"Someone betrayed us Thierry," said Ash, angrily into the vid phone. "We barely got out of there alive."

"You don't know who it was; do you? We need to stomp out this infection and soon," said Thierry, glancing at Leigh worriedly.

"I don't know I really didn't get a look at any of their faces. The minute the door was kicked in I just picked up Maria and got out of there," said Ash.

"You think it was Seth . . .?" asked Thierry, letting the rest of the sentence trail off.

"Or some of his minions," said Ash, finishing Thierry's thought. "Yes I do. In fact I could swear that Seth was not among them last night."

"How do you know if you didn't get a good look at their faces?" asked Thierry.

"Just a feeling, but you know Seth always leaves the dirty work to his people," said Ash. "Usually," he added as an afterthought.

"Just be careful Ash, Seth is a very dangerous vampire," said Thierry.

"I know, I know," said Ash. "I just want all this running and hiding to be over forever."

"Well the only way it will be over forever is if you kill Seth," said Thierry.

Ash sighed and then said, "Goodnight Thierry, hopefully this will all be over soon." Then he hung up the vid phone and just stood there thinking for a very long time.

~~~A New Life~~~

School was over and Quinn, Rachel, Tim and Lynn were all gathered at Lynn's house. "So where's that explanation you promised me?" asked Lynn.

Quinn and Rachel looked at each other and Quinn gave a barely discernible nod.

"Well you see we belong to an organization known as Circle Daybreak," Quinn began.

"Yes you mentioned that earlier. Just what is Circle Daybreak?"

"Before we tell you that we need to tell you a few basic things first," said Rachel.

"Like?"

Quinn paused. How would she react to being told about vampires, shapeshifters, werewolves, and witches? That they all really existed? Finally he began to speak after what seemed like an eternity. "There is a world that most humans know nothing about known as the Night World," Quinn began. He paused again, briefly, "The Night World is a secret society full of vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters and witches."

Before he could continue Lynn interrupted, "You're saying that vampires, werewolves, witches and shapeshifters actually exist?" Lynn asked. "I don't believe it, you guys must be insane."

Quinn sighed, got up and came towards her. And then he slowly let his canine teeth extend and as he did his appearance changed slightly. He became even more handsome, if that was possible. Seeming to shine with an Inner Light all his; own.

Lynn gasped and backed away, but Quinn didn't come towards her. He sat down and slowly his fangs disappeared. He was just a normal boy again, except inhumanly handsome.

"So it's true," said Lynn, truly shaken.

"Quinn," said Rachel reprovingly, "Don't scare the poor girl to death."

"Well, I had to make a point or we'd be here all night trying to convince her," said Quinn, looking at Rachel.

Rachel sighed and shook her head, but said nothing more on the subject. "Now Circle Daybreak is an organization made up of humans, witches vampires, shapeshifters and werewolves. Its main goal is to help humans and the Night World get along and to live in peace with each other," Rachel paused and Quinn continued the explanation.

"Your friend Maria is in terrible danger and so are you from a very ancient and evil vampire known as Seth. So we have her stashed in a safe house somewhere until all this is over."

"Question," said Lynn speaking up for the first time in nearly half an hour. "Why would Circle Daybreak care to protect an ordinary girl like Maria and why is Seth after her?"

Rachel and Quinn looked at each other again. Here was where the explanation got difficult. "You see," Quinn began, trying to find the right words to explain the soulmate principal to Lynn. "Maria was no ordinary girl she is what we call an old soul. Old souls are humans who just keep coming back life after life," Quinn paused unsure of how to continue. Finally he said, "Have you ever heard of the soulmate principal?" When Lynn shook her head he said. "The idea of the soulmate principal is that there is someone so perfect for you, that once you meet them you will never be totally happy again if you are separated from them. It doesn't matter if you are human or vampire it strikes everyone."

"Like me and Quinn," said Rachel and then she continued before Tim could stop her and said, "and like you and Tim."

Quinn and Lynn both looked surprised at this announcement, but Tim only sat and stared a solemn expression on his face. "Is it true Tim," asked Quinn; a smile lighting up his whole face.

"It's true," muttered Tim, running a hand through his shaggy brown hair.

"That's great," said Quinn, but when Tim looked at him sullenly he shut up. The look of Tim's face said it all. He didn't want a soulmate now or ever, but Quinn had felt the same way at first. Tim could come around in time. He would either have to or go insane.

"Maria, in her other life was a girl by the name of Mary-Lynnette Carter and she and Ash Redfern met one day and the soulmate principal struck them both."

"And Ash is a vampire right?" asked Lynn quietly.

"Yes, Ash used to be totally arrogant as a matter of fact so did I, but when he met Mary-Lynnette that all changed and he became a totally different person, a person who cared what happened to other humans whom he used to think of as vermin and food. Now when Mary-Lynnette died about sixty years ago, Ash was a very unhappy person until he found her again and in this case Maria."

"So Maria and this guy Ash are soulmates," said Lynn, almost thoughtfully. "But what about this guy Seth."

"Seth is a vampire, who has a vendetta against Ash and his soulmate," said Tim, speaking up for the first time without first being spoken to. "Seth is very dangerous and also very evil. If he thinks you know where Maria is he will come after you. He did after all murder Maria's father in cold blood."

"So that's who murdered Maria's father I wondered and Maria asked Circle Daybreak to protect me," said Lynn.

"Yes," all three answered at the same time.

Lynn was thoughtful for a long time and it was nearly half an hour later when she spoke again. Quinn had almost fallen asleep when she finally did say quietly. "I believe you if only for the reason that Maria and me go back a long way and for the fact that pass phrase you gave me has special meaning for both of us. She would have told no one she didn't trust absolutely and I mean no one." By now the sun was beginning to go down and it was getting to be dinnertime and Lynn got up and began to prepare dinner for her and her friends. Her mother was gone for a few days so she had the house all to herself.

"Just one question I thought vampires couldn't venture out into the sunlight how come you can?" Lynn asked Quinn as she came back into the den after putting supper on to cook.

"Oh that, that's just a myth. It's true that new vampires are sensitive to sunlight, but it won't kill us," said Quinn, "I mean look at me, I'm over five hundred years old and the sunlight hasn't killed me yet."

Lynn looked surprised, but she supposed, she shouldn't be. You could tell a lot from a person's eyes and Quinn's seemed older then his years would seem to indicate.

"All right, who wants hamburgers?" asked Lynn. Quinn and Tim shook their heads, but Rachel nodded.

"It's time I went out to hunt anyway," said Tim. "I'll be back in an hour."

"Hunt?" asked Lynn.

"Werewolves have to eat to you know," said Quinn calmly. "But they always hunt animals. It's against Night World law for a werewolf to hunt a human, because werewolf kills are unmistakable."

Tim was a werewolf? She supposed she should have known if nothing else the eyes and the way he moved kind of gave it away. He moved like a predator ready to spring on a prey. Lynn sat down, heavily. Her soulmate was a werewolf. How did these things always happen to her?

~~~A New Life~~~

Ash and Maria lay in bed together and Ash couldn't get to sleep for some reason. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning he dropped into a light doze. When he awoke a few hours later Maria was gone from beside him. He got up and started shouting her name frantically. Then he began to panic. He went out front and shouted her name. The he turned around and saw the note stuck to the front door with a knife. He took it down and read the note. It read:

If you want to see your soulmate again you will meet me tomorrow night at midnight at a warehouse on the West Side of town. You know the one. Be there or your soulmate will die.

Seth

"Noooo!" screamed Ash. Seth had Maria he had to save her. He put in a call to Las Vegas; he didn't care how early it was. The phone rang at Thierry mansion for what seemed like forever until a sleepy voice answered. It was Thierry's personal cell phone. "Hello?"

"Thierry something terrible has happened," said Ash and he told him everything he could remember.

"We'll have a team together and meet you at the safe house in a few hours. Don't go after her alone Ash it's too dangerous."

"Just hurry up or I will go alone danger or no danger," said Ash. Thierry had already; began to move by this point pulling on a pair of pants as Ash talked. Thierry heard Ash hang up and he put the phone down to pull a shirt over his head. Leigh was already getting dressed for she had heard everything. "Oh no; you're not going," said Thierry.

"Yes I am. I am not going to have to worry about you getting killed. Besides, Ash is my friend to," said Leigh determinedly.

Thierry sighed; he had seen that expression before on Hannah's face when she had still been alive. She was either going with him or she would follow him and maybe get herself killed. "All right, but you do not leave my side the whole time understand," said Thierry sternly. Leigh nodded, hid a smile at his expression and continued to get dressed.

~~~A New Life~~~

A few hours later, that seemed like forever to Ash, Thierry, Leigh, Delos, and his soulmate as well as Nilsson showed up on the doorstep of the safe house dressed and ready for action. "It's about time," Ash exclaimed, when he saw them. It hadn't actually taken more then three or four hours, but to Ash it had seemed like forever. Thierry and the others came inside and they all started dusting for prints. They didn't find anything until they dusted the dagger. It had a set of prints on it which once Thierry faxed them to the crime database they kept of all known Night World villains they found out who they belonged to.

"His name is Dean Redville and he is one of the Night World's top assassin's," said Thierry, calmly.

Ash shivered, "I've heard of him. He's one nasty fellow. If Seth hired him then we have got to find Maria and fast." He headed out to the car waiting for them. By now it was after ten o'clock at night and they would be there early which was a good thing for it gave them time to come up with a plan. Ash gave Nilsson the address as Nilsson slipped behind the steering wheel then he just sat back and stared out the window worried about Maria. He had been unable to contact her through their link which either meant she was unconscious, to far away or dead. Ash did not want to think about that third option.

"Are you okay Ash?" asked Leigh, touching his arm gently.

"I'm fine Leigh," murmured Ash. "I just can't help but think this is all; my fault," pain flickered across his face and his voice sounded anguished when he said it. It sounded like he was just about ready to cry, but was holding his emotions in check.

"How so?" asked Leigh.

"If I had just kept my eyes open and not fallen asleep this might not have happened," said Ash, his voice still anguished.

"You may be a vampire Ash, but even vampires need to sleep, eventually," said Leigh, quietly. "You couldn't keep your eyes on her every minute."

"She's right you know," said Thierry who had been listening to the conversation silently.

Ash sighed and did not respond lost in his own thoughts. Will he be okay? Leigh asked Thierry telepathically

I don't know. If we rescue Maria I'd say yes. If we don't . . . the thought seemed to pause for a few seconds as if looking for the right words. I just don't know, he finally said.

Leigh sighed and turned to stare out the window. She became lost in her own thoughts. She was extremely worried about Ash and Maria as well. Worried about a girl she had never met now wasn't that strange? But she was Ash's soulmate, a reincarnation of one of her best friends when she had been Hannah Snow. She just hoped they could rescue her, without getting her hurt or killed because that would tear Ash apart. As if sensing her dark thoughts Thierry laid a hand on her shoulder gently just letting her; know he was there if she needed him. She looked up at him and smiled wanly, then turned back to stare out the window again.

~~~A New Life~~~

After dinner, Quinn and Rachel slept on the couch while Tim stood guard. They were going to make sure nothing happened to Lynn, even if it meant sacrificing their lives to do it. Tim was supposed to wake them in four hours so they could take their turn at standing guard. A few hours later that seemed like minutes Quinn and Rachel awoke to the sound of Tim growling. Quinn was on his feet instantly and Rachel was there beside him a moment later.

"What's the matter Tim?" asked Quinn.

"There's someone approaching the house and he smells . . ." Tim paused, as if searching for the right word, "evil is the only way I can describe it."

"All right, battle stations everyone," said Quinn, as calmly as he could. "Be prepared for the fight of your lives." Werewolves' noses were extra sensitive to smells and things, being part dog anyway so Quinn was not surprised that Tim smelled something before he did. "Rachel why don't you go upstairs and wake Lynn, get her ready to get out of here if it becomes necessary."

Rachel nodded and headed upstairs just as the door got knocked in. On the other side of the door was a vampire. His hair was a greasy black and he had little black beady eyes. He stunk of grease, sweat, dirt and also the stench of pure evil, which was very nearly overpowering, especially for a vampire and werewolf with sensitive noses.

"Move aside," growled the man trying to get to the stairs.

"Not on your life," said Quinn.

"No, on yours," said the assassin, coming towards them. Suddenly before the assassin could take another step farther into the house a ball of energy so powerful struck him in the chest, then engulfed him in a halo of pure energy. He just withered there, not even screaming, until Rachel came down the stairs and threw a stake directly into his heart. You could say one thing for her she was a good shot. The energy disappeared and Lynn who had been responsible for it collapsed onto the landing of the stairs her energy drained.

"What was that?" asked Tim stunned and shaking to his very bones.

"That was our lost witch putting an end to one vampire assassin," said Rachel calmly.

"But how?" asked Tim, still confused.

"I don't know," said Rachel, moving towards Lynn and checked for a pulse. "But we better get her out of here just in case Seth sent more then one assassin to kill her. I woke her up and told her we had to get out of here. She only nodded then seemed to go into a trance and before I could stop her she exited the room. Then came to stand on the landing, muttered something I didn't understand and then the ball of energy shot out and you know the rest."

Quinn and Tim only shook their heads making no comments.

~~~A New Life~~~