Part 14
Rowan ignored the glares as she made her way back to the house not really understanding what everyone's problem was. Or the looks she got when her family saw her new wardrobe.
So she let loose once in a while, since when was that the end of the world. Alana was waiting as promised, not looking too pleased. "The next time you want to see me, I expect you to keep your appointment. You left me with *Day*breakers and *vermin*."
"They're okay," Rowan said dismissively, dropping the shopping bags on the floor beside the chair she sat down in. "Besides, I was shopping."
Alana looked down at the bags. "You *paid* for all this?"
Rowan snorted. "Not exactly."
Alana even smiled. "Let's get down to business, shall we?"
* * *
"Where the hell did Rowan get the money for all those new clothes?" Jade asked, surprise evident in her voice.
Kestrel was trying hard not to grin. "I'm not sure *money* was what she used." She didn't sound like she disapproved.
Jade shook her head, aghast. "I don't believe this. All that lecturing she gave us about not using our Powers, and not feeding on humans, she goes for a *shopping* spree with mind control and Midian?"
Jade had *known* there was something creepy about Midian from the start, the minute she had freaked out over Ash. Everyone had bought her little sob story.
Jade as beginning to think that this was some sort of game she and Blake were playing, to make Rowan insane. But *why* would anyone want to do that?
"This whole thing is starting to drive me nuts," she complained. "I just don't get any of it."
"I don't think anyone does," Ash had finally reappeared. He had been absent without leave that afternoon as well.
"So where did you go?" Kestrel asked, folding her arms.
They were on the porch outside the farm house, as Rowan was inside talking to Alana, and wouldn't let any of them until she was finished. Tired of Alana's bitchiness and attitude, Mark had made an excuse and gone home.
"I had to see some Daybreak people," Ash said blandly. "What's happening now?"
"Rowan's talking to Alana," Jade said. "Where's Midian?"
Mary-Lynnette glanced down the road they had just come down. "I thought she was with us."
Jade shook her head. "She was right behind us, but I didn't see her get in the car."
Ash shrugged. "So she didn't come, it's no big deal."
"You said something about some gorgeous guy showing up," Kestrel said to Jade.
Jade's smile turned dreamy. "Aether. Yeah, I was going into the general store and he was there." She sighed. "Your basic super-sexy vampire."
Ash was frowning. "Aether Tevistha?"
Jade nodded. "His last name was something weird sounding. You know him?"
"Know of him. The guy's supposed to be a freak. What's he doing here?"
Jade shrugged. "Didn't ask. He didn't say."
"Is this Aether person a bad guy?" Mary-Lynnette asked.
Ash shrugged. "What am I, the answer man?"
Jade's eyes rolled as she glanced back at the house. "What's going *on* in there?"
* * *
"So we're agreed?" Rowan hadn't really been sure how Alana would react to her plan. Alana had actually managed to surprise her with a few added details of her own.
"Yes, I think we can work together on this." Alana was smiling. Strangely enough, she managed to look a very odd mixture of angelic and insidious at the same time. Rowan hadn't been aware that was possible.
"And we'll have to let Midian in as well. I'm sure she'd enjoy this as much as us."
Alana stood up, nodding. "I remember her. Girl needs a bit of backbone, and she'll be fine."
Rowan stood up as well, walking Alana to the front door. "Where will you be if I need to get hold of you?"
Alana glanced at the house. "Around. I'm not staying in this dump. Call me telepathically if you need me." And she sauntered away.
Rowan smirked gleefully. "So?" Jade and the others came from around the corner.
"So what?" Rowan turned and went back into the house.
* * *
"Well, thank God she's gone," Mary-Lynnette said with as sigh of relief.
"And Rowan's still acting weird and not telling us - what are you smirking at?" Jade noticed Ash had an odd expression on his face as he watched Alana leave.
He smiled strangely. "There's an old Klingon proverb," Ash began.
Jade was confused. "What's a Klingon?"
"The bad guys on *Star* *Trek*," Mary-Lynnette said, "though I'm very curious to know what Klingons have to do with any of this."
Ash gave her one of his best predatory smiles. "That revenge, is a dish best served cold."
* * *
Rowan ignored the glares as she made her way back to the house not really understanding what everyone's problem was. Or the looks she got when her family saw her new wardrobe.
So she let loose once in a while, since when was that the end of the world. Alana was waiting as promised, not looking too pleased. "The next time you want to see me, I expect you to keep your appointment. You left me with *Day*breakers and *vermin*."
"They're okay," Rowan said dismissively, dropping the shopping bags on the floor beside the chair she sat down in. "Besides, I was shopping."
Alana looked down at the bags. "You *paid* for all this?"
Rowan snorted. "Not exactly."
Alana even smiled. "Let's get down to business, shall we?"
* * *
"Where the hell did Rowan get the money for all those new clothes?" Jade asked, surprise evident in her voice.
Kestrel was trying hard not to grin. "I'm not sure *money* was what she used." She didn't sound like she disapproved.
Jade shook her head, aghast. "I don't believe this. All that lecturing she gave us about not using our Powers, and not feeding on humans, she goes for a *shopping* spree with mind control and Midian?"
Jade had *known* there was something creepy about Midian from the start, the minute she had freaked out over Ash. Everyone had bought her little sob story.
Jade as beginning to think that this was some sort of game she and Blake were playing, to make Rowan insane. But *why* would anyone want to do that?
"This whole thing is starting to drive me nuts," she complained. "I just don't get any of it."
"I don't think anyone does," Ash had finally reappeared. He had been absent without leave that afternoon as well.
"So where did you go?" Kestrel asked, folding her arms.
They were on the porch outside the farm house, as Rowan was inside talking to Alana, and wouldn't let any of them until she was finished. Tired of Alana's bitchiness and attitude, Mark had made an excuse and gone home.
"I had to see some Daybreak people," Ash said blandly. "What's happening now?"
"Rowan's talking to Alana," Jade said. "Where's Midian?"
Mary-Lynnette glanced down the road they had just come down. "I thought she was with us."
Jade shook her head. "She was right behind us, but I didn't see her get in the car."
Ash shrugged. "So she didn't come, it's no big deal."
"You said something about some gorgeous guy showing up," Kestrel said to Jade.
Jade's smile turned dreamy. "Aether. Yeah, I was going into the general store and he was there." She sighed. "Your basic super-sexy vampire."
Ash was frowning. "Aether Tevistha?"
Jade nodded. "His last name was something weird sounding. You know him?"
"Know of him. The guy's supposed to be a freak. What's he doing here?"
Jade shrugged. "Didn't ask. He didn't say."
"Is this Aether person a bad guy?" Mary-Lynnette asked.
Ash shrugged. "What am I, the answer man?"
Jade's eyes rolled as she glanced back at the house. "What's going *on* in there?"
* * *
"So we're agreed?" Rowan hadn't really been sure how Alana would react to her plan. Alana had actually managed to surprise her with a few added details of her own.
"Yes, I think we can work together on this." Alana was smiling. Strangely enough, she managed to look a very odd mixture of angelic and insidious at the same time. Rowan hadn't been aware that was possible.
"And we'll have to let Midian in as well. I'm sure she'd enjoy this as much as us."
Alana stood up, nodding. "I remember her. Girl needs a bit of backbone, and she'll be fine."
Rowan stood up as well, walking Alana to the front door. "Where will you be if I need to get hold of you?"
Alana glanced at the house. "Around. I'm not staying in this dump. Call me telepathically if you need me." And she sauntered away.
Rowan smirked gleefully. "So?" Jade and the others came from around the corner.
"So what?" Rowan turned and went back into the house.
* * *
"Well, thank God she's gone," Mary-Lynnette said with as sigh of relief.
"And Rowan's still acting weird and not telling us - what are you smirking at?" Jade noticed Ash had an odd expression on his face as he watched Alana leave.
He smiled strangely. "There's an old Klingon proverb," Ash began.
Jade was confused. "What's a Klingon?"
"The bad guys on *Star* *Trek*," Mary-Lynnette said, "though I'm very curious to know what Klingons have to do with any of this."
Ash gave her one of his best predatory smiles. "That revenge, is a dish best served cold."
* * *