Here's my nice long chapter, that I didn't realise I was going to write. Meh. This was written with guidance from Tai. *coughs* elephants *coughs*
Practikalmagik: as promised. Here it is. And you should always check ffn, you never know whats going to pop up… *pointed look* ;) I think flame can manage a warm I'm-going-to-kill-u-luk but is a specialised skill. ^_~
Sharmeen: it's four pages. Well, almost. ^_^;; thank you.
Ladies and Lurkers, I give you, the long last chapter. *bows and gestures*
-*-
The Silence Roars.
-*-
"Hey!" Faith screamed at Arthur. "Don't you dare HIT HER!" Her voice cracked and Arthur turned to glare at the alley she was still running out of when-
Bang.
The noise echoed in the ally. Pain flared in her shoulder, blood splashing her face. The force of the shot knocked her off her feet, and she sat stupidly staring at her shoulder. Tears sprang to her eyes just from the sight, not actually feeling it yet.
Time seemed to freeze, the stared at the immaculate leather shoes, her eyes moving up well muscled black clad legs to where they disappeared beneath a leather coat, all of which was plainly of the finest quality. She caught sight of the gun and her heart seemed to jump in her chest. She was strangely detached, and vaguely hopeful that Harry at least wouldn't hit Talitha too much, and that he wouldn't act so out of character for him, as he had been doing-
A black shadow jumped in between her and the gun, and Faiths heart gave a painful lurch. She wasn't dead. Yet. She stumbled to her feet, her right hand cold, making the blood flowing from her shoulder hot. She lurched backwards, wanting to help the cat, but weak… human. Jake had the panther in a headlock, sitting on its back, about to crush its sleek, hissing head with his hands, the gun gone for the moment.
Dimly she considered running, or at least removing herself from the alley, but again far faster than her eye could see another shadow ripped at Jake's hold, freeing the panther for another attack. Harry… Faith could feel her vision going screwy, as dots and stars started to dance in front of the way she was viewing the world. Nausea set in, and she dry retched, not being able to take her eyes off the writhing ball of movement that was the fight between Jake and the others. Common sense had long abandoned her, her body felt heavy and the effort of trekking out of the alley was too much… She sat down again, slipping minutely on the blood into a settled position.
A body was flung into the wall beside her, and it made her giggle, then gag. She squeaked a very girlie squeak as she was hauled to her feet, then slung over a shoulder. She blacked out to the sight of paving stones jiggling in her sight.
-*-
Flame received Jake's message and laughed. ~Can't control them both at once?~
~Not when they're vertical.~ The reply snapped back, only Jack was reoccupied.
~Fighting with out me? I'm wounded.~ Flame regarded sarcasm, no matter what anyone said as an art form.
~I'm touched you care.~
Another laugh bit out of his throat as he gathered the location of his work partner. Strange, how they'd been sent to kill Jake's soulmate, and met Flames… Flame jogged easily into the alley just as a panther and a battered faggot ran out.
He grinned appreciatively and grabbed Jake's arm as he went to finish them off. He ignored the pointed look his hand was receiving. ~Why not get them all together?~
_*_
Soft. Warm. Safe. Parts of her body that she didn't want to think about hurt, but it was distant, and if she couldn't name them, then they didn't matter. But slowly her mind threw up words, and again, she connected them.
Back. It was bruised Hands, they stung. Throat was raw. Feet and legs ached with pulled muscles, and her stomach was about to empty. Shoulder. Oh, the shoulder… It burned and stung like nothing she'd ever felt before, eclipsing all others, probably the cause of the sickness in the pit of her stomach. What was I doing last night…?
"The sun shines, and you're awake."
Voice. Aiden. Relief and worry.
She cracked open an eye and moaned, before prising it open again. "What happened?" She asked, only it sounded like a get away car on a gravel road. I was shot… a hole opened in her stomach and refused to shut. She fixed Aiden with her one open eye and stared, refusing to panic till she had a solid reason, as yesterday's events were far and faint in her mind.
Aiden had watched her sleep, her hair dirty and tangled, just the way she hated it to be making her look paler as she sank deeper than rememorable dreams, dreading her waking up because he'd have to tell her, and hoping she did, otherwise he'd loose another sister. But his fear would not hold him back. Slowly he chanted under his breath, reinforcing the healing spells that were laced through Faiths shoulder. He was so tuned in with her he almost felt her consciences swim through the layers of being until finally she was awake, but still in blissful forgetfulness.
Ignoring her question, and hinting for her to shut her eyes again he tilted her head up gently and tipped some Lucazade into her mouth. She pulled a face but drank greedily. He knew she hated the beverage, but she needed the sugar more than she needed to appease her tongue buds. It would also settle her stomach. He laid her head softly back on the pillow and checked her drip for something to do. He could see the knowledge flood into her eyes and answered the questions as before she could form them.
"We're at a Daybreak Safehouse." He sat on the edge of the bed and stared down at her. "You probably guessed about the fact T-t-t." He broke off, reforming his thoughts, taking it from a different angle. "I'm a witch." His voice stuck in his throat at the thought of what had happened to her. "And there are vampires, and shifters. And they want to rule the world, enslave humans, thinking that they're better, since they have things that humans don't have. They call their group the Nightworld. Then there is us, Circle Daybreak, we think everyone and everything deserves the chance to live in peace, which is why we get targeted." He stopped, and let her digest.
"Do they do deals on assassins?" She said finally.
Aiden gave her a small grin. "They do indeed…" He rolled his neck but felt his body stiffening as Faith asked the inevitable question.
"Where's Talitha?" Alarm was starting to spread in her now.
"We have Talitha here." Aiden swallowed carefully.
"But..." Faith was pushing herself to sit up, her eyes intent on Aiden, able to read every expression of his face.
"Vampires have excellent mind controlling ability. They can rearrange memory, wipe the slate entirely clear and start it again…"
Faith was sitting bolt upright now, pain forgotten. "What has he done to her!"
-*-
"Let! Me! Out!" Talitha struggled with the iron manacles, a crazed light in her eyes. Jake would never do this to her, and the supposed good guys did! How dare they! Her skin flinched away from the burning, itching iron even as she flung her whole body into tearing them from the wall.
She sagged against her bed in disgust, and sharply tipped her head to the side as the sun seared into her eyes. They didn't like the sun. No they didn't.
She hissed as the enemy entered. The ones who'd chained her here, the vermin leaning on the vermin loving scum, and scoffed at their pain. She bit out as a hand was stretched out to her.
Faith sank to the floor. "What the hell happened to her…" Tears started to come, again. Her sister looked like a mad thing, spit flying from her mouth, eyes crazed and fevered, and oh so pale.
Harry appeared behind her, and shrugged helplessly. "We've looked at her mind, and it's all gone…" He made a hand gesture. "And he's twisted all her affections so…" He waved at Talitha, chained to the bed, bound with iron.
He and Arthur had argued that out, yelling at each other, screaming, insulting… Yet ultimately it had come down to 'Arthur had hit Talitha' and that was that. 'They shouldn't have taken Talitha with them', as – here Arthur had sneered – she certainly didn't agree with Daybreak anymore, and she would lead Jake straight to them.
He looked at the half-there-beast shackled to the now soiled sheets. Harry mourned for the pain she would be in, trapped in all the iron. But it couldn't be helped. He patted Faith on her good shoulder gently, then picked her up at Aiden's hint. She needed to rest, and watching what had once held her sister wasn't helping.
He put her back to bed, ignoring her protests, not rising the worry and anger that was in him and soundlessly nudged her mind into sleep.
It was going to be a long day. All the witches where trying to work out a cure for Talitha, but Harry had seen her mind. They didn't have much to work with. But they had to try.
He just hoped they didn't make it worse.
-*-
A dry wind had cleared most water from the atmosphere, and the cold of night had set in, making air crisp and noticeable in their lungs. Stars glowed coldly far above them, but they didn't need the light. And here they were, lighting a fire. There was something about arson that was incredibly satisfying. Not as good as a fuck or blood, but it filled the need in Flame that screamed for destruction.
He settled back in the shadows, and waited, almost tempted into going to see if it was going to set light. The 'Safe House' was still, muted by night and day living creatures all abed, the wards glinting if it caught his eye. Deserted, isolated. On the far reaches of town. And finally, finally, a little spark was lit, and slowly grew until the flames had almost eaten the house
He watched, almost loosing his eyebrows as the wind shifted, and he laughed.
He closed his eyes as his hair singed; he could feel her wake up, her terror and her fear. He could almost smell it amongst the smoke that assaulted his nostrils, not allowing any other scent through. He could feel her tears drying on her cheeks, on tense skin, and smoke penetrate her lungs, and how she slowly suffocated, her fingers clawing at the carpet as she slowly died, and he was left in the silence, that roared, like the blaze of the fire, blinding him.
He wanted to watch the fire claim her body, but instead disappeared in the gathering crowd, his back to the light, his eyes recovering quickly, back to familiar, reliable quiet. Yes, it hurt, but pain of a barely acknowledged soul was nothing to what he had survived. He relished in the almost lost emptiness.
Jake hadn't stopped to watch the fire. That was one thing the amateur could be counted on, to burn. He let his eyes drift shut, and was in every way but actuality there as her chains started to heat up, really burning her skin, sticking and branding, blocking all of her attempts at a spell to clear the air so she could breath, and failing.
Hot smoke and ash were residing in her lungs, but her mind was still a blank, emotions and thoughts boiling on the surface of an abyss. Animal fear. Primal instinct. The three F's flooding her mind.
Yes, something's had to go. And she was definitely one of them. Women.
He felt an almost physical snap, that pained him, made him stumble, then he walked on, into the night, silence ringing and roaring in his ears, as though he were standing by a water fall, or an inferno, or in a tornado… any extreme of an element.
And someday, if he were unlucky, that clear bell tone would peal out again, disguised in silver and corded.
Maybe it would turn out differently. But he doubted it.
It was a beautiful night, and the nothing inside him hungered.
