Rating: R
Pairings: Well....wait and see, hm? ^^
Archive: If you want. Just e-mail me and ask. Actually, I'd be amazed if anyone wanted to archive my stuff. ^^;;
Chapter: 1/?

Chapter One - Sanctuary

With a gasp of breath, the figure in bed shot up, a cold clammy sweat clinging to their forehead. A trembling hand was pushed through tangled locks before the covers were pushed back, the bare feet slipping onto the floor. Not a sound was heard as the feet padded their way down to the door at the end of the hallway. This wasn't the first time this dream had come to her, but this time it had been startling with its intensity.

The door creaked open to reveal a large airy studio, the moonlight streaming in through the large French windows. At the end of it sat an easel, the nearby table crowded with palettes, brushes, and small containers of water. She grasped a brush, and a palette, squeezing out dark colours onto the large flat surface, a shimmering white the one thing clearly visible. She wasn't even sure what she was painting; all she knew was the brush in her hand, bringing the one thing that had haunted her sleep to life now.

All through the night she painted, ignoring the gradually lightening sky. It was only as the first rays of the sun crept into the cold shadowy studio that the brush clattered from her hand, the paint smearing against the wood floor. She started at it dumbly before she turned and shuffled back down the hallway, her eyes focusing and unfocusing rapidly.

Once she staggered to her bed, she collapsed down in it, her mind blissfully blank as the sun rose up into the early morning sky.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Kai...Kai...wake up Kai, you have to get ready."

She groaned and turned away from the gentle voice and shaking. "Go away Javier."

"Kai, would you wake up please? It's not my job to make sure that you get to your gallery shows on time you know."

She turned a bleary eye up to see her friend, dressed in a skirt and blouse; she was ready to go at least. "You know, you think you could use some of that ladylike tact you use at work. What time is it?"

"You wish. Now up. It's eight fifteen p.m. and you have a show in forty five minutes and you still have to load up some pieces."

She groaned as she sat up and pushed a hand through her hair. "Fine. Give me thirty and we can be out of here."

She watched as Javier gave her a sceptical eye but left. 'It's a good thing I gave her a key to my house. Otherwise, I'd be late once again...the curator wouldn't like that.' It didn't take her long to rush her teeth and change into her outfit.

"Hey Kai, do you want to take this piece as well?"

She looked up, hearing Javier's voice. "What piece?" putting her earrings on hastily, she hurried down the hall to her studio.

"This piece."

She paused by the doorway before she walked in slowly, looking at the canvas on the easel. The spidery fingers of tree branches cluttered the sky, the moon's pale disc visible in slivers. And seated there on its haunches, was a large white wolf, its blue eyes staring up at the moon with a forlorn expression. She paused, recalling the dream again; the running from something she couldn't see at all, the terror that had gripped her heart hard.

"Oh Kai, you still there. Man, you're acting kinda spacey. Do you want to stay home tonight and I'll take your pieces in?"

"No, it's alright." she waved away Javier's concern. "Come on; let's get it out into the car. We have a way to drive and I don't want to be late; the curator will have a hissy fit again."

She took the canvas cloth and pulled it over her end before she stopped and looked at the painting again. It was so dark, a far cry for her usual work, that she couldn't help but stare at it. It was as if she had seen that wolf elsewhere before, deep in the recesses of her mind, it was there on the fringe but refused to come out, like a creature of the shadows and night.

"Kaile!"

She jumped slightly before looking over at her best friend sheepishly. Javier didn't look thrilled with her. "Sorry." she pulled down her end of the cloth and fastened it securely. "Let's go."

She didn't say anything as they loaded it into her trunk and slammed it shut.

"Kai," Javier's voice sounded worried. "Are you sure you're up to this tonight? I can go and do this for you if you want."

"You have another job and you still help me with this. I'm all right Javier, thanks though. It's nothing at all. We'll go, get this done and come back and relax for the night."

Javier nodded as she walked for the passenger's side. "Yeah, you're right; not like anything out of the ordinary is going to happen tonight."

Kaile nodded as she slowly walked to the driver's side. "Nothing," she glanced up at the moon before she ducked into her seat quickly; why did she suddenly have a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach? "Nothing at all."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Loud noise filled the bar as he stepped up to the door and pushed it open. He nodded and waved to the frequent calls of 'Hi!' and 'How ya doing?', brushing the long white bangs out of his eyes.

"Usual?" the bartender asked as he came and sat in a seat.

"Usual." he said, nodding his head.

A glass came sliding down a few seconds later, the dark red liquid inside sloshing slightly. With a sigh he took a sip before nearly spitting it back out.

"What's-"

"I know, I know." the bartender had an apologetic look. "You only drink the good blood; when I have a shortage, you can't blame me."

"This is it?" he made a face but took another drink. "I can't be picky now can i?" he looked up at the rather unusual being behind the bar; the horns on his head were what really drew attention.

"When have you last had a decent meal, huh?" the bartender picked up a glass and started to wipe it clean.

"I can't remember." he said with a shrug. "I've been busy."

"Moping around in the hole you call home?" the bartender asked in a slightly cynical voice.

"Hey demon," he put a teasing tone behind the last word. "I don't make fun of you."

"Touché." with a shrug, the bartender plunked the glass back down amongst the other beneath the counter. "Really though, it's not healthy what' you're doing. Eating out all the time; go out and hunt down a decent meal."

"I don't like hunting much." he said, taking a small gulp; this blood wasn't that great.

"You must be the only vampire I know who doesn't like hunting. Even Devlin couldn't make you go."

"Well, what can I say? I'm stubborn." he swirled the glass' contents around.

"Hm, I couldn't tell. Say, how's she doing anyhow? Holding up well in the real world?"

He couldn't help but smile; the bartender had seen her as a child and had taken an immediate liking to her. "She's doing fine. She has a gallery showing tonight."

"Really? Damn...I should have gone. I have a few of her pieces in my living room."

"You do?" he had thought he was the only one.

"Originals." the bartender beamed. "I even saw her once...it was from far away though as she walked up to the podium to make a speech or something."

He laughed softly seeing the bartender become lost in memories. "Well, she has that part of Dana in her. Every penny I spent on her education was worth it."

"True enough. There never was a finer mortal that I had met."

"She was the only mortal you let in here."

"Stop picking at things you. Ah, there was never a finer couple."

"A vampire and a mortal; Dana and Devlin did make an interesting pair." he drank down a bit more of his blood. "Do you that there will ever be..."

He trailed off as the entire establishment went dead silent. Twisting around, he found himself staring at a row of red cloaked figures. 'Daemons...' He turned back around, staring into the glass as if he was brooding over something. One didn't want the Daemons after them or asking about or for them; it only spelt trouble. His entire body stiffened as one glided up to the bar, its face hidden in a pit of blackness.

"Dana..." the voice was soft and grating, with a harsh undertone. "Devlin....K-"

"Oh no you don't!" the bartender started. "I'll hear nothing of those troublemakers in this establishment. We're all here to enjoy our drinks and don't want to know about them again. I threw them out once and haven't seen them since. And good riddance I say!"

The Daemon didn't make a move for a few minutes before it turned and walked out the door, the other falling into step. He sighed once the door thudded shut noise coming back to the place. He looked at the bartender before he drank down the rest and rose, leaving a pile of bills on the table; he may as well pay off his tab now.

"Hey!"

He looked back as he pushed the door open.

"Don't get yourself killed."

"Thanks...I think." he replied before he walked out.

The cool night air was cool up on his skin. He frowned as he started walking; what could the Daemons want with Dana and Devlin? He thought it was common knowledge that they had died. Then he froze as he realized something else; those weren't the only names the Daemon had said; it was going to say another but was cut off by the bartender; a name that started with 'K'.

"Shit." he cursed before he willed himself away from the taverns; he hoped he wasn't too late.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kaile groaned as she rubbed the back of her neck. "That was brutal."

"You looked like you wanted to kill that woman." Javier laughed as she drummed her fingers against the steering wheel.

"She didn't understand the meaning of the word 'No!' even when I virtually screamed it into her face." she rubbed the back of her neck more forcefully. "A lot of those people are ignorant fools who don't know the first thing about painting."

"Uh huh," Javier sounded a bit worried as she looked out of the rear view mirror. "Real fools they are."

Kaile didn't notice Javier's short response. She hated gallery shows for this reason. Those people were so superficial that they never cared to look deeper into her work; they only wanted the pretty colours to adorn their walls, not to provoke anything more meaningful. And what really galled her was that she had to do this if she was to make a decent living with her degree; no place would hire her as a curator straight out of university like that.

"Hey Javier, what are you speeding for?" she looked over at her friend as she felt the car start to speed up.

"Look in the mirror and you'll see why."

Kaile paused at Javier's grim expression before she looked in the mirror. There along the road she saw nine figures behind them...flying along the road?!

"Jav, what the hell is going on?! Is this some kind of prank someone's pulling on us?"

"If it is, they have a sick sense of humour." Javier replied in a tight voice. "Where's the nearest church?"

"A few miles away; why?"

"How far!?"

"Ten miles."

"Fuck." Javier swore. "All right then. Take the wheel."

"What?!" Kaile looked at her as if she were crazy.

"Take the freaking wheel if you wanna live!"

Kaile unbuckled her seatbelt quickly and took it, Javier rolled down her window as she unbuckled herself. Kaile focused on the road ahead of her fighting to see through the hair that had fallen into her face, still in disbelief that Javier was now leaning out of the window and...

"Fireballs?!" she exclaimed in shock as she saw the bright orange orbs go hurtling towards the figures.

"Give me the wheel." Javier said as she slid back in and grabbed it.

"What the hell is going on?" she demanded as she pushed her hair out of her eyes, and rolled down her window; when she looked out, there was a plume of black smoke rising up into the air. "And I want some fucking answers."

"You saw those things right? Those are Daemons; if you ever see one, you run like hell."

"Why?"

"They'll kill you in a second; in the most violent and painful way possible."

"That still doesn't explain what the fuck is going on!"

"Do I have to spell it out for you?! We're running for our lives now Kaile! Our miserable stinking lives!" Javier floored the gas pedal completely. "If we don't make it to that church, we're fucked over in this world and the next."

"What?"

"Have you led a good and pious life there, Kaile? Free from sin and such? I know I damn well haven't."

Kaile groaned as she sank into her seat, holding her head. "I knew I should have given up booze."

"And I sex." Javier snorted. "I think we have about five miles left to go."

"Five?"

"I'm doing two hundred here."

"Hm." she glanced into the mirror. "They're back Javier."

"No good stinking fucking sons of bitches! I see the church!"

Kaile nodded before she grabbed the wheel suddenly, making the car lurch over the railing and down into the field.

"What the hell!? You could have killed us!" Javier yelled as she managed to get the vehicle under control once more.

"Just fucking move! Or let me drive while you do something! They're gaining on us fast!" Kaile said.

"No more stunts like that. Here." Javier started to lean out of the window.

Kaile grabbed the wheel again as Javier flung more of those fireballs, the church steeple drawing closer and closer. "Oh shit, Javier, get back in here!"

"What?!"

She grabbed Javier and yanked her back in. "Drive! There's a-"

Kaile never finished her sentence for the car shot off the edge of the small cliff and crashed down into the asphalt below, sparks flying all over the place. And suddenly the steps into the church were rushing up to greet them.

"Fuck!"

Kaile and Javier both shielded their eyes at the same time as the car rammed into the steps, the front smashing and impacting into a morphed mess of steel. The glass cracked and then exploded, cutting them on their arms and any other exposed skin as it went flying past. Steam billowed out from the engine as Kaile kicked her door open and fell out, blood running down from the cuts and scrapes.

"Javier...Javier, answer me." she called as she managed to stand up, wincing as pain stabbed her in the ankle.

"Jesus fucking Christ." the other door was kicked open. "Come on, into the church."

She stared to make her way up the steps, glancing back to see the Daemons come swooping down from the cliff and speed towards them. She forced her legs to start moving, stumbling every once in awhile as she ignored the growing pain in ankle.

"Come on Kaile, hurry." Javier's voice was panicked and frantic as well.

Kaile collapsed as her ankle finally gave. Even so she started to crawl up the steps as fast as she could. From behind her, she could hear the grating sounds. She looked back and saw them reach the street, the long weapons they bore, out and poised to strike.

She cried out, thinking her end was near when a sudden flash of white jumped upon one of the shapes, causing it to crash to the ground. The shape sprang free before it could be slammed into the ground as well. Kaile's eyes widened as she recognized what she saw before her. The other eight Daemons continued on while the other fought its canine attacker. Kaile started crawling away again as they came up the stairs. Suddenly, they fell away, writing and screaming in agony as smoke started to curl off of them.

"Come on."

Kaile looked up and Javier grabbed her and ran into the church, slamming the door shut with her foot.

"Thanks Javier." she said as she pulled herself off of her friend.

"No...problem....you know...you aren't exactly as light as I thought you would be." Javier said in a breathless voice.

"Where's the priest?" Kaile asked as she managed to stand up hopping around on her good foot.

"Probably in the back, praying for his soul at the moment." Javier said, standing with a wince as she held her side. "Don't think I'm bleeding internally but I'll make sure."

Kaile watched as Javier's hand started to glow with a bluish white light that subsided a few second later. "What was that? As well as those fireballs!"

"That was me. Look, I'll explain everything after we find the priest."

Kaile looked at her before she nodded. "Hey."

"Hey what, Kai?" Javier asked as she started helping Kaile to the back.

"Do you think my insurance will cover this?