Disclaimer: All I own in this is my friend's characters, nothing else is mine.

Chapter 17

Amie cried silently clutching a black book to her chest. She was sat alone in the room Sarah had been given the night before, how ever short a time Sarah had been in it, the bed still seemed to smell of her perfume. Amie sat on it now, surrounded by the small objects that had been in Sarah's discarded hip bag.

Her useless mobile lay dark and silent on the duvet next to a packet of photos from a recent party at the local club. Amie had briefly looked through those but abandoned them when she found one of Sarah grinning happily, Jory and Tony with their arms around her. It was too painful to think of happier times right now, later she promised herself she would look through them with everyone.

Finding the "Van Helsing" book had been the next shock, when she had lifted it out of the bag she had dropped it almost instantly as if it had burned her. It lay face down next to the photos forgotten almost immediately when Amie had pulled out the last item.

The book was bound in a black cover, turning it over Amie traced the golden lettering on the cover with her fingers. It was Sarah's book of shadows, one of her most treasured possessions.

It acted as a diary as well as a workbook for her Wicca. Amie and Bob had brought it her for her eighteenth birthday. Then it had been a plain black book with nothing but the lettering on the front to mark it out as any different from a normal notebook.

Amie remembered how excited Sarah had been pointing it out on the shelf; she had desperately tried to get Amie to understand what it was for and failed miserably. Amie's hand began to tremble as she felt the bronze pentagram Sarah had lovingly glued to the cover. Around it purple Rune symbols shone in the candle light, Amie marvelled at the work Sarah had done on it. Even more so when she opened the book and saw the elaborate designs within and the pages of writing that accompanied them.

Closing the book she had clutched it to her chest and began to cry for her lost friend.

Outside the window the sun had begun to set marking the last night of the monthly full moon. Anna and Van Helsing had left an hour ago to begin their hunt for the werewolf. They had agreed to train Amie and her friends to fight, if only to humour them into believing they were doing something useful.

Wooden swords had come first, allowing them to master basic blocks and attacks, by late afternoon they had surpassed these and moved on to blunt swords of the same size and weight as the real thing. It was shortly after the princess and the hunter had left that Amie had left the boys to their practice and slipped away.

The sound of the door opening made her glance up sharply. Bob and Tony stood in the doorframe watching her sadly. Far from embarrassed by her tears Amie continued to cry clutching the book like it would disappear if she let it go.

The two boys entered the room silently; Bob immediately climbed on to the bed and wrapped the distraught girl in his embrace. Tony sat next to them his eyes travelling to the photos on the bed.

He lifted the top most one and studied it for a moment a sad smile lighting his face. Sarah was stood grinning at the camera her arms around a drunken Jory; Tony remembered that night, pain clutching at his chest as he heard her laughter and saw her dancing with Chris and his girlfriend.

Dropping the photo he turned away quickly and got himself under control. Bob met his gaze sadly, "I can't help but think we gave up on her to easily" he said.

Amie looked up at him suddenly her face damp from tears "There was nothing we could have done and pretending there was will only make it worse." She said.

Tony looked at the objects on the bed "You were saying goodbye?" he asked understanding. Amie showed him the book of shadows in her arms and nodded. Bob began to slowly flip through the photos one by one.

As he lifted the pile Tony spotted the shiny cover of the Van Helsing novel lifting it he looked cautiously at Amie seeing her watching him. "Do you mind if I read this?" he asked sincerely.

Amie frowned "What for?" she asked. Tony studied the cover.

"Research" he said simply "I want to know who to blame for taking her."

Bob regarded him seriously, "It won't bring her back. Van Helsing was right this morning there's no way she's alive."

Tony didn't look up. "I know all I want to know now, is how we can kill the bastard responsible."

The sound of horses approaching made Bob walk over to the large window. "Their back." He said watching the Princess and the hunter dismount.

Amie wiped her tears away and stood taking a deep breath. "We'd better go meet them." She said leading the boys out of the door.