Part 7
Cash was starting to wonder what the catch was. This whole thing seemed far too easy. One girl alone in a giant house and a bunch of witches sneaking in around the back? He would have expected people who were this wealthy to have a little more security instead of one guard who happened to be dead.
^Well, they do have a girl who's a dragon in the house^ he thought, leaning in the door to the living room where she was watching TV. She was pretty in a very weird way. He'd never seen anyone with hair such a vivid purple before, her profile was outlined, almost glowing in the light from the TV.
//You want me to grab the bitch yet?// he said to Claire. She hadn't even noticed his presence yet, which made him wonder just how smart this dragon girl - Saffron, was it? - really was.
And he was also beginning to worry that a slightly dim dragon might be more dangerous than an aware one. Cash had no idea about dragon powers or their magic. He wasn't too keen on scaring this girl and making her do something he was going to regret.
He'd heard a tiny flaky lost and totally untrained witch had managed to kill a dragon with blue fire. He wasn't lucky enough to have those kind of powers.
//Yeah, get her to the basement, we've got some chains set up, we'll actually be doing the ritual sooner rather than later, we've got Daybreak dorks on our tail// Claire told him. //Get her pedant if you can, that'll weaken her and she won't be able to use magic on you//
Cash smirked, moving forward to approach the girl from behind. Something at his foot squealed loudly. It was a small ginger cat, glaring at him furiously, snarling, barring it's tiny but sharp teeth.
Cash swore at it and kicked it away viciously.
"Who are you?"
The girl was looking up at him.
* * *
Saffron had actually sensed the boy the minute he had come into the mansion. Something in her mind had been warning her about the presence of a vampire somewhere near by. Vampires had never really bothered her all that much, she guessed the vampire was a friend of either Jessika or Nienna. Probably Nienna, Jessika seemed to dislike vampires for some reason she had never said.
The boy had trod on the cat's tail. Before she could tend to the cat, the cat had run, and Saffron was left alone with this mystery boy. He was reasonably tall, smooth skin with a healthy tan, his eyes were a dark blue, right now narrowed in either anger or surprise, she wasn't really sure. His lips were tight and drawn as he frowned at her, maybe would be fuller and sensual if he was smiling. Black hair framed his face, falling in a messy tangle to his shoulders.
"Who are you?" she asked.
He straightened, and treated her to a smile that seemed to her to be extremely cold, and gave her instant creeps. "Cash Redfern."
He apparently wasn't much on words, either. Saffron turned the sound on the TV off. "What are you doing here? There's no one else in the house."
Cash Redfern continued to eye her, smiling his chilling smile. "Not quite. Your security guard is dead, Circle Midnight witches are surrounding the house."
Saffron just stared at him, not sure if she believed him or not. Was this some sort of game he was trying to play? Whatever it was, she was guessing Nienna was behind it all. Jessika was her friend, and she was Daybreak, why would she set up Circle Midnight witches to come in? She started to back away towards the door, hoping to make a run for it if she had to.
"What would Circle Midnight witches want with me?" She was pretty certain she knew.
"Something to do with a sacrifice," he answered, and without warning, lunged forward, knocking her over. Saffron shrieked, letting out a blast of red fire magic, caught off guard the blast missed Cash and struck the TV. He was grappling at her throat, trying to get his hands on her amulet.
Saffron struggled under him, trying to push him off, but he was heavier than he looked. She couldn't think clearly enough to actually shift. He struck her face with the palm of his hand. She bit her teeth into his flesh, tasting blood.
On top of that, she was starting to have trouble breathing, her vision was sparkling with some sort of pink haziness. ^Oh crap^ Saffron thought, realising what was going on. ^Could you have picked a worse time to interfere?^ Cash tore his hand away from her, snarling at his bloodied hand, hitting her several times all the same.
Saffron stared up at him, her vision going blurry. "We - "
"I know, don't say it, it doesn't make the slightest bit of fucking difference." He tore the chain from around her neck, holding up the ruby and amethyst pendant.
Saffron made a weak sound of protest, trying to get the amulet from him. It was her birth amulet...she...she needed that. Her powers would be next to useless...hell, she was next to useless at the moment, nothing was going right.
*Jessika, help me...* she thought vaguely as she passed out.
* * *
Cash was starting to wonder what the catch was. This whole thing seemed far too easy. One girl alone in a giant house and a bunch of witches sneaking in around the back? He would have expected people who were this wealthy to have a little more security instead of one guard who happened to be dead.
^Well, they do have a girl who's a dragon in the house^ he thought, leaning in the door to the living room where she was watching TV. She was pretty in a very weird way. He'd never seen anyone with hair such a vivid purple before, her profile was outlined, almost glowing in the light from the TV.
//You want me to grab the bitch yet?// he said to Claire. She hadn't even noticed his presence yet, which made him wonder just how smart this dragon girl - Saffron, was it? - really was.
And he was also beginning to worry that a slightly dim dragon might be more dangerous than an aware one. Cash had no idea about dragon powers or their magic. He wasn't too keen on scaring this girl and making her do something he was going to regret.
He'd heard a tiny flaky lost and totally untrained witch had managed to kill a dragon with blue fire. He wasn't lucky enough to have those kind of powers.
//Yeah, get her to the basement, we've got some chains set up, we'll actually be doing the ritual sooner rather than later, we've got Daybreak dorks on our tail// Claire told him. //Get her pedant if you can, that'll weaken her and she won't be able to use magic on you//
Cash smirked, moving forward to approach the girl from behind. Something at his foot squealed loudly. It was a small ginger cat, glaring at him furiously, snarling, barring it's tiny but sharp teeth.
Cash swore at it and kicked it away viciously.
"Who are you?"
The girl was looking up at him.
* * *
Saffron had actually sensed the boy the minute he had come into the mansion. Something in her mind had been warning her about the presence of a vampire somewhere near by. Vampires had never really bothered her all that much, she guessed the vampire was a friend of either Jessika or Nienna. Probably Nienna, Jessika seemed to dislike vampires for some reason she had never said.
The boy had trod on the cat's tail. Before she could tend to the cat, the cat had run, and Saffron was left alone with this mystery boy. He was reasonably tall, smooth skin with a healthy tan, his eyes were a dark blue, right now narrowed in either anger or surprise, she wasn't really sure. His lips were tight and drawn as he frowned at her, maybe would be fuller and sensual if he was smiling. Black hair framed his face, falling in a messy tangle to his shoulders.
"Who are you?" she asked.
He straightened, and treated her to a smile that seemed to her to be extremely cold, and gave her instant creeps. "Cash Redfern."
He apparently wasn't much on words, either. Saffron turned the sound on the TV off. "What are you doing here? There's no one else in the house."
Cash Redfern continued to eye her, smiling his chilling smile. "Not quite. Your security guard is dead, Circle Midnight witches are surrounding the house."
Saffron just stared at him, not sure if she believed him or not. Was this some sort of game he was trying to play? Whatever it was, she was guessing Nienna was behind it all. Jessika was her friend, and she was Daybreak, why would she set up Circle Midnight witches to come in? She started to back away towards the door, hoping to make a run for it if she had to.
"What would Circle Midnight witches want with me?" She was pretty certain she knew.
"Something to do with a sacrifice," he answered, and without warning, lunged forward, knocking her over. Saffron shrieked, letting out a blast of red fire magic, caught off guard the blast missed Cash and struck the TV. He was grappling at her throat, trying to get his hands on her amulet.
Saffron struggled under him, trying to push him off, but he was heavier than he looked. She couldn't think clearly enough to actually shift. He struck her face with the palm of his hand. She bit her teeth into his flesh, tasting blood.
On top of that, she was starting to have trouble breathing, her vision was sparkling with some sort of pink haziness. ^Oh crap^ Saffron thought, realising what was going on. ^Could you have picked a worse time to interfere?^ Cash tore his hand away from her, snarling at his bloodied hand, hitting her several times all the same.
Saffron stared up at him, her vision going blurry. "We - "
"I know, don't say it, it doesn't make the slightest bit of fucking difference." He tore the chain from around her neck, holding up the ruby and amethyst pendant.
Saffron made a weak sound of protest, trying to get the amulet from him. It was her birth amulet...she...she needed that. Her powers would be next to useless...hell, she was next to useless at the moment, nothing was going right.
*Jessika, help me...* she thought vaguely as she passed out.
* * *