Disclaimer: I own nothing of L. J. Smith's; I own only Juliana and anything
else I invent.
Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews, I live off them!
Lizzie - my friend from school, stop trying to spoil the suspense and predict the plot!
Shadow - again, thanks for reviewing; I think that maybe some more troblins will make guest appearances.
Enjoy!
* * * * *
Chapter 4 - The Shadow World
Julian stepped forward into the Shadow realm, followed closely by the rest of the group. A putrid, dense smoke hung over the whole room, so it was hard to tell where they had emerged. Dee wrinkled her nose, and most of the others covered their noses and mouths to avoid the terrible stench, wafting their arms around to try and dispel some of it. The smoke cleared rapidly and seemed to almost magically disappear, leaving the room clear. They were in Jenny's grandfather's basement in the Shadow House, having just stepped out of the closet, which no longer had the rune Nauthiz on the door, but the rune Uruz again. The room was just how they all remembered it; the bookcases with protection charms and bracelets, etc. on them, the many strange books and papers Jenny's grandfather had kept about Julian and the other Shadow Men. Tom flashed a quick glance at Julian, and found his expression unreadable. What would it be like, thought Tom to himself, to go back to your own creation and find it as horrible as everybody else does? Julian was, in fact, remembering his whole life, as walking into the Shadow World again had overthrown his amnesia, and he was surprised to learn things about himself that he knew before, but they were more precious now. Julian smiled to himself. The fact that his favourite flavour of ice cream was chocolate, and his favourite outfit was that of the Erlking. He wondered how long it had been since he had thought about his life and not taken it for granted. He was human now, and he would have to savour every moment, as each could be his last. Deep in his thoughts as he was, he belatedly heard the gasps of the others as they witnessed Juliana appear, with an aura of darkness enveloping her. Tom looked up as well, startled out of his thoughts. Juliana smiled a cruel smile and laughed at the puny 'knights' that had come to save the precious princess Jenny from the evil sorceror, or in this case, sorceress. Julian stared at the Jenny-look-a-like and said to her coldly,
"Where's the real Jenny?"
Juliana frowned. "It is me, Julian, it's Jenny."
Julian bared his teeth in a feral grin. "You heard me; where is she?"
Juliana laughed again and looked around all the assembled faces.
"Seeing as you probably all guessed straight away I'm not the 'real' Jenny, I think we should be introduced properly, don't you?" Juliana smirked at Michael, who was looking uncomfortable, and walked over gracefully to Julian.
"I am Juliana."
Julian's expression was grim. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. Juliana winked at him seductively and ran a hand down his cheek, feeling the smoothness of his skin. Julian, with his extraordinary reflexes, went to smack her hands away, but Juliana was even faster. She winked at him, and said in a simpering tone to the rest of them standing there silently, "It's Game time, people. You know the rules, it's a game you've all played before." Juliana had a triumphant and predatory look on her face. "Bye bye," she caroled, flicking a finger in the general direction of the assembled friends. Audrey and Dee opened their mouths to say something to Juliana, but in an instant they had vanished, along with Zach, Summer, Tom and Michael. Julian sighed and looked at Juliana, who was watching him coyly.
"What do you want?" he asked quietly. Juliana looked at him and gave a scornful laugh.
"I have everything I could possibly want here, Julian," she said calmly. "I don't want anything else."
Julian studied the innocent looking Juliana and wanted to rip her limb from limb for tainting his Jenny's face and personality with her poisoned mind. Juliana looked angry at that, he thought with a grim satisfaction. Good. Juliana recovered seconds later, as she said to him sweetly,
"Julian, you need me to find Jenny."
Julian stared at her with a look that could probably kill an elephant.
"Why did you bring her here, Juliana? What do you want from us?"
Another predatory smile decorated the blood red lips.
"Not 'us' Julian. You. I want you." Juliana paused delicately and continued, "I am what you would call probably a shallow person; I care about the amount of power I can get out of the Shadow Elders to further my own. You are the reason I kidnapped Jenny, you have the secrets to have absolute power."
Julian said nothing about the fact that Juliana knew he used to be a Shadow Man; it was probably common news here. And now I'm back, he thought wryly. I bet you didn't see that one coming did you? Juliana smiled at him again.
"That's why I want you Julian; you were one of the best Shadow Men ever, even though you were only young. I was created to take your place, but you have yourself a reputation for being the best, and I can't beat that without your help. I need the power that I will receive if I outrank your reputation, so to speak. You do this small favour for me, and I'm sure we can come to an arrangement that will suit everyone."
Juliana sat down on the lump sofa and grinned mischievously.
"Or we could just." she said, patting the seat next to her and winking. Julian stayed where he was, his face bleak and stony.
"I don't think so," Julian said in a voice filled with menace. "I love Jenny; I would do anything for her. I don't love you, even though you have tried to steal her identity. I don't care about the others; they don't concern me. If you have hurt Jenny, I will rip you apart with my bare hands."
Juliana looked amused.
"I would like to see you try that," she said. "You are a mere mortal; I have all the powers of the Shadow World behind me. If you join me, I will see to it that you can have your powers back too."
Julian kept his face an impassive mask, but inside his thoughts were whirling. He hated this human body, and he wanted his powers back, it was true. But here in this world, the rule was 'a life for a life', and he could guess at who would die by Juliana's hand to give him a meager amount of power. That is if she even decides to give it to me, he thought to himself, flicking a glance towards her from under his dark lashes. She was a Shadow Girl, a better liar than most, so anything she said was probably not to be taken to heart, he mused. Julian decided he was going to go along with Juliana for a while, to see if he could free Jenny in any way.
"Ok," he said in a sombre tone. "I'll do it."
* * * * *
Author's Note: This chapter isn't as long as the others, but I thought that I should really explain what I mean to everybody else who isn't in my head and who probably don't know what I mean. This is pretty boring as a chapter, but the explaining needed to be done. I promise a better chapter next time, so please r & r and tell me any comments!
Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews, I live off them!
Lizzie - my friend from school, stop trying to spoil the suspense and predict the plot!
Shadow - again, thanks for reviewing; I think that maybe some more troblins will make guest appearances.
Enjoy!
* * * * *
Chapter 4 - The Shadow World
Julian stepped forward into the Shadow realm, followed closely by the rest of the group. A putrid, dense smoke hung over the whole room, so it was hard to tell where they had emerged. Dee wrinkled her nose, and most of the others covered their noses and mouths to avoid the terrible stench, wafting their arms around to try and dispel some of it. The smoke cleared rapidly and seemed to almost magically disappear, leaving the room clear. They were in Jenny's grandfather's basement in the Shadow House, having just stepped out of the closet, which no longer had the rune Nauthiz on the door, but the rune Uruz again. The room was just how they all remembered it; the bookcases with protection charms and bracelets, etc. on them, the many strange books and papers Jenny's grandfather had kept about Julian and the other Shadow Men. Tom flashed a quick glance at Julian, and found his expression unreadable. What would it be like, thought Tom to himself, to go back to your own creation and find it as horrible as everybody else does? Julian was, in fact, remembering his whole life, as walking into the Shadow World again had overthrown his amnesia, and he was surprised to learn things about himself that he knew before, but they were more precious now. Julian smiled to himself. The fact that his favourite flavour of ice cream was chocolate, and his favourite outfit was that of the Erlking. He wondered how long it had been since he had thought about his life and not taken it for granted. He was human now, and he would have to savour every moment, as each could be his last. Deep in his thoughts as he was, he belatedly heard the gasps of the others as they witnessed Juliana appear, with an aura of darkness enveloping her. Tom looked up as well, startled out of his thoughts. Juliana smiled a cruel smile and laughed at the puny 'knights' that had come to save the precious princess Jenny from the evil sorceror, or in this case, sorceress. Julian stared at the Jenny-look-a-like and said to her coldly,
"Where's the real Jenny?"
Juliana frowned. "It is me, Julian, it's Jenny."
Julian bared his teeth in a feral grin. "You heard me; where is she?"
Juliana laughed again and looked around all the assembled faces.
"Seeing as you probably all guessed straight away I'm not the 'real' Jenny, I think we should be introduced properly, don't you?" Juliana smirked at Michael, who was looking uncomfortable, and walked over gracefully to Julian.
"I am Juliana."
Julian's expression was grim. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. Juliana winked at him seductively and ran a hand down his cheek, feeling the smoothness of his skin. Julian, with his extraordinary reflexes, went to smack her hands away, but Juliana was even faster. She winked at him, and said in a simpering tone to the rest of them standing there silently, "It's Game time, people. You know the rules, it's a game you've all played before." Juliana had a triumphant and predatory look on her face. "Bye bye," she caroled, flicking a finger in the general direction of the assembled friends. Audrey and Dee opened their mouths to say something to Juliana, but in an instant they had vanished, along with Zach, Summer, Tom and Michael. Julian sighed and looked at Juliana, who was watching him coyly.
"What do you want?" he asked quietly. Juliana looked at him and gave a scornful laugh.
"I have everything I could possibly want here, Julian," she said calmly. "I don't want anything else."
Julian studied the innocent looking Juliana and wanted to rip her limb from limb for tainting his Jenny's face and personality with her poisoned mind. Juliana looked angry at that, he thought with a grim satisfaction. Good. Juliana recovered seconds later, as she said to him sweetly,
"Julian, you need me to find Jenny."
Julian stared at her with a look that could probably kill an elephant.
"Why did you bring her here, Juliana? What do you want from us?"
Another predatory smile decorated the blood red lips.
"Not 'us' Julian. You. I want you." Juliana paused delicately and continued, "I am what you would call probably a shallow person; I care about the amount of power I can get out of the Shadow Elders to further my own. You are the reason I kidnapped Jenny, you have the secrets to have absolute power."
Julian said nothing about the fact that Juliana knew he used to be a Shadow Man; it was probably common news here. And now I'm back, he thought wryly. I bet you didn't see that one coming did you? Juliana smiled at him again.
"That's why I want you Julian; you were one of the best Shadow Men ever, even though you were only young. I was created to take your place, but you have yourself a reputation for being the best, and I can't beat that without your help. I need the power that I will receive if I outrank your reputation, so to speak. You do this small favour for me, and I'm sure we can come to an arrangement that will suit everyone."
Juliana sat down on the lump sofa and grinned mischievously.
"Or we could just." she said, patting the seat next to her and winking. Julian stayed where he was, his face bleak and stony.
"I don't think so," Julian said in a voice filled with menace. "I love Jenny; I would do anything for her. I don't love you, even though you have tried to steal her identity. I don't care about the others; they don't concern me. If you have hurt Jenny, I will rip you apart with my bare hands."
Juliana looked amused.
"I would like to see you try that," she said. "You are a mere mortal; I have all the powers of the Shadow World behind me. If you join me, I will see to it that you can have your powers back too."
Julian kept his face an impassive mask, but inside his thoughts were whirling. He hated this human body, and he wanted his powers back, it was true. But here in this world, the rule was 'a life for a life', and he could guess at who would die by Juliana's hand to give him a meager amount of power. That is if she even decides to give it to me, he thought to himself, flicking a glance towards her from under his dark lashes. She was a Shadow Girl, a better liar than most, so anything she said was probably not to be taken to heart, he mused. Julian decided he was going to go along with Juliana for a while, to see if he could free Jenny in any way.
"Ok," he said in a sombre tone. "I'll do it."
* * * * *
Author's Note: This chapter isn't as long as the others, but I thought that I should really explain what I mean to everybody else who isn't in my head and who probably don't know what I mean. This is pretty boring as a chapter, but the explaining needed to be done. I promise a better chapter next time, so please r & r and tell me any comments!