A/N: Okie, not as much kissing in this chappie as I thought there'd be, but oh well, you'll get over it. Moose's computer isn't working, so I'm posting this without a beta, so bear with me. I don't THINK there are any glaring mistakes, but if you catch one, PLEASE let me know. And I promise that if there is not good kissing in the next chapter, there will at least be something that will be VERY romantic. And moose, if you give it away, I will personally...do something very mean and nasty that I can't think of right now. ENJOY!
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.
Selene stood by the metal-shuttered window of her room. Had the window been open, she would have been watching the sun set. But day still reigned in the world, and so she could not watch that which she had once enjoyed so much when she was alive. She missed the sunsets. It was one of the few things she missed about being human. One hand was fingering the Beretta she had taken from the dojo, and the other rested on her stomach. She had not enjoyed being pregnant, but at least she had had her child with her then.
The door opened, and Michael walked in, shutting the door quietly behind him.
"We're leaving soon," he said.
"I know," whispered Selene. "As soon as the sun sets." Her voice was steady, conversational, but Michael could sense her tension.
"Are you okay?" he asked her.
Selene's head snapped around to face him. "My only child has been taken from me, and it's quite likely that I won't live through the night, and you ask me if I'm okay?"
Michael took a step towards her and enfolded her in his arms.
"I just want her back, Michael," she whispered into his chest. "I don't give a damn about this stupid war. Not anymore. I just want her back in my arms." She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face against his chest.
"I know," he whispered into her hair. "I know."
After the sun had set, everyone poured out of the mansion and into their designated van. Leon limped out of the manor last, his gait awkward because of a wooden leg. Xavier and Kestral stood by their van quietly, waiting for their load of warriors to finish loading themselves and their weapons. When everyone was inside, Xavier slammed the door behind them and turned to Kestral. He cupped her cheek gently in the palm of one hand. "Be careful," he told her softly. "I couldn't afford to get a new second-in-command at this stage of things." She smiled softly at him and went around to the driver's side and climbed in, turning the ignition.
Selene witnessed this tender exchange as she went around to her own van and realized for the first time the full extent of Kestral and Xavier's feelings for each other. She wondered idly if either of them realized it yet. She came up on the side of her van, and Michael was waiting. He held out a hand.
"Give me the keys," he said.
"Nonsense, I'm driving."
"Give me the keys Selene." He looked at her with an expression filled with laughing tenderness and she handed the keys over with a sigh.
"Fine, but I get to drive home." She climbed into the van.
"Whatever you say, dear," Michael said with a smile, turning the keys and starting the engine.
"Ready?" Michael asked Selene. She nodded. She had checked her gun several times on the way, as well as the numerous wireless connectors George had given her. When attached to the security camera cords, the picture would go to George's lap top, which he would use to make the loop.
Michael pulled her in for a kiss. He eased his lips over hers gently, teasing at her tongue with his. When he pulled away, they were both breathless and George was rolling his eyes.
"Go," Michael said. Selene nodded and got out of the van, closing the door as quietly as she could. She walked quickly away from the vans, walking up to a discreet part of Ordoghaz's gate, both sides hidden by thick bushes. She climbed the fence carefully, being extra careful never to let her body out of the bushes, and trying not to move the branches too much.
After she had maneuvered herself over the fence, she went to go deal with the guards and their dogs. The dogs were easy. She had special treats in her pockets that would knock the dogs unconscious. It was their masters Selene was worried about. If someone saw her beating the guards senseless, she would be found out, and the attack blown. She would be caught, branded a traitor—again—and likely killed. There was a backup plan to get into the manor in case she was caught, but Selene would much rather do it herself. She gathered a handful of the dog treats, hoping they were fast acting, and stepped out of the bushes.
Instantly, a guard saw her, and walked up, his hand on his dog's collar, ready to release the leash. She put some treats on the ground around her, and waited. Her other hand was in the pocket of her coat, resting on her gun, which was reassuringly heavy in her hand. She didn't plan to shoot the guard; that would make to much noise. She planned to hit him on the back of the head with the barrel of the thing.
Just a few more steps, she told herself. Just a little closer.
"Selene?" the guard asked. "What are you doing out here?"
"Mason?" Selene asked incredulously, thinking at the same time, damn, damn, damn! Why did the first one have to be Mason? Mason was a former Death Dealer, and a good friend of Khan's. Selene had only worked with him a few times, but had enjoyed it immensely each time. Mason was quick, efficient, and a good fighter, a good person to have at your back.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Um, I work here," Mason told her. He looked down at his dog, who was eating something on the ground. "Selene, what's going on?"
Can I trust him? she wondered. "Mason, I need your help."
"Thank you Mason," Selene said gratefully. "I don't know how I'll ever repay you."
"Hit me," he said.
"Pardon?"
"Knock me out. If they find me conscious, when all the other guards aren't, they'll get suspicious."
"Oh! Of course," she said. She took out her gun and went around behind Mason and hit him at the base of his skull and he crumpled to the ground.
"I'm sorry, old friend," she said to his unconscious body.
She waited nervously for the signal that would tell her that George had looped the cameras, and it was safe for her to let the attackers in.
Nearly five minutes later, her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She answered it quickly.
"Yes?"
"All engines go," George's voice said. She snapped the phone shut, glancing at the security monitors. Sure enough, they showed to same scene over and over again. Selene was most impressed by splicing George had done of the outside security camera. It showed the guards pacing across the vast lawn, with not so much as a catch when the image looped. She smiled in appreciation and pressed the button that would open the gates, then hurried upstairs to the front door. She opened the doors and a few minutes later, the vampires began pouring in, quickly followed by the lycans.
The battle was on.
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.
........
Chapter 13: The Battle BeginsSelene stood by the metal-shuttered window of her room. Had the window been open, she would have been watching the sun set. But day still reigned in the world, and so she could not watch that which she had once enjoyed so much when she was alive. She missed the sunsets. It was one of the few things she missed about being human. One hand was fingering the Beretta she had taken from the dojo, and the other rested on her stomach. She had not enjoyed being pregnant, but at least she had had her child with her then.
The door opened, and Michael walked in, shutting the door quietly behind him.
"We're leaving soon," he said.
"I know," whispered Selene. "As soon as the sun sets." Her voice was steady, conversational, but Michael could sense her tension.
"Are you okay?" he asked her.
Selene's head snapped around to face him. "My only child has been taken from me, and it's quite likely that I won't live through the night, and you ask me if I'm okay?"
Michael took a step towards her and enfolded her in his arms.
"I just want her back, Michael," she whispered into his chest. "I don't give a damn about this stupid war. Not anymore. I just want her back in my arms." She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face against his chest.
"I know," he whispered into her hair. "I know."
............
"Are you going to be okay tonight?" Xavier asked Kestral. They were in the dojo and he was loading a large machine gun while she sharpened one of her scimitars.
"I'll be fine," Kestral said shortly. She was plainly worried, though. "Endainme En'Dae won't kill me. She'll probably kick my ass, but she won't kill me."
"How can you be so sure?" Xavier sounded more worried than Kestral.
"She was my friend. She was there when I gave birth to Sonja. She's the one who got me the position as Sonja's maid after Viktor took her from me. She tried to convince Viktor not to execute Sonja. I know her very well. She won't kill me."
"What if she's changed her mind? It's been eight hundred years. If she was such a good friend, why didn't she come with us?"
Kestral gave a harsh laugh. "Marcus," she told him. "She used to love him. She wanted to come with us, but she thought Marcus would need her more, when he Awoke. Remember, he used to love Sonja."
"I remember," Xavier said, his voice tight.
Kestral looked at him and said gently, "Xavier, I know he was your rival, I know he killed your sister, but don't you think that it's time to let go?"
"I can't Kes. I can't forget the look on his face when he bit her, when he..." His voice trailed off. "I loved my sister, Kes. I can't just forget what he did to her."
...........
There were three vans waiting outside the renegade manor. One was for Selene, Michael, Erika, Raze, and the first round of vampires, as well as a lycan named George who was going to help loop the security cameras. The second van was for Xavier and Kestral and the rest of the vampires and some of the lycans. The last van was to be driven by a lycan named Leon, and he carried the lycans and the extra weapons. Leon had lost his left leg while he was a human fighting in a war, and as a result, his van was to be the getaway car. When Lucian and Ravyn had been recovered, they were to be taken to Leon's van and Leon was to take them back to the renegade manor, where they would be safe.After the sun had set, everyone poured out of the mansion and into their designated van. Leon limped out of the manor last, his gait awkward because of a wooden leg. Xavier and Kestral stood by their van quietly, waiting for their load of warriors to finish loading themselves and their weapons. When everyone was inside, Xavier slammed the door behind them and turned to Kestral. He cupped her cheek gently in the palm of one hand. "Be careful," he told her softly. "I couldn't afford to get a new second-in-command at this stage of things." She smiled softly at him and went around to the driver's side and climbed in, turning the ignition.
Selene witnessed this tender exchange as she went around to her own van and realized for the first time the full extent of Kestral and Xavier's feelings for each other. She wondered idly if either of them realized it yet. She came up on the side of her van, and Michael was waiting. He held out a hand.
"Give me the keys," he said.
"Nonsense, I'm driving."
"Give me the keys Selene." He looked at her with an expression filled with laughing tenderness and she handed the keys over with a sigh.
"Fine, but I get to drive home." She climbed into the van.
"Whatever you say, dear," Michael said with a smile, turning the keys and starting the engine.
..........
They parked the vans a little ways off from Ordoghaz."Ready?" Michael asked Selene. She nodded. She had checked her gun several times on the way, as well as the numerous wireless connectors George had given her. When attached to the security camera cords, the picture would go to George's lap top, which he would use to make the loop.
Michael pulled her in for a kiss. He eased his lips over hers gently, teasing at her tongue with his. When he pulled away, they were both breathless and George was rolling his eyes.
"Go," Michael said. Selene nodded and got out of the van, closing the door as quietly as she could. She walked quickly away from the vans, walking up to a discreet part of Ordoghaz's gate, both sides hidden by thick bushes. She climbed the fence carefully, being extra careful never to let her body out of the bushes, and trying not to move the branches too much.
After she had maneuvered herself over the fence, she went to go deal with the guards and their dogs. The dogs were easy. She had special treats in her pockets that would knock the dogs unconscious. It was their masters Selene was worried about. If someone saw her beating the guards senseless, she would be found out, and the attack blown. She would be caught, branded a traitor—again—and likely killed. There was a backup plan to get into the manor in case she was caught, but Selene would much rather do it herself. She gathered a handful of the dog treats, hoping they were fast acting, and stepped out of the bushes.
Instantly, a guard saw her, and walked up, his hand on his dog's collar, ready to release the leash. She put some treats on the ground around her, and waited. Her other hand was in the pocket of her coat, resting on her gun, which was reassuringly heavy in her hand. She didn't plan to shoot the guard; that would make to much noise. She planned to hit him on the back of the head with the barrel of the thing.
Just a few more steps, she told herself. Just a little closer.
"Selene?" the guard asked. "What are you doing out here?"
"Mason?" Selene asked incredulously, thinking at the same time, damn, damn, damn! Why did the first one have to be Mason? Mason was a former Death Dealer, and a good friend of Khan's. Selene had only worked with him a few times, but had enjoyed it immensely each time. Mason was quick, efficient, and a good fighter, a good person to have at your back.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Um, I work here," Mason told her. He looked down at his dog, who was eating something on the ground. "Selene, what's going on?"
Can I trust him? she wondered. "Mason, I need your help."
............
Once the situation was properly explained to him, Mason was more than happy to help her with the other guards. Together, they disposed of all twenty of the guards and their dogs."Thank you Mason," Selene said gratefully. "I don't know how I'll ever repay you."
"Hit me," he said.
"Pardon?"
"Knock me out. If they find me conscious, when all the other guards aren't, they'll get suspicious."
"Oh! Of course," she said. She took out her gun and went around behind Mason and hit him at the base of his skull and he crumpled to the ground.
"I'm sorry, old friend," she said to his unconscious body.
..........
Getting into Ordoghaz was surprisingly easy. Selene had gotten down to the crypt without being stopped. She opened the door to the security booth. A vampire she had never seen before sat at the desk, feet propped up and a magazine in his hands. Selene was almost ashamed at how easy it was to sneak up on him and knock him unconscious with her gun. Quickly, in case anyone nearby had heard, she began applying the connectors to the wires that ran up into the computer monitors set in the desk.She waited nervously for the signal that would tell her that George had looped the cameras, and it was safe for her to let the attackers in.
Nearly five minutes later, her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She answered it quickly.
"Yes?"
"All engines go," George's voice said. She snapped the phone shut, glancing at the security monitors. Sure enough, they showed to same scene over and over again. Selene was most impressed by splicing George had done of the outside security camera. It showed the guards pacing across the vast lawn, with not so much as a catch when the image looped. She smiled in appreciation and pressed the button that would open the gates, then hurried upstairs to the front door. She opened the doors and a few minutes later, the vampires began pouring in, quickly followed by the lycans.
The battle was on.