Author's Note: Huge thanks to everyone who's commented, gives me a happy to know people are actually reading - and logging in to review. Hopefully next part should be out by next week.
Part 4
Jessika was bored already. She sighed heavily, forcing herself to smile and be nice to snobby relatives whose names she only knew from sending her presents for Christmas and birthdays. Usually large cheques.
Her instincts were telling her something was wrong. Nienna hadn't shown up at the party yet. She'd called Saffron briefly and Saffron promised her everything was okay.
"Come on, it's not that bad," her cousin Willow approached her from the side lines. Dressed in a gold coloured long gown with a sweeping skirt, no back and tiny spaghetti steps, raven hair in a perfect up-do, perfect as usual, Jessika felt exceptionally dull, even in her DKNY dress. Apparently Willow was very proud of the fact that her dress had been designed by the same designer who did the dress Nicole Kidman wore at the last Oscars.
"I'm not bored," Jessika lied, taking a quick sip of the champagne glass she'd been holding all night. She'd been too nervous to drink.
Everywhere around her smiling rich people waved and stood in little groups talking, mainly about money and fashion and how proud they all were of their kids, who was going to what college.
"Yeah, and I'm a werewolf," Willow snorted, snickering at her own bad joke.
Jessika's eyes rolled, wondering how to get away from her cousin. "All right, so I'm bored," Jessika admitted. "What are you gonna do, sue me?"
"When's Nienna supposed to be getting here?" Willow asked, inspecting her polished gold nails. "Someone's gotta do something to liven this party up. Corpses could have more fun."
Jessika decided not to comment, mainly cause she knew Willow was right. And she knew from experience to never tell a snobby aristocratic Redfern they were right. Though she couldn't help wondering what Nienna was up to.
"Excuse me," she muttered, hurrying away from Willow. She pulled her cell phone out the small white purse she was carrying, calling Nienna's. No answer. Just ringing and ringing. She hung up in frustration.
What was going on?
* * *
Willow sighed, feeling like strangling herself for agreeing to put up with Nienna's insane plan. Jessika didn't even like he, how the hell was she supposed to keep the girl distracted from finding out what was really going on? Jessika, unsurprisingly, seemed to be doing anything she could to avoid finding herself alone with Willow.
With so many wealthy, well-dressed people it was kind of hard to keep track of one little blonde girl in a white dress. She pushed her way through the crowd, expanding her shifter senses to catch any scent of Jessika.
She muttered under her breath with anger and pulled out her own cell-phone, calling Nienna. Nienna answered almost instantly. "Problem?"
"Yeah, finding this bitch is like finding a fucking needle in a goddamn shithouse," Willow snapped. "Why didn't you get someone she actually *likes* to keep an eye on her and make sure she stays?"
"Now there's no need for profanity," Nienna said in a chiding sing song.
Willow's eyes rolled. She was hardly one to talk. "Whatever."
"Is she suspicious or anything?"
"I don't know," Willow looked around the empty hallway she was standing in, making sure no one was coming. The last thing she needed was anyone catching her. The hotel was full of people - which wasn't very handy, but she had managed to find this back place for the quick call. And there was... "Never mind, I got her," she said. Jessika was standing just inside a fire exit door, looking extremely frustrated.
Willow panicked a moment, wondering if Jessika had heard her.
"Good, don't let her out your site." Nienna hung up. Willow put her phone away, tossed back her hair and forced her self to smile as Jessika passed by her. "What are you doing out here?"
Jessika paused, looking like a struck kitten caught in headlights for a minute before getting her bearings. "I had to make a quick call." Her eyes narrowed. "What about you?"
"Needed a cigarette," Willow answered, grabbing the pack of Marlborough Lights from her bag and showing her the pack. "Come on, we're missing all the fun."
Jessika's eyebrow arched. "Fun," she echoed dully, but resigned to following Willow back into the party.
* * *
"Code name please?"
"Purple Rain." Adreena tapped her fingers impatiently, waiting for someone at Circle Daybreak to give her conformation and put her through to someone with authority.
"Thanks, who do you wish to speak to?"
"Someone in charge. I have information about a new species of dragon, I believe my friend Jessika Harman passed it onto you guys, about a Saffron Iria?" Adreena waited patiently, phone clutched against her ear. If the Night World already had their hands on the new dragon, then they were as good as dead.
"Yes, I'll put you through to Lord Thierry, this matter is of dire importance. And you are?"
"Adreena Galena." She bit her nails nervously as she waited. Jessika had trusted her to make sure nothing happened to Saffron, but considering who Saffron was, they she felt sure she needed some sort of back up.
"Adreena? You have some information about the Rainbow dragons?" Thierry's voice was calm and cool, with a hint of eagerness as well.
"Well, probably nothing you don't already know about - huh? Rainbow dragons?"
"Yes, the species name is Arcobaleno roughly translated - Rainbow. Something to do with some colour changing abilities, we believe, we're not too clear. We need to make sure this girl Saffron is absolutely safe."
Adreena stood up, pacing around her room, tripping over the clothes and books thrown carelessly around. She didn't have the patience to sit down right now. "Well Jessika has to go to her grandfather's eightieth birthday or something. She called a few minutes ago, convinced something's wrong. Their house is supposed to be built on something. Her sister Nienna is a Circle Midnight witch and she never showed at the party, and the bottom line is - "
"You think Nienna and her Circle are up to no good," Thierry finished for her.
"Yeah," Adreena nodded, peering out of her window at the stars covering the blue-black sky.
"What's under the house?"
"I don't know."
There was an awkward silence. Obviously it was something important if Circle Midnight were interested, or that was the idea anyway. And, probably something that could be of no good to anyone.
"We need to find that out," Thierry said. "You get over to Jessika's house and stay with Saffron. I will send a backup team ASAP." Thierry hung up. Adreena headed over, a cold shiver running through her.
* * *
Part 4
Jessika was bored already. She sighed heavily, forcing herself to smile and be nice to snobby relatives whose names she only knew from sending her presents for Christmas and birthdays. Usually large cheques.
Her instincts were telling her something was wrong. Nienna hadn't shown up at the party yet. She'd called Saffron briefly and Saffron promised her everything was okay.
"Come on, it's not that bad," her cousin Willow approached her from the side lines. Dressed in a gold coloured long gown with a sweeping skirt, no back and tiny spaghetti steps, raven hair in a perfect up-do, perfect as usual, Jessika felt exceptionally dull, even in her DKNY dress. Apparently Willow was very proud of the fact that her dress had been designed by the same designer who did the dress Nicole Kidman wore at the last Oscars.
"I'm not bored," Jessika lied, taking a quick sip of the champagne glass she'd been holding all night. She'd been too nervous to drink.
Everywhere around her smiling rich people waved and stood in little groups talking, mainly about money and fashion and how proud they all were of their kids, who was going to what college.
"Yeah, and I'm a werewolf," Willow snorted, snickering at her own bad joke.
Jessika's eyes rolled, wondering how to get away from her cousin. "All right, so I'm bored," Jessika admitted. "What are you gonna do, sue me?"
"When's Nienna supposed to be getting here?" Willow asked, inspecting her polished gold nails. "Someone's gotta do something to liven this party up. Corpses could have more fun."
Jessika decided not to comment, mainly cause she knew Willow was right. And she knew from experience to never tell a snobby aristocratic Redfern they were right. Though she couldn't help wondering what Nienna was up to.
"Excuse me," she muttered, hurrying away from Willow. She pulled her cell phone out the small white purse she was carrying, calling Nienna's. No answer. Just ringing and ringing. She hung up in frustration.
What was going on?
* * *
Willow sighed, feeling like strangling herself for agreeing to put up with Nienna's insane plan. Jessika didn't even like he, how the hell was she supposed to keep the girl distracted from finding out what was really going on? Jessika, unsurprisingly, seemed to be doing anything she could to avoid finding herself alone with Willow.
With so many wealthy, well-dressed people it was kind of hard to keep track of one little blonde girl in a white dress. She pushed her way through the crowd, expanding her shifter senses to catch any scent of Jessika.
She muttered under her breath with anger and pulled out her own cell-phone, calling Nienna. Nienna answered almost instantly. "Problem?"
"Yeah, finding this bitch is like finding a fucking needle in a goddamn shithouse," Willow snapped. "Why didn't you get someone she actually *likes* to keep an eye on her and make sure she stays?"
"Now there's no need for profanity," Nienna said in a chiding sing song.
Willow's eyes rolled. She was hardly one to talk. "Whatever."
"Is she suspicious or anything?"
"I don't know," Willow looked around the empty hallway she was standing in, making sure no one was coming. The last thing she needed was anyone catching her. The hotel was full of people - which wasn't very handy, but she had managed to find this back place for the quick call. And there was... "Never mind, I got her," she said. Jessika was standing just inside a fire exit door, looking extremely frustrated.
Willow panicked a moment, wondering if Jessika had heard her.
"Good, don't let her out your site." Nienna hung up. Willow put her phone away, tossed back her hair and forced her self to smile as Jessika passed by her. "What are you doing out here?"
Jessika paused, looking like a struck kitten caught in headlights for a minute before getting her bearings. "I had to make a quick call." Her eyes narrowed. "What about you?"
"Needed a cigarette," Willow answered, grabbing the pack of Marlborough Lights from her bag and showing her the pack. "Come on, we're missing all the fun."
Jessika's eyebrow arched. "Fun," she echoed dully, but resigned to following Willow back into the party.
* * *
"Code name please?"
"Purple Rain." Adreena tapped her fingers impatiently, waiting for someone at Circle Daybreak to give her conformation and put her through to someone with authority.
"Thanks, who do you wish to speak to?"
"Someone in charge. I have information about a new species of dragon, I believe my friend Jessika Harman passed it onto you guys, about a Saffron Iria?" Adreena waited patiently, phone clutched against her ear. If the Night World already had their hands on the new dragon, then they were as good as dead.
"Yes, I'll put you through to Lord Thierry, this matter is of dire importance. And you are?"
"Adreena Galena." She bit her nails nervously as she waited. Jessika had trusted her to make sure nothing happened to Saffron, but considering who Saffron was, they she felt sure she needed some sort of back up.
"Adreena? You have some information about the Rainbow dragons?" Thierry's voice was calm and cool, with a hint of eagerness as well.
"Well, probably nothing you don't already know about - huh? Rainbow dragons?"
"Yes, the species name is Arcobaleno roughly translated - Rainbow. Something to do with some colour changing abilities, we believe, we're not too clear. We need to make sure this girl Saffron is absolutely safe."
Adreena stood up, pacing around her room, tripping over the clothes and books thrown carelessly around. She didn't have the patience to sit down right now. "Well Jessika has to go to her grandfather's eightieth birthday or something. She called a few minutes ago, convinced something's wrong. Their house is supposed to be built on something. Her sister Nienna is a Circle Midnight witch and she never showed at the party, and the bottom line is - "
"You think Nienna and her Circle are up to no good," Thierry finished for her.
"Yeah," Adreena nodded, peering out of her window at the stars covering the blue-black sky.
"What's under the house?"
"I don't know."
There was an awkward silence. Obviously it was something important if Circle Midnight were interested, or that was the idea anyway. And, probably something that could be of no good to anyone.
"We need to find that out," Thierry said. "You get over to Jessika's house and stay with Saffron. I will send a backup team ASAP." Thierry hung up. Adreena headed over, a cold shiver running through her.
* * *