Chapter Thirteen:

Chyana threw the dagger on the ground, "It's useless anyway."  She glared at Raksha, "I know it won't really hurt you."

Raksha clapped lazily, "Good girl, so how do you plan on killing me?"

"We don't." said Angel from behind her.

"Well, I plan to kill you." Raksha turned a cold gaze on Angel, "Doran, attack now."

Almost as soon as she said it things became total chaos, Doran's slaves were fighting.  They were badly outclassed, yet were slowly beating the opponents with sheer numbers.  Still, there was a chance that Daybreak could win.  Raksha knew this as soon as the dragon-people who had attacked her before came out. 

Raksha changed in a smooth movement and attacked.  She grabbed Monique and clawed into her stomach revealing bloody organs. The wound quickly healed and she got up, her and the dark haired male dragon from before both changed into their true shapes.  Raksha laughed, it was a sound that would scare children to death, and make the adults shiver.  Her laughter echoed in the minds of all who heard it.

"Raksha!"  Chyana yelled, stopping her in mid attack.  Raksha turned to look at her.  "I want you to deal with me now, no longer including these others.  This fight started because of me, and will end with just you and me."  Then Chyana changed.  She looked so different from Raksha when she did it.  Chyana changed gracefully, fluidly, like Raksha, as though she was born an elegant creature of the forests.  But there was a feeling of peace as she changed.  Her form was that of wolf, as white as fresh fallen snow, with colors that seemed to catch like bits of moonlight.  She stood almost eye level with Raksha.

"So the little girl has decided to come out of hiding." Raksha looked sharply at her, "It's be a very long time since you last used that form, do you think that you could kill me with it?"

"Yes." Chyana's mental voice was like falling rain, so gentle in contrast to Raksha's cold purring voice.

                With one word the atmosphere changed, Doran called back his slaves and Thierry's people stepped out of the way.  This was not something that anyone wanted to get caught in.  Chyana growled and slowly circled Raksha, looking for a sign of weakness, anything that could give her the advantage.  Raksha simply stood, showing her lack of fear by letting Chyana walk behind her, she gave nothing away.

Angel felt a stab of fear for Chyana, this could end badly for her, their plan could fail, or the timing could be off, and if that happened Chyana would die.  She was powerful, but she didn't have Raksha's control of her second form, nor the fearless enjoyment Raksha had of the kill.  He looked over at Thierry, he nodded the plan was in motion; it was now Chyana's turn, to lure Raksha into the trap, and try not to die in the process.

Chyana wanted to run from this fight for the first time in a long while, she felt fear.  Raksha had never scared her personally before, because she had always loved Chyana, in the way sisters love each other, even though they were as different as day and night.  But now Raksha hated Chyana, and wanted her

dead, and would see it to the end, either way.  Raksha was stubborn and Chyana would die, unless she could kill, or trap Raksha for eternity. Maybe I should . . . That thought was stopped when Raksha moved without warning, spreading her wings and coming down on Chyana, lethal claws unsheathed.  Chyana twisted out from under her, turned and lunged at Raksha.

To everyone watching the fight, it was beautiful, in a terribly sad, very scary way.  Raksha moved in the experienced way a huntress did after years of practice, Chyana with the elegance of instinct, neither made a sound, a growl or snarl, not even their feet could be heard.  Rachel Jordan appreciated the beauty of it in only the way a fighter could.  She stood transfixed, as all the others did.

Chyana knew Raksha was toying with her, and Raksha's amusement would soon fade, and then she'd move in and make the kill. As soon as she thought it Raksha's movements took and a more serious demeanor, and the wounds became deeper.  Chyana had to move fast.

Thea and Blaisé Harman stood with the 20 most powerful witches in Daybreak, waiting for Chyana to take Raksha into the trap.  Thea looked at Blaisé, who as always didn't even seem nervous.  She leaned on Eric for support.

Avis Hawk stood in the trees that hid the witches, waiting holding one part of the magic net that had been woven hundreds of years ago, by dragons who took sport in hunting demons, demons like that hell cat. He would wait and hope the witches could do their part once he and the other shifter were done theirs.

Chyana decided it was time to lure Raksha away, so she turned to run, towards a landscaped group of three where Raksha would stand for the last time.  Raksha had other plans, though; she flew into the air and came down in front of Chyana.

"Don't think for a moment, Chyana, that I'll let you escape, you die here!" Raksha reached out with a paw, to fast for Chyana to move away from, and inflicted her first real injury.  Sliver claws ran diagonal lines down her throat.  Blood spilled onto the ground and Chyana stepped back.  She ran the other direction, only to have Raksha block her again.  She'd never get around Raksha and get to the trap.

Angel, Thierry and Dreko saw the problem and with barely a look towards each other, they all attacked at the same time.  Raksha shook the two vampires off her and began to fight with Dreko; Chyana took that moment to run towards the trap.