Chapter 10

Sunset saw the return of Digby and Elisabeth and they were convinced they were being followed. Digby reported they had been trying to shake the followers for a day and had not been able to do it and that worried him. With his druid powers he should have been able to easily misdirect them and yet, he couldn't. After he realized he couldn't get rid of them, he and Elisabeth decided to make a run for Hamilton land and safety. Once they reported in an alert was sent throughout the clan, stay indoors where ever you are until the all clear is given. The wards around the buildings and homes will hold the intruders out, if you see anything call immediately, we want one of them alive.

Elisabeth reported to the family that one of them is definitely a werewolf; the other two are something else from the Lycan Clan, nothing she had encountered before. All 3 were males and about 2 hours behind her and Digby. Keldan, Iris and Elisabeth were pulled inside the castle to protect the children. As full vampires they were at the most risk from a werewolf bite which could kill them. Should one or all of the 3 get through they were also the best at close hand to hand combat, especially Elisabeth as she would be protecting one of her own children.

The all clear was given at midnight, to a point. The 3 followers were not attempting to cross onto Hamilton land. They were just watching and waiting. The odd thing was it looked as if the new hybrids were calling the shots; they needed to take one of them alive to find out what exactly they are. It went against every instinct the Executioners had to let the followers live and try to spy on the clan but they could not afford to have any one find out that they were aware of the things happening beyond the Cullen's.

The Hamilton's did everything possible to keep their location a secret, these 3 would not be permitted to leave alive. They also did not want this battle coming to their land but understood that a fight of some kind at home was becoming inevitable. Measures were being taken magically to enforce their protection, now they needed to take more human ones. Families were moved closer to the castle, no one went anywhere alone, everyone except the patrol stayed indoors after dark and there was no going in any part of the forest without a member of the laird's immediate family. While the 3 watched the clan make all these preparations they never noticed the one that moved into position to watch and trap them.

The rising of the sun saw the telling of Digby and Elizabeth's tale as they followed Alice and Jasper. As hoped they went to the other colleges and prep schools first, saving Tulane for last. At each of the colleges and schools, traces of Emmett's scent could be picked up around the sites the girls were taken from. This shocked Alice and Jasper; they knew Emmett had not been near these places. Digby was more surprised by the fact that the scent seemed muted. It was stale since it had been a while since the girls were taken but there was something mixed with it too. He also recognized werewolf and a scent that was faintly druid but not actually. He was hoping he could pinpoint the scent in New Orleans.

Elisabeth told them, "Carlisle was right to have them look into the type of girl taken. At each place all the girls had something in common. Also, they were either the top of their class or the best at what they did. At Sweet Briar it was molecular biologists, at Chatham athletics, at Fordham it was biochemistry and athletes, and at Wellesley it was animal and plant biologists. The girls taken from Tulane were studying medicine or tropical medicine, but perhaps the most troubling is that from the prep schools the girls all had a negative blood type and were virgins. The prep schools are the only places there was not one mass taking but the girls disappeared over several months, even though they all lived in the dorms."

"What makes the taking of virgins more troubling" continued Digby, "is what we discovered in New Orleans." "You were right", he said, "People in New Orleans did not want to deal with Alice and Jasper recognizing them immediately for what they are. In some instances they did not want to deal with me either, sensing the vampire. I was able to discover the source of the scent I didn't recognize. It is that of a Voodoo priestess. The druids are definitely getting help from the Voodoo priestesses."

This piece of information was the first thing Isabelle had heard that actually surprised her. "You are sure?" she asked. "Voodoo magic is very dark and unpredictable; no one likes to work with them." Digby nodded, "I am positive and I think the things that followed us with the unrecognizable scents are some type of Voodoo hybrid." Gabriel stood and looked at his sons, "We have to take one alive, we need to know what it is and what it can do."

Gabriel turned to his wife, "Is it possible that the leaders of the Lycans and Druids do not know what is happening with in their own clans? No, someone must know something or else they gave an order and didn't care how it was carried out." Isabelle thought for a moment, "I think we may have different groups within the clans stirring up trouble. The problem with that is if they do not know about each other who will be in charge when this is all finished?"

A small hawk suddenly flew in through the open window, circled Grim and when it fell to the floor a 10 year boy with green eyes looked at him and said, "Mother says it looks as if they will be making a move soon. She thinks at least one is going to leave to report back." With that said the boy shifted back to a hawk and went to rejoin his mother.

Isabelle turned to Elisabeth, "Call Catherine and Mary, they should be returning now, tell them what to look for in the intruders and to be prepared to capture one if necessary." Gabriel spoke to his boys, "Take up your positions and remember alive if possible." With a nod everyone left to do their duties. It was madness to try to attack Hamilton land and these 3 were about to be the lesson that reminded people of that fact.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its characters.

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