Chapter Thirteen

Who Needs a Hug?

She ran faster. She didn't think that it would take so long to get anywhere in this town. The blister she had developed on her inner thigh, just above her right knee where the top of her prosthetic leg met her flesh, was tearing open and blood was running down her stub of a leg and pooling in the bottom. The pain was burning and sharp, but it was easy to push away. Something was very wrong and she knew Jimmy needed her desperately. Emma could feel him calling for her in the back of her mind. She had been jogging towards the book shop when it happened. Emma had already been nervous about the smooth vamp Leo knowing all about her, but shortly after she took off, it overcame her senses. She felt a throbbing pain in her left shoulder, the back of her head felt like it had been bounced off of a tile floor, her skin felt hot and singed and she could taste the salt of fear in the back of her throat. Her heart broke as she knew that these were all things Jimmy was feeling first hand. The book shop, yes the book shop. She had run as hard as she could and that's when the hard, rough surface of the curve of her fake leg tore into her fragile flesh. She hadn't even allowed herself to react to the shot of pain. This sort of thing happened all the time to Emma. In fact, that particular section of her inner thigh, just above her knee, had turned into a brownish, grey, and bumpy callous that was a constant irritation. She could see it now, in two days time, she would have a nasty, pussing blister that would require several days of ointments, fresh air, and rest. It's what every doctor recommended to her every time. She would raise her objections, but her arguments were always lacking. It's not like she could out right say she was the only Slayer in this mid-western area and rest wasn't exactly a possibility.

She was downtown now, passing the abandoned beauty school where they had dusted the vamps weeks earlier. The moon was large and full and shown down onto the street of the business district she ran fiercely through. In her peripheral vision she caught the various businesses and cafés she flew passed. Jurgon's Drug and Dime, Walnut Grove Thrift, The Grove Four Theater, Special Occasions dress shop and Ed's Bait and Tackle. Emma thought to herself that only in a small south east Missouri town would you have a bait and tackle, next to a movie theater and a dress shop.

"Just a few more blocks." She coached herself out loud. She was scared for Jimmy and worried that her traitor limb would soon give out. This was bad. The feeling in the pit of her stomach was worsening because Jimmy's voice in her mind was weakening. She gritted her teeth and her feet pounded the pavement harder. She could see the light from the shop coming through the windows and bouncing off of the dark and empty street. A sort relief, all be it small in regards to her task at hand, came over limbs as she realized that soon she wouldn't have to push anymore. All she could see now was the door to her family shop; everything else just fell away. What once she saw as a commercial hub, crammed with one to three story brick buildings standing wall to wall, was now just a black tunnel with her small shop with its wooden, green and hand painted sign swinging as if beckoning her to hurry.

Emma felt a crack in the bottom of her plastic foot but kept going; she didn't have time for this now. The distance became shorter and until, she was there.

She swung open the dark wooden door and thrust herself in breathing heavily. She almost lost the breath she was gasping to keep. Shelves were toppled over, light fixtures were shattered, and the ceiling, floors and walls in the back of the store was charred. Books covered the floor and a trail of blood led from the door where she stood to the burned portion of the shop. She slowly made her way, shaken, down the steps and followed the trail. She could tell that someone had been carried out by the fact that there was a lot of blood, but no foot prints. And the sizes of the droplets were small and slightly elongated, indicating to her that they were moving fast. When she got closer to the now blackened back section that once housed their 'world history and you' books, "Never a popular seller" Emma commented, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye to her left. A tan and bare foot stuck out from under a pile of books and another toppled shelf. Emma ran and quickly lifted the shelf and tossed it aside. She continued to throw all of the books covering her to the side. She kept digging, the books that were at the bottom of the pile covering, whom she realized could only be Layla, were spattered and then covered in blood.

"Oh no." Emma winced. She carefully spread the books out of the way revealing Layla completely. Her body lay discarded and crumpled on more books. Blood was everywhere. Her shirt had been torn and her stomach glistened red. Her hands were stained and sticky and there was even a bloody hand print on her face. Her beautiful silky, raven hair was ratted and stuck with clumps of blood. Emma felt the tears well up in her eyes. No matter how much Layla annoyed her with her sarcastic quips and her constant need to voice her opinion, she knew that she cared for her brother and that meant a lot to Emma. Layla's hands were lying up by her head in such a manner that it looked like she had tried to protect herself from the falling books and shelf. Emma had never felt like such a failure as she had now. Even when her family had died, she was able to justify her actions, she wasn't a Slayer then. But now she was. And she had left them alone.

She reached forward and moved a strand of hair from off of her face. Just as she did Layla's chest heaved and she took a shallow breath. Emma jumped back and smiled with joy.

"Layla! You're still alive!"

Layla's eyes fluttered and she looked at Emma. Tears appeared in her brown and black eyes and then rolled down into her ears. "Oh no, I'm still alive, and it's you."

Emma blinked and was totally confused by her statement. "You're delirious. Can you tell me what happened?"

"She was here, she was here."

"Who? Nica? The vamp Goddess?"

"Yeah, I tried, I tried, but, nothing could touch her. She found a way, she took Jimmy. She wasn't alone." Layla flopped a hand to her stomach and Emma looked down. Through all the blood she could make out some deep cuts. "He left a message. It's a trap. All my fault, all my fault…" Layla trailed off and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Emma snapped her fingers in front of her face to call her into focus.

"Hey, hey stay with me, you did all you could. Let me call for help and get you to a hospital and you can tell me what you guys found out while I was patrolling."

Layla snapped her eyes back open and looked up at Emma. "No, you don't understand. Aslyn, she tricked me, she led me here to help you find that comic and let you open it." She breathed as deep as she could and gathered her strength to finish. "She wanted you to open it the like you did the first time, with, with no template. She wanted the overload your brains and kill you."

"What! What are you talking about?"

"She wanted you to die so Nica couldn't get to you, to take your soul. That's what she needs to stay here."

Emma stared at her not wanting to accept what she was hearing.

"But, Nica, she was looking for you, but she found Jimmy. Because you are twins, he too has a Slayer's soul. So now she has him, and it's all my fault." She let her eyes roll back.

Emma's eyes grew large with fury and her face turned bright red. Her body temperature rose until she felt that the blood was boiling in her ears. Jimmy was all she had left! However her anger wasn't only projected at the ailing Layla, it was also pointed at her. How could she allow this outsider to enter into their lives and cause harm to come to Jimmy! "I knew we shouldn't have trusted you! I knew it! You listen to me, if anything happens to him, I will kill you! Do you hear me! I will kill you!" She grabbed Layla by her shoulders and lifted her slightly from the pile of books and shook her a little. "That's why you aren't going to die on me now. You will live long enough to make sure he lives!"

Layla looked at her fearfully, breathing shallow. Emma reached into her pocket and pulled out a cell phone. She started to dial 911, when Layla began protesting.

"I can do it; I just need to build strength."

"You'll die before then." Emma thought for a minute. "You need strength, use mine."

"I can't you'll need it to get Jimmy back."

"It's ok, it's like sperm. I'm always making more. So, what do you need me to do, do I chant or do a little dance what?"

Layla shook her head a bit and reached for Emma's hands. She gripped them and closed her eyes. "Normally I would be able to do this slower, but, because I am so weak, well, this might hurt a bit."

"Just do it. If you die and Jimmy does too, I will drag your ass from the grave just to kill you all over again."

"Ok, here goes." Layla closed her eyes again and concentrated.

Suddenly, Emma felt like she had been plugged into a light socket. But, this time instead of filling her, it was sucking it straight out of her and fast. Her head was thrown back, her eyes were wide open and her jaw was slacked. She would try to cry out but all was heard was a gulping noise every once in a while. Emma felt like her skin was being peeled off one layer at a time. Waves of red and orange light flashed before her. It looked like fire washing over her. Before she knew it, a very bloody Layla was hovering over her shaking her. Everything was in a tunnel. Her vision and her hearing. Finally, everything came shockingly into focus.

"It worked. Are you ok?" Layla asked her delicately.

"Yeah, I think so. My head feels like I stuck it in a vice and my skin is on fire, but other than that I'm good." Emma slowly sat up and adjusted herself. When her head finally stopped spinning she lunged and gripped Layla by the throat. She tightened her lips and starred at her with fire in her eyes. If Aslyn knew what was happening the whole time and kept it to herself, then she would make her pay.

"Where is that loony bitch of a Goddess you worship or I will snap your neck." She grunted through her teeth.

"I thought you wanted me alive so if anything happened to Jimmy you could kill me." Layla gagged gasping for air.

Emma pressed in with her fingertips on Layla's arteries. She wanted to make it clear that she was not the type to make empty threats. "Ok, then I will just paralyze you, tell me."

"She's gone. I banished her."

Emma let go. "Am I supposed to believe you now?"

Layla held her bruised neck gently. "Damn. This town has not been kind to my neck. Look, I swear to you I had no idea that I was being used. And when I found out I banished her."

"What the hell do you mean you banished her?"

"Ok, when little Goddess' have been naughty, what do you do? You tattle! I simply rang her daddy and told on her."

Emma blinked. "Um, ok. How exactly could it be that easy?"

Layla reached down with a blood soaked hand and lifted the golden talisman that hung from her neck. "You see this? My daddy gave this to me when I was a little girl. You know when catholic girls turn a certain age they have their confirmation where they choose a patron saint? Well, I guess 'little witches' have something similar. When I chose the path I wanted to follow, my daddy, being the Watcher her was, gave this to me on the day of my 'confirmation'. It is the talisman of Ra. The ruling God of the order of Light."

"Ra as in ancient Egypt, The Sun God?" She was getting tired with being confused all the time when Layla spoke. Why couldn't she just say what she meant to say in the first place?

"Exactly, but, the interpretation was a little different. Anyway, daddy told me, 'Poppet, sometimes being very powerful can make some people go mad. And sometimes it can even happen to a deity. Even though they are very old and very wise and very powerful, they still possess some human failings. And being that they are very old, wise and powerful can make them tired and those failings can take over and they can lose their way. If that ever happens, and it may not, but if it does, take this. All you have to do is hold this and call to Ra and he will take your Goddess home straight away.' He told me to keep it with me to keep me safe. I never thought I would ever use it. But I did, and I thought it would be the last thing I ever did. But, you saved me, even though it was my fault."

"Yeah, well if anything happens to my brother, I'll still kill you. But, I don't guess it was completely your fault." Emma shrugged mumbling through her pride.

"Everything Aslyn had said earlier. It wasn't about saving us. It was about saving herself. I couldn't believe. She was the closest thing I had to family left, I worshiped her. And she betrayed me.

"Hey if its religion's what you're worried about, you could be Mormon." Emma suggested. They both looked and each other for a moment and then waved the idea off.

"They won't let you drink caffeine, I'm English I need my tea."

"Don't they make decaf?"

"Bollocks! Don't be ridiculous! It's not even tea then."

Emma waved her hands in front of her face and shook her head vigorously. "Ok, I need to know what happened. How did you wind up there?" Emma looked around the charred walls. "And does Nica breathe fire?"

"No that was Jimmy." Emma nodded in acknowledgment. "We were cramming over there and had actually found out plenty, when mega bitch came in with her boy toy in fancy shoes."

"Wait a minute; did he have curly brown hair, grey suit, smoke and have an Italian accent?" Emma asked now knowing her apprehension from after her surprise meeting was well founded.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"I met him tonight too. Called himself Leonardo De Luca. He knew a lot about me. Got me worried so I started back this way, when, when I knew Jimmy needed help." Emma lowered her head then raised it swiftly fighting back her more feminine of emotions. "Keep going, what then."

"She said that she 'followed her nose' here, she thought she would find you but, instead it was me and Jimmy. I tried putting up a barrier, but, she punched right through it as if it were Styrofoam. Then I tried throwing The Flame of Uritous, but, she caught it and blew it out! I'm telling you this broad is no airy fairy! Anyway, she came up and Jimmy tried to stake her but, and she was so fast I don't even think we actually 'saw' her do it. I mean, the stake was in his hand, and his hand moved as if he had thrown it, but, then it was in his shoulder. I couldn't do anything! She shrugged off everything I tried! She had him by the throat and was toying with him when he slapped her neck with his wrist watch and then BOOM! There was this massive explosion and we were blown over here into the stacks and they fell on us and everywhere. But, it barely touched her. And she was quite ticked off! She jumped and howled like I've never heard before. Then she grabbed Jimmy and told Leo to leave you a message. She said that why have one twin when you could have a complete set. She plans on taking you both. Then after they left I carried on a bit and then Aslyn appeared and told me how I screwed everything up that I was supposed to let you both die in the basement. That's when I called to Ra and had her banished. And they next thing I knew the shelf you pulled off gave way and fell on top of me. And then you arrived."

Emma looked off as Layla finished. It hurt her to see her parents shop on such ruins. The entire back area was a disaster. Its real wood paneling charred and blackened. The six paned windows' glass was covered in grey film from the smoke. All of the beautiful Victorian blown glass and iron sconces were shattered showing only wiring and hanging from their former perches. The corner where she and Layla sat now was completely covered in first editions and rare leather bound texts. Emma scouted for the Persian rug her mother had gotten from her mother, and so on and so forth, and found it was where it should be, just half the rug it was. A black line of burnt and ashen thread marked where the missing half had been burned away. Infact, the only thing in the back of the store that remained untouched, was the cabinet that housed the template. Emma scoffed to herself and shook her head in incredulity. If only her father hadn't let those vampires in that night none of them would be in this predicament right now. They could all be back at the house watching some Star Trek movie and Layla could be back in merry old England sipping her tea and eating whatever it was they ate with their tea over there. But, this wasn't the time to have a pity party. She could do that after she saved the world. She just needed to know how.

"Message, you said that he left a message."

"Yeah, he carved it into my belly with a bit of broken glass."

"Wait a minute! If you healed yourself…"

"I saved it for you." Layla spread her tattered and bloody shirt to show the white scar tissue showing through the stain of red from her blood. It simply read one word.

Emma drew back as she saw how thick and deep the cuts had been. "Kender." She read out loud.

"Do you know what it means?"

"I sure do. The Kender Farm. It's this property on the outskirts of town. When we were kids we used to tease that it was haunted and dare each other to spend the night out there. Never did. We were too scared. It has a main house, a house for the farm hands and a barn on it. I can't remember a time when anyone lived there."

"Well, they are expecting you to show. She is going to ingest both of your souls and I think she has until sunset tomorrow."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because she told me she is going to do it at sunset tomorrow."

"You said she needs our souls to stay here?" Emma asked looking for an explanation. Layla raised a hand and looked around the debris. The mountain of collapsed books and shelves made it impossible for her to find the large mystical book or her pad with all of her notes. She pulled this book and pushed that one, but, it all seemed futile. Then she recalled she possessed a quicker way to search. She closed her eyes and held out her hand. "What was lost is now found." And in a twinkling the large template plopped in her hand tilting her forward. Layla caught herself and sat upright again.

"Wow, you're like the Swiss army knife of people!" Emma said in amazement. "Except louder and more sarcastic and Indian."

Layla opened the book and prompted Emma voice her command. She asked it for the information on the Inanna and it appeared row by row as it had before.

"See here, it says that she not only drinks the blood of humans, but she takes their souls along with it. It is what fuels her constant hunger. A soul is too pure to ingest, no wonder she's gone wonky. Anyway, it also says that the normal ways you would go about killing a vamp won't work with her. But, if we can get a hold of this," She turned the page and pointed to the rendering of the effigy of the Inanna. The slender coal black figure upon a heap of bodies, "and destroy it, she can be killed just any other vamp. Kinda like making her mortal. This is her effigy. It's made of black marble and has rubies beset for her eyes and teeth. In one hand she hold a silver spear and in the other a golden goblet. It is used in the ceremony that calls her up. It also houses a vile that contains her black blood. When a host is chosen and the time is right, they pour this on the host's body and then fifty vampires sire her. And she doesn't just take over a dead body, no! The host is kept alive so its soul is still intact." Emma looked down. When she saw Nica in the dumpster that night, she had thought she was already dead. Her heart sank. "That way, she can infect and meld with it. In the end she is that person and the Inanna. But, her time her is limited if by two weeks she hasn't ingested a soul powerful enough to give her enough strength to anchor herself here, she is forced from the body and banished back to the ether."

"So me and Jimmy, we have the kind of souls she needs to anchor herself?"

"The book says that the only one powerful enough is that of the Warrior of the People. A Slayer. Turns out, you two are the lucky bastards she needs to eat."

"So, who's to say that if we get Jimmy and she somehow slips away that she won't go and find another Slayer since now, it's the latest trend."

"She won't have the time to track another one! She has until tomorrow night I believe. And, if I am wrong," Emma's face tightened and her arm began to rise. Layla raised her hands in fear and continued. "We will just have to make sure that we get her effigy and destroy it and kill her so she can't find another one."

"How do we get it, I really don't think she leaves stuff like that lying around. It would be like Superman leaving kryptonite hanging about all willy nilly. Oh my God I just channeled my brother." She looked at Layla and her faced softened. "It's her Layla, she's the girl I saw in the dumpster, and you know the one that was on the news. I thought she was dead. I really did. If I had only done the decent thing and…."

"Hey, you had to protect yourself mate. How could you have known what was about to happen? The only one who did was Aslyn, and she didn't tell anyone. If you're going to blame anyone blame her."

"Why now? Why not last year or five years ago? Why was she raised now?" Emma asked openly.

"Remember when Aslyn showed us the scale, and how when it was tipped it created a rip? That rip is sort of a door way. I think that because of that doorway, the Inanna's essence was able to get through to our dimension and then it was possible to put her into a host body."

"Ok then. I guess we get up, get ready and go take out some pent up aggression while saving my brother and the day in the process!"

"Whoa, first we need to know how to get passed Naberius pet. He's the one who called the Inanna so he could take over this place. He's a complete idiot if he thinks he can control this psycho. Anyway, this lunk head thinks that he owns Nica, so he is going to protect her. So, we better know how to take him out. And we should also find out if that effigy has any protective spells on it. We really don't need any surprises."

"Good point, we'll take the book with us. We need to get home so you can get cleaned up and I need to get another leg. I think I broke this one on the way here. I heard a crack and all of the sudden I have ankle mobility."

"That's a fantastic plan, but we can't take the book with us. Every time we would walk towards the door, the book would vanish from Jimmy's hands and reappear back in the cabinet. We'll have to write down what ever the book says and then we can take it with us." Once again instead of sifting through the rubble, Layla closed her eyes and held out her hand and asked for what was lost to be found. And like with the template, her note pad appeared. She met Emma at the counter where she had already had the book reveal the information it had on Naberius. All of the lights did nothing but flicker and then fizzle out, so Emma was forced to retrieve various candles from the office, but, before she could set them onto the counter, Layla had an alternative.

"Lumiesca, grant us your gift." She said simply. As soon as she had a hovering ball of white light erupted above them just below the ceiling alighting the area around them and further out ten more feet. Emma dropped the candles onto the counter in a "why bother" manner, and picked up a pen to begin transcribing the information.

The consistent light revealed the extent of the damage. Pictures on the walls had fallen and their frames shattered. Some of her mother's antique hurricane lamps had also fallen victim to the attack. She shook her head in disappointment. These things belonged to her mother and she had let harm come to them. Inside Emma's heart was breaking over and over again. Every time she raised her eyes and spied the spoiled store, she felt her heart pang and drop into her gut. How odd that so many little things carried so much weight. The display table that spotlighted her mother's love of old gold tipped pens that once stood against the left wall in the back was now in bits and the pens were no more. Even the Xeroxed copy of an old picture of an ancestor that had been burned affected Emma's palpitating heart. She wanted so much to just lay her head down on the untouched and pristine counter top and cry a thousand tears to relieve the crushing pressure rising in her chest. Even the thought of allowing herself to go in hysterics and wail and hyperventilate sounded like relief. But, she needed to be strong, not for herself and not for Layla, but for her lost brother who had been tortured and stolen from this very room. She knew that she had to keep it together. Not to try her best, but to do it. For the moment she let herself drown in her emotions and fall apart, meant doom for him and doom for the rest of the world.

All that was heard in the devastated shop was the scratching of pens on paper. Layla transcribing the left side of the book and Emma on the right. For several minutes not even a mumble escaped their lips. Time was a commodity and that meant getting this done as quickly as possible. Emma became increasingly frustrated with the volume of information that needed to be transferred. Studying was never her strong suit, after all Jimmy was the brains and she was the brawn as Layla so often reminded her. Her hand started to cramp and her eyes started to burn, this was what she would consider cruel and unusual torture; note taking! Layla had explained that the book wouldn't allow itself to be copied by the Xerox machine. Emma had mumbled something unintelligible and started writing. But, for now they wrote furiously, doing their best to finish quickly so they could rescue Jimmy.

"I can get you into the compound if you will accept my help." A male voice broke the silence causing a still very jittery Layla to leap from her seat and spin around. Emma had already started marching in his direction. She stepped on a broken wooden chair; vaulting it upward and ripped a leg from it. She broke into a sprint and stopped nose to nose, well her nose to his chest that is, with him with the stake poking into his left breast. He was tall and had long blonde hair. It was Jerome.

"And what makes you think that I would need help from a vampire?" Emma barked. He looked down at the tiny figure that threatened his unlife. He couldn't help but smile at her, but raised his hands to his eye level being careful not to infuriate her further.

"Because I don't want the bitch to stay her anymore than you do. My name is Jerome. And I can help you. I am one of the vampires in the Order of Naberius. It was that order that brought the Inanna here. I know the layout of the property and all of the entrances to the main and guest house. The Master has said he has dealt with her before. He even calls her 'My Queen'. But, he has no control over her and she is ruining everything."

Emma took a step back and pulled the stake away from his chest. She still held it in view though to remind him he was not trusted.

"How did you know to come here?" She demanded. He dropped his hands and shoved them into his the pockets of his black slacks. He looked down as if in thought and then again raised his face to look at her.

"We had been watching you for a while. We saw you in an alley, we have watched you hunt and kill. And we have watched you torment yourself all the way back to your home and to here." He smiled pleased with himself and ran his pink tongue along the front of his teeth.

This disgusted Emma and gave Layla goose bumps. So much so that she had made her way to behind the counter.

Emma dropped to the floor, stuck out her right leg, and spun around catching Jerome's ankles and knocking him down. She jumped on top of him and shoved the stake to his chest. This time she allowed it to penetrate his skin just enough for him to know it was there and to draw blood. She placed her left hand on top of her right which was pressing the fatal piece of would over his heart.

"If you even twitch, I will shove this into your shriveled little heart faster than you can have second thoughts. Now, you are going to tell me who 'we' is and why YOU need my help. Because let me tell you, I have had up to here with you pieces of dog shit and after the last couple of days, I am just itching fro some violence!"

The defeated vamp swallowed and looked up at the angry Slayer. He moved his blue eyes to his right and saw Layla cowering behind the counter.

"Looks like your little witch friend there has lost her nerve. You may want to send out for a new one. I think this one is spent." He ribbed. Emma slowly pushed the stake in further causing him to grunt in pain. "Ok, ok. I'll stop."

"Oi, I'm not spent! I just wanna watch her do something for a change. I can't always be the one doing all the work." She yelled defending herself from across the way. Emma rolled her eyes and went back to questioning the blonde intruder she sat on.

"You gonna answer me, or do I get to relieve some stress?" Emma this time forced her left knee into his groin making his face turn purple and his eyes bug out.

"Ok! I'll tell you! It was Leo! Me and Leo! He said he wanted to watch you marinate in your despair until you were perfect. Then he was going to feed on you!"

"Would this Leo, be Leonardo De Luca?" Emma asked as she held tight to the stake with both hands.

"Yes, that's him been together for thirty some odd years until she came around. After she rose, from the MOMENT she rose, he became obsessed with her. We were supposed to go back to Europe after we helped sire her, but, he changed his mind! Said he wanted to stay here in the butt crack of the planet just to stay with her!"

Emma rolled her eyes and stood up off of his chest. She folded her arms and scoffed as she walked back towards a smiling Layla.

"You want my help to get your boyfriend back!" Emma accused mockingly. Layla looked like she was going to explode. The humiliated vampire pushed himself to his feet and dusted his pants and shoulders of his indigo, matte finish silk shirt. He pulled down his cuffs at his wrists to straighten his sleeves. He walked with his head down showing his humiliation at her off color comment.

"He's not my boyfriend! He's like my brother!" The two girls continued to snicker and snort. "She's got some sort of hold on him. Once she gets the soul of a Slayer, she will be able to make more like her! And I don't mean she will be turning humans, I mean she will be turning both! Starting with Leo! And you know what that means! The more of them and with that constant thirst, they will wipe out our entire food source! And I don't want to be one of them. I want things back the way they were. I need you to help me get my brother back and I will in turn help you get yours." He finished his speech and leaned forward on the counter. Emma was leaning back on it with her arms folded and her brow furrowed in deep thought. She looked back at Layla, and she nodded, letting Emma know she could sense he was sincere. Emma turned back and took a deep breath.

"If we were to agree to scratch your back, how are we to know that you will scratch ours, or how do we know you won't double cross us?" She looked into his eyes sternly and without blinking. She was looking for any signs of hesitation. It made her stomach turn and her back bone go cold to think that she was actually considering working with a vampire. But, if he could really get them in and out to rescue Jimmy, it was worth it.

"I give you my word. That's all I have. If I double cross you, you can kill me."

Emma snorted and flopped her arms down. She looked at him in cynically and put her hands on her hips.

"I guaren-damn-tee ya I will kill you dead if you do anything that I think will lead to a double cross or if anything happens to my brother. There's no question there!" Emma bit her lip and looked pensive over her right shoulder. The light that Layla conjured cast wavering shadows over the rubble of books and shelves and glass that now filled the back of the store. She closed her eyes and imagined it looked like a sunken ship with the white glowing, liquid light moving gently over the lost treasures. She imagined how her parent would have reacted to something like this. And then she thought of how Jimmy cared for this place out of obligation and love of their father. She had to get him back so they could restore their parents' livelihood to its former glory. And she would have to do whatever it took. This shop wasn't all that was at stake. She had to remind herself of the fact that the world as she knew it could be torn apart if she didn't stop this crazed vampire Goddess. She had two priorities now, and they were fighting inside of her to be her top one. She turned back abruptly towards the desperate vamp and rubbed her face as if she were cleansing herself for what she was about to say.

"Ok, we will work together. But, on one condition, I run this game! You move when I say, you speak when I say and only when I say. You are simply a convenience for me get it? We stick together at all times. Now, first thing we need to know to get this down is getting by or killing Naberius. We need to know what to do. Secondly, Nica's effigy; it's the only way you can kill her. If we destroy the effigy she becomes just an ordinary vampire who can be dusted. Do you know what I am talking about? It's a black marble statue about so high with rubies for eyes and teeth." Emma stopped and looked at him waiting for his answer.

"I've seen it. The woman is holding a spear in one hand and a goblet in the other right?" The two girls nodded in agreement. "We used it in the ritual. After it was over Naberius took it up to his chamber. It's his trump card. From what I have heard, he holds on to it incase she gets too out of control, but, this time she plans on taking it from him. I think that's were Leo comes in. We may not have to get Naberius out of the way. They may do it for us." He scratched his head and then smoothed his hair.

"You're probably right." Emma added. "No one likes to have a leash. Especially a half crazed vampire Goddess who has been swimming in the ether of a hell dimension for eons."

Jerome looked Layla up and down. She was exotic, half naked, and drenched in blood. He couldn't help but stare. He smiled at her slyly and winked. She gave him a repulsed look and became aware her bra and bloody midriff were exposed and awkwardly attempted to cover up. Emma saw Layla's actions and glared back at Jerome who was still gawking at the blood soaked Layla.

"Hey! And definitely no eating us! No eating period! If you want our help you better be on your best vampire behavior buddy!" She commanded as she poked him in the chest where she had punctured him with the stake. He winced and covered the injury with his hand.

"What? She got her shirt ripped open and she's covered in blood. Hello! Vampire! I'm evil and drink blood. What do you expect?" He said as he waved his arms around and pointed at his face.

Emma rolled her eyes and put her face in her hands. She went over things in her mind. Making a mental list of what needed to be done before they set off for the farm and saved the world. As stressed and frustrated as she was right now, Emma loved being in charge! There was nothing like being the boss of everyone! It meant she could control everything around her. The downfall of being in charge of everyone was being responsible for them too. If anything happened to them during this fight, it would be on her. And she was barely stable enough to be responsible enough to ensure her own safety. What made her think that she was the one who could do this. Why couldn't they just call those big shots over in Europe? After all they had the experience, the know how. And for that matter, why didn't they even know what was going on here? Or where they just too busy taking care of themselves and oh yeah, all the other Potentials turned Slayers that they had picked up and offered assistance to. All except her that is. How nice for all those others having all the help and learning they needed. Must have been great not just being thrown into this whole new crazy world and then left there alone. But her she was, alone as she will be for the rest of her miserable life. No cavalry is going to ride in and save the day for her. She WAS the cavalry. She opened her eyes and looked at the bloody and pissy Layla giving the malevolent and personality challenged vampire Jerome the evil eye.

"And these are my horses."