"He still hasn't woken up yet?" Amber asked, and Adrianne shook her head. The two of them were in the Intensive Care Unit looking after Jake, whom the two of them found unconscious in the rubble of Krissi's house. There was no sign of Jim or Evan. Adrianne hadn't said much since.
Amber was starting to worry about her. Adrianne hadn't spoken since that incident at Krissi's house, and that was two weeks ago.
'Well,' Amber thought. 'Nothing more than a 'hi' or a 'yeah', and she hasn't eaten at all or slept much either. She just sits by Jake's hospital bed and doesn't move or say a word or hardly blink.'
"Adrianne, say something," Amber said. "I hate seeing you like this. It's nearly unbearable. I mean I know we're not close or anything, 'cuz you just moved here and you're all new and everything, but I feel like we've really made a connection in the short time we've known each other."
"For the whole three weeks I was at this school, I only started talking to you this week."
"Yeah that's all very interesting and everything," Kylie said walking in the room. Adrianne and Amber looked towards her. "The Council has a mission for the Dragoons. They want you to retrieve the rest of the Dragoon Spirits."
"Uh, Kylie?" Adrianne spoke up. "Amber doesn't know about the Dragoons."
"Oh," Kylie said, looking sheepish. "Well, she does now. And she's gonna help us get them. Her and her sister, and that nice homicidal red-head, the crazy psychic lady, the other kinda porky guy that doesn't really say much, and the other guy from the future-"
"What guy from the future?"
"She means me," a voice said from the back. It was Lavitz. "My Adrianne, the White Silver Dragoon on our side in that time, sent me back to fix what we screwed up. First, I let Jimbo die. Then I let Greg die. Then I let Ben die. Then, as Adrianne was dying, she sent me back to fix what I had done, to warn myself of the mistakes I'd make." There was a long pause as everyone in the room thought it over.
"Wow, tension," Kylie said. "Anyway, we have to find-"
Ben and Greg walked in with a giant red "Get Well" balloon with a teddy bear in bandages and with a little thermometer in it's mouth for Jake and Chinese takeout for Adrianne.
"Hey," Greg said, putting his arms around Amber's waist. "What'd we miss?"
"You two are so cute together," Adrianne said. "I'm so happy you two crazy kids finally hooked up."
"It was all me," Alex said, walking in the room. "I caught them making out and forced them to go public."
"How long had this been going on before you did finally go public?" Adrianne said accusingly.
"Only two months," Amber said, and decided to change the subject. "So how is he?"
"Still comatose," Adrianne said, frowning. "He doesn't exactly get better."
"Of course he wouldn't," Kylie said. "His spirit is-"
"Hey guys," Emma said walking into the room. Kate was with her.
"We come bearing nourishment," Kate said, pulling out a pile of tinfoil, presumably food for Adrianne.
"I already got food," Adrianne said softly.
"Oh it's not food," Kate said. "And it's not for you. It's for Jake. I have a few contacts in Los Angeles and, well, Sunnydale."
"You've been to Sunnydale?" Amber said in surprise.
"Well, of course," Kate said. "It's my alma mater. Who do you think protected the Hellmouth before-?"
"So, it's true," Lavitz said. "We have a Slayer in our midst. I was told that Eevano had a Slayer working for him, but-"
"It was a trick," Kate said. "I promise. He told me he had one of my friends. And when did you get here?"
"I came in while the loud blonde girl was speaking. I've been here."
"I am not loud!" Kylie yelled, loudly. "I wish you all would just let me finish a damn sentence-"
"Lookie, lookie what I found," Kelly remarked, walking in the door. She held up the Violet Dragoon Spirit. "It was in the rubble of Krissi's old house."
"Don't talk about Krissi," Lavitz said. "You have no right, you didn't know her. You didn't know a thing about her. I knew her. I loved her."
"Uh, what's going on?" Amber asked.
"I think, and this is a shot in the dark here," Kylie said. "I think that Jim may be channeling his spirit, his life force, his chi, through the next host for the Violet Dragoon? Maybe, maybe Lavitz is the next Violet Dragoon."
"Only one way to find out," Lavitz said as he picked up the Dragoon Spirit from Kelly's hand. It glowed a bright purple.
"Well, it looks like Dragoon Spirits can choose new hosts," Kylie said. "I'll hafta report back to the Council eventually. I mean, it's been like two weeks since we last spoke. Nothing exciting has been going on since then. Well, except for this."
"Hey, where'd Lavitz go?" Amber asked.
"Who cares?" Ben said flatly. "We'd best get out of here."
"I'm staying," Adrianne said. "Someone has to be here."
"That's why God made nurses," Amber said. "You're going home, and you're getting some rest."
"I can sleep here," Adrianne said. "Please. I spoke to him once, and he almost woke up. Please. Don't make me leave him."
"Oh grow the hell up," Kate said. "How trite and overused is that? 'Don't make me leave him,'" she mocked. "This does not show strength, it simply shows stubbornness."
"Which is a bad quality why?" Adrianne asked.
"Because this is moronic," Kate continued. "Kryusa is still out there, and she'll be looking for revenge for her brother."
"I'll stay with her," Emma said. "From time to time. For a few hours. And I'll let her know if any trouble comes up. Telepathically."
Kate still looked discordant, but kept her mouth shut. "Fine," she said, slightly defeated. "But you do need to go home at least once."
"You're probably right," Adrianne said. "Okay, I'll go home sometime tonight."
They all left the hospital, some in a better mood than others. Some about ready to beat the crap out of others.
"Did you bring it Orinas?"
"Yes Mistress," Orinas replied. "The Gem of Vormav. King of Vampires. It can bring a vampire across space and time."
"Good," Kryusa said, holding the small bauble between her fingers. It glowed a brilliant red, the color of fresh blood. The ruby-like gem was set in a circular half disk made of pure gold, and ornately decorated with all sorts of magical symbols. A gold chain erupted from the top. She smiled.
"So what vampire are you planning on bringing over here?" Orinas asked. "Vormav? The Master? Angelus?"
"Even better," Kryusa said. She held up the necklace "Gubreme Irenme Chienenme, Gubreme Irenme Chienenme, Gubreme Irenme Chienenme."
She continued to chant, and the glow of the gem enhanced into a fire inside the crystal. The fire spilled out onto the floor. Orinas jumped off the ground and onto the platform Kryusa's throne was located on. A hand reached up from the fire, and slammed down on the floor. It pulled up a leather-clad figure with red hair. She inhaled sharply and pulled herself out of the fire pit.
"Where am I?" the figure asked. "This world is so boring. Can I go back?"
"Oh, I don't think you'll find this world boring," Kryusa said. "Tell you what, you can go out and hunt and I'll give you a mission later."
"So I can go out and play?" she asked.
"All night," Kryusa said. "But come back before sundown. I know how deadly sunlight is to you vampires."
The girl cracked a wicked smile. "I'll go out and play, and be back soon."
A/N: Obviously, this is not the end for the Dragoons. There will be a Quest of the Dragoons book Two. Many of the loose ends from this book will be tied up, such as what happened to Jim and Evan? Who's that red-headed vampire? And what does Kryusa have in mind for her? Why is Orinas working for Kryusa? What will happen to Jake? What deep, dark secrets lie in Kate's past? What is Kylie's involvement in the storyline? Who are the other Dragoons Kylie spoke of? What will happen to the fledgling relationships between the characters? And will Adrianne ever stop being such a pansy?
WARNING: THE NEXT BOOK WILL CONTAIN MORE ADULT CONTENT THAN THIS ONE. EXPECT EXPLICIT VIOLENCE AND GORE, STRONG LANGUAGE, POSSIBLE SEXUAL DIALOGUE, AND ADULT CONTENT.
