Part 9
Blake sighed, shaking his head in disgust and anger at the interruption. He should have guessed it would be one of *them*. Ash's sisters. He'd heard about them running out on the enclave, according to Quinn there had been an incident involving a psychotic rogue werewolf, and the girls were supposed to be learning to hunt. The idea of Rowan and Jade hunting in a world full of vermin was incredibly funny.
He recalled another sister, one slightly more aggressive than the other two. The one who was usually in some sort of trouble with the enclave authorities.
Kestrel. Bird of prey. He smiled, thinking of her.
Then scowled. That bitch Rowan needed to be taught a lesson for getting in the way. This town was too small for him to stay, but he wasn't going to leave without taking Kestrel with him.
^And Midian^ he reminded himself. ^You came for her, as well, remember?^ As soon as Midian was secured as his slave one again, it wouldn't hurt to take a mistress back with him.
He stood outside the Burdock farmhouse, hiding in the garden. He couldn't get a clear view of what was going on inside the house, nor did he hear anything.
He knew they were all in there, trying to decide what to do about him. They would have established by now. She'd tell them her little sob-story and they'd accept her. He needed to do something about that. Another body somewhere, somehow Midian *had* to responsible.
The little bitch had managed to some how find a way to block the mind control he usually able to manipulate her. He scowled again, this time at the farm house, as if it were responsible for what had happened. IN a way, he supposed it was. Stupid Redfern bitches escaped from the enclave cause their crazy aunt who lived here had done it, leaving Midian to think *she* could. And now here he was, standing in a garden in some hick Midwestern town, trying to come up with a plan to take what belonged to him home.
He found himself laughing, though he couldn't quite say why.
* * *
Jade looked up, slightly alarmed, certain she had heard someone laughing outside. She had lost track of the argument going on in the lounge and had gone to get herself a drink.
She paused by the window, trying to peer into the garden to see if she could see if anyone was out there. As far as she could tell there was no one.
With an uncomfortable shrug, she went back into the living room, sitting next to Mark on the loveseat. All Jade's plans for that night had been spoiled. She wasn't in the best of moods, and was deliberately not taking part in the discussion.
She had wanted to go to a movie, then for pizza. "How come?" Jade had asked, irritated. "I bought a new outfit, specially." She placed her hands deliberately on the hips of her new silver pants.
"Which looks great," Mark said hurriedly. "But - um - I think we should stay in tonight."
"Why?" Jade wasn't letting go until she had some sort of answer.
"I guess you didn't hear Bunny Marten was murdered this lunch time."
Jade blinked. "Oh no. The nice girl who works in the general store?"
Mark nodded. Jade had reluctantly agreed. They were half way through *Hope* *Floats* when Ash had come in with a dark haired girl who wasn't Mary-Lynnette, announcing there was a situation - and not a good one.
"Did he not strike you as familiar?" Ash was saying now.
Kestrel sat on the couch, long legs curled underneath her, a scowl covering her face. Kestrel's date had apparently been ruined too. "Not really. I didn't ask who your enclave friends were. Like it would have mattered, anyway."
"It *does* matter now," Rowan said. Something about her calmness was forced. Jade was certain she could detect strain there, and something Rowan hadn't told them. Jade wondered what it could be.
"Blake Redfern is dangerous. You heard what Midian said. He needs to be dealt with, not *dated*!"
Jade's eyes moved over to the new girl Midian, perched nervously on a chair brought in from the dining room. No one had been dead in Briar Creek before *she* had come. "Blake is *her* problem," she said moodily. "Why can't *she* deal with him."
"What's the matter with you?" Mary-Lynette asked, from where she and Ash sat on an ottoman. She seemed surprised at Jade's comment. Everyone else as well for that matter. *Almost* everyone.
"She has a point," Kestrel said, lazily, expecting her nails.
"They're right," Midian said, speaking for herself. "Blake's my problem, he came for me, not you guys. I can handle him." She sounded a lot more confident than she looked. Her features were tight, her eyes slightly too wide, her lips drawn, thumbs twiddling nervously.
"Oh, please. Can you sound that confident face to face with a man who tortured you and enjoyed making you miserable?2 Ash said harshly, glaring at her.
Midian opened her mouth, then shut it again. She sighed. "I'm trying to save less argument."
"He's been killing innocent people for no apparent reason," Mark spoke up. "I say he's everyone's problem - and needs to be put out of commission. How do you kill your kind of vampire?"
"Wood or fire," Jade said, eyeing him doubtfully. "But you can't do it."
Mark was insulted. "Why not?"
"Because you're not trained, and Blake would squash you flat before you knew what hit you," Ash said dryly.
"We need some sort of plan," Mary-Lynnette said, snuggling closer to Ash.
"Well, Kestrel could pretend to want to go out with Blake again, bring him somewhere private and stake him," Midian suggested.
Kestrel looked up, smiling a little. "That sounds like fun."
"And dangerous," Jade pointed out. If Kestrel figured out what they were up to he could turn the stake on her. She looked towards Rowan for a sane plan.
But Rowan was almost smiling. "I think we should bring Blake back here and punish him for what he's done."
Midian brightened at that plan. "Torture him? Yeah, let's do that one."
Jade winced at the thought. They were supposed to be the good guys, and in her opinion, the good guys didn't torture people.
"Let's stick with the Kestrel-stake plan," Ash said. "No torture."
"Spoil sport," Rowan muttered.
//What's gotten into you?// Jade asked her sister privately.
//It's nothing to concern you, I'm fine// Rowan answered. Jade was surprisingly hurt when she felt mental blocks shut her out of Rowan's mind. It was the first time in months Rowan hadn't yelled about using their powers.
"I didn't get chance to get a number or anything," Kestrel pointed out.
Midian shook her head. "I won't matter. Did you get a sense he was - well - undressing you with his eyes?"
Kestrel snorted. "I get that a lot." She paused. "He did seem quite - intense."
"Then he's decided he wants you. He'll show up again, that's fro certain."
Jade wasn't particularly pleased with the plan. It was way too risky, but she couldn't think of an easier answer. For the time being, she resigned to keeping her mouth shut.
* * *
Blake sighed, shaking his head in disgust and anger at the interruption. He should have guessed it would be one of *them*. Ash's sisters. He'd heard about them running out on the enclave, according to Quinn there had been an incident involving a psychotic rogue werewolf, and the girls were supposed to be learning to hunt. The idea of Rowan and Jade hunting in a world full of vermin was incredibly funny.
He recalled another sister, one slightly more aggressive than the other two. The one who was usually in some sort of trouble with the enclave authorities.
Kestrel. Bird of prey. He smiled, thinking of her.
Then scowled. That bitch Rowan needed to be taught a lesson for getting in the way. This town was too small for him to stay, but he wasn't going to leave without taking Kestrel with him.
^And Midian^ he reminded himself. ^You came for her, as well, remember?^ As soon as Midian was secured as his slave one again, it wouldn't hurt to take a mistress back with him.
He stood outside the Burdock farmhouse, hiding in the garden. He couldn't get a clear view of what was going on inside the house, nor did he hear anything.
He knew they were all in there, trying to decide what to do about him. They would have established by now. She'd tell them her little sob-story and they'd accept her. He needed to do something about that. Another body somewhere, somehow Midian *had* to responsible.
The little bitch had managed to some how find a way to block the mind control he usually able to manipulate her. He scowled again, this time at the farm house, as if it were responsible for what had happened. IN a way, he supposed it was. Stupid Redfern bitches escaped from the enclave cause their crazy aunt who lived here had done it, leaving Midian to think *she* could. And now here he was, standing in a garden in some hick Midwestern town, trying to come up with a plan to take what belonged to him home.
He found himself laughing, though he couldn't quite say why.
* * *
Jade looked up, slightly alarmed, certain she had heard someone laughing outside. She had lost track of the argument going on in the lounge and had gone to get herself a drink.
She paused by the window, trying to peer into the garden to see if she could see if anyone was out there. As far as she could tell there was no one.
With an uncomfortable shrug, she went back into the living room, sitting next to Mark on the loveseat. All Jade's plans for that night had been spoiled. She wasn't in the best of moods, and was deliberately not taking part in the discussion.
She had wanted to go to a movie, then for pizza. "How come?" Jade had asked, irritated. "I bought a new outfit, specially." She placed her hands deliberately on the hips of her new silver pants.
"Which looks great," Mark said hurriedly. "But - um - I think we should stay in tonight."
"Why?" Jade wasn't letting go until she had some sort of answer.
"I guess you didn't hear Bunny Marten was murdered this lunch time."
Jade blinked. "Oh no. The nice girl who works in the general store?"
Mark nodded. Jade had reluctantly agreed. They were half way through *Hope* *Floats* when Ash had come in with a dark haired girl who wasn't Mary-Lynnette, announcing there was a situation - and not a good one.
"Did he not strike you as familiar?" Ash was saying now.
Kestrel sat on the couch, long legs curled underneath her, a scowl covering her face. Kestrel's date had apparently been ruined too. "Not really. I didn't ask who your enclave friends were. Like it would have mattered, anyway."
"It *does* matter now," Rowan said. Something about her calmness was forced. Jade was certain she could detect strain there, and something Rowan hadn't told them. Jade wondered what it could be.
"Blake Redfern is dangerous. You heard what Midian said. He needs to be dealt with, not *dated*!"
Jade's eyes moved over to the new girl Midian, perched nervously on a chair brought in from the dining room. No one had been dead in Briar Creek before *she* had come. "Blake is *her* problem," she said moodily. "Why can't *she* deal with him."
"What's the matter with you?" Mary-Lynette asked, from where she and Ash sat on an ottoman. She seemed surprised at Jade's comment. Everyone else as well for that matter. *Almost* everyone.
"She has a point," Kestrel said, lazily, expecting her nails.
"They're right," Midian said, speaking for herself. "Blake's my problem, he came for me, not you guys. I can handle him." She sounded a lot more confident than she looked. Her features were tight, her eyes slightly too wide, her lips drawn, thumbs twiddling nervously.
"Oh, please. Can you sound that confident face to face with a man who tortured you and enjoyed making you miserable?2 Ash said harshly, glaring at her.
Midian opened her mouth, then shut it again. She sighed. "I'm trying to save less argument."
"He's been killing innocent people for no apparent reason," Mark spoke up. "I say he's everyone's problem - and needs to be put out of commission. How do you kill your kind of vampire?"
"Wood or fire," Jade said, eyeing him doubtfully. "But you can't do it."
Mark was insulted. "Why not?"
"Because you're not trained, and Blake would squash you flat before you knew what hit you," Ash said dryly.
"We need some sort of plan," Mary-Lynnette said, snuggling closer to Ash.
"Well, Kestrel could pretend to want to go out with Blake again, bring him somewhere private and stake him," Midian suggested.
Kestrel looked up, smiling a little. "That sounds like fun."
"And dangerous," Jade pointed out. If Kestrel figured out what they were up to he could turn the stake on her. She looked towards Rowan for a sane plan.
But Rowan was almost smiling. "I think we should bring Blake back here and punish him for what he's done."
Midian brightened at that plan. "Torture him? Yeah, let's do that one."
Jade winced at the thought. They were supposed to be the good guys, and in her opinion, the good guys didn't torture people.
"Let's stick with the Kestrel-stake plan," Ash said. "No torture."
"Spoil sport," Rowan muttered.
//What's gotten into you?// Jade asked her sister privately.
//It's nothing to concern you, I'm fine// Rowan answered. Jade was surprisingly hurt when she felt mental blocks shut her out of Rowan's mind. It was the first time in months Rowan hadn't yelled about using their powers.
"I didn't get chance to get a number or anything," Kestrel pointed out.
Midian shook her head. "I won't matter. Did you get a sense he was - well - undressing you with his eyes?"
Kestrel snorted. "I get that a lot." She paused. "He did seem quite - intense."
"Then he's decided he wants you. He'll show up again, that's fro certain."
Jade wasn't particularly pleased with the plan. It was way too risky, but she couldn't think of an easier answer. For the time being, she resigned to keeping her mouth shut.
* * *