on his lap. He'd said that once the ice cream came out the knives were sure to follow and he didn't want to be too close when they started to attack his gender.
"So," Cynthia said licking her spoon.
"So," Wenona replied.
Des glanced between the two girls and giggled softly.
"So," she grinned, "Do we have anything to talk about?"
"Maybe we should take Icarus's advice and have a little male bashing session," Wenona suggested.
"I don't know," Des replied, "you might get a little more than you're expecting."
"I doubt that," Wenona replied, "if it's usually so bad that Icarus stays a safe distance away then consider me adequately forewarned."
"Okay," Des said, "let's start with you. Who's the guy that arranged for us to protect you?"
"A very overprotective boyfriend," Wenona replied.
"Overprotective, let me guess he describes it as concerned," Cynthia said.
"Exactly," Wenona replied smiling, "but what can you do, guys tend to get like that."
"Yeah sure," Des said, "but most overprotective boyfriends don't get Lord Thierry to send a team out to protect their girlfriends."
"That's true," Cynthia agreed then turned to Wenona, "so come on dish the dirt."
"Hey, why's everyone picking on me?" Wenona asked.
"We're just curious," Cynthia told her, "but if you tell us I'm sure Des will give you the low down on her love life."
"Well what about yours?" Des asked her.
"My what?" Cynthia asked. "Oh my love life, I don't have one, well none to speak of, definitely none as interesting as yours."
"Really," Wenona said, "now you've got my attention. What's so interesting about it?"
"Nothing really, it's not so much interesting as depressing," Des replied.
"Well we do have chocolate ice-cream for that," Wenona told her.
"Come one," Icarus said without taking his eyes from the television, "I think we've had enough of when Gwern met Des for a while yet."
"Who's Gwern?" Wenona asked. "This is so unfair, how can we have too much when I don't know anything about it?"
Des smiled at the pouting witch. She hadn't known Wenona for long but she liked her, she liked her a lot and it was a little unfair to talk about her and Gwern and then not tell Wenona anything about it. She didn't really mind talking about it, it was getting easier every time, maybe sometime soon she'd be able to talk about it and not feel the emptiness around her, the absence that was still noticeable.
"Gwern's my soulmate," Des told Wenona.
Diablo sat in the car outside Wenona's house wondering how on earth Cassian and Charlotte had failed to notice how unhinged he was. It seemed so obvious to him, he was crazy, he had to be; it was the only explanation. He had truly and utterly lost his mind. He had let her remember everything, how stupid was he? How long would it be until she worked out that Wenona was a witch and how long until she worked out exactly why he'd come to town.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid, Diablo," he thought. "You're going to have to fix this but how is the question." This was so unfair, what the hell had he done to deserve this? Well that was a fairly stupid question, he'd done quite a lot to deserve this and this was fate or karma coming to bite him in the ass. It seemed unfair that Ani got stuck with him. She was so, good, she deserved someone so much better, maybe he could be someone better.
He laughed bitterly. He couldn't change; he knew that, he didn't want to change. What he did, who he was, it was in his blood. He was part of the Night World and that world had shaped him, formed his nature and most importantly he liked that world. Up until two days ago he had loved his life and his job, probably a little too much considering what his job was. And now, and now his world was all askew, hell he wasn't even sure which was left and which was right anymore. Why couldn't have things remained the way they were, simple, easy and uncomplicated, when humans were simply vermin, Daybreakers were idiots and he was perfectly happy killing both. Now he had to admit humans weren't vermin considering he'd knock the head off anyone who suggested Aniela was vermin and he was beginning to feel remorse. Guilt over all the things he had done before. It was sad really, he'd gone from formidable Dark Ninja to blubbering pile of sap all over some human girl, okay she was his soulmate but that really wasn't much of an excuse. It was all that stupid girl's fault, stupid girl who didn't even want him.
"Oh wow," Wenona said softly wiping the tears from her eyes. "That's the saddest story I've ever heard. You guys are soulmates you have to be together."
Des smiled sadly, "Not necessarily, just because we're soulmates it doesn't mean we have to be together, it doesn't mean we can be together."
"Well it should, I mean how can you stand to be apart form him? Doesn't it tear you up inside to feel that emptiness? Doesn't it kill you not to be able to see him, to hear his voice or just to sense his presence?"
"You sound like someone who knows what they're talking about," Des said softly.
Wenona's eyes widened slightly. Des couldn't tell if it was fear or something else but she decided to let it go, obviously Wenona wasn't ready to tell them about it, whatever it was.
Icarus yawned and stretched his legs out in front of him. "I'm so beat," he said, his bleary eyes proving his point. "I'm so glad you're the one stuck with the night shift tonight Des, ha ha."
"I won't mind doing the night shift," Cynthia said, "It's not like."
"Don't say it, don't say it," Icarus and Des shouted in unison.
"Anything's going to happen," Cynthia finished faintly bemused by the looks of consternation that appeared on her partners faces.
Des groaned, "Well that's it you've totally jinxed me."
"What?" Cynthia asked.
"You just said nothing's going to happen," Icarus told her, "that means that something is now definitely going to happen."
Cynthia laughed, "You guys watch way too many movies, it's not like I mentioned the Scottish play in a theatre. I'm off to bed, I'll see you guys tomorrow morning when absolutely nothing has happened."
Des and Icarus exchanged looks as Cynthia traipsed up the stairs.
"So much for the quiet night I was expecting," Des said to Icarus.
"I can't believe she said that," Icarus replied, "I mean what do they teach them in England."
Des laughed, "Okay off to bed with you and let's hope our paranoia cancelled out Cynthia's optimism."
"Here's hoping," Icarus agreed waving crossed fingers at her before laughing and taking off up to his room.
Diablo stared at the patch of shadow under the tree across from Wenona's house. Either he really had gone crazy and was hallucinating or the shadow was moving. No the shadow, the man sized shadow was definitely moving. His mind ran through a list of possibilities, Daybreaker, rival council agent, random human stalker, random human wandering around. He cancelled out the random human because if it was as human he'd have noticed them before now, that left Daybreaker or rival council agent. Either way they were stepping on his assignment. He paused for a moment before throwing caution to the wind and climbing out of the car. He was Diablo Mandril, a Dark Ninja and no human soulmate was going to make him soft or weak. Whoever that shadow was they had a heap of trouble coming their way.