Author's Notes: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last part.
Orange: Heya, thanks so much for your review. I kind of feel sorry for poor Rus stuck with a pile of women, only sometimes I have to say. I really hope Diablo and Aniela don't end up like Des and Gwern, I don't think I can handle another pair like the two of them. There's hope for Ani and Diablo yet, a very, very small glimmer of hope but hope none the less.
Redaura: Thanks so much, I love reading your reviews. I don't know about Wenona and Ani having a talk about the Night World but I definitely agree that they should sort Diablo out, someone needs to. Des's night watch, well you'll find out about that the next part, I think. And while Gwern's whereabouts still remain a mystery even to me I do know he will be appearing in this story in some form or other.
Tjones: Thank you so much. Sorry this update took so long but that was due to circumstances beyond my control, i.e. fanficton.net playing up. The next update should be soon, I hope.
Mandy: Thanks a lot. This should explain more about the shadow and I think an explanation of why they're after Wenona will happen soon, not the next part but maybe the one after that. I'm glad you like the Ani/Diablo stuff I really like writing it, they're fun to write in their own way.
Anyway thanks a lot you guys, you're the best.
Part 13.
Diablo kept his eyes trained on the shadowy figure as he tried to come up with a way to get out of the car without attracting attention to himself. It didn't seem likely that whoever it was wouldn't see him or know he was coming. His blood was pounding already and he hadn't even left the car, it was only then he realised just how much he'd been looking for a fight the past few days.
He opened the door and slid out smoothly. The other guy's attention was still trained on Wenona's house but Diablo knew better than to think he hadn't seen or at least sensed him. He was proved right when he approached the figure, although his attention remained on the house his lip curled slightly.
"Diablo Mandril I presume," he said with disdain.
"And you are?" Diablo asked taking in the guy's dark hair and clothes and annoyingly smug smirk.
"Derryth Blackthorn," he replied giving Diablo a look that said I know you recognise the name.
Diablo did recognise it and he knew the reputation that went with it. He felt anger sweep up through his, obviously the Night World council had sent this assassin too, which meant they didn't trust him and his team to get the job done.
Derryth was looking at him out of the corner of his eye.
"I thought all Mandril's had black hair and blue eyes," he said.
"Yeah and I thought all Blackthorn's were intelligent, looks like we were both wrong," Diablo drawled.
Derryth turned to him, "What's your problem?"
"I'd think that would be obvious," Diablo muttered.
"Well it's not," Derryth replied, "maybe you should tell me."
"You're my problem," Diablo told him, "this is my job, you shouldn't be here."
"Oh I get it," Derryth said softly, "I really should have realised you'd be like this considering what everyone says about you. You like to think you're some sort of hot shot, that you've this great reputation, more like you're a legend in your own lunchbox." The smug smile returned to his face, "From what I've been told the truth is your job is to watch the witch, my job is to take out the Daybreakers protecting her and depending on the information you get to take her out. I'm actually getting a little tired of waiting for that information, you're taking your time aren't you."
Diablo bristled at the insult. This guy was seriously pissing him off. He was so angry with him it took a minute for what he said to finally make an impact.
"What do you mean Daybreakers protecting her?" he demanded.
"You really are slow aren't you? I mean the team of Daybreakers who were sent to protect he, who're staying in her house." He paused and a sly smile crept over his features, "You did know they're Daybreakers, didn't you?"
"Of course I knew," Diablo snapped back truthfully, he had known they were Daybreakers, he just hadn't realised they were Wenona's protection.
Come on it wasn't exactly obvious, a human, a werewolf and a shifter didn't seem the best protection to him. Apparently Daybreak didn't think the threat to Wenona was that significant or maybe they just didn't think she was significant, either way it was clear she didn't warrant a top class team. Yet the Night World had sent a team and a lone assassin after her, either the Night World knew something Daybreak didn't, which didn't seem likely, or the Night World was grasping at straws.
Derryth had a mocking look on his face and one that pushed Diablo over the limit. He had enough to deal with on this stupid job, two partners who were joined at the lips, a human soulmate and now this asshole. He was pissed at Derryth, pissed at Cassian and Charlotte, pissed at Aniela and mostly pissed at the universe. He stormed back to the car slamming the door as hard as possible as he got in.
Wenona wasn't going anywhere and Derryth was there to watch her anyway, who cared if his watch was over or not. He tore into the front yard with a scream of protest from the brakes that seemed apt. Cassian and Charlotte both looked at him bewildered as he dropped the keys on the table in front of them and then stomped back outside.
The night air caressed his face gently as he stood at the door. The night called to him filling his nose with the scents of night, his ears with the sounds and making his blood sing. This was his time, his nature and he gave himself up to it. Gave himself up to the night, to the darkness and the hunting song that sang through his veins, this was what he was a creature of the night, of the darkness.
"This was how he was meant to be, " he thought as he ran toward the woods at the back of the house, covering the soft grass of the lawn in long loping strides. "This was what he was and nothing and no one could change that," he thought as he crashed through the trees.
Aniela was up early, much too early in her opinion but she hadn't had much say in it. Her uncle had taken her grandmother on a holiday to Italy as a belated birthday present. They were currently in Florence and her grandmother, knowing how early Ani's father got up and that she was most likely to get to talk to him in the morning considering how often he got stuck at the restaurant until late, had rung at 7.30am or barely after dawn in Aniela's opinion. Ani could have stayed in bed but she had missed her grandmother's last call and well, she missed her.
The line was good and clear and it made Aniela feel like she was just talking to her at home a few miles away.
"Hey Nonna," she said.
"Hi Caro, how are you?"
"I'm good," Aniela told her.
"I'm glad and how are things at home? What's been happening?" she asked.
"Things are good and nothing much," Aniela replied.
"Are you sure?" her grandmother asked. "I detect a little hesitation there."
Aniela smiled, only her grandmother could notice there was something wrong with her from thousands of miles away. "It's nothing really Nonna."
"It's a boy I suppose."
"Sort of," Aniela agreed.
"Want to tell me about it?" her grandmother asked.
"There's nothing to tell really," Ani said softly.
"I don't believe that."
"Well there's this guy and oh it's hard to explain," Aniela sighed.
"Do you like this boy?"
"Yeah, I mean I think so but I don't really know, I don't really know him."
"But you like him."
"Yeah, I guess but it's complicated."
"Nah ah," her grandmother interrupted, "it's only complicated if you let it be, if you really like this boy you'll work it out."
"But I'm not sure if he wants it to work or even if he does whether I can trust him or not."
"If he's smart he'll want it to work," her grandmother told her, "how could he not want to be with my Ani. And as for the trust thing, you've got good instincts Ani, like your nonno, trust your instincts and you'll know whether you can trust him or not. Does that help?"
"Yeah it does, thanks Nonna. Mamma wants to talk to you now."
Aniela passed the phone to her mother and grinned at Abra, who was rubbing his head against her leg affectionately.
"Come on you silly cat," she said with a laugh, "lets get breakfast."
Aniela was half way through her bowl of cereal wondering if all cats ate as quickly and as messily as Abra when she heard the noise on the porch. Thinking she'd just imagined it she returned to her frosted flakes until she heard a scratching noise. She got up and without really thinking headed towards the porch grabbing a baseball bat from the nearby closet on her way to the door.
She peeked out the window on the door first but couldn't really see anything. Then she opened the door slightly and peered around it.
"Who's there?" she asked raising the baseball bat and feeling annoyed at the tremor she heard in her voice.
"It's me," a male voice replied.
Aniela gripped the bat even tighter as she stepped out on to the porch. Diablo was slouched against the table with his hands shoved into his pockets. Aniela felt a little grim satisfaction as she saw his eyes widen slightly when he saw the baseball bat. His hair was tousled and his face was grimy while his clothes were dirty and scratched.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
"I need your help," he told her.
"With what?" she asked not letting keeping the baseball bat raised.
"These," he replied pulling his hands from his pockets and turning the m towards.
She gasped she couldn't really help herself. The backs of his hands were badly bruised and torn while numerous cuts across his knuckles were bleeding profusely. She dropped the bat and rushed forward.
"What did you do to yourself," she asked softly as she lifted his hands gently to get a better look.
"I kind of got into a fight with a tree," he said self-deprecatingly.
"Looks like the tree won," Aniela replied as she examined the cuts along his knuckles. "You'd better come in so I can look after these."
Aniela looked up into Diablo's eyes as she said this and saw a look of gratitude and something more, which made her blush.
"Come on," she said as she led him into the house wondering how exactly she was going to explain this to her parents.
Orange: Heya, thanks so much for your review. I kind of feel sorry for poor Rus stuck with a pile of women, only sometimes I have to say. I really hope Diablo and Aniela don't end up like Des and Gwern, I don't think I can handle another pair like the two of them. There's hope for Ani and Diablo yet, a very, very small glimmer of hope but hope none the less.
Redaura: Thanks so much, I love reading your reviews. I don't know about Wenona and Ani having a talk about the Night World but I definitely agree that they should sort Diablo out, someone needs to. Des's night watch, well you'll find out about that the next part, I think. And while Gwern's whereabouts still remain a mystery even to me I do know he will be appearing in this story in some form or other.
Tjones: Thank you so much. Sorry this update took so long but that was due to circumstances beyond my control, i.e. fanficton.net playing up. The next update should be soon, I hope.
Mandy: Thanks a lot. This should explain more about the shadow and I think an explanation of why they're after Wenona will happen soon, not the next part but maybe the one after that. I'm glad you like the Ani/Diablo stuff I really like writing it, they're fun to write in their own way.
Anyway thanks a lot you guys, you're the best.
Part 13.
Diablo kept his eyes trained on the shadowy figure as he tried to come up with a way to get out of the car without attracting attention to himself. It didn't seem likely that whoever it was wouldn't see him or know he was coming. His blood was pounding already and he hadn't even left the car, it was only then he realised just how much he'd been looking for a fight the past few days.
He opened the door and slid out smoothly. The other guy's attention was still trained on Wenona's house but Diablo knew better than to think he hadn't seen or at least sensed him. He was proved right when he approached the figure, although his attention remained on the house his lip curled slightly.
"Diablo Mandril I presume," he said with disdain.
"And you are?" Diablo asked taking in the guy's dark hair and clothes and annoyingly smug smirk.
"Derryth Blackthorn," he replied giving Diablo a look that said I know you recognise the name.
Diablo did recognise it and he knew the reputation that went with it. He felt anger sweep up through his, obviously the Night World council had sent this assassin too, which meant they didn't trust him and his team to get the job done.
Derryth was looking at him out of the corner of his eye.
"I thought all Mandril's had black hair and blue eyes," he said.
"Yeah and I thought all Blackthorn's were intelligent, looks like we were both wrong," Diablo drawled.
Derryth turned to him, "What's your problem?"
"I'd think that would be obvious," Diablo muttered.
"Well it's not," Derryth replied, "maybe you should tell me."
"You're my problem," Diablo told him, "this is my job, you shouldn't be here."
"Oh I get it," Derryth said softly, "I really should have realised you'd be like this considering what everyone says about you. You like to think you're some sort of hot shot, that you've this great reputation, more like you're a legend in your own lunchbox." The smug smile returned to his face, "From what I've been told the truth is your job is to watch the witch, my job is to take out the Daybreakers protecting her and depending on the information you get to take her out. I'm actually getting a little tired of waiting for that information, you're taking your time aren't you."
Diablo bristled at the insult. This guy was seriously pissing him off. He was so angry with him it took a minute for what he said to finally make an impact.
"What do you mean Daybreakers protecting her?" he demanded.
"You really are slow aren't you? I mean the team of Daybreakers who were sent to protect he, who're staying in her house." He paused and a sly smile crept over his features, "You did know they're Daybreakers, didn't you?"
"Of course I knew," Diablo snapped back truthfully, he had known they were Daybreakers, he just hadn't realised they were Wenona's protection.
Come on it wasn't exactly obvious, a human, a werewolf and a shifter didn't seem the best protection to him. Apparently Daybreak didn't think the threat to Wenona was that significant or maybe they just didn't think she was significant, either way it was clear she didn't warrant a top class team. Yet the Night World had sent a team and a lone assassin after her, either the Night World knew something Daybreak didn't, which didn't seem likely, or the Night World was grasping at straws.
Derryth had a mocking look on his face and one that pushed Diablo over the limit. He had enough to deal with on this stupid job, two partners who were joined at the lips, a human soulmate and now this asshole. He was pissed at Derryth, pissed at Cassian and Charlotte, pissed at Aniela and mostly pissed at the universe. He stormed back to the car slamming the door as hard as possible as he got in.
Wenona wasn't going anywhere and Derryth was there to watch her anyway, who cared if his watch was over or not. He tore into the front yard with a scream of protest from the brakes that seemed apt. Cassian and Charlotte both looked at him bewildered as he dropped the keys on the table in front of them and then stomped back outside.
The night air caressed his face gently as he stood at the door. The night called to him filling his nose with the scents of night, his ears with the sounds and making his blood sing. This was his time, his nature and he gave himself up to it. Gave himself up to the night, to the darkness and the hunting song that sang through his veins, this was what he was a creature of the night, of the darkness.
"This was how he was meant to be, " he thought as he ran toward the woods at the back of the house, covering the soft grass of the lawn in long loping strides. "This was what he was and nothing and no one could change that," he thought as he crashed through the trees.
Aniela was up early, much too early in her opinion but she hadn't had much say in it. Her uncle had taken her grandmother on a holiday to Italy as a belated birthday present. They were currently in Florence and her grandmother, knowing how early Ani's father got up and that she was most likely to get to talk to him in the morning considering how often he got stuck at the restaurant until late, had rung at 7.30am or barely after dawn in Aniela's opinion. Ani could have stayed in bed but she had missed her grandmother's last call and well, she missed her.
The line was good and clear and it made Aniela feel like she was just talking to her at home a few miles away.
"Hey Nonna," she said.
"Hi Caro, how are you?"
"I'm good," Aniela told her.
"I'm glad and how are things at home? What's been happening?" she asked.
"Things are good and nothing much," Aniela replied.
"Are you sure?" her grandmother asked. "I detect a little hesitation there."
Aniela smiled, only her grandmother could notice there was something wrong with her from thousands of miles away. "It's nothing really Nonna."
"It's a boy I suppose."
"Sort of," Aniela agreed.
"Want to tell me about it?" her grandmother asked.
"There's nothing to tell really," Ani said softly.
"I don't believe that."
"Well there's this guy and oh it's hard to explain," Aniela sighed.
"Do you like this boy?"
"Yeah, I mean I think so but I don't really know, I don't really know him."
"But you like him."
"Yeah, I guess but it's complicated."
"Nah ah," her grandmother interrupted, "it's only complicated if you let it be, if you really like this boy you'll work it out."
"But I'm not sure if he wants it to work or even if he does whether I can trust him or not."
"If he's smart he'll want it to work," her grandmother told her, "how could he not want to be with my Ani. And as for the trust thing, you've got good instincts Ani, like your nonno, trust your instincts and you'll know whether you can trust him or not. Does that help?"
"Yeah it does, thanks Nonna. Mamma wants to talk to you now."
Aniela passed the phone to her mother and grinned at Abra, who was rubbing his head against her leg affectionately.
"Come on you silly cat," she said with a laugh, "lets get breakfast."
Aniela was half way through her bowl of cereal wondering if all cats ate as quickly and as messily as Abra when she heard the noise on the porch. Thinking she'd just imagined it she returned to her frosted flakes until she heard a scratching noise. She got up and without really thinking headed towards the porch grabbing a baseball bat from the nearby closet on her way to the door.
She peeked out the window on the door first but couldn't really see anything. Then she opened the door slightly and peered around it.
"Who's there?" she asked raising the baseball bat and feeling annoyed at the tremor she heard in her voice.
"It's me," a male voice replied.
Aniela gripped the bat even tighter as she stepped out on to the porch. Diablo was slouched against the table with his hands shoved into his pockets. Aniela felt a little grim satisfaction as she saw his eyes widen slightly when he saw the baseball bat. His hair was tousled and his face was grimy while his clothes were dirty and scratched.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
"I need your help," he told her.
"With what?" she asked not letting keeping the baseball bat raised.
"These," he replied pulling his hands from his pockets and turning the m towards.
She gasped she couldn't really help herself. The backs of his hands were badly bruised and torn while numerous cuts across his knuckles were bleeding profusely. She dropped the bat and rushed forward.
"What did you do to yourself," she asked softly as she lifted his hands gently to get a better look.
"I kind of got into a fight with a tree," he said self-deprecatingly.
"Looks like the tree won," Aniela replied as she examined the cuts along his knuckles. "You'd better come in so I can look after these."
Aniela looked up into Diablo's eyes as she said this and saw a look of gratitude and something more, which made her blush.
"Come on," she said as she led him into the house wondering how exactly she was going to explain this to her parents.