-1Disclaimer: See last chapters

The sun was setting and whatever internal alarm clock I had had sent
me from the death/sleep into a Human one. "Uh," I shifted as I become
aware of something jabbing me in the side. "Tomorrow I'm sleeping in
my coffin," I rolled onto my side and suddenly became aware that Crow
wasn't resting on me. "Crow, I shot up, fully awake and looked around.
"Crow?" I peered down at the ground, nothing. "Crow?!" I shouted out
to the grassy field.

"Uh, keep it down. I'm up here," Crow waved an arm at me from a dense
patch of branches.

"How many times have I told you to not do that?!"

"Uh, too many," the arm dissapeared as he leaned out to looke at me.
"Morning," he smiled.

"Evening," I corrected, he lust shrugged a shoulder and swung down to
land on a neighboring branch. "They're expecting us at the house," I
flopped back down onto my make shift bed, grunting when a limb stabbed
me in the side. "Damnit," it broke off when I moved away.

"You ok?" I smirked at Crow, just noticing my cloak hung from his
shoulders, and nodded my head. "Shall we?" He held out his arm and I
took it, we then stood infront of the house.

I smirked as there were seven standing infront of it, waiting, "Good
Evening," I nodded at them.

"How did I know she would say that?" An eighth person, a smaller
woman, stepped out of the house. "So you are the Knives I've heard so
much about?"

"Yes, but before we go into the Q&A, could I ask Michael a question?"
She glanced at him and he blinked, "Could you remove this branch from
my side? That tree seems to have.. a greivence against me."

"I'd be happy to remove it."

"Kage, not now!"

"Party pooper."

Michael grinned at their comments and shook his head, "Couldn't you
just cut it out? Or whatever it was that you did, well, this morning?"

"Yes, but that tends to hurt worse and I loose more flesh, and nom
whatever it at or beneath my skin is taken with me."

"You're the real article, aren't your?" The woman asked.

"Yes and no, let's leave it at that. Now, the branch?"

"Hold still," Jake's words started me and I turned toward him. He held
up a hand an moved it as if he was brushing something away.

"Grr," I clutched my side as the branch came free, hovering a few feet away.

"Ah, I wanted to do it," I bared fangs at Kage's childish pout. "Yeah,
yeah. Anytime."

"Did it heal ok?" I glanced over at Jake, he had the same worried
look that Crow always had.

"Yes, it's heald. You could've warned me though," I was suddenly on
full alert. Something wasn't right. I turned to Crow, "Are you
alright?"

He looked at me with such shock, "I'm fine. Why would you ask me that?"

"Come here," I held up my arm and made sure he stood in front of me. I
crossed my arms over his chest before I spoke, "I can sense you."

He spun and stepped away with such force that my cloak whipped and
snapped as if to strike at me. "... Knives?" I would have embraced
him but my cloak ws still reacting to his emotions, dancing like
black flames. "I'm... like you?"

"No. Your heart still beats, too slow to be Human but it does," my
cloak finally settled, curling around Crow in the embrace I wished to
comfort him with, and now not even moving with the swift breeze.
"Crow?"

His head was down, when he lifted it he showed red tinted eyes,
"I'...m hungry."

"I know. Wait a little longer and we'll find a way to make it stop."

He nodded his head, glancing toward the others, "They're so loud."

"I know," I could hear the heart beats too, they were beginning to
increase in speed. "Just listen to something else and they'll go
away," I got closer to him, carefully putting myself between him and
the Humans, and held him in my arms. I forced myself to take normal,
Human, breathe. Giving him something to listen to that had nothing
connected to it to trigger the hunger.

"Is the kid going to be ok?" I ran my hand acrosss Crow's unruly hair
and looked up at Kage.

"I'll be fine," Crow smirked, flashing sharp preditor's teeth and
blinked still red tinged eyes. The connection had weakened, his hunger
had reseeded, but his appearance was the same. "Can we get whatever
testing done quickly? I feel weird," he smiled at that and shook his
head. "That's one Never of an understatement."

"Cue maniacal laughter," I blinked at Kage's words just as Crow
started a deep, dark laughter.

"Good... timing," Crow's body began to shake as his knees gave out, I
had to hold him up.

"Calm down, little bird," I picked him up to lean into my shoulder.

"You're still breathing," the laughter had quieted and he snuggled
deeper into my shoulder.

"Yes. I know. It's calmed you." 'All it would take to end this... No,
I could never take the life of this child. Human or... Otherwise.'
"Keep everyone safe," I whispered to my cloak before I set him on his
feet.

Kage smirked, "Come on kid, let's get you figured out," she took his hand.

"Kah? Is that a good idea?"

Kage just blinked and smiled at Crystal's question. "I would know if
he was a threat," she led Crow into the house, uncaring that he could
turn on her at a moments notice.

"Yeah, I forgot." I blinked at Crystal, "She has a... defence againts
attacks. If so wishes her harm or is wanting to hurt her, she can
sense their location and intent."

"I had better go with," Rach said, "Michael, I'm going to need a hand
with the tests."

"We should get to our rounds, come along Claudia," Damien hoisted the
little girl onto his shoulders and went into the house. That left me
with Jake, Crystal, and the unknown woman.

"My cloak would keep him from hurting anyone anyway."

"'Your' cloak? Looked more like his. What and how did it move on its
own?" I saw interest flashing in the woman's eyes.

"It was created from blood and flesh. It's alive, able to move as it
pleases. And it can't be reproduced by Humans, so do not try," I had
already seen the reason for her interest and shot it down.

Her eyes took on a sparkle as she spoke, "When it comes to, us,
humans, where there is a will there is a way. The two of them are
proof of that, " she nodded toward Jake and Crystal.

"Gizel, there are somethings not even we can do. Leave it at that,"
Jake patted the woman's shoulder headed into the house. "I'm going to
bed. Don't forget, Trithe, you're on shift tomorrow. Do try to get
some sleep."

"Fine, fine, I'll go to bed." Crystal followed after him, "If you
should need anything, yell, we'll hear you. Oh, and try not to ruffle
Damien's feathers. He's a little jumpy, what with you and the kid and
all." Go easy on her Gizel, she has enough to deal with.

"If I could borrow a phrase from Shadow, party pooper."

"Ruffle his feathers? Sounds like something I'd normally say about
Crow or Ka, but him?"

Crystal smiled from the inside of the house, her eyes shimmered from
within the shadows, "You would be surprised at what we would call
Normal around here."