"Hey Phil, I know you're not asleep. You couldn't fool me when we were kids, and now I've got this. . . you know, super vampire hearing, or something. Come on Phillip, won't you just speak to me?" Poppy pleaded when she reached their bedroom later that night.

Mark was still saying his goodnights and glowing about his being a pioneer to Jade, so they had the room to themselves for the time being.

"Phillip?"

Her brother spun around on his bed suddenly, causing Poppy to step back in shock.

"Alright, let's speak," he said in a tone that Poppy hated. It was the 'let's fight this out in the open' tone, and Poppy knew that she wouldn't like what was about to come next.

"Why don't we start about you keeping things from me. You keeping James' being a vampire from me seemed to start it. I mean, after that, it was just lie after lie after omission. Became a bit of a snowball for you, didn't it? James is a vampire. James is turning you into a vampire. You want to be turned into a vampire. You're no longer allowed to see me because of being this new Night World person. But hey, now you were a lost witch as well. And hey, guess what, so am I? So I guess that would actually mean that we could still stay in contact with each other, if you told me about it, wouldn't it?" Phil asked, asking question after question until they all seemed to run into each other in front of Poppy.

"You know, I remember a time when there was nothing that we would keep from each other, Poppy. Nothing. But obviously that doesn't mean anything to you now. Not since you've got your new Night World friends!"

"But Phil, they're your friends too! What about Rowan? She's your soulmate!" Poppy cried, tears beginning to well in her eyes.

"Oh yeah, and what a great help you were with that one too. After I basically forced my way back into your life again, for a week no less, I caught a glimpse of a girl that was to become everything to me. But even then, if it wasn't you, it was your mate Ash dragging her away from me so that I wouldn't find out about it. Oh, and is that week over yet? That week after which I would go back when you told me to go on the promise that I wouldn't argue with you? All you've got to do is say the word, remember?"

"Alright, first of all, Ash is not my 'mate'," Poppy began. "And secondly, I didn't think that it could actually work out like this. Of course I'm happy that it did; ecstatic about the way things have ended up between you and Rowan! I'd had no idea that it could even be this way. After everything James had said. . ."

"And of course you'd believe everything that he had to say to you," Phillip said.

Poppy stopped. "That's not fair, Phil."

Phillip sighed.

"No, you're right. It's not fair. It's not fair that you came down with a terminal disease. It's not fair that James had this fantastic opportunity where you would not die like the doctors said you would. It's not fair that after you left them, our parents would never be the same again. You're right, Poppy. None of it's fair. So please excuse me if I need a little bit of time to try to deal with this latest bit of unfairness that had taken everything that I thought I knew before and turned it over onto its head."

Poppy stepped back a little bit. It was actually worse that she knew what he was feeling here. She couldn't fault him in wanting to take a little bit of time to deal with it all. Remembering her delirium while James had been in the process of changing her, she had to admit that her brother was taking all of this one hell of a lot better than she had! Maybe giving him a bit of space and time to deal with all of this was best after all.

Then Mark came back into the room, ending the conversation at that point anyway.

"Goodnight, Phil," Poppy murmured softly before the lights went out. "I love you."

*

The next morning just as they were finishing up their breakfast meal at the same table they had sat around last night, a number of the house servants, as well as Nilsson and a couple of the vampires under his hand, ushered in an old and bent woman, a middle aged woman and a beautiful, young, though obviously blind woman with something akin to reverence.

Poppy looked up from her food and over to her brother in reflex. He didn't seem to have anymore of an idea of who this new person was than she did. And no reason why he should, really. But then, when she looked next to her where James was sitting, she saw the same reverence in his eyes just before he stood up in his respect to her; a gesture that his cousin Ash, and his three sisters followed almost immediately. Finally, from across the table, Mark just looked across at Poppy and Phillip with an 'if you can't beat them, join them' expression, before standing up as well.

"Please, you don't have to do that for an old hag such as myself!" the old woman spoke, brushing off the many servants that were hustling around her.

Privately, Poppy felt that the old crone was exactly right in what she had said. Then she felt confused as to why she should feel like such a traitor for those very thoughts. Head down, she stood up in the attempt to make herself feel better, which had Phillip standing along with her.

"Grandma Harman, Mother Cybele, Aradia. I'm so glad that you could make it so quickly," Thierry said, standing up and walking over to her to take her hand in his respectfully. He then led her over the an empty chair to the left of him, and then pointed around the table to everyone sitting there. "These are the ones I was telling you about. You already know Lupe and Melusine."

"Unity," Melusine murmured with the deepest of respect.

"Unity, my child," Mother Cybele replied in the traditional greeting of the witches. "And unity to you all," she added, encompassing the rest of the table in her greeting.

"This is Kestrel and Ash, both of whom I'm sure you already know, along with their two other sisters, Jade and Rowan and cousin James," Theirry continued.

The old woman raised her eyebrows upon seeing Ash sitting there.

"I have heard many interesting things about you over there years, young man," Grandma Harman murmured. "Not so many of them good. I must say that it is surprising to find you here amongst these people."

Although the words on their own might have sounded harsh, the kindly twinkle in her eye took away the sting. From Ash's stance in front of her, it was clear that he had a lot of respect for the woman.

"No more than I, I can assure you!" Ash said dryly, in what was quite possibly the first joke he'd make since leaving Mary-Lynette. "It is an honor to make your company here."

"And I you," Grandma Harman replied. Her gaze drifted to the three lamia sisters. "And don't think I have not heard too of your little escapades of late. I am not so surprised to see you here as your brother. Perhaps it is the only way to get away with running away?"

"Perhaps it is, Grandma," Kestrel replied with a small, though respectful smirk.

Meanwhile, the maiden Aradia's sightless eyes were rested on Poppy and Phillip, quite a different expression on them. Indeed, when Poppy met the young woman's eyes, she felt something irrevocable going through her, changing her forever. She scarcely dared to look across the table to see if her brother was feeling the exact same thing.

It barely registered into her notice that Thierry was formerly introducing them.

"And I should like you to meet Poppy and Phillip. They are two lost witches, recently re-found."

"We realize that, you old bore," Grandma Harman replied lightly, breaking the moment.

The first thing Poppy did once released from it was glance across at her brother. Yep, the same thing had happened to him too. An instant later, the young witch spoke to them in her soft, gentle tones.

"My children," she murmured. "Today is such a happy day. I have found two of my witch children, and they have chosen to work for the harmony of all. You have found a great love in James," she said to Poppy. "But you. . ." Aradia stared closer through Phillip. "You are having trouble in the finding, are you not? Rest easy, it will come better as time goes on."

"Thank you, ma'am," Phillip murmured, not knowing quite what else to say.

"Ma'am?" Aradia smiled kindly. "I believe that I am far too young for such an old sounding title."

"Excuse me," Poppy interjected quietly, drawing the attention back to herself for a moment. "But who exactly are you all?"

"Why, isn't that obvious?" Mother Cybele asked. "We are the Maiden, Mother and Crone of all the witches. Surely Thierry told you already? Shame on you, Thierry. That should have been the first thing you told them!"

"Well excuse me. I had rather thought that perhaps filling them in on what exactly Circle Daybreak stood for ranked pretty high as well," Thierry replied. Poppy couldn't help but notice that he spoke rather differently with the three powerful witches present. "But I have yet to introduce you to young Mark here."

"Ah yes. The honorary human of Circle Daybreak," Grandma Harman said mildly with a welcoming smile.

"Glad to hear that I'm so well renowned!" Mark grinned.

"Not so," Grandma Harman said, playing with him a little. "You forget as a witch, I've a certain knack for knowing things that others might not. Also, while you are the first, you will most certainly not be the last, as I am sure that Thierry has already informed you. Circle Daybreak used to be a much larger group, and more than half of its members were ordinary humans."

Mark's face fell somewhat.

"You step down off your high horse before you fall off," she rejoined. "But I won't actually suggest it, since I know that you won't take the advice anyway." She paused for a second, and coughed heartily into her hand.

"Grandma Harman, are you okay?" Thierry asked in worry.

"Yes, yes, no need to fuss," she said impatiently. "Now, I can't stay here for long, Tobias will be back to take me home before the day is out, so I suppose that it's time to talk about the important things, yes? Good. Because I think my grandchild, Thea, is going to be in need of the support found only in Circle Daybreak before too long."

*

Long after the Maiden, Mother and Crone had left, the group as it stood had attempted to decide on a plan of action that they could all agree on. In the end, it was decided that Kestrel and Ash would be the ones who followed on in Grandma Harman's wake straight across to Nevada to help Thea, her soulmate, and any others who found themselves in need of the haven Circle Daybreak could offer them.

Squaring his jaw and resigning himself to the fact that this would be the first of many projects which he was prepared to undergo for the sake of redeeming himself in Mary-Lynette's eyes. It was hardly a case of a dragon, but it was a good enough start. Kestrel was merely excited to be going to Nevada, a place she had never before visited, and smart over the fact that she had been chosen to go over her two sisters.

It didn't matter that they seemed more than happy to stay behind for the time being in the company of their soulmates.

They started over a couple of days later, once they were sure that everything was prepared. Then the news of the worsening of Grandma Harman's sickness reached them.

"This only makes it more pressing that we get over there as soon as we can," Ash pressed, and Thierry was of a mind to agree with him.

Satisfied that everything should run smoothly for their operation, the two lamia siblings set off together, taking Ash's car along with them. The rest of the group gathered around for their goodbyes, before Thierry, Lupe and Melusine rounded the rest of them up to help oversee other matters of importance.

*

They reached Nevada without a hitch. The weather was even good for it, as Kestrel commented gaily. Now all that was left was to find the last two remaining Harman sisters at the Lake Mead High School they attended, and Halloween night was fast approaching.

Too late, Ash suddenly realized as he glimpsed a car that had been parked on the opposite side of the road. Unobtrusively as he could manage, Ash slowed and stopped the car a little way down the road, keeping his eyes on the parked car in question through his rear vision mirror.

A barefoot, dark haired young girl in a black dress was being sheparded into the car, having been brought out from the house that two other girls were trailing from, anxious looks on their faces.

Another look at the inside of the car told Ash something he had glanced over too quickly to notice the first time; the car was already full. And Ash was willing to bet that one of the other small figures in the back seat of the car was Thea Harman, and the defiant dark haired girl was her cousin, Blaise.

He had come too late to avert the thing that Grandma Harman had been most worried over; being forced to bring them in front of the Inner Circle for blame over their wrong doing.

Ash muttered an expletive under his breath as the doors to the other car all closed with sharp sounds, and began to pull out of the curb. Putting his own car back into 'Drive', Ash tried to follow as unobtrusively as he could. This trailing led him near to the alley behind a magic shop. Grandma Harman's magic shop. Not that Ash was stupid enough to follow in that far. He and Kestrel would just have to wait it out from here.

"We're late," Kestrel murmured, watching too as the girls; Thea, Blaise and other pretty young one were taken inside of the house. "What do you suppose Grandma Harman would wish us to do now?"

"Wait," Ash said simply.

As it turned out, they had not long to wait. A mini whirlwind in the form of Thea suddenly expelled herself from the shop, obviously without permission of the members of the Inner Circle who rushed out after here only moments later.

"Here's our chance," Ash muttered. "Blaise and that other girl are still inside there alone. It's as good a chance to talk with them as we're going to get now."

Watching to make sure that all the cars with the Inner Circle members in them were gone clear from all sight, Ash clicked open the front door and stepped out, Kestrel doing the same thing from the other side. At the same moment, the backdoor of the magic shop opened again. Kestrel's eyes widened and her nostrils flared. They were caught!

Intelligent, dark eyes looked both of the lamia vampires up and down a moment. The moment was broken by a voice from behind her.

"Why did you stop? Aren't they gone yet? Maybe we should just go back in and wait for them. We don't want to get into more trouble than we're already in."

Kestrel just raised her eyebrows at this, at the same time as recognition sparked in the dark eyes of the witch.

"Ash. Is that you?" she asked in a low, seductive voice.

Another body appeared next to Blaise suddenly, and her eyes widened at the sight of the white blonde haired lamia.

"Blaise, you know this guy?" she asked in wonder.

Ash bestowed a knowing smile on the second witch who was as yet unnamed to him.

"Blaise, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" he asked smoothly.

"More like Thea's friend!" Blaise retorted. "Oh okay, Ash, Dani. Dani, Ash."

"Nice to meet you," Ash said, inclining his head. Dani merely blushed.

"Oh please," Blaise interrupted. "What on earth are you doing here, Ash? I heard that you were on the west coast."

"Plans changed," Kestrel cut in, not content to be overlooked any longer. "Hello Blaise."

"Kestrel," Blaise noted coolly. "So how has my favorite lamia family been since we last spoke? Is all that stuff with James and his human cleared up now?"

"You could say that," Ash murmured. "But here is hardly the place to talk. Are there any, let's say, more private places to gather?"

"Of course. Follow me," Blaise said, immediately taking the lead. Dani fell somewhere towards the back of the group, still in a bit of a lull over what was actually taking place here. And where was Thea now?

Moments later, they were sitting together back in Grandma Harman's shop. Gran could hardly say that they had willfully run away when they were found here, Blaise had pointed out logically. Nor could the two Inner Circle members who had stayed to guard them here. Even Dani had managed to calm down somewhat.

"So, you never did say what you are doing here," Blaise reminded her lamia relatives.

"I have business over this side for a while. A sticky situation that needed to be cleared up. Unfortunately, it seems that I arrived a short space too late."

Blaise's eyebrows suddenly came down in a quiet, suspicious fire.

"You came here to kill Thea," she asked in a low, angry voice. "My witch- sister, Thea?"

Ash waved his hand at the very idea.

"Of course not. Kill one of the only two remaining Harman daughters? Not even the lamia are so stupid as to order that to be done!" Ash laughed. "What must you think of us, Blaise? Perhaps we are not so favored among you as you suggested before?"

Blaise's eyes narrowed, still far from appeased.

"So how then did you plan to deal with this 'sticky situation' you found here?" she asked archly.

"I don't think that you're quite ready to hear it," Ash murmured, pretending to examine his perfectly shaped fingernails.

Blaise's hands clamped down on Ash's, nothing compared to vampire strength, but more than sufficient to make sure he understood she meant business.

"Try me," she uttered. "I think you'd be surprised at all that I'd be ready to hear."

Dani just looked between the two very powerful people up against each other, and then at Kestrel who was doing nothing to interfere.

"You really want to hear? Even though it would mean admitting to the fact that you knew of your cousin's attachment to her human soulmate?" Ash questioned silkily.

Blaise flushed darkly.

"How did you know?" she hissed softly. Dani's eyes widened. Thea had a human soulmate? But that. . . that meant death. . . both for her and the human. Oh goddess.

"I know many things. Let's just say that I have some friends in high places. Very high places. Such as," and here his smile widened enough to show his sharp little canines on either side of his mouth, "The Crone of all the witches."

Both Blaise and Dani's breaths rushed out of them at the words.

"My Gran told you this?" Blaise asked incredulously. "She knows?"

"Oh come on, you didn't think you'd be able to keep such a big thing from the Crone, did you? Sometimes I think that you sorely underestimate her power seeing as she's also just your 'Gran'," Ash said almost scathingly.

"So. . . what happens now?" Dani asked hesitantly.

"Well, I could say that depends on you. Thea and her soulmate as well, of course, but since you are the only ones here. . ." Ash paused poignantly. "What do you each know of Circle Daybreak?"

They started at the sudden sound of the lock being tried in the front door key, destroying the feeling of well earned privacy that they had been able to talk under up till now. All four waited until the moment they would be found out. Kestrel tried examining Blaise to see how she'd act towards the mention of Circle Daybreak. The other witch, Dani, was almost a definite. There was everything soft about that one.

Both Blaise and Dani stood up as the rest of the Inner Circle, completely with Thea and Eric, entered into the shop. Kestrel and Ash did a good job of backing up into the shadows during the conversation that was held between the group of powerful witches and the two that had broken Night World law.

The Cup of Lethe - a witch's brew for forgetting, was brought out as the alternative to killing Thea and Eric for their feelings towards each other. Without the knowledge of the main part of the Inner Circle, Blaise brought out an in imitation of the stuff, and as Ash and Kestrel watched on, they saw that Grandma Harman, Mother Cybele and the blind Maiden Aradia knew exactly what was being pulled. They would all manage to gather around briefly afterwards, just long enough to speak openly about Circle Daybreak, but not so long as to form suspicion in the minds of the other Inner Circle members.

*