Chapter Two –Meeting

The door opened revealing a very ordinary hall way, a willowy young girl stood there, her shoulder length brown hair was held back by a pink ribbon, she was wearing a white fitted, sleeveless shirt which accentuated her ample breasts and skinny waist. She had on a baby pink skirt and ballet slippers, with ribbons winding up her pale legs.

"Can I help you?" Ani watched the girl's eyes flick to the Black Iris necklace worn on show to identify Ani as a Lamia. But the girl showed no sense of recognition and Ani could not see any sign of identification on the girl.

"I'm looking for a member of circle daybreak." The girl stiffened slightly, and then sighed.

"You'd better come in then." And with that she led her into a living room where the ordinary living room features were offset by a large bubbling cauldron and a boy murmuring over it. The girl put her finder over her mouth in a clear sign to be quiet and gestured to an armchair. They sat in silence for a while until the boy stopped muttering and turned round.

"You must be our guest" he greeted her holding out his hand which she shook "my name is Kristan, yours?"

"Ani" Ani replied then looked at the girl, who smiled and held out her hand

"Parum Presul" Little Dancer, thought Ani glancing at the Ballet slippers. Parum laughed a twinkling little sound that made Ani smile. "Shall I get Bell's?" she asked the boy who nodded, not taking his eyes off Ani.

"So how may we help you?" He said sitting down.

"I'm looking for Circle Daybreak member's." she replied looking down unable to hold his gaze.

"Why?" the question was simple enough but Ani thought for a while before answering.

"I am a member myself, I have made it my mission to protect, night world – human relationships" she hoped he was a member otherwise she was in trouble "I've been searching for such couples to help them find a safe place to hide; I was told there was a member here who might help Me." He put a hand up to stop her and turned to the door. Parum skipped in followed by another girl. Ani looked up and recognised her from the garden. She kept her eyes on Ani as she sat down beside Kristan.

"Bella this is Ani, Ani Bella," he said wrapping an arm around the girl protectively. Given Parum's long name, its meaning and her obvious relation to Bella, Ani doubted that Bella was the girl's full name. For some reason Kristan seemed reluctant to say it.

"You are the panther?" Ani asked, Bella nodded once. "But where is you're identification." She said, puzzled glancing at the dahlia on Kristan's Shirt. But seeing no signs on either the girls "I though it was night world law that everyone has identification." Bella grinned, then glanced at Parum who was also grinning. In perfect synchronism the girls pulled their tops away from their shoulders to show the black lilies tattooed there.

"Is that identification enough for you?" asked Kristan laughing. Ani smiled and laughed too. A knock interrupted the laughter, "Ahhh that will be Canis." His voice laced with anger. Bella put a hand on his arm,

"After, I've dealt with him" she said her voice malicious. Standing up she kissed his cheek and went to greet their guest. Kristan let out a low chuckle easing the tension

"You're going to want to watch this." He said leading Ani to the large open space she had seen Bella practising in the previous day.

Bella was crouched opposite a boy slightly older then her, he looked quietly confidant until he saw Kristan walk out then his became fearful, glancing at Bella she expected her to be smiling or have an angry expression and was surprised to find complete calm there. She stood up from fastening her boots to stand in a loose relaxed position,

"If she doesn't obliterate you Canis, I will." He spoke through gritted teeth and Canis backed away slightly under the angry gaze. Ani looked from Kristan to Bella, not knowing who was scarier, Kristan was obviously ready to kill and the force of his anger was terrifying, but Bella was calm, making her seem more vulnerable, but Ani knew, as an experienced fighter, that she was completely in the void and no trick could work, no taunt would make her move too early or late. Canis knew this too and none of the usual foreplay of battles happened.

"Ready," came Parum's high voice from the sidelines, "you know the rules, but we will repeat them for our Guest, no weapons and try not to kill each other. That's it. Alright. FIGHT." They started immediately each kicking and hitting at such speeds it was hard to follow even for a vampire. They broke apart Canis bleeding from a bust lip and Bella smiling. She leaped at him, mid stride changing into that magnificent Black Panther that Ani had seen following her, claws gleaming silver, Canis barely had time to change into a wolf before she was on top of him, snarling and ripping with her teeth and claws.

Ani let out a small whistle of appreciation; they were both very good fighters. Eventually after a few more minutes as both Animal and hum the fight ended with Canis whimpering on the floor nursing a broken leg and arm. He was covered in bruises and cuts. Bella was fairing slightly better though she too had a multitude of cuts and bruises.

Kristan was at her side immediately after the fight ended, healing the worst of the cuts and reducing some of the larger bruises. He let Canis whimper on the ground for a while before sighing and turning round to face the boy. Ani could not believe he would be so angry as to hurt the boy more after the beating he had just received.

Kristan's voice was harsh, "if you ever hurt her like that again, I will put a silver blade through your heart." He leant close and spoke again, so quietly that Ani had to strain to hear him. "If you take advantage of her like that, the next time I go, I will do much worse; do you know what happens when you throw silver powder at a Werewolf?" Canis nodded his eyes terrified, Kristan breathed out loudly and healed the broken bones to the point where Canis could leave but was still in pain.

Ani was shocked, throwing silver powder at a werewolf would leave them burning for hours in agony, it was torture, not to mention that it scared the victim. She was surprised that Kristan would threaten the boy with something like that.

~*~

"Do you want to stay tonight? I don't suppose the woods are very comfortable" Bella asked looking up from her sketch-pad, Ani smiled and laughed

"I should have guessed you knew where I slept, yes id like to stay if it's not any trouble" Bella shook her head bending back over pad, "what are you drawing?" Ani asked interested, Bella smiled and showed her the pad, on it was a black-bird carrying a black lily in its beak,

"they are ideas for t-shirts, they say not only that you are a shape-shifter but what animal you are, see this one is for me" flipping the page she showed Ani a drawing of a panther padding softly beside a dark blue pond full of black lilies. "this is a special one for Kristan," she flipped the pad some more leaving it open at a mountain scene with a boy kneeling washing himself in the waters, with Black Dahlias growing all around him. Healing springs guessed Ani.

"Would you like me to design you one?" Bella asked smiling at her, Ani nodded smiling back and thinking to herself, I think I'm going to like it here.