Seeking Favor Chapter 9 (a)

By Spirit of Eowyn (Dragonwriter)

Rated- PG-13 for 'violence' and adult situations.

 I'm sorry for taking so long to get this to you guys; it's been a difficult chapter.

Thanks Sindel for beta reading for me!  This is my rougher draft, finished last week. I didn't want to make people wait 3 weeks to get this after how long it's been since I last updated.

 The last 5 pages will be posted Friday.(written but needs revising) This is is a 13 page chapter so I had to split it up. Nuff said, onward. Please REVIEW!

Seattle.

Ash winced as they pulled up to the apartment complex.

Laurel grinned at his discomfiture.

Ash rolled his eyes and glared at her. He thought about how much Jessica had been flirting with him. He knew he was supposed to get into the playboy mode but his heart wasn't in it. 

"Take one for the team, remember you're only doing this to get her to drink the truth serum." Laurel advised

Ash muttered fingering the vial.

"Which one is it?"

"Number twelve." Laurel nodded assent.

"Give me fifteen minutes." Ash said stretching out of the car reluctantly.

 Laurel who thanks to a glamour looked like she weighed 20 more pounds, had short auburn hair and a forgettable face.

Jessica was busy fussing with her hair. Ash had called to let her know that he was coming over with the excuse of trying her cooking.  She knew what he was really after. After all, she was available and he was never going to settle down. It was a perfect arrangement. He didn't bother knocking just let himself in and called.

            "I'm here." Ash said in his characteristic sultry tenor. When he saw her come running to the living room trying to look casual but sexy-he felt ill. Low cut dress, up to her mid thighs. Usually this was supposed to be a good thing.  A girl he could use wanted him, now here was a situation he was used to. She expected the old Ash. Or to be more honest the showoff image he had put up.

            "So… where's dinner?"

            "Right here." Jessica said smiling drawing her hair away from her neck.

Ash gulped but managed to look indignant and cool. "Actually * I* was thinking of having something to eat and drink." He gave off the air of the macho man who would not take orders from women. He walked over to the kitchen. Jessica looked a little disappointed but followed.

            Ash ate quickly and talked little. Jessica took little delicate bites. Afterward he asked for some red wine, more at ease. He insisted on getting the bottle himself. Jessica smiled. Ash took the opportunity to add the vial of truth serum to her glass.

            He handed her the glass and watched her take a sip. She frowned.

            "It tastes different."

Ash didn't even blink. He smiled his carefree seductive smile and let his eyes turn green.

            "You've found me out, I added a potent aphrodisiac for our pleasure."

That was right, Ash had many witch friends, he probably could have any girl he wanted. So, if he wanted a drug to add to it, well there was nothing wrong with that.

            "So that's why you bothered with those witches in Portland. I was wondering about that." She said smugly. Something was nagging her about that… but her mind was becoming fuzzy.

            "Right. What else?" he looked pleased. "Drink up"

Something was disturbing about his smile but his lips, if she could only reach them. She got up and practically threw herself at him. She clung to him and looked up at him as his arms held onto her tighter. This was what she was after. Sinew, strength, and power and the package was nice to look at.  Her mind kept on interfering while her body grew weaker.

            "Iris doesn't specialize in potions, she's only known for divination. She wouldn't have them."

Ash was on her neck, ready to bite. "Mmhmm."

            "Ash…" her voice began to really show her nervousness.

            "You wouldn't think so…do you really think I got it from her? Do you really think that's why I was there?" His voice was mocking her ignorance. Saying you got yourself in this situation little girl, so deal. His teeth scraped her neck as the door opened. Fear was replacing lust. She tried to call upon witch fire, but it wouldn't come. She was falling. He bit in quickly-messily draining her of more energy. Soon she couldn't see anything.

            Ash was a bit disgusted with himself. He'd been a playboy most of his life but at the moment when he'd had more than a chance, more than an excuse, he couldn't even bring himself to kiss the girl. He just kept picturing Mare in the room looking sad and disappointed. All sexdrive went Poof. Bye Bye, you're not getting any.

 His partner came in and cleaned up the evidence cleaning the glasses of any remains while he   wrapped Jessica up. Laurel started looking through her drawers for any evidence to Ash's annoyance.

"Don't you think I did that while I was here those many times?"

Laurel stopped. "Oh."

            "Let's go." Ash acted like he was in a hurry to get this over with.

A half hour later, they reached the appointed Redfern warehouse, by two different paths.

 The truth serum proved useful.

 Jessica awoke in a sort of trance, bound with medium iron wire. She couldn't really see her kidnappers they seemed fuzzy, their voices were unrecognizable. She had had dinner with Ash, they had started to fool around, and then… blank. Were they attacked?

 A face zoomed into her view.

"Jessica? Can you hear me?"

"Who are you?" She responded finding her voice to be rough.

"We're asking the questions, we know you're involved with all the human kidnappings lately along the west coast, where are they going? Where are you collecting them?"

She wanted to say that she didn't know what they were talking about but her voice spoke against her will.

"Here."

"Here…Seattle?"

"Yes."

"And it's for an enclave right?"

"Yes."

"Where is it? There aren't any enclaves in Washington. They're almost all back east. Is it a new one?" The voice seemed familiar to her; it spoke with such certainty about the matter. Her mind was muddled though.

"Yes, but-" tears formed in her eyes. She knew she couldn't be telling these enemies this.

Leave me alone! Her mind screamed and being part lamia, projected fairly well. There had to be someone else her captors could get this information out of. Someone who wasn't her and wouldn't make her die for it.

"Ash."

"WHAT?" Laurel and Ash looked at one another worried.

"Ash Redfern should know, ask him and leave me alone!"

"Why should Ash Redfern know anything about the enclave?"

"Because it's a Redfern enclave, he's tight with the elders, ask him and let me live."

The voices whispered together.

What a sell out, she'd give out his name to kidnappers to be spared? He thought he was more popular with the ladies than that.

"Do you suppose she means that one of the Redfern clan, close to the Nightworld elders is in on this?" Laurel whispered to him

"They'd have to be keeping it really quiet for me not to have heard about it, I'll have to get back into Council politics." He whispered back

"Why are they taking humans now all of a sudden then? Why haven't they been doing this all along? Is it a new enclave?" the male questioned.  One that I've never heard of? Ash added to himself in surprise.

Jessica giggles and in a slightly crazed sing song voice recites.

"It's old. Wait for the black dawn to come and kill them all.  All the vermin. It's awakened, and the human world is doomed, one of the four is on our side already! The long forgotten kings."  Ash and Laurel seem puzzled both seem ready to ask more questions but the serum was wearing off as her eyes become more focused and her proper skin color was returning. Iris wouldn't make a truth serum capable of killing.

"That's the problem with working with C.D. witches they're afraid to hurt anyone, even the people who deserve it. Heck All I'd have to say is oooh I'm sorry I changed, I 'm a good guy now. See? I'm petting the fluffy rabbit. And even Hunter could join." Ash says exasperated

 "It's part of the whole 'good' thing, they're afraid of doing something shady." Laurel Shrugs

"No it's part of the whole naive thing. We've what? Five more minutes?" Ash corrects.

The fear of what the others will do to her was returning to Jessica's face. They would dispose of her, and then who would look after Sylvia? Who would stop people from calling her a fowl half-breed?

    "You won't get any more out of me." Jessica said stubbornly ignoring that she was tied up.  Jessica was gazing behind and to the right of them. If they thought that she had resisted them, maybe they would spare her sister.

            "Oh come on, you don't owe them any loyalty. They're done nothing for you, they're using you." Laurel said with a mix of begging and disgust.

 Laurel and Ash became silent, having the weird creeping sensation of being watched.

"You're like a cat yourself aren't you?  Ready to claw-" Ash cut her off

" For the last time- who is behind this that I should know?" His manner dangerous.

            "Hu-"

It was too late, Jessica and her interrogators knew that (not just suspected) three seconds before a metal dart whizzed past Ash's ear (who'd moved before it hit him last minute.) Jessica's eyes grew wide and a scream issued forth, stunted by the dart in her throat.

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    She'd betrayed them, friendship no longer mattered.  She'd hoped at the apartment that she'd be able to track her down before it was too late. They'd both known the penalty was death. Teigra couldn't afford to get on their Boss's bad side. She tried to ignore the stench of death, and comforted herself that the poison worked fast. She had to leave before her tiger side took over, she would not eat her once friend. Their council member boss would not allow his secret wild power become general knowledge, whether for C.D. or for any branch of the night world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.

    Jessica makes feeble choking sounds and makes a lousy attempt at a proud smile.

 Laurel looks pitying.

" Well there goes that." Ash looks around for the assassin but only sees a fleeing bit of orange streak past a window. The shifter was too fast for him to hope to catch. It couldn't know his identity but if he tried to pursue his glamour would wear off.

" We were lucky that that whoever followed us only had one of these."

Laurel said prying out the dart carefully.

Ash looked revolted as he turned on the fast failing witch.

" Your own did this to you, it didn't even bother trying to hit us."

His eyes unfocused for a second ignoring the dying witch's convulsions but looked in her ' I trusted you' eyes for an answer. He ignored the blame, ignored that death was giving her the sight- to see who he really was. "You." was the sound she was probably trying to make but it could easily have been his name it was so garbled.

 "She's protecting someone, how out of character." He said caustically.

Laurel had disliked Jessica but held her hand and whispered of release in the last moments of this life of Jessica Weald. Perhaps she was trying to absolve herself of her part. Dislike should not get in the way of a proper death. Laurel wasn't a healer, never had been, all she could do for Jessica was to whisper the prayers she'd been taught to bless witches before they met Hecate. It seemed a feeble gesture.

Neither had wanted Jessica's death, both had too much blood on their own hands already. ~She would've been a useful contact, easy to manipulate-~ Ash thought and regretted it. ~See Mare? I've been trying for over six months and I don't think I'll ever be as pure as you are. I just thought of a witch, a nightworlder- as a pawn, and didn't even cry at the death.~

   Laurel and Ash drove back to their own apartment both deep in their own thoughts.

 Laurel felt certain sympathy for Sylvia and Jessica. They had the lamia/witch thing going on just like her. They probably had the same sort of prejudice against them growing up of not being 'pure'.  This was why she had persuaded Ash that they shouldn't capture the younger girl for bait.  Ok Persuaded was a bad choice of words, bribed or suggested was better; you couldn't force Ash to do anything.

There was no point now of chasing the assassin, they either were found out which was doubtful or continued with the plan as normal, only with Sylvia their way in. Their glamour's were beginning to fade back to normal. Laurel looked like she was getting liposuction as they drove. Ash's face was more recognizable. His thoughts wandered as dawn approached. What would Jessica have meant by 'Hu-' hu-mans? A weird yelp? A name? Or something else entirely.

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

      Sylvia was told by Teigra of her sister's death but not who had killed her or why. A part of her suspected that it might have been a punishment by the gleam in the shifter's eye. It even could have been a personal enemy of her older sister's. She had enough of them. Why had she left her to completing this task on her own?  She couldn't just cancel tomorrow's party. It was planned. The boss knew about it, they would be expecting a shipment on Saturday, if she failed- she would meet her sisters fate. Sylvia still had plenty of things left to live for, enough things to prove. She would not be the failure.

.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Dewitt High seniors burst out of the bus with a maniacal glee.

 They spread before the teachers could more than tell them their hotel assignments.  Some of the teachers seemed relieved. Some went to the beach, another set to the mall. Kestrel and Mare were among those dragged to the later. Bunny and friends quickly lost them much to each group's mutual relief. Each fragment promised to meet each other at this "Black Iris" club later that night.

Kestrel's eyes lit with joy. All these humans untasted swarming together. They smelled better than the ones cramped on the bus to Briar creek, more vital. As if that wasn't enough, her parents had sent her a credit card as an early graduation gift, and there were clothes. Tank tops, shirt shorts, mini skirts, and all the things that growing up on an enclave she'd been denied. Junk food, flashing neon lights, so wholly opposite to home. It was heaven. It was too bad that her friend Mare didn't seem quite as enthusiastic about it.  They could fix that though.

"Come on Mare, let's find some REAL clothes. My treat." Her teeth showed. Shopping after all was a lot like hunting. They found a frilly peasant shirt a similar shade as Mare's eyes, which stood out especially well when she saw the price.

"This is waaaay to much for one lousy shirt." She complained.

Kestrel waved her credit card. " I do want to use this you know. Live a little."

Kestrel found a perfect tiger print tank top from Lerners New York. It didn't hide too much Even with the dark see through shirt over it. They were in line to buy said clothes when a silver haired witch and a human boy being dragged along cuts ahead of them to buy her clothes. Kestrel complains loudly. Mare looks up and realizes that the girl isn't human. Her silent attempts with hand signals to warm Kes fail, as she is too annoyed. Sylvia turns around sharply to lay a curse on the loud girl, when she stopped realizing that one of them was a vampire. Circle Midnight was less lenient on messing with nightworlders than with humans.

"I've had a bad week, so just humor me ok."  The silver haired girl says and flashes her dahlia ring.

 Kes stops and stares at it realization dawning with an evil smile crossing her face.

"I'm Kestrel Redfern and you are?" 

Realizing that the other girl is pulling rank, Sylvia raises her nose

 "Sylvia Weald, my mother was a Redfern, so don't try that superiority thing on me."

She says in scorn.

"Yeah? Maybe you've heard of my brother then-"

The human boy, Miles blinks confused by the girls fighting cuts in.

"So you two are related or something?" he said pointing from Sylvia to Kestrel not seeing the resemblance, had their been one.

So that was what a witch looks like, Mare thought, and knew that the boy although handsome was human, no nightworlder would ask such a question about the Redfern clan.

 Kestrel snorted and said no more, she wasn't going to say anything with that human boy around. A few hours later Kestrel was surprised however how quickly she became bored with trying on clothes and carrying them around. They were being driven to their hotel by the taxi when Kestrel saw the space needle and inquired about it.

"There's a restaurant at the top" the taxi driver informed them.

Kestrel smiled, ah yes next on her list of things to do, eat expensive human food.

            "Next, we're eating there."

The space needle was extremely expensive but the view, from the rotating top was worth it. Kestrel enjoyed ordering most of what was on the menu. She was a very messy eater though not being used to using silverware.

The night skyline and the moon fascinated mare. She fingered the necklace Ash had given her. The moon… Jeremy would have been with her here, been her friend wanting more, but here if she'd never met Ash. Heck, he still would have been alive. Would he have killed Mrs. Murdock if the sister's had gone somewhere and never came to Briar Creek? Her life would have been simple then. She would have only thought about going to college, not about the end of the world, the nightworld, or the one worth fighting for. But she wouldn't have been living in the real world; she would have been a naïve girl perfect for some vampire to prey on.

And here she was eating with one.

When they reached the bottom of the building, Mare looked up hoping to see the stars, but all she saw was clouds the moon peeking behind them. It was too bright here, too many human made lights; she could barely tell that it was night. It was disturbing. She didn't like it. She didn't like the city. It was all too gray and impersonal.

" We'll still be looking at the same sky." Kestrel said mockingly putting her arm around Mare.

Mare grumbled.

"Come on we're late for the club!" Kestrel said dragging her.

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

Meanwhile Ash and Laurel met Sylvia at the party at the local Black Iris. Sylvia rattled on and promised 'food' in a falsely sing song voice. Miles wasn't there. But they didn't find that odd, as Sylvia had never mentioned him. Sylvia was a harder nut to crack, one of many reasons Ash had preferred Jessica.

            "Where is your sister Jessica? I thought I was going to discuss all of this with her." Laurel asked in a 'genuine' concerned manner looking to Sylvia and then to Ash. "Did you lay her up? You know witches don't have as much stamina as you do!" speaking in a lightly annoyed matter of fact way. As if he were a cat that had eaten the pet mouse.

            " No she stood me up. What's up with that?" Ash acted offended.

            Sylvia was quiet for a moment. Knowing that something like this was going to happen, but still it was a hard thing to admit to strangers.

            "She's dead."

Ash blinked in surprise convincingly. And then passed at the appropriate moment to looking upset. Laurel did the confused bit followed the 'I said something wrong didn't I' complete with hand over her mouth.

            Ash also did the obligatory.

            "Who? Why? How?"

And Laurel played good cop and said " Ash! She probably doesn't want to talk about it! It was her sister for crying out loud!" dearly hoping that Sylvia would choose that route.

~~~~~~~~

About half of the Dewitt high seniors were gathering outside baring before her the flyer she had received as Senior Trip Coordinator. If Mary-Lynnette had known what the flyers were really for, she would have wondered even harder if it were possible that Bunny Marten with the lamia name wasn't one after all.  The Black Iris, which had a banner declaring that tonight newcomers were welcome, looked much like any other nightclub. Bunny smiled for the group proudly displaying the flyer to get in. The nightworlders grinned at her, they could see an easy air headed meal when it passed them.

As everyone walked in Mare thought she was the only one to notice that there were many nightworders around staring at them. The Black Iris reminded her of Jeremy and his black foxglove ring. It sounded familiar.

"Kes? Haven't we heard of this place before, somewhere?" Mary-Lynnette asked over her shoulder, wary as she followed Bunny and Stacie to a table.

"Of Course we have. I've been wanting to go here since I… err left home." Kes responded making sure that the other nightworlders didn't think she was giving away secrets.

"Home?" Mare turned around slightly alarmed. "As in this is a place that the err strangely beautiful relatives of yours come?"

"Well yeah." Kestrel Redfern said as if stating the obvious.

Stacie who had heard a little of what they had said tried to join in.

" Really? So there are a lot of hot guys where you come from?" Stacie said sounding excited and obviously noticing the vampires although only seeing them as attractive city men.

" And you didn't see that as a problem?" Mare said feeling a bit betrayed.

A group of guys asked most of the girls at their table to dance with them, ignoring Kes and Mare since it seemed that they were arguing. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that they also thought that Kestrel was about to have her own dinner.

" My brother goes to this chain of clubs, so of course it's dangerous, that's what makes it fun." Kestrel said in the same tone.

"Especially dangerous for me and say… them?" Mare said the last whispered.

" And I should bother with their life expectancy because?"  Seeing Mare's look of horror she added reassuringly " Just stick by me and you'll be fine, relax have a little fun. All clubs are dangerous in one way or another."

Mare only looked a little relieved.  Kestrel made a very quick staking her claim on Mare gesture towards the next guy that came by, hoping it would be passed along.

            " So the flyers were for…" Mary-Lynnette didn't want to complete that sentence she thought she already knew the answer.

            "Fresh free dinner." Kestrel said showing some teeth. "Speaking of which, I'm a bit hungry myself, so if you'll go grab us some drinks, I'll go get a quick bite to eat."

            Mare looked ill. She'd gotten herself into a not so happy situation, knowing that reminding Kestrel that Rowan had forbidden them from 'eating' humans was a useless gesture. Kestrel had always been the wilder one. What was she going to do? Find all the people at her high school that had never been nice to her, and tell them they had to leave because their partners wanted to eat them? Seriously. They'd laugh and think that she meant something more perverted and smile as if it was all-good. Mare practically fled to get the drinks. As she looked around, she saw some of the nightworlders doing some things in public that shouldn't even be done in private. And Ash had been a member of this chain of clubs. Not just a casual visitor, a full blown worse than Kestrel was suggesting member. Her fingers found Ash's necklace, comforted. He had said that it would bring her some sort of protection.

            The bartender grinned at her in a manner suggesting that he was expecting a meal later too.

            " A Pina Colada and a bottled water."

The bartender didn't even bother asking for ID, he didn't even bother asking for money.  He licked his lips at her. Yeah Mr. Bad-y? I don't think you'll be getting any of this girl tonight thank you. She grabbed the water for herself; the last thing she needed in this lions din was to get herself intoxicated. It would be as dangerous as waving a blood covered handkerchief.

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

 Ash was getting bored of Sylvia's babble about what a powerful witch she was, how he and the rest of the Redferns didn't need to worry because she had things under control. She even insinuated that her sister's death was a good thing, leaving this 'important business' in her hands. Which were capable. He wouldn't be surprised if she also added her looks as an added bonus to the 'important business.' He didn't have to pay attention anymore, just look like the pretty figurehead anyways. Laurel was the one trying to gain further information.

 His eyes began to wander to the drinks that were being brought from the bar especially for him and his partner. He compared her talking to the brain numbing effects of alcohol on humans. It seemed fair enough. He glanced at the bartender had stopped making Ash's drink to talk to some brunette. Hmm human by the way she stood no grace at all really. One of the 'food' to be captured for the enclave that he was supposed to already know everything about but didn't. She wore more clothes than most of the girls there. Hmm that butt looked familiar, nice curves too, where had he seen those long legs before? The girl made it even harder to see as she pointed back at a table. Hmm. A table with a dark golden vampire girl holding onto a human male loosely and chatting with a guy across the way. No way. It couldn't be.  He was now intently staring at the vampire.  KESTRAL?! What in the name of tight bikinis, was she doing here? He blinked. Oh, she was so dead.  It simply couldn't be a Kestrel look-alike. When he got his hands on her-And who was the brunette that had been pointing at his soon to be much staked younger sister?

 ::Laurel starts to notice that Ash doesn't look bored anymore, but unfortunately it was becoming apparent to Sylvia that he was by no means paying any attention to her anymore.:: He had the intense stare from a poor college student at a name brand store with a 93% off sale who had forgot his money, to one who was about to murder to get an A in his math class. She followed his gaze. Sylvia couldn't have missed Laurel's own surprised 'I'm no longer listening look'. Because Sylvia was about to do something rather stupid. While Laurel was too preoccupied trying to figure out how Kestrel had gotten here, and how to stop Ash from killing her, Sylvia tired of being ignored made her move.

 Ash made as if to get up, and Sylvia grabbed him by the collar- and kissed him. It might have worked on the old Ash but it only served to make the current one Ash more upset.

 She thought she was being cute and cunning. It however also served a purpose she had not intended. 

Mary-Lynnette was trying to get the idiot bartender to get the hint that she was with someone, by pointing at Kestrel and letting him think what he would of it. She felt as if she were being watched. Well of course, she was all these vampires and worse looking for a free meal. But something like magic, made her turn around and spot the Silver haired witch she and Kestrel had met earlier that day. She was on the midlevel at a table at the other side of the room. The human boy wasn't there but probably the most gorgeous guy she'd ever seen was getting up to lean a little closer towards her. He became clearer as he came closer. Sylvia now had her back mostly towards her clinging to his shirt and kissing him passionately. Her logical mind was analyzing what she was seeing desperately trying to find a flaw.

For the most gorgeous guy she had ever seen was Ash.

( dun dun du---n  cliffhanger……….. yeah right. I'm not that cruel this is only the end of chapter 9a) The other part  (this is 8 ½ pages by itself) is currently being finished and should be posted this week before Saturday when I leave for California)

Author notes: Have you ever noticed that whenever there is a scene where the good guys are interrogating the bad guys in a warehouse type building, that the bad guy is killed by their own people? They never survive. While good guys survive or are rescued. (an example is Star Wars episode 2) It's one of the laws of the universe or something.

I'm sorry this took so long to post, I've been debating how to work this chapter, getting the timing right and all that- all summer. Don't shoot bananas at me!