Disclaimer - I don't own any of LJ's characters and I don't make any money
blah blah blah. However, I do own Tar, Dain, Zarach and Bono, but
unfortunately, they haven't been paying their rent so I don't make any
money out of them either. Damn. Reviews are really appreciated.
CHAPTER ONE - UNFINISHED BUSINESS
"I'll be waiting Mary Lynette"
Mary Lynette played his words over in her mind. It was ironic he'd used almost those same words that she'd told him a year ago; even more so that their positions were now reversed. She knew that in his heart of hearts, he had known that things would never be the same before it had happened. Before she'd died. Before she'd tried to kill his family.
Mary Lynette looked back to the road, straight into the sunset. The road went on for as far as the eye could see, and there were no dust clouds in either direction to indicate that she wasn't alone. This comforted her; no people equalled no temptation. She'd been driving for several days, making her way to the coast, following her heart mostly, heading towards the ones Tar had called brothers.
She had thought for many hours on where she would start, where she would begin looking for herself, the whole world being open to her. She had thought about going back to university, but decided her long absence and change might cause unwanted questions to be asked. She had thought about going back to Briar's Creek; but she needed to be alone, she reminded herself. Mary Lynette knew that her coastal in-laws was a loose end of sorts, and it seemed as good a place as any to start in finding herself, but she hadn't decided what to do when she got there yet, her initial fury at anything to do with Tar sated somewhat.
Mary Lynette took her sunglasses off and flicked an irritating piece of hair out of her eyes. It was still hard to believe that she'd left everything she loved behind, set out alone into the world. Of course, Ash would try to follow her; she almost expected it. Thierry might be able to hold him back a few days, but Ash would eventually skip town and try to find her tracks. She would leave none for him to find. It seemed too dangerous to be connected to anyone or anything, in the place she was going.
Instinctively, in a way that completely freaked her out, she had known exactly where it was she was going, a small cove on the coast, tucked into the turn of a cliff. Inside, there was a whole enclave of vampires and she knew somewhat about them. The brotherhood as it was called, was the centre core of the enclave and consisted of the strongest vampires and telepaths. They were the leaders and protectors of the enclave. Kill them and the enclave is open for the taking. A smile flickered across her face.
They had focused all their energies into creating this power of telepathy and she had the distinct feeling that Maya had been involved in this somehow before she'd been killed. It seemed the kind of warped, twisted thing she would find amusing, having a secret sect of telepathic assassins nobody knew about.
Wait a moment, who exactly was this Maya, the logical part of Mary Lynette questioned. She didn't recall meeting her, not having been out of Briar's Creek that much before it happened. Damn Tar and his stinking memories.
Whatever Tar had instilled in her before he died, was connected to this. He had been a part of the brotherhood. A big part of it as well; she got the feeling he wasn't the type to be tied down as an errand boy. The brotherhood would know what it was he had done to her, but how would she possibly get them tell her, a renegade vampire in love with a Day Breaker.
The first trick to come to mind was the heart broken widow, scorned by the Daybreakers and out for revenge. It was a classic Nancy Drew. The only obstacle she could see was pretending she still loved Tar, pretending that his death was still heavy on her mind, pretending she wasn't disgusted by the very thought of him. How could you hide thoughts like these from a telepath?
She pulled the car over, suddenly tired from all this thinking. She needed a rest. Well, a meals on wheels would be better, but she didn't see anyone around. She got out of the car and wandered slowly in whatever direction her body took her. Mary Lynette led down in the warm dirt and let sleep take her.
*** The questions squandered Mary Lynette into her sleep and chased around the edges of her vision. She could find no rest and became agitated, twisting and turning in her sleep. She sat up, hyperventilating and wide awake. Or so she thought.
Sat opposite her was a shapeshifter, as if it was the most natural thing for him to be doing in the middle of the night. He felt like air to her touch, slippery and evasive against her mind. He was tall, dark, and not at all welcoming.
"Why are you here?" He asked her, mind and expression blank.
"I'm here to find myself."
He looked at her and smiled a sly grin, as if he knew something she didn't.
"Are you sure you're not on a vengeance mission?" He paused. "And how exactly do you plan to get them to talk? Are you just going to go up to them and ask?" His voice has a light Irish roll to it, hinting of a greater depth to this man than Mary Lynette had first thought.
"Who are 'they'?" Mary Lynette asked, wondering how he could know so much.
He cocked an eyebrow. "You know what you have to do. I am here to help you do it."
"Why are you helping me? What's in this for you?" She raised her voice, that fiery temper slipping loose.
"Let's just say I owe you a debt from a long time ago and I have come to repay it." Mare tried to ask more about it but he silenced her with a hand. "I'm not saying any more about it, so don't even try. Do you want me to do this or not?"
Mare sat silently. She knew what he meant deep down; she just didn't want to see it. In order to pretend that she was 'Xanna', the heartbroken widow, she would have to become her, in order to successfully convince a room of telepaths.
"Give me one hour."
***
Ash?
Ash sat up in a cold sweat. That voice sounded so much like her that it made him ache. He was probably just imagining it. Wishful thinking. She'd only been gone three and a half days and he already felt his soul wrenching out of place. He felt so alone.
Are you there, Ash? It's me, Mary Lynette.
"Mare? Are you really here?"
He got up and looked around the room. He felt dizzy and his vision began to swim in front of his eyes. Ash tried to move back to the bed, but collapsed on the floor sinking into unconsciousness.
When Ash lifted his head, he was surrounded by silver glowing light. But. the light was quickly forgotten when he saw Mary Lynette stood in the centre of it.
"Ash get up you fool. I don't know how long this is gonna last."
Ash smiled and jumped to his feet, moving towards her. She hadn't changed a bit.
"Listen carefully to me Ash. I have to tell you." She paused, tears filling her eyes. "I don't think I can say the words." She whispered and put her hand to her lips. She looked up suddenly, staring into space. "Zarach is calling me. I have to go. When you next see me, you have to touch me Ash. Make me remember. Make me understand. I'm so close to finding out, it's so exciting. But, I need you to find me, before it's too late." She looked up again, listening to something he couldn't quite hear.
Ash began to get frustrated and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Mare, I don't understand. What are you talking about? Look. Tell me where you are and I'll come get you and everything will be alright. We'll work something out, I promise."
Mary Lynette smiled at him and raised her hand to his face. There were tears in both their eyes.
"You know why this is important to me, Ash. You knew the reason a year ago, and I know it now. The same reason why you left me a year ago and why I'm leaving you now. I have to do this."
"When I left you, you died." She put her finger to his lips, silencing his protests.
"Yes. Yes I did. But things are different now, Ash. I'm different now. Take my hand and see what I came here to show you. I cannot do this alone."
Ash placed his hand in hers. He could feel her fear now, her fear of what she might become, of what she might do. An image of dark shapeshifter came into his mind. He was.Zarach, he could read the name from her mind. He could feel her gratitude towards him. What was it he had done? No, it was what he was going to do. He probed a little deeper.
Don't Ash. I don't want you to see. I don't want you to know. You'll get hurt and I don't want that.
Ash ignored her pleas and reached out to her through their soul mate connection. Zarach was going to bury her memories. She was going to the coastal enclave. Alone.
No!
He pulled back from her and grasped her shoulders more tightly.
"No Mary Lynette. You can't face an entire enclave alone. I won't let you. Don't go. Please I'm begging you."
Ash's face reddened in anger at her stupidity. He'd admit she was strong, stronger perhaps than anyone he'd ever met. But she had no chance against an entire enclave. Unless she wasn't going there to fight.
"How are you getting there? What are you going to do? How are you going to survive?" He bombarded her with questions, but once again she silenced him with her fingertips on his lips.
A tear rolled down Mary Lynette's cheek.
"I'm already there."
She started to fade in his arms, becoming transparent like a wisp of cloud.
"Don't forget."
She leaned forward, kissing him lighter than a wisp of cloud and as she did so, a white light flashed in his eyes. His eyes blurred at the intensity of it and he shut them tightly, but when he reopened them, he was at a derelict church. Ash could smell the sea and turning around, he could see ships in the bay across from him. The streets were in ruins around him, what seemed to him an ideal breeding ground for Nightworlders. He could smell death in the air, it's scent caressing his senses like a lost lover. He heard a deft movement behind him and spun to face it. White light flashed again.
Ash opened his real eyes, but he couldn't make out much around him; they were full of tears. He was laid awkwardly on the floor. Wiping his eyes and looking around, Ash saw Thierry sitting cross-legged on a chest across the room.
"You are beginning to form a habit for blacking out, Ash Redfern."
"You have a habit of being there when I wake up. Why are you here?"
"I know where that church is."
CHAPTER ONE - UNFINISHED BUSINESS
"I'll be waiting Mary Lynette"
Mary Lynette played his words over in her mind. It was ironic he'd used almost those same words that she'd told him a year ago; even more so that their positions were now reversed. She knew that in his heart of hearts, he had known that things would never be the same before it had happened. Before she'd died. Before she'd tried to kill his family.
Mary Lynette looked back to the road, straight into the sunset. The road went on for as far as the eye could see, and there were no dust clouds in either direction to indicate that she wasn't alone. This comforted her; no people equalled no temptation. She'd been driving for several days, making her way to the coast, following her heart mostly, heading towards the ones Tar had called brothers.
She had thought for many hours on where she would start, where she would begin looking for herself, the whole world being open to her. She had thought about going back to university, but decided her long absence and change might cause unwanted questions to be asked. She had thought about going back to Briar's Creek; but she needed to be alone, she reminded herself. Mary Lynette knew that her coastal in-laws was a loose end of sorts, and it seemed as good a place as any to start in finding herself, but she hadn't decided what to do when she got there yet, her initial fury at anything to do with Tar sated somewhat.
Mary Lynette took her sunglasses off and flicked an irritating piece of hair out of her eyes. It was still hard to believe that she'd left everything she loved behind, set out alone into the world. Of course, Ash would try to follow her; she almost expected it. Thierry might be able to hold him back a few days, but Ash would eventually skip town and try to find her tracks. She would leave none for him to find. It seemed too dangerous to be connected to anyone or anything, in the place she was going.
Instinctively, in a way that completely freaked her out, she had known exactly where it was she was going, a small cove on the coast, tucked into the turn of a cliff. Inside, there was a whole enclave of vampires and she knew somewhat about them. The brotherhood as it was called, was the centre core of the enclave and consisted of the strongest vampires and telepaths. They were the leaders and protectors of the enclave. Kill them and the enclave is open for the taking. A smile flickered across her face.
They had focused all their energies into creating this power of telepathy and she had the distinct feeling that Maya had been involved in this somehow before she'd been killed. It seemed the kind of warped, twisted thing she would find amusing, having a secret sect of telepathic assassins nobody knew about.
Wait a moment, who exactly was this Maya, the logical part of Mary Lynette questioned. She didn't recall meeting her, not having been out of Briar's Creek that much before it happened. Damn Tar and his stinking memories.
Whatever Tar had instilled in her before he died, was connected to this. He had been a part of the brotherhood. A big part of it as well; she got the feeling he wasn't the type to be tied down as an errand boy. The brotherhood would know what it was he had done to her, but how would she possibly get them tell her, a renegade vampire in love with a Day Breaker.
The first trick to come to mind was the heart broken widow, scorned by the Daybreakers and out for revenge. It was a classic Nancy Drew. The only obstacle she could see was pretending she still loved Tar, pretending that his death was still heavy on her mind, pretending she wasn't disgusted by the very thought of him. How could you hide thoughts like these from a telepath?
She pulled the car over, suddenly tired from all this thinking. She needed a rest. Well, a meals on wheels would be better, but she didn't see anyone around. She got out of the car and wandered slowly in whatever direction her body took her. Mary Lynette led down in the warm dirt and let sleep take her.
*** The questions squandered Mary Lynette into her sleep and chased around the edges of her vision. She could find no rest and became agitated, twisting and turning in her sleep. She sat up, hyperventilating and wide awake. Or so she thought.
Sat opposite her was a shapeshifter, as if it was the most natural thing for him to be doing in the middle of the night. He felt like air to her touch, slippery and evasive against her mind. He was tall, dark, and not at all welcoming.
"Why are you here?" He asked her, mind and expression blank.
"I'm here to find myself."
He looked at her and smiled a sly grin, as if he knew something she didn't.
"Are you sure you're not on a vengeance mission?" He paused. "And how exactly do you plan to get them to talk? Are you just going to go up to them and ask?" His voice has a light Irish roll to it, hinting of a greater depth to this man than Mary Lynette had first thought.
"Who are 'they'?" Mary Lynette asked, wondering how he could know so much.
He cocked an eyebrow. "You know what you have to do. I am here to help you do it."
"Why are you helping me? What's in this for you?" She raised her voice, that fiery temper slipping loose.
"Let's just say I owe you a debt from a long time ago and I have come to repay it." Mare tried to ask more about it but he silenced her with a hand. "I'm not saying any more about it, so don't even try. Do you want me to do this or not?"
Mare sat silently. She knew what he meant deep down; she just didn't want to see it. In order to pretend that she was 'Xanna', the heartbroken widow, she would have to become her, in order to successfully convince a room of telepaths.
"Give me one hour."
***
Ash?
Ash sat up in a cold sweat. That voice sounded so much like her that it made him ache. He was probably just imagining it. Wishful thinking. She'd only been gone three and a half days and he already felt his soul wrenching out of place. He felt so alone.
Are you there, Ash? It's me, Mary Lynette.
"Mare? Are you really here?"
He got up and looked around the room. He felt dizzy and his vision began to swim in front of his eyes. Ash tried to move back to the bed, but collapsed on the floor sinking into unconsciousness.
When Ash lifted his head, he was surrounded by silver glowing light. But. the light was quickly forgotten when he saw Mary Lynette stood in the centre of it.
"Ash get up you fool. I don't know how long this is gonna last."
Ash smiled and jumped to his feet, moving towards her. She hadn't changed a bit.
"Listen carefully to me Ash. I have to tell you." She paused, tears filling her eyes. "I don't think I can say the words." She whispered and put her hand to her lips. She looked up suddenly, staring into space. "Zarach is calling me. I have to go. When you next see me, you have to touch me Ash. Make me remember. Make me understand. I'm so close to finding out, it's so exciting. But, I need you to find me, before it's too late." She looked up again, listening to something he couldn't quite hear.
Ash began to get frustrated and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Mare, I don't understand. What are you talking about? Look. Tell me where you are and I'll come get you and everything will be alright. We'll work something out, I promise."
Mary Lynette smiled at him and raised her hand to his face. There were tears in both their eyes.
"You know why this is important to me, Ash. You knew the reason a year ago, and I know it now. The same reason why you left me a year ago and why I'm leaving you now. I have to do this."
"When I left you, you died." She put her finger to his lips, silencing his protests.
"Yes. Yes I did. But things are different now, Ash. I'm different now. Take my hand and see what I came here to show you. I cannot do this alone."
Ash placed his hand in hers. He could feel her fear now, her fear of what she might become, of what she might do. An image of dark shapeshifter came into his mind. He was.Zarach, he could read the name from her mind. He could feel her gratitude towards him. What was it he had done? No, it was what he was going to do. He probed a little deeper.
Don't Ash. I don't want you to see. I don't want you to know. You'll get hurt and I don't want that.
Ash ignored her pleas and reached out to her through their soul mate connection. Zarach was going to bury her memories. She was going to the coastal enclave. Alone.
No!
He pulled back from her and grasped her shoulders more tightly.
"No Mary Lynette. You can't face an entire enclave alone. I won't let you. Don't go. Please I'm begging you."
Ash's face reddened in anger at her stupidity. He'd admit she was strong, stronger perhaps than anyone he'd ever met. But she had no chance against an entire enclave. Unless she wasn't going there to fight.
"How are you getting there? What are you going to do? How are you going to survive?" He bombarded her with questions, but once again she silenced him with her fingertips on his lips.
A tear rolled down Mary Lynette's cheek.
"I'm already there."
She started to fade in his arms, becoming transparent like a wisp of cloud.
"Don't forget."
She leaned forward, kissing him lighter than a wisp of cloud and as she did so, a white light flashed in his eyes. His eyes blurred at the intensity of it and he shut them tightly, but when he reopened them, he was at a derelict church. Ash could smell the sea and turning around, he could see ships in the bay across from him. The streets were in ruins around him, what seemed to him an ideal breeding ground for Nightworlders. He could smell death in the air, it's scent caressing his senses like a lost lover. He heard a deft movement behind him and spun to face it. White light flashed again.
Ash opened his real eyes, but he couldn't make out much around him; they were full of tears. He was laid awkwardly on the floor. Wiping his eyes and looking around, Ash saw Thierry sitting cross-legged on a chest across the room.
"You are beginning to form a habit for blacking out, Ash Redfern."
"You have a habit of being there when I wake up. Why are you here?"
"I know where that church is."