CHAPTER 15

"Whoa…" Isis halted.

John froze next to her, reaching out to steady her. "What happened?"

"I just got a thought from Mark." She frowned, concentrating harder. "He's in New York… someplace dark…"

"Asleep maybe?"

"I doubt it." She growled frustrated when she couldn't delve any deeper, couldn't get a response from him. "Come on!"

Jaden and Mark looked up the following night when they heard keys rattling.

"Cozy are we?" Amaranta appeared in front of them, Batista standing behind her. "I do hope these accommodations are suitable for you."

"What the hell is this all about?" Mark demanded, trying to move but the chains holding him in place.

Amaranta studied her long purple painted nails for a moment. "Isis never told you who I was did she?"

"A psycho bitch? We already knew that." Jaden spat out, trying to ingnore the hunger pains that wracked her body.

"I knew Gabriel and Damia," Amaranta continued, almost as if she hadn't heard Jaden. "We were friends… from our, mortal days. When I found out about their deaths…"

Batista stepped forward to place a hand on her shoulder when she began to tremble violently.

Amaranta shrugged him away, clenching and unclenching her fists. "Isis and John are in the city." She said finally, her eyes narrowed hatefully. "I wouldn't bother attempting to contact her," She mockingly rapped her head. "She won't get it."

"What the hell are you?" Mark whispered.

"Entirely different."

"Do you know him?"

Isis followed John's gaze to a very large man approaching them, his eyes locked on them. "Nope. He smells like a vamp to me though."

John frowned, shoving his hands in his pockets. "What's up?" He asked when the unknown vampire halted in front of them.

"Batista." He held out his hand to Isis, ignoring John completely.

More annoyed than amused, Isis ignored his hand. "Should that mean something to me?"

Batista smiled, suddenly looking really dangerous. "Maybe this will…" He leaned forward and whispered something in her ear.

John watched as Isis' eyes first grew wide then narrowed with anger. He winced when he seen her rear back and punch Batista in the face, smashing the big man's nose. "Holy shit." He whistled.

"John, we have to go." Isis said firmly, grabbing his hand and leading him away.

"Do you… smell that?" Jaden whispered, her stomach growling when a tantalizing scent reached them.

"Yes." Mark's voice sounded miserable. "It's a…"

Suddenly a little girl was shoved into the room with them, obviously a runaway, but still an innocent child.

"Oh no…" Jaden's eyes grew wide, trying to fight against the effects this delicious smelling child was having on her.

The girl was cowering away from them, her eyes wide with fright. "Please… please don't hurt me." She begged, tears spilling down her cheeks as she watched these two obvious monsters huddle together, just staring at her longingly. "P-please?"

Amaranta smiled wickedly when she heard the front doors to her house being literally ripped open. "So the fun begins…" She murmured, watching on a security monitor as Isis started attacking her servants. "Hmmm…"

John slipped in behind Isis, ignoring the screaming as she one by one destroyed Amaranta's human sheep. He quickly made his way down the flight of marble stairs and into the ballroom. "Jaden?" He called out, frowning when he seen a purple piece of material laying on the floor. Hesitantly he walked over to pick it up, his heart racing when he caught Jaden's scent on it.

"JADEN!"

Isis stood amid several bodies, her anger only rising when she hadn't been able to glean anything from their minds. She spun around when she heard someone behind her, growling when she seen nothing. "Come out."

Batista stepped out of the shadows, his nose completely healed. His eyes were glowing dangerously as he studied her, not about to underestimate her again.

"You wantin' another one boy?" Isis challenged, crouching down into a defensive stance, knowing he wasn't going to be punched this time.

"Boy? Hardly." His voice was a low rumble in his chest. "I was old before you were even in your mother's womb."

"Good to know. Where's Mark and Jaden?" Isis demanded.

"I'm right here Isis."

She spun around to find Mark approaching her slowly. "Mark!" Isis was across the room and in his arms instantly. "I'm so sorry about what happened Mark!" She whispered, burying her face in his chest.

Mark wrapped his arms around her soothingly. "It's all right baby, it's fine." His green eyes narrowed at Batista paced back and forth behind Isis.

Batista met Mark's eyes and his pacing intensified until he was nothing more than a blur going back and forth.

"Where's Jaden?" Isis asked, reluctantly pulling away from him.

"With John, they're waiting downstairs for us." Mark took her hand and started leading her towards a door.

"John was…" Isis turned to look in the direction John had went. "Mark, I don't want to go down there darlin'. Where's Amaranta?"

"She's not here."

Isis gently tried probing his mind only to find a wall thrown up against her. She took a wary step back. "What's goin' on Mark?"

"Jaden is downstairs with John, let's go get her." Mark repeated, stepping forward to take her hand firmly.

Isis allowed him to lead her downstairs, aware Batista was following them, growing more apprehensive with each step they took. She almost froze when she scented blood, child's blood.

Mark halted at the bottom of the stairs and gently pulled her forward.

Isis almost fainted at what she say.

Jaden was sitting chained to the floor, clawing at the stone walls apparently trying not to attack the little girl that was cowering not far off.

Somewhere it registered that Mark had lied to her but Isis ran to the little girl, scooping her up. "It's all right sweetheart." She soothed, the motherly instincts she'd never need to use kicking in. "No one's gonna hurt you." Isis carried her to steps, pausing when she realized she was blocked in by the two huge men. "Let her through."

Batista stepped out of the way while Mark just watched her.

"Run." Isis whispered, setting the girl down on the steps, waiting until she had disappeared before rounding on Mark. "What is goin' on?"

Jaden had heard Isis' voice and was now on her feet, staring at her friend as if not believing what she saw. "MARK IS ONE OF THEM!" She finally shouted, snapping out of her hunger induced daze.

Isis looked up at him, her breath catching in her throat. "Mark?" Her voice was quiet.

"Bring her upstairs." Came Amaranta's cold voice.

Isis sucker punched Mark when he tried to grab her about the waist, watching with cold satisfaction when he doubled over. She knew she didn't have time for her breaking heart so she pushed all that aside, more intent on killing someone.

"Weakling." Batista muttered, shaking his head in disgust at Mark before he gently picked Isis up in his arms, carrying her like she was a princess. He chuckled when he felt Isis try to fight him, tightening his muscular arms around her enough to make her gasp. "Like I said…"

"Old when I was in the womb." Isis shot back, staring up at him angrily.

Batista just stared down at her, his eyes softening slightly.