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TheShadowPanther: here's your next chapter.

Lannan: thanks, I appreciate your comments.

Thanks to Griffinkhan and Almondgirl for beta-ing.

Chapter Seven: Departure

The sun is sinking below the horizon before I take myself to my new apartment. I had been up most of the day trying to figure out what was going on. Hungry and tired, I appear in the kitchen, hoping that the last occupants had left a bottle or two of something. While there was no food, there was a note from Siete on the table.

Risika-

Tonight I must travel to Midnight with an escort of vampires. I know that you do not partake in vampiric affairs, but I wish to take most of the strongest vampires in New Mayhem with me. You may be needed. I leave at eight. Bring whatever weapons you want.

Siete

This was interesting. Apparently, Siete felt so threatened by Jaguar that he must take an escort of vampires with him. But why would Siete need a bodyguard to go buy slaves? Jaguar, once a feared vampire, has become soft since Midnight fell. Jeshickah made it well known that he was unwilling to fight her, even though she was usurping his place of authority at Midnight. Instead, he hired a couple of Brujah assassins to take care of the job. One was taken as a slave by Jeshickah's pet vampire, Gabriel. He is dangerous in his own right, but mostly takes his orders only from Jeshickah. The other assassin escaped Midnight, taking a slave with her. I have always wondered what happened to her.

It is no matter. The fact is that Jaguar refused to fight her, even though his fledgling empire was at stake. That, and his fondness for humans, shows his weakness. There is nothing Siete need to fear of him. Should I even bother to obey the request, and just go to my hunting grounds?

But does Siete fear Jaguar, or something else? Perhaps I will come along after all. By not mentioning his reasons as to why he wants an escort, I believe Siete is trying to manipulate my curiosity, but for once I will let myself be manipulated. It would be unwise to refuse his request, especially after his warning.

I look at the clock, the timepiece reading five-thirty. I still have time to hunt and change clothes before I need to be at Siete's. Coming to a decision, I leave for New York, my hunger overcoming all other thoughts.

I return to my apartment a couple of hours later, well fed and energized. Searching amongst my things, I find the two daggers I am looking for. One I took from a witch soon after the fight in Los Noches. The other I made myself, taking delight in the delicate process of infusing power into the sharp blade. It was during such times that i forgot the world, and indeed, myself. You are your happiest only when your sense of self is erased, existing only in those objects around you.

Strapping a sheath to my left forearm, leaving the dagger within easy reach of my right hand, i take another belt and sheath which i strap to my back, in which I hide the other dagger. Though I normally scorn to use weapons, they can be used to turn the tide in a fight. It is another thing which Aubrey had taught me. Putting on my jacket, i leave my apartment for Siete's.

I knock at the door, hoping that i am not late, and wait for it to be answered. The door opens, and I walk into the apartment.

"I'm glad you could come," said Siete as he closed the door behind me. He escorts me into the living room, and I sit down in a chair, surveying all the other vampires in the room. There is Silver, of course, along with Jager, Kendra, and most interestingly, Katama, creator of the line that Jaguar belongs to. We sit and survey each other warily. Vampires do not get along very well, and cooperate with each other only when it is absolutely necessary. Siete comes and stands in the middle of the room, and we turn our attention to him.

"I know all of you are wondering what you are doing here," he says. "As I'm sure you know, I never leave with an escort to go to a place that is held by one of my children. Normally, this would be the case, but recent events must be taken into account. The Council in the town of Twilight recently received hints that the threat from the witches is growing. While we are uncertain as to what is going on, where they will strike, or even if they are planning to attack at all, the warnings were sufficient enough that I feel I need to take you with me. Midnight is becoming a power once again in the vampiric world, and it is strong enough to be considered a target." He finished his speech and looked around at us.

"Why are you going to Midnight in the first place?" asked Silver. He was a tall, well-built vampire, with blonde hair, and unlike the rest of us, had grey eyes. His name was an apt one to describe his coloring. Siete surveyed him gravely before replying.

"Because, in the case that New Mayhem is attacked, or its safety is otherwise threatened, I need to know that Jaguar will come to our aid. He has many vampires on his side, and his compassion for humans has earned the respect of many vampires in SingleEarth, vampires whose allegiance we will need if indeed the witches are planning something," Siete explained.

"Wouldn't they come to our aid otherwise?" asked Kendra. She had long brown hair that swung at her waist, and intelligence simmered in her black eyes. A great lover of the arts and fashion, she had a rare talent for picking out those humans that would make the best contributions to the arts and humanities. However, it was not Siete that answered her question, but rather Katama.

"No,ยป she said. Though considerably shorter than the rest of us, her presence commanded a certain respect. She was a very good judge of human and vampiric natures, and usually her predictions of a person turned out to be correct. We listened carefully while she explained.

"Though they may still fancy themselves human, they are like most vampires in the belief that what happens to others happens because the other person was stupid. If they try hard enough and are smart enough, such atrocities will not happen to them. They are wrong, of course. There are some occasions when help is needed, and we must cooperate with each other." She leaned back in her chair. Siete nodded in agreement.

"This is such a time. The threat from the witches seems to have grown, and we must strengthen the ties that too often are forgotten amongst vampires," he said. He then looked at the clock on the mantel, and said "It is time for us to leave. Let me know when you are ready." Siete turned and walked into his bedroom, presumably to get his things.

Katama stood up. She reached down next to her chair, and picked up a sheath, which held a katana. Strapping the sheath across her back, the woman faced the rest of us.

"I have no clue what Siete is worried about. The witches have never been able to get along, due to their differing beliefs about vampires. If indeed they have banded together, I doubt that they'll stay together for long. Now, understand this: under no conditions must we fight. If we do not recognize that each of us has something to contribute to the mission, then the negotiations will fall apart," she finished.

Now I began to wonder what exactly is going on. How long will these negotiations take? I voice the question, but all I get is a shrug from everyone else. Clearly, they do not worry about the length of time it will take, or how they will get clean clothes and feed. It seems that therefore, I do not need to worry either. Siete enters from the other room.

"Are we all ready?" he asks. All of us nod our heads and stand. "Good," he replies. Then he pauses, and looks each of us in the eye.

"You will not tell anyone of what I have said here tonight. No one is to know about the information from Twilight, nor are they to know why we went to Midnight. Do you understand?" Again, we nod. "Then let us depart," he says.

We all appear at Midnight at the front of the gates. Pushing them open, Siete leads us through them and up the drive, up to Midnight's enormous door. Raising a hand to the knocker and lifting it, Siete knocks three times. He lets the knocker drop, and a servant girl answers it.