Disclaimer: In the event of Alien abduction the characters belonging to Sherrilyn Kenyon become public property until then all rights are reserved to her. All hail queen of the Dark Hunters.
A/N: I apologise for the spacing in the last chapter. If someone would be kind enough to help me perhaps I will be able to fix it.
I'll try to make this one a little easier to read.
X ACHERON X: Thank you very much for your review. it was very kind. i hope to see you here again. It was good to know it wasn't a complete disaster. I rather thought it might end up as one.
Adding a line of something as i want a space between this and the story and it won't stay.
Chapter 1.
The tables had been pushed together, yet there was still not enough room for the inhabitants gathered at Sanctuary.
A pack meeting had been called a few days before so Fury had decided to conduct a small business meeting before the celebration began. The meeting had one significant difference. The people involved. Well, Former Dark Hunters, one active one, excluding Ash, squires and anyone remotely connected to the crowd of Daimon fighters in New Orleans.
Their families if known to the world were also present.
Fury had just finished detailing the status of the pack after their relocation to New Orleans. He paused then suddenly casting a grave look in their direction. He asked those with second sight to cast their minds and senses out in search of something strange. Look for a disturbance in the natural balance as it were.
The Ex Hunters and one active one seemed to be blind mentally and felt nothing at all. But his fellow Katagaria and Arcadian brethren looked troubled, amidst the intense look of concentration needed to carry out the task.
As for Ash, his expression betrayed nothing yet his emotions were suddenly both perturbed and troubled.
Colton Theodorakopolus was the first to break the awkward silence. His voice tinged with disbelief he said." If I didn't know better I'd say it was a mark of a slayer."
"It can't be" Answered the usually silent Papa Peltier. "It doesn't feel right and a slayer hasn't the cause to mask it's self in that way."
"Perhaps it's the mark of a lesser deity." Suggested Amanda, the only human sorceress among them.
"I'd ask you to ask Artemis Ash but she probably wouldn't answer right?" asked Dev trying to break the tension although his statement was correct.
Mama Lo turned to her son and said quite seriously, "We don't go looking for trouble son and I for one could do without the interference of the Gods. I'm sure Ash has enough to deal with without dealing with that Bitch 'Goddess' as Simi calls her. They do enough damage as it is."
"Besides Mama," murmured Aimee before raising her voice. " No one would dare attack the Sanctuary. It would be suicide! Where else could they seek a safe haven that welcomes all who come through the door."
"True sister," Echoed Kyle light-heartedly. His voice however became uncharacteristically sombre when he said. " Even if they bear the mark of either Slayer or God let someone else sacrifice for them we have given enough."
"There haven't been any reports on strange murders or even out of the ordinary stories in the media and I would know the amount of time I spend looking for it. So it's obviously not a gruesome killer if even that." Broke in Tabby, the resident Buffy. She then looked at Ash. " Beside I find it hard to believe Ash wouldn't know about it."
"Perhaps M'Adoc will know" replied Vane taking the attention away from a grateful Acheron.
The sometimes bouncer at Sanctuary was an astute judge of character and was very dangerous when angered.
"I'll ask him." Answered Ash." If he knows I'll tell you all about it."
"So we leave it alone?" asked Fury, impatiently.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
SOMETIME LATER
The celebration was well underway. The people were either, eating, dancing, singing or chatting amiably.
The solemness felt at the meeting before had been totally lifted as they all celebrated the birthday of a former employee; Cherise Gautier. Although, now deceased the Peltiers felt the need to celebrate the life of the well loved woman whom no one would ever forget. She had been family to them and they would treat her just so.
Unfortunately they also keenly felt the absence of Nick Gautier. Friend, former pain in the ass but just as well loved as his mother; just another member of Sanctuaries extended family.
They felt he should be here, believing him to have become a Dark Hunter. Wanted for questioning in the murder of his mother Ash felt he could not come back to New Orleans publicly yet.
The police thought it was him who killed his mother.
Despite several character witnesses from the vast amount of people Nick knew. Whether friend or acquaintance they had all said the same thing; there is no way he would ever do anything to hurt Cherise. He loved his mother dearly.
He had paid the ultimate price for her. Although, that was something the humans would never know.
Nick had been grieving very hard and couldn't manage the crowd tonight so he was staying in solitude in Katateros.
Most Dark Hunters never found out about it. Yet, Ash felt more about Nick the others so he had opened his home to the newly made Hunter.
Ash was broken from his thoughts by a strange presence, which swamped him for a minute before promptly disappearing.
He couldn't identify it and felt that no one around him had sensed it.
He knew he must have as Simi immediately appeared and was transported to Katateros before anyone could find out.
He immediately ordered a drink at the bar and joined Tabby. He knew he needed cheering up and this woman, one of the few, he called friend would be able to do so.
An image of a young woman perhaps in her twenties freshly bathed from a river giving two identical boys faces something to eat. Seeing that a younger girl suddenly appears to the woman's surprise he saw her glance towards the car.
Artemis began calling in his mind insistently and as soon as the image disappeared she shut up and left him alone.
"Dammit Artie that may have been important!" He sent to her in anger. Though try as he might he could not recall the image again. Nor could he feel the presence of the woman. It was as if he had imagined it. Or she had simply disappeared. An impossibility, yet, strangely possible if Artemis had seen fit to tamper with his vision.
"What are you up to Artemis he sent." He sent receiving no reply. " Artie?" he tried again.
Usually she would clamber to answer his call. To have him indebted to her.
Ash decided to investigate further tomorrow.
Just then Mama Lo signalled for silence and glasses appeared in everyone's hands. "Raise your glasses everyone." She ordered.
"To Cherise Gautier." She toasted. "Loved by us all, may she rest in peace."
"Cherise Gautier!" Came the emphatic response
A strangled gasp came from the doorway and everyone froze.
