Disclaimer: The Night World is the work of L.J Smith. Only the story is mine and a few extra characters. Alexa, the clichéd villain- she's mine.

13

Mare walked confidently into Thierry's room, forgetting to knock.

Thierry looked up from his file. "I see Rashel has had an effect on you."

"Maybe it's all my doing. Maybe I was hiding it all along." Mare looked down at the floor sheepishly. "Yeah. Maybe she did rub off on me- just a bit."

Thierry smiled at her as Ash and Rashel came in.

Rashel looked at Mare smugly. "And she totally kicked Ash's butt."

Ash muttered something inaudible.

"What's that?" Mare asked, elbowing him in the ribs playfully.

I let you win.

Like hell you did.

Ash gave Mare an equivalent of a mental shrug. Okay. I haven't been practicing much lately.

Ha! You admitted it at last.

But you'll never get me to admit it out loud.

Humph.

"When you have quite finished, I have an urgent matter to discuss."

Ash and Mare turned to Thierry apologetically.

"I am confident that Mary-Lynnette…"

"It's Mare."

"Okay. Mare has advanced enough in her defense and attack classes thanks to Rashel, to actually attempt missions." Thierry looked round the room. "Where is Quinn? I sent for him."

Quinn looked round the door. "Sorry I'm late. Thea wanted to know if I had found the ingredient for that spell she is attempting to upgrade the wards…"

"Better late than never, Quinn. As I was saying, I want you, Rashel, Ash and Mare to do this mission for me. It is very important."

Ash and Mare did a high five. "Alright! I finally get to go on a mission with you."

Did I mention that the mission was URGENT? Thierry managed to mentally tell them both at once.

"Oops. Sorry." Ash and Mare said simultaneously.

"Right." Thierry pulled out the contents of the file. "There seems to be a bit of extra action going on at the Black Iris. Our sources haven't actually been able to find out what it is yet. I want Ash, Quinn and Mare to infiltrate the club and for Rashel to act as back-up, since she is still human, even if she is a very good hunter."

Thierry smiled at them. "And this time, try to keep the car in one piece. I know I'm rich, but there are only so many cars that I can afford. The last one was broken beyond repair… Ash."

"Quinn has broken cars too."

"But never driven them off a cliff."

"Yet." Ash said indignantly.

You what! Mare shrieked in Ash's head.

Ow. Not so loud.

You what! Mare said fractionally quieter.

Well I was being chased…

Mare watched Ash's memory of being in the car…

Ash turned to look at the Nightworld car chasing him from behind.

"They have a missile launcher on the roof of the car. Why didn't Thierry give me one of those?" Ash said to no-one in particular.

Ash looked in the bag on the passenger seat. "Yep. The scroll is still there."

Ash swerved to avoid the car, but it just tailed him perfectly. "Damn. Why can't they hire a rubbish hit man driver for once?" He swung the car to avoid the missile that had just been launched at him. He cursed as it exploded behind him.

Then he saw a way out. The cliff.


Ash? Mare said exasperated. How could you be so reckless?

Obviously the memory didn't respond.

Ash revved the car engine. "Sorry Thierry." And shot off the cliff at nearly a hundred miles an hour.

Inside the car, Ash gripped the steering wheel. "Whoo hooooo!"

Whoo hooooo? Mare asked.

The car leaped through the air, then plummeted towards the rocks at the bottom.

"Parachute, don't fail me now!

Ash flung the car door open and leapt out of it. His parachute opened and Ash was pulled upwards. "Yeah!" He looked forlornly at the sports car that crashed to the beach. "Damn."

Ash landed safely on the beach. "I hope this scroll was worth it…"

Mare looked at Thierry. "He did apologize to you before he shot off the cliff in your car." She explained.

"Hmmm. Maybe YOU ought to drive Mare. Just in case."

"How can I argue with that? I've always wanted drive a sports car."

"Would a Mercedes do?"

"It might do…"

Alexa was confident that her disguise was perfect. It had taken days for her to get the spells and potions right. She had managed to gain some knowledge of the people who worked at Thierry's mansion, and knew that it would take a very complex spell to fool them. Still, she was confident…

Mare pulled the car up in front of the Black Iris, making sure that the stereo was still pumping loud music. She turned to Ash and Quinn. "Ready?"

"Ready!" They replied.

She turned the engine off and the music was cut dead, but the music from the club was way louder.

Mare adjusted her mini skirt and checked out her reflection in the mirror, satisfied.

I might be killing a few people tonight. Ash told her. You look gorgeous.

Mare smiled to herself as she glided confidently to the door. She just hoped that she could handle whatever was inside…

Now she is a vampire (and I am fed up of keep having to type Mary-Lynnette all the time), I am going to call her Mare most of the time.

Undeveloped Story- Hi again! I think that this is quick enough to avoid Hunter's wrath. I like the effect that Rashel is having on Mare too. I think Ash does too secretly!