Authors Notes: Not to long before the big finish or the new beginning.
That's what made me take awhile on this because ending it, is well ending
it. Don't worry still a few chapters left. Won't be long now.
My thanks goes out to all my reviewers on my first fic, you guys are really great!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of Amelia Atwater-Rhodes characters
Caryn was a kind person with a good heart she didn't deserve the punishment the Witch Council defined as "honor." Nothing was further from honor and so much closer to murder.
Somehow he knew Miranda felt the same about it but she was raised on the Witch Council and Salvatore was more than a strict teacher, he was the best there was and perhaps Miranda could be to provided she throw away her conscious.
He hadn't meant to strand Miranda in some place he didn't even know but the shock of her elbow driven so hard she might have cracked a rib had surprised him and he lost concentration not to mention his grip on her during the shift. But there was no way she was going to listen and Caryn deserved better than a grave marker for doing nothing wrong.
He had accidentally read her thoughts and for someone who played to be so cold and distant they were the thoughts of a person passionate and oddly enough about him. He couldn't help but kiss those lips aimed to tell him off when she wanted him all the more closer. He tried to push that moment away long enough to concentrate on a plan for Caryn.
He thought of the vampires that would even consider taking Caryn at all. The first was Risika and depending on their old roots perhaps he could get her to command a weaker vampire to take Caryn. The second was Jessica Allodola now Jessica Shadow, traitor to all witches, originally Aubrey's fledgling and now her own line.
Laying eyes on her without attacking could get him disowned. The Vida line made very sure of that. She seemed the best gamble though, because Risika was known for being reckless and unpredictable with her prey and he knew of no fledgling she had ever created. Jessica had debt to be repaid to Caryn and what better time than now.
Taking Caryn gently in his arms while keeping her hungry mouth away from his throat he shifted to New Mayhem. Recalling this place was easy having tracked Risika here not long ago. The only flaw he found in this plan was that Aubrey was likely to be with Jessica and he had yet to avenge his own scar. Not a niche imbetween the shoulder and the collarbone as Risika had but a laceration across his throat white and bone pale compared to his tan skin.
Focus, he thought grimly and opened the door to Las Noches.
The door swung open easily enough and the red strobe light flickered off the spider-webbed glass on the walls from Risika's and Aubrey's last fight.
Jessica was sitting on the bar dangling her legs as she downed the contents of a bottle. She stopped and eyed Caryn.
Leaping from the counter she approached a look of contempt flashing in her eyes yet a reserved tenderness for the body that was Caryn.
"You have a debt to be paid," he barked seeing Aubrey skulk forward as well.
She crossed her arms to her chest and smirked as Aubrey wrapped a possessive hand around Jessica's waist.
"And you'll let me take her will you Alexander, such the moral hero aren't you. What will the council think when they here of your selfless deed. I think they'd disown you first and then go after her immortal sire. "
"I have yet to lay rest to yours," he answered fiercely.
"Is that a challenge?" Aubrey asked dangerously.
"For another time," Jessica interrupted taking Caryn's limp body in her hands with a mind to break up the conversation. She sniffed at the blood Caryn had fresh on the side of her mouth. "Theo," she said knowingly, "I suppose Miranda fell across Caryn by accident then didn't she."
Aubrey smirked at the surprise that Alexander had accidentally let slip across his face.
"I don't thank Tristes Alexander, although my advice to you is this, after you leave here do not return to your lady love or Theo will boil your head in hot oil and serve it to Miranda with saltines." She smiled again and swept past with a smirk.
He ignored her and went to so exactly that.
Miranda was nowhere to be found not an aura not a loose shoe to tell she had ever been. He had no doubt she was real and he could still taste her on his lips. He had to find her. The problem was he didn't know where to look first.
He would have shifted had he not been afraid he'd black out during the shift and end up senseless on enemy territory. He drove long past daylight and only stopped for gas and what he could grab on the way out. The drive wasn't hard and he was used to sleep not coming easy to him. Until finally a person he hadn't seen in a long time greeted him upon his destination to the Vida household.
Adianna was getting out of her car as he pulled in the driveway.
"Alex," she sounded worried, "what's wrong."
"Hey," he said ignoring her worry and getting out of his car, "have you heard any news lately Adianna."
"Come in," she opened the door to the house, "before you fall asleep on the porch. Mom's off and about for a meeting with the Witch Council."
He stopped her right in the doorway. "Adianna this can't wait, I need to know if anything's changed, you'd be the first to know, that's why I came here."
"Alex are you in trouble," she asked her brow creased with worry once again.
"Adianna," he warned there was danger in his voice though he hadn't meant it to be there.
She paused watching him wearily and started again with a sigh, "They're having a meeting above SingleEarth about the Triste turned vampire who's been murdering countless of your line. Mother says it's a shame one of the best had that happen to them."
"Happen?"
"Some dumb leech turning a Triste, just to die from the blood." She answered.
"Don't you think it's weird a line of Anther's would go after a Triste, and one of the best at that, to change him after he put up a fight."
"Who said he was one of Anther's?" she asked.
"I saw him shift the night I found Miranda. Miranda must've finally told the Council about Theo yesterday. She knows more about this than anyone. She's one of Salvatores students do you think he would know where she went?"
"Miranda? Alex, that girl's been missing a month since yesterday, they're beginning to find bodies and between you and me she's on the list."
"No!" he roared his fist rammed into the doorframe , and the porch lamp shattered. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to it's just, it's impossible because I saw her not 24 hours ago." He was exasperated as he helped Adianna pick up the razor sharp pieces.
"I have a coroners list with name, time of death, and picture that can tell you how big a lie that is."
"What are you suggesting?"
"Could it be possible Miranda's ghost may have somehow tried to avenge her death, The may have ran her through and forgot to twist the blade and destroy the power central, her spirit could be using it's energy to keep the body alive until she can take retribution for her murder."
"Then her body wouldn't be at the morgue, Adianna."
"Her body went missing Alex, how does a body get out of a locked freezer without somehow being alive."
"She is alive, she never went anywhere," he persisted
"If she's using her life energy to stay corporeal that power is going to burn down and when it does her soul will be as empty as her body," her words cut into him. "Alex by the gods," she pleaded, "she's not going to know she's dead, and better that then the nothing she'll become."
Adianna stopped and looked at Alexander his head bent away from her, his eyes squeezed tightly shut to block the truth in her words.
"I can't lose her, Adianna, she's, she's..."
"Otherworldly," she tried.
"Yes, but not in that way," he growled.
"Alex if you love her, you have to finish this." She pleaded
There was that line again the one dividing right from wrong the one that drew the difference from black to white. There was never a between, or shade of gray, that's just how it was in the life of the righteous, the life of a witch. The greater good was no longer purely white but smeared with the blood of those sacrificed and he stood withholding the ax.
"I have to kill her then that's what you're saying, like some leech I have to twist the blade through her heart. And in turn betray my own."
Adianna nodded her head and brushed the glass from his palms to hers.
A/N- And in turn betray his own he means betray his own heart if there was any confusion there I apologize now. Also I am going to try and have the next chapter out by tomorrow night so my super human typist powers can have a good workout. (Truthfully, I'll be gone on vacation this Saturday for a week)
My thanks goes out to all my reviewers on my first fic, you guys are really great!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of Amelia Atwater-Rhodes characters
Caryn was a kind person with a good heart she didn't deserve the punishment the Witch Council defined as "honor." Nothing was further from honor and so much closer to murder.
Somehow he knew Miranda felt the same about it but she was raised on the Witch Council and Salvatore was more than a strict teacher, he was the best there was and perhaps Miranda could be to provided she throw away her conscious.
He hadn't meant to strand Miranda in some place he didn't even know but the shock of her elbow driven so hard she might have cracked a rib had surprised him and he lost concentration not to mention his grip on her during the shift. But there was no way she was going to listen and Caryn deserved better than a grave marker for doing nothing wrong.
He had accidentally read her thoughts and for someone who played to be so cold and distant they were the thoughts of a person passionate and oddly enough about him. He couldn't help but kiss those lips aimed to tell him off when she wanted him all the more closer. He tried to push that moment away long enough to concentrate on a plan for Caryn.
He thought of the vampires that would even consider taking Caryn at all. The first was Risika and depending on their old roots perhaps he could get her to command a weaker vampire to take Caryn. The second was Jessica Allodola now Jessica Shadow, traitor to all witches, originally Aubrey's fledgling and now her own line.
Laying eyes on her without attacking could get him disowned. The Vida line made very sure of that. She seemed the best gamble though, because Risika was known for being reckless and unpredictable with her prey and he knew of no fledgling she had ever created. Jessica had debt to be repaid to Caryn and what better time than now.
Taking Caryn gently in his arms while keeping her hungry mouth away from his throat he shifted to New Mayhem. Recalling this place was easy having tracked Risika here not long ago. The only flaw he found in this plan was that Aubrey was likely to be with Jessica and he had yet to avenge his own scar. Not a niche imbetween the shoulder and the collarbone as Risika had but a laceration across his throat white and bone pale compared to his tan skin.
Focus, he thought grimly and opened the door to Las Noches.
The door swung open easily enough and the red strobe light flickered off the spider-webbed glass on the walls from Risika's and Aubrey's last fight.
Jessica was sitting on the bar dangling her legs as she downed the contents of a bottle. She stopped and eyed Caryn.
Leaping from the counter she approached a look of contempt flashing in her eyes yet a reserved tenderness for the body that was Caryn.
"You have a debt to be paid," he barked seeing Aubrey skulk forward as well.
She crossed her arms to her chest and smirked as Aubrey wrapped a possessive hand around Jessica's waist.
"And you'll let me take her will you Alexander, such the moral hero aren't you. What will the council think when they here of your selfless deed. I think they'd disown you first and then go after her immortal sire. "
"I have yet to lay rest to yours," he answered fiercely.
"Is that a challenge?" Aubrey asked dangerously.
"For another time," Jessica interrupted taking Caryn's limp body in her hands with a mind to break up the conversation. She sniffed at the blood Caryn had fresh on the side of her mouth. "Theo," she said knowingly, "I suppose Miranda fell across Caryn by accident then didn't she."
Aubrey smirked at the surprise that Alexander had accidentally let slip across his face.
"I don't thank Tristes Alexander, although my advice to you is this, after you leave here do not return to your lady love or Theo will boil your head in hot oil and serve it to Miranda with saltines." She smiled again and swept past with a smirk.
He ignored her and went to so exactly that.
Miranda was nowhere to be found not an aura not a loose shoe to tell she had ever been. He had no doubt she was real and he could still taste her on his lips. He had to find her. The problem was he didn't know where to look first.
He would have shifted had he not been afraid he'd black out during the shift and end up senseless on enemy territory. He drove long past daylight and only stopped for gas and what he could grab on the way out. The drive wasn't hard and he was used to sleep not coming easy to him. Until finally a person he hadn't seen in a long time greeted him upon his destination to the Vida household.
Adianna was getting out of her car as he pulled in the driveway.
"Alex," she sounded worried, "what's wrong."
"Hey," he said ignoring her worry and getting out of his car, "have you heard any news lately Adianna."
"Come in," she opened the door to the house, "before you fall asleep on the porch. Mom's off and about for a meeting with the Witch Council."
He stopped her right in the doorway. "Adianna this can't wait, I need to know if anything's changed, you'd be the first to know, that's why I came here."
"Alex are you in trouble," she asked her brow creased with worry once again.
"Adianna," he warned there was danger in his voice though he hadn't meant it to be there.
She paused watching him wearily and started again with a sigh, "They're having a meeting above SingleEarth about the Triste turned vampire who's been murdering countless of your line. Mother says it's a shame one of the best had that happen to them."
"Happen?"
"Some dumb leech turning a Triste, just to die from the blood." She answered.
"Don't you think it's weird a line of Anther's would go after a Triste, and one of the best at that, to change him after he put up a fight."
"Who said he was one of Anther's?" she asked.
"I saw him shift the night I found Miranda. Miranda must've finally told the Council about Theo yesterday. She knows more about this than anyone. She's one of Salvatores students do you think he would know where she went?"
"Miranda? Alex, that girl's been missing a month since yesterday, they're beginning to find bodies and between you and me she's on the list."
"No!" he roared his fist rammed into the doorframe , and the porch lamp shattered. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to it's just, it's impossible because I saw her not 24 hours ago." He was exasperated as he helped Adianna pick up the razor sharp pieces.
"I have a coroners list with name, time of death, and picture that can tell you how big a lie that is."
"What are you suggesting?"
"Could it be possible Miranda's ghost may have somehow tried to avenge her death, The may have ran her through and forgot to twist the blade and destroy the power central, her spirit could be using it's energy to keep the body alive until she can take retribution for her murder."
"Then her body wouldn't be at the morgue, Adianna."
"Her body went missing Alex, how does a body get out of a locked freezer without somehow being alive."
"She is alive, she never went anywhere," he persisted
"If she's using her life energy to stay corporeal that power is going to burn down and when it does her soul will be as empty as her body," her words cut into him. "Alex by the gods," she pleaded, "she's not going to know she's dead, and better that then the nothing she'll become."
Adianna stopped and looked at Alexander his head bent away from her, his eyes squeezed tightly shut to block the truth in her words.
"I can't lose her, Adianna, she's, she's..."
"Otherworldly," she tried.
"Yes, but not in that way," he growled.
"Alex if you love her, you have to finish this." She pleaded
There was that line again the one dividing right from wrong the one that drew the difference from black to white. There was never a between, or shade of gray, that's just how it was in the life of the righteous, the life of a witch. The greater good was no longer purely white but smeared with the blood of those sacrificed and he stood withholding the ax.
"I have to kill her then that's what you're saying, like some leech I have to twist the blade through her heart. And in turn betray my own."
Adianna nodded her head and brushed the glass from his palms to hers.
A/N- And in turn betray his own he means betray his own heart if there was any confusion there I apologize now. Also I am going to try and have the next chapter out by tomorrow night so my super human typist powers can have a good workout. (Truthfully, I'll be gone on vacation this Saturday for a week)