CHAPTER 7

"Are we there yet?" Jeff asked for the umpteenth time, raising his voice to be heard over the roar of passing traffic.

"Almost." Mark said through gritted teeth, trying not to lose his temper. He glanced nervously at the sky, knowing the sun would be rising in less than an hour.

"Everyone got their second wind?" Isis asked.

Jaden nodded, though secretly she was dead tired. The thought of being dead tired brought a little smile to her lips, the irony.

Jeff peeked over at her, his own mouth curving into a knowing grin.

"All right, let's go."

Soon the four were nothing more than blurs.

***

Glenn slowly moved away from the bar, leaving his untouched order of tequila sitting on the counter. It was time to retire for the day, dawn was approaching.

He slipped a twenty dollar bill onto the counter and started walking away, halting to stare at a mortal, one who was staring back at him, her eyes knowing and her mouth parted ever so slightly into a smirk, an inviting smirk.

She stood up, making her way over to him, black heels clicking as she walked. "Hello," She purred, her voice low. "My name is Shannon."

***

Thursday night found the four all apprehensive, concerned about what the night would bring.

Mark and Jeff both dressed accordingly to their on-screen characters, both wanting to make things go as smoothly as possible. Though in the main, they pretty much dressed like normal.

Isis and Jaden had also dressed for the occasion, Isis in black pants with a black corset top and Jaden in her black leather pants and a blue halter top, a silver chain around her middle.

"He can't bitch now." Isis joked as she and Jaden followed the men through the arena.

"He's male, sure he can."

"Quiet back there." Mark ordered, not turning his head.

Isis stuck her tongue out at his back.

Jaden smiled as Jeff's shoulders silently shook.

A low, throaty laugh caught the two's attention. Curiously they turned around to find a woman staring at them. She was a sight to see with blood red hair, lips and matching outfit, even her dangerous looking nails were red.

"Can I help you?" Isis asked coldly.

Jaden was frowning, not liking the way the woman stared at them as if they were… prey.

"You must be Isis." The woman sneered, taking a step closer. "You must be, he described you in such perfect detail, right down to the flecks of silver in your eyes." Her own steel gray orbs roamed Jaden next. "And you… you're Jaden, the meal that didn't sit too well."

"That's funny, you know our names," Jaden said icily, her figurative feathers ruffled. "I don't remember you though."

"That's because we've never met before sweetheart," The woman flicked her hair back over her shoulder, smiling condescendingly. "I'm Shannon, though you might want to refer to me as Mistress or something else along those lines."

Isis and Jaden both bristled, fighting back the instinct to attack.

Shannon laughed again. "He was also right about that. He said you'd never show yourselves as long as mortals were around." Her gaze moved contemptuously onto the nearby people. "Pathetic."

"I'm guessing 'he' would be Glenn." Isis stated dryly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes, Glenn…" Shannon licked her lips, almost obscenely. "The one you turned down. Strange, from the way he talked about you, I would've sworn you'd be… I don't know… more powerful."

"Power comes in different forms." Jaden said, wanting to defend her new friend. "Not in a trashy outfit and bad attitude."

"You haven't seen a bad attitude yet little girl." Shannon's eyes narrowed, her mouth turning down into a frown. "So why don't you scurry off somewhere and let the women talk hmmm?"

"Ladies, not fighting are we?" Glenn appeared, wrapping an arm around Shannon and pulling her against him. "That's not very nice."

"Glenn, go to hell." Isis snarled, baring her fangs.

"Hmmm… maybe later, for now I've got other things to do."

"Like what?"

"Killing you and Mark… finish my dinner." He smiled evilly at Jaden. "You were a mistake, you should have never been made into one of us."

"Looks like the mistake was you, you psychopath." Jaden retorted.

"Is there a problem here?" Mark asked, appearing at Jaden's side out of nowhere.

"Of course not." Glenn chuckled humorlessly. "Ready for round two old man?"

"Glenn, how about we just go somewhere more secluded and end this? Not in front of all these people."

"You see, that's where we have a problem. I want the mortals to know what I am. You however, want to pass yourself off as one. Why bother? Think they won't notice when you don't age anymore? Or maybe the fact that you're stronger and faster then you've ever been might just possibly escape them?"

"Glenn, it's still wrong. You don't belong to the natural world, I don't either."

"I don't want to belong to their world you moron. I want to rule it." Glenn started laughing, the sound of it loud and grating, causing several nearby people to wince. "I want to run things. I want everyone to know what I am and fear me, really Mark, why the hell would I want to just… belong? That's so ordinary."

"I was right, you're a loon." Isis muttered.

"Shut up bitch." Shannon snarled.

"You need to mind your own business and butt out." Jaden said firmly.

"Listen here supper…"

Jaden started forward, murder in her eyes but Jeff stepped forward from the shadows where he had been listening and gently took her wrist. She looked at him questioningly.

"Not here." He said quietly.

Jaden's upper lip curled into a snarl. "This isn't over." She promised.

"Oh no sweetheart," Shannon licked her lips. "It's definitely not."

***

"He made another one?" Jeff demanded, looking back and forth between Isis and Mark. "Hey, answer me!"

Isis broke the stare down to glance at him. "Yes, whoever that Shannon woman is, Glenn turned her into a vampire."

"There's always the possibility that she was already one and he found her." Mark said quietly, his face looking oddly ragged.

"I doubt that darlin'." Isis said, sinking down on a crate. "She looks like a newbie to me."

"Point being, can he do that? Just run around making more?" Jeff demanded.

"Obviously."

"Not if someone stops him." Mark pointed out.

"How about we kill them both?" Jaden suggested.

Everyone looked at her surprised.

"What?" Her eyes got innocently wide. "I do have a nasty streak you know."

"We do now." Jeff grinned, dropping down beside her on the couch, resting his arm behind her head. "Anything else we should know?"

"Stop flirting boy, we got other matters to think about." Mark scolded.

Jeff ducked his head, hiding his smile though he did shoot a sidelong glance at Jaden.

Jaden just crossed her legs, giving everyone an innocent look they had learned to not believe.

***