Mistoffelees glanced over at Grids. "So, we thinking this vampire that stole the book is connected to the one you took out the other night? When was that book stolen anyway? I don't remember hearing about it."

"Shortly after Halloween," Cori answered as he came down from the stacks carrying a yellowing copy of National Geographic, "I'm certain it was." He continued before Grids could answer, "du Lac was both a theologian and a mathematician. This article describes an invention of his, which he called the du Lac Cross." He set the magazine down, the date reading 1921.

"Oh," Mistoffelees said, voice low. Well, that explained why he hadn't heard about it.

"Why go through all the trouble of inventing something and then give it a weak name like that?" Tugger asked. "I'd have gone with 'Cross-o-matic!' or 'The Amazing Mr. Cross!'"

Coricopat looked at him over the top of his glasses for a long moment before shaking his head, "The cross was more than a symbol. It was also used to understand certain mystical texts - to decipher hidden meanings and so forth."

Grids' brow rose, "So you're saying these vampires went to all that trouble for your basic decoder ring?"

"Well, I would say it's slightly more complicated than a decoder ring, but in essence? Yes I suppose I am."

Mistoffelees had grabbed the magazine when Cori had set it down, looking over the article. "It says all the crosses were destroyed by him except the one buried with him."

Griddlebone blinked, "He destroyed his own work?"

Cori shrugged, "It makes sense I suppose. He likely feared what might happen should the cross fall into the wrong hands."

"I'm assuming we'll get to experience that up close and personal ourselves soon," Tugger muttered.

"Unless we preempt their plans," the librarian responded.

"Any grand plans in that department?" Mistoffelees asked.

"It's going to mean a late night here at the library," came the reply, "but I think we may be able to learn what was in that book before they do."

"Research party. I can do that," Mistoffelees said.

"Sometimes I think you need a life in the worst possible way," Tugger informed him.

"You're going to be here too," Mistoffelees pointed out. Tugger glared at him slightly.

Grids shook her head, "I have to bail. I promise I'll be back bright and early, perky and ready to slay."

Cori frowned at her, "This is a matter of some urgency, Griddlebone."

"I know. But you have to admit, I lack in the book area. You guys are the brains. I'd just be around for moral support..."

"That's not true. You have more brains for me. And you bring the snacks," Tugger protested.

Mistoffelees frowned and looked back up suddenly at Grids. "Oh. Yes, you should go. Gather your strength and all that. Shoo."

Cori looked between the students and then slowly nodded, "Perhaps you're right. There may be battles ahead after all."

"But, snacks!" Tugger protested. "They are very important for my cognitive process."

"Sorry, Tug. I have something I really need to do tonight." She grabbed her bag and left before she could be asked what that was.

Mistoffelees watched her, before turning back to the librarian. "Okay, where do we start?"

"Everything I have on du Lac and his fellows is in the collections at the back. If one of you wants to give me a hand with those?"

Mistoffelees nodded, rising and bounding over. Cori blinked at that, but offered him a faint smile, heading up toward the stacks. They left Tugger muttering at the table about calories and being very important if he was going to stay up all night for a research party.

o.o.o.o

Halfway across town, Mac smiled faintly as he watched Griddlebone skate across the ice floor of the closed rink.

Grids glided smoothly around the rink, losing herself in the skating and remembering why she had loved it so much when she was younger. She carefully built up speed before launching into an airborne twirl. She lost her balance at the apex and landed hard, sliding a good ten feet before she stopped.

She caught her breath, starting to get to her feet when a shadow moved across the ice toward her. She looked up with a smile, "Mac?" Her eyes widened as she realized it wasn't Mac. The massive brute before her grabbed her around the neck and hauled her off the ice rapidly and onto the rink's rubber deck, slamming her against the wall.

The slayer struggled, yanking at her assailant's hands, but found herself unable to compete with his strength as he tightened his grip. Her vision was darkening slightly at the edges as she found she couldn't pull in a breath.

Mac's eyes widened and he rushed from the stands. He caught the assassin in the face as he turned toward the oncoming vampire. Mac's face went into full vamp mode as he wrestled with the brute, being forced back into a corner.

It took Grids a moment to regain her breath enough to get to her feet, going quickly to aid Mac as the attacker started in for the kill. "Hey, you!" He turned and she sent a spinning kick toward his neck, the blade of her skate leading. The brute stumbled toward her, his hand clamped over his bleeding throat. She stepped out of his way, on the ready for an attack, but he went past her, onto the ice. He made it a goodly distance onto the frozen surface before collapsing.

Mac gave the body a long look. "Not quite the date night I was planning but hey."

Grids massaged her throat, "Not exactly, no."

"You okay?" he asked, moving over to inspect the body and reacting visibly when he saw a ring on one finger. Lifting the hand, he looked at the ring more closely, expression darkening.

"Of course. I'm fine," she answered, making her careful way out onto the ice after him. "What about you?"

"It's just a cut. Grids, do you have any idea what this ring means?" he asked, picking it up.

"I have a feeling you're going to tell me. And that's not 'just a cut', it looks pretty deep."

"It's fine," he said, turning his face slightly that was still in vampire mode. "As I was saying, it means danger. Hide and stay out of sight danger. I need to get you home."

"Danger? Mac, I face that all the time."

"Not like this," he said. "Just, please, trust me? Hide for a while, until I can figure this out."

She sighed, "I...you can't do this alone any more than I can."

"I know where to look. At least let me see if I can find any information before you move, alright?" he asked. "And you look a little hurt yourself. Let's call it a night and just get you home."

"Alright, but..." she reached up, going to wipe some of the blood from his forehead, "Let me at least get this cleaned, hm?"

"Don't," he started, pulling back. "I can take care of it."

"Come on, I won't hurt you. I'll be careful, I promise."

"I don't want you to touch me when I can't even control my own face," he murmured, turning his head away again.

She blinked rapidly, processing that and hesitating for a moment before nearing him again and taking his face in her hands, turning him to look at her, "I didn't even notice. Mac, please."

Swallowing, he met her eyes. "Grids..."

"You're not going to hurt me."

"I'd still rather you not," he replied, voice soft.

She sighed, drawing her hands away and putting them in her pockets, "Alright."

He swallowed again. "Let's get you home at least."

"Yeah, probably should." She glanced at him, "You will take care of that cut right?"

"I will," he said and nodded. "Promise."

"Good," she murmured, still not sounding pleased. As they left, another form that had been lurking in the bleachers slipped away into the night.

o.o.o.o

Grids sat in the library, her foot up on another chair, an icepack set on that knee. She watched Coricopat as he carefully examined the ring she'd brought. The teen spoke as he looked from the ring to the book and back, "This guy was hard core. And Mac was freaked by the ring. I told him it wasn't anything to worry about." She paused, "It's not anything to worry about is it?"

"I'm afraid he was not overreacting." The librarian replied, "The ring is worn only by members of the Order Of Taranta. They are a society of demon assassins dating back to King Solomon."

Mistoffelees blinked from where he was sitting behind his laptop, carefully keeping it between him and his line of sight toward Coricopat. Tugger was leaning against the table next to him. "I'm sure it was those guys who beat the Elks last year in Sunnydale's adult bowling league championship."

Coricopat ignored Tugger as he continued his explanation, "Their credo is to sow discord and to kill the unwary."

"Bowling is a vicious game," Tugger started and Mistoffelees kicked him hard under the table. Yelping, Tugger looked at him and the smaller teen shook his head.

"That's enough, Tugger!" Coricopat snapped, earning him an alarmed glanced from Grids.

Both Mistoffelees and Tugger turned wide eyes on him, and Tugger glanced down shame-faced.

The librarian sighed, removing his glasses to rub his eyes, "I'm sorry. I...I need to think. This isn't a time for jokes."

Griddlebone eyed him warily, "These assassins...why would they be after me?"

"'Cause you're the scrounge of the underworld?" Mistoffelees said, eyebrow raised. "Do the undead need another reason to go after you?"

"But-but I haven't been that scourgy lately," she protested.

"I don't know why," Coricopat admitted. "But I think the best thing to do is to find a secure location. Someplace out of the way where you can go until we decide on the best course of action and-"

He was cut off as Grids carefully got to her feet, her eyes wide, "Okay. You and Mac have both told me to head for the hills. What's the deal?"

"I - this is an extraordinary circumstance…"

She swallowed hard, glancing at Misto and Tugger, "W-when do we have a usual circumstance, Cori? I mean - mummy girls and snake guys and… But you've never told me to hide before. I mean - you're saying I can't handle this? These guys are that bad?"

Coricopat hesitated before he finally answered Griddlbone. "You might - They're… They're a breed apart, Grids. Unlike vampires - they have no earthly desire except to collect their bounty. To find their target and eliminate it..." He swallowed, "And it appears that you are the target. You can kill as many of them as you like. It won't make any difference - because where there is one, there will be another. And another. They won't stop coming until the job is done.

"The worst of it is, they are masters of deceit. Vampires are bound by the Night, and even Demons have restrictions, but these predators can be anywhere, anytime. They can appear as normal as the next person. Just another face in the crowd. You might not ever know when one of them is near - not until the moment they finally find you."

Even Mistoffelees' eyes were wide at that. "So, what do we do then?"

Grids glanced from one to the other, shaking her head, dropping the ice pack on the table and heading for the door, "I need to clear my head. I'll see you in class, guys."

Mistoffelees followed her. "Grids," he said, "Do you need to talk?"

She paused, glancing around the nearly empty hall, "What's there to talk about? More bad guys coming to do in the Slayer. Just another day in the life."

"Grids," he said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're not alright. I know there's not a lot, but is there anything I can do?"

She swallowed hard but shook her head, "You heard Cori. There's not much anyone can do."

"Still," he said quietly.

"Just...stay safe?"

"That I can do," he agreed.

"I-I...this'll work out right?"

"It always has," he replied.

She wrapped her arms around herself, shuddering slightly, "I..."

He leaned forward, drawing her into a hug, which didn't quite work since he was shorter than her. "You have Mac and Cori watching out for you, not to mention yourself. Just be on guard and you'll be fine."

"I'm scared Misto. They...the last time they both agreed on something so strongly and were this worried, I died."

"You're not gonna die again," he replied firmly.

"I-I...I know."

"Good," he said, kissing her cheek. "This is just another day in the life, right? You'll be fine."

She offered him a shaky smile, returning the hug, "Thank you."

"Of course," he murmured. "So you're going to get through this the way you always do, alright?"

Grids swallowed, nodding, "One step at a time, but maybe not face this one as head-on, yeah?"

"Yeah, I think coming at it from the side, or even behind is a good plan."

She offered him a faint smile, "Well, I...am going to go calm down a bit before facing the rest of the school, alright?"

"Alright," he said softly. "You'll make it through this."

"I know. Thanks." She offered him a faint smile before retreating to the girls' bathroom.

o.o.o.o

Grids made her way through the Career Fair, his gaze never stilling. Something felt off and she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. She was still limping from the night before, but was mostly ignoring that. She slipped past a group of people talking to a policewoman and tensed as she saw a guy slip out of the crowd, making his way in her direction rapidly. She caught him by the collar and spun him around quickly, slamming him into the wall, "Try it!"

Pounce blinked at the girl pinning him to the wall, God that hurt, "Try what?"

The Slayer looked him over for a long moment before letting him go, "Sorry."

"I'm still not clear on what I'm supposed to try," the musician's eyebrow arched as he looked at her a bit sideways.

She glanced around, seeing people staring, "Nothing." With that she headed for the door, classes were out in about five minutes anyways.

Pounce watched her go, "Huh. A tense person."

o.o.o.o

Later that night found Mistoffelees once again in the library, a volume open in front of him and several stacked beside his elbow. "I wish there was more we could do," he murmured, turning a page.

Coricopat looked up from the books he was going over as well, "We're doing all we can. The only course of action is to decipher the contents of the stolen book."

"It's just," he sighed in frustration. "I wish there was more I could do! I feel helpless when things like this happen."

"We all do," Cori sighed. "The most we can do right now is hope and pray, and help her watch her back."

Swallowing, he looked back down at the book in front of him. "It's just..." he shook his head.

"Just...?"

"I can read books until my eyes bleed, but I feel there has to be something else I could try."

Cori shook his head slightly, "There isn't anything else available to us, Mistoffelees."

The teen looked down. "I know. Just, I wish sometimes is all."

"I know," the librarian nodded, carefully not suggesting anything to do with magic. He'd gone down that road and didn't intend to ever send anyone else down it.

"She... she was really freaked out," he added quietly. "She said the last time you and Mac agreed like this she ended up dead."

Coricopat paled at that, "That is not going to happen this time."

"No, but, I mean, not that you and Mac should be bosom buds or anything, but if the two of you agree, she freaks. You might want to work together when it's not the end of the damn world so it's not so shocking."

The Englishman nodded slightly, "I'll see about that possibly happening then.

"Alright," he said as Tugger entered.

"Guys, Grids didn't go home tonight."

Coricopat looked up, "What?"

"I let the phone ring off the hook several times. Plus, her mom's out of town at the moment."

"Perhaps...she unplugged the phone?"

"It's a statistical impossibility that a sixteen year old girl unplugged her phone," Tugger replied, giving Cori a long look that mirrored some of the looks the librarian would give to him.

The librarian dropped his gaze, "I was perhaps a bit too alarming with my words of caution earlier..."

"You think?" Tugger demanded and Mistoffelees sighed.

"Where would she have gone?"

"Somewhere she feels safe," Cori answered. Mistoffelees glanced at Tugger and back to Cori, having a thought to where but unsure whether he could or should act on it.

o.o.o.o

Griddlebone made her way carefully through the streets near the Bronze, finally reaching Mac's basement apartment. She knocked on the door, "Mac?" When there was no answer she tried again. After a third attempt with no answer she gave in and broke into he apartment. She opened the door, looking around, "Mac?" He didn't appear to be home. The teen stepped inside and turned on a floor lamp. She hesitated before closing the door and making her way over to sit on the unmade bed across the room. She reached down to massage her knee carefully. After a long moment she finally lay down, curling up and finding she felt a bit safer with his scent around her. Grids tilted her head into the pillow a bit more, closing her eyes and hoping he would be back soon.

o.o.o.o

Sweeping the floor of his bar, Admetus looked up in annoyance when the door opened. "Hey, can't you read? The sign says clos-Oh, Mac," he stuttered out. "Didn't realize it was you. You were all in the dark and all." Mac just gave him a long look and Admetus shrugged, leaning against his broom. "What can I do you for tonight?"

"I need information," Mac replied.

"Really? Because I'm living clean and all that now," Admetus tried.

"You're a human running a bar for demons," Mac said, arching a brow. "You and clean living parted long ago."

"Well, when you put it that way," Admetus muttered.

"I am. Now, who sent them?"

Admetus did look surprised at that. "Who sent who?" he asked.

"The order of Taranta," Mac replied.

Admetus's eyes widened. "They're in town?"

"Don't play with me," Mac snapped. "Was it Jerrie?"

"Who?" Admetus tried and Mac growled. He held his hands up quickly, letting the broom clatter to the ground. "Alright, alright! Yes, of course it was him and you know it so why do you need me to tell you anyway? He's sick of your girl running amok in his plans and I'm sure the majority of town supports him, okay?"

"Where is he?" Mac growled, menacing the other who just shrugged.

"Look, you think I know? You're ear is closer to the ground that mine is. I just provide beverages here, not a bloody home tracking system."

Mac took a step toward him and Ademtus took one back.

Before either of them could say something else, a mop handle went flying at Mac's head, knocking him down hard. Admetus took one look at that and fled behind the bar.

"Where is the girl?" the girl holding the mop demanded. Mac snarled at her, Admetus long since having retreated. He rushed at her, only to be kicked to the side, as she attempted to use the mop handle as a stake. Blocking it with a bar stool, he pushed her back, only to have her return in the next second with a round house kick.

Sparring, she managed to force him back into the liquor cage, made of heavy metal to protect expensive brews. Mac crashed into a crate of it, spilling the liquid everywhere and tossing a broken bottle at his attackers head.

She evaded it, and paused, considering him with an odd smile.

"Who are you?" Mac demanded. "I won't hurt you if you tell me what I need to know and why you're here." She just smiled at him. "Do you think this is funny?"

Stepped back, she slammed the door to the cage shut, bolting it. "I do now," she replied, glancing at the window that looked over the cage. "The sun comes up in a few hours. That girl you were with-"

"Don't you dare go near her," Mac snarled.

His attacker shrugged. "Not anything you can do about it now," she said, and left. Mac threw himself at the metal bars, snarling.

Woo-hoo, meet some new characters. Sorry for the longer time between updates recently, life has been a little hectic. We hope all the readers have been enjoying the story so far, and all your support is greatly adored. We're always accepting reviews, and are quite happy when the little button at the bottom of the screen is hit. Cheers all! Happy New Years!