As The Devil’s Painted

Brandy Isaacs

Text Copyright © Brandy Isaacs

All Right Reserved

Thank You

It only seems appropriate that I thank my readers.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for being a part of one of the best journeys of my life.

And, of course, thank you to Nikki Liesegang and Daniel Roberts at DRPhotography for my awesome cover photo.  You both rock.

As The Devil’s Painted

Part One

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Part Two

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Part One

Chapter 1

The sound of flesh violently meeting flesh kept Harley Finn in the shadows as she neared the corner of the building.  Not that she was afraid of a fight, far from it, but these days rushing into confrontation was dangerous—even for her.  The sounds of scuffling, grunting, crashes and clangs told her that multiple…beings…were involved in the fight.  The low, annoying buzz in her head told her that at least one Ignis was involved, but she prepared herself for the worst as her Nocte’s hackles rose.  As the rank, burnt smell met wafted towards her she wrinkled her nose.  There are definitely Burners here.

As Harley feared, peeking around the corner of the building she saw three Ignis fighting with several humans.  They were knotted in the middle of a dark parking lot that sat next to a liquor store.  The store was closed since it was nearly three in the morning and the lights that should have illuminated the expanse of concrete for security and safety were not working.  Not surprising, Harley thought, considering the neighborhood.  She pulled her machete from the sheath on her back and surveyed her surroundings.

Harley was in a rundown part of Cincinnati, not far from the Kentucky border.  Most of the nearby businesses seemed to be closed this time of night.  There was a gun store with barred windows and convenience store across the street.  The building that Harley had her back to was a warehouse that apparently stored old mechanical parts, according to the smell that drifted through its crumbling brick façade.  She took a deep breath and listened carefully with her Burner sense.  There didn’t appear to be any other threats nearby—but it was hard to tell as she didn’t have to be wary of just Burners anymore.  Now she had to be on the lookout for Burners, humans—maybe even Lux and Nocte.

Harley sighed and silently argued with herself.  Trying to help the humans fighting with the Burners should be the right thing to do.  Three months ago she wouldn’t have even hesitated.  But now?  She had to consider that it might be a trap.  It wouldn’t be the first time lately that she or her friends tried to intervene on behalf of a human and found themselves under ambush.  Harley turned back to the fight in front of her.  She hadn’t seen an Ignis feeding until recently and it still turned her stomach.

The small cluster of bodies was made up of three Burners--two males and a female.  And they were preying on two women and one man.  If Harley were to guess, by the looks of things and given the location, the three humans were drug addicts and the Burners were dealers.  She had seen groups of Ignis dealers before--they were one of the few kinds that stuck together.  Groups of Burners of any kind used to be rare but were becoming more and more common lately.  The noise died down and the fight seemed to be coming to an end as the female Ignis held the two human women on their knees by the backs of their necks.  The two male Burners were continuing to pummel the man—laughing at his cries of pain.

Harley’s hand flexed on the hilt of the machete.  Dammit, she muttered silently to herself.  She hated her hesitation.  The humans may have been addicts, but they deserved a chance.  Even from a hundred feet away Harley could see the glow in the Burners eyes, the female especially seemed to be enjoying herself.  The human man and stopped trying to fight back and was simply covering his head with his hands—hoping to protect himself the best he could.  She could feel her eyes shift to their hybrid black and white at the same time her fangs descended.  She was hungry—it had been over twenty-four hours since she had fed and her Nocte was itching for a fight.

“Shit,” Harley muttered before slipping from the shadows and hurrying towards the group in front of her.  They Burners were so preoccupied with their feeding they didn’t notice her approach.  At one time Harley would have offered some kind of witty greeting or the like.  But now, she just wanted to get the job done and move on.  The female realized someone was behind her and looked over her shoulder just as Harley swung the huge, shining blade of the machete.

The Burner’s dark hair waved like a banner as her head spun from her shoulders.  One of the human girls shrieked when blood splattered over their heads drawing the attention of the other two Burners.  They weren’t exceptionally strong Ignis but they came at Harley faster than she would have expected.  One was carrying a baseball bat and the other some kind of long thin piece of metal.  The lighter haired of the two came at her high while the other went low.  She only had a split second to fend one off and she chose to deflect the head shot.

A deep metallic clang rang out through the night when she blocked the blow with her blade and Harley cringed at the loud sound.  The bat was knocked from the Burner’s hand and he stumbled to the side.  The other went for her knees and she tried to jump out of the way but wasn’t quick enough.  Harley realized his metal weapon was a crowbar when it slammed into the side of her knee knocking both legs from underneath her.  She rolled as soon as she hit the cold pavement and sparks flew as the metal bar struck the ground where her head had been less than a second before.

Harley tried to roll to her feet but her right leg collapsed under her weight.  She lost control of her machete as she caught herself and it slid just beyond her reach.  A sharp pain flashed through her entire body and her arms crumpled beneath her, grinding her teeth she snarled.  Apparently, the first Burner had recovered his bat and hit her across the shoulders with it.  Rolling onto her back, she winced as a sharp stab of pain spread across her spine.  If she had to guess she would assume she now had a few cracked vertebrae in addition to a broken knee.

Anger caused Harley’s vision to blaze as she watched the Burner raise the bat again, this time right at her face.  As she glared up at him he finally caught sight of her eyes and gasped.  His moment of hesitation gave her a chance to catch the aluminum bat and yank it from his grip.  Flipping the bat so she could swing it properly, it took one hit to shatter the Burner’s ankle.  As the light-haired Ignis crumpled to the ground, his friend regained his wits and turned to run.  Harley pulled the Bowie knife she kept strapped to her hip free and let it fly.  Even at such a bad angle she landed the hit in the back of the retreating Burner’s head.  He crashed to the ground like a sack of potatoes and she returned her attention to the first Ignis.

The Burner was struggling to stand but his broken ankle wouldn’t support his weight.  Harley pivoted on her butt to bring her hands within reach of his good leg.  With one yank she pulled him back to the ground and climbed, hand-over-hand, until she was eye to eye with the creature.

“You’re the Dark Hybrid,” he moaned.

“Well, that’s pretty obvious by now I would think.”  Harley used a handful of his hair to wrench his head to the side, exposing his neck and the jumping artery there.  Harley moaned as she sank her fangs into his neck.  The blood burned her mouth and throat as she gulped and swallowed.  She could have just as easily pulled his energy from him psychically, but she preferred her original method of feeding.  It was more…exciting…more…fun, Harley decided as she shuddered and released the Burner.  She rolled onto her back and waited for her body to heal.  It would only be a matter of moments.  Even with serious injuries, such as hers, she would be whole again before the bodies of the Ignis even had time to fully burn.

Harley’s enjoyment of the feed was cut short by the small squeaky voice of one of the human women.  “What are you?”

Shit.  Harley had forgotten about the humans.  She forced herself to sit up and gritted her teeth as the dizziness that caused her head to swim.  She hoped she didn’t have too much spinal cord damage—that would take a lot longer to heal.  She was relieved that she seemed to be able to move all of her limbs.  Maybe the damage wasn’t that bad after all.  She tried to bend her knee and groaned at the pain and stiffness.  It was healing quickly—she just needed a few more minutes.  She turned to look at the humans in varying degrees of injury behind her.

“I’m Super Woman,” she told the tiny young female that was staring at her in awe.  The man was beaten unconscious but Harley could just make out the sound of his heartbeat so she knew he was alive despite his injuries.  The other woman was face down on the concrete and appeared to be passed out—from either trauma or shock.

The woman stared at her as if she wasn’t sure Harley was real or not.  The sheen in her eyes told her that the woman was currently high.  Not that it really mattered, no one would believe her story even if she wasn’t cracked out, but Harley was relieved nonetheless.  She rolled to her hands and her good knee and carefully pushed herself to her feet.  She gingerly put weight on her bad leg until she was sure it would hold her.

“Do you have a phone?” she asked the young woman—who was barely old enough to be called a woman.

“Huh?”

Harley nodded towards the man.  “For him?  He needs an ambulance.”

“Oh...yeah—well, Amy does,” she pointed at the passed out girl beside her.

“Well…call one,” Harley shrugged before hobbling towards her machete.

“You’re a vampire, aren’t you?” the girl called after her.

Harley cringed.  She hated being called a vampire.  “Yeah.”  By all means, tell the police a vampire saved you by killing some super-strong, weird smelling drug dealers whose bodies burned to ash all by themselves, Harley chuckled to herself.

“Well…thanks…” the woman called after her.

Harley turned to her.  “Don’t mention it,” she called back.  “Say no to drugs.”  The girl just nodded stupidly and Harley shook her head at her.  She’d like to think the woman would change her ways, but she knew better than to believe it.

After recovering her Bowie from the Burner’s crumbling skull, Harley wiped the blood off her machete in the grass at the edge of the parking lot.  Even in the dim moonlight, the platinum and silver gleamed.  She returned it to the leather sheath on her back and limped quickly away from the scene of the fight.  As she passed by the corner from where she had first spotted the Burners she retrieved her jacket and made sure that it covered her weapons before hurrying on her way—her limp all but gone.

____________________

By the time Harley reached Everett’s house her body was completely healed even though she was tired and jumpy.  She stuck to the shadows until she climbed his porch and tapped at his door.  She heard the faint electronic whirr as a camera focused on her.  She looked to the unlit porch light where she knew the camera was hidden.  She jerked her chin in greeting and smiled when she heard the camera refocusing.  She knew what Everett was doing—he did it anytime time a female knocked on his door.  She playfully turned her cleavage towards the camera and held up a middle finger.  A moment later she heard laughter on the other side of the door as the weapons maker began releasing the locks.

“You know I can’t resist,” Everett continued to laugh, holding the door open so Harley could enter.

“Yeah, Yeah—why do you think I wear these tank tops?” Harley laughed, holding her arms out.

Everett pulled her close for a tight hug.  “You’re late.  I was starting to worry.”  Harley raised an eyebrow at him.   “I can’t help it!  There is a lot to worry about these days.  Even when it comes to you.”

“True,” Harley conceded.  “Have you heard from anyone else?”

“Not yet.”  Harley sighed.  Levi, Nya, Kai and Evie should be on their way tonight—Castor would arrive tomorrow.   “What took you so long anyway?” he asked her.

“Meh,” she grunted.  “I ran into a scuffle with some low level Burners and humans.”  He tilted his head in question.  “Nothing unexpected happened.  I took care of them and got the hell out of there.”  Harley began stripping her weapons off but set them at the end of the couch to keep them close.  She flopped onto the firm leather sofa and rested her arms across the top.  Everett lowered himself onto the matching couch across from her.  She couldn’t help but smile at the charming grin he always had on his face.  Even in times like these Everett could make her feel at ease.  His almond-shaped, brown eyes and chiseled cheekbones and dark chocolate skin could have made him a model—but, instead he was a deadly Nocte who made the best weapons in the country.

“So,” he nodded at her.  “How are you holding up?”

Harley shook her head and tossed her hands in a “who-knows?” gesture.  “The best I can, I guess.  You?”

“The same really.”

Harley laid her head back and rubbed her eyes.  She stared up at the ceiling as if it has some kind of advice for her.  Everything felt like it was spiraling out of control.  A slow smile spread across her face as a warm hum began to form in her brain and her Nocte practically purred.  It was different than the alarm the Ignis set off.  This was Levi and he was close—but as quickly as the hum started it turned to unease.  “Open the door!” she snapped sliding to the edge of the couch.

“What?” Everett was standing in an instant.

Harley didn’t have time to explain before footsteps pounded up the porch and someone banged frantically on the door.  Everett crossed the living room and unlocked the door—not taking the time to check the security monitors first.  He trusted Harley and did as she asked.  Levi rushed through the doorway half-carrying, half-dragging a clearly unconscious Evie.  Harley backed up to give Levi space to carefully lay the blonde Nocte on the floor.  Both Harley and her Nocte’s teeth were on edge.  She didn’t even have to see the blood that coated the lower half of Evie’s face and chest—she could smell it before the door had even been opened.

Chapter 2

“What happened?” Harley gasped.  She would have been more worried about her Nocte friend had she not seen the woman’s blue eyes flutter and heard air gurgle in her throat.

“Just get me a towel first,” Levi waved her away, distracted by trying to trying to angle Evie’s neck in a way that seemed natural.

Harley hurried down the short hallway to the closet she knew the linens were kept in.  She had been staying at Everett’s house for a few days now and had learned the lay of the land.  She grabbed a towel that she hoped was old and OK to ruin.  When she returned to the living room she saw both Everett and Levi huddled over Evie’s still form.  Even though she knew her friend wasn’t dead, Harley’s heart beat hard.  The blonde’s chest jerked in shallow gasps.  “Here,” she thrust the towel at Levi and he took it from her hand with barely a glance.

“Do you have first aid stuff?” Levi asked Everett.

“Yeah.  Wrap that tight though.  She’s not healing fast enough and we need to staunch the blood flow.”

“I know!” Levi growled.  He was angry as much as he was worried.

As Everett rose to retrieve medical items, Harley took his place.  She brushed a strand of hair, clotted with blood, out of Evie’s face.  “What can I do?”

“I don’t know.”  Levi wiped at his forehead with the back of his hand as his palm was covered in Evie’s blood.  His other hand held a towel that was tightly wrapped around the gaping wound in their friend’s throat.  Harley had had her throat cut open before so she knew that this was a wound that her friend should be able to heal from, but a deep breath enlightened her to Levi’s concern.  She could smell the lingering scent of Ignis on Evie’s skin.

“She was bitten by a Burner?”

“Yeah,” Levi answered bitterly.

“Were you guys ambushed?”

“No.”

Something in Levi’s response caused Harley’s brow to wrinkle.  He met her eyes—his blue ones to her green.  His roughly handsome face showed agitation and exhaustion.  “What happened?”

Everett strode into the living room carrying a large white and red first aid box.  Harley scrambled out of the way.  She wasn’t sure what they could do for Evie but she knew Levi and Everett were more experienced at Nocte first aid than she was.  The concern wasn’t whether Evie would recover or not—blood loss wasn’t likely to be fatal for a Nocte, but the added concern of a Burner bite made things more difficult.  Even minor bites from an Ignis could cause serious illness, and from the looks of things—one had taken a chunk out of her throat.

“Since when do Burners go for the throat like a Nocte?” she muttered, half to herself.

Levi and Everett were carefully unwrapping the towel.   They would want to try to close the wound as much as possible to give their friend’s body a chance to regenerate on its own.  “Some kind of morbid karma…” Levi trailed off as he concentrated on holding the ragged flaps of skin together while Everett wrapped gauze and tape around them.  They had already wiped off as much blood as they could but more was oozing out.  Harley was relieved to see that it wasn’t gushing at least.

Once the two men had wrapped Evie’s neck the best they could they carefully lifted her onto the couch and made her as comfortable as possible.  She wasn’t conscious but her heart was beating—even if faintly.  Harley cleaned up the blood from the floor and threw away the bloodied towel and gauze and she was glad that Everett had hardwood floors.  After washing the blood off themselves the three Nocte gathered the dining room.

“OK—what happened?” Harley asked for a third time.

They were sitting at the solid oak table—each with a large glass of rum and coke.  Levi had scowled at the drink.  Harley knew he was normally a whiskey drinker but he drank it anyway.  After a large swallow he sat back preparing to explain what had happened to their friend.

“We were on our way here and stopped to get gas right after we got off 64.  I came back out after using the bathroom and getting some water and Evie wasn’t with the truck.  I just kind of stood there like an idiot for a minute,” Levi rubbed at his face with both hands.  “All of a sudden I hear a commotion across the street.  Apparently, Evie had seen some Burners going into a house.  Right away I can tell there are a lot of them,” he looked up Harley and Everett with regret.  “So I jump in the truck and just drive across the street, right up to the porch.  I hop out and run in.  There has to be about eight or ten of them and Evie’s taking them all on,” he shook his head bitterly.

“I jumped in and between the two of us we took care of them.  But when I turned around Evie’s on the floor and a Burner is standing over her—blood all over her mouth.  I’ve never seen a Burner do that before…”  He looked to Harley and Everett again with a question on his face.

“I haven’t either,” Harley reiterated before both she and Levi turned to Everett.

He shook his head as equally as mystified.  “I’ve never seen it before either.  Was it trying to feed on her?”

“No—I don’t think so.  It just looked like the Burner had ripped a chunk out of her throat and—” Levi shuddered.  “She spit the chunk of meat out at me.”

Harley wrinkled her nose in disgust and Everett looked like he was going to be sick.

“What did you do?” Everett asked him.

“I killed the bitch.  Took her head off.”

“Good.”

“Is Evie going to be OK?” Harley asked, looking back at her friend on the couch.

“Probably,” Levi answered.  “I don’t know how long it will take her to recover though.”

“Why did she just run in like that?  Not even wait on you—since there were so many,” Harley asked.

“Evie’s been…” Levi searched for the right way to say what he wanted to say.  “…she’s been reckless lately.”

Harley and Everett looked at each other.  “What’s that mean?” she asked him.  After fighting Helion and the Sol Invictus everyone had returned to the Den to recuperate.  Evie had been sullen and withdrawn so Harley hadn’t seen much of her before they all left on their own missions.  She knew that Evie had taken losing Rafe badly, but she hadn’t realized she should have been worried about her friend.  As they waited for Levi to answer, Harley took a several large gulps of her drink.  Maybe if she drank fast she would be able to actually get a good buzz.

“Evie’s...” Levi searched for words again.  “…she’s been going after Ignis without thinking—just jumping into fights—like she did tonight.  Going off half-cocked and getting ambushed.  I’m actually surprised this is the first time she’s been seriously hurt.”

Harley was surprised.  Evie had never been one to seem out of control or unreliable.  “How long has she been doing this?”

Levi finished off his drink in several swallows.  “Pretty much since we first left the Den.”

Harley and Everett quietly pondered what they had just been told as Levi refilled their glasses.  “Don’t you have anything stronger than rum?” he grumbled.

“No,” Everett answered, distracted.

Harley shifted in her chair—Evie had been…out of sorts for at least a couple of months and she hadn’t even known.  After that month at the Den Levi and Evie had left together to try to get a feel for some of the major cities.  Levi’s normal function in the Praesidio was to monitor the balance of Lux, Nocte and Ignis.  Too many Nocte drew the attention of the Ignis like moths to a flame.  And vice versa--too many Lux would bring Burners just as easily.  It was important to maintain a balance and Levi was uniquely skilled to get a feel for that balance.

After Helion’s rising (as Harley had come to think of it) balance seemed to be shifting.  It hadn’t taken long to realize something was off.  Riots at sporting events.  Mass shootings.  Strange and disturbing events were on the rise and they all knew it was the because of Helion.  It was something she was doing—they just weren’t sure what it was yet.  Levi and Evie had been hoping to get a sense of the Nocte and Lux installations in the cities that these events had occurred in.  According to their reports, they weren’t getting much cooperation—from Lux or Nocte.

Nya and Kai had traveled to somewhere in the Midwest to meet with the Council—the group that served as leadership for the Praesidio.  While the regional generals worked mostly autonomously they still reported to a governing body.  Harley, having barely been a Nocte for a year, had not had any contact with the council yet—she wasn’t even exactly sure where they were located.  “When are Kai and Nya supposed to be here?” she asked, finally breaking the tense silence that had descended upon the table.

Everett looked at the numberless wooden clock that hung over the dining room window.  “They should be here in about an hour probably.”

“When’s Castor getting here?” Levi asked Harley.

“Tomorrow—I mean, this afternoon,” she clarified after noticing the time.

“What has he reported?”

“Not much really,” she answered.  “He’s not wanted to contact me much in case the Vigilum were monitoring his calls somehow.”  Levi nodded at the reasonableness of that answer.  He didn’t ask about other ways he may have communicated—not in front of Everett.

“Have you had any luck with the Sol?” Levi asked her.

Harley sighed.  “I’ve been watching the warehouses I think they own.  But I haven’t found enough to be sure they are actually holed up there.  I haven’t gotten clues as to where Helion could be either.  I’m still sure she has been the focal point of the ‘bursts’ of crime.”

Levi agreed with her.  “Evie and I have pretty much decided the same thing.”

Harley had returned to Kentucky when Evie and Levi set out for Texas.  That was where the first of the crime waves seemed to have begun.  At a concert there several people had opened fire—killing forty-seven people.  The next happened in New Orleans.  A rash of arsons had killed at least thirteen people and destroyed hundreds of homes.  Unfortunately, they were constantly playing catch up.  They couldn’t predict where these “uprisings” were going to happen and by the time they got there, whatever had caused them had moved on.

It wasn’t long before a sharp knock at the door caused them all to jump.  A smile spread across her face.  Nya was here.  She hopped from her seat and followed Everett to the living room.  She waited while he consulted a panel near the front door.  Six monitors showed the perimeter of the house.   When he nodded that it was safe, Harley unlatched the bolts and threw the door open.  She grinned at her mentor and opened her arms as Nya crossed the threshold and wrapped her in a fierce hug.  “It’s good to see you!” Harley grunted at the pressure against her ribs.

“You too!” Nya’s hazel eyes gleamed at her.

Harley’s grin only faltered a little when Kai Jin followed Nya into the house.  The last time Harley had seen the little Nocte she had been having some kind of “intimate” chat with Levi and Harley hadn’t liked it one bit.  The devil inside bristled at the other woman’s presence and Harley struggled to not show her annoyance.  The tiny Nocte was still wearing her hair short and spiky.  While she was dressed more reserved than normal her eyes still had their wicked gleam.

“Hey girl!” she regarded Harley cautiously as she shut the door behind herself.

“Hi,” Harley said evenly.

“Holy shit!” Nya gasped finally seeing Evie lying on the couch.  “What happened?”  Nya crossed the living room and dropped to her knees next to the injured Nocte.

“She was attacked—bitten—by a Burner.”

“Bitten?” Nya scowled at them in confusion.  “This badly?”

“Yeah,” Levi sighed.

Kai moved to stand next to Harley and she glanced down at her with narrowed eyes.  Harley herself was just under five feet five inches.  It was rare to encounter anyone smaller than she was but Kai was barely five feet tall.  Her size didn’t affect strength though.  Harley was well aware of how deadly the diminutive Nocte was.  In fact, she had saved Harley’s life more than once.  That alone was one of the main reasons Harley tolerated Kai despite her distrust.

“Do you think Evie will recover?” Everett asked Nya.

Nya brushed her braids aside and rubbed her eyes, Harley could see the exhaustion in the darkness under her glazed, golden eyes.  “Yeah.  I’m sure she will recover.  It’s going to take time though.  Why did this happen?”

Levi didn’t enjoy being the one to tell the Nocte General the news.  “Evie has been reckless.”

“And why didn’t you tell me?”

“I hoped she would…adjust.  That she would cope and eventually get a hold of herself,” he sighed.  “I just didn’t think things would get this bad.”  Nya just shook her head and sat on the floor with her back to the couch at Evie’s shoulder.

“Well, things get worse,” Kai announced climbing onto the other couch.  She didn’t sit on it like normal people—she crouched on it with her feet on the cushion and her back in the corner.  “The Council isn’t really being supportive—I think they need to meet with Harley.”

Chapter 3

No one spoke and Harley looked around the room slowly.  “So…what’s that mean?” she asked.  Levi and Everett sat next to Kai and Harley didn’t want to be the only one standing so she sat on the arm of the couch at Evie’s feet.  “Well…”

Nya sighed.  “It means that they aren’t ready to jump in and back us.  And that they are worried about you.”

“Shit,” Everett muttered.

They had been concerned about this.  Harley chewed at her nails before realizing what she was doing and making herself stop.  They hadn’t just encountered dismissal from the Nocte in other cities.  Levi had already reported that some of the generals hadn’t even been willing to talk to him or Evie.  They had hoped that it wouldn’t amount to real trouble—but that was beginning to look like a foolish hope.  And why does Kai want me to meet with them?  Would it really even do any good?

“Why?” Harley crossed her arms in front of her chest.  Everyone stared at her.  “Why do we keep running into this problem?  This is ridiculous!”

“I agree,” Nya shrugged her shoulders.  “It’s just old prejudices combined with a desire—a need—to avoid a war.”

Her Nocte shifted uncomfortably and Harley laughed humorlessly.  Everyone looked at her waiting for her to explain what she found so funny.  “I think you are more right about that you know.”

“Why’s that?” Levi asked.

“You know what my Nocte said the last time I talked to her.”  Levi’s jaw tightened—it wasn’t a memory he relished.  “She said that their dimension was consumed by war.  Lux fighting Nocte fighting Ignis fighting Lux fighting Nocte fighting Ignis—everyone fighting everyone.  I think on some instinctual level we are afraid of things returning to that state—here.”

Everyone stared at her in stunned silence.  Finally, Nya was the first to speak.  “I think you are right.”

“Well, don’t sound so shocked,” Harley snorted.

“I just…I never thought of that.  But how could any of us really.  We’ve known next to nothing about the other side—their world.  Not until you came along.”  A bit of pride shone through the gleam in Nya’s eyes.

“A lot of good it does us.  I don’t know what to do about it,” Harley grumbled.

Everett chimed in.  “We’ve got to find a way to convince them that by NOT doing anything they will be heading right towards what they are trying to prevent.”

“And just how do we do that?” Levi asked but no one had an answer.

Harley wandered into the kitchen to make herself another drink and Levi followed her.  Neither of them bothered to turn on a light.  They could see just fine in the dim kitchen and it felt better in the dark anyway.  Out of sight of the others, Levi pulled Harley to him and squeezed.  She tucked her head under his chin hugged him back.

“I missed you,” he muttered.

“Me too.”

It had been nearly a month since Harley had seen Levi.  She hated being separated from him and Castor but she knew that they all had jobs to do.  Her Nocte stirred and she smiled to herself.  Calm yourself.  The devil harrumphed and Harley chuckled.

“What?” Levi stared down at her.

“Nothing.  I’m just glad to see you.”  His dark hair was longer than usual—nearly past his shoulders and she played with the tips of it, not taking her eyes off his.

Levi must have read her mind because his eyes widened slightly.  “Me too.”  He buried his hands in her hair and pressed his mouth to hers.  He kissed her hungrily and her stomach fluttered in excitement.  He backed her into the counter and Harley had to fight the urge to go at it—right there in the kitchen with everyone in the living room.  When he pulled away he nipped at her lip and she shivered involuntarily.

“Watch out now,” she snickered and Levi gave her a full smile.

After making themselves, and everyone else, drinks they returned to the living room.  “So, what now?” Harley asked.

Everyone turned to Nya—she may be slightly crazy, but everyone respected her leadership.  “Kai is right,” Nya nodded.  “Harley meeting with the Council will go a long way in assuring them that she is trustworthy. But, I don’t think we should go to the Council until we have more evidence to bring to them,” she reasoned.  “Right now, they are just going to question us and our motives and we don’t want that.”

Harley growled in frustration.  “I just don’t get it.  You said—before I even bonded—that the Praesidio would back us.  That if we killed Ignis and kept away from unnecessary attention—we would have support.”  Levi looked down and rubbed his face reflexively.  He had returned to his spot on the couch and seemed to be at a loss for an explanation.

Nya answered for him.  “Try to see it from their perspective.  They are primarily concerned with protecting humans—fighting Burners.  They weren’t there when Helion rose.  For all they know she is just a Burner tricking humans into thinking she is something powerful.  Or a Lux that is out of control—which is a Vigilum mess to clean up.  Or…” Harley could tell Nya didn’t want to say it.  “…that you—we—are just making things up.  The economy has gone to shit and people could just be responding to difficult times as they do.  Or the media is just playing these events up as sensationalism.”

Harley shook her head in exasperation.  “This is just…just…”

“Stupid?  Ignorant?  Dumb?” Everett tried to help.

“All of the above.”

Levi stood up from the couch and took her hand.  “Let’s go to bed.  We’ll have more to consider when Castor gets here later.  Let’s try to get some sleep until then.”

Everett snorted.  “Sleep.  Sure.  Just try not to keep everyone else awake.”

Harley rolled her eyes at him and Levi just shook his head.  Nya snickered and Harley couldn’t help notice Kai watching them with a blank look on her face.  What I wouldn’t give to be able to read minds other than Castor’s right now.

--------------------

Harley led Levi to the room she had been using—it was on the second floor, overlooking the front yard.  She had no sooner than shut the door when Levi dropped his bag, turned to her and grabbed her by the back of her neck.  A throaty laughed slipped out of her as he pulled her to him and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he slid his hands down her back.  He dug his fingers into her butt and pulled her even closer—lifting her off her feet.  Turning he laid her on the bed, his weight pressing her into the mattress as he left a trail of kisses down her chin and neck--growling as he went.  Harley arched her back and Levi unlatched her bra with one hand.  He pulled her shirt over her head and raised himself so that he was on his knees above her before pulling his own shirt off and tossing it to the side.  She smiled running her fingernails down his chest and stomach.

When Harley began undoing Levi’s belt he pushed her hands away to do it himself.   She grinned as he pressed his cheek to hers--the bristles of his stubble prickled against her skin and she sighed.  Harley liked letting Levi take control—and he knew it too.  She cupped his face and kissed him deeply before raising her hips to help him pull her unbuttoned jeans down.  He didn’t even bother to pull them all the way off before his hand was between her legs.  She gasped against his mouth and she could feel him smile at her excitement.

Harley gasped again with Levi suddenly rolled her over and swept her hair to the side.  He ran his mouth over the sensitive skin across her shoulder and the back of her neck, his whiskers raising gooseflesh across her arms.  She moaned and arched her back again.  He knew how bad she wanted him and that’s why he was taking his time.  She heard him chuckle and she stretched back out, pressing herself into the bed—inviting him to her.  As he lowered himself she tilted her head back, giving him access to her neck.  The same time he thrust himself into her he sank his teeth into her neck and her eyes rolled back into her head.  The fact that other people—with super hearing—were in the house was the only thing that stopped her from crying out in pleasure.

Harley had needed—wanted—this for so long.  It had been over a month since the last time she and Levi had been together-had shared their energies and bodies.  She never had figured out why feeding from Levi, and he from her, caused them to meld into a joined consciousness—but she didn’t question it.  She just enjoyed it.  They both did.  They were two people become one.  She was able to see and feel what he felt, and he her.  Her pleasure was his and his became hers.  Afterwards, they lay trembling with power and energy—like they had lightening contained within in their skin.

As the sun rose Harley lay in bed with Levi wrapped around her—his front to her back, his mouth to her neck, his nose to her hair.  “I didn’t know Evie was having such a hard time,” Harley muttered.

Air blew across her neck as Levi sighed.  “I didn’t want to tell everyone.  I had hoped she would get better on her own.  I figured…the less people that knew the better.  I mean…you wouldn’t want anyone to know, right?”

“You’re right.  I just feel bad.  I feel…”

“Like it’s your fault?”  Levi rolled her over and stared down at her.  “We’ve already been over this.”

“I know.”  Harley stared into his dark blue eyes.  They were no longer the solid black that marked them when he fed and she knew her eyes had returned to normal as well.  The power and energy she acquired feeding from him flowed through her body.  She knew that he didn’t blame her, but she couldn’t help blaming herself.  She still hadn’t pressed Levi for more information about his conversation with Kai that she had walked in on at the Den, but she was still suspicious.

“What?” Levi narrowed his eyes at her.

How does he always do that? Harley wondered.  He seemed to read her nearly as well as she and Castor could communicate psychically.  “Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

Harley sighed.  “Kai is bothering me.”  It felt good to be completely honest.

Levi echoed her sigh and rolled onto his back.  “This again?”

“Well, you never did tell me what you two were talking about.  And I don’t like the way she looks at me.  Especially when you are around.”

“You don’t have anything to worry about.”

“How am I supposed to know if you won’t tell me?”

Levi started to roll out of bed and Harley caught his arm.  “Stop.”  He stared at her over his shoulder.  “Stop pouting!  Lay back down.”  She watched the tattooed lines in his skin flex under her grip.  She wasn’t used to Levi not being completely open with her and she found it annoying.

“Will you let this go?” he asked her.

Harley huffed.  “For now.”  Levi continued to study her.  “Oh come on!  If you aren’t going to tell me then you are just going to have to be OK with me questioning you.  It’s an impasse.”  She felt his muscles relax in her hand and she smiled wickedly at him.  “Now—lay back down and I’ll let you touch my boobs again.”

A laugh barked out of Levi.  Harley loved the sound of his laughter—rough and rarely used.  “As if you would stop me if I tried.”

Harley’s laughter joined Levi’s because they both knew that she wouldn’t.  Their ability to understand each other was one of the reasons that they worked so well together.  Harley and Levi were connected in ways that even her and Castor’s telepathic link couldn’t compare.  She and Levi shared their darkness—their strength.  For the first time in a month, Harley eventually drifted off to sleep feeling comfortable and more whole than she had felt for a while.  The only thing missing was her other partner—Castor.

Chapter 4

Harley came awake with a start—someone was knocking.  It took her a moment to realize the sound wasn’t coming from the bedroom door, it was inside her head.  A faint smile turned the corners of her mouth up—it was the most she could be roused awake at the moment.  She felt her Nocte turn a cold shoulder to the sunlight but she ignored it as she eased the door to her mind open and waited to feel Castor make his way in.

“Hey Love.”

“Hey you,” Harley greeted him.  She stretched and snuggled back into the warmth of the bed.

“Are the other Noctes there?”

“Yeah.  When will you be here?”

“In about fifteen minutes.”

“Oh!”  Harley forced her eyes open and sat up, not worried about waking Levi.  She looked at him sleeping next to her.  Had she not known how heavily he slept she would have thought he was dead.  He lay face down with one arm over his head and the other around her waist.  “I’m up.  I’ll let you in when you get here.  No need to knock.”  Harley closed the connection.  She never was entirely comfortable with Castor in her head.

Harley gently moved Levi’s arm and slid from bed.  Grabbing some clean clothes she left the room they shared.  Naked, and standing in the hallway, she was struck by the situation that they would soon be in.  Everett’s house wasn’t all that large—not when compared to the Den.  There were two bedrooms downstairs and three upstairs.  Everett slept in the master bedroom on the first floor and before everyone went to bed they had moved Evie into a guest bedroom next to his.  Nya was sleeping on the floor there in case Evie needed her during the night.  Harley and Levi took one of the rooms upstairs and Kai took another.  That left one more room.  Logically, Cas would take that room.  But what if he has other Lux with him?  That was going to make things difficult.

Grumbling, Harley shut herself in the bathroom.  She scowled at her image in the mirror.  Her longer-than-ever red hair was tangled and she had dark circles under her green eyes.  Her schedule hadn’t included days for a while now and she was feeling the lack of sleep.  She climbed into the shower and let the hot water pummel her face and then her back.  As she braided her hair she decided it was time to cut it—or at least trim it.  It was nearly to her waist and it was becoming a pain to take care of.  And it was only a matter of time before a Burner used it against her in a fight.

By the time Harley began making her way down the stairs she felt Castor’s presence.  A warmth spread through her body and she smiled.  A quick glance at the monitor told her he was waiting on the porch.  She unlocked the door and a grin spread across her face.  He hurried inside with a smile to match her own, sweeping off her feet and spinning her in a circle and pinning her against the door.  She laughed, wrapping her legs around his waist.  “I’ve missed you too,” she smiled down at him.

“Well…um…I…uh…”

Harley and Castor both froze as they heard the voice.  When Harley looked up she saw Everett standing in the doorway to the living room.  “Whoops,” she cringed.

“Hi…” Cas mumbled awkwardly, letting Harley slide to her feet.

Harley watched different emotions spread across the other Nocte’s face.  Surprise.  Shock.  Anger.  Fear.  He looked wide awake despite the sun being up.  “You’re up early,” she ventured.

“Yeah…there is an alarm on the door.  It’s synced to my phone.  I just came out to make sure it was the Lux and that everything was OK.”

“Yeah!  It’s fine.  We’re good.”

“I see that.”

Castor continued to stand awkwardly next to Harley as she tried to think of a good way to explain the…unusual relationship she had with both Levi and Castor.  “I guess you are wondering what’s going on?” she smiled to try to keep the mood light.

“I don’t think I want to know…but I really do.”

“Well, first, this is the Castor Collins you have heard so much about.”  Castor twitched forward as if to shake Everett’s hand but Harley stopped him.  Everett, like all Praesidio, was loyal.  She had no idea how he was inclined to react to another man (a Lux at that!) making out with his friend’s partner.  “Cas this is Everett…shit I just realized I never asked if you have a last name…” Harley wrinkled her brow.  A lot of Noctes—like Nya—just went by one name.

“I did—a long time ago.  Just Everett is fine.”

“OK.  Cas, this is Everett. “

“Nice to meet you,” Castor offered.  Everett said nothing.

“Everett, Cas, let’s have a seat and we’ll explain.”

“Should we wake Levi up?” Everett asked, his voice edging on dangerous and Harley could see his eyes start to darken.

“No.  No.  That won’t change things at all.  I promise,” Harley assured him.

Everett slowly lowered himself to the closest couch not taking his eyes off them the whole time.  Harley nudged Castor toward the one opposite.  “So,” she began.  “The three of us—Levi, Castor and I—have a…unique relationship.  I’m WITH both of them.  They both know about it.  They are OK with it.”  Most of the time, she mused to herself.  She raised her brows and waited for Everett to process what she had just told him.

“You are…WITH Levi and this—a Lux.  Castor.”

“Yes.”  She glanced at Cas to see how he was handling this.  His short, light brown hair was smooth, cut close to his scalp and he ran his hand over it in a sure sign of his discomfort.  His green eyes—lighter than her own—nervously watched Everett.  He hadn’t bothered to remove the katana from his back before sitting down and Harley realized that was intentional.  She knew that Everett would listen to reason and not attack once he had a chance to understand—but Cas didn’t know that.  She placed a hand on his knee to assure him.

“Levi is OK with this?” Everett reaffirmed.

“Yes.”

“Seriously?”

Harley laughed.  Everett’s humor was coming back she could tell by the sparkle in his dark brown eyes.  “I promise.  We can wake him up if you really want to.”

“You’re OK with this arrangement?” Everett turned to Castor, clearly becoming comfortable with him.  Castor shrugged and nodded as if to say “Yeah, why not” with a smile beginning to turn up the side of his mouth.  Everett stood and held a hand out to Castor.  When Cas met him halfway and gripped the proffered hand Everett patted him on the back.  “Well done man,” he laughed--sounding only slightly strained.  “And welcome.”

“Thanks,” Castor laughed.

To Harley, Everett wiggled his brows.  “Need a third?”

Harley barked out a laugh and threw a small pillow him.  “I don’t get enough sleep as it is.”  Cas rolled his eyes and began removing his weapons.

“OK.  Well…I’m going back to bed.”  With that Everett turned and left the room, shaking his head as he went.

Castor sank back onto the couch next to Harley.  “He didn’t know?  After all this time.”

Harley shifted uncomfortably.  “I didn’t mention it.  It really didn’t come up and…well…it wasn’t any of his business.”

“Well, let’s try to avoid situations like that again.  I’d rather everyone knew our business than feel like I was about to have a pissed off Nocte come at me.”

“You’re probably right about that,” Harley chuckled.  Regardless, she had been impressed by how quickly Everett had adjusted.  Castor rested his head against the back of the couch and, smiling wickedly, Harley threw her leg over his, sitting in his lap.

Castor groaned—not uncomfortably.  “What are you doing?” he smiled at her.

Harley smiled down at him.  “Tasting you.”  She ran her tongue slowly over his bottom lip before moving to his earlobe and then his neck.  He groaned again and raised his hips against her.  Cas reached up and gripped her braid, pulling her to him so that he could kiss her.  Harley wanted to sink her fangs into him so badly her teeth ached.  She could feel her eyes start to shift as she pressed herself into Castor’s lap.

“Wait,” Cas grunted unhappily.

“What?”

“We don’t have time to do this.”

“Why?”  Harley continued to sit heavily on Castor’s lap and she could tell just how hard of a time he was having telling her to stop.

“James and Aaron are going to be here any second,” Cas sighed, clearly disappointed.

“Grr…”

“Trust me, I know,” Castor smiled ruefully and using her shoulder he pressed Harley against himself as he raised his hips.

“Sorry,” she chuckled.

“Don’t be.  You’re just going to have to make up for it later.”  They both laughed until a knock at the door cut them off and they had to compose themselves.

____________________

Harley blinked against the late afternoon sun.  She sat at the table with Castor to her right, James to her left and Aaron next to him.  She studied James Barr, noting that he hadn’t changed much since she had met him nearly six months ago.  He had long pale blonde hair and icy blue eyes—if Harley had to guess she would say that he was originally from Sweden or some other Nordic country even though he no longer had an accent.  Aaron (no last name) looked stereotypically Irish—wild red hair, light blue eyes and lots of freckles and a full beard.  He had the look of a farmer and Harley was thought he would look more comfortable in overalls than he did in jeans and a button up.

Both Lux seemed to be studying Harley but trying to look like they weren’t.  They would glance at her out of the corners of their eyes as Castor spoke, but they were careful to keep their faces turned towards him.  For his part, Cas ignored it.  Even though both James and Aaron had already met Harley, they still seemed fascinated by her.  They had not spent a great amount of time together at the Den so they, apparently, still weren’t sure what to make of her.

“So,” Cas was saying.  “James and I went to the Electorate to try to reason with them.”

The Electorate was the Vigilum equivalent of the Council--the governing body of Lux. Harley raised an eyebrow at Castor’s hesitation to continue.  “And…”

“And…” he continued.  “They still don’t want to listen to reason.”

Harley slumped in her chair.  “This is just becoming almost comical,” she rolled her eyes to the ceiling.

“It’s frustrating—I know,” James shrugged amicably.  He had a soft voice—the kind you always felt the need to listen closely to.

“Do you really?  Because you didn’t want to believe us either, but you came around.  Why don’t the so-called leaders on either of our sides?”  She was really expecting him to answer, but he tried anyway.

“No one wants to start a war—”

“Why doesn’t anyone realize the war has already started?” Harley snapped.  Castor reached out and placed a hand on top of hers.  Harley didn’t miss the raised eyebrows of Aaron and James nearly looked embarrassed.  They, apparently, knew enough to not be totally surprised by her and Castor’s closeness.  She wondered just how much they knew.

“Try to think of it in terms of country leadership,” James reasoned.  “The President isn’t going to make a concentrated, organized move against…the Middle-East or--and especially not--an ally, even a tenuous one, on the word of just a few.  Not even if they are inclined to trust the messenger.  And beyond that—let’s say they do believe the messenger.  If they let small scale…skirmishes lead them into a full blown war—they stand to lose a lot more.  If they let it resolve itself on that small scale they may save the whole at the sacrifice of a few.”

Harley wanted to flip the table and throw a tantrum.  “But it’s not just small scale anymore!  How many riots, mass shootings and weird murders have to happen to get their attention?  What can we do we do?”

James, for the first time, looked at her in the eyes.  “Talk to them.”  Harley waited for the shoe to drop.  “As in you go to them.  Let them see that you can be trusted.  Try to compel more support from them.”

Harley snorted.  “Yeah, that will work.  Won’t they see me as some kind of abomination?  Like Randall and Alice did?”  Castor’s hand tightened on hers.  He was still angry of the events of last year.

“Not necessarily,” James shrugged, not looking at her any longer.

Harley narrowed her eyes.  “What?”  He sighed and Harley looked at Castor, whose jaw tightened.  “What?”

“They are calling you the Dybrid,” James finally muttered.

“What the hell is that?”

“The Dark-Hybrid.”

Harley wasn’t sure but she could have sworn the edges of Aaron’s mouth twitched at the same time as James’ voice lifted.  She looked at Castor and he rolled his eyes.  “Seriously?”

James tried hard not to laugh.  “Yeah.”

“Why is that funny?”

“I don’t know,” James coughed and rubbed a hand across her mouth as if to physically wipe the smile away.  “It just seems…superstitious and silly.”

“Well, I don’t think it’s funny.  I’m tired of people labeling me!”  Castor patted her hand again and she jerked it away—feeling childish as she crossed her arms.  “And it doesn’t seem a very good sign if they are using some form of the name that Alice gave what we are—were—whatever.”  Alice had been what she called a Light Hybrid.  She had been one of the casualties when Helion rose.  Not that she had been a friend of Harley’s—far from it.  But Harley still hated the way things had played out.  The Lux and Vigilum should be allies—not almost-enemies.

“We think the Electorate is trying to…process…understand what you are—what Alice was—by thinking of you as a new breed,” Castor explained.  “If it’s any consolation they are calling her the Lybrid.”

Harley could tell he was trying hard to not laugh.  “This isn’t funny,” she pouted.  “And no, that doesn’t make me feel any better.”

Castor sobered and held up his hands.  “Right now, we can only keep doing what we are doing.  We need to find more evidence and find a way to convince the Electorate to meet with you.  It would be great if we could arrange a sit down between the Electorate and the Council…”

“The chances of that?” Harley dared to ask.

“Slim,” James answered.

Harley watched him for a minute.  She was struck by how reserved and contained he was.  Not only was he quiet but he was still as well.  She had seen him fight.  He wielded a sharpened staff with deadly precision—but when he wasn’t fighting he almost looked meek.  Harley finally relaxed and leaned forward, planting her elbows on the table and resting her head in her chin.  “Great.  Well…let’s hurry up and wait some more.”

Chapter 5

Late afternoon, early evening, Harley rounded up the Nocte by waking them up and coaxing them to come downstairs.  All except for Evie.  When Harley slipped into her bedroom she was afraid what she would see.  Nya lay on the bed next to the injured Nocte and jerked awake when Harley touched her shoulder.

“How is she?” Harley whispered?

“Stronger.”

“Good.  I was worried.  Is there anything that we can do?  Can I give her some of my blood?”  Harley had done the same for Nya.  Weakened by torture and starvation, no one had been sure if Nya would survive after Harley had been forced to break her neck during the fight with Helion and the Sol.

Nya considered the offer before shaking her head.  “She’ll recover.  It will just take time.  We don’t know how your blood will affect everyone and it’s not worth the risk when we know she will recover with time.  Besides, maybe she needs this scare.”

“Good point.”

Harley studied Nya as the older Nocte checked Evie’s bandages.  Since their escape from Helion and the Sol she had been worried about Nya.  Harley’s mentor had always seemed a little crazy.  Her golden eyes usually burned with a fevered mania—but since she had recovered she seemed more…disconnected.  Harley didn’t know what to make of it, but it worried her.  Nya had always been the guiding voice of wisdom.  And when Nya had been kidnapped and out of commission it had been Evie.  Without either of them, Harley fought against feeling lost and unsure of herself.

After making sure Evie was clean and comfortable, both Nya and Harley made their way to the living room where everyone else had gathered.  Kai looked particularly grumpy being up so early and Harley took a sick bit of pleasure from that knowledge.  The little Nocte was as still as Harley had seen her, leaning against the wall that separated the living room from the back part of the house.  Everett and Levi sat on one of the couches and Harley let Nya take the seat next to them.  Castor, James and Aaron sat on the other couch—Cas smiled at Harley as she pulled a chair in from the dining room and sat down in between them all.

Everyone began sharing their updates with the group.  Together the eight of them made up a contingent that was dedicated to crossing boundaries and making new alliances to put a stop to Helion and whatever her plan was.  Other than the eight sitting in Everett’s living room there was Evie and three other Lux who were a part of their group.  Originally, they had come together only to rescue Harley and Nya from the Sol Invictus and stop the cult from bringing Helion into this dimension.  They had rested at the Nocte Den ran by Nya just outside of D. C. until they could figure out what Helion was up to.  It had only taken a month for them to realize that the Sun Creature was going to be trouble for them all.

Initially, there had been a small hope that she wouldn’t be as evil as they all suspected she would be.  There had been a chance that she would support their mission to stop Ignis—joining the Vigilum and fighting for their cause.  Or maybe she wouldn’t be interested in anything other than living on her own.  But that hope had faded with the increase in Burner activity.  While they still weren’t one hundred percent sure Helion was behind the trouble, they had to assume that she was.  So the Lux and the Nocte who had been there to try to prevent her rising stayed together to stop her now.  There was no way to know if the Burners were stirred up just by her presence or if there were more nefarious reasons at work.

Levi shared his and Evie’s findings with the group first.  They were the first to notice the rise in Burner numbers in the areas where profound tragedies had recently occurred.  Evie went with Levi because she had traveled extensively and had a good relationship with lots of captains and generals around the country--which was no surprised.  Evie was universally well liked.  Harley resented that she had not been able to go with Levi, but they all figured that her presence might make others uncomfortable enough to be a problem.  And by the sound of Levi’s report, they were right to have worried.  He and Evie warned Harley and the others that they may meet some resistance from the Nocte’s.  In fact, the general in Miami had all but asked them to leave.  He had apparently even been so guarded and suspicious of their presence he had directed several Noctes to prevent Levi and Evie from hunting just before they left the area.

Kai was silent as Nya offered her report.  They had left the Den about a month after the others in search for the Council.  Nya had needed more time to recover and organize everyone and they had wanted to gather as much information about Helion and the Sol as possible before going to the Praesidio leaders.  Apparently, like the Electorate, the Council moved often.  Harley understood it was for protection, but still, it had seemed unnecessarily complicated for Nya and Kai to find them.  They were sent in several false directions before they finally were granted access to the Council at a facility in the Midwest.  Nya, nor Kai, elaborated on where exactly that was—and no one was disrespectful enough to ask.  Besides--it’s not like the Council would still be there.

The Council had not been much help.  They were wary and didn’t fully trust Harley or her friends.  It didn’t help that Harley’s group had allied themselves with a couple “nomad” Lux.  Harley was dismayed to learn that there was still a strong distrust between, not just Lux and Nocte, but Vigilum and Praesidio.  The Council was willing to believe that there was another rogue Lux, but they weren’t eager to consider the possibility that this being was important enough for their full involvement.

As Castor and James related their similar story to the Nocte, Harley watched Aaron.  The Lux was strangely quiet and he made her uncomfortable.  Not that she didn’t trust him.  If Castor and James trusted him—she would too.  There was just something about him that made her uncomfortable.  Speaking of uncomfortable, Harley thought turning to Kai.  The Nocte met her eyes and held her gaze steadily.  Her look was unreadable but Harley refused to back down.  Finally, Kai offered her a small smile and Harley returned the gesture coldly.  When Kai looked away Harley felt her smile slip into a glower and she could feel her Nocte’s hackles rise.  What is her deal? Harley wondered.  Kai had been likable and friendly when she first met her.  But now…now she was cool and cautious around Harley.  Well, that could be my fault, I guess…Harley admitted to herself.

“Harley?”

Harley jumped when Nya spoke her name sharply.  Shit!  Did everyone see that?  Judging by the smirk on Castor’s face and the chagrin on Levi’s she guessed they had at least noticed her glaring at Kai.  “Huh?” she asked Nya stupidly.

The Nocte general rolled her eyes before repeating her question.  “I SAID how do you feel about meeting with the Electorate?”

Harley shrugged.  “It needs to be done.  At this point I will do what it takes.”

“I don’t really like it,” Levi shook his head.  Everyone turned to look at him for an explanation.  “It’s just…it’s the perfect chance for them to ‘solve the problem’ if that’s what they have in mind.”

Castor and the other Lux tried to not look offended and no one acknowledged exactly what “the problem” was.  “The same could be said for the Council too,” Cas pointed out.

“True,” Levi conceded.  “But—”

“Well, we all know how this will go,” Nya interrupted.  “If you guys go all alpha male on this and try to stop Harley she’s just going to do it anyway.”  It was Harley’s turn to try to not look offended.  But truth be told she deserved that.  “And,” Nya continued.  “Honestly, I’d back her up.”

Harley sighed in relief.  She already knew that she was going to do her best to meet with the Council and the Electorate.  It was worth the risk if it meant making them see reason and not only try to stop Helion—but work together while doing it.  She looked from Nya who was watching her blankly to Kai who was looking at her with narrowed eyes.  “Well, I’m glad that’s settled,” she muttered.

Castor and Levi glanced at each other before turning back to her.  “Apparently so,” Levi shrugged.

“What’s next?” Castor asked.

“We still need more evidence.  Something concrete and undeniable.”  Everyone else nodded in agreement but didn’t have any suggestions to offer.  “OK,” James shrugged.  “We need to find some then.”

“Harley, have you gotten any closer to finding Sol here?” Nya asked her.

“Yeah.  I have some leads.  I looked at the list of businesses Rafe complied that were owned by people suspected of being in league with the Sol.  I’ve been alternating following them for about a month now.  One in particular—a woman name Melanie Rivers—has seemed more promising than others.  She meets with a lot of random people that I can’t seem to connect to her everyday business.  So I followed her here.  This is her home base.”  That was how she had ended up staying with Everett.  And since he had been working on stockpiling weapons for them they had all agree that this meeting should take place at his house.

“Other than that, I’ve just been trying to keep a low profile.”

“OK,” Nya nodded.  “Good.  You keep staying low.  Let’s not waste too much time trying to find the Sol right now and let’s put more effort in trying to find evidence of Helion’s influence with the Ignis.  Has anyone had any problems with ambushes?  Or crowd attacks?”  Nearly everyone nodded and Nya sighed.

Castor, James and even Aaron chimed in on their experiences.  They had also seen more Burners attacking in groups.  Harley was struck by Aaron’s thick Irish accent.  It was much stronger than Castor’s.  He obviously had not been in the States long enough to water it down.  When the redhead Lux spoke his voice put Harley more at ease.  She was still uncomfortable with how quiet he was—but having him join in the discussion made him seem more a part of the group.  It wasn’t fair to assume that just because someone was quiet it meant they were up to no good.  Harley glanced at Kai again, trying to tell herself that she was just being paranoid and unfair to her too.  It didn’t work.

Levi described his and Evie’s experiences with Burner’s for the past month, even offering details about how reckless she had been.  Nya and Kai had had a couple of run-ins as well.  “What about you?” Nya asked Harley.

“Actually, not really.  I have had to fight more groups, but none of them have been more than four.  And that was only once.  I think since I have been out of the largest cities and away from the Helion activity, I have been out of the major line of fire.  The most unusual thing I have seen has been the amount of Burner groups—albeit small ones.”

“Everett?” Nya said turning to the weapons master.

“Yeah?”

“How are you coming on weapons?”  Nya, Levi, Castor and James had turned over as much money as they could spare that was their own to invest in platinum weapons.  They weren’t cheap and since the Council and Electorate weren’t backing them they had to resort to their own personal stashes.

“I’ve got a lot for you guys to take with you.  I made as many as I could with the platinum I was able to buy”

“Good.  Thank you.  How would you feel about concentrating on the Sol and this Melanie Rivers?”

“Yeah, I could take over for Harley,” he shrugged.

“OK.  Harley,” Nya turned her golden eyes on her.  “You go with Levi and help him track Helion.  Since Evie is going to take a while to recover she should stay here.  If that is OK with you, Everett?”

“Of course,” he nodded.

Harley couldn’t help smiling.  She hadn’t gotten to travel with Levi before.  She met his gaze and he gave her a full smile.  Castor looked less than enthused.  He’ll get over it, Harley said to herself despite the small tingle of regret she felt at having to leave him so soon.  As she turned from Castor to focus back on Nya, she caught Kai’s glance.  The little Nocte’s face was still blank, but Harley couldn’t help but read a negative feeling from it.  She had to stop herself from ginning at Kai just to rub it in.

--------------------

Night was starting to fall and Harley was watching Castor say goodbye to the other Lux before he went to bed.  There was one spare bedroom and Harley had suggested he take it.  Everett had offered to let the Lux stay as well—either bunking with Cas or sleeping on the floor.  Harley had metaphorically crossed her fingers that they wouldn’t want to share Castor’s room at least.  They had seemed genuinely grateful for the offer but declined in favor of staying at the hotel they had already paid for

“Do we need to worry about so many Noctes being in one place,” Harley asked Nya as Cas walked the Lux out.

“No.  This house belongs to the Praesidio.  It’s fortified.  Just like the Den.”

Good to know.  The Den’s walls were infused with silver.  It helped block their presence from Ignis—otherwise large gatherings of Nocte were sure to catch the attention of Burners and draw them to the Nocte safehouses.

“Has Evie regained consciousness yet?” she asked Nya.

Having just come from checking on her, Nya shrugged.  “Kind of.  She’s responding if I poke her or try to move her.  Flinches or moans.”

“Poke her?”

“Yeah, you know—” Nya jabbed a finger into Harley’s ribs causing her to flinch from ticklishness and the fact that Nya poked hard.

“Hey!” Harley snorted.

“You asked,” Nya answered with gleaming eyes.

Harley felt a trickle of anxiety drain away from her chest.  It looked like Nya was getting her sense of humor back.  Castor caught her eye as he made his way towards the stairs and Harley glanced at Levi who sat looking at a tablet computer at the dining table.  Everett  was giving Levi on how to use the device and Levi looking like he was trying not to be annoyed at having to be instructed on how to use something.  Harley wondered if Levi was going to go out hunting soon, or if he would notice if she slipped upstairs for a little while.  Nya was watching her looking between Levi and the stairs with an amused smile.  Before Harley could come up with a solution Levi’s phone rang causing them all to jump.  Something about the look on his face made Harley forget her dilemma.

Levi leaned away from the table with a scowl on his face as he answered the phone.  “Yeah.”

Harley couldn’t quite make out the voice on the other end as the phone was across the room, the call volume was turned low and the person seemed to be speaking quietly on purpose.  Harley wasn’t sure, but she suspected the caller was male.

“Well, what did he say?” Levi asked.  “And he wouldn’t even listen?”  As he listened to the caller’s answer he rubbed a hand over his face.  “But you’re sure?”  Levi caught Harley’s eye and her heartbeat picked up.  She could tell by his look that something was up.  “OK.  We’re on our way then.”

“What’s going on?” Nya asked as Levi ended the call.

Levi continued to hold Harley’s gaze.  “We have to go back to L. A.”

Harley was torn between nervous excitement and regret.  She was ready for action—ready for a chance to find Helion.  But at the same time she dreaded having to leave Castor so soon.  She had barely seen him in months.

“Why?” Nya asked.

Levi stood from the table and Harley noticed Everett for the first time since the phone call.  Having been right on top of the call, he had apparently heard everything.  His face was a mask on confusion and shock.

“That was Jag—a friend I trust in California.  Landon’s back.”

Harley jerked with surprise.  Everyone had assumed Landon—the California Nocte general was dead.  He had been uncooperative with Evie last year and it had seemed as if he had some kind of relationship with Alice.  When he had, ostensibly, dropped off the face of the Earth it was just accepted that Alice must have killed him when she was through with him.

“What?” Nya asked, clearly as shocked as everyone else.

“Yeah.  And Jag said he looks—different.”

“Different how?” Harley croaked, dreading his answer.

“Jag said he’s acting funny too.”

“Funny how?” Harley’s voice was tight and her Nocte stiffened in alarm.

“Out of control.  Insatiable.”

“How does he look?”

Levi ran his hand across his mouth.  “Like you.  Like a Dybrid.”

Chapter 6

Later that night Harley sat in a cramped airline seat next to Levi.  She wiggled and scooted and after a pointed glare, Levi moved his arm so that she could have the armrest.  That still didn’t help so she tried to stretch her legs out more.  The flight hadn’t even taken off yet and she was feeling claustrophobic—not to mention panicky.

“How can YOU stand these seats?  You’re like a foot taller than me and I feel folded in half,” she complained to Levi.

“Just deal with it.  There’s not much we can do about it.”

“We should have gotten first class seats.  Don’t they have more room?”

“Yes.  They do.  But we don’t need to waste the money on that.  The flight is only two hours—”

“Two hours!?”

Levi raised his eyebrows at her as his dark blue eyes sparkled.  “Are you afraid of flying?”

“No!  Well, I have no idea actually.  I’ve never flown before.”  The last time they had gone to L. A. they had driven to avoid questions about all of their weapons.  This time, however, time was much more sensitive and they had taken the risk of stowing their weapons as “artifacts” in the hold with other packages and luggage.

Levi at least made a valiant effort to not laugh.  “I can’t believe you are afraid of flying.”

“I may or may not be afraid of flying seeing as how the plane hasn’t actually taken off yet.”  Harley tried to keep her voice down but the combination of Levi’s teasing, her increasing claustrophobia and her uncomfortable Nocte was making it hard to hold her temper.

“Just breathe,” Levi told her with barely contained laughter.

“Shut up.”

“Well can you at least ease up on my hand?  I’m pretty sure you’ve broken a couple of bones.”

Harley looked down in surprise.  She hadn’t even realized she was holding his hand.  “Sorry,” she chuckled and let go of his hand.  His eyes darkened as the bones in his hand mended themselves with a faint clicking sound.  Shit!  He was serious about the broken bones.  Harley gave Levi an apologetic grimace to which Levi only smiled and patted her leg.

Harley glanced around the plane—or more accurately flying bus—because that is what it looked like.  Planes in movies had always looked much more luxurious than this.  She took a deep breath to help calm herself and realized that was a bad idea.  The other passengers were experiencing a mix of emotions.  Some of them were excited, scared, annoyed or just plain bored.  While she had no desire to feed from humans, she couldn’t help but respond to their pheromones—emotions—whatever you wanted to call it.  Strong human feelings could manipulate her and that would only make things worse.  It must be the predator side coming out…her Nocte was amused at that thought but was in agreement.

Trying to distract herself, she turned back to Levi who was still flexing his hand.  “Is it better?”

“Yeah.  It’s no big deal.”

“So, your friend in L.A.?  Jag?”

“Yeah?”

“He’s really sure that Landon looks like me?  Like he’s a hybrid?”

“Jag didn’t specifically say ‘Landon looks like a Dybrid’ but his description fits.”

“I wish you would stop calling me that,” Harley scowled.

Levi grinned--the expression softening his face.  “It’s clever.”

“Oh clever my ass!” she huffed.

“Define how exactly I do that and I will.”

“What?” Oh!” she laughed.  “You’re funny,” she rolled her eyes.

“I’m just trying to distract you.”

Harley sighed.  “So…what are we going to do once we get to L. A.?”

“Try to find Landon.  Jag said that he’s all over the place right now.  The Council has put Jag in charge until they can track Landon down and find out what is going on.”

“If we find him--if the Council can see what’s been done to him—that should help our case, right?”

“I would hope so,” Levi shrugged

“Why did he call you anyway?” Harley asked.

Levi raised a brow and shrugged.  “We’re friends and he knows I travel.  He just thought I might know something about it.  Plus, he knew Landon had been working with us last year.”

“Did I meet Jag when we were in L. A. before?”

“No.  He wasn’t sent there until after everything with Haddon.  He was a Captain for Nya for a while.  That’s how I met him.”

At the mention of Nya’s captains Harley felt her chest squeeze.  Rafe had been Nya’s most recent captain.  Harley still couldn’t help but feel guilty about his death at Helion’s hand.  She and Rafe had had their disagreements but he had changed since she met him and she had come to regard him as a friend.  So many dead friends.  Jamie, Cassandra, Rafe, and even Jason—their loss was still a bleeding hole in Harley’s chest.  Levi must have realized what she was thinking about because he patted her hand.  She started to turn her hand over to hold his but he jerked his hand back.

“No.  No hand holding until you’re off the plane.”

Harley tried to not laugh as she elbowed him gently in the ribs.  With a jerk the plane began to move and she gasped out loud.  Levi rested a hand on her knee and she gripped the armrests and tried to look calmer than she felt.  The engines roared and as a flight attendant stood Harley had to struggle to understand the garbled speech that came out of the microphone despite her extraordinary hearing.  When she realized Levi was laughing she scowled at him.  “What?”

“You realize that even in the plane exploded we would probably survive right?” he whispered.

“Um, hello!  Bodies are incinerated in plane crashes.  Not even we could survive that,” she hissed.  Levi considered this for a minute before settling back in his seat looking slightly more uncomfortable than he had been just moments before.  Harley wanted to laugh at his reaction but considering she was now imagining being burned alive she couldn’t find the humor anymore.

When the plane began taxiing down the runway Harley held her breath.  As the world dropped away from her, her head swam and she couldn’t stop staring out the darkened window.  She had given Levi the window seat and until she could see the runway lights the window had been just a black square.  But as more and more lights were revealed she could tell how high in the sky they were and her stomach sank.  It didn’t help that her Nocte definitely did not like being off the ground.  The devil inside her writhed and shifted making her discomfort nearly unbearable.  Finally, the plane leveled out and she began breathing again.  She didn’t totally relax while they were in the air, but she didn’t feel the need to cling to the armrests like they were life support—nor did she break any more of Levi’s bones.

Harley wondered if she would have hated flying even as a human, or if it had something to do with the subterranean nature of her Nocte.  She made a mental note to ask Castor how he felt about flying.  At the thought of Castor she frowned internally.  She hated that she hadn’t had any time to spend with him and knew he felt the same.  He had pouted when she broke the news to him.

“It can’t wait until morning?” he grumbled.  He had already undressed for bed and lay on top of the covers.  The fact that he was naked made it harder for Harley to focus on the task at hand.

“I’m sorry.  They have a tail on him now.  We need to get there before they lose him or before he hurts someone.”

“Why do you have to go?”

Harley’s gut twisted and she leaned over to kiss Cas softly.  “Do you think anyone else will be able to handle another Dark Hybrid?”

Castor sighed.  “Keep in touch with me?”

Harley knew he meant psychically and normally she would resist the idea of an open door way with him in her head—but she knew that it would placate him to have the concession.  “I’ll try,” she grinned at him.  Harley had to untangle herself after he had rolled over with her—doing his best to convince her to say.

The guilt had kept her preoccupied through the flight, but when the plane landed, Harley had to will herself to not run through the terminal in relief.  “For the record—I never want to fly again.  Let’s rent a car to go back.”

“That’s more than OK with me,” Levi muttered.  “Hey!  Maybe we can make a vacation of it.”  His empty laugh indicated that he knew better than to actually wish for that, but Harley couldn’t dismiss it as easily as he did.

“Do we ever actually get to take vacations?”

As they made their way towards baggage claim Levi considered the question.  “You can go wherever you want as long as you don’t leave your post unguarded, but could you actually ignore an Ignis you came across just because you were in Cancun for a week?”

“Good point,” Harley muttered.

They waited for their bags and their “artifacts” to come off the plane and Harley was unnerved when a tall dark man staring at them caught her eye.  She nearly went on alarm until she realized that he was a Nocte and was heading for them with a mischievous smile on his face.  She nudged Levi and he turned in the direction she nodded.  She was relieved when a smile spread across his face and he met the Nocte half way with a shake and the mutual slap on the back thing that guys did.

Harley saw their box of weapons emerge through the rubber-slatted access and she dove forward to get it.  Not that she feared anyone would (or could) steal them—she just felt a lot better in possession of her weapons again.  Holding the “artifact” box under her right arm she yanked the large suitcase that she and Levi had shared off the belt with her left.

“This must be the infamous Harley,” a deep voice proclaimed at the same time the box was yanked from under her arm.  She spun around and saw Jag and grinning at her and holding the box chivalrously.  He had deep brown eyes, black hair and a thick goatee surrounding full lips that spread back into a toothy smile that she couldn’t help but return.

Levi took the suitcase from her and offered official introductions.  “Harley Finn, Jag Fahd.”

The Nocte was tall—taller than Levi by a couple of inches—putting him at least at six five-ish.  “Charmed,” he grinned at her.

Harley held out her hand to shake but instead of shaking it Jag held her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it without breaking eye contact with her.  Harley felt the ridiculous urge to giggle until she caught Levi’s scowl.  “Hi,” she smiled trying to be as casual as possible.  She could feel her Nocte shudder with stimulation.

With his eyes still locked on Harley’s, Jag lowered her hand but didn’t let go.  “Levi, you didn’t tell me just how beautiful Miss Harley is.”

“Oh knock it off,” Levi scoffed.

“You disagree?” Jag asked slyly, finally turning towards his friend.

Levi looked helplessly between his friend and Harley who was giving him a mock offended look.  “I-what?  No!” he growled with narrowed eyes.

Jag laughed and finally dropped Harley’s hand.  “I owed you that.  Though I am thoroughly impressed with your beauty,” he turned back to Harley.

She shifted uncomfortably under the praise.  “Do I even want to know?”

“No,” Levi answered quickly.  Shaking his head he put an arm around Harley’s shoulders as the three made their way towards the front of LAX.  Jag grinned at them over his shoulder but lead the way quickly through the crowd.

In the parking garage they found some relief from the mass of travelers.  Taking advantage of the relative privacy, Jag slowed until Harley and Levi drew even.  “I hope you guys weren’t expecting to settle in.”

“What do you mean?” Levi asked him.

“No rest for the wicked, I’m afraid,” Jag grinned at them.  “I got word, just before you landed, that my captain has picked up Landon’s trail at The Viper Room.”

--------------------

Harley rode in the back of Jag’s car—she had insisted that Levi take the passenger seat.  She was still feeling the residual claustrophobia and wanted the extra room to stretch out.  Plus, she didn’t want to sit next to Jag.  She was sure his flirtiness was in jest but it made her uncomfortable nonetheless.  Sitting behind Jag she could see the top of a tattoo at the base of his neck.  His hair was almost as long as Levi’s but he kept it pulled back into a short ponytail.

“So,” Harley started.  “You think Landon is a Dybrid?”

Jag glanced at Levi and then at her in the mirror.  “A Dybrid?”  Levi chuckled at her over his shoulder.  “Yeah, OK—so it’s catchy,” she rolled her eyes at him.

“What’s a Dybrid?” Jag asked.

“It’s what the Vigilum having been calling me.”

“And you are…?”

Harley looked at Levi again.  “He doesn’t know?”

Levi shrugged.  “Apparently word hasn’t traveled as far as we thought.”

“What?” Jag looked between them again as he merged onto the 405.  “I heard you were stronger than normal and that the sun didn’t bother you—but what’s a Dybrid?”

“Why don’t you show him,” Levi suggested.

Harley caught Jag’s eye in the rearview mirror and called her Nocte forward.  When Jag saw her eyes turn black and white he gasped and stared, transfixed by the strange nature of her eyes.

“Watch out!” Levi shouted and jerked the wheel.  They veered onto the shoulder and Harley was thrown to the side laughing.

“Sorry!” Jag righted the car and swerved back into traffic as angry drivers blared their horns at him.  “You look just like Landon.  What the hell are you?” he glanced at her in the mirror again.  Harley’s raised her brows at him in genuine offense as Levi scowled at his friend.   “Sorry,” Jag apologized again.  “That was really rude of me.”

Harley nodded her understanding.  “I’m Nocte.  But I also took in the energy of a rogue Lux last year.  He couldn’t be killed, but needed to be contained.  Since then a Lux, named Alice, did the opposite.  She took in a Nocte—she thought she could contain it and be like me.  It didn’t work though.”  Harley let that statement hang for a moment.  She still hated the loss of Alice.  It shouldn’t have had to happen.  Too many “good guys” were being lost unnecessarily.  “Anyway…Alice started calling me the ‘Dark Hybrid’ and herself the ‘Light Hybrid.’  Since then the Vigilum shortened it to Dybrid and Lybrid.  It seems to have stuck,” she shook her head in Levi’s direction.

Jag scratched at his beard.  “Why couldn’t the Lux be killed?”

“He was strong,” Levi offered.

“Stronger than you?” Jag asked Harley.

She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.  “I don’t know.  I had only been a Nocte for a short time then.  Plus, Haddon was an...unusual Lux.”

“How so?”

“It’s...complicated.  A long story,” Harley didn’t want to get into the story of how Haddon had become so strong.  Explaining that his strength came from eating his own kind would surely prompt questions that Harley wasn’t ready to answer yet.

“OK,” Jag took Harley’s hint and didn’t press for more answers right now.  “So…are you crazy too?  Because Landon is pretty out of control.  He’s not hurt anyone yet, but I think it’s only a matter of time.”

“No, I’m not crazy,” Harley scowled.

“That’s debatable,” Levi snorted.

Harley slapped his shoulder with the back of her hand.  “I’m not out of control.”  As Levi gave her a dubious at her she rolled her eyes.  “Anymore,” she huffed.

Jag laughed at Levi.  “You always did have a thing for the crazy ones…”

Harley gaped at Levi and he shook his head slightly at her before glaring at Jag who only laughed harder.  Harley decided to ignore whatever inside “joke” Jag and Levi had going on for the time being.  “So, Landon?  He has eyes like mine?” she asked bringing the attention back to the matter at hand.

“Yeah.  So far we’ve just been watching him.  Keeping an eye on him.  No one really knows exactly what he is capable of.”

Harley sighed and Levi caught her eye.  “There’s no telling right now, unfortunately,” she admitted.

“Why is that?” Jag asked.

“Well, as far as we know, he is only the second Dybrid.  And Alice was the only Lybrid and she couldn’t exactly handle the double bond.

“How exactly does one ‘take the energy of a Lux or Nocte in addition to whatever they have bonded with already?”

Harley settled back and let Levi explain.  “A Nocte would need a Lux to open the doorway to for them to become a Dybrid.  And vice versa for the Lux to be a Lybrid.”

“What about you?” Jag looked at Harley.  “Who opened the door for you?  The rogue Lux you fought?  That was the stuff that went down here last year, right?”

“Yeah,” Harley answered.  “But he didn’t open the door for me.”

“No one did,” Levi added.  Jag raised a brow at them both.  “Harley just…kind of ‘ate’ Haddon.”

Jag looked at Harley in the mirror astonished and impressed.  “That sounds so…barbaric,” she shuddered thinking of what she knew of the other dimension—the one where the Lux, Ignis and Nocte came from.

“What would you call it then?” Levi asked.

“I…consumed him.  I ‘took him in.’”

“Yeah, OK,” Levi rolled his eyes.  “She did that.”

“And you didn’t react like Landon? Or Alice?” Jag asked.

Harley sighed.  “I had my…adjustment period.”  Levi snorted and Jag looked at them both, waiting for them to explain.  Levi filled Jag in on all that had happened in the past year while Harley stared out the window at the passing hills of Los Angeles.

“What would happen if someone else tried to ‘consume’ a Nocte or a Lux?  Would it work like it did for you?”

The question gave Harley a pause.  “I have no idea, actually.”  Levi shook his head confirming his inability to guess at the outcome either.

So, how did Landon end up a Dybrid?” Jag asked.

“We aren’t sure.  We believed he was dead,” Levi answered stiffly.  “I have to assume it was Alice.  If it was Helion—we have to wonder why.  And regardless, where has he been all this time?”

When no one had an answer, Levi continued his recounting of the events of the past year.  The low hanging clouds were purple as the night was lit up with the lights from the city.  Being in L. A. again brought back the feelings Harley had experienced the last time she was here.  Jamie’s loss had been brutally fresh and she had still been trying to adjust to being a Nocte.  Cassandra’s death had hurt too.  She hadn’t known the Nocte for long, but Harley had considered her a friend--fierce, strong and a leader.  Harley realized they were back in the heart of West L. A. when they got off the freeway and headed towards Santa Monica.  Jag’s voice brought her out of her slump.

“We’ll park here and meet Pax.  He’s the one who has been tracking Landon.”

“I thought you guys had a tail on him the whole time?” Levi asked.

“Well…” Jag hesitated.  “It’s not always easy to keep up with him.”

Chapter 7

Jag parked the car in the lot of an all-night diner.  It was surprisingly full, but considering it was Friday people were probably just gearing up for the night.  For Harley it seemed too late for the diner to still be busy.  Their flight had left the Cincinnati airport at 11:45 and the two hour flight, baggage and travel meant it should be close to three in the morning.  But, in California time, it was barely midnight.  Jet lag is a bitch, she grumbled.   After climbing out of the dark sedan, Jag leaned against the driver’s door, looking in no hurry to go anywhere.

“He’s meeting us here,” Jag explained.

Harley felt him watching her out of the corner of his eye but ignored it.  He didn’t seem afraid of her, just curious and wary.  “How long before he’s here?” she asked, standing next to Levi.

“Here he comes now,” Jag motioned over their shoulders.

Harley watched a stalking figure make his way towards them.  He wore a jacket with the hood raised as he stalked towards them.  He was built heavily but Harley could tell that he was fast if he needed to be—it was the way that he walked—forward and on his toes.  As he drew closer Harley could make out the darkness that shadowed all Nocte eyes.  Coming to a stop in front of them he removed his hood and studied Levi and Harley as they in turn examined him.  He had a heavy boned face and short brown hair.  He looked like a drill sergeant and Harley got a definite “No nonsense” vibe from him.  He nodded and let his gaze settle on Harley for longer than she felt comfortable with before greeting Jag.

“Pax, this is Levi Bonham and Harley Finn.  Levi, Harley—this is Pax.”

If he had heard of either of them, he didn’t react.  He either had a good poker face, or had been in a hole.  Most Nocte, and even Lux and Ignis, had at least heard of Harley.  And nearly everyone knew of Levi--only Nya seemed to have greater renown than Levi.  Harley glanced at Levi, but if he knew anything about the big Nocte he didn’t give Harley a clue.

“He’s still at the Viper Room.”  Pax’s voice was deep and gruff and exactly as Harley would have expected.

Jag turned to Levi and Harley.  “You guys ready?”

Both Harley and Levi agreed to get down to business.  They removed their weapons from the travel box and she was relieved to strap her machete to her back again.  It took some finesse and some hiding behind Levi but she was able to secure it under her V-neck, long sleeved tee shirt and hair enough that it wasn’t likely to be noticed.  She strapped her Bowie to her belt and smoothed her shirt over it.  Once Levi was armed and ready they followed the Pax and Jag down the street.

Harley brought up the rear and took a deep breath.  She could smell the Burners all around them and it raised the hair on her arms.  Levi noticed her hesitation and looked back.  “What is it?”

“Burners.  A lot of them.”

Jag had doubled back to see what the holdup was.  “How do you know that?”

Harley shifted, uncomfortable again.  “I can…sense them…”  Jag shook his head—equally impressed and unnerved.

“Are there more Burners around than normal?” Levi asked Jag.  While Levi was able to sense balance between Burners, Nocte and Lux—it took time.  He had to get a feel for the city—spend time moving around the people.

Jag looked to Pax who nodded solemnly.  “Yeah.  We’ve noticed an increase in activity lately.”

Harley and Levi glanced at each other.  “What?” Jag asked.

“Helion might be here,” Levi answered.  “Anything else strange going on?  Have humans been acting funny?”

Jag and Pax looked at each other before answering.  “Not that we’ve heard of,” Jag answered as Pax shook his head.

“We should keep an ear out.  Probably try to contact the Lux too,” Levi offered.

The other two Nocte stiffened at the suggestion.  “Why do we need to do that?” Jag was trying not to sound offended at the suggestion the Vigilum needed to be brought in.

Harley sagged with exasperated annoyance.  “We need to work together on this.”

Pax narrowed his eyes at her and Jag gave her a doubtful look.   “This one is as vexing as her reputation,” he grinned at Levi.  “I’ll see what I can do.  I wouldn’t expect much though.  Joshua isn’t known to play nice with Noctes.”

The four Nocte started walking again and Levi kept close to Harley’s side.  “Can you talk to Cas?  See if he can feel out this Joshua character?”

“Yeah.  I’ll wait until morning though.”  Harley and Levi both knew that Jag and Pax could hear them but they didn’t try to hide their conversation.  Harley’s connection to the Lux would come up eventually.  For their part the California Nocte didn’t comment on their conversation.  Several blocks later they arrived at The Viper Room.  A huge line of people curved around the corner of the block.  Two bouncers worked the door under the simple black awning.  The four Nocte regrouped at the corner diagonal from the bar.

“How are we going to even get in before the nights over without causing a scene?” Harley asked.

“We have our ways,” Jag grinned down at her.

Pax hurried towards the men working the door—directly to the head of the line.  Harley watched him nod a greeting before the guy nodded to the other bouncer and the door was opened for them.  Harley had to fight the urge to grin at the people grumbling in line.  Inside the cramped doorway, Harley nodded at Jag.  “I’m impressed,” she laughed, nearly shouting over the music.

“They don’t know what we are, but they know that we keep trouble out when we are here.  So they cut us some slack and don’t ask questions.  They probably assume we are gangsters of some kind.”

“I see.”

“Pax and I will take upstairs.  You and Levi cover down here.”

Levi and Harley pushed their way into the lower lounge and Harley had to block her sense of smell and hearing as much as she could.  The famous Viper Room was tiny and jam-packed with people.   She pushed her way to the bar with Levi right behind her.  It didn’t take long for the bartender to notice her and she knew it was because of the vibe that she and Levi gave off.   Most humans picked up on it to some degree and tended to avoid them—intimidated and wary.  Sometimes, humans would ignore that warning and Harley knew from personal experience those were the people with a reckless streak.

“Tequila on ice,” Harley shouted over the music.  “That size,” she pointed to a beer glass in the hand of a very drunk girl next to them.  The man behind the bar raised an eyebrow and looked over her head at Levi.

“Whiskey for me,” he responded.

The bartender shook his head and turned to make their drinks.  When he sat the glasses of brown liquor in front of them Harley handed him a wad of bills and she and Levi turned to survey the crowd.  She gulped at her drink hoping to not notice the bite.  No such luck there, she breathed fire and shuddered.  Her stomach was starting to ache and it wasn’t from the drink, she needed to feed.  Closing her eyes she could feel the hum of Ignis—but on top of that she felt something else.

Harley’s Nocte seemed to pulse with the throb of the music.  She leaned back, pressing herself into Levi with a grin.  It was hard to focus on the task at hand—especially when Levi reached around and pressed her to him.  His arm was just under her breasts and she could feel his breath on top of her head.  She resisted the urge to lean into him even harder and sway to the music. Her machete between them was a reminder why they were here in the first place.  Harley took another drink and opened her mind further.  Uninhibited, the alarm in her head grew stronger and a growl rippled through her chest.

“What is it?” Levi asked close to her ear so that he could be heard over the music.  He must have felt the rumble as she doubted he would have been able to hear it over the sound of the music.

“Burners.  There are a few here.”

“Landon?”

“I think so.  I’ve not felt anything like this before.”

“Not even with Alice?”

“No.”

“What’s it feel like?”

“Like…I don’t know.  Just an awareness.  A presence.”  It nearly took Harley’s breath away and she shook her head.  She was drawn to the presence like a moth to a flame.  Knowing another creature like her was nearby was an attraction—an oddity and it made her need to search them out like a baby’s need to stare at themselves in the mirror.  She NEEDED to see Landon in order to see herself.

Levi looked around the room—given his height he had much better visual coverage of the room than Harley did.  Harley watched the writhing bodies all around them.  Some danced.  Some stood talking in groups.  Others crowded around the bar.  She caught sight of the TV monitors that played what was apparently the CCTV cameras from the second floor.  Harley tried to relax and gulped more of her drink.  She needed to block out the influence of the humans and the Burners and concentrate on the other strange presence.

Something compelled her forward and Harley followed the instinct with Levi hot on her heels.  She shoved her way through the crowd until she had a clear view of the couch in the corner.  It was cloaked in shadows and if Harley didn’t have supernatural sight she wouldn’t have been able to clearly discern what was going on.  To the humans it probably looked like two people making out, but Harley knew better.  A brown haired man was wrapped around a woman and as Harley watched he bit her neck.  Harley smelled the blood the same time Levi did and felt his hand tighten on her arm.  As Harley and Levi watched, Landon—and she was sure that was who she saw—was feeding on a Burner in plain sight of hundreds of humans.  He seemed to be alternating between biting and pulling with his glowing hands fixed on the Burner’s head lighting up the darkness and she quickly scanned the room to make sure no one noticed.

“What do we do?” Harley turned to Levi.  She could feel her Nocte struggling for release.  She wanted to fight as much as she wanted to feed and the smell of blood was stirring the beast inside her.

“Calm down,” Levi cautioned, catching sight of her eyes.

Harley took a deep breath and blinked her eyes back to normal.  “Tell Jag and Pax.”  Levi nodded and pulled out his phone to text them.

Harley was proud of herself.  It wasn’t long ago she would have dived into a fight with the Dybrid without much of a thought.  But she steadied herself and waited for a plan.  They needed to stay covert as possible.

As Levi finished his text she pulled him low so she could yell into his ear.  “I don’t think he’s noticed me yet.  I think you guys should sneak back out and let me get his attention.  I think I can get him to follow me and once he’s out we can take him down.”

“No.  I don’t like that idea.”  Levi’s eyes were wide.

Harley considered her options.  She had to question her plan—she had made enough stupid mistakes in the past.  “What do you want to do then?  Confront him in front of all of these people?”

“She’s right,” Jag interrupted them before Levi could argue.  He and Pax had made it through the crowd quickly—Harley could see the annoyed people they must have shoved aside still glaring in their wake.  “We’ve got to do something.  He’s finally crossing the line.  This is public.”

“I know, I know,” Levi grumbled.

“You’re sure he will follow you?” Jag asked her.

Harley was truthful—she shrugged.  “I THINK so.  I would if I were him.  But what do we do with the Ignis?  She’s going to burn when he’s done with her.”

Levi ran a hand over his face and Jag scratched at his beard, Pax remained as stone faced as ever.  “Try to stuff her somewhere where no one will notice her burn?” Jag finally suggested.

“Shit,” Levi muttered.

Harley shook her head helplessly.  “I’ll see what I can do.  Where should I get him to follow me?” she asked Jag.

He thought for a moment.  “Go south.  There are some empty parking lots that way.  We’ll hide behind a dumpster or car.  Anything.  We’ll just be watching for you.”

“Be careful,” Levi told her as Jag and Pax turned to go.

“Who me?  I’m the definition of careful,” Harley smirked at him.  He gave her a quick kiss and melted into the crowd after the other Noctes.

Harley turned back to the Dybrid in the corner.  He was practically chewing at the Burner’s neck and Harley cringed.  No finesse at all.  The Ignis had long blonde hair and Harley couldn’t see her face but she could see her hand twitching in the paralysis that came over Ignis when Nocte feed from them.  She took a deep breath.  Here goes, she sighed to herself.

Chapter 8

Harley waited until the guys were out of sight before she moved closer to Landon and his Burner.  She had no idea what to expect—he could attack on sight or he could be reasonable when he saw that she was like him.  Let’s hope for reasonable.  But her Nocte didn’t seem to hold much hope for that and Harley could nearly feel her derisive snort.  The humans who sat on the couch near Landon gave him a wide berth.  It might have been because two people appeared to be intensely making out, or maybe they picked up on something more sinister and were avoiding them instinctively.  The people seemed to be purposefully not looking at the Dybrid and his meal.

It wasn’t hard to get a seat on the couch.  Harley caught the eyes of the two girls sitting the closes to Landon and gave them her best “Fuck off” glare and after nervous glances they got up and hurried away.  Landon was so engrossed in feeding that he didn’t notice her presence until she sat next to him—directly behind the Burner who now appeared to be dead.  He looked up with an angry snarl until he made eye contact.  Seeing black and white eyes so like his own, Landon’s went still in shock.

“You’re like me?” he whispered.  His voice was detached and distracted as if he was barely aware that she was listening.  He was talking more for himself than for her.

Harley wasn’t sure if she actually heard him or if she just read his lips.  She was too stunned and wary being in another Dybrid’s presence.  She was fascinated and horrified and nervous all at once.  She took a deep breath and realized that, other than smelling like he needed a shower, he had no foul rotting odor like the Ignis/Lux hybrids.  That’s a relief, Harley realized that she was still paranoid that she smelled as badly as Jason had.  “I am,” she answered Landon simply.

“What are we?” he asked.

Landon’s question bordered on pitiful and it hurt Harley to hear the desperation in his voice.  But she was relieved that he didn’t seem to be on a mania as she had heard about and had witnessed with Alice.  But she was also saddened by the fact that it was apparent that he had not willingly participated in his bond.  “They call us Dybrids.”

“What’s that?”

“We are Nocte’s with a bit of Lux added in,” Harley tried to smile to reassure him but it felt more like a grimace.

“How?”

“That’s a long story.  Can we go somewhere else so that I can explain?  Away from humans?”

Landon tilted his head as if he was trying to decipher some hidden meaning behind her words.  He had short brown hair with boy next door looks and if it wasn’t for his eerie eyes he would be the least intimidating Nocte she had seen.  Suspicion colored his eyes and Harley readied herself for a fight.  He giggled, leaning the Burner towards her.  “I don’t need to go anywhere.”  Drool slipped over his bottom lip and Harley could smell the blood on his breath.  “I have all I need here.”

“Well…I think you’ve tapped that one out…”  Landon jerked the Burner closer and examined her carefully.  Harley wrinkled her nose.  The normal burnt smell that accompanied all Ignis got stronger as they began to burn.  “I think you food is starting to burn.”

“Huh?  Oh!”  Landon released the woman’s shoulders and she would have flopped onto the floor had Harley not caught her.  Looking closely, she could see smoke beginning to seep from the wound on the woman’s throat and from her open mouth.

“I’m—I’m going to get rid of this and then we can get out of here, OK?”  When Landon didn’t respond, Harley offered an incentive.  “We should go find more Burners.  I know where there are a bunch.  Just ripe for the picking.”

“OK.”

Harley couldn’t tell if he was interested in her—being like himself—or more lured by food.  Who cares as long as it gets him out of here with me?  Landon giggled gleefully and Harley couldn’t avoid imagining him as a kid shoving a weaker kid’s head in the toilet.  She got a definite mean vibe from him.

“Stay here.”  Landon scowled at the force of her command.  “I just don’t want to lose you in the crowd.”

He looked at her narrowly before nodding sharply.  “OK.”

“Right there.”  Landon’s only response was a growl

Harley hoisted the Burner onto her shoulder and cringed at the strange feel of the woman’s skin.  It felt dry and she could swear it was starting to flake off already.  She had never messed with a Burner once it was dead.  She gripped the waistband of the woman’s leather pants and lifted her off the couch.  She needed to hurry before she ended up holding the body as it disintegrated in the middle of a crowd.  Considering no one began screaming as she made her way towards the bathrooms, she figured her plan worked.  She looked like she was dragging a half-passed out, sick girl to the bathroom.  She pushed past the line of women who complained only until they saw the condition of Harley’s charge.  Then, in fear of being vomited on, they quickly moved aside.

“Coming through, look out!”

Harley stumbled into the bathroom, shoving her way to the front of the line.  Three stalls lined one side of the bathroom and luckily a woman was coming out of the handicap stall at the end.  Harley barged through dragging the slowly decaying woman with her.  “Sorry!” she shouted to the grumbling women behind her.   Harley propped the Burner on the toilet and locked the door behind her.

Turning back to the body she gasped.  Flames were licking the sides of the woman’s mouth like they were trying to escape being eaten.  Shit!  Shit!  Shit!  Even her Nocte was shocked into silence.  She nearly gagged from the smell.  She imaged a burning sewer couldn’t smell much worse.  The combination of the natural reek of the Burner and the filthy toilet was nearly too much for Harley’s sensitive nose.  The women waiting for stalls began to cough and complain louder.

“OMG!  What’s wrong with her?” a girl called.

“She—she’s just sick,” Harley choked.  She hadn’t been enclosed in such a small space with a burning Ignis before.

Luckily, there was already smoke from woman illegally smoking in the bathrooms hanging around the ceiling—it helped disguise the smoldering that was rising from the body.  The Burner’s head began to tilt as the flames ate away at the wound in her neck.  It nearly fell to the floor until Harley reached out and held it in place by the hair.  Oh, man this was a BAD idea.  The guys owe me for this.  The waiting women began to complain even louder about the smell, and Harley nearly cried out in relief when she heard them rushing for the door.

Harley slipped from the stall as the last person ran for the door and Harley was right behind her.  She nearly ran into another woman, bewildered as to why people were rushing from the bathroom, and Harley stopped her.  “I wouldn’t go in there!”

“Uh, why?”

“A lady is REALLY…REALLY sick in there.”

The young woman wrinkled her nose.  “Shit!”

“Exactly.  I’m sure there is a bathroom upstairs though.”  The annoyed girl turned and hurried toward the stairs.  Harley rushed back to Landon, who was luckily still on the couch, in a few minutes nothing would be left of the Burner but a weird pile of ashes and a lingering smell.

Landon seemed to be in his own world, cowering in the corner and beginning to look disturbingly like Alice.  Whatever coherence he had after his feed was quickly fading.  “Let’s go!” Harley grabbed his shoulder and flinched away at his snarl.  His eyes, still black and white, were looking more frantic and hollow.  “Landon?”  After a moment he seemed to come back to his senses—at little.  He focused on her and pointed towards the door.  “Can we still go?”  His only response was a nod.

Harley made the decision to lead the way.  She didn’t like having him at her back, but she didn’t feel she had much of a choice.  Leading him would be easier than directing him.  After a few steps she turned to make sure he was following.  Relaxing a little at the sight of him standing and coming in her direction, Harley continued towards the exit.  Near the doors she spotted one of the bouncers that had greeted Pax watching her.  When he caught her eye and nodded while pulling out his phone she realized that the guys must have asked him to keep an eye on her.  She didn’t doubt their confidence in her, but she also knew they were trying to minimize notice as much as possible.  She also realized that the guy was probably texting Pax right now—and for that she was relieved.

Harley glanced behind her as she exited the bar.  Landon stumbled out after her and kept to the wall like an agoraphobic trying to leave the house.  Several people in line snickered assuming he was too drunk to walk without holding onto something.  She turned and kept walking as she listened for him following her.  Every so often she could hear him muttering to himself but not loud enough for her to make out what he was saying.  She paid close attention to his shuffling step—ready for him to snap and make a move to attack her.  At the end of the building he reluctantly stepped away from the building before continuing to follow her.

Past the main tourist attractions, several blocks from Sunset Blvd, Harley listened for Levi, Jag and Pax.  She could feel the gentle hum of Levi’s presence but it was hard to tell how far way he was.  As they passed what appeared to be a used car lot, Harley heard footsteps join her and Landon’s.  She didn’t want to turn and give them away, but she didn’t need to.  Landon heard them just after she did.  When he let out a bone rattling roar she turned just in time to see him leap at Levi.

The Nocte and the Dybrid hit the ground in a roll and Harley hesitated before jumping into the fight.  She didn’t want to make the situation worse by distracting Levi or getting in the way.  Pax and Jag joined her in trying to find the best way into the melee.  Landon was all gnashing teeth and wild swings.

“Landon!” Jag shouted.  “Stop this.”

But, if Landon heard him, he couldn’t be bothered to pay attention—or care.  Levi, the bigger of the two, caught him with a right hook to the jaw and shifted his weight until he was able to roll the Dybrid onto his back.  But, Levi wasn’t able to maintain the upper hand as Landon freed an arm and caught him by the throat.  With barely a flick of his wrist he flung Levi off and away from him.  As Levi somersaulted towards her, Harley leapt over his tumbling body and met Landon as he rolled to his feet.  The connection they had found in the bar was lost as he came at her with his fangs flashing in the streetlights.  She met him with a snarl and they locked in battle.  She could see Levi, Jag and Pax standing around them looking for a way to help her.

Blow for blow, kick for kick, Harley fought to subdue Landon.  The fact that she was the only one in the fight not going for the kill made her job extra difficult.  She refused to take several openings that she was sure would stop Landon once and for all in exchange for the chance to take him alive.  Landon knocked her to the ground with a kick that would make a horse jealous and Harley didn’t immediately jump to her feet.  Instead, she waited for him to come in close and as he went for her throat she used his own momentum to roll with him.  At the same time she drove her fist into his stomach hard enough to knock the breath from his lungs and stun him in place, giving her a chance to roll off him.  When she was clear the guys jumped into the fight.  Finally, in control of the Dybrid, Levi nodded at Pax who caught Landon’s arms and pinned them above his head while he caught his legs.  “We need to get him in the car before someone sees us and calls the cops,” Levi stood and hefted the struggling Landon off the ground.

“Do we have to get him all the way back to the diner?” Harley moaned.

“No.  We moved the car,” Jag answered.

“Whew.  Where is it?”

Levi nodded towards the car lot.  “Over there.”

“Let’s go,” Harley motioned them all to move.

Landon began shouting nonsense and growling like an animal while thrashing harder than ever.  Pax struggled to hold onto his arms and Levi was cursing as Landon bucked and tried to kick him off.  Harley considered taking over since she was as strong—at least—as Landon.  But she realized that while she MIGHT have better control over him than Pax and Jag—it would still be a fight.  “Here,” she pushed Jag, who was trying to help hold Landon still, out of the way.  Dodging the Dybrid’s  snapping teeth, she ducked into Pax’s grip and wrapped her arm around Landon’s head, gripped his chin and with a quick loud crack, broke his neck.  “There.  That will keep him quiet until we get him somewhere safe.”

Pax only scowled at her and Jag laughed.  “There is a certain brutish grace to her, isn’t there?” he asked Levi.

---------------------

Harley rode in the bad of Jag’s car again, this time with Levi next to her.  Pax sat in the passenger seat while Jag drove—Landon was safely stowed away in the truck.  They made their way to Jag’s Den as quickly as they dared because they didn’t know how long he would be out.  Harley watched the back of Pax’s head carefully—she didn’t like him she realized.  He was too quiet.  It was a different quiet than Aaron.  The redhead Lux was an observer.  That was something Harley could understand.  Whereas, Pax was a watcher—he didn’t just observe, he tallied and judged.  Harley could feel it in his narrow-eyed gaze.

Harley had never seen another Den and was looking forward to seeing what it looked like.  But, her interest in the California Den was diverted when she felt a tapping at her frontal lobe.  She knew who it was without checking the clock, but she looked anyway.  It must be sunrise on the east coast.  “Hey Cas.”

“Hey Love.  What’s going on out there?  You OK?”

“We’re fine.  We hit the ground running.  We already have Landon in custody.”

“What happened?”

“Long story short—he made a move on a Burner in public.  We had to take him down but we were able to get him alive.  We’re taking him back to the Den now.”

“Is it true?  Is he a Dybrid?”

Harley sighed and she wondered if Castor could hear it telepathically.  “Yeah.  He is.”

“Any idea who made him?’

“Not sure yet.  But we think Helion is here—so it could have been her.  But I’m still inclined to think it was Alice.”

“I checked the news but haven’t heard anything that sounds like Helion’s work.”

“We may have gotten here early enough to head her off.”

“Do you need me to come there?”

“No.  We don’t know anything for sure yet.  We need you to keep working on the Electorate.  And also, can you find out about a Lux named Joshua.  He seems to be in charge here?  We think it would be a good idea to talk to him.”

“Yeah.  I’ll see what I can find out.  Keep me posted—OK?”

“Tell Castor hello for me.”  Harley glanced at Levi and gave him a sheepish smile.  “You get a look on your face when you talk to him.”

Harley looked up to see Jag staring at her in the mirror again and Pax was watching her over his shoulder.  “I will.”

“Harley?”

“Sorry.  Levi says ‘hello.”

“Tell him I said ‘hello’ as well.”  Harley could hear the slight annoyance at Levi’s intrusion.  “And keep me posted,” Cas repeated.

“I will.  Has anything new happened there?”

“No.”

“Pass on the update to the Noctes if you can.”

“Will do.  Harley…”

“Yeah?”

“Be careful.”

Harley rolled her eyes.   “I will.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Harley felt the connection close and she relaxed against the firm car seat.  She hadn’t realized that she had leaned forward in concentration.

“What’s going on?” Jag asked.  The lights from other cars created patterns on his face and Harley could see the wariness in his eyes.

Harley glanced at Levi and he shook his head slightly.  “Nothing.”

“Bullshit,” Jag narrowed his eyes at her as his doubt began to shift to suspicion.

“Harley is a…creature of many talents,” Levi answered for her.

Harley held her breath until Jag shook his head but returned his focus to the road.  Pax watched her for a moment longer then also refocused on the road in front of them.  She didn’t want to look at Levi again in case Pax or Jag noticed and became more suspicious so she watched the Hollywood hills rising like dark monsters from the sea.  She placed a hand on his knee and after a moment he covered her hand with his.

It took them less than thirty minutes to get from Sunset Blvd to Toluca Lake.  Harley marveled at the huge houses and sprawling lawns.  She didn’t have to be local to realize that the suburb of L.A. was an affluent neighborhood.  She tried to not gape like an idiot but wasn’t very successful.  A lot of the houses featured gated driveways and Harley realized this was actually a perfect location for a secure facility.  Given the proximity to L. A. and the luxury, there had to be more than a few movie stars living here.  Who would pay attention to any security measure or strangeness going on with your neighbor.  Hell, Harley thought to herself.  You could probably have a full on battle in your backyard and people would assume you were filming a movie.

Chapter 9

Jag guided the car through gates that required him to not only punch in an access code, but hold his thumb against a clear lens as well.  With a metal whirr the heavy, wrought iron gates slid back into recessed grooves of the stucco walls surrounding the property.  Despite the twenty foot wall, Harley could see the roof of an enormous house.  Her mouth fell open in shock as the car passed through the gates and they got a full view of the Den.

“I feel kind of cheated,” she whispered.

Jag and Levi both chuckled.  “Hey,” Jag shrugged.  “We’re just keeping up with the Jones’.’”

The California Den was massive, making their plain farmhouse look like a shed.  It was light colored stucco to match the property wall but its roof was orange-ish tile that complemented the Spanish feel of the neighborhood.  There were no trees that could hide an advancing intruder—just like the Virginia Den—but there was a fountain in front of the double entry doors.  Harley snorted when she realized it was a statue of a snarling wolf on two legs.  It was, apparently, a werewolf that looked like it was surfing on the gushing fountain water.  A light at the base made the water look like it was glowing.

Jag heard her laugh and smiled at her reaction.  “Rumor has it that this house was owned by some old-time actor whose claim to fame was playing Wolfman.”  Jag turned sharply to the right towards a large detached building that Harley assumed was the garage.

Harley continued to be amazed by the luxury of the Den as they rolled inside—the garage floor was tiled to match the roof in color and texture.  The only difference was it was in a honeycomb pattern and not in large overlapping tiles.  Jag parked next to a large military looking vehicle and, if Harley had to guess, it belonged to Pax.   The four of them gathered at the back of the car and withdrew their weapons.  Landon had not made a sound but they weren’t taking any chances.

“You ready?” Levi asked everyone.  They all responded with a nod.  Jag used the key fob to unlock the trunk and they all waited with held breaths as the lid slowly lifted on its own.

Everyone relaxed when Landon was still unconscious squeezed in next to Harley and Levi’s suitcase.  Harley reached out with her machete and poked Landon firmly in the chest.  When he didn’t give any indication that he was awake, she cautiously reached forward and pulled the suitcase from the trunk and stepped back.  Pax leaned into the tight space and pulled Landon’s limp body out of the car.  Throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of flour, he strode wordlessly out of the garage.  Jag trailed after Pax and Levi took the suitcase from Harley, motioning her forward.  Harley followed the two Nocte across the covered walkway to the side entrance of the house.

Harley wished she had time to pay more attention to the details of the decor as she followed Jag and Pax through the mansion.  There were few lights illuminating the hallways, but she could make out paintings that hung on the walls.  The ones she had time to see seemed to depict military battles and soldiers displaying medals and other honors.  She wrinkled her nose.  Not my idea of comfy.  Her Nocte huffed but Harley couldn’t tell if that was in agreement or not.  Pax didn’t drop Landon until they reached a room in the basement of the house.  The floor was hard wood and there were racks built into the walls.  At one time it probably stored wine—lots and lots of expensive wine.  I’d like to have some of that wine right about now.

Harley turned to look at Levi and was surprised that he wasn’t behind her.  She had been so distracted that she hadn’t heard him change directions.  As Jag and Pax secured Landon with silver chains against a wooden support beam, she considered going to find Levi but Jag’s voice stopped her.

“How long do you think he will be out?”

“I-I’m not sure.  I would guess until tomorrow night though.”

“Have you had your neck broken before?”

“Yeah.  I experienced…disturbingly similar events.”

“OK.  Well…these supports are solid wood.  Combined with the silver I am confident he won’t get loose.  Even if he does, the door is fortified with silver.”

As they turned to leave the room Levi joined them, minus the suitcase.  “I claimed a room.  Dropped our suitcase off,” he answered Harley’s unspoken question.

Harley was surprised by how well he knew his way around this Den—but then again, traveling was his job.  He had probably spent plenty of time here over the years.  She noticed the darkening circles under his eyes and realized he was even more tired than she was.  But she had a bigger problem than sleepiness.

“Can I borrow your car?” she asked Jag?

“Why?’ he asked suspiciously.

“I really need to feed,” she half-mumbled.

“I could really use a feed too,” Levi put a hand on her shoulder.

“Oh!  Not to worry.  We have you covered,” Jag waved them ahead.

They stepped through the door and waited for Pax to exit and Jag to secure the locks.  Landon was slumped upright and chained to a pole in the middle of the room, but why take any chances?

“Last door on the right,” Jag pointed the way.

“What’s in there?” Harley asked, looking to Levi for some kind of clue but he looked as surprised and as curious as she did.

“We sometimes keep a supply on hand,” Jag grinned.  Pax had already left them as he returned to the ground floor.

“Oh.  OK.”

Harley and Levi parted ways with Jag who said he needed to take care of some technicalities before he went to bed.  She had expected to find a fridge with bagged supplies of Burner blood in the room that Jag directed them too.  It wasn’t very appetizing, but it did the trick.  However, as they stopped in front of the door, Harley doubted that theory.  The heavy wooden door had two silver locks that could be opened without a key from this side.  She and Levi glanced at one another before he reached out and flipped the locks and pulled the door open.

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Harley groaned and her Burner alarm buzzed through her.

Levi was staring into the room open mouthed.  Harley didn’t blame him.  Inside were three Burners chained to two different support beams.  Two females were secured to one and a male to another.  “What is this?” she asked.

Levi shook his head and looked angry.  “A pantry?” he snorted ruefully.

The Burners looked pale and weak as they glared up at them.  Looking around the room, Harley could see lines of silver running the length of the walls.  That must have been why her alarm didn’t go off sooner.  The silver was blocking the Ignis just like it would block the Lux and Nocte from Ignis detection.  For a brief moment she felt sorry for the Burners—she knew they were cold hearted and prayed upon pain and suffering.  But she could tell that they had been here for a while, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was torture.  But you’ve done worse…a voice in her head reminded her.  If she didn’t know better she would have thought it was her Nocte, but she knew that wasn’t possible.

Harley glanced at Levi again.  “Is it just me…or does this seem…wrong?”

Levi rubbed a hand across his eyes.  “Yeah.  This is just…cold.”

Harley hesitated before going inside.  This is wrong.  You’ve actually tortured Ignis before.  But that was…at least…quick.  This…this is just sick.  Really?  Humans keep food on hand all the time.  I can’t just go in and…eat one of them.  Why not?  If you don’t they will just continue to suffer here until one of the others eats them.  Harley looked to Levi and he shrugged helplessly.  Dawn was approaching and they both were hungry.  She sighed.  “I guess we might as well?”

“Sure,” Levi shrugged again.

Feeling like a monster, Harley chose one of the female Burners.  The Ignis snapped at her uselessly as Harley pulled her head to the side and bit into her neck.  The blood was satisfying as it flooded her mouth, but Harley didn’t enjoy it.  Not nearly as much as she normally did.  She didn’t know if it was the predator in her or the remaining bits of her humanity—but after the feeding she felt dirty.  She wiped her mouth on the Burner’s shirt and told herself she would not feed this way again and one look at Levi told her he felt the same.

By the time Harley and Levi showered and made it to bed, neither of them felt like doing much other than falling asleep.  Levi was out almost instantly, but Harley, curled against his chest, opened her mind and called out to Castor.

“Hey.”

Cas answered almost immediately.  “Hi!”  He sounded surprised to hear from her again so soon.

“Can you check on some Noctes for me too?  Find out if there are any rumors or gossip about Jag Fahd and Pax—no last name.”

“Jag?  Isn’t that Levi’s friend?”

“Yeah.  And Pax is his Captain—but I’m not sure I trust them.”

“Why?”

“I-I don’t want to go into it yet.”

“What does Levi say?”

“We’ve not talked about it yet.  I don’t know if it’s safe to talk here.”

“OK.  I’ll see what I can find out.  Be careful.”

“Of course.  Thanks.”  Harley closed the connection and let sleep take her under.

--------------------

As usual, Harley knew right away she was dreaming.  She looked around trying to figure out where she was but all she saw was light.  She had been here before, she realized—it was a place made out of sunlight.  Instead of running, this time Harley forced herself to relax and take a deep breath.  She closed her eyes and even though that didn’t block the light, as it burned from inside and out, it did lessen the intensity.  Harley bent her knees as sank to the ground.  She could feel vegetation through her clothes and she reached out to touch the warm blades of what she assumed—hoped—was grass.

The last time Harley was here she had ran blindly until she fell off some kind of cliff.  She was saved from crashing into the ground by a creature that had snatched her out of the air.  Overwhelmed with terror and panic, she had not taken a moment to evaluate her situation.  This time, she forced herself to remain calm.  This was just a dream.  She waited, with a pounding heart, for something to happen and she didn’t have to wait long.  A hot breeze lifted her hair and brushed her face and a strong thumping told her the rush of air was coming from something very large flying very close to her.

Harley fought the urge to bolt.  The air stilled for a moment before being stirred again—this time from the opposite direction.  She held her breath and waited to see what the Lux wanted.  She knew—on an instinctual level—that she was right—a Lux was flying back in forth in front of her.  The attack she expected never came.  Instead, after several passes it seemed to change directions.  This time, when it came back, it came from above.  Wind rushed over Harley’s head and she sat motionless, waiting for the Lux to make a move.  The amount of air being displaced took her breath away.  The Lux had to be huge but Harley couldn’t see past the blinding white light.

Harley was sure the thing wasn’t going to attack her.  Had that been its intentions it would have already.  After a moment, she took a risk and sat up straight.  As soon as she did she felt an invisible shadow descend upon her.  She didn’t even have time to react before strong, bony claws gripped her upper arms and with a vacuum of sound she was jerked off the ground and into the air.

At first Harley was pretty sure that she left her stomach on the ground and she couldn’t breathe.  However, after a brief adjustment period, Harley realized that she was essentially flying.  She stopped being afraid.  Had the creature wanted to hurt her, there was no reason for it to wait until it had expended the energy of lifting her off the ground and flying with her.  Harley barely had time to be glad that she couldn’t actually see before shapes began to form in the light.  It started as black blobs forming out of the vast whiteness.  Then it slowly became a streak and, as she blinked, the streak stretched into a black line.  Harley’s eyes adjusted to the light bit by bit and when she finally made out what was below her throat closed in terror.

The black line became a river that stretched as far as she could see.  It was hard to tell how wide it was considering she wasn’t sure how high she was but Harley was reminded of the overhead pictures of the Amazon river.  Although, the Amazon river wasn’t black.  The “water” below her was as black as a Nocte’s eyes.  On either side of the river were bundles of what looked like tubes on long stalks.  The stalks were the color of elephant hide and the clusters at the top were a dark green.  Harley’s skin crawled to look at them and she wasn’t even sure why.  She blinked back tears from her sunburned eyes.  She may be able to see through the light, but that didn’t make it any less painful.

As Harley tried to focus on the wadded tubes below her she realized why they gave her the creeps.  As she watched, the clusters shifted and changed.  A long tendril uncurled, reaching for the bundle beside it.  Her Nocte’s words came rushing back at her.  “…trees would be the easiest thing here to equate their environment to….”  The writhing masses of tentacles were “trees,” she realized, and that was where the Lux lived.  The claws of the Lux tightened on her arm and she finally found her breath.  Harley started screaming as the Lux descending closer and closer to the living tree-creatures below them.

Chapter 10

“Harley!?”

Castor’s frantic voice broke into the dream causing Harley to jerk awake.  Her heart raced and sweat caused her tee shirt to stick to her back as she slowly sat up.  “Cas?”  His voice was faint and full of static but she could tell it was him.

“Yeah.  Are you OK?”

“I am now.  Thank you.”  She was surprised that he had been able to pick up on her fright from so far away and through the silver reinforcements on the house.

“Babe?”

Harley looked back at Levi who was blearily peering at her through half asleep eyes.  “Sorry.  I had a bad dream.  Go back to sleep.  I’m OK.”

“You sure?” Levi asked.

“Yeah.”

“Mmkay,” he mumbled before rolling over.

Castor’s voice still wasn’t coming in clearly but she could at least communicate with him.  “Harley?”  Judging by the edge to his voice Castor had called her name more than once.

“Sorry.  I woke Levi up too.”  Carrying on a conversation with two people is complicated, Harley thought to herself.

“What happened?”

“I had an awful dream.”  Harley slid out of bed and pulled on a pair of yoga pants before slipping out of the bedroom.

“What was it about?”

“I-I think I was in the Other World.”

“What did you see?”

Harley described the dream to Cas as she wandered the house.  The other Noctes were asleep.  She could hear them behind closed doors—sleeping peacefully.  She hadn’t seen anyone other than Pax and Jag last night, but she could tell there were at least two others on the floor she and Levi slept on.  Finally, on the first floor she found what she was looking for—a library that opened onto a tiled patio.  She needed air.

“It was just a dream though, right?” Cas asked.  She had told Levi, Castor and Nya about the weird dream visions she had while being held captive by the Sol.  The jury was still out on how much was dream and how much was memory.

“I’m not sure,” Harley answered.  She slid open the patio doors, holding her breath that she wouldn’t set off some kind of alarm.  At the Den in Virginia as long as the doors were unlocked from inside, the alarm wouldn’t be tripped.  She hopped for a similar set up here.  When she heard no alarms sounding she stepped out onto into the warm, late-afternoon sun.  The tiles were nearly hot and they felt good against her bare feet.  “I mean, I know I was dreaming—but I don’t think my imagination made up what I saw there.”

“Well…regardless.  You’re safe.”  Outside, away from the silver fortifications the connection was much clearer though Castor’s voice still sounded hollow and far away.

“Yeah,” Harley answered even though he hadn’t asked a question.  “Did you find out any information on the stuff I asked you about?” she changed the subject.  She sat on the bronze and sandstone bench and turned her face toward the sky.  The blinding sun reminded her of the dream and her breathing sped up as she remembered the feeling of flying.  Instead of getting carried away by the fear of the strange and unknown landscape, Harley focused on the rush of the flight and the soothing feel of the wind rushing over her body.

“I haven’t found any information about Pax or Jag yet, mainly because I’m only with James at the moment and he doesn’t know them.  When I’m able to talk to other Lux I’ll feel them out.  As for Joshua, James knows him.”

The dip in Castor’s voice was brought chills to her arms despite the warmth of the sun.  “What?”  She sat up straight and leaned back against the bench, waiting for what she was sure wasn’t good news.

Cas sighed.  “Joshua is a notorious ass apparently.  Not friendly towards ‘outsiders’ or Noctes.”

“Shit.”

“Yep.  So tread carefully.  In the meantime, James is going to see what he can do to help bridge that gap.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem.  Are you sure you are OK?”

“Yeah.”

“OK.  Well I’m going to go.  It’s getting late here.”

“Oh!  Sorry.  The time change is screwing with me.”

“No problem.  Call me if you need me.  Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Harley spent a few more minutes in the sun before she made her way back into the library.  Before her eyes adjusted to the change in light she realized she wasn’t alone.  She was surprised that she didn’t hear anyone approach and the only explanation was the distraction of her conversation with Cas.  The very reason I am not comfortable with psychic communication, Harley sighed to herself.  She wasn’t overly alarmed to find a human gaping at her from the shadows of the library.  Nya had a human assistant at her Den as well.

The man that stood in front of Harley was young—early twenties at the oldest.  He had dark hair and eyes and was only a few inches taller than Harley.  When he spoke his words had a slight South American accent.  “I’m s-sorry,” he stuttered.  “I didn’t know anyone…was…awake.”

His hesitation made it clear he was used to the occupants of the house sleeping during the day and his racing heart indicated that he knew Harley wasn’t a human.  She smiled, trying to put him at ease.  “No worries.  I keep a different schedule from the others—more…flexible.”

“Um…can I get you anything?”

“No.  No, I’m fine,” Harley smiled again.  She started to walk past him and he stepped back, giving her a wide berth.

“I heard the alarm on the door…”

“Oh!”  So there was an alarm.  “Sorry.  I just needed some air.”

“In the sun?”

So this guy knows a lot.  “Again…I keep a more flexible schedule.  My name is Harley.”

“I-I’m Marcos.  Everyone calls me Marc.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“You-you…too?”

Harley couldn’t help but laugh.  “Well, I hope you decide soon.”

Marc finally smiled.  “Sorry.  I’ve just never met one…anyone…like you here before—I mean in the day…”

“That’s a good thing.”  Harley laughed again when his eyes grew round.

Marc recovered his composure the best he could.  “Well, my office is next to the kitchen.  Let-let me know if you need anything.”

“Will do.”

Still feeling edgy from the nightmare, Harley made her way to the basement.  She ignored the first room that she knew held Landon, she didn’t hear movement and figured he was still unconscious.  Outside the second silver-reinforced door she hesitated.  She needed another feeding.  Well, I guess I don’t HAVE to feed right again already…but it’s important to keep my strength up, right?”  Plus, Harley realized that her desire to kill the Burner she knew was being held on the other side of the door had something to do with her hunger as well.  She knew that it was overriding her resolve to not feed on a captive Burner again.  And, she reminded herself, keeping the creature around to suffer was deplorable—it was better to just finish them off and get it over with.

Harley unlocked the door and opened it slowly.  The last female Burner was still chained to the closer of the two support beams.  The Ignis looked up at her and growled weakly.  Despite her condition, her eyes still gleamed with feral light, maybe even more in her pain.  The thin silver chains were cutting into the Burner’s wrists and Harley could see, as well as smell, the blood there—both recent and dried.  Harley knelt in front of the brown-haired woman and wrinkled her nose.  Not only did she smell like fire, as all Burners did, she smelled filthy.

“I’m sorry,” Harley told her.  The Burner narrowed her eyes in confusion.  “I don’t condone this sort of…thing,” she indicated the room and the restraints.  “It’s not very…sporting like.  And unnecessarily cruel.”  She reached out and brushed the Burner’s hair aside.  As she leaned towards the woman’s neck the Burner spoke in a dry cracked voice.

“Thank you.”

--------------------

As the sun set, Harley returned to the bedroom she shared with Levi.  She had showered again, needing to wash off the dried sweat and the memory of “mercy” eating another Burner.  Levi was dressing as she walked in and he grinned at her wearing only a towel.  “Well hello,” he smirked.  “I see you brought me breakfast.”

Considering Harley carried nothing but her dirty clothes, she had to smile.  “What about Jag?”

Levi cocked his head to the side.  “I’m not THAT hungry,” he smirked

Harley laughed.  “Aren’t they expecting us interrogate Landon if he’s conscious?”

Levi pulled his phone out of his unbuttoned jeans.  “It seems someone ate the last Ignis.  So they went out to hunt…”

Harley grimaced.  “I couldn’t resist.  I’m insatiable.”

“I know.”

Levi pushed her back on the bed with one hand and she giggled as she bounced against the mattress.  She still held her towel together with one hand but as Levi leaned over her he brushed her hands to the side.  Complying, she relaxed and exhaled heavily as Levi opened her towel.  He ran the tip of his tongue over her lip before kissing his way down her neck to her breast.  Each kiss raised goosebumps along her arms and leaned her head back and thrust her chest forward.  Harley sighed and let Levi distract her from everything going on.  She didn’t want to think about Helion, Landon or keeping Burners in the basement.  She didn’t want to worry about not trusting those she was supposed to count as allies.  Instead, she focused on the warmth of Levi’s lips and the sharp brush of his whiskers and the scent of his skin as he rubbed his face against hers.

Levi held her hands over her head as he lowered his mouth to her nipple.  Using his teeth plucked each one with increasing intensity, as he growled with barely contained desire, Harley yelped and arched her back in bliss.  Levi let go of her hands to dig his fingers into her hips and shift her further onto the bed.  As he kissed a trail down her stomach, Harley dug her fingers into his long hair and grinned wickedly at the ceiling with anticipation.  As he kissed her deep inside a shudder started at her stomach and radiated outward across her body.

Harley came quickly with a shiver and she used her foot to guide Levi back up her body.  He retraced the trail he left with his tongue and lips and when he was eye to eye she smiled at him.  “I love you,” she whispered.

“I know,” he grinned back at her.

As Harley pushed his jeans down, Levi rolled across the bed with her so that she ended up sitting in his lap.  He raised her hips and lowered her onto himself and she moaned against his mouth as he filled her.  Using her hair Levi pulled her head back, exposing her neck.  She pressed his head into her shoulder as she rocked her hips against his.  When his fangs sank into her she felt herself flow into him.  With each swallow she filled him as he filled her and she dug her nails into his back and Levi groaned in pleasure and pain.

Without missing a beat, Levi grasped Harley’s shoulders and rolled again so that he was above her.  His weight pressed her into the mattress as he moved against her and not able to hold back any longer, Harley sank her fangs into Levi’s shoulder.  As they both came they cried out before collapsing in shivering satisfaction.  Harley lay on her back with Levi next to her with one arm curled across her chest, under her shoulder and cradled her head.  His face was buried in her neck and she loved the feel of his warm breath brushing against her throat.  With her arm around his neck she played with his hair and they dozed for a few moments simply enjoying the stillness that surrounded them both while blocking the rest of the world out.

Unfortunately, the rest of the world will not be ignored for long and Levi’s phone pinged with a text and he and Harley both grumbled as they untangled themselves.  “Jag and Pax are back,” Levi declared, hanging halfway off the bed and looking at his phone.  “They want us to meet them in five minutes in the basement.”

Harley sighed, she hated to ruin the mood but she needed to say it.  “I don’t like that they keep Burner’s in the basement.  Is that normal?”  It wasn’t something that Nya did, but maybe it was more common than Harley realized.

Levi pulled his jeans back on and began rummaging through their suitcase for a tee shirt.  “Not really.  I don’t like it either.  But I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.”

“I think it’s a big deal!  It’s torture.”

Levi looked at her blankly.  “You’ve tortured people too.”  And at the look on her face he backtracked.  “We all have.”

“But this is just unnecessarily cruel.”

Levi sighed.  “I know.  I’ll talk to Jag about it.”

“Thanks,” Harley muttered.  She dressed in jeans and a black tank top.  Looking in the mirror she cringed.  Her and Levi’s romp had not been kind to her hair.  She quickly braided it before following Levi out the door and to the basement.  Harley scowled at the paintings they passed.  She still didn’t like the cold, militaristic theme that decorated the house.  It made her think of Pax and that wrinkled brow even more.  She just couldn’t make herself like the gruff Nocte.

As they passed the kitchen, Harley looked for Marc’s office and found it with the door open.  She hesitated only a moment in the doorway—marveling at the security monitors above the desk.  The room was empty, otherwise she would have said hello.  She realized that she had not had a serious conversation with a human in nearly a year and was intrigued by his response to her.  She didn’t like how nervous she made him and she realized, for some unfathomable reason, she wanted him to be comfortable with her.  She made a note to herself to seek him out later.

As Harley and Levi entered the basement corridor she could see that the room in which Landon was held was already open.  She and Levi stopped in the doorway, not quite sure what to expect.  Pax and Jag stood over Landon who was wide awake and muttering silently to himself.  At their appearance his head snapped up and he made eye contact with Harley.  His eyes were already dilated to their strange black and white nature and Harley’s heart sank.  He looked even less sane than he did last night.

Chapter 11

Jag unfolded several metal chairs and passed them around.  Harley made a point to set hers up directly in front of Landon.  The guys set theirs up behind and to the side of the Dybrid so that Harley was the only one he had a direct line of sight on.

“Hi Landon,” Harley spoke softly.  Landon’s only response was to snarl and drool dripped slowly over his lower lip.  “I enjoyed talking with you last night.  She still got no response other than his tongue to darting out to lick his lips.  Harley was reminded of a snarling wolf.  She sighed and looked to the Nocte behind him.  The pressure was on.  They needed Landon to talk.  Taking a deep breath she called her Nocte and waited for him to notice the change in her eyes.

Harley’s heart picked when she saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes.  She glanced at other Noctes barely able to contain her excitement and they sat a bit straighter in their seats.  “Landon?” she ventured again.  He still didn’t speak but his eyes weren’t as vacant as before.  Now they were locked onto her and it nearly made her skin crawl.  She thought back to Alice’s condition.  She had also stared at her like she was a piece of steak.  “You’re probably hungry, huh?” she asked Landon.  Landon didn’t speak, but he did sniff the air and the sides of his mouth flexed in either an attempt at a smile or he was simply showing his fangs—which were fully descended.  “If you talk to me, I promise we will bring you an Ignis.”  No change—she crossed her arms and sat back in the chair.

“I don’t know how to reach him,” Harley confessed to the guys.

“Was Alice like this?” Jag asked.

“Yes,” Harley answered.

“Was he this bad last night?” Levi asked.

“No.  He was still…mean…unpleasant.  But he was communicating—mostly.”

“So if we feed him a Burner he might talk?” Jag asked.

Harley shrugged.  “He would probably be able to talk and respond.  I don’t know how much help he would be though.”

“And there haven’t been any other hybrids other than you and her?  Harley and Levi glanced at each other.  “What?”

“Well,” Harley began.  “Alice bonded a Lux with an Ignis.”

“Really?” Fascination colored Jag’s voice and even Pax lifted his eyebrows.  “What is that called?”

“A stupid idea?” Levi snorted.

“I don’t know that anyone has come up with a clever name for it,” Harley answered.

“Well,” Jag asked.  “How well did that work?”

Harley shrugged.  “He wasn’t any crazier than an Ignis would be…”

“But?”

Harley met Jag’s eyes and shook her head.  “The bond between a human and Ignis is different.  I don’t know that the same problems would be created as trying to bond a Lux and Nocte.”  Harley thought back to Everett’s explanation of why platinum affected them so differently than silver.  “What if it’s because of the viral like bond of the Ignis?”

Jag must have understood what she meant because he didn’t look confused.  Neither did Levi since he had already heard Everett’s theories with her.  She glanced at Pax and, if she were to guess, his scowl seemed to translate to confusion.  “Maybe.  Who would know more about it?” Jag asked.

Harley shrugged and looked to Levi.  “Hey,” he responded.  “My go to for information is the same as yours.  Nya.”

“We should ask her,” Harley suggested.

“Sounds good to me.  What do we do with him in the mean time?” Levi asked.

Jag tilted his head as he considered the Dybrid at their feet.  “We could try to…”convince” him to talk.”

Harley scowled at him.  “Not that I’m afraid of coercion, but with him it’s not going to work.”

Jag raised a brow at the bite of her response.  “You don’t think?”

“No!”  The air rushed through her nose and she tried to calm herself down.  Even her Nocte was perturbed.  “He’s unstable.  Not stubborn.”  She knew all too well what felt like to try to contain the power of two supernatural creatures and losing control.  She didn’t know if she would have ever gotten herself under control had Haddon not decided to work with her instead of against her.  She shivered at the memory of feeling like she was an observer in her own body and clenched her stomach at the memory of the burning hunger that overcame her so quickly as a Dybrid.  It had reduced Alice to a snarling zombie—not unlike Landon was now.

“Guys,” Harley sat up straight.  Levi, Jag and even Pax looked up, surprised at her sudden animation.  “I need you guys to leave the room.”

“What?” Levi snapped.

“I would like you to trust me and leave me alone with Landon for a minute.”

“Why?”  Levi’s flared nostril and hard eyes told Harley just how much he did not want to do what she asked.  He knew she was going to do something he didn’t like.

“I want to try something.  In private.”  Harley gave him a pointed look and prayed that he wouldn’t argue too hard.

“What do you want to do that you can’t do in front of us?” Jag was half-amused and half-suspicious.

Harley continued to appeal to Levi and ignored Jag.  “Please.  Just trust me.”

Levi ran both hands over his face.  “On a scale of one to ten how stupid is what you about to do?”

Harley smirked.  “Only about a five.”

Shaking his head, Levi stood.  “I guess I can live with that.  You get five,” Levi cautioned her.

“I don’t want a minute more,” Harley locked eyes with him pointedly.

Jag watched Harley and Levi for a moment before he shrugged and motioned for the scowling Pax to follow him out of the room.  After the door shut behind Pax, Harley stood and Landon’s black and white eyes followed her every movement.  “I know you must be starving,” she said, kneeling next to him.  “I’m going to give you some of my blood.”  She could see the excitement growing in Landon’s eyes.

“Good, you do understand what I’m saying.”  Harley edged further behind Landon.  “But, if you don’t stop when I tell you to, I WILL break your neck.  And if I can’t break your neck, I will call out for those guys and they will come in here and kill you.  Do you understand?  Nod if you understand.”  Slowly, Landon moved his head in an up and down motion.  Harley placed her right hand on his chin cautiously, as if she was trying to grasp the lower lip of a piranha and she decided that analogy really wasn’t far off.  She slowly brought her left arm around and poised her wrist in front of Landon’s mouth.  She could feel his rapid and excited pulse under her hand and she took a deep breath before bringing her wrist to his mouth.

When Levi fed from her, or even when Cas pulled from her, there was pleasure mixed in.  But there was no pleasure in Landon’s bite.  Harley clenched her teeth against the pain of not only his fangs, but the drain of her blood.  Luckily, within seconds, her arm went numb and she guessed this was the Nocte paralysis taking over and she hoped it wouldn’t take over her whole body.  She hadn’t considered that problem.  But, the reason she told Levi she only wanted five minutes was in case something went wrong.  Even if Landon drained her dry, she wouldn’t die—let alone in five minutes.

Even though the numbness that spread across her arm stopped the immediate pain of the bite it didn’t stop the uncomfortable feeling of losing blood.  She could feel the pull at her heart and it made her head swim.  She was relieved that the paralysis wasn’t going beyond her arm.  Maybe she had an immunity to a Nocte bite—she hadn’t experienced any with Levi.  After another minute she decided she had had enough.  “Time to stop,” she grunted.  Landon growled but didn’t slow down.  “Enough!”  When he only sucked at her wrist harder she tightened her right hand on his chin and began to twist his neck.  The threat seemed to finally work and, panting, Landon pulled away from her wrist and she fell backwards away from him.

Harley looked at the dripping wound on her wrist.  Slowly, slower than she would have expected, the two gashes caused by Landon’s fangs began to close.  Another minute and she was left with two raw scabs and blood smeared across her skin.  Another thirty seconds and even the scabs were gone.  Harley slowly stood and, wrinkling her nose, she licked the last of the mess off her wrist and flinched at the bitter taste of her own blood.  She made her way around to Landon’s front to observe his condition.  He was licking the last of the blood from around his mouth but he was otherwise clean.  Even better, there was an awareness in his now brown eyes, that had not been there before.  “Hello,” she smiled at him.

“Hello,” he mumbled, looking down at his lap.

Sighing in relief, while at the same time disturbed that her theory proved true, Harley turned and opened the door.  “Come back in,” she smiled.

Jag, then Pax, then Levi came through the door.  One at a time they marveled at Landon’s condition.  “What did you do?” Jag asked.

Harley shrugged after catching Levi’s eye.  “I worked some magic.”  She doubted there could be much blood smell in the air and she hoped she was right.  She didn’t want to try to explain this to Jag or Pax, they were already looking at her suspiciously enough as it was.  Levi, she would tell later—in private.

Landon raised his head slowly and looked sheepishly at everyone.  Jag was the first to speak with him after pulling his chair to the front, next to Harley’s.  “Hello, Landon,” she said again.

“Hi,” the Dybrid answered softer than before.

“How are you feeling?”

“Not good.”

“Why?”  Landon didn’t answer--but he didn’t really need to.

“What happened to you?” Jag asked.  Harley was surprised by the softness of his voice.  She expected him to be angry with the incumbent general.

“Fucking Alice—a Lux that I…I let convince me to help her.”  Landon went back to staring at his lap in shame.  “She seemed…”he trailed off as he realized anything he said would be stupid.  Harley didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed to find out they had been right that Alice had been responsible for Landon’s condition.  Sadly, it meant Landon had been this way, alone, for a long time.

“I understand, man.  I already know,” Jag assured him.

“How?” Landon looked up with hope in his brown eyes.

“Harley and Levi told me what happened.  Where have you been for the last few months?  Everyone thought you were dead.”

“I-I was in this basement.  I couldn’t get out.  The door was too strong.  Not even…not even when I was starving.”

Harley grimaced—she could only imagine the pain he must have felt.  “How long were you there?” she asked him.  “The whole time?”

“What time?” Landon was still confused and full of remorse.

“Who let you out?” she asked when she realized she didn’t have a frame of reference that would make any sense to him.

“I don’t know.  It was a woman.”

“Helion?”

“Who?”

“The woman.”  Harley asked.  “Was she...blonde?  Made of light?”

“No,” he sounded dazed.  “But I think I remember that one.  She was there once.  Her eyes burned.”

Harley looked sharply at Levi and he met her gaze with the same concern.  “Yeah, that sounds like Helion,” she explained to Landon, Jag and Pax.  “What did the other woman look like?”

“I-I don’t remember.  Dark hair.  Maybe an accent?”

Harley scowled.  Turning to Jag she asked him, “How long has Landon been spotted?  How long has it been since he resurfaced?”

“Three days?” Jag looked to Pax to confirm.  Pax nodded.

“We need to check the news, see if anything is going on with humans.  Do you have any feel on the balance yet, Levi?”

“No,” he shook his head.  “I need to be out on the streets more.”

“What happened after she let you out?” Harley asked, returning to Landon.  “What did she do then?”

“Nothing,” Landon shrugged the best that he could with his arms still chained behind him.  “She let me out and I-I was…like a rabid animal.  I ran.  I just needed to feed.  I think I attacked someone in the house.  I don’t even know if it was an Ignis.  I just…I fed.  By the time I was aware of what I was doing I was wandering on the streets,” he shuddered.

“And you’ve not seen Helion since then?” Harley asked.

Landon shook his head.  “I attacked a Burner in a bar.  Why did I do that?  And I attacked you,” he looked at Levi.

Harley patted him on the leg.  “It’s not your fault.  Not really.”

“Am I…am I going to-to lose it like that again?”

The sadness and the desperation in his voice hurt Harley—especially when she had to answer him truthfully.  “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean?” Jag asked her, bewildered.  “What you did isn’t permanent?”

“I don’t think so…”

“Well, can’t you do it again?” he was searching for a way to help his friend.

“No.  It’s not something I can repeat often,” Harley glanced at Levi hoping he would understand that she would tell him soon.

“Just what did you do?” Jag snapped at her, stepping closer.

Harley narrowed her eyes at him.  Really?  He thinks he’s going to go toe to toe with us?  Harley could feel her Nocte’s amusement as her eyes shifted to black and white.

Before Harley or Jag could make a move, Levi stepped in between them and pushed Jag back.  “You don’t want to do this.”  He was looking between them both but Harley was sure he was talking to Jag more than her and it made her snicker.

Jag stepped back and looked down at Landon.  “What did she do?”  Landon only shook his head, refusing to answer.  Jag glared at Harley and Levi before turning on his heel and stomping from the room.  Harley narrowed her eyes at Pax who was putting a knife back into his boot before following Jag from the room.

Harley squatted in front of Landon again.  “I’m sorry we are going to have to leave you here.”  Landon nodded with understanding.  “We’ll bring you a Burner back, OK.”  Landon nodded again but didn’t look up from the floor.

As Harley and Levi turned to shut the door behind them Landon finally caught her eye.  “I’m sorry,” he said miserably.

“I know,” she assured him.

Chapter 12

Jag nor Pax were waiting when Levi and Harley secured the door behind them.  Neither of them even spoke until they were upstairs.  “Let’s go hunt,” Levi suggested.  “Jag gave me the keys to his bike.”  Despite everything, Harley grinned at him.  “What?” he asked.

Harley shrugged.  “You said the magic words.”

Less than thirty minutes later Harley held onto Levi’s waist as they sped down the coast towards Venice Beach.  She could see the ocean over the trees and the image was breath taking.  At night, Harley couldn’t tell where the Pacific Ocean ended and the sky began—it left her feeling like they were speeding towards the end of the earth.  Levi found a place to park and they walked towards the boardwalk.  It was still early enough that a few people were out enjoying the crisp fall air.  Harley and Levi found a shadowed bench and sat watching the night birds swoop over the surf.

Levi was the first to break the silence.  “What did you do to Landon?”

Harley sighed.  “I gave him some of my blood.”

Levi studied carefully.  “How did you know to do that?”

Shrugging, Harley admitted that she didn’t know.  “I just had a…hunch…”  When he continued to wait for more explanation she tried again.  “I just remembered how Alice had tried so hard to get to my blood.  And how hungry she was—and I usually am.  And how my blood affects you and Cas and how it helped Nya.  I figured it was worth the chance.”

“Well it was a risky shot.”

“Which is why I told you I only wanted five minutes.  And the only reason I didn’t tell you before I did it was because I didn’t think it was a good idea for Jag or Pax to know what I was doing.”

Levi shook his head.  “Yeah, I don’t think they would have reacted all that well.  I could have stayed to help though.”

“And then Jag would have been even more suspicious.  Plus, I figured if it did bring Landon back he wouldn’t want an audience watching him drink a Nocte, or Dybrid’s blood.”

“That’s why he didn’t tell Jag?”

“I guess.”

They were silent for a while.  “What do we do about Jag?” Harley finally asked.  She could see Levi’s jaw flex.

“I don’t think we need to do anything.  I think he is just…trying to take care of his region the best that he can.”

“And the Ignis storage?”  Harley’s heart started beating harder.  She didn’t like arguing with Levi, but she didn’t trust Jag.

“I told you.  I will talk to him about it.”

“OK.  OK,” Harley held up her hands in surrender.  “James confirmed what Jag said about Joshua.  That he doesn’t work with Noctes, but he’s going to see what he can do to get us together.”

“That’s good.”

“Oh.  And in the interest of keeping you informed of what is going on,” Harley began.  “The crazy dream I had earlier...”  Harley hadn’t forgot that Levi wasn’t being completely open with her about Kai, and honestly, a part of her hoped that he would be guilted into telling her what she wanted to know.

Levi was silent for a moment after she finished relating the dream.  “And you’re confident it was a dream?”

“Yeah, but I don’t think I just made up what I was seeing.”

“So what do you think it was?”

“I THINK I was seeing memories from Haddon.  Or he was trying to show me…,” Harley trailed off.  “I don’t know.  It’s just the first time that has happened since I was with the Sol and it weirded me out.”

“I bet.”  Levi put an arm around her.

Harley rested her head against Levi’s shoulder and pretended that they were normal for a moment.  No luck on him telling me about Kai, she grumbled to herself.  She let herself imagine what a “normal” human life would look like for the two of them and she nearly snorted out loud.  She couldn’t imagine Levi as anything but a brawling fighter.  Maybe he would be a boxer or MMA fighter today if he was human.  Harley was about to comment on her musings when a group of teenagers caught her attention.  Both she and Levi sat up straighter as they listened to their conversation.

“—supposedly.  At least that’s what he said.”  The young guy was looking at his phone as he and a girl led another couple towards the parking lots.  It wasn’t just what the kid was saying, it was HOW he was saying it.  As if he was upset or concerned.  “My mom and dad still haven’t heard from him.  I’m trying him again now.”

“Does anyone know why they started shooting?”

“No idea.”

Levi and Harley looked at each other with wide eyes.  In unspoken agreement they both lurched off the bench after the group.  “Hey!” Harley called.

The kids jumped and turned to see who was calling them.  “Yeah?” the girl in front answered.

“What’s going on?” Harley asked.

The guy and girl looked at each other before answering.  You could read the “Who are these people?” look that passed between them.  “Someone is shooting up The Bourbon.  His brother is there and just called his parents to tell them what was going on.”

“And people inside are posting about it on Facebook already,” the other girl added.

Harley had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.  The kids started walking again—in a hurry to either check on the brother, or watch the action.  Harley nodded at the intense look that came over Levi and they both turned and ran.  They passed the group of kids and Harley cringed at their startled reaction.  Neither of them was concerned about hiding their speed.  They executed a running mount onto the motorcycle that would have done the Lone Ranger proud and Levi kicked the bike to life.  Harley held onto his waist with one hand and did her best to send a text to Jag with the other as Levi roared out of the parking lot.

Less than fifteen minutes later Harley and Levi were fighting a tidal wave of people as they tried to make it to The Bourbon.  Fighting their way upstream, Harley and Levi had finally had to abandon the bike and go on foot.  Traffic was at a standstill—too many people were trying to rush to, or from, the scene.  Harley and Levi had pulled their hoods up over their heads hoping to obscure their faces as best as possible.  They wanted to avoid having people be able to describe them later, even though no one was likely to pay attention to them anyway—not when people were being held hostage in a bar.

Levi led the way and Harley was right on his heels as they raced down Sunset.  She had to push past and through humans and she gritted her teeth in frustration.  Her heart was slamming in her chest and her Nocte was pacing, ready to fight.  Harley knew they had finally made it when she saw the flashing red and blue lights.  She and Levi came to a stop outside the police barricades and she was struck by the strength of the Burner alarm ringing in her head.  There were a lot of Ignis inside and outside the building.  This was a new complication that Harley had not experienced before.  Most of her fighting had been done undercover and quietly.  She surveyed the news vans and the people in uniform shouting directions.

“How do we get in there?” she asked Levi.

Levi turned towards the back side of bar, rubbed his chin then surveyed the roof.  It was a two-story, red brick building that sat on the corner of the block.  On one side it connected to a shorter building and behind it was a parking lot crawling with cops.  “Follow me,” Levi began moving and Harley hurried after him.  They fought their way through the crowd until they were under the awning of the building next door.  Levi leaned in close and whispered in her ear.  “I’m going to climb up then onto the roof of the building.  When I’m good, I’ll give the all clear and you follow me.”

“Go,” Harley nodded.  Everyone around them was fixated on the action at the bar, and if anyone did notice them climbing they would just assume they were gawkers trying to get a better look.  Harley was pretty sure that Levi could have just jumped the ten feet to the top of the awning, but in the interest of attracting as little attention as possible he scaled the support beam like a firefighter in reverse.  She watched him easily pull himself onto the side of the awning, using the horizontal support to shimmy to the edge of the roof and in the bat of an eye he was over.  Harley glanced around the crowd, and even though a few people were snickering and staring in the direction Levi had just disappeared, no one seemed to care.

When Levi’s head popped back over the edge of the roof he nodded at Harley and disappeared again.  She didn’t waste any time following the same obstacle course he had taken and in seconds she was over the side of the roof where she found Levi on his stomach waiting for her.  The roof was circled by a low safety wall that was barely two feet high and they used it for cover from the people on the street below them.

“We need to hurry.  The police will most likely send shooters to the roof—if they haven’t already.  We need to get next door—there will be a roof access and we can get into the bar there.”  He didn’t wait for her acknowledgment before he mud crawled across the roof.  At the wall of The Bourbon’s second floor they both stopped to take stock of their surroundings.

“I think we are OK if we go now,” Harley poked her head up looking for snipers on the nearby buildings.  “If cops are up here yet, I can’t see them.”

“Let’s go.  We need to do this quick.”

Harley and Levi stood and took a few steps back to get a running start and launched themselves off the roof.  Both of them easily made the twelve foot jump.  Although, Harley landed awkwardly and fell forward onto her face before quickly rolling to her feet.  She turned to Levi who was watching her with a raised eyebrow.  “Don’t say a word.  I’m a lot shorter than you,” she snapped even though she had to stop herself from smiling.  She liked hunting with Levi—but the rattle of gunfire pulled her back to the moment at hand.

Sticking to the shadows the best he could, Levi made for the fire door but it resisted when he tried to open it.  “Shit.  Figures,” he growled.  “Stand back.”  Harley rolled her eyes but stepped back out of the way.  Levi leaned back and threw all of his strength and weight into a flat footed-kick to the door.  The metal dented, but didn’t give.  “Fuck.”  He positioned himself to try again, but Harley stopped him.

“How about we try together?” she cocked an eyebrow at him.

“OK.  On three.”  Harley leaned back and gathered herself.  “One-two-three!”  Together they slammed a foot each into the door.  With a loud bang and a squeal of metal the door burst inward and Harley and Levi dived into the dark entryway.  Levi pushed the door closed the best he could and at the same time Harley’s phone vibrated in her pocket.  Pulling it out, she relayed the message to Levi.  “Jag, Pax and some other Noctes are downstairs, looking for a quiet way in.”  She didn’t bother whispering as music still played below.  The noise of frightened people rumbled like a beast from the first floor.

Harley shrugged off her jacket and dropped it in the corner and Levi did the same.  Pulling her machete from its sheath she led the way down the access stairs to the second floor.  The roof door was set at the end of a long hallway and Harley listened carefully for sounds of humans or Ignis as she stepped through the doorway.  She had to mentally back away from the Burner alarm—her vision blurring from the intensity of the vibrations in her head.  “There are a lot of Ignis below.”

“Helion?”

“I don’t think so.  I would feel her if she were here.”  Levi and Harley both jumped as gunfire erupted again.  “Let’s go,” she growled.

Chapter 13

Most of the second story was an exposed walkway that overlooked the first floor giving access to a few offices and the dancer’s cages.  Before stepping into the open, Harley paused and leaned around the corner to get a look at what was going on downstairs.  Levi stood close behind her and looked over her head at the same time.  Harley’s fingers tightened on the door casing hard enough to crack the plaster and cheap wood.  She bared her teeth and Levi placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Has Jag responded yet?” he asked.

Harley broke away from the sight of the cowering humans long enough to look at her phone.  “Yeah.  He said he can’t get in without making a scene.  There are cops on the roof now.”  Harley could hear ringing and assumed it was the authorities trying to contact the hostage takers.

Levi pulled out his own phone to text Jag.  “I’m telling him to hold there because the Burners are probably going to run out when we go in.  And we also need to make sure more don’t come in.”

“Good thinking,” Harley said through clenched teeth.  She narrowed her eyes and tried to figure out the best way in.  The Burners had gathered people into a group in the center of the bar and she  could see the chains holding the doors together.  They had guns trained on the humans who were cowering in terror.  Harley could smell the horror rolling off the people fearing for their lives.  The Burners’ eyes were practically glowing as they breathed in the scent of pain, anguish and fear.  She was sure the only thing that stopped the humans from bolting and overwhelming the Burners was the hope that they would get out alive.  Compliance from hope.

But Harley knew what the humans didn’t.  Burners didn’t use guns.  They were too loud and distracting—too quick.  Burners fed on the suffering of humans.  A sudden “buffet” like this wouldn’t sustain them for a long time.  It would be like stuffing yourself until you were sick.  The Ignis were going to have to maximize this opportunity to its fullest to get any real satisfaction from it.  They had no intention of letting the humans go.  There was no need for them to negotiate.  No need for hostages.

The unusual behavior of the Ignis was confusing.  They didn’t make a habit of feeding in a massive frenzy like this.  It didn’t make any sense.  Harley’s heart was pounding and her Nocte was rattling her cage, so to speak.  She glanced at Levi.  “I count nineteen Burners.”

“Twenty-one,” Levi corrected.

“Where?”

“There?” he nodded towards the dancer’s cage on the opposite side of the bar.  “There is one there keeping an eye from above.  And another on the stage,” he pointed.

Harley double checked the closer cage to confirm there was not an Ignis there.  “What do we do about him?” she nodded to the Burner across the way.

“I got it covered.”  He pulled a dagger from his boot.  “You ready?”

“I guess just diving in really is the only thing to do?” she chuckled.  She could see the bodies of the humans who had already been shot.  The blood pooled in red shadows around their bodies and she felt a growl ripple from her throat.

“Now or never.  The cops aren’t going to just keep trying to contact the hostage takers forever.”

As Levi spoke, Harley could hear a phone ringing and assumed it was the police.  “Let’s do this.”

Levi stepped away from the wall and drew his arm back.  He held the dagger by the blade and measured the throw carefully.  The other cage was approximately one hundred feet away and not only was Levi going to have to put the right amount of force on the throw, he had to aim for the Burner’s head between bars.  Harley pulled out her Bowie.  She would have to throw it from this distance, an idea she hated, but she needed to cover Levi.  A gun would actually come in handy right about now, she grumbled.  She held her breath watched for any of the Ignis below to notice them—but they were focused on the humans.  With a movement so fast Harley herself could barely follow it, Levi let the dagger fly.  She nearly cheered out loud, when a split second later the Burner fell back into the wall of the cage before crumpling to the floor.

Levi didn’t waste any time after making sure the Burner stayed down.  He hurried along the walkway and Harley was right on his heels.  She tucked the Bowie back into the sheath at her waist to free up her left hand and in her right she carried the machete close to her body.  They both stayed in the shadows against the wall until they reached the stairs.  Luckily, none of the Burner’s had noticed anything wrong.  But that changed as soon as Levi set the first foot on the stairs.

The Ignis closest to them perked up as he became aware of their presence.  Raising the gun, he turned he called out a warning as he recognized Harley and Levi for what they were.  His eyes flashed with their feral light, but something more too.  He looked wild and frantic and it caused Harley’s hair to stand on end.  But Levi got to him before the Burner could fire a shot.  He drove his knife into the side of the Burner’s head while yanking the gun from his hands.  The Burner’s body collapsed to the floor and Levi dove forward to meet two more Ignis rushing towards him.

From the corner of her eye, Harley saw a female raise her gun.  As she darted towards her, Harley went low, dodging the spray of bullets the woman let fly.  She closed the distance between them in one mighty leap, bringing the machete up as she snatching the gun from the Burner’s grasp.  She plunged her blade into the center of the woman’s chest and darted behind a support beam as she resheathed her weapon.  She heard Levi fire off several rounds and she looked at the gun in her hand.  She had not spent much time training with guns—as she would rarely have the need to use them.  Using her movie knowledge she would call it some sort of Uzi and using logic she pulled back a slide on the top to ready the weapon.  She stepped around the column to see two Burners coming at her on either side.

Harley moved around the support beam to keep it between her and the Burner approaching from her right.  She opted to use the gun on the one coming from the left as he didn’t have humans behind him.  When her bullets made contact, the Ignis’ head erupted in a spray of blood and gore.  He hit the ground hard and she spun around the column again, pulling her Bowie as she went.  She met the Burner on her right with her knife to his chest.  Before she could raise her gun or knife again she felt three quick punches to her shoulder and she stumbled from the impact.  She knew they were bullets, she had taken a few shots in her short time as a Nocte and knew the pain would come on the heels of the impact.  She gritted her teeth and refused to go down.

The bullets apparently did quite a bit of damage to Harley’s shoulder because her hand trembled before dropping the Uzi.  Raising her machete to the Burner who had shot her, she took his head off in one swing.  The humans, still huddled in the middle of the floor were screaming and flinching—trying to make themselves as small of a target as possible.  But Harley saw them for what they were.  Sitting ducks.  The Burners were going to shoot them anyway—Harley was sure of it.  There was no reason they would wait now.  “Stay down,” she bellowed.

As if he read her mind, a Burner to her left opened fire on the crowd of people.  Harley sprinted towards him as a mist of blood rose from the people closest.  She stabbed him through the chest and kicked his lifeless body off her blade.  It was then that all hell broke loose.  The humans, seeing that the Burner’s intended on shooting them regardless, made a run for the doors.  A crushing wave of people bore down on Harley and she did her best to stand her ground.  As she was knocked about, the most she could do was hold her machete down and close to her body to prevent accidentally stabbing the humans.

A hand closed over Harley’s shoulder and at first she thought it was Levi.  But as the fingernails dug into the injured flesh of her shoulder she realized it was an Ignis.  As she spun away from the Burner’s grasp she drove her fist—curled around the machete handle—into his throat.  The punch knocked him back far enough for her to drive the blade through his heart.  Since most of the humans were now crowded around the exit doors trying to break free, Harley was better able to maneuver as two more Burners tried to fire at her.  She managed to dodge the bullets and take the Burners down despite her shoulder wounds.  Scanning the floor, she found Levi bounding onto the stage.  He looked like he may have taken a shot or two as well as his tee-shirt had several small holes on the back.

The distraction cost Harley as two more bullets slammed into her legs from a Burner crawling across the floor.  He looked like his legs were broken and Harley assumed he had been ran over by the crowd.  The bullets knocked her legs out from under her and she hit the ground with a teeth rattling thud.  The Ignis raised his gun to fire again—this time at her face—but she was faster.  She pulled her Bowie from her waist and flung it towards his head.  Her aim was only slightly off and the blade sunk into his throat.  She scrambled across the floor yanked her knife free.  Blood spurted from the wound and she closed her mouth over the flow.  She didn’t have time for an actual feeding, but the fiery blood energized her.  If she was lucky it would help heal her wounds quicker.

After several mouthfuls, Harley pulled away and drove the Bowie into the man’s temple.  She stumbled to her feet and flexed her hand.  She was already regaining some feeling—enough to tell her at least one bullet was still lodged inside her.  A loud crashing noise caught her attention and Harley turned toward the sound.  A Burner was behind the bar shattering glass.  Harley was frozen in shock as she realized what she intended on doing.  Levi was grappling with two Burner’s on the stage and Harley knew he didn’t see what the Ignis was planning.  When Harley saw the woman remove a lighter from her pocket she raised Bowie and threw it as hard as she could.  The blade sunk high into the woman’s back and she hit the ground.  She breathed a sigh of relief and started across the bar to retrieve her weapon.  Before she made it halfway, Harley heard the whoosh and the sudden flare of light.

“Levi!” Harley called turning towards the stage.

After dispatching the last Burner he was fighting with, Levi turned towards Harley’s call.  She could see his eyes go wide as he realized what was happening.  She turned towards the front doors of the bar where the crush of humans was growing more frenzied as they realized the bar was now on fire.   “Get the doors open,” she heard Levi call behind her.  Where are the fucking police? she wondered.  Harley glanced around the bar as Levi jumped from the stage.  There had to be more than one exit.  She would never be able to get through the crowd of people before the bar went up in flames.  “There!” she pointed as Levi drew even with her.  She spotted the red, emergency exit sign glowing over a door in the far back corner.

“Come on,” Levi grabbed Harley’s arm and they made their way across the floor.  The double doors were held together by another chain and Harley kicked the door in frustration.  Her shoulder still ached, the alarm was ringing in her head worse than ever and she could smell the smoke starting drift across the bar.  “Here,” Levi handed her his knife and darted towards the wall.  A pipe ran vertically up the wall and with a solid kick and a yank, Levi pulled a three foot segment free, ripping wires that the metal tube had protected in the process.  The lights in the building flickered and Harley’s stomach sank—Good going.  The bar went dark and Harley was surprised to realize that the humans’ cries could get even louder.  She and Levi could see fine in the dark—they couldn’t.

Levi stuck the metal pipe in the loop of the chain and twisted.  It only took two yanks to snap the chain.  “Get their attention!”  Levi waited with his hands on the push bar.  Once the doors were open more air would fan the flames, the cops outside would see them coming, besides, they needed the humans to cover their escape.  Harley darted back into the bar.

“Hey!” she screamed.  No one seemed to hear her.  It took her grabbing a few humans at the back of the crowd and physically tossing them towards the exit before everyone started getting the idea.  As people began to run for the exit Levi was holding, Harley joined the rush.  She was ahead of the first runners as they arrived at the exit.  Levi kicked open the double doors and stood back grabbing Harley and spinning away from the rush of people as they burst into the night.

Harley would have liked to head back into the bar and open the front doors to lessen the crush of people flowing from this exit.  However, she quickly realized they had an even bigger problem than the hundred or so people inside the bar.  Harley got her answer as to what was holding the police up when she finally pushed through with the crowd and found herself in the parking lot.  Their energy and force was taken up with trying to contain the outside.  The entire bar was surrounded by a riot of people and Burners.

Chapter 14

Harley’s mouth fell open in shock.  She had never seen anything like this—not even as a human.  There were several hundred people on the streets fighting, looting and causing any mayhem they could.  It was easy to tell which were human and which were Ignis.  The eyes of the Burners had an animal shine that stood out from the humans.  Harley tilted her head, again struck by the belief that the Burner’s looked even wilder than normal.  They growled and frothed at the mouth in addition to their shining eyes.  Police in riot gear were trying to contain the mobs the best that they could.  Sirens wailed and flashed and Harley could smell chemical weapons being used to subdue the people.  She turned to Levi and saw her own shock reflected there.  “What do we do?” she asked.

Slowly, Levi shook his head.  “I don’t think there is anything that we can do.  There are more humans than Ignis here.  The police will call in more reinforcements and will eventually get the humans under control and the Ignis will…just…they’ll have to back off.”

“Are you sure?”

“No.”  Levi looked a torn and baffled as she felt.  She surveyed the scene before her and felt like crying.  People were being hurt.  Damage was being done.  Fires were breaking out.  But Levi was right—this was the “hail Mary” of the Ignis.  As she watched she saw a group of Burners running east and she nearly took off after them.  But the roaring pain in her leg and shoulder stopped her.  Now was not a time to be stupid.  If they jumped into the fight now they would face humans and Ignis alike.  Including the police.  And if they DID kill Burners without hurting too many humans they would simply burn to ashes on the street in front of everyone.

Both Levi and Harley jumped when a large black SUV leapt the curb and came to a stop just a foot away from them.  Pax, with a stoically calm face, rolled down the window and Jag shouted at them from the driver’s seat.

“Get in!”

With one last look at the destruction raging around them, Harley and Levi jumped into the back seat and Jag stepped on the gas and laid on the horn.  The people barely acknowledged a large truck was about to run them over, it was like a wild reckless herd of animals.  A few even turned on the truck—banging rocks and sticks and their fists against the windows and the doors.  “Get out of the way!” Jag roared at the crowd.

Slowly, the truck began making progress through the mob.  Two blocks away the people thinned enough that they were able put on some real speed.  Block by block they were able to drive faster until they made it to the 101.  No one spoke until they were high tailing it away from L. A. and well on their way back to Toluca Lake.  “What the hell was that?” Harley asked the car.

“That, I think, is exactly what happened in the other places where Helion has been,” Levi growled.

“I’ve never seen anything like that…” Harley muttered.

“Neither have I,” Jag admitted.  Pax was quietly scowling as always.  “I told the other Noctes to stay where they were when everything went south.  It wasn’t worth risking losing them or getting them caught by that point.”

Levi studied Harley.  “Are you OK?” he asked her.

“If I say yes, will you not cut bullets out of me?”

“Damn.  How many?” Levi frowned at her trying to see where the injuries were.

“I think I just have the one still in my shoulder.  The rest seemed to go through and they are mostly healed.”  She flexed her leg.  “Yeah, my leg is closing up now.”

“I’ll take care of it when we get back to the Den.”

Harley grumbled her acknowledgment and stared out the window.  At least they aren’t platinum or silver, she thought to herself, grateful for small favors.  The more distance they put between themselves and the riot, the less Harley’s head pounded from the Burner alarm and the more it pounded from Castor.  She grimaced—she hadn’t even realized he had been trying to contact her.  “Hey.”

“It’s about bloody time.  What the hell is going on?”  Harley could hear the fear in his voice even across the distance.

“Riots.  We followed reports of shootings at a bar and went in.  Before we got out Burners swarmed outside and set off the humans.  We just made it out.”

“Are you hurt?”

“A little.  But I’ll be fine.”

“What about Levi?”

“Are you OK?” she asked Levi.

“Yeah.  I took a few bullets but they were through and through.  Not even bleeding now.”

“Yeah, he’s OK.”

“Shit.  I could tell something was going on with you.  It woke me up.  So when I couldn’t get you this way I checked the news just in case.  It’s headlining right now.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it Cas.”

“Neither have I.”

Harley sighed.  “We got Landon to talk.”

“So he was in control of himself.  He’s not like Alice?”

“Not exactly.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well…he was pretty out of it by the time he came around.  Just like Alice.”

“Then how did you get him to talk?”

“I…um…I gave him some of my blood.”

Cas was silent for a moment.  “You are going to turn my hair grey.  You know that?  What were you thinking….”

Castor continued to lecture her and she let him go while she checked Levi again.  “Are you sure you are OK?”

“Yeah,” his blue eyes showed his exhaustion.  “See.”  He held up his arm and pulled back his sleeve.  A bullet had torn a small hole through his bicep, and by the looks of the rip in his shirt, it had grazed across his chest too.  The hole was a raw looking wound, but he was right, it wasn’t bleeding any more.  “You have that look.”

“Yeah.”

“A lecture.”

“Yeah.”

“Are you even listening to me?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“I am now.”

“I don’t know why I bother…”

“I don’t either.  And THIS is why I don’t want to tell you stuff, you know.”  While she might never admit it to him--she also kind of loved that he fussed over her.  It was nice to be fussed over sometimes.

“Harley, I just worry.”

“I know.”

Dawn was beginning to show itself in a faint violet glow in the horizon as they pulled up to their house.  “I need to go Cas.  I’m exhausted and we just got back to the Den.”

“Would you please take care of yourself?  I’m going to see what I can find out about those two Noctes today.  And I should hear back from James about Joshua soon too.”

“Love you.”

“I love you too.”

Harley closed the connection as Jag parked the truck in the garage and they all climbed wearily out.  In the dim light Harley could see blood and healing wounds covering the other two Nocte.  They had apparently had more than enough to handle on the outside of the bar.  Leaving Pax and Jag on the first floor, Harley and Levi dragged themselves up the stairs towards their room.  “Shower?” she asked.

“Absolutely.”

Not only was Harley anxious to get the business of the bullet removal over with, she was also eager to get Levi to drink some of her blood and speed his healing along.

--------------------

Harley woke before sunset and crawled from the bed she shared with Levi.  Bullet removed, wounds healed—but she was still tired and agitated.  She wandered the house, not sure what she was looking for or where she was headed.  If the sounds of sleeping Noctes could accurately be counted, there were two others besides herself, Levi, Jag and Pax and Landon.  She laughed to herself realizing she still counted herself and Landon among the Noctes.  But we aren’t really, are we?

Besides the Noctes, the human was also in the house.  At first Harley avoided him in her wanderings, but eventually, the smell of something delicious lured her to the kitchen.  Before she found Marc she could hear him muttering to himself in Spanish.  He was at the stove making some kind of stir fry and she was surprised when her stomach rumbled.  Harley rarely craved human food anymore—even if she did need a little of it to survive.  The fact was, it wasn’t what sustained her body and therefore she didn’t take pleasure from it.

Harley watched Marc from the doorway for a few minutes before he noticed her.  When he did he cursed and jumped so hard that he dropped the spatula he had been using.

“Sorry,” Harley smiled as she pulled another one from the spinning holder on the counter.  She held it out to him and he hesitated for a moment before taking it from her.

“That’s OK.”

“That smells delicious.”

“Do-do you want some?”

“I thought you would never ask,” Harley sat at the breakfast counter and tried to put him at ease as he finished cooking and set a plate in front of her.   “I didn’t see you around last night.”

“I-I…” he seemed unsure of what he wanted to say.  “I-went to the grocery.”

“At night?”

“I usually run errands at night when I can.”

“Ah…I see.”  Harley took a bite of her food and actually moaned out loud.  “This is delicious.”

“Thanks,” Marc seemed to relax a little more.

Maybe her enjoying something as simple and human as sharing a meal took a little of the monster out of Harley in Marc’s eyes.  The more she watched him the more she was sure that he thought of them as monsters.  “If you don’t like us so much, why do you work for us?”

Marc coughed and choked on his food.  “What?”

Harley smiled and tried to not hold his eyes too long as that seemed to make him even more nervous.  Maybe he’s waiting for my eyes to change.  Good thing he hasn’t actually seen what mine do look like.  “It’s obvious I make you uncomfortable.  I thought at first that it might just be me.  But why would you run errands late at night unless all of the Noctes made you uncomfortable?  And that leads me to wonder why you would bother to work for us if you were so uncomfortable?

Marc looked like he had been caught and hesitated to look her full in the face.  Instead, he tried to eat but mostly moved his food around on the plate.  Eventually, he decided to answer the question.  “I worked for Landon first.  He saved my life.  Not only did I feel like I owed him, but I…I liked him too.”

“But not the rest of us?”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

“I’ve met a lot of you.  Some are nicer than others.  But none of you really seem to like humans very much.  So…I keep my distance.”

Harley did a double take.  “Why would you think we don’t like humans?”  Marc hesitated.  “I’m not going to be offended,” she assured him.

“Well—you don’t, do you?  You think of us as…a herd…of sheep?  Cows?  Something that can’t protect itself and it’s up to you to keep us safe?”

“I—,” Harley wanted to disagree, but she realized that he was right.  She herself was guilty of thinking of humans as no more than wildlife.  I did last night.  “Touché,” she nodded.

“It’s not that I dislike you…”

“No, I understand,” Harley shrugged.  She finished her food in silence.  Marc had made her second guess her attitude.  It was easy to forget that, just because you are stronger, doesn’t mean you are better.  Does Marc really see us as any different than Burners?  Has he made the connection that without humans the Burners wouldn’t feed and without Burners the Nocte wouldn’t be able to feed?  And that makes him the bottom of the food chain.  So, how else is he supposed to feel about us?

Harley stood before Marcos had a chance and gathered his and her empty plates.  “So, you handle the security too?”

Marc looked surprised, both by her cleaning up and her change in subject.  “Yes.”

“Can I see?”  He gave her a wary look.  “I’ve just wondered.”

“I guess,” he shrugged.

Harley followed him to his little office next to the kitchen.  He seemed more comfortable with her now and she was grateful for their talk.  She liked Marcos.  Not only was he a reminder of why she and her friends put their life at risk, she realized that he was a friend.  He didn’t know she was different.  He didn’t expect any more or less from her than the other Noctes—even if that expectation was low to begin with.

Chapter 15

Less than an hour later Marc announced he was going to the store—after glancing at the setting sun.  Harley wasn’t sure why she couldn’t let his misgivings about her kind go.  “How do you feel about Jag?” she asked him, before he could hurry away.

“I-uh-he’s fine?” Marc muttered.

“Yeah.  He’s OK,” she shrugged.  “Pax, on the other hand…” she snickered.

“…yeah…” Marc smiled at her.  He had a nice smile.  It made him look years younger.  It wasn’t even something she noticed until it happened.  When he smiled the small lines between his brows and around his nose disappeared.

“I’ll see you later,” she finally let him go.

“Bye.”

Harley shivered as she felt Levi approaching.  She let him find her on the bench outside of the library.  “Good evening,” she greeted him, mimicking an old fashioned vampire.

“Hello,” Levi chuckled before kissing her softly and sitting behind her.  Levi wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head.

“You feeling OK?” she asked him.

“Yes,” he grumbled.  “You don’t have to keep checking on me.”

“I can’t help it.”  Harley also realized there was a bit of bitterness behind the questioning too.  Levi and Castor did it to her and she couldn’t stop herself from returning the favor--even if it was partially to make the point of how annoying it was.

Levi and Harley both stiffened at the sound of someone approaching.  They turned to the sliding glass door and saw Jag enter the library.  He grinned at them both and Harley was relieved that their butting of heads yesterday had apparently been forgotten in light of recent events.  He slid the door open and leaned out.  “Come.”

“Where?” Levi asked.

“You need to see what Georgia brought home last night?”

Harley and Levi glanced at each other before slowly standing and following Jag into the house.  Harley’s Nocte was alert and ready and she could feel Levi tensed next to her.  “Who’s Georgia?” Harley asked.

“Another Nocte.  You’ve not met her yet?”

“Apparently not.” Harley glanced at Levi who shrugged.

“I don’t know her yet either.”

“She’s a young Nocte,” Jag explained.  “Georgia was near Sunset last night, but I told her to stand down—I didn’t want her getting involved when the proverbial shit and fan met.”

Jag lead them to the basement and Harley resisted the urge to check on Landon as they passed his door.  The room where the Ignis had been held was shut but as soon as Jag opened it, Harley felt the Burner alarm wafting from the reinforced room.  She and Levi followed Jag into the room and was greeted by the sight of a Burner, freshly caught, chained to the support beam in the center of the room.  A young woman stood next to him looking proud of herself.

“Harley, Levi—this is Georgia.  Georgia, this is Harley and Levi.”

“Nice to meet you,’ Georgia smirked at them.

Harley and Levi glanced at each other.  The female Nocte reeked of arrogance.  “Nice to meet you too,” Harley held her hand out to Georgia and didn’t miss that the woman squeezed her hand unnecessarily hard.  Maybe she’s just getting used to her strength…she could feel her Nocte’s eye roll.

“Who’s this?” Levi asked after shaking Georgia’s hand as well.

“This is Randy,” Georgia gestured to Ignis who glared at them all.

“Gee,” he clapped Georgia on the shoulder proudly, “caught him running from the riots last night,” Jag explained.

“I figured he might come in handy.”

“Good thinking,” Harley nodded.  Georgia looked even more proud of herself and Harley reconsidered her assumptions.  Maybe she’s just insecure…Georgia had dark brown hair, brown eyes and a coffee and cream complexion.  She looked like an average woman, pretty but unremarkable—except for the dark cast to her eyes.  She was the youngest Nocte that she had met, other than herself.  Harley couldn’t guess just how young--but immaturity just poured off her like hormones off a pre-teen.

The dark-haired Burner continued to glower at them.  “So, what was your plan last night?” Jag asked.

The Burner didn’t even try to be uncooperative.  “Destruction.”

Harley wrinkled her nose.  “Whose?”

“Human’s.  Noctes’.  Lux.  Everyone.”

“Who put you up to it?” Harley asked.

The Burner flinched.  “No one.”

“NOW you’re going to lie?” Levi scowled.

“What’s the point of trying to lie now?” Harley asked.

The Ignis seemed to realize the pointlessness of resisting.  “H-her.”

“Who?” Harley asked?  “Who brought you all together?”

“The one called Helion.  I-I don’t know what she is.  Some kind of Lux.”

“Why?” Jag asked.  “Why is she bringing you together?”

“She’s not.  She’s…I don’t know.”  The Burner’s frustration and confusion was obvious.

“How long have you been here?” Levi asked.

Randy shook his head.  “I don’t know.  Days?”

“What’s the first thing you remember when you crossed over?” Harley asked.

“…light…So much light it hurt.  I burned…then I was here.”

Harley tilted her head in confusion.  “What’s that mean?”

“We burn our way here.  After I burned, there was just light.  Then-then we were all in this building together...for so long.  It was confusing.  We ran once the door was open.  We were all so hungry.”

“You came here with a bunch of other Ignis?  All at one time?” Levi rubbed his face.

“Yes.”

“Where was the first place you went?” Jag asked.

“We were in the building.  Then we were running.  Starving.  Some found…” the Burner paused searching for the words.  “Guns?  Someone gave us guns?  We just knew we needed to eat.  We found a group of people in-in a…bar?  There was music and we could feel the humans.”  The Burner’s eyes glowed.  “We went in.  We scared them.  We gathered them and scared them and they tasted so good.  Then you came,” he nodded at Levi and Harley.

Harley wrinkled her nose.  He must have been in the bar—one of the few Ignis to get free.  His pleasure over the terror and pain he had caused was so obvious Harley could smell it.  “That’s it?  That’s all you know.”

The Ignis jerked at the silver chains that held him.  “Fuck you, Nocte bitch.”  He took a deep breath and scowled at her.  “But you aren’t a Nocte are you?  You’re different.”

Harley shrugged and ignored Georgia’s curious glance.  “I’m a whole lotta things.  One of you can eat this thing,” she glanced at the others.  “I’m full.”

Georgia shrugged.  “I’m not picky.”

Harley turned and stormed from the room and Levi and Jag followed her.  “Maybe we should have given him to Landon,” Levi offered, closing the door behind him.

Jag sighed.  “Don’t bother.”  At Harley and Levi’s questioning looks he shook his head.  “He’s back to the way he was before you worked your magic.”

“Shit.”  Harley wasn’t disappointed because she thought Landon could give them more information.  She was upset that a good Nocte was hurt.  And that she hadn’t been able to help him.  “Has he eaten?”

“No,” Jag answered.

“I think we SHOULD bring him an Ignis.  See if that helps.”

“Whatever.  I’m willing to try it,” he shrugged.

“So what do you think Helion is doing?” Harley asked.  She sat on the stairs and rested her chin in her hand.

“I don’t know,” Levi shrugged.  He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest.

“It sounds like she did something that brought a bunch of Burners over and then…just left them?” Harley offered.

“Worse than that,” Jag added.  “She left new Burners in a warehouse somewhere where they couldn’t get out to feed and when they did all hell broke loose.”

Levi rubbed his face with both hands.  “So…what now?”

“Let’s get out into the city.  See if you can get a feel on the balance.  I’ll try to pick up on Helion—figure out if she’s still here.  Try to interrogate some more Burners and see what we can find out.”

Levi and Jag agreed and moments later Georgia exited the holding room looking blissful and radiant.  Jag turned to her before the newcomer could settle in with their little group.  “When you go out tonight, bring back a Burner if you can.”

“I usually do,” she shrugged.

“Oh, and on your way up, leave a note for Marc to let him know there is a mess down here to clean up.”

Levi put a hand on Harley’s shoulder when she growled.  The other two Noctes looked at her with surprise.  “Harley, we’ll leave out in a few minutes.  I’ll meet you at the garage.  Jag, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Harley bristled at being dismissed but knew what Levi was doing.  “OK,” she finally nodded and left the basement quickly with Georgia on her heels.

“What was that about?” Georgia asked as soon as they were on the ground floor.  Harley shrugged off the question and kept walking towards the east door and the garage.  “Hey!” Georgia called.  Harley stopped without turned around.  “I just wanted to say that it’s nice to meet you.  I’ve heard a lot about you and I’m excited we’re working together.”

Harley turned to face the young Nocte.  “We aren’t working together.”

Georgia stopped short, looking as if she had been slapped.  “Well it certainly seemed like we were working together downstairs.  I DID bring back a Burner that was useful.”

“You got lucky.  Just…stay out of the way.”

Georgia snorted haughtily and turned on her heel.  Harley wasn’t sure why she was so put off by the Nocte but she knew she didn’t want to work with her.  She didn’t think it was because she didn’t like the girl.  It was more that she was worried about her.  Georgia was arrogant and insecure, and she was new at this.  Harley knew that fighting Helion was going to be the hardest thing any of them had faced—she just didn’t want to see another Nocte dead.

--------------------

Harley drove towards Santa Monica and Levi slumped in the passenger seat with a knee against the dashboard.  He was doing his “uber-relaxed but I’m actually kind of stressed” pose.  He scratched at the stubble on his face as he stared out the window.  After his talk with Jag he had stalked into the garage and tossed her the general’s keys, saying Jag was letting them borrow his car.  Harley kept sneaking glances at Levi, wondering when he was going to tell her how the conversation went.

“I think we should bring Nya and the others out here,” he spoke suddenly.

“OK,” Harley kept her eyes on the road.  “Did the talk with Jag go that badly?”

“Huh?  No.  It’s not that.”

“What is it then?”

“I just think…I think Helion is still here...”

“The balance?”

“Yeah.  I think so.  I’m feeling edgy and tense.  I haven’t gotten a real handle on it yet…but that’s the most logical explanation.  Are you picking up on anything?”

“Not yet.”  Harley glanced at Levi and noticed how sharp the angles of his face looked in the dim light.  “So…?”

“What?”

“How did it go with Jag?”

Levi sighed.  “About as I expected.  He wasn’t happy with my complaining about how he runs things?”

“What’s that mean?”

“That he knows you weren’t happy about it either.  He thinks you put me up to saying something.”

“Well…it’s kind of true…” Harley felt guilty.  Obviously, there was tension between Levi and his friend now and she felt like it was her fault.

“What was the verdict?”

“Well…we did just ask him to bring back a Burner for Landon…so we can’t say much more at the moment.”

Harley picked up what Levi wasn’t saying.  Jag wasn’t going to change his ways right now and it was best to not push it.  “What about Georgia?”

“What about her?” Levi raised a brow at her.

“She’s full of herself isn’t she?”

Levi barked out a hoarse laugh.  “A little.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Levi glanced at her, obviously trying not to laugh.

“I wasn’t like that at first was I?”  Levi only watched her with a small smile.  “Kiss my ass!” she tried to hold a straight face.

“Gladly.”

“Shut up,” Harley shook her head.  “I just think she needs to stay out of this before she gets hurt.”

“Yeah,” Levi snickered.  “You should try telling her that.”

Harley rolled her eyes.  “I’m still mad that I lost my Bowie,” she changed the subject.  She had, regrettably, never had a chance to retrieve it from the Burner who had set the bar fire.

“Well, if Everett comes with Nya we can have him bring you a new one.”

“That was my first weapon,” Harley pouted.  Levi patted her leg and pulled out his phone to call Nya.

Levi put his phone on speaker and after two rings Nya picked up.  “About time.”

“Hello to you too,” Levi replied.

“What the hell happened out there?”

“Ugh,” Harley grunted and Levi gave Nya the details that hadn’t been in the news.

“I thought as much,” Nya grumbled.  “What about Landon?’

Harley sighed and explained his condition and what she had done—and the affect it had had on him.  “It worked.  He was himself—as far as I know.  But it didn’t last.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“Why do you think it didn’t last?” Levi asked.

“I think Harley’s blood strengthened him.  But once it passed through his system he went back to normal.  When I was hurt, her blood gave me the strength to heal.  When you feed from her it gives you more energy.  Helps you heal quicker, right?”

“Yeah.”

“But then you go back to normal?”

“Yeah.”

“I think it’s the same.”

“But why is my blood so much more powerful?  And do we know if it really is?”

“What do you mean?” Levi asked.

“I mean,” Harley addressed Nya.  “Would drinking any Nocte blood strengthen him enough?  Surely, in the hundreds of years that Noctes have been here, they have tried feeding from each other?  We can’t be the first.”

“No.  I would bet there have been others to at least try.  But, as I’ve said before, it’s not something that has been talked about.  Which leads me to think it wouldn’t have any extraordinary effect.”

“Why don’t we try it?” Harley asked them both.  By this time they were parked in the lot of an all-night fast food restaurant and she turned to face Levi.

“Try what?” Levi asked.

“Would you be willing to let Landon try drinking your blood?”

Levi looked at her uncomfortably with a scowl.  “I guess...”

“It’s worth a shot,” Nya said thoughtfully.

“In the meantime, we think you should come here.  We are both pretty sure that Helion is still here,” Levi switched topics.  “I think we need to focus on here right now and not the Council.”

“I’ll round up the troops.  We can be there tomorrow night.”

“Sounds good.”

“How’s Evie?” Harley asked.

“She’s…up and moving.”

Harley didn’t question further—misplaced guilt twisted her gut.

Levi disconnected the call and handed Harley her machete.  “You should probably get Cas and the Lux here too.”

“I agree,” Harley grumbled.

“What?’

“It just feels like we have come full circle.  I don’t like it.  Gearing up for a fight—here in L.A.  I’m just tired of feeling like we never really move forward—we just keep going around and around..”  Harley strapped the machete to her back and zipped a hoodie over it and her green tee-shirt.  “And I still miss my Bowie.”

Chapter 16

As dawn approached Harley and Levi returned to the Den.  Harley was still feeling worn down—but it didn’t come from hunting.  Sunset Boulevard looked like a war zone.  Shops were looted.  Stores and bars were burned.  Harley could smell the blood that still hadn’t been cleaned up.  The terror and anguish of the people who had been hurt here still hung in the air.  Much of the road had still been blocked off as a crime scene but they hadn’t needed to see much to be reminded of the destruction their failure had caused.  This was why they fought the Ignis.  Allowed to carry on unrestricted, people suffered and died—human life could not support that kind of destruction on an uninhibited scale.

Harley parked Jag’s car in the garage and waited for Levi.  They had managed to recover Jag’s motorcycle and Levi had driven it back.  Surprisingly, it had escaped major damage.  It had been knocked over and had some dings and scratches, but was otherwise fine.  After parking the bike, Levi joined Harley at the car.  Grasping her waist, he sat her on the hood and kissed her deeply enough to make her stomach flip flop and almost forget how troubled she was.  Harley rested her face against his neck and enjoyed the feel of his warm skin against her cheek.

“We’ll catch her.”

“Why do you think she is still here?  She seemed to move on a lot quicker at the other locations.”

“I don’t know” his sigh fluttered the hair at her ear.  “I just…feel it.”

Harley pulled him closer and could feel his heart beat against her cheek. They had hunted for any sign of Helion, but only found an overabundance of Ignis still lingering.  Interrogations only revealed the same information that they already knew.  The one good thing to come from the hunt was Levi’s confidence that there was a disproportionate amount of Lux energy in the area.  Harley could pick up on one exceptionally strong Lux.  If, for example, she was near Helion she would feel her well before she saw her.  Levi on the other hand was able to sense the overall balance.  They had little more than theories as to whether that imbalance was due to one incredibly powerful Lux or a large number of them.  But both knew where they placed their bets.

Inside, Harley left Levi at the stairs that would take them to their room.  “I’m going to call Cas.”

“On the phone?”

“Yeah.  The talking in my head thing gets old quick,” she smiled.

“OK.  Come to bed soon.”

Harley smiled in response and made her way to the library.  Truth be told, she also just wanted to hear Castor’s voice.  She was missing him and looked forward to seeing him.  He answered after four rings.  “Did I wake you?” she couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face at the sound of his smooth, slightly accented voice.

“A little.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Sorry.”

“Wake up.”

“I am.”  His voice got clearer and she could hear him shifting in bed.  The need to lie next to him was so strong that she suddenly felt a cold absence of where his body should be.  “What’s going on?” he asked her.  “Are you OK?”

Harley rolled her eyes.  “I’m fine.”

“No you’re not.  I can feel it.”

“I’m just…I miss you.”

“I miss you too.  But I’ll see you soon.”

“That’s one of the reasons I was calling.  To tell you that you guys should come.  We talked to Nya earlier.”

“We’re already ahead of you,” he chuckled.

“I should have known.”  Harley updated Castor on what they had learned since the last time they spoke.

“Yeah, it sounds like it’s time for all of us to gather there.  What else is going on?”

“Seeing the destruction from the riots—it was just…overwhelming.  It just reminded me of why we do what we do.  Why it’s important.  It made me think about the cost of Helion getting whatever she’s after, and the Ignis, and everyone we have lost fighting them.”

Harley could hear the sigh in Cas’ voice.  “It’s a price that we have to pay sometimes.”

“I know.  Just hurry up and get here.”

“We will be there this evening.  James has access to a Vigilum house in Hollywood.”

“OK.  That’s good.  Because I don’t know how well it would go over to have you guys at the Den here.”

Castor snorted.  “So I hear.”

“What’s that mean?”

“James found some info on Pax.  I’ll let him tell you.”

“OK,” Harley wanted to know more but figured it was best to get the information from the source.

“Oh.  And, just so you know, you’re staying with me tonight.”

Harley grinned.  “OK.”

After hanging up, Harley made her way back to their room and crawled into bed with Levi wrapping herself around him.  “Are the Lux coming?” he asked her without opening his eyes.

“Yeah.  They will be here this evening.”

“Good.”

“Levi?”

“Yeah?”

“What do you know about Pax?”

“Next to nothing.  Why?”

“Apparently, James has info about him?”

“You asked them to check on him?” Levi raised his head and looked down at her.

“Yeah.”

“And Jag?”

“…Yeah.”

Levi sighed.  “Why didn’t you just ask me?” the annoyance gave his words a sharp edge.

Harley shrugged.  “He’s your friend.  You didn’t seem willing to doubt him.  And I didn’t want to put you in a position of doubting him if you didn’t need to.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Do we need to be concerned about either of them?”

“In what way?”

“They are on our side, right?”

Levi was bewildered.  “Of course?  If ‘our’ side is the ‘good guys.””  Why would you even have to ask?”

“I don’t know,” Harley answered defensively.  “I just don’t think they trust me very much.  Especially not Pax.  And—”

“—Pax is an asshole.”

“Agreed.  But he is Jag’s captain.  And I just don’t get the feeling that…they…I don’t know.  I don’t want to sound like a middle school kid and say they don’t ‘like’ me.  But I really don’t think they like me.”

“Well,” Levi lay back down and put an arm over his face.  “We have kept secrets from them.”

“But we’ve kinda had to.  You agreed with me.”

“True.  But they are on our side.  They want to stop Helion and save humans.”

Harley sighed.  “I think we just need to be careful who we trust.  Even you and Evie had problems out of the Nocte in Miami.”

Levi ran a hand over his face.  “You are right,” he grudgingly admitted.

“I’m sorry.”

“No need to be.  It’s not your fault.”  When Harley didn’t respond, Levi grasped her chin, “It’s not,” he said firmly staring pointedly into her eyes.

“I know.”

--------------------

Harley woke up late in the afternoon when her phone pinged with a text notification. “We’re here.”  Barely awake, she smiled at the message.  The next text was the Hollywood address where the Lux were staying.  Harley climbed out of bed and showered and dressed quickly.  She didn’t bother trying to wake Levi, instead she sent him a text that he would get when he woke up letting him know where she was and that she was taking Jag’s car.  Less than thirty minutes later, Harley was pulling up in front of a large white house that looked like it was made of boxes stacked on top of each other.  She marveled at the sight as she texted Cas to let him know that she had arrived.

Moments later the iron gates rolled open and Harley drove forward.  She parked the car in front of the front doors made of dark, solid wood and smiled when Castor opened them.  His grin matched her own as she wrapped her arms around him and he walked backwards into the house with her.  He covered her face in kisses and she felt her Nocte shake off her day sleep.  She kicked the door shut behind them and Cas pressed her against them as he smiled up at her.  “Hi.”

“Hello,” Harley laughed.

“Where is everyone?”

“Out for a hunt.”

“Hallelujah.”

Castor laughed and set her down long enough to lead her down the hall to his bedroom.  The house was decorated in a comfortable, neutral theme.  Standard, unemotional and plain.  Castor’s room was on the ground floor, large, and looked unsurprisingly like a hotel room—minus the TV and cheap desk.  Shutting the door behind them, Harley shrugged at the room.  “This is nice I guess.”

Cas rolled his eyes.  “It’s a room.”

“You’re right about that.”

Castor stepped closer and cupped her face in his hands.  “I have missed you so much.”

“Me too,” she whispered.

Castor bent and kissed a line down from her forehead to her lips.  His mouth fluttered against her skin and her heart raced.  Everywhere his lips touched her she could feel the heat linger.  Her Nocte itched to take over and throw Cas on the bed, but Harley resisted.  She had needed Cas and his softness for a while now and she wanted to enjoy it.  She wanted to let go and feel something gentle and tender after the abrasiveness they had experienced since their arrival in L. A.

Castor led Harley to the bed and pulled her shirt over her head.  He ran his fingertips from her cheek to her hip and her skin shuddered under his touch.  She closed her eyes as Cas finished undressing her and sighed when he worked his hands gently over her body—massaging the tension from her muscles.  Her sigh must have given away how much she was enjoying herself because he began kneading at her body hard enough to cause her to groan in blissful pain.  “You’re so tense,” he whispered, kissing a spot on her shoulder that his fingers had just tenderized.

“I know,” Harley’s voice was muffled as she was face down in the pillow.

When her body was sufficiently mush, Harley rolled onto her back and pulled Cas close.  He wrapped his arms around her and held her against his chest.  She should have felt weird being naked while he was fully clothed, but she didn’t.  He ran his lips over hers and kissed her softly.  Before long they were making out like teenagers--in no hurry, they simply savored the feel of each other.  At some point Harley pulled off Castor’s shirt and pressed her chest into his and their skin melted together.

Rolling, Castor pulled Harley on top of him and didn’t look away as he ran his hands down her body.  His gaze was so intense that Harley almost had to look away.  Eventually, he smiled and drew her face to his.  While he ran his fingers through her hair she unbutton his jeans and working together they took them off and tossed them aside.  When Castor was inside her she was able to let go and let his energy soothe her rough nerves.  Harley wrapped herself around Cas and bathed in his warmth, breathing in his aura and his scent.  His low voice in her ear sent goosebumps over her skin and took her breath away.

Harley guided his hands to her head to encourage him to pull from her.  She wanted, needed, to feel the blissful peace that would sweep over her as they shared energy.  For once, Harley didn’t drink from him.  Instead, she pulled from him as he pulled from her.  It started as a gentle white noise that burst into white light behind her eyes.  She could feel Castor’s energy flowing through her and she sighed in ecstasy.  It felt like they were both rising high into the sky, towards the sun in blinding light and thin air that left them dizzy.  When they came together with a gasp as they fell back into themselves.

Harley lay on the bed in bliss, feeling her head swim and her body tingle, Cas lay next to her playing with her hair.  “That was amazing,” he sighed internally.

“I know.”

“I’ve never had anyone pull from me before.”

“I just…thought I’d give that a try.

“Well I’m glad you did.”

For once Harley didn’t find it uncomfortable to speak psychically with Castor.  At the moment it felt more comfortable than talking out loud.  They were more connected mentally than ever before, their bond strong and comforting.  “Me too. It didn’t hurt you did it?”

“No,” Harley could hear the scoff even inside her head.

From somewhere in the house, Harley and Castor heard a door shut and they both groaned as the sound of others broke the spell that had swallowed them.  “We have to get up don’t we?”

“Yeah,” Cas sighed.

Harley and Cas dressed quickly and wandered towards the kitchen where everyone seemed to be gathered.  She did her best to compose herself before they greeted the others.  She felt limber and relaxed and it wasn’t a feeling she was used to.  She was sure if she looked in the mirror she would see a sign tagged to her forehead that said “just had amazing sex.”  And by the looks on the faces of the Lux, she didn’t figure she was far off.

“How did the hunt go?” Cas sat at the kitchen table, ignoring the snickering looks from the three Lux that Harley didn’t know.  James and Aaron didn’t acknowledge the other’s assumptions—either out of respect or lack of interest.  Harley felt the three Lux staring at her and she called her Nocte up and turned to them with a wide grin and laughed when they froze in shock.  She laughed a wide, toothy—fangy—laugh and turned back to the table to see James, Aaron and Cas all waiting for her to get done spooking the newbies.

“Harley,” James said softly, nodding toward the Lux who seemed to have shrunk back further away from the table.  “This is Arabella, Diego and Heather.  This is Harley Finn.  When you guys are done we would like to get down to business.  The sun is going down and I, for one, am exhausted.”

“Sorry,” Harley smirked at Castor’s eye roll.  James was always business.  She turned back to the Lux with her normal green eyes and fangs put away.  “You guys should sit.  I don’t bite…”

Arabella, a blonde, was the first to approach the table.  She held out her hand to Harley.  “Nice to meet you.”

Harley froze at the woman’s accent.  “You’re from Italy, aren’t you?”

“Yes.  Sorry,” she cringed, obviously having been informed of the events that surrounded the Italian based Sol Invictus.

“No.  That’s OK.  I’m sorry.  I was just caught off guard,” Harley tried to smooth the awkwardness with an empty laugh.

Diego was next and Harley quickly ascertained he was from Spain.  He seemed friendly enough, yet aloof and determined.  Heather was the quietest but pleasant as well.  “So, Harley,” James picked up after introductions.  “Tell us about the riots.”

It was dark by the time Harley finished recounting the events of the last few days.  She drew the line at telling everyone about feeding Landon her blood.  Castor knew and, judging by the look he gave her, James knew as well.  Harley would tell Cas and James about their plan to test Levi’s blood later—in private.  Maybe Cas will be willing to test his blood as well, Harley considered.

“What about you guys?  You have information about Pax?”

James nodded to the three Lux Harley had just met.  “You guys can go.”  None of them looked particularly pleased with being dismissed but Harley tried to soften it with a smile good bye—which only Heather and Arabella returned.  When they were gone, James spoke softly.  “Pax has a reputation for causing problems with Lux.”

“Like what?”

“He has started fights more than once.  It seems the sun doesn’t bother him as badly as other Nocte.”  At Harley’s surprise he clarified.  “I don’t think he moves about as freely as you.  But the stories I’ve heard have taken place at sunset or near it.”

“What kind of fights?”

“Just arrogance.  The one I talked to personally—Rion.  Claimed that he tried to steal kills from him.  Just bully behavior.”

Harley rolled her eyes.  “That doesn’t surprise me.  But it’s going to make working together more difficult.”

“Indeed.”

“Does anyone know why he has a thing against Lux?” Cas asked.

“No,” James shook his head.  “The usual I would assume.”

Harley sighed and moved on.  “I think our next move is to coordinate a meeting between you guys and Jag and Pax.  We might as well get it over with.  Levi seems confident they will work with us.  And if we are going to make it happen—we are better off uniting early.”

“I agree,” Cas offered.

“You’ll talk to them tomorrow?”

“Yes,” Harley agreed.

“Well, I’m going to turn in,” James stood and he and Aaron both left the room.

“Are-are they sleeping together?” Harley asked Cas, once the two Lux were out of earshot.

Castor shrugged.  “I don’t ask questions…but it appears as if they do.”

“Wow—I wouldn’t have guessed it.  I don’t care.  I’m just surprised.”

“I think that is one of the reasons why James is so willing to work against the Electorate’s grain.”

“Why?”

“Well…same-sex dating isn’t forbidden in the Vigilum.  But it’s only slightly more taboo than it is in the human world.”

Harley shrugged.  “Good for them though.”

“What about Cassandra and Nya?” Cas asked.  “Weren’t they ‘together?’”

“I think so.  But I guess I’m surprised because the Lux seem so…uptight…”

“Hey!”

Harley chuckled.  “Present company excluded.”

“Are you going to sleep here?” Cas changed the subject. Earlier in the day he had insisted, but they both knew that he wouldn’t hold her to it if she couldn’t or didn’t want to.

“Of course.  For a while.  But I’ll need to meet up with Levi and the other Nocte later to arrange the meeting.  We are also going to do a little experiment that I want to be there for.”

“What kind of experiment?” They were walking back to Castor’s room and he gave her a sideways, wary look.

Harley chuckled.  “It’s not me this time,” she assured him.  “We are going to try feeding Landon Levi’s blood and see if it has the same effect as mine.”

Cas was surprised.  “That’s an interesting idea…”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Are you willing to try if Levi’s doesn’t work?”

Castor scowled at her for a moment.  “I guess,” he finally relented.

Chapter 17

Harley left Castor sleeping a couple of hours before sunrise.  She hated having to leave him, but she had told Levi she would return to the Den in time to test his blood on Landon.  She parked Jag’s car in the garage and made her way into the house.  It didn’t take long to figure out that Levi was in the basement—probably with Landon already.  She found him sitting in front of the Dybrid trying to talk to him.

“Any luck?” she asked.

“Nope,” he answered without turning around.

Landon leaned against the support beam with drool dripping from his bottom lip, his black and white eyes unfixed and red-rimmed.  “Where are the other Nocte?”

“Out hunting. Nya, Evie and Everett got here a couple of hours ago.  They went to bed already—jet lagged.”

“How is Evie?”

“She’s…OK.  Quiet.”

Harley sighed—worried about her friend.  “What about Kai?”  She tried to keep the edge from her voice but Levi must have noticed it anyway.

“She’s still working on the Council,” he sighed, obviously tired of the tension between Harley and Kai.

“Do you want to give this a try before they get back?” Harley changed the subject.

“Yeah.”  Levi sounded weary but resolved.

Harley squatted in front of the Dybrid and snapped her fingers.  His eyes flickered a fraction, indicating that he heard the sound.  “Landon.”  No response.  “Just like the other day.  We are going to give you blood.  If you don’t let go when we tell you to, I will kill you.  Do you understand?”  A tiny eye flicker and increased breathing.   She nodded at Levi.  “I’ll stop him one way or another.”

Levi sighed and lowered himself to his knees behind Landon.  He held his wrist up to the Dybrid’s and at first nothing happened.  After bumping nudging his wrist into his mouth Landon finally got the message.  He slowly latched onto Levi’s wrist and gulped, with increasing intensity, at the wound his fangs had made.  Levi grunted and ground his teeth.  Harley waited anxiously for any sign of a change to come over the Dybrid.  She realized she was holding her breath, hoping for a sign that the Nocte blood was having a positive effect.

A couple of minutes later, Levi snarled.  “That’s enough,” he grunted.

“Let go Landon.”  No response.  “Landon,” Harley snapped sharply.  Still no response.

“Get him off.”

Harley closed her hand around the Dybrid’s throat and squeezed.  Her teeth clenched to the point of cracking and she panted through her nose.  She wasn’t really angry at Landon.  She was angry about what had been done to him—and the futility in trying to help him.  She cut off Landon’s air and it was only moments later that he broke away from Levi’s wrist—wheezing and choking out snarls.  Levi moved away from Landon, holding his wrist he stood next to Harley.  “Well, that didn’t seem to do any good at all.”

“Are you OK?”  Harley let go of the Dybrid’s throat and stood.

“Yeah, this will heal up in a few minutes.”  He wrapped a bandana around his wrist and wiped the non-bloodied side across his forehead.  “Do you want to try your blood again?”  Landon continued to glare at them both—looking ready to chew his own arms off to be free.

“What’s the point really?  It might clear him up, but he’ll just go back to this eventually.  And while he’s with it he gets to feel like shit—for what he’s done, what he’s become and what he needs to be ‘normal.’  Is that really doing him a favor?”

“No.  I guess not.”

“I just don’t know what to do…long term.”

“Maybe Nya will know,” Levi shrugged.

“I asked Cas to test his blood—but I don’t think it will work any better.”

“Still worth a try though.”

“Yeah.”

Harley followed Levi upstairs to the kitchen.  Sitting at the breakfast counter he poured them both a whiskey.  “Did James or Aaron have any useful information?”

“On what?” Harley looked at Levi out of the corner of her eye.

“On anything.”

“Well, rumor has it that Pax is a troublemaker when it comes to Lux.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.  Jag?”

“He didn’t have anything about him.”

“What else do you want to know about him?”

Harley shrugged.  “Where is he from?”

“Originally?”  The middle-east.  Persia, I think.”

“How long have you known him?”

“Uh…I met him probably fifty years or so ago.”

“And he’s never given you a reason to not trust him?”

“Nope.  He’s had my back a few times.  Nya always trusted him.”

“And he seems the same now as he did then?”

Harley was grateful that Levi actually considered the question and didn’t just immediately dismiss her.  “Yeah,” he shrugged.

“What was the whole ‘I owe you,’ thing he did when he picked us up at the airport?”

“Do we really need to go into that?”

Harley raised her brows at his discomfort.  She couldn’t ever recall actually seeing Levi squirm.  “At this point—yes.”

Levi sighed and looked away.  “Back in the 70s he and I were in New York.  He had a thing for this girl that had just bonded with her Nocte.  He brought her to the city for Nya and was trying to show her the ropes.  She…liked me better than him.”

“That’s it?”  Harley asked trying to not laugh at the image of Jag and Levi in bell-bottom jeans and brightly colored shirts.

“Well…not really.  She didn’t handle the bond well.”

“Meaning?’

“Meaning she had to be taken care of—like any Nocte who loses it,” Levi took a large gulp of his drink.

“Shit.  Who did it?”

“Did what?”

“‘Took care of her?’”

“…He did.”

“Damn.  So you were sleeping with a Nocte he liked, AND when she went crazy he had to kill her?”

“Well…it was a little more complicated than that…but yeah.”

“And you don’t think he could hold anything against you for that?”

“Why would he?”

“I don’t know.  Just how much did he care about her?  Because love can make people do crazy things?”

“I don’t know that he LOVED her,” Levi tried to defend himself.

“Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure.  He never really talked about her after that.”

“I can safely say that I am more worried about him now than I was before,” Harley swallowed the last of her drink.

Levi poured them both more.  “I don’t think we have to worry about that.  I’ll try to talk to him again.  And maybe Nya can help.”

“I hope you are right.”  Harley felt better knowing Nya was going to step into the situation.  Everyone listened to and respect Nya.

“Me too,” Levi admitted.

They both looked up at the sound of a vehicle approaching the house.  “We need to convince Jag and Pax to meet with the Lux.”

“I know.”

“Today.”

“Yeah.”

Harley and Levi waited for Jag to find them as they continued to drink.  It didn’t take long.  Jag came whistling into the kitchen and smiled when he saw them.  “Good morning!”

Harley raised a brow at his chipper mood.  “Have a drink,” she slid an empty glass towards him.

“Uh oh.  What’s going on?”

“The Lux are in town and we need to meet with them,” Levi explained.

“This is the Lux that you talk to?” Jag asked Harley.

“Yeah, one of them.  They are working with us to stop Helion.”

Jag nodded and sat on the stool across from them.  Levi poured him a glass and he downed it in one large gulp.  Levi refilled it and Jag spun the glass.  “I’ll talk to Pax.  He’s going to be a pain in the ass.”

Harley felt a bit of her soften at Jag’s words.  She wanted to believe that he was on their side.  That he was going to work with them and his, roundabout, acknowledgement of Pax’s attitude toward Lux went a long way in Harley’s book.  “If he is behind us he will need to be OK with working with Lux.”

Jag watched her carefully working out her lack of surprise at Pax’s distaste for Lux.  “He’ll come around.  He just doesn’t trust Lux.”

“Granted, not all Lux are easy to work with—but neither are all Noctes” Harley reasoned.

Jag nodded and raised his glass.  “This is true.”

Harley placed a hand on Levi’s leg and he covered it with his own.  “There’s something you should know,” Levi sighed.  Harley knew what he was doing.  It was better to prepare him and not just let him find out by accident.

“What’s that?” Jag watched them both warily.

Harley grimaced in anticipation of the possible reaction from Jag.  “Um…well…Castor—my Lux friend—he and I are close…”

Jag raised a brow.  “How close?”

“Real close.”

Jag’s face was blank for a moment—then he burst out laughing.  “Karma is a bitch, isn’t it?” he asked Levi.

“Ha. Ha,” Levi rolled his eyes.

Jag shook his head at Harley and she tried not to smile.  She was surprised that he took the news so well.  But she chalked it up to the fact that he was used to her being unusual.  “I’ll contact Cas and tell him to get the others here this evening.  Will you be able to talk to Pax by then?”

“Sure,” Jag nodded.  “How does that work anyway?” he asked her.

“What?”

“Getting two guys—a Lux and a Nocte at that—to share?”

Levi rested his face in his hands—not from embarrassment, but from exasperation.  “There’s enough of me to go around,” Harley winked.

“Well…you need to share your secrets with me sometime…”

“Sure,” Harley laughed.

“Fuck off—both of you,” Levi laughed and pulled Harley off the stool.

--------------------

The sun hadn’t quite set yet but the Nocte were gathering on the first floor of the Den.  Harley stood next to Levi waiting for the others to join them.  She was dressed to hunt—jeans, a tank top under a jacket that hid her machete.  She tied a bandana around her hair to help contain it.  “I have GOT to get some of this hair cut,” she grumbled.

“I like it,” Levi turned toward her and using a handful of her hair he pulled her head back and kissed her roughly.  Harley groaned and chuckled.

“Seriously—get a room.”

Harley smiled against Levi’s mouth when she heard Nya’s voice.  “So glad to see you,” she hurried toward her mentor and hugged her tightly.  Nya was too tall for Harley to see over her shoulder, but she heard the light footsteps coming down behind her and she looked around Nya to see Evie shuffling down to join them.  “Hey!  Even better to see you up and around.”

When Evie’s eyes met hers Harley flinched.  The blonde Nocte had always been one of the most pleasant Noctes to be around.  She had always had an infectious attitude and Harley couldn’t help but smiling when she was around her.  But, now, Harley’s heart sunk and the heavy look that pulled her friend’s features down.  “Hi,” Evie muttered.  She wore a sweater with a scarf wrapped tightly around her neck.  Harley suspected it was to cover the still healing wounds from her Burner bite.  Evie glanced at Harley, then Levi before scowling at the floor.

A spike of pain cut into Harley’s guts.  It only took a moment but she knew what Evie was thinking.  Why Rafe and not Levi?  Harley couldn’t resent Evie for the feeling bitter.  If it had been Levi or Castor, Harley couldn’t imagine the depth of despair and anger she would feel.  Just thinking about losing either of them left a canyon of pain inside her.  Forcing herself to stop thinking about maybies, Harley glanced at Nya.  The general closed her eyes for a moment as if she could see the reflection of Evie’s reaction to Harley and Levi in Harley’s eyes.  Hell, maybe she did.  Finally, she shrugged the moment off.  “Everett is on his way down,” Nya announced, moving on.

Harley returned to Levi’s side, at a loss of for words.  He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as if to remind her that Evie’s pain wasn’t her fault.  Her heart squeezed painfully.  She would give anything to take her friend’s anguish away—but she knew there was nothing she could do--except make the bitch who killed Rafe pay.  Evie stood close to Nya pointedly not talking to anyone.  Harley leaned against Levi and tried to put her regret aside.  The best thing she could do was make Rafe’s loss mean something.  Maybe her friend could start to heal then.

“I’m here, I’m here.”

Harley smiled as Everett hurried down the stairs followed by Jag, Pax and Georgia.

“I don’t see why we have to work on THEIR schedule,” Georgia grumbled.

Nya looked at her evenly.  “By the time we get there the sun will be setting and THEY will be on OUR time.”  Georgia rolled her eyes but Nya ignored it.  Harley didn’t miss how close the young Nocte was standing to Pax.  We need to get those two separated before he gets her hurt.

“Who’s driving?” Everett asked.

Looking around the room, Harley was tired just thinking about trying to figure out who was going to ride with whom.  Not for the first time, she was struck by the relief that she wasn’t in charge of the Noctes.  Which only led to the realization that once they got to the Lux that SHE would be the ringmaster—acting as liaison between the two groups.  “Shit,” she muttered to herself.

Levi smiled down at her and patted her shoulder as if he read her mind.  “It will be fine.”

Given the attitude of Pax, and the wary attitude of Georgia—Jag and Nya had agreed that it would be a good idea to meet on the Lux’s turf.  They had hoped that it would lessen the Nocte’s feelings of aggression and territorialism.  It was decided that Harley would ride in Jag’s sedan with Levi, Nya and Evie.  Pax, Everett, and Georgia would ride in Pax’s gigantic military-esque vehicle.  The eight of them walked toward the garage in silence.  As they stepped into the late afternoon air Levi paused and Harley nearly walked into his back.

It only took a split second for Harley to realize why he paused.  “Does anyone else feel that?”

“Feel what?” Jag asked.

Her Burner alarm went from zero to one hundred in less than a second.  It nearly took her to her knees before she was able to dial it back enough to stand.  Her Nocte’s hackles rose and a growl rippled from her throat.  Nya’s hand was on her arm steadying her.  “What is it?” she asked Harley.

“Burners,” Harley gasped.

“A lot of them,” Levi pulled his knife from his back and stepped closer to the group.  Nya drew her sword as Jag, Pax, and Georgia pulled their weapons as well.  Evie tried to move to the front with her knife in her hand and her eyes alive for the first time since Harley had seen her awake.  But, before she could ready herself, Levi pushed her back.  “Don’t even think about it.”

Harley stepped forward  as movement at the top of the perimeter wall caught her attention.  Like a tidal wave, Burner after Burner spilled over.  In the first wave, Harley counted at least twenty, and a second wave was already in the process of vaulting over the wall.  “Cas!” she called.  “We’re going to need some help here.  Now!”

Chapter 18

“Back in the house,” Jag shouted.

“What’s going on?” Cas answered her call.

“We’re under attack.  Burners lots of them.”

“Where are you?”

“The Den.”  Harley gave him the address as she followed the others back inside.

“Harley,” Levi called, bolting the door.  “We could use some back up.”

“Already called.”  Jag looked at them both in confusion.  “I have a mental link with Castor,” Harley explained.

Jag didn’t ask questions but led the way into the foyer.  Looking out the large picture window Harley could see approximately fifty Burners gathering on the lawn.  Some carried weapons—knives, sticks, swords, a couple even looked like they had guns, and the others simply curled their fingers into claws and snarled their teeth.  Security lights flickered off the Burners’ eyes making them look like a pack of wolves.

“Stand your ground the best you can,” Nya ordered through bared teeth.

Levi was attempting to push Evie behind him and Harley cringed.  “Evie,” she pleaded.  “Work with us.  Keep calm.”  Evie glanced at her before swallowing hard and stopped trying to get around Levi.  For his part, Levi caught Harley’s eye gratefully.

“If we can’t fight them off, we can burn the house down with them in it,” Jag growled.

“Fuck,” Harley muttered.

The Burners began to surround the house and Nya called out directions. “Levi, Pax—you take the north side.  Jag and Georgia—east.  Everett and Evie—south.  Harley and I will hold the west.”

Harley didn’t miss the fact that Nya had separated Levi and Evie and for that she was grateful.  She loved Evie but didn’t want Levi distracted.  Furthermore, she had sent Everett and Evie to the south which was closest to the property wall and pool and therefore least likely to draw the most Ignis.  She caught Nya’s eye and nodded as everyone went to cover their post.  She and Nya came together—shoulder to shoulder.  As Harley watched, a shadow fell across the picture window and grew larger as the Ignis advanced.  As the Burner crashed through the window at least two more hit the double doors and the only reason they held was the silver reinforcements embedded inside them.

The Burner coming through the window, however, didn’t experience the same resistance.  It was a dark haired female and Harley had the advantage, as she was firmly planted and waiting for her.  One powerful spin kick sent the Ignis flying back through the window.  She heard Nya laughing beside her and couldn’t help but smile.  Her mentor loved a good battle, no matter how outnumbered they were and her mania was slowly building.  Harley glanced to her left and caught Nya’s eye.  Her normally golden eyes may have been blacked out but they still burned gleefully and Harley was relieved to see the fire lit up again in her friend.

The first Burner landed in the bushes outside the window as another was vaulting over the window casing—followed by the next.  At the same time the front doors gave and three darted inside.  Harley could hear similar crashes from other areas of the house and she hoped their back up arrived soon—nightfall or not, the Lux would be able to offer some reprieve.  As the two Burners cleared the window, Harley lowered into a combat stance with her machete held low for an upswing attack.  The last time Harley had been this besieged at one time she and her friends had been trapped inside a bar in Lexington, KY.  Just like that then, Harley soon resorted to chopping and grappling more than a coordinated attack.  As long as she was on the offensive she was not going to panic.  The real worry would come when they were so overwhelmed that they were simply fighting to survive.

After taking the head off one Ignis, Harley was yanked backwards off her feet by a Burner with a handful of her hair.  She crashed to the ground with enough force to jar her brain and crack the wooden flooring beneath her.  The impact knocked the machete from her hand and caused her vision to blur.  The snarling face of a male leaned over her and brought a knife downwards with enough force to break through her skull.  She had just enough time to raise her hand to ward off the blow but not enough to make a good grab.  The blade plunged through her palm and exited the back of her hand and stop inches from her eyes.  She brought her feet up, into the Burner’s chest and, using her left—non-impaled hand—she pulled him head over heels.  The man landed on his back with his head between her knees.  Thinking quickly, Harley closed her legs around his head and twisted her hips—a sharp crack told her then Burner’s neck was broken.

Harley stumbled to her feet and pulled the knife from her palm with a pained grunt.  She tucked it into her belt and scooped her machete up with her left hand.  The fact that the wound in her hand was not healing yet caused her to suspect that the knife had been made of platinum.  Furthermore, his attacking from behind worried her—Who did he get through to come from behind us?  And how? Harley wondered.  She didn’t have time to worry for long because more Ignis were coming at her.  She fought them with her left hand the best she could.  Even if her right hand was healed enough to use it, it was too slick with blood to be of much use.

It felt like Harley had been fighting for an hour, but it had probably only been minutes.  Suddenly, the ringing of the Burner alarm became so strong she couldn’t block it out anymore and at the same time the two Ignis she had been fighting backed away from her.  She looked up and froze at the sight of Helion standing in the broken window.  The sight took her to her knees and she gasped, trying not to look her directly in the eyes.  The blonde woman looked the same as she had months ago, when Harley had barely escaped with her life.

The sounds of fighting seemed to fade to silence and Harley could hear herself breathing roughly.  When Helion spoke, her mouth didn’t move but it caused a violent ripple through Harley’s brain.  “Come with me and I will spare your friends.”

“No,” Harley had to force the word through teeth clenched in pain.

“You can come willingly, or I can take you by force.”  The voice was sexless and plain—no hint of the melodic, Italian accent the woman had before she bonded with the creature that now controlled her.

“Why?  Why do you want me to come with you?” Wave after wave of pressure was exuded from the creature’s glowing white eyes and Harley struggled to keep her head up.  She focused, instead, on the woman’s mouth.  The last time she tried to look into Helion’s eyes she had been mesmerized and unable to look away—she didn’t want to risk that again.

“I need you to open the doorway.”

“What doorway?”  Harley could only hope that her friends were holding their own.

“The doorway between our world and here.”

Harley’s heart raced and her Nocte writhed with panic and agitation.  “Why?  What do you want?”

Helion had no qualms about speaking plainly.  “I intend to unite the worlds.”

Harley’s breath left her body and her Nocte went still in shock.  “Why-why do you need me for that?”  Keep her talking, Harley thought.  Keeping her distracted until you can think of a way out of this. Or until the Lux get here.

“Your blood—” Helion’s words were cut short as she was knocked to the side.  The creature turned and snarled behind her as Harley stumbled to her feet.  As the connection was broken the sounds of fighting resumed and several more loud cracks knocked Helion even further away from the window frame.  Harley realized, belatedly, that the cracking sound was gunfire and she picked up her machete before stumbling to the window in confusion and need to see what was happening.

Helion began walking towards the direction in which the bullets were coming from with rage radiating off her so strongly it was nearly physical.  Harley paused in the window and was stunned to see Castor standing firmly in the yard with a semi-automatic handgun, firing at the Sun Creature.  “Run!” Harley shouted as she jumped over the window frame.  Still disoriented from the mental connection with Helion, Harley’s foot caught the edge and she landed face first in the bushes.  She struggled to her feet with fear for Castor urging her forward.  As she extracted herself from the tangle she saw him drop his gun—having apparently emptied it into Helion who didn’t seem affected in the slightest.  When the creature was nearly arm’s length from Cas Harley screamed his name and he turned to her with a look of acceptance and she felt her heart stop beating.

Harley took two dizzy strides towards Helion when a yellow blur from her right cut her off.  She drew up short in shock, sliding on the damp grass.  Evie was between her and Helion—raising her knife.  The Nocte grabbed a handful of the creature’s hair and yanked her backwards as she thrust the knife into Helion’s back.  One.  Two. Three—Evie plunged the knife into Helion—before she finally let go of her hair and stepped back.  Harley’s hesitation came only from the remnants of foolish hope and shock.  Maybe, just maybe, Evie would be successful.  Harley had seen Helion stabbed in the heart before—it didn’t work then, but maybe Evie’s knife was better.  Or maybe her aim better.

When Helion turned, her face twisted in fury, Harley knew that hope had been more than foolish—it was stupid.  She ran forward as fast as she could but wasn’t fast enough.  Helion thrust an arm forward and Harley saw Evie take a step back.  She didn’t even know what had happened until Harley saw the bloody mass in Helion’s hand.  As Evie collapsed, Harley realized that Helion was holding the Nocte’s heart.  Harley leapt over her friend’s fallen body with her machete held high with both hands.  With a roar she flew through the air towards the creature in front of her—not caring about the impossibility of an attack that was messy and ill-planned.

Helion caught Harley by the throat in mid-air.  With almost no effort, Helion flipped Harley over her head and drove her into the ground.  Harley was only vaguely aware of Castor jumping into the fight with his kitana as her head bounced jarringly.  He only got a few blocked swipes in before Helion batted him away like a pestering fly.  She ripped the machete from Harley’s grip and pulled her up still holding her by the throat.  Helion was only a few inches taller than Harley, but her strength surpassed the need for height.  She dragged Harley across the ground and she could do little more than claw at the fingers cutting off her air.

Movement behind Helion caught Harley’s attention and she realized that Castor, Levi and Nya were all making a move for the creature.  Helion heard them coming and turned, dragging Harley like a neglected doll.  Helion caught Nya, who reached them first, and threw her backwards effortlessly.  Harley held up a hand to try to stop Levi and Castor from continuing their assault.  The last thing Harley wanted was to see another friend die.  Cas and Levi came in at the same time—one on either side and Harley couldn’t help but picture a wild animal trying to carry off a child while it’s family desperately fought it off.

Helion knocked each of Harley’s friends away with one hand as they came at her.  She even used Harley to block herself a couple of times.  Harley couldn’t see much of the actual fighting as the direction in which Helion held her faced her away from the house and her friends.  Harley did everything that she could—she clawed at the hand that still held her by the throat.  She punched at Helion’s sides and feet.  It did no good—nothing any of them did stopped her.  Harley could feel her Nocte’s rage and beyond that, she could feel the jagged white light of Haddon as he struggled to help them fight.  Black spots swam in front of Harley’s eyes as she began to lose consciousness.  Suddenly, Helion stumbled back and the Noctes paused in their offense.  Helion took another backwards step and Harley struggled to see what was going.  Straining against Sun Creature’s hold, she could see two daggers embedded in Helion’s chest.

From the corner of her eye, Harley saw Jag and James making their way towards the fight but it looked like a group of Ignis was running after them.  Jag and James were waving at Levi, Cas and Nya and slowly the three moved out of the way.  Harley could hear Helion snarl in anger as the Ignis continued forward, past Harley’s friends.  There were seven of them and they were coming directly for Helion and Harley.  The Burners didn’t hesitate and they didn’t worry about Harley being in the way of their attack.  They simply launched themselves forward, taking Helion down as they crashed into her and Harley both.

Harley grunted under the crushing weight of Burners and she wished she would finally pass out.  She could feel more Ignis join the pile up and she could do nothing but roll into a ball and try her best to protect her vital organs as blows rained down on her.  At least once she felt Burner teeth sink into her flesh but she couldn’t make a sound—she was lucky she was even able to draw a breath through her mangled throat.  At first she didn’t even pay attention to the grasp she felt on her ankle, chalking it up to just another Burner.  But when she realized that it was pulling her away from the pile of snarling bodies she began to hope that she would make it out alive after all.

Another hand latched onto her other ankle and little by little she was dragged out from underneath the Burners.  She felt like her skin was being torn off as fingernails dug into her flesh, trying to stop her from escaping.  When she was finally free of the crushing fight, Harley’s shirt was half off, she was bleeding, bruised and cut.  Air still wheezed through her throat and bloody drool was dripping onto her front.  But, overall, she was relieved to see what it was Nya and Levi who had pulled her out from underneath the tangle of bodies.

Levi pulled her into his lap and he struggled to stand but Harley could tell something was wrong with his leg.  Nya had three gashes along her face that oozed blood and Castor was trying to sit up.  She couldn’t see any visible wounds but the sun hadn’t risen yet and he was pretty much as vulnerable as a human.  There was no telling what kind of injuries he had.  Harley turned back to the writhing mass of bodies and was dismayed to see that Helion was slowly extricating herself from the pile.  Nya, luckily, saw the same thing.

“Get up,” she gasped.  “Move!”  She climbed to her feet and pulled Harley out of Levi’s lap, giving him the chance to stand.  Jag and James moved forward to help as Harley heard the sound of a motor roaring toward them.  Two vehicles, Pax’s Hummer and another SUV sped towards them.  The Hummer slid to a stop next to Nya with Pax behind the wheel.  She opened the back door and practically threw Harley inside followed by Levi and Castor—then she jumped into the passenger’s seat.  Harley could see Jag and James being helped into the other truck by Everett before Pax floored it and left a trail of churned grass in their wake.  Behind them Helion was dispensing with the last of the Ignis before taking several steps after them before stopping and letting out a roar that rattled the windows of the Hummer.  Flames curling out the windows of the Den backlit the roaring creature making her look even scarier.

Chapter 19

Levi grasped at Harley’s face.  “Are you OK?”  Harley knocked his hands away and tried to calm herself.  She could barely draw air and any sounds she tried to make came out in a croaking wheeze.  She just needed time to heal.

“Just give her a few minutes,” Nya cautioned.  “What about Castor?”

Levi straightened in the seat and checked Castor’s vitals.  “He’s breathing.  I think he has internal injuries though.”  As if on cue, Cas coughed and blood dribbled over his bottom lip.  Harley reached for him in fear but Levi brushed her hand away.  “We need to straighten him out, give him some room.  Sitting like this is going to put too much pressure on his insides.”  Levi grasped Cas’ shoulders and pulled him into his and Harley’s laps.  Castor’s head rested on her legs and when she took his hand he gave it a weak squeeze that eased her pain with a little relief.

Levi groaned and shifted his weight.  Harley gave him a questioning look as she tried to fight the urge to cough.  She could feel the muscles and tendons in her necks tightening as they repaired themselves, but she knew how badly a cough would hurt at the moment.  “My leg,” Levi responded to her look.  “I think my knee is broken.”

Nya leaned around her seat and lifted Levi’s leg, causing him to yelp in pain.  She propped it on the center console and Levi groaned—in relief and agony.  Harley tilted her head and back waited—forcing herself to take one slow breath at a time and each one was a little easier than the one before it.  Unfortunately, the better her throat felt the more she became aware of her head hurting and the churning of her stomach.  Fucking Burner bites.  This is going to be a long few days.  Levi held her free hand as they let their bodies heal.  As the adrenaline faded, grief flooded Harley’s body.  Evie.  It took every ounce of willpower for her to not break down in tears.  Had she been alone, she couldn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t have.

Harley couldn’t stop seeing the determined and deranged twist to Evie’s features as she sprinted towards Helion.  Her heart shuddered painfully.  The admonishments spun through her brain.  I should have stopped Evie.  I should have killed Helion by now.  I shouldn’t have let Helion turn away from me.  Her guts churned as she realized that Evie had probably saved Castor’s life.  She rested an arm across her face and clenched her teeth against the anguished scream that threatened to tear its way out of her mangled throat.  When Levi tightened his grip on her hand the squeezed back but refused to look at him.  She knew he was trying to tell her not to blame herself.  He knew what was going through her head right now.

Her brain seemed determined to punish Harley more.  The memory of her, Nya, and Evie hanging out in the hotel room the first time they came to L.A. hunting for the Sol Invictus played over and over.  Evie had teased her about her weird relationship with both Levi and Castor.  It had been the first real light moment after Cassandra had died.  It had been a bonding moment for the three of them.  A brief respite from the crushing weight of their loss and from the knowledge of what lay before them.  Only Evie could have made that happen.  Nya was funny in a half-mad kind of way.  Harley was sarcastic and snarky.  But only Evie exuded optimism and warmth that brought them all together as more than teammates.  She made them friends--family.

Too soon Pax slowed the vehicle and Harley was forced to leave her own sorrow and face the others.  She was finally able to breathe with only slight pain and squeaking but that did nothing to make her feel better.  The Lux led the way onto the property and Pax guided the Hummer in behind it.  He and Nya climbed wearily from the truck and opened the back doors to help Harley, Levi and Cas out.  Nya pulled Castor off their laps gently and with Pax’s help, they laid him in the grass until someone else could help him into the house.  Castor’s eyes were closed, but Harley was relieved to see his chest rising and falling regularly.

Levi hopped out of the truck on one leg, using Nya for support.  Pax held a hand out to Harley and she hesitated before taking it.  It didn't take a genius to figure out that someone had to have given away their location.  Helion and the Ignis wouldn’t have been able to find them otherwise.  Pax looked relatively unhurt and Harley wondered how that could be when everyone else was broken, bloody and bruised.  Pax simply waited—hand outstretched.  Finally, Harley took it and slid from the backseat.  She didn’t trust him, but for the time being she needed to play nice.

James and Aaron lifted Cas between them and carried him quickly into the house.  Jag lent Levi his shoulder and followed.  Next were Pax and Everett and Diego and Heather.  Nya brought up the rear with her arm behind Harley even though she didn’t need it.  Harley didn’t protest, she was comforted by the solid feel of her friend’s arm.  “Georgia?” Harley asked and her voice sounded like sandpaper on concrete—felt like it too.  Nya shook her head sadly.  “What about the other Lux?  The Italian one—Arabella?”

Nya sighed.  “I don’t think she made it.”

Harley’s throat tightened and she flinched.  “Evie…”

Nya rubbed her shoulder morosely as they went through the door.  Harley didn’t need to say anything else.  Nya’s pain at the loss of her friend was as apparent at her own.  Aaron and James carried Cas toward his bedroom and Jag helped Levi sink onto the couch and eased himself down at the opposite end.  Harley dropped in between the two of them while Everett, Pax, Heather and Diego settled themselves into other chairs around the room.  Levi wrapped an arm around Harley’s shoulders and rubbed his knee gingerly as he waited for it to heal.

Nya was wiping blood off her face when James and Aaron came back into the room.  “He’ll be OK.  It will just take a little time,” they told Harley.  They both pulled chairs in from the dining room and wearily sat down.  “Arabella is gone,” James announced.

“So is Georgia,” Jag sighed.

“And Ev…and Evie,” Nya bit out.  Harley felt like her heart was in a vise and Levi tightened his hand on her shoulder.  She could see his jaw muscles flex as he gritted his teeth.

“What the hell happened?” Harley croaked.  “How did Helion find us?”

“I don’t know,” Nya shook her head.

“Why was she trying to take you with her?” Levi asked Harley.

Harley sank into the couch.  “She said she was planning on opening the doorway between the worlds.”  The announcement brought shocked stillness to the room.  She rubbed her throat as speaking reopened wounds and she could taste blood.

“Holy shit,” Nya breathed.

“What would that mean for us?  For humans?” Everett asked.  He was nursing a broken arm and wiping a still healing gash on his head.

“The other world…is…chaos—full of war,” Harley shook her head.  “If the veil is dropped…their war will spill over to this world.  It will be bad,” she finished heavily.

“But why was Helion trying to take you with her?” Levi asked again--sounding even more wary than before.

She met his gaze steadily.  “She said she needed me to do it.”  Everyone stared at her, stunned.  “I asked her why and she said ‘your blood,’ then she was shot and didn’t finish.  I don’t know what she was going to say.”  Levi’s hand tightened harder on her shoulder.  Nya brushed her braids over her shoulder and stared at the floor.  “Do you have any idea what she meant?” Harley asked her.

Nya shook her head sadly.  “No.”

“What about the Ignis?  Why did they attack Helion?” Harley asked Jag, considering he was one of the ones leading the group that had taken Helion down.

Jag gestured towards James.  “He and I—”

“James,” Harley filled in, annoyed that Jag hadn’t bothered to ask the Lux his name.

“—James and I were fighting with them and we had one cornered.  I just…I took a shot and asked why they were there.  The Burner said ‘hungry.’  I asked it what happened to it.  I’ve never seen Burners like that before,” he addressed the group.  “That frenzied and wild.  She—the Burner—said the one made of light brought them in a truck.  I told her that the one made of light was in the front yard if they wanted their revenge.  The Burner hesitated and I thought ‘shit, this might actually work.’”  Jag leaned forward and ran his hands over his hair.  “Several of the Burners kind of paused and looked at each other.  I said the one who did this to you is out front. And then I just turned and ran.”

James picked up where Jag left off.  “They actually followed us and when they saw Helion…they just took over.  I can’t believe it worked,” he shook his head.  Harley could see his wounds—barely even starting to heal, and the dark circles around his eyes.

“So, the Burners aren’t working WITH Helion?” Harley wasn’t really intending it to be a question.  They had assumed that Helion was using the Burners, they just hadn’t realized the extent of it.

“Maybe not,” Nya shrugged.

“And Helion was driving a truck?” Levi asked dubiously.

“Yeah, I just can’t see that,” Harley admitted.  “I think she is working with humans again.  And she was dressed differently than before.  She’s not exactly going to be able to pass for human enough to go into a store and shop.”

“Do you think it’s the Sol Invictus?” Levi asked.

“I don’t know.  Why would they be willing to help her?” Harley shrugged.

“What ever happened to Jenna?” Nya looked to Harley.

“Shit.  I don’t know.”

“Who?” Jag asked.

Harley explained that before Helion became Helion—when she was still Miriam, the leader of the Sol—she’d had a human helper named Jenna.  “She’s the one who did the…experiments.”  Levi rubbed Harley’s back as she shivered from the memory of the electricity flowing through her brain and body.  She met Nya’s golden eyes and was relieved to have someone else who knew what that experience had been like.  They had both suffered at the hands of the Sol—Nya even longer than she had.

“How did Helion find us?” Everett asked.

“That’s a very good question,” Harley muttered, staring at the bite marks that were raised and red on her forearm.  She suspected, if the burning was any indication, she also had one on her shoulder.  “Someone must have sold us out.”

“Is there any way that the silver reinforcement doesn’t work on her?  That she can sense us regardless?” Jag asked.

“Who knows?  I don’t think so.  Otherwise, why did it take her so long?” Nya shrugged.  “I don’t think we should jump to conclusions until we have more facts though,” she looked at Harley pointedly.  She knew Harley was suspicious that one of their own had sold them out.  “Let’s all get some rest.  Heal up and regroup tomorrow.  We’ll figure out a plan then.”

Everyone began drifting out of the room, either heading towards their bedrooms or finding rooms of their own.  The Lux house wasn’t as large as the Den and some people were going to have to share rooms.  Harley turned to Jag before he and Nya left the room.  “What about Landon?” she asked.

Jag’s shoulders slumped.  “I couldn’t get to him.”

“You burned him alive?” Harley grimaced and she could feel Levi stiffen next to her.

“I didn’t do that.  I would have,” he admitted.  “But I didn’t set the place on fire.”

“Who did?” Levi asked.

“One of the Burners I guess.  I could smell the smoke when James and I ran from the house.”

Harley ran a hand over her face, overcome by all they had lost and Levi rested a comforting hand on her back.  Everett caught Harley before she and Levi limped from the room.  “I got your machete,” he told her with a smile.  “It’s in the truck.  I’ll go get it and stash it with the other weapons I grabbed.”

“Oh, man!  I love you,” she returned the smile weakly and wrapped her arms around the Nocte.  “Thank you!”

“My pleasure.”

“As tired as I am, and as shitty as I’m starting to feel, I really need a shower,” Harley pointed toward a bathroom that no one had claimed yet.  Levi nodded and followed her inside.  In the shower, Levi wrapped his arms around her and she buried her face in his chest.  She wasn’t sure who was offering more support to who.  The warm water rained down over them washing away the blood and the gore that had dried on their skin.  Harley turned her face up into the stream of water and let it pelt her face and closed eyes.  It ran in rivulets over her cheeks and lips and she sighed when Levi kissed her softly.

“Everything will be OK,” he whispered.

“It doesn’t feel like it,” she muttered.

“I know.”

“Evie…” she stopped when her throat tightened causing pain to flair through it again as she choked on her friend’s name.

“I know.”  Levi’s voice sounded as pained as hers.

After scrubbing the mess from their skin they dried each other with thick, fluffy towels.  Harley guided Levi down the hall towards Castor’s room.  “Where are we sleeping,” he asked, still limping slightly.

“Well,” Harley looked at him from the corner of her eye.  “Castor has a room.  And a large bed.  And I really would like to keep an eye on you both…”  Levi stopped walking and stared at her with no expression.  She held up her hands.  “No hanky panky,” she smiled lamely.  “And just for tonight.  We’ll figure something else out tomorrow.”

Levi shook his head wearily.  “Fine,” he conceded, too tired to argue.

They entered Castor’s room quietly even though he wouldn’t have woken up had he been uninjured.  Harley dug through his travel bag and scored a tee shirt that she pulled on and tossed Levi a pair of sweatpants.  He caught them and pulled them up, raising an eyebrow at their length—luckily Castor liked his sweats loose.  He might be a few inches taller than Levi, but he was about twenty pounds lighter.  Harley braided her hair and crawled into the bed.  Levi had been reclining against the headboard looking uncomfortable.

Harley sat on the bed between Cas and Levi.  “What kind of injuries do you think he has?” she asked.  She leaned over him and brushed some dried blood away from his mouth.  James or Aaron had taken his soiled shirt and jeans off and he wore nylon shorts.

“A couple of broken ribs and probably a punctured lung or torn stomach.  That is where the blood from his mouth would have come from.  Probably a concussion too.  He’ll be OK in time though.”

“I know.  I just hate that this happened to us.”

“Me too.”

“I’m worried.”

“About which part?” Levi asked sardonically.

Harley shrugged and slid beneath the covers and laying her head on Levi’s shoulder as they settled down to sleep.  “All of it.  I don’t know how we are going to be able to defeat Helion.  She took on all of us and we were lucky to make it out alive.  I mean, we got our asses handed to us.”

--------------------

Harley slept like a rock and when she opened her eyes, Castor was staring at her through a blood shot and bruised gaze  Her head felt like someone was trying to crack it open with a sledgehammer.  Every heartbeat pounded in her brain and teeth.  She was careful to not move too much or she was sure her stomach would remember to churn and eventually force everything inside it out.

“Hi,” Cas croaked.

“Hi,” Harley whispered.  She could see the light streaming in the window and she kept her eyes half-closed to block as much as she could.  She lay on her side facing Castor and she could feel Levi’s hand over her waist.

“Is Levi in bed with us?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

“How do you feel?”

“About Levi being in bed with us?”

Harley rolled her eyes and regretted it immediately.  “No.”

He smiled lightly.  “Like I was hit by a train.  You?”

“About the same.  I have two Ignis bites.”

“Uh oh.”

“Yeah.”

“I need to feed.”

“Me too.”

“Do you want to get up?”

“I don’t know if I can.”

“Same here.”

“We have to get up eventually.”

Harley sighed.  “I know.  Can you get up first?  I’m pretty sure, as soon as I move, I’m going to have to run to the bathroom.”

“Yeah.  Count of three and I’ll move.  One.  Two. Three.”  Castor tossed the blankets off himself and swung his legs over the side of the bed.  He bit back a cry of pain as he pushed himself into a sitting position.  “Wow.  I didn’t realize just how bad that was going to hurt.”

Harley sighed and mirrored Castor’s movements.  No sooner than she was sitting next to him on she had to stumble from the bed and out the door.  She made it to the bathroom just in time.  Her body convulsed, trying to rid itself of the poison that flowed through it.  Her hair had come loose from its braid in the night and hung in her face as she did her best to dry heave as quietly as possible.  She didn’t even hear Cas come into the bathroom, but she was grateful when he gathered her hair and held it back from her face.

After her body heaved itself into exhaustion, Harley rested her head on the toilet seat.  Castor sat next to her on the edge of the bathtub.  A soft voice from the doorway caused them both to look up.  “I brought you guys some supplies I thought you might need,” Heather explained.  She had short, light-brown hair and faded brown eyes.  They were so pale brown it looked as if they had never fully regained their normal color from when her eyes went Lux-white.  She looked incredibly young—if Harley had to guess she would say that she had barely been eighteen when she bonded.  Heather held up a bag before setting it inside the bathroom.  “There is also a bottle of Burner blood in there for you, Harley.”

“Thank you,” Harley croaked.  Heather nodded and left them alone.  “What are you going to do?” she asked Cas.  “I guess you can’t bottle Ignis energy?”

Castor smiled lightly.  “No.  If they can’t bring back a Burner for me, I’ll just have to go out and hunt.  That’s just how it is,” he shrugged at the appalled look on Harley’s face.

“I’ll help you out soon,” she offered.  Castor looked like he was going to protest but she waved him off.  Sitting between his knees, she pulled the bag closer and rummaged through it.  Inside were some clothes that looked like they would fit her and Levi.  Well that was nice of them.  Harley found the bottle of Ignis blood and held it up.  It was in a water bottle and Harley wondered who had been the one to procure it and how.  Harley twisted the top off and sniffed the blood.  It may be cold, but at least it’s fresh.  She tipped the bottle up and swallowed slowly.  She was confident she would be able to keep the blood down despite her illness.  Her body would quickly absorb the strength to heal itself.  Harley rested against the wall and sipped at the blood.  What was normally a fire in her mouth was barely warm as life left the blood quickly once it was outside the body.

“OK.  Enough of this bathroom.  I think I can move without throwing up,” Harley started to push herself up but her arms were too weak and she slid back down the wall.  Castor stood up with her and tried wrapping an arm around her back to assist her.  He held onto the towel rack as he lifted.  Harley couldn’t stop herself from laughing, which only made it harder for her to stand.

“What?”

“We are like the blind leading the blind.”

Castor had to chuckle at that even though he tried not to.  Eventually they were both on their feet.  “Back to bed?” Harley asked.

“Why don’t we let Levi sleep?”

Harley snorted.  “What do you suggest then?”

“There is a den in the back with a large couch.  We can convalesce there.”

“Works for me.”

Lying on a plush leather couch under a warm quilt, Harley relayed the debriefing Cas had missed out on.

“I’m sorry about Evie,” he whispered against Harley’s hair.

“Me too,” she said heavily.  She felt warm and safe in his arms and she tried hard to forget the pain and sickness that weighed her body down.  She burrowed closer to him, tucking her face against his neck.

“We will stop Helion,” Castor assured her.

“You know, everyone keeps saying that—but no one has any ideas on how to do that.”

Chapter 20

“You’re cutting too much off,” Harley whined.

“Well, I tried to tell you I didn’t know how to cut hair,” Nya shrugged.  “I think that’s the best I’m going to be able to do.”

Harley ran her fingers through her hair and grimaced at the missing length.  Finally, she’d had enough and talked Nya into cutting it for her.  The result was a good eight inches missing now.  “Shit.  You really cut a lot off,” Harley tried to laugh.  She had never been one to care much about her hair, but the change was still startling.  Even after Nya’s chopping her hair was still half way down her back.

“Give it a month or two and it will look like we never touched it,” Nya shrugged with a small smile.

“It’s fine actually.  It needed to be done.  It’s just different.”

“I’m sure.”

Harley watched her friend in the mirror as she finished brushing out her hair and nipping at a few long strands that worked their way out.  In quiet moments, Nya would seem to detach from the world around her and grow silent and far away.  She stared off into space looking dazed and vacant.  Harley was used to Nya that was intense and a little crazy but always present and reliable.  A sigh forced its way out of Harley.  She didn’t blame Nya.  They had lost so many friends in the past year it was a constant weight on her heart.  Blinking herself back into focus, Nya patted her shoulder as if she knew what Harley was thinking.

“You’re cleaning this mess up,” Nya smirked and left the bathroom.

Harley swept the shorn red strands into a dust pan and cringed at the ache in her bones.  It had been three days since Evie, Georgia and Arabella had died.  Three days since she had sustained two Burner bites in the fight with Helion.  The flu-like symptoms had finally passed, but she still had the body aches and energy loss that went along with it.  By tomorrow she hoped those would be gone.  She intended on going out to hunt tonight for the first time since Helion’s ambush and she was sure the fresh Ignis blood would do wonders for finally healing her completely.

Levi appeared in the doorway.  “Are you sure you are ready for this?”

Harley dumped the hair into the trash can and looked from her kneeling position on the floor.  “If you ask me that again I’ll punch you in the balls.  I’m in the perfect position for it too.”

“That’s not the only thing that position is good for,” Levi cocked an eyebrow at her.

“Back me up on this hunt and I’ll see what I can do about that…”

“Fair enough,” Levi chuckled, pulling her off the floor and turning so that she was pressed against the wall.  He lifted her legs and she wrapped them about his waist.  He held Harley’s gaze as he brought his face closer to hers, his dark blue eyes flashing with amusement at her sharp intake of breath.  He held his mouth so close that she could the warmth from his lips against hers.  Levi growled before biting her lip and sending a shudder through her body.  Despite the heat that flared through her, she managed to push him away.

“Stop trying to distract me,” she laughed.

Harley and Levi hard shared energy since the attack, and while it had sped up the process of healing for the both of them, she needed Ignis blood.  Levi’s body was fine—his knee had healed by the next day.  The same with Castor—his internal injuries had healed in less than forty-eight hours.  While feeding from Harley had fixed them up in no time, their blood had only sped her healing up.  Not completed it.  The poison from the Burner’s bite flowing through Harley’s body needed Burner blood—fire with fire, so to speak.

Harley followed Levi to the bedroom he claimed after Jag moved into Nya’s room.  Pax and Everett shared a room while James and Aaron claimed another.  Diego and Heather took the last bedroom.  Harley floated between Levi and Castor’s rooms and if anyone had any complaints with Levi and Castor basically having their own room—they kept their opinions to themselves.  No one questioned Harley’s sleeping arrangements.  Not even Pax who still scowled at her every time he saw her near one of the Lux.  Then again—no one questioned Nya and Jag either.  She had helped set up the air mattress in Pax and Everett’s room and another in Diego and Heather’s room.  But, in Nya and Jag’s room there was only one bed.  Harley was dying to ask Nya about it—but it wasn’t any of her business and she would be a hypocrite to pry.  Besides, Harley thought to herself, if Nya has found some comfort—more power to her.

Harley strapped her machete to her back and smiled at the weight of it hanging between her shoulders.  Next, she picked up the small hunting knife that Everett had given her.  Since she had lost her Bowie in the fire at The Bourbon, he had wanted to replace the missing weapon.  Also, it had belonged to Evie.  The only thing that made it a hunting knife was its size.  It was too ornate to actually be used for hunting anything other than Burners.  The thin leather hilt was the perfect size for a woman’s hand, and the shiny silver blade would cut through a Burner like butter.  After running her hand over it appreciatively, Harley spun the weapon and slid it back into its holster with a click before strapping it to her thigh, the same way Evie had carried it.

“You ready?” Levi asked her after securing his Bowie to his back and another to his waist.  Evie had carried two knives.  The hunting knife and her Bowie and Everett had given Levi the Bowie.

Harley pulled the long-sleeved, hooded tee-shirt over her head and the machete and nodded at Levi.  “Yep.  Let’s do this.”

Not only were they going out to hunt for Burners, they were also hoping to get a read on the balance.  They hoped to be able to tell if Helion was still in the city or not.  He had only agreed to go, and take Harley with him, if she swore that she wouldn’t make a move on Helion in her condition should they come across her.  It didn’t take much convincing for Harley to make the promise.  She had not had any luck with the Sun Creature even when she was at a hundred percent.  Whether they encountered her or not, Harley—and the others as well—were sure that she was still in the area.  If Harley was here—then Helion would be.

As Harley and Levi left the house, Everett shut and locked the door behind them.  The most convenient part of the Nocte and Lux staying together was that one group was always awake—night or day.  On top of that, they had agreed that one person from each group would stay behind when the others went out to hunt—that way someone was awake and watching the house at all hours.  Tonight it was Everett’s turn to stay home.

Levi and Harley took the only vehicle that was left—a bright yellow VW Bug.  “Seriously?” Harley scowled at the car.

“Jag was in a pinch and got what he could get with cash.  If you hadn’t taken so long to get ready we could have taken the Toyota.”

Harley huffed and opened the passenger door.  “Well, I hope we don’t have to outrun anything.”

“Hey, you might be surprised.  This is a turbo,” Levi snickered before scooting the seat back as far as it would go.

Twenty minutes later they were parking near the beach and climbing from the car.  The only other car in the lot this time of night was an older model GTO.  “I think you should drive on the way back,” Levi muttered.

Harley chuckled.  “I thought it was a ‘turbo.’”

“It is.  And I didn’t mind driving it until the woman in the minivan laughed at me,” he grumbled.

“We need something more like that,” Harley nodded toward the muscle car.

“Tell me about it.”

Harley laughed out loud and it felt good.  The pain of more lost friends still weighed heavily on her, but she would take some light moments when she could find them.  She slid her machete under her shirt and they set out on foot.  “Feel anything?” she asked.

Levi nodded.  “Yeah, everything still feels off.  You don’t feel it?”

She shook her head.  “No.  That’s your forte, not mine.  What’s it feel like?”

“Like…like something is just waiting to happen,” he shrugged.  “I don’t know how else to explain it.”

“Still more Ignis than there should be?”

“Definitely.”

“James hasn’t had any luck convincing the Electorate to send more Lux.”

“And Kai hasn’t been able to get the Council to meet with her either,” Levi sighed.

“It’s like they’ve written us off,” Harley clenched her teeth.

“Kai said she is still trying to get them to sit down with her.  Once she does she thinks she’ll be able to convince them to meet with you.”

Harley’s stomach knotted.  She knew how important the meeting would be and that was part of her dread.  She hated that so much was relying on her, but she had to admit—she was their best shot at getting cooperation from the Electorate or the Council.  Preferably both.  “There,” she nodded towards the Boardwalk.  The Burner alarm was growing stronger the closer they were to the figure in the shadows.  “And seriously,” she turned to Levi.  “Just back up.  I want to do this myself.”  Levi held his hands up in defeat.  It’s bad enough that I needed to bring back up, I don’t need someone hunting for me.  Her Nocte huffed in agreement.

Levi held back as Harley pulled the hood over her head and increased her pace.  As she drew near the shadowy man he stood straighter knowing she was coming to him—just not why.  “What you need, girlie?” he spoke under his breath.

“You,” she growled.

By the time the Burner realized what she was and her intent, she was already on him.  She drove a fist into his stomach and brought her knee up into his nose.  He hit the ground heavily and she dropped her weight onto his chest.  She was surprised when he caught her with a right hook that felt like it was made of iron.  She flew backwards and he was on her before her head finished its bounce on the pavement.  He was trying to pull a weapon and hold her down by the throat at the same time.  She might be weaker than normal, but she was still stronger than the Burner.  She bucked her hips and as the Burner fell forward she raised her head and slammed her forehead into his already broken nose.  He moaned and was too stunned to resist as she rolled until she straddled his chest.

By the time the Burner’s vision cleared she held the hunting knife to his throat.  “Move and I’ll bleed you out slow.”

“What the fuck do you want?” he growled.

Harley looked up as Levi leaned against the railing next to them.  “What do you know about the Sun Creature?”

“The what?”

Harley could tell the Ignis was genuine in his confusion.  “The one bringing mass amounts of Burners through.”  The Ignis stared at her in confusion, but she could see a spark of recognition.  “You know what I’m talking about.”

“Not really.  But there are rumors.”

“What rumors?”

“Let me up and I’ll tell you.”

“No.”

“Then fuck you.”

“How about you tell me and I don’t do this again?” Harley sneered.  She raised her hunting knife and plunged it into the Burner’s stomach and twisted.  He started to scream but the sound was cut off by Harley’s hand over his mouth.  “We can do this all night—or you can just tell me what I want to know.”  When the Burner stopped struggling she removed her hand.  Harley had developed a reputation early on for her effective interrogation techniques.  At one time she had even gotten a maniacal enjoyment out of it.  But now, she wasn’t getting any pleasure out of the torture.  This time it wasn’t driven by anger and a need for vengeance.

“The only thing I know,” the Burner panted, “is that someone has been rounding up humans.  Drug dealers.  Pimps.  Thieves.  Then shit goes down.”

“Like The Bourbon?” Harley asked.

“Yeah,” he growled.

“Why are they working with the Sun Creature?”

“I don’t know what creature you’re talking about.  But whatever is being done to them—it’s not right.  They’re being starved and then…then just set loose.”

Harley glanced at Levi and he shrugged.  “What else do you know?”

“I know I’ve heard rumors about you too.”

“Have you?”

“Yeah.  So why don’t you just get this over with?”

“Fine,” Harley shrugged.  “Thanks for your help.”  She didn’t waste any more time before sinking her fangs into the Burner’s neck.  When the blood exploded in her mouth she sighed with pleasure.  It had been days since she’d had Burner blood fresh from the source.  The fire burned down her throat and she could feel it wake her body up.  When she broke away she felt the best she had since being bitten.  “Oh, man, I needed that,” she flopped back and stared up at the stars until Levi’s face appeared over her.

“Let’s get out of here,” he chuckled, pulling her to her feet.

Harley tucked her knife back into its holder and they both turned back towards the car until a sound stopped them.  It was a car door opening and shutting.  They both looked towards the parking lot where their car was parked and as the GTO roared to life they bolted towards it.  The eye shine of the Ignis behind the wheel had been unmistakable.  They were fast, but by the time they covered the distance to their car the Pontiac was already a quarter mile away.  They dove into the Bug and Levi started the car.

“Babe,” Harley laid a hand over his.  “There’s really no point in trying to catch that car,” she tried not to laugh.

“Fuck,” Levi punched the steering wheel.

“It’s just a Burner,” Harley shrugged.  “I didn’t even hear her,” she muttered annoyed by her distraction.  Feeding didn’t always bowl her over like that—but it had been so long that she had been in too much a stupor to notice her mental alarm.

“She was close enough to have heard us interrogating the other Burner.”

“Shit,” Harley muttered, realizing he was right.  “Should we be worried about that?”

“We would be naive not to be.”

--------------------

Harley and Levi decided to return to the Den instead of continuing to hunt.  The fresh Ignis blood had done wonders for Harley and Levi was still satisfied from his feeding the night before.  Plus, they were eager to discuss what had happened with Nya and the others.  Levi and Harley waited for everyone at the dining room table.  It had become the routine for the Nocte to stay up later than normal to discuss the night’s hunts with the Lux and the Lux would stay up past sunset to do the same for the Nocte.

Nya and Jag returned shortly before dawn and joined Levi, Harley and Everett and Pax was last of the Noctes to arrive.  The Lux wandered in as the first rays of light were brightening the sky.  Marc sat coffee on the table before ducking quickly back out.  The Lux apparently drank coffee like the Nocte drank liquor.  Harley offered the human a smile, glad that he had decided to help them at the Lux house.  He was more nervous than ever and only showed himself when he was needed.  He didn’t seem to know what to make of the Lux and kept a wide berth from them.  If he gets a look at their eyes he will be creeped out for sure, Harley chuckled to herself.

Harley watched the others at the table while Levi filled them in on their hunt.  She sat with her back to the large bay window with Levi on her right and Cas on her left.  Nya sat at one end of the table with Jag to her right and James was at the other end with Aaron on his left.  The rest of the seats were taken up by Pax, Everett and Diego and Heather had pulled up a folding chair to the table next to Diego.  Harley couldn’t help but glancing at Pax.  If one of the Noctes had ratted them out to Helion, her bet would have been on Pax.  But, Harley considered, how did the rat even do it?  Where did they go or who did they tell?

“How worried do you think we should be about this Burner?” Everett asked Nya.

Nya shrugged.  “Fifty-Fifty I guess.  Either she will find some way to tell Helion we are still here or not.  If she’s not even working  with her, we don’t really have anything to worry about on that front.  Did you make sure you weren’t followed?” she asked Levi.

“Of course.”

“What is our real concern?” Harley asked the table.  “If he does go to Helion and he tells her we are still here?  We assume she knows that already.  And what are the chances he is working with her?  It sounds like the Ignis aren’t on her side any more than we are.”

“Maybe even less,” Jag offered.

“What do you mean?” James asked.  For the most part, the Lux had been quiet as they roused themselves for the day.

Jag shrugged.  The sunlight was beginning to show its effect on him and the other Nocte in dark eye circles and an obvious lack of energy.  Harley examined Pax carefully, he didn’t look as tired as the others and she narrowed her eyes at him—almost hoping he would notice.  “I just think it sounds like Helion is using the Burners to get to us.  Her main goal is us—Harley actually,” Jag nodded towards her and she shifted uncomfortably.

“Whatever she is doing to create these mass groups of Burners is obviously connected to her trying to ‘merge’ the worlds,” Nya offered.  “I don’t know a lot about how Burners are created, I don’t think they have a process like we do, but I have to wonder why we haven’t heard anything about the groups of people being rounded up.”

“Well,” Harley theorized.  “The type of people being rounded up are not the type that are missed quickly.  I think the more important question is how is she rounding them up?”

“She’s got to be working with the Sol again,” Levi suggested.

“I’m just surprised that they would considering she killed so many of them when she first came here,” James spoke distractedly.

“I’m willing to bet it goes back to Jenna,” Nya leaned forward intently.

“Me too,” Harley agreed.

“Have you heard from Kai?” Levi asked Nya.

“I talked to her earlier.  She said they Council has agreed to meet with her Friday.”

Two days, Harley thought.  A lot can happen in two days.

“So what is our next move?” Castor asked.

“We need to keep an eye out here for Burners.  Just in case,” Jag addressed the whole table.

“And try to find out more about how these humans are being gathered.  That seems like our easiest route to find Helion,” James reasoned.

Everyone nodded their agreement before getting up from the table.  The Noctes were heading off to bed and the Lux were heading out for the day.  It was Diego’s turn to keep watch and he settled in at the security monitors in the den and Harley waved at him before climbing the stairs with Levi.  She realized she knew very little about the Spanish Lux and made it a point to find out as much as she could.  She was willing to admit that she might be wrong about who the leak was, but she was still sure that there was a leak in their group.

Chapter 21

Harley only slept for a few hours before a nightmare woke her up.  She was dreaming that Evie was dying and she couldn’t get to her in time.   More like a memory I guess, Harley thought to herself.  In the dream she had ran as hard as she could be never seemed to get any closer to her friend.  She made her way downstairs scowling at the mid-afternoon sun shining in the windows.  She found Diego still in the den watching the security cameras and messing around on a laptop.

“Hi,” she said flopping down on the leather couch.

Diego regarded her skeptically.  “The sun really doesn’t bother you, does it?”

“Not really.  I prefer the dark, but the sun doesn’t have any negative effects on me,” Harley shrugged.  Diego’s accent was pronounced even though his English was perfect.  “How long have you been in America?”

“About twenty years, I guess.”

“What brought you here?”

Diego raised a brow at her.  “I was sent here.”

Harley nodded.  “Is Diego your real name?”

“Is this an interrogation?”

“No,” Harley snorted, trying to play off the clumsiness of her questioning.  “I’m just trying to get to know the people I’m working with.”

“No.”

“No—what?”

“Diego isn’t my real name.  Some of the Vigilum started calling me that when I first came here.  It stuck.”

“What’s your real name?”

“They started calling me Diego because I chose not to tell anyone my name.”

“Oh.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Is Harley your real name?”

“Yep.”

“The Nocte aren’t chosen, are they?” Diego asked after a moment and Harley got the feeling he was trying to redirect the conversation.

“No.  We chose to become Nocte.”

“Why did you?”

Harley hesitated.  She didn’t feel the need to spill her guts to a virtual stranger, but if she wanted to be able to trust him…he was going to have to trust her.  Besides, it wasn’t exactly a secret.  “My friend and I were attacked.  I lived and she didn’t.”

“A Burner?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Me too.”

“But that was worth giving up your humanity?  Sacrifice a real life…for all of this?”  Diego held up his hands.

“Yes.”

Diego shook his head.  “Do you ever regret it?”

“Not even a little.”  He gave her a look of confusion.  He had wavy, dark hair and heavy eyebrows with a patrician nose and a full mouth.  The look of confusion barley hardened his smooth features.  “Why do so many Lux seem to regret what they are?”

“I didn’t know we did?”

“You aren’t the first I’ve heard complain.”

“I’m not complaining.”

Harley cocked her head to the side.  “No?”

“No.  I just…I don’t know.”  He turned back to the monitors.

“I think it is because you don’t feel you had a choice.  Why do the Vigilum do that?  If it has such a negative impact on you?  Why make the people who you need to serve your mission feel like they have to do it?”

“I don’t know,” Diego thought about her question seriously.

“Maybe it’s because it is tradition?”

“Maybe,” he shrugged.

“If you dislike your life, could you ever leave it?”

“Would the Vigilum let me?  Or could I really give it up?”

“Both.”

“I-we-the Vigilum, may feel suffocated by our mission sometimes.  But when I really think about it—I don’t think any of us could give it up.  Just because we aren’t a part of the Vigilum officially, I don’t know any of us who could ignore a Burner or a human being hurt.  As for whether the Vigilum would ever let us leave?  That I don’t know.  I don’t know if anyone has ever tried it.”

“I guess I just don’t see why anyone would really want to leave this life?  Yeah it’s hard.  It’s damn hard.  And it hurts sometimes--” Harley’s breath caught in her throat and she struggled to continue while sounding normal, “--but we can help people.  Why turn away from the chance to stop the suffering and pain of humanity.”

“Maybe because that humanity isn’t ours anymore?”

Diego’s words brought Harley up short.  He had a point.  “But what happens if we don’t fight?  The Ignis could over run the world.  Especially if Helion gets her way.  What would we do then?  If creatures like Helion succeed then the Burners could win.  They would have to--there would be too many of them.  They are stronger than humans.  And if there are no more humans--what will the Burners feed on?  And what would we feed on?  All creatures have to serve their purpose--in the other world and here.  Or none of us get to survive.”

Diego shrugged.  “This is true.”

“Why did you agree to help us?”

Diego considered the question for a moment.  “James asked me.”

“And?”

“Nya.”

“Nya?”

“Yeah.”

“What about her?”

“Everyone has heard of her.  And they know what she stands for.”

“Which is?”

“Doing the right thing.  That’s her reputation.  The mission of Vigilum and Praesidio.  Nya has always been willing to do what it took for either of us to succeed.”

Harley was impressed.  She had known Nya was respected by all Nocte’s —but she hadn’t realized just how far her renown reached.  They sat in silence for a few minutes before Harley got up and wandered out of the room.  Diego may not relish being a Lux but she didn’t get the feeling that he would sacrifice himself and everyone else as a result.  That would take serious self-loathing.  Unless there was something in it for the snitch.  If they had been promised something to make the risk worth it.

Harley wandered into the kitchen and found Marc writing on a piece of paper.  “Whatcha writing?”

“Mierda!” Marc jumped and Harley laughed.

“Sorry,” she said sliding onto a stool

“It-it’s OK.  I was just making a shopping list.”

“They make apps for that now, you know?”

“I’m still pretty old school,” Marc smiled and folded the note before sticking it in his pocket.

“How are you getting along with the Lux?”

“I-I don’t know, really.  They are…”

“Uptight?”

Marc chuckled.  “Something like that, I guess.”

“So, you are going shopping?”

“Yes.”

“Groceries?”

“Mostly,” Marc waited for her to elaborate.

“Heather—short brown haired Lux—got me some stuff, but I could use more socks.  Would you care if I tagged along?”

“I-well—I mean, I wasn’t planning on coming back here until tomorrow.”

“Oh.  You aren’t staying here?”  As Harley had understood it, Marc lived at the Den before it burned.

“No.  I’m staying with some friends.”

“Oh. Well, that’s OK.  I can go some other time.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be.  I guess you lost all of your stuff in the fire too, huh?”

“Yeah,” Marc shrugged.

“Stupid question I guess, but was any of it insured?”  He looked at her bewildered.  “Or did Jag offer to help you buy new stuff?”

“No.”

“Seriously?”

“What?”

“That just doesn’t seem fair.”  Harley noticed for the first time that he hadn’t changed clothes for a while.

Marc shrugged.  “It will be fine.  I have a place to stay.”

“Wait here a minute.”  Harley hurried from the room but was back in only a few minutes.  She held her hand out to him.

“What?”  Marc asked not reaching for whatever she was offering.

“Take it.”

“What is it?”

“A little bit of cash.”  She had raided her, Levi and Castor’s pockets.  “It’s not much, but it should help.”

Marc continued to stare at her for a moment looking like he wanted to refuse the money.  “I can’t take that,” but he didn’t sound too convinced.

“Of course you can.”

“Why?”

“This isn’t your fight.  You shouldn’t suffer because of what we do.  That’s actually the exact opposite of what is supposed to happen.”

Marc shook his head but took the money and quickly pocketed it.  He left the kitchen without making eye contact with Harley.  She didn’t mind, she could imagine that he wasn’t used to the people he worked for being generous.

Harley spent the rest of the afternoon in the living room with a book she had found.  She would have preferred to read outside in the sunshine, but everyone had agreed that it was a good idea for her to stay inside the house when not hunting.  They didn’t think that Helion could sense her presence, or, if she could, the silver would block her—but it was a precaution they insisted she take.  She couldn’t remember the last time that she had sat quietly and just read a book.  It was a luxury that she decided to steal.  Just take an hour vacation and be normal for a little while.  She might not want to give up this life for a “normal” one, but she could understand the desire.  Every once in a while she remembered what it was like not having to worry about supernatural monsters trying to ruin the world or kill you and it was nice.

Harley jumped when Nya’s voice startled her.  “What are you reading?”  She held up the book and Nya laughed.  “Seriously?  You’re reading Dracula?”

“Hey, it’s not like I went out and bought it.  I found it in the den.  Someone here has the twisted sense of humor.  Not me.”

“Fair enough,” Nya smiled, sitting next to her.

Harley a few moments of silence Harley tilted her chin at Nya.  “So?”

“So what?” Nya narrowed her gaze.

“You.  And Jag?” Harley snickered.  “What’s up with that?”

“I have no idea what you mean?”

“Oh, come on,” Harley laughed.  “You have given me enough shit about my relationship that you are due some.”

“RelationSHIP?” Nya tilted her head and kept a straight face.

“OK.  RelationSHIPS”

Nya laughed and shrugged.  “I’ve known Jag a long time.  I like his company.”

“He is pretty hot.”

Nya nodded.  “That he is.  But…he also knows what it is like to lose someone you care for.”  Harley just nodded.  “We’ve all known loss,” Nya continued.  “After Cassandra…,” Nya broke off, staring blankly before shaking her head.

Harley wanted to feel Nya out before asking her questions about Jag as she had known him even longer than Levi.  The idea that Nya would spend time with someone she didn’t trust completely was unfathomable…but still…Nya hasn’t been herself lately, a wicked little voice in her head insisted.  “So you trust Jag then, right?”

“What do you mean?” Nya asked.  Harley was relieved that she didn’t sound offended.

“I guess Levi hasn’t mentioned my…misgivings about Jag and Pax?”

“No.”

Harley told Nya about them keeping Ignis in chains in the basements of the Den.  She described Pax’s hostility towards her—she opened up and told her everything that she had been worrying about.  When she was finished Nya sighed.

“As for Jag?  Yes.  I trust him.  He has proven himself time and again.  Is he perfect?  No.  Does he like to go with the flow to avoid confrontation when possible?  Yes.  Is he dangerous?  I really don’t think so.  Pax?  Well, I don’t know a lot about Pax actually.  I’ve been keeping an eye on him.  I don’t think that Jag would trust a Nocte that he didn’t think deserved it, but again, Jag isn’t perfect.  About the keeping Burners around…that is a practice that used to be more popular but has largely been done away with.  I don’t like it any more than you do.  It’s barbaric.  I’ll talk to Jag about it.”

“Thanks.  But how do you not know anything about Pax?”

Nya shrugged.  “I didn’t bond him.  I just know that he comes from somewhere in the middle of Europe.  I think he was pretty heavily religious—or at least raised that way.”

“What makes you say that?”

“He was going to be a priest or something, I think.  Jag mentioned it once.”

“Weird,” Harley frowned.  She couldn’t imaging the gruff Nocte as a holy man.  “What about the fact that the sun doesn’t bother him as much as it does most Nocte.”

Nya raised a brow.  “I doesn’t bother me as much as other Nocte…”

“But it bothers you more than Pax.”

Nya raised her shoulders again.  “All of us are different.”

Harley gave up as Nya wandered away to take a shower.  She still didn’t trust Pax.  His aggression towards her.  His reputation for bullying Lux and starting fights.  His prejudice against them.  It all amounted to him being capable and likely to cause trouble.  It was his history—his habit.  Harley watched Nya climb the stairs.  She looked tired as tired as Harley felt and it caused a knot in her stomach.  She wasn’t used to seeing her mentor worn down.  As the sun started to set Harley heard a car enter the property and a moment later she felt the soft hum of Castor’s presence.  When he came into the living room five minutes later he smiled to see Harley.  “You are up early,” he sank onto the couch next to her.

Harley pulled him back so that his head was in her lap.  “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Feeling better then?”

“Yep.  Good as new.  The hunt last night did wonders.”  She ran her fingers through his short, brown hair and he sighed deeply.

Cas reached up and pulled her face down by the back of her neck, pressing her lips to his softly and she shivered.  “Let’s go to bed,” she wiggled her eyebrows at him.”

“OK,” Castor sat up and grinned at her.  “I’ll race you.”  He leapt off the couch and as Harley tried to rise behind him he pushed her back onto the couch.

“Hey,” she yelled after him and lurched off the couch again.  Even with the head start, Harley could have beaten him to the bedroom if she had wanted to.  She laughed as she followed him through the house.  Castor made her feel good.  He helped her feel like a human again.

--------------------

Harley had volunteered to stay in for the night as the lookout.  Levi protested that she needed to feed again, but she insisted.  “I’m feeling fine,” she told him.  Had they been in private she would have stressed how much extra healing she got from him and Castor.  Nya, at least, understood and backed her up.

“If she says she’s fine, she’s fine.”

“Yeah, yeah.”  Levi knew better than to argue with Harley, but he wouldn’t feel right if he didn’t at least put on a show for his own benefit.

Harley spent the night watching the monitors and, on some level, regretting having volunteered.  It was surprisingly boring.  A part of her wanted to go to Cas, or call Cas to her, but she knew that would be stupid and irresponsible so she didn’t.  She had been staring at the monitor screens in a daze when movement caught her eyes.  It was still several hours before dawn, but Pax was standing on the back porch area.  Harley could tell that he was on the phone and that peaked her interest.  Who would he be on the phone with?  Sure, he could have been talking to Jag or another Nocte.  Hell, Harley reasoned with herself, he could be calling a phone sex line.  But something about his actions seemed odd to her.  Why wasn’t he out hunting?  If he was talking to one of the other Nocte, why couldn’t he wait until they got back?  Then again, maybe I’m just looking for reasons to be suspicious of him.

Harley watched as Pax ended his call and opened the patio door.  She knew that he would have to pass by the security room in order to go anywhere else in the house so she waited for him to go by.  As he passed, he kept his head straight forward and didn’t acknowledge her presence until she spoke.  “Pax.”  She kept her voice as neutral as possible.

“Harley,” Pax, responded just as neutral.

“How was your hunt?”  Harley had her feet propped on the desk and her hands behind her head.

“It went well,” Pax’s voice was as gruff as ever, but she could tell he was trying to be as light and friendly as she figured he possibly could be.

“That’s nice to hear.”  Harley was waiting for him to lose patience with her and return to his edgy self.  They both continued to wait for the other to speak again but they seemed to have both ran out of pleasantries.  The sound of the patio opening and shutting again caused them both to break their stare down.

“Pax!”  Harley heard Jag’s voice and gave Pax a big, over enthusiastic smile.  “How are you brother?” Jag asked.  He patted Pax on the back and guided him away from Harley’s doorway after nodding hello to her.

Harley’s Nocte grumbled before settling down.  She was just waiting for Pax to finally break and go off the deep end.  And she didn’t doubt that he would start with her.  She could read his distrust and disapproval of her every time he looked at her and he always seem like a caged tiger to her--pacing behind his bars waiting for his opportunity to do...something...Harley just wasn’t sure what that something was.

Levi was next to come home and when Harley felt him enter the house she went to find him.  Nya came in shortly afterwards with a huge smile on her face.  “Where are the Lux?” she asked Harley.

“Asleep still.”

“Well, wake them up.”

“Why?  They’ll be down soon.”

“Get them now.”

“Why?”

“I know where Helion is,” Nya’s face was lit up with gleeful mania.

Chapter 22

After a stunned pause everyone jumped into action.  Harley roused the Lux who were in various states of alertness and once everyone was gathered in the dining room Nya delivered her news--her eyes burning with intensity.

“I was in Venton, a little industrial neighborhood a few miles south of downtown.  I thought it was odd how many Burners seemed to be coming from that direction last night.  I was creeping around and heard a bunch of yelling.  I got close enough to tell that there were a group of humans inside this one broken down warehouse.  They were locked in.  I thought about breaking them out but I figured this might be our chance to get to Helion once and for all.”

“Are you sure that is where she is holed up?  It’s not just some hideout for criminals or anything?” James asked her.

“Oh!  I guess I forgot to mention the rest of it?”  Nya’s golden eyes glittered.  “I could tell there were a couple of Burners there.  But, the ones guarding the place--they were humans dressed all in black.  Just like the Sol.”  That news got the table riled up.

“I have to state the obvious here,” Castor interjected.  “This could be a set up.  It seems awfully easy.”

“I don’t think fighting Helion is going to be easy,” Levi shook his head.

“I just mean what if this is a trap?  What if the Sol—or Helion—are just waiting for Harley to come in guns blazing and they are waiting on us?  Prepared for us?  Then they have us—namely Harley—right where they want her.”

Harley glared at Castor and he pointedly didn’t look at her.  “Hey,” she protested.  “I don’t disagree that this might be a trap, but have a little more faith in our ability to outsmart Helion.”

“I already thought of that too,” admitted Nya.  “And that is why Harley shouldn’t go with us.”

“Excuse me?” The outrage flared and Harley could feel her Nocte bristle with her.  Castor and Levi looked surprised and hopeful that Nya would back them up for once.  “You think I’m going to just sit back and let you guys go fight a creature that we have no idea how to stop—but we do know that I am the strongest one here and have the best chance at succeeding!”  It wasn’t Harley’s normal style to throw out her strength and the table was varying degrees of offended.  Harley immediately felt like crap.  “I just meant that we know I am different and my differences make me more likely to be a match for Helion than anyone else.”

“And those differences are most likely the very reason that Helion needs you in the first place,” Nya was patient in her response.  She seemed the least offended by Harley’s outburst.

Shit, Harley muttered to herself, I definitely didn’t make any friends there.  “I just think,” she tried to sound as contrite as possible, “that my staying out of the fight is a bad idea.  We need everyone we can get in this fight.”

“It might be a bad idea, but not as bad of an idea as you walking right into where Helion needs you,” Levi pointed out.

“How about we just keep an eye on her until we can convince the Electorate and the Council to send us backup?” Harley asked.

“And risk Helion acting before that happens?  Risk her bringing in more Ignis and sending them out to hurt more humans?”

Harley resisted the urge to cross her arms and slouch in her seat like a child.  “This is a really stupid idea,” she huffed.

“Well, I might be able to make our chances a little better,” Everett broke in.  Everyone turned to him, glad for the diversion.  “I put together some shrapnel bombs,” he smiled, clearly proud of himself.  “When they explode they send out shards of silver.”

“Well, I like the sound of that,” Jag chuckled.

“Harley,” Nya spoke softly but the whole table grew silent.

“Yes?” Harley knew she sounded like a moody teenager but she couldn’t help it.

“Are you going to give us your word that you will stay here?”  When Harley didn’t answer Nya gave her a few moments to remember the bad choices she had made before.  She had walked into more than a few traps and she was glad that Nya, Levi and Cas weren’t throwing them in her face.

“Fine.  I’ll stay here,” she spat before standing abruptly enough to knock her chair back a few feet.  She turned and stalked from the room.  If she couldn’t be a part of the fight she didn’t even want to hear the plans.  The childish part of her tried to whine that they wouldn’t listen to her anyway—but her reasonable side knew that they would want to hear her input.  She stomped her way upstairs and stood in the hallway trying to decide which room to go to—Levi’s or Castor’s.  Finally, she settled on Castor’s knowing that he would be the one to coddle her bad attitude.  Levi would make her see things rationally and give her lots of reasons to not be mad anymore—and that’s not what she needed at the moment.

Less than an hour later Harley heard both Levi and Castor come up the stairs, exchange a few unintelligible words then head toward their respective bedrooms.  Harley narrowed her eyes wondering what they were talking about.  She was lying face down on the bed when the door opened and closed.  She could feel the warm buzz of Castor and waited for him to speak.  Instead of saying anything he climbed onto the bed and pulled Harley until she rolled to face him.  She rested her head against his shoulder and tossed a leg across his waist.

“We are all only trying to do what is best,” he finally sighed.

I don’t want someone to make me see reason right now, she huffed.

“I heard that,” Cas chuckled.

“I didn’t invite you into my head,” she narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.

“Apparently you did, or I wouldn’t have heard it.  Look.  I know you are mad, and hurt and worried and feeling left out and lots of other things.  But you have to see that this is the right thing to do.  I know I’m risking getting punched in the face for this,” he smiled slightly.  “But how many times have you made the wrong choice and things were worse than if you hadn’t done anything?”

“That is not fair,” she hissed.

Castor held up a hand.  “I know.  I know.  It’s not fair.  But it’s true.”  Harley continued to glare at him.  “I’ll make a deal with you.  If you stay here, we can keep our connection open.  If anything weird or unexpected happens—if I think we can’t handle things and we can’t just retreat safely—I’ll give you the word and you can come to our rescue.”

“It would take me at least twenty minutes to get there.  A lot of really bad stuff can happen in twenty minutes.”  Despite her protests, some of her anger and tension eased.

“It’s the best I’m going to offer you.  And I’ll even steal a really fast car for you today.”

“You will?  What kind?”

Castor laughed.  “Take your pick.  If I can find it, I will bring it back.  With the right car you can make the trip in ten minutes.”

Harley watched him carefully—she knew he would keep his word.  “OK.  I can live with that.”

“Good,” he smiled at her.  “Now...” he raised his brows and gripped her arms.

Harley had to laugh when he pulled her all the way onto his lap.  “You are good at distracting me.”

“Well, I’m glad I’m good for something.”

Harley smiled at him slyly.  “You are good for a lot of things.”  She leaned over and kissed him softly.  She ran her bottom lip over his and he smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair, pulling her closer.  Harley sat up and pulled her shirt over her head and Castor ran his hands down her front as if he was trying to memorize the feel of her skin.  She leaned closer, pressing her chest against his and he slid his hands over her waist to her back.  As she kissed his smooth jaw his breath caressed her ear and sent a shudder through her body.  She could never get used to the feel of his skin against hers.

“Take off your pants,” Cas breathed against her mouth.

Harley laughed softly and compiled by standing on her knees and pushing the waistband of her sweats over her hips.  By lying on Castor’s chest again, and with his help, she was able to shimmy out of the pants and toss them to the side.  The warmth and firmness of his muscles were reassuring and comforting.  He rolled with her so that he was looking down at her and his green eyes held hers with enough heat to take her breath away.  Running his hands over her body caused her to arch her back and press herself against him even more.

When Castor pulled back from her he tried to press her mouth to his neck but she resisted.  “I don’t want to take anything from you,” she murmured.  She was afraid that her taking strength from him would weaken him and she didn’t want him at an even greater disadvantage going into the fight Helion.

“Harley,” her whispered in her ear.  “Giving myself to you makes me stronger.”

Harley’s whole body heated at his words and  she smiled up at him before placing her hands against his face.  As they gave to each other, she realized that he was right.  It wasn’t just taking energy from the other that made them stronger.  It was giving as well—it was connecting a part of yourself to another and creating a bond.  Harley and Castor fell asleep wrapped around each other physically and psychically bonded and feeling more at peace than either of them should considering the circumstances.

--------------------

Harley fell asleep with Castor and woke up with Levi.  He, as usual held her against his body like she was a life preserver and he a drowning man.  She smiled at the serene look on his face.   Cas must have carried her to Levi’s bedroom and she was shocked that she hadn’t woken up.  She wasn’t normally such a heavy sleeper.  Levi murmured something in his sleep before squeezing her to him again.  Harley burrowed against him and they both drifted back off—comforted by each other’s presence.

A couple of hours before sundown everyone gathered in the living room readying their weapons and going over the plan again.  And Harley had to admit—it was a good plan.  They would go into the building in waves.  The Lux in first followed by the Nocte.  Harley stood to the back of the crowd with her arms crossed over her chest, scowling at the group.  Castor caught her eye and winked--the reminder of their pact relaxed her a little.  Levi looked at them both suspiciously, scowling from one to the other.  Levi stepped closer to Harley and rested his hands on her shoulders.  “What are you two up to?”

“Nothing,” Harley’s eyes widened innocently.  Dammit, he sees right through me.  “I promise.  I’m staying here.  I’m letting you guys go in and try to take Helion down without me.”

Levi studied her cargo pants and tank top before narrowing his eyes.  “I love you.”

I should have waited before dressing in fighting clothes, she grumbled to herself.  She rarely wore anything other than comfy clothes in the house. “I love you too.”

“We are just trying to do the right thing,” the dark circles under his eyes reminded her of how vulnerable he was right now.

Harley rolled her eyes.  “I know.”  Levi kissed her softly.  “Just please,” she held his gaze.  “Be careful.  I—” her breath caught in her throat.  “I can’t lose any more people I care about.  Especially you and Castor,” she whispered quiet enough she was sure no one else could hear.

“I promise,” Levi smiled.  “He and I will both come back to you.”

“Even if it means letting Helion live so we can try to fight her again another time?”

Levi tilted his head.  “Would you?”

Harley let a whoosh of air out in frustration, but she couldn’t answer the question.  Would I?  In terms of the greater picture, the world was more important than a few—even if Harley Finn loved those few deeply.  “Just…just do everything you can to get yourself and Castor back here.”

“You have my word.”  Levi kissed her again and moved away to confer with Nya.

Castor stepped closer and Harley smiled at him.  “What did you get me?” she whispered.

“A Mustang,” he murmured under his breath.  It’s parked on the far side of the garage.  “To start it, there are two wires hanging under the dash.  Just rub them together.”

Harley’s smiled grew wide and she hugged Cas tightly.  “And you promise?  You’ll let me know if things go south?”

“I promise.”

“And I’m going to make you make the same promise I got from Levi.  You’ll do everything in your power to get him and yourself back to me?”

Cas was quiet for a moment. “I promise.”

“Harley?” Nya’s voice broke through their goodbye kiss.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you”

“Mmhmm.”

“Really,” she stepped closer and Cas stepped away to give them room.  “I know how hard this is.  And I appreciate you being a team player.”

“I know,” Harley sighed.  She watched her friends file slowly out of the house and as soon as Levi shut the door behind the kind smile he gave her, she stomped her foot childishly and growled out loud.  Harley stomped to the security monitors and watched them pile into the few vehicles they had and slowly drive off the property.  I can’t believe they really left me here!  Harley tromped through the house trying to work off her frustration.  In the kitchen she hoped to find Marc as he was usually in the house until dark, but he was nowhere to be found.  Even though she knew she should stay inside she hurried outside to see the car Castor got for her.

“Holy shit!” she breathed when she saw it.  It was a black, shiny classic Mustang.  She didn’t know enough about cars to tell the exact age but if she were to guess she would say it was a late sixties model.  She ran her hand appreciatively over the short back end and the gently curving roof and down the flat hood.  What I wouldn’t give to take this out for a spin now…but, nope, I’ve got to stay in the house like a good little girl.  Grumbling to herself she went back inside and continued pacing.

Harley resisted the urge to contact Castor.  She could feel their live psychic connection like a draft from an open window, but neither of them spoke.  She didn’t want to distract Cas when he needed to focus on Helion.  Thirty minutes later she couldn’t resist any longer.  “What’s going on?”

“Oddly—nothing.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means we are in Venton but its dead.”

“No Helion?”

“Not that we have seen yet.  But the place is Burner quiet too.  Even the warehouse that Nya saw last night is quiet.  The Burners are still there, but there doesn’t seem to be much going on at the moment.  We have just been holding and watching the place for a while now.”

“Be careful,” Harley pleaded.

“We are.  The connection was silent for a few moments before Castor spoke again.  “We’re going in.”

The connection went quiet again and Harley’s frustration grew.  She was feeling antsy and uneasy and she really had a desire to break something.  She wandered into the den and sat at the office chair in front of the monitors.  She let the momentum of her plop into the seat spin her in a circle.  When the chair slowed she used her toe to push into another spin.  She wished the psychic connection came with visuals.  She was desperate to know what was happening but didn’t want to distract Cas by asking.  Suddenly, movement on the monitor caught her attention and she halted her spin.

Harley studied the camera showing the back of the property.  The wrought iron fence that wrapped around the property was artfully covered in ivy and other climbing greenery to help increase privacy.  But at the back boundary of the yard the growth was thin.  Thin enough for her to see what looked like a person walking the length of the fence.  It wouldn’t have been too concerning if the yard didn’t end at a drop off down a steep slide.  There was only, maybe, three feet of ground before a plummet.  Anyone sneaking along that part of the fence didn’t want to be seen.  And anyone not wanting to be seen coming onto the property was someone she should be worried about.

Harley stood and leaned closer to the monitor, as if that would help her see.  As she watched the back camera, movement from the side camera caught her eye.  “You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me.”  Furious, Harley kicked the rolling desk chair hard enough to crack the plaster where it slammed into the wall.  More movement from the back got her heart racing and her Nocte flexing.  Unmistakably, there were three Burners climbing the iron fencing and more were coming behind them.

“Castor?”

“We’re in.  Can’t talk.  More humans that we thought—with guns.  And more Burners.”

“Well, I have a problem here.”  When Harley saw the fifth Burner shimmy up the fence she hurried from the den to the foyer.  All weapons were kept there and in a mud room at the back entrance.  Luckily this house only had two entrances, which had made it feel more defendable—but now, she really wished for another patio or balcony she could sneak out of.  Hanging on hooks by the door were Harley’s machete and hunting knife.  The knife was easy to quickly clip to her belt, but the she didn’t have time to finish strapping the machete on before the first Burner hit the back door.

“What’s going on?”

“Burners.  They are here.”

“What?!” Castor’s alarm overrode his distraction.

“We fucked up.  I’m being ambushed.”

“I’m on my way.  Get out of the house!”

Yeah, that’s going to be a problem, Harley related more calmly than she felt.  She was edging sideways into the hall that ran the length of the house when the back door flew open moments before the front door gave way.  She didn’t even have a clear path to a window.  She was going to have to fight her way out.

Harley bared her teeth and raised her machete.  She wished she was at least wearing shoes.  The first Burner rushed her and she kicked him back and caught another with a blade to the chest.  She fought hard.  Fending off one Burner after the other—from the back and the front.  She was able to avoid significant injury for long enough to surprise herself.  The only thing she could credit the miracle to was the fact that the narrow hallway forced the Burner’s to come at her two at a time.  Her muscles began burning with the effort and she knew it was only a matter of time before she would slip up.  She remained focused on holding them off long enough for backup to arrive.

It finally happened after Harley missed a block and took a crowbar to the face.  She stumbled backwards, her head bounced off the wall and she tripped over the body of an Ignis that had fallen partially behind her.  As she crashed to her butt, a Burner grabbed her arm and used the fact that she was off balance to pull her over several dead Ignis.  She tried to bring her machete up to stop the woman dragging her, but another caught her other arm.  With her head still ringing and her vision cloudy, she wasn’t able to prevent herself from being dragged into the living room.

A loud shout caught Harley’s attention and she looked up to see Castor fighting his way into the house.  He took two Burner’s down swiftly, however four more were on him before he could defend himself.  “No!” Harley yelled.  She tried to stand but another Ignis caught her feet and lifted them off the ground.  She was too distracted by Castor’s predicament to shake him off.  “Cas! She yelled.  She could see him fighting for his life under a pile of Burners but she feared that he wouldn’t be able to fight himself free from so many.  It was dark outside and he was too outnumbered.  Where the hell is everyone else?

The idea of seeing Castor die tore at Harley.  His safety was the only thing she was focused on at that moment.  Just like the first time it happened, she wouldn’t be able to explain how she did it.  The first time she was fighting Haddon and Castor had been able to give her strength psychically.  But this time, it was Harley who sent Cas strength.  Her whole being was consumed with the desire to give him strength, and her body seemed to react on its own.  Harley felt the energy leaving her and causing her chest to feel like it was collapsing in upon itself.  She went limp and gave up fighting the Ignis carrying her out of the house.  At the same time, a white glow erupted from underneath the tangle of Burners.  The last thing Harley saw as she was taken out through the broken front door was Castor tossing the Burners off as if they were dead leaves.

Chapter 23

Harley was thrown into the back of a van and she lay panting on the floor, trying to regain her strength.  While she had fought with the Burners multiple vans had pulled onto the property and she was tossed into the last one—a rust and brown junker than looked like it was old as she was.  She felt drained and stunned and she was filled with fear and worry—and disappointed rage.  How did this happen?  I thought we were doing the smart thing.  Harley wanted to kick and scream and break her way out of the side of the van, but at the moment she couldn’t even sit up on her own.  Where was everyone else?  Why did Cas come back alone?

Looking around the van, Harley wrinkled her nose.  It was filthy and smelled horrible, but she was just glad there weren’t any Burners in the back with her.  She could sense two of them in the front, but her view was obscured by a plywood divider that separated the back from the front.  Where they expecting that to keep me away from them?  If I wasn’t so weak right now I’m pretty sure I could sneeze and blow that down.  Harley could feel Castor knocking at her brain but her head hurt too much and she was too weak to open the connection and let him in.

The van rocked around corners and bumped over rough roads and it was all Harley could do to keep herself from rolling around the van like the discarded soda bottles that kept hitting her head.  Finally, the van slowed and the sounds of the road changed.  The tires squeaked and there was an echo from the noise of the engine.  The van stopped and Harley listened carefully, trying to figure out what was going on.  The Burner alarm was raging but it was relatively easy to block it out which was odd because she had not been able to block Helion so easily before.  Maybe Helion is still off fighting with the others, a sliver of fear shot through her and she struggled to sit up.

The only thing Harley could hear from outside the van were the sounds of the Burners getting out of the other vehicles.  She leaned against the side and waited to see what they were going to do with her.  Her Nocte slumped—apparently as drained and as stunned as she herself was.  The sounds of footsteps approaching the van doors caused Harley to hold her breath.  Everything went quiet and she realized that someone important must be outside.  Again, she was surprised that it wasn’t Helion and the unknown only made her dread worse.

When the van doors opened Harley froze in shock.  What the…?  She knew her mouth was hanging open stupidly but she couldn’t do anything about it.  “Jason?” she breathed.

“Hello old friend,” Jason sneered at her.

“But…”

“You killed me?”

“Yeah.”

“Apparently, it’s a lot harder to kill an Ignis-Lux cross than that.”

Jason’s blonde hair was shaggier and his clothes were stained and rumpled, but otherwise he looked the same as when she had last seen him in the when she and Nya were being held by the Sol.  When Harley looked at him closely she could tell that, in fact, he was different from the last time she saw him.  His eyes, while still having the Burner shine, weren’t as feral as they had been before.  Just as Nocte eyes held a darkness that was recognized by other supernaturals, Lux eyes were lighter and marked them even when they weren’t faded to white.  Jason’s eyes still had characteristics of both.

“How did you get out of there?” Harley gasped.  She was torn by mixed emotions.  A part of her was as glad Jason was still alive as another part was dismayed to still see him living.  The lack of brutality in his eyes caused a rebellious flare of hope.  Again she felt Castor knocking at her brain, but this time she hesitated to let him in because she didn’t want to be distracted.  She wanted to keep her wits about her—she was just glad to know that Cas was alive.

“When I came to everyone was gone,” he shrugged.  “The fight was over.  I was in some kind of van with dead humans.  It was the morgue van and when the doors opened I slipped out when the driver wasn’t looking.”

Harley struggled to understand how he could have lived and escaped—let alone find her again.    “How did you live?”

“I have no idea really.  One second you were feeding on me,” his lip twisted in contempt.  “Then I was in a body bag.”

“Why did you bring me here?” her voice sounded hollow and tired.

“Helion wants you.”

Harley’s hopes sagged.  “I see.”

Jason’s head tilted and he regarded her with a sly smile.  “You didn’t let me finish.”  Harley looked up at him and swallowed hard.  “Helion wants you and therefore I want to make sure she doesn’t get you.”

A whoosh of air burst from Harley and she nearly laughed out loud.  “Since when are you defying Helion?”

Jason snarled and a little of the cold malice returned to his eyes.  “Since she began torturing Ignis—using us for her stupid, demented plans.”

Harley raised an eyebrow, surprised by the intensity of Jason’s response.  “I didn’t think Burners cared that much about each other?”

“That was before me,” he smiled, obviously proud of himself.

“What have you done?”

“I’m uniting us.”

“But you are also Lux.”  Harley saw several of the Burners behind Jason shuffle nervously.

“Yes, well, we can’t all be perfect, right?” Jason snorted.

“If Helion is bringing Burners here and torturing them for her own use, why don’t you just save them?  Get them away from her before she starves them?”

“It’s not that easy,” he rolled his eyes.  “Not only is it hard for us to get to them, but have you tried to deal with a starved and crazed Ignis?”

“Yes.  I have actually.”

“Then you know what they are like—you can’t come back from that.  Not fully anyway.”

“But you sent Burners in after me, knowing I would kill as many as I could—and I did.”

Jason closed his eyes and Harley could swear it was with regret.  “Collateral damage unfortunately.”

“Why didn’t you just come to us and explain the situation yourself?”

Jason snorted again.  “And your Nocte and Lux would have listened?  They wouldn’t have killed the Ignis without giving them a chance to explain?  Even if we did get a chance to try to explain, what were the chances of one of them believing?”

“You could have come to me—I would have given you a chance to explain.  I am now, aren’t I?”

Jason looked at her carefully.  “It doesn’t look like you have much of a choice really.”  He studied Harley’s shaking hands and her kneeling on the floor of the van.  “What happened?”

“I’m fine,” Harley gritted her teeth.

“Whatever,” Jason shrugged.  “It’s not exactly easy to get to you either, you know.  You haven’t left that house since Lance heard you on the Boardwalk.”

“So, you were the ones Nya heard in the warehouse?” Harley scowled at him.  Counting his group of friends, Harley couldn’t imagine that he would have enough to take on her friends AND send a group large enough in to get her.

“No, no.  Nya found one of Helion’s storage sites.  That’s what she does with them you know?  She finds these warehouses and buildings and she uses other Ignis and the Sol to round up humans and then she lifts the veil and brings over Ignis and then lets them…ripen until they are good and insane before the Sol herds them to wherever she needs them.”

“How do you know this?”

“We’ve tried to rescue a few brothers and sisters—some were more successful than others.  This is all coming from the information we were able piece together.”

Harley was dumbfounded by the situation she found herself in.  She had expected to be brought to Helion who intended on using her to merge the worlds together.  To, instead, be brought to Jason—who she had thought was dead—she wasn’t able to fully process the situation.  “What do you want from me?”

“We want the same thing.  We want to stop Helion.”

“Why do you care what she does to the worlds?”

“Besides the fact that she is torturing my people to do it?  If she merges the worlds there will only be more death for my people.”

“How so?” she asked.

“It’s the reason Ignis starting coming here to begin with.  We were being wiped out.  We nearly were before we escaped here.”

“You remember what it was like there?”  Harley was fascinated.  She had never met anyone—anything—who had remembered their lives before coming to this world.  The only reason she knew what she did about life there was because she had the unique ability to communicate with her Nocte and Lux under special conditions.

“No.  We don’t really remember.  At least no one I’ve heard of.  But we don’t lose all of our memories.  You still get flashes and bits of memory sometimes.”

“Why?  Why isn’t it like that for everyone?”

Jason shrugged.  “It’s different when we come here.  Our bond is different.”

“Different how?”

Jason looked like he wanted to answer but he shook off the question.  “That’s not the point.  That’s not why you are here.”

“Why am I here?”

“I think we are going to have to work together to stop Helion.  The Lux, the Nocte AND the Ignis.  I want you to help bring us all together.”

--------------------

The Burners locked Harley in an old shipping container and she was sure that she would soon be able to break free from it.  It wasn’t silver and she was surprised that Jason would even try to keep her prisoner in such a flimsy way.  Finally, calm and regaining some strength, Harley acknowledged the banging on the door of her brain.  “Hello, how may I help you?”

“What?!  Are you OK?”

“For the moment, I’m surprisingly fine.”

“What does that mean?  Is Helion with you?  None of us could even find her.”

“She’s not with me.  I’m not with her crew.”

“Where are you then?  What the hell is going on?”

“First, did everyone come back from Venton OK?”

“Yeah.  Everyone came back alive.  Some banged up more than others, but alive and recoverable.  Levi took some fairly serious cuts, but nothing that isn’t already mostly healed.  Nya was pretty much the same.  Now what about you?  Where are you that you could be making jokes?”

Harley sighed.  This isn’t going to be fun.  “Well…turns out…Jason is alive.  He is the one who sent the Burners for me.”

“What?!”

“Calm down.”

“How the hell am I supposed to calm down?  Has he hurt you?”

“No.  Actually he has been pretty hospitable.  Compared to before anyway.”

“Where are you?”

“No idea.”

“Do you know anything that could help us find you?”

“No.  And I don’t think you need to.  I’m pretty sure Jason is going to let me go soon.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Well, he actually wants to work with us.”

“…what?”

“Yeah…strange turn of events, huh?”

“Why would you trust him?”

“Kinda hard to explain like this.  Besides, my head is killing me, I’m still drained and I need to rest and get myself together.”

“What do you expect us to do in the meantime?”

“I would really appreciate if you guys would just sit tight and let me work things out here.  I will let you know if things go south.  And in the meantime I’m going to work on finding out where I am.  I’ll even tell you guys as soon as I know.”

“Harley.”

“Please don’t argue with me.”

“How do you expect us to just do nothing?”

“Trust.  Just like I trusted you guys and respected your wishes to not go to the fight.  And I don’t need to rub in how well that went…”  Harley knew that was a low blow, but she did it anyway.  She didn’t want her friends wasting their time and energy scouring the city looking for her when she was sure they didn’t need to.  “I asked Jason for proof of his intentions and…he…’asked’ me to stay here until he returned with the proof that we could trust them.”

“I don’t like this.”

“I’m sure you don’t.  I promise, I will contact you soon.  I’m safe for the moment and if that changes I will let you know immediately.  Send the others my love.”

“I will.  How did you do that?”

“What?”

“Send me that jolt of energy like that?”

“I don’t know.  It was like when I fought Haddon and you helped me—it just happened.  I don’t know how I made it happen.”

“Well, it was dangerous.  You shouldn’t have done it.”

Harley rolled her eyes.  “Well you shouldn’t have come back to the house on your own.”

“It couldn’t be helped.  The others were engaged—I barely got out myself and I tried to tell them what was going on.  Luckily, I didn’t get stuck driving the Bug or I never would have made it when I did.  I’m pretty sure I broke the sound barrier.”

“OK.  But, really, I need to go now.”

“Check in with me often.  And DO NOT ignore me when I try to contact you.”

“I will do my best, but if I can’t answer don’t immediately freak out.  I might just be indisposed at the moment.”  Harley heard and felt Castor’s mental frustration but he willingly backed off and closed the connection.  She was grateful for the fact that he was trusting her and having faith in her—she knew the others, namely Levi and Nya, were going to hit the roof—but they would see reason soon.

Harley wasn’t sure what sort of proof Jason was going to bring her but it had better be good.  She meant what she had told Castor, the first sign that she couldn’t trust Jason or his ragtag group of Burners and she would kill as many of them as she could before going down.  Now that she had a moment to reflect upon her situation she had to take several deep breaths to calm herself.  Jason is alive.  Harley was still coming to terms with the fact that she had killed the last connection to her humanity—and now here he was again.  She was having a hard time switching gears.  Friend—enemy—ally.  The one thing Harley was sure of was that the Ignis involvement was going to complicate things as much as it could possibly help them.

Chapter 24

Harley wrinkled her nose at the shipping container she had been locked in.  It was the standard variety that you saw on TV and movies but even in the low light she could tell that it was empty and relatively clean.  She looked at the bench she was sitting on.  It looked like it had been removed from a bus stop but it was as comfortable as she could hope for.  Meh, I’ve been held in worse—that’s for sure.  She crossed her arms and rested her head against the steel wall.  It wasn’t long before she drifted off to sleep as exhaustion and her lack of energy caught up with her.

The dream started out with one of those sudden jolts that feel like you are falling—only this one didn’t end with Harley jerking awake.  Instead, when her eyes snapped open she was slowly descending through the air in a controlled glide.  Her heart slammed in her throat as she fought the panic that gripped her body.  The sun still glared a nuclear white and Harley had to squint until her eyes adjusted enough that it wasn’t painful to open them.  She could tell that this time she was not in the grips of a Lux.  She was the creature itself and the realization only made her uneasiness worse.

Harley didn’t have any control over her body—for which she was grateful because she had no idea how to fly it.  Instead, she was simply a passenger along for the ride.  She avoided looking down because she knew it would only make her nauseous.  As they broke through low hanging clouds Harley could tell that they were heading towards the writhing, living trees again and she mentally shuddered, trying to prepare herself for something she had no control over.

The closer they got to the trees the more repulsed Harley found herself.  The tentacles didn’t look slimy—on the contrary, they looked dry and powdery as if they were covered in a fine pollen or spore.  They were maybe twenty feet from the tops of the nearest mass when the tentacles shifted and stretched towards them as if to snatch them out of the sky.  Shit! Harley suddenly wished she had power over her body because right then she would have done anything to change courses.  The trees didn’t particularly look dangerous, but Harley couldn’t help feeling as if she was about to dive into a nest of snakes or man-eating Venus Fly-traps.

Despite her objections, she landed softly amongst the moving vines and she was stunned at the sight of her feet.  The toes were long and thin, shaped for grabbing branches like a bird’s talons.  Her ankles were ringed by black, shimmery feathers.  Whereas her skin had been colorless as a Nocte, as a Lux it was black and dappled.  The rest of her long thin legs were mostly bare of feathers except for a thin ridge of them that ran up the backs of her legs.  She couldn’t make out any more of her body and she wasn’t too disappointed.  The foreign, alien, feel that came from the movements and shape of the creature she was inside wasn’t something she looked forward to seeing for herself.

Harley balanced on the tree’s…limb? and steadied herself against its undulations.  Her body bent over and grabbed the branch in front of her and she balked at the black spotted skin that covered her long, taloned fingers.  She was surprised that she had hands at all she had assumed that her wings took the place of hands or that should would have the tiny, claw like hands of bats.  In movements that reminded her of a monkey, Harley rode along with the Lux as it shimmied up the tentacle towards a structure that looked like it was made of a giant bundle of knotted vines.  She hadn’t noticed it before because it blended into its surroundings so well.  As she crawled into the “nest” a heavy weight slammed into her back and a sharp pain shot through her body before everything went dark.

Harley jerked awake with an unattractive snort that caused her to cough and her head to bounce off the wall behind her.  Her Nocte was shifting uncomfortably, clearly as disturbed by the events of her dream as she was.  She looked around to assure herself nothing had changed before she rubbed her face.  Her entire body felt sore and stiff and she stood up to stretch the pain from her muscles.  She needed to feed—badly.  She felt better than she had before she fell asleep, but she still wasn’t one hundred percent.  Stepping close to the door she took a deep breath.  She couldn’t tell where she was just by smell alone but she could smell Ignis outside even though the quiet told her they were likely sleeping.  She considered breaking out of the door, because she was pretty sure that was a possibility now, but she shrugged the idea off.  Why freak the Burners out if I don’t need to?

Harley returned to the bench and opened the connection with Castor.  After calling for him a couple of times he finally answered.  “Are you OK?”

“Yeah, I’ve fine.  Is it night?”

“Yeah.”

“Shit.  Sorry.  How long have I been gone?”

“About twenty-four hours now.”

“Damn.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing really.  I just didn’t realize how long I slept.  And I just had another one of those dreams.”

“Where you are with a Lux?”

“Kind of.  This time I WAS the Lux though.”

“Weird.  Have you told Nya yet?”

“No,” Harley admitted.  “I haven’t had the chance.”

“What do you think it means?”

“I don’t know.  I can’t even tell if it’s a memory, or if Haddon is trying to tell me something, or if I’m just making it all up.”

“What do you think?”

Harley sighed.  “I THINK it’s a memory.”

“How do you think Haddon is showing it to you?  Your Nocte isn’t able to do that, right?”

“Right,” Harley answered.  She felt her Nocte grumble.  She wished she could experience what it was like to be a Nocte again.  When she had before it had been exhilarating.  She didn’t know if it was because she had bonded with her Nocte first, or if she just had a stronger bond with her, but Harley had always felt closer with her Nocte than the Lux inside her.  “I think it has something to do with the mental connection of the Lux.  The Nocte is much more physical.”

“I really don’t have any idea.  I’ve never had anything like that happen to me.”

“The weird thing is that even though I can’t feel her, I think the Nocte is with me in the dream.  She woke up as freaked out as I was.”

“Maybe you can learn to connect with your Nocte like that?”

“That’s an interesting idea.  Meditating seemed to help us bond in the first place…it will have to wait though—I’ve got more important things on my plate at the moment.”

“Agreed.”

“How did Levi and the others take the news?”

“About as well as you would think.  Levi broke some stuff.  Nya did that staring thing.”

“Staring thing?”

“She just stares without blinking—all crazy like.  It’s creepy.”

“Oh,” Harley’s jaw tightened.  She hadn’t realized others had noticed it.

“What about everyone else?”  Castor hesitated.  “What?” she asked.

“Well, they had varying levels of reactions.”

“And…what does that mean?”  Harley had a feeling but she wanted him to say it.

“Well, some were kind of suspicious.  Which is just stupid,” he added quickly.

“Who?”

“Pax of course.  Kai and—“

“Kai!  She’s there?”

“Yeah, she arrived this evening.”

“Why is SHE suspicious?”

“I don’t know.  I just got the impression she was.  She and Levi were off talking a lot.”

Harley and her Nocte both grumbled.  “Who else is suspicious?”

“Heather is acting like she’s not sure.  Everyone else just seems concerned.”

“Why are they so suspicious of me?  What have I done to deserve distrust?  I might have made some stupid mistakes, but I haven’t done anything except try to protect others.”

“I don’t know, love.  I think it’s just a distrust or fear of the different, the unusual.”

Harley was distracted from her conversation by movement outside the container.  It sounded like people were coming into the building where the container was housed. “I’m hearing activity outside.  I think something is up.  I’m going to go.”

“Are you safe?”

“I think so.  What I’m hearing just sounds like people are coming back.  It’s close to dawn, isn’t it?”  Harley was getting her bearings and could tell the sun was rising.

“Yeah, it’s 5:42 in the morning.”

“OK.  Well, I’ll keep you posted.”

Harley closed the connection and moved closer to the doors again.  “Go ahead and get her out,” Jason spoke to someone.  Harley stepped back and waited.  A part of her wanted to kick the doors open just to show off, but she refrained—she knew it wouldn’t help the relations she and Jason were trying to build.

The doors were unbolted and when they were opened, Harley saw four Burners—two opening the door and two guarding it.  All of them looked like they were ready for her to attack and even though they didn’t have their weapons drawn, they looked ready to do so.  “Good morning,” Harley gave them all a big smile.  “Who’s for breakfast?”  She laughed at the wide-eyed alarm on the faces of the Burners before shrugging.  “I just meant who wants breakfast?”

Jason stepped into view rolling his eyes.  He was holding another Burner by the back of the neck and Harley raised a brow at them.  “For me?”  The Ignis Jason held flinched and couldn’t bring himself to look directly at her.  He was dirty and disheveled and had spots of dried blood from recently healed wounds.  Harley had to concentrate on not letting her eyes change over the tantalizing scent.

“Not yet,” Jason scoffed.  “This is one of the Burners that have been working with Helion—one of the willing participants in her experiments.  And he is the proof of our willingness to cooperate with you.”

“Do tell.”

“Kyle here can tell you how Helion has been collecting humans.”

“I see,” Harley nodded with a smile.  “We’ve wondered about that.”

“Come on out and have a seat,” Jason gestured towards an area that was just out of Harley’s line of sight while still in the container.

Every step forward that Harley took, the Burners took one backwards away from her.  No one wanted her behind them.  Instead, they waited until she was in front of them before they followed her towards Jason and the metal folding chairs set up in a half circle.  Harley looked around, just now realizing they were inside a huge empty warehouse.  The previous day she had been too distracted and dazed to pay much attention.  She didn’t know what it once held, but now it was empty except for trash and cobwebs.

Jason forced Kyle to sit in the chair that faced the half-circle and waited for Harley to join them.  When she slid casually into one of the chairs she expected Jason to sit as well.  However, he continued to stand—but at least he didn’t stand behind her.  He and the other Burners stood off to the side.  She was almost offended until she realized she really didn’t want to sit next to them either.

“Hello, Kyle,” she spoke softly despite the sly smile she gave him.  Her mouth was practically watering.  The Burner simply stared at the floor and refused to respond.  “So, how is Helion wrangling humans?”  Still no answer.

Jason moved closer to the Burner and yanked his head back by a handful of hair.  “Answer the question,” he snarled.

The look Kyle gave him was one that could kill.  The Burner turned back to Harley and sighed.  “Helion has been using the homeless shelters and prostitutes.  It’s not hard to lure them in.”

Harley looked at Jason in surprise.  “We assumed she was just using criminals and that’s why it wasn’t making the news.”

“Well, some of them are,” Kyle shrugged.

Harley glared at him—she had found Helion’s actions disgusting before, but now she was sad and appalled.  The Sun Creature wasn’t just preying on humans; she was preying on groups that were already abused and downtrodden.  “Explain why she is doing this.”  Harley was sure she knew but she wanted confirmation.

Kyle glared at her.  “She’s looking for the Dybrid.  She knows that if she causing enough chaos the Dybrid will come to her.  I don’t know why she wants her, I just know that’s who she is after.”

Harley snorted.  “What do you know about the Dybrid?”

“Not much,” he shrugged.  “Just that it’s some kind of abomination and has something Helion needs.”

Jason chuckled and Harley glared at him.  “Do you know about the raid on the Nocte Den?”

“I heard about it,” Kyle scowled.

“Do you know how Helion found it?”

“Someone told her.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know.”

“Lux?  Nocte?  Ignis?”

“No.  No.  Some human.”

“What?” Harley was shocked.

Kyle looked annoyed at having to repeat himself.  “Some human told her how to find the Noctes.”

“One of the Sol?”

“Yeah.  I think so.”

“How did the Sol know?”

“No clue,” Kyle lifted his shoulders casually.  He seemed resigned to his fate.

Harley turned to Jason.  “All of this does raise an interesting question.”

“What?”

“How did you find me?”

Jason shrugged.  “We got an anonymous tip.  We just waited until it was safe to go in.  We saw Nya casing the place where Helion was holed up and we figured that you would be a part of the battle there, but when you didn’t go it just worked out perfect for us.”

“Of course it did,” Harley shook her head.  “Anonymous tip?”

“Yeah.  Nan was hunting and when she returned to her car there was a note on it.”

Harley rubbed her eyes.  “And you guys weren’t suspicious?”

“Of course we were.  But we decided to not look a gift horse in the mouth.”

“Well that didn’t work out so well for the Trojans did it?” Harley muttered.  “You guys have look-outs, right?”  Harley was picturing Helion and the Sol storming the warehouse at any moment.

“Of course,” Jason scoffed.  “I know what you are thinking.  She wasn’t anywhere near the Helion warehouse when she found the note.  And she made sure she wasn’t followed.  We’re sure that it wasn’t the Sol who left it.”

“Then who would have?  And why?”

“I don’t know.  Do you have any enemies in your camp?”

Harley grumbled but didn’t argue because she feared Jason was right.  “Could Pax, or one of the others, have told Jason’s crew where I was hoping they would take care of me?”  Harley sighed—it was a distinct possibility she had to admit to herself.

After prodding Kyle with more questions, Harley and Jason soon found that he didn’t have anything else important to tell them.  Jason motioned towards the shipping container.  “He’s all yours.  But we have to ask that you at least eat in private.”

“That’s how I would prefer it.”

“I can’t believe you are doing this!” Kyle was beginning to lose his self-control.

Jason glared at him.  “I can’t believe YOU did this.  You turned your back on your own kind and helped torture them.”

“What was I supposed to do, man?  You know Helion—you know how strong she is.”

“Yes.  And I know what the price for following her is.”  His eyes darkened for a moment and Harley knew he was remembering Alice.  “Get rid of him,” he snarled at Harley.

Harley turned back to Kyle and gave him an exaggerated gesture of sympathy before letting her eyes darken.  When he saw her eyes he began backing away from her, knocking his chair over in the process.  “You’re it!” he exclaimed.

Harley was on him in an instant—hauling him towards the container.  He screamed and kicked the whole way but it did him no good.  The Burners shut the door behind her, but she didn’t hear them lock it.  Kyle’s blood did wonders for restoring her strength and when she was done feeding she left the container.  Being locked inside a small space with a burning Ignis wasn’t fun.  Back in front of the other Ignis she laughed and stretched.  “Damn, I needed that.”

“I assume you are convinced of our willingness to cooperate?”

Harley considered the question before nodding.  “It’s going to take some convincing the others though.”

“Understandable.”

“I’ll talk to them tonight,” Harley shrugged.  The Burners shifted and looked to Jason in alarm. “What?” Harley narrowed her eyes at him.

“You might be convinced of our willingness to work together, but we aren’t convinced of yours.”

“Excuse me?” she asked dryly.

“We would like you to prove your alliance with us.  And we are asking you to stay here until you do.”

Fuck, Harley muttered silently.

Chapter 25

Jason instructed a female Burner to show Harley to her “room.”  It was actually an office in which there was a couch and a stack of clean clothes.  The rest of the room was taken up by an old metal desk and filing cabinets that looked empty.  A room off the office led to a bathroom and an emergency shower station.  The woman, taller than Harley with dark blonde hair and a Midwestern accent, glared at her.  “Jason said we were not to lock the door, but you are to stay in here.”

“And why exactly should I do that?”  Harley could smell a medicinal odor emanating from woman and she intuitively picked up on that she was a nurse and shuddered at the damage a Burner nurse could cause.

“Because you are told to.”

“By who?  You or Jason?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes.  Because then I will know who to tell to kiss my ass.”

The blonde started to respond, her face twisted in fury.  Before she could form the words through her anger, another Burner—this one male—pushed her to the side.  “Nan!  Go away before you make things worse.”  Harley narrowed her eyes are the dark haired Ignis.  He would be good looking if his eyes weren’t flashing at her when the florescent bulbs caught them.  “Nancy meant to say that Jason would like you to stay in here.  For everyone’s safety and peace of mind.”

“I suppose I can understand that.”

“I’ll be close by.  If you need anything just step out—but please don’t wander far.”

“Fine.”

Harley flopped onto the smelly, worn plaid couch that took up the wall closest to the door.  Above the couch there was an observation window.  This had apparently been the warehouse supervisor’s office.  Harley wished there were blinds she could pull to block out the curious looks of Burners that walked by—and they certainly seemed to walk by a lot more than necessary.  She felt like she was in a zoo.

“Hey.”

Castor answered quickly.  “Hey.  You OK?”

“Yeah.”  Harley updated him on what she had learned and what Jason was requiring of her.

“What does he want you to do?”

“I don’t know yet.  But if it’s anything too bad I’ll refuse.”

“Any idea where you are yet?”

“No.  Just in some kind of warehouse.”

“How long to do you think you drove?”

“Maybe thirty minutes.”

Castor grumbled.  “That makes a very wide radius to search for you.”

“Well, if you do find me—remember—stay back unless I tell you differently.”

“I know, I know.”

“I’ll let you know what Jason wants when he tells me.”

“OK.”

Harley picked up the stack of clothes and wandered into the shower area.  She felt disgusting and decided she might as well shower.  Feeling clean again, Harley dressed in the clothes that had been provided for her, a pair of jeans that were a size too big and a tank top that was a size too small.  She rolled her eyes and pulled the jeans up wishing for a belt.  She settled onto the couch and decided she might as well sleep since she didn’t have anything better to do.

Harley was woken by the door to the office opening.  The dark haired, male Burner poked his head in the door.  “Jason will be here in a minute.”

She scowled at him for a moment.  “OK?”  Why is he warning me first?

“I just thought I would see if you needed anything first.”

“Blood?” Harley couldn’t resist.

“How about coffee?”

“Fine,” she rolled her eyes and tried to keep a straight face.

The Burner brought her coffee in a paper cup.  She sipped it and struggled to not cringe.  “Yeah, it’s pretty bad,” he laughed.

“I’m Harley by the way,” she smiled at him.

“I’m Robbie,” he held out his hand with a challenge in his eyes.

Harley reached out and grasped Robbie’s hand and flinched.  She had never touched an Ignis in any way that wasn’t feeding or combat—but it wasn’t just that.  It was the realization that this man—who actually seemed pretty nice—was a robber.  She had assumed that his name was just short for Robert—not a description.  She wasn’t sure what he robbed but it was probably homes as well as businesses.  And, Harley suspected, he may have even killed some people along the way.  She let go of his hand quickly and he didn’t seem to notice—or care.

The office door opened again and Jason came in quickly.  “You ready?”

“What exactly are we doing?”

He regarded her carefully.  “I’ll tell you on the way.”

Harley sighed and rolled her eyes, but instead of complaining she leaned forward and began pulling on a pair of boots that had been left for her.  As they walked through the warehouse Harley watched the Burners watch her.  She couldn’t get used to being so obviously the center of attention—she didn’t like it.  At least most of the people she was with on a regular basis were used to her.  These people never seemed to get tired of staring at her.  “Am I going to need weapons?” Harley asked Jason.

He looked over his shoulder.  “Yeah.  I’ll give them to you when we get there.”

“My weapons?” Harley asked hopefully.

“Yeah.  We brought them with you.”

Yes!  Harley actually smiled and it seemed to make the Burners more uncomfortable and they scurried away.  Jason led the way towards a white a van that was parked inside the warehouse with its doors open.  It was the type of van churches and schools often used—lots of seating.  The situation really didn’t hit Harley until she was standing at the side in front of the open sliding door.  After a quick count, Harley could tell there were already nine Burners inside and they all stared at her in varying degrees of contempt.  We are about to get in a cramped van with a lot of creatures who would rather see me dead.  Harley’s Nocte grumbled in discontent—she felt like a tiger pacing its cage.  “I think I would prefer to have a little more information before we leave,” she turned towards Jason.

The leader of the Ignis snorted.  “OK.  Well, we would like you to help us liberate one of Helion’s stockpiles.”

Harley’s brow wrinkled.  “Meaning?”

“We go in and put them out of their misery if they are too far gone.  If they can be helped we bring them back here.”

Killing Burners Harley had no problem with but “liberating them” she balked at.  She was essentially being asked to free possible murderers, rapists, and all around bad people.  “What happens when they come back here?”

“We bring them into the fold.”

Harley turned away from the van and ran her hands over her face.  Do the benefits outweigh the risks?  Is it a necessary evil?

“Make your choice quick,” Jason snapped.

Harley mulled over her choices.  She could refuse and be forced to fight these Burners with no weapons and no back up.  She could go along with them and once she had an idea of where they were going she could relay the information to Cas and hope the others arrived in time to stop Jason.  She could go along with Jason’s plan, kill as many Burners as she could—whether they were “salvageable” or not.  Finally, she could do what Jason asked.  She looked around the warehouse.  The Burners here had hurt a lot of people in a lot of ways.  Can I justify adding probably fifty more sources of pain and suffering to humanity for the price of stopping Helion?  Yes, Harley decided.

“Fuck,” Harley growled, she turned dragging her feet across the concrete.  “Let’s go.”  Jason gave her a wide grin and hopped into the passenger seat of the van.  Harley climbed in and sat directly behind Jason and gave the wide-eye Burner next to her a demented grin before sliding the van door shut.  Their van followed an identical van out of the warehouse and Harley strained to see where they were.  The windows were heavily tinted and night had fallen but she was finally able to make out a street sign and breathed a sigh of relief.   “You know, if you would let me tell the other Nocte and Lux where we were going it would be a lot easier for us to do this with their back up.”

“No thank you.  I don’t want your friends here until I know we can trust you—and that you will make sure we can trust them.”

“Cas” she called.  The sun had just set, but she knew she would be able to wake him up if he had gone to bed already.  I don’t know how in the hell they think I’m going to make some of my friends trustworthy enough for Burners.

“What?” he answered quickly.

“We are just outside of Hollywood.”  She relayed the street name and where the warehouse was in relation to the top of the road.

“Does this mean you are out of the building now?”

Harley hesitated.  “Yes.”

“Where are you going?”

She sighed—Castor was going to be pissed.  “I don’t know exactly where we are going yet.”

“What does he want you to do?”

“I’m not going to say right now.”

“What?!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Harley.”

“I know!  I told you I would tell you.  But if I do you will only get pissy and panicky and not listen to reason.  I need you to calm down and let me handle this.”

“This is bullshit!  If you don’t tell me—we are going to storm the warehouse.”

“You gave your word that you wouldn’t.”

“And you gave your word that you would tell me what he wanted from you.”

Shit.  He was right, Harley knew not telling him would make her an epic jerk and could cause more problems.  “Fine.  I will tell you, but you have to still stick to the plan even though what I’m doing sounds really bad.  I have my reasons—I just don’t have time to explain all of them.”

After Harley explained what Jason wanted she waited for Castor to respond.   The silence stretched on for an uncomfortable amount of time.  “Cas?”

“I understand.”

“Really?”  That was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

“Yeah.”  Harley could hear the sigh in his voice.  “I really don’t like it—Levi doesn’t either.  But we will just sit on the warehouse.”

Well, that explains the pause.  He had been telling Levi what she had told him.  “I promise—I’ll be careful.  I love you both.  I need to go and concentrate on where we are going.”

“Tell us when you get there?”

“OK.”

--------------------

Harley finally saw a sign that informed her of where they were going.  “Venton?”

“Yeah,” Jason looked around the seat at her.  “Helion seems to have settled here.  There aren’t a lot of people and there are plenty empty spaces.

“We are in Venton.  I’m not exactly sure where.  I think you should just stay on the warehouse until we come back.  I’ll keep you up to speed as much as I can.”

“OK.”

The van rolled to a stop near a dilapidated building that was probably a small store at some point.  Barely visible train rails cut through the wet mud.  It must have rained here recently, Harley wrinkled her nose.  The rain always brought out the smell of bad things.  “We are about a half mile away from the group we found yesterday,” Jason told Harley.

“Is this the same place Nya found?”

“No.  They attacked on the other side of town.  That was the bigger of the two that are around Los Angeles.  We are sure she has some in other cities—maybe other places in California.  But this seems to be the only two around here.”

“If you’ve had such a good eye on Helion—why haven’t you attacked yet?  Why have you waited for us?”

Jason looked uncomfortable.  “It’s hard to unite Ignis.  Plus…you guys are better skilled in fighting,” he admitted reluctantly.

“Mmmhmmm,” Harley muttered under her breath.

Jason retrieved something from the floor of the passenger seat.  “Here,” he held it out to her.

“Yes!” Harley snatched her machete and knife from his hands.  Strapping them on, she felt immediately more secure.  The other Burners continued to keep a careful eye on her—more so now that she was armed.  “Is this place protected by the Sol?”

“Yeah.  And a few of us too”

“You call yourself an Ignis, right?”

“Yes,” he narrowed his eyes at her.

“But you aren’t just an Ignis.”

“There is supposed to be some kind of clever name for what I am?”

“Hey, I didn’t even make up the stupid ‘Dybrid’ or ‘Lybrid’ title.  That was all—” Harley broke off and the dark look on Jason’s face.  She let the subject drop.  There was no reason to bring up Alice and upset Jason before they went in for a fight.  “What’s the plan?” she asked.

Jason’s face lightened but grew harder as he got down to business.  “We will go the rest of the way on foot.  Send groups in on all four sides and come at them all at once.”

Harley shrugged.  “OK.  Lead the way.”

The Ignis separated into groups and went off in different directions.  Jason kept Harley with him and they took the north side.  The lack of street lights and a cloudy night cast deep shadows at the edges of the buildings they passed.  “How about Fire-brid?”

“What?” Jason looked at her in confusion.  Sometimes it was easy to forget what Jason was now.  Harley’s subconscious regressed back to before both of their lives had been turned upside down.

“We could call you a Fire-brid.”

Jason scoffed.  “That’s just stupid.”

“And the other two aren’t??  He shook his head dismissively and ignored her.  “The Ignis don’t really come from fire do they?”  Harley had seen enough of the other world to guess that but she was looking for some sort of confirmation.  She was sure that her brain wasn’t just making up what she saw—she was confident the times she had seen the other side, she was seeing memories.  And in those memories she hadn’t seen anything to indicate that the Burners came from fire.  The land around the trees looked as barren as the African plains—but they weren’t in flames.

Jason looked at her from the corner of his eye.  “I don’t think we live in fire on the other side.  But we come through fire to get here.”

“How?”

“I don’t know,” Jason snapped, obviously annoyed by her questions.

“Sor-ry!” she sarcastically drew the word out.  She had shut off her Burner alarm since they had broken into her house and kidnapped her.  Otherwise, her head would be constantly buzzing over their presence.  Therefore, she didn’t notice how close they had come to a large group of them.

“We’re almost there,” Jason changed the subject.  He was pointing towards a low building that looked more like a huge garage than a warehouse.  There were three overhead doors on the long side of the rectangular building.  Harley could see a black clad man sitting in a folding chair next to the door that looked like it opened to an office.  She wasn’t so naive to think that was the only security.

“Is there a signal to go in?”

“Yeah,” Jason pulled a flashlight out of his pocket.  He pointed it towards the sky and flashed it quickly two times.  The light was dim enough that the human didn’t even seem to notice it.  A few moments later a flash from the east indicated that another group was in place.  Harley and the others waited for the last two flashes.  She took a deep breath and shivered.  She was torn between being excited about the fight, appalled she was going to be saving some Burners, and paranoid that the Ignis were going to double-cross her.  But mostly she was excited for the fight.

Chapter 26

After two more flashes Jason motioned their group forward.  Harley was still unsettled by the reality of fighting alongside the Ignis.  She had spent so long viewing them as animals and monsters that it was hard to see them as anything other.  As they neared the warehouse, Harley pulled the machete from her back.  Jason nodded for her to take the lead and she rolled her eyes at him.  Really?  Instead of complaining she lengthened her stride and moved in front of the rest.  They were able to move silently through the shadows until they were about fifty feet from the door and the guard.

At the edge of the neighboring building Harley drew to a stop and held a hand up for the others to stop as well.  “What?” Jason whispered.

“Stop the others,” Harley whispered back.

“Why?”

“Just do it!”

Jason held the flash up and gave two short bursts which were quickly answered by flashes from each of the other three groups.  Had the sources of light not been behind solid structures—theirs a trash can—Harley was sure the guard would have seen them.  “Why did you stop us?”

“Because.  Just rushing in like this is stupid.  Wait here.”

“What?” he reached out and caught her by the arm.

Harley had to will herself to not shudder at his touch.  “I can get us in with a lot less noise.”  She surveyed the four Burners in her group as she returned her machete to its holder.  “Give me your jacket,” she snapped at a male Burner toward the back.  The Ignis turned an annoyed look to Jason.

“Do it,” he nodded.  “What are you going to do,” he asked Harley.

“See the cameras over the door?”  After looking for a moment Jason finally nodded.  “If we just try to bust our way in we will be seen before we even get to the door.  There is a reason there is only one guard out there.  It’s going to be next to impossible to get into that building unless they open the door.  Its solid concrete and steel.  Contact the other groups and ask if there are doors on that side.  And stop using that damn light before the guards see it.”

Jason looked at her narrowly before finally pulling out his phone and sending a text.  Moments later his phone vibrated with incoming messages.  He sighed.  “There is one other door but it has a camera and one guard also.”

“Did you guys even think this plan through?”

“Yes!” Jason snapped.

“Tell the other Burners to come to the north side.”  Harley zipped the jacket over her weapon and pulled out her hunting knife.  She grinned at Jason before dragging the blade across her forehead and he looked at her as if she were crazy.  She wiped the dripping blood down the side of her face before the wound could heal.  “Wait here until I make it to the guard.  Then you should all make a run at us.”

“The guard will think we just chased you to the building?”

“Hopefully.”

“How do you know he won’t recognize you?”

Harley pulled the hood up over her dark red hair.  “Luck?” she shrugged.

The Burners sent messages that they had merged to the north side of the warehouse and Harley nodded at Jason.  “Remember, come after I am with the guard,” she directed.

Harley back-tracked to give herself more running room—more time to build up the appearance of being terrified.  A hundred feet away Harley stepped out of the shadows of the neighboring buildings and screamed loudly in her best impression of a damsel in distress.  She could see the guard, highlighted in his spotlight, jump so hard he nearly fell out of his chair.  Harley ran fast, but not fast enough to arouse suspicion that she wasn’t human, towards the building.  “Help!”  The guard was on his feet and reaching for his gun.  “Help me!  They’re right behind me!”

The guard drew his gun but hesitated in pointing it at Harley.  Instinct prevented him from aiming at a woman who obviously needed help.  She could see him peer into the darkness behind her.  “Help!” she screamed again.  She knew her plan had worked when the guard held out a hand to her as she bounded up the three steps.  As she collapsed in his arms sobbing dryly, she could hear the Burners emerge from the darkness.  “Let me in!” Harley screeched putting up a show of trying to get past him and into the safety of the office.  The radio at his hip crackled and voice was asking what was going on.

The guard pointed the gun at the Burners who had advanced within ten feet of the door.  The halo of light didn’t quite reach far enough and the Ignis hovered at the edge and Harley was proud of the effect.  “There’s too many of them!  Get inside!” she screamed at him.  The man was torn between duty, protocol and his own natural fear that Harley could smell rolling off him.  The man cursed in Italian and pushed her ahead of him toward the door.  He quickly key in a four digit code and they both burst through the door.

Inside the office Harley came face to face with three humans and two Burners and before she could decide on an action another human came through a back door.  “What’s going on?” he growled in English.

“I need help!  A gang is chasing me.”

“It’s Ignis,” her guard gasped with a heavy accent.  “A lot of them.”

“What?”  Harley turned to him.  “Who is Ignis?”

The humans began scrambling for weapons but the two Burners continued staring at her—they knew she wasn’t human but it was taking them a while to process what she was.  The office was large with only a couple of tables and chairs and cabinets and Harley was grateful for the fighting room.

“What have you done?” one of the Burners asked the guard.

Before the man could respond, in one huge lunge, Harley crossed the distance between herself and the Ignis who had spoken and rammed her hunting knife into his chin pinning his mouth closed.  The other Burner was on her before she could pull the knife free and she wrestled Harley to the ground as the first Burner fell.  Harley twisted beneath her and came out on top, snapping the woman’s neck as she did.  Harley tore her blade from the first Burner’s chin and stabbed the woman—who she was still sitting on—in the heart then turned her knife back to the male Burner—ramming it into his temple.

Harley hopped to her feet and met the shocked stares of the humans.  Her hood had fallen back and the realization of who she was froze them in place.  She pulled her machete free and pointed it at the three men.  “Get on your knees.”  The guard who had let her into the building started to raise his gun.  “Don’t bother,” she snarled and held up her hunting knife.  “I will throw this—right into your face—if you raise that another inch.”  The man looked like he was going to fire anyway and Harley shook her head.  “Even if you managed to get off a shot before my blade is stuck in your face do you really think it will kill me?”

“If I shoot you in the head,” he croaked.

“Are you sure?  That works on Burners, Lux and Nocte.  But I’m not any of those.  Am I?”  The man swallowed hard and lowered his weapon.  “Now, get on your knees and then slide your weapons to me.”  The men’s eyes were daggers as they finally complied.  Harley backed away, keeping her eye on the guards at all times, until she bumped into the door.  She undid the locks and stepped forward as she opened the door.  Once the Ignis began flowing inside she reholstered her weapons and leaned against the wall.

Harley could see the glee on the Burners faces as they tied the human guards up and propped them against the wall.  At first she was sure they were going to slaughter the unarmed men, but then she realized that would be pointless.  Of course they aren’t killing them outright, all the better to milk them for their fear.  Harley took off the jacket and handed it back to the Ignis whom she had taken it from.  “Thanks,” she mumbled.

“Well done,” he grinned at her, apparently deciding that she was more friend than foe.

Harley’s skin crawled as she called for Cas.  “You OK?” he asked.

“Yeah.  I guess.”

“What’s that mean?”

“I’ve just never felt so dirty in my life.  Helping Burners like this.”

“I can’t imagine.  But it’s for the greater good.”

“I know.  Is everyone else at the Burner hideout?”

“All the Nocte are.  The Lux are staying back for now.  We are going to cover the watch in shifts.”

“Good plan,” Harley told him.

“You did the right thing, even if it was hard to do.”

“I know.  I just hope it feels better soon.  I’ll talk to you later.  We are about to go where they’ve been  starving the Burners.”

Jason motioned for her and one other Ignis to follow him into the warehouse.  Harley pulled out her machete and stepped to the steel door that was secured with three different bolts.  No matter how much she was trying to block it, this close, the buzz of the Burners on the other side was strong enough to cause her to wince.  There were a lot of them.  She took a deep breath to prepare herself as Jason threw open the door.  Across the threshold was a steel cage and Harley immediately realized it had been installed as a means of observing the Ignis while staying safe.  It looked noticeably newer than the rest of the building.  The three of them stepped into the cage and Harley shook her head.

Jason growled next to her.  “Look at what they are doing!”

Even Harley had to admit Helion’s actions were disgusting.  She was uncomfortably reminded of the Burners that Georgia had been bringing to the Den and keeping for later.  It was all unnecessarily and exceedingly cruel.  At their appearance the Burners clamored up the stone steps to futilely shake the bars of the cage.  The rest of the warehouse was open with a concrete floor.  It was probably at one time used to house large construction vehicles.  Harley could smell the remnants of diesel fuel and oil over the odor of the filthy creatures before her.

The Ignis growled and snarled with feral mania.  They were a horde of rage filled zombies, suffering, starving—insane and hopeless.  “Do you think any of them can be saved?” she asked Jason.

“I doubt it.”

Given a choice Harley would have, remorselessly, put them all down.  But she had given her word.  On some level she was relieved at their state—it meant she would be spared from having to let many of them live.  But at the same time she was disgusted by the torture these creatures had endured.  No matter what the Burners were capable of—this reflected upon the people who had done it.  Not to mention it was designed to end in the increased suffering of humans.  Harley kept quiet as Jason and the other Burner worked out the logistics of how they would evaluate the state of each Ignis.  It was going to be a long night.

--------------------

On the ride back to the warehouse Harley kept wiping her hands on her pants, feeling like Lady Macbeth.  Even her Nocte was quiet after the night they had been through.  The Burners had used the humans to test the captive Ignis to see who was salvageable or not.  By brutalizing, antagonizing and generally terrifying the humans the Ignis were able to feed.  Those who recovered enough to be coherent were saved—those who did not were sent to Harley to be disposed of.  She had refused stay in the office and watch what the Ignis did to the humans.  Despite Jason’s protests she had waited outside and killed them there.  She hadn’t worried there was a chance of being seen or of a wild Ignis escaping.  Jason’s bonus of forcing Harley to participate was having her do the actual killing.  It seemed that none of the Burners were looking forward to killing their own, which Harley found surprising.  She had never gotten the feeling that Ignis had ever had any qualms about killing anyone or anything.

Harley tried to remind herself that the humans were Sol Invictus and guilty of their own cruelty and would continue to damage the entire world.  Furthermore, it was a means to an end—it proved that most of the captive Burners were beyond saving and Harley was able to kill them.  In all, of the fifty-three only seven were saved.  And she told herself it was only temporary—the Burners would meet their end eventually.  And if Harley had anything to do with it, they would never have a chance to hurt an innocent human.  She shuddered and wiped her hands on her jeans again.  She knew that she would never forget this night though—the horror of the things she had watched, allowed to happen and participated in would haunt her for the rest of her unnatural life.

As the first rays of light reached the horizon Harley felt Castor nudging her brain and she wanted to ignore him.  She would have given just about anything to not have to talk to him right now but she had given her word.  She opened the door and waited.

“Hey?”

“Hey.”

“Are…you OK?”

“…I will be.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Harley?”

“Please Cas.  I just…can’t.  Not right now.”

“Are you still safe?”

“As I’m going to be.”

“Harley…”

“I’ll be fine Cas.  I just need…time.”

“OK…I’ll see you soon?”

“I don’t know.  We are on our way back to the warehouse.  I’ll let you know when I know something.”

“OK.  Love you.”

Harley didn’t respond, she just closed the door and sighed.  Would he still love her if he knew what she had done?  The Burners all seemed as tired as she was.  She was so full of blood that she felt like she was going to be sick, but her body was still drained of energy.  This was the first time since becoming Nocte that she had simply just ran out of steam to the point that feeding wouldn’t rejuvenate her.  At this point only sleep would help her.

The trail of vans drove slowly toward the warehouse and Harley avoided looking around.  She could feel Castor’s presence faintly and she didn’t want to see him just yet.  She was covered in Ignis blood, dirt and grime—and shame.  The vans pulled inside the warehouse before stopping and Harley quickly hopped out.  She didn’t want to be closed in with the Ignis any longer than she needed to be.

Jason stopped in front of her before turning and smiling.  “Thank you.”  Harley shrugged.  “What?  The Dybrid has a conscience?  How many of us have you killed since turning?  And those weren’t even suffering.  Or is it just the humans you feel sorry for?  The humans that would have helped Helion destroy our world.”

It was an odd feeling to realize how right Jason was—but still, it wasn’t that simple.  “You tortured those humans.”

It was Jason’s turn to shrug.  “They tortured us first.”

“It’s…it…” Harley sighed.  “One wrong doesn’t make another right.”  Harley wished they had at least been able to get some information of the humans but they had refused to talk, no matter what was done to them--according to the Ignis.

Jason scoffed at her.  “And you haven’t tortured ‘Burners?’” his face twisted when using the slang term for an Ignis.

Harley wanted to argue with him, but she knew he was right.  What they had done to the humans was no different than what she had done to Burners many times.  Even though it made her want to throw up, she nodded.  “You’re right.”

Jason chuckled.  “I’m shocked and amazed,” he patted her on the shoulder and she flinched away from him.

“What now?” she asked.

“That’s up to you.  What do you need to do to bring us all together?”

“I need to go back first.  Then I need to talk to the Electorate and Council.  I need to try to convince them to work with us before I can even start to convince them to work with you.”

Jason shrugged.  “Fine.  Go do what you need to do.”

“Just like that?”

“Like what?  You’re free to go.”  Harley continued to stare at him.  “Are you expecting a parting gift?  A ride?  I’m sure your friends will pick you up down the road a bit.”

“You knew they were here?”

“Of course.  I’m not stupid.  As long as they kept their distance I couldn’t care less what they did.”

“Well…OK then.”

“Here,” Jason handed her a slip of paper.  “Keep me posted.  I expect to hear from you often.”

Harley scowled as his “request.”  “I’ll contact you as often as I can.”  She slipped the paper with his phone number on it in her pocket, turned and walked out of the warehouse.  “Cas?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m going to need to be picked up.”

“I see you.  Keep walking north and I’ll pick you up in five minutes.”

Chapter 27

Castor was driving a green, beat up SUV when he picked her up.  The sun was low in the sky but it still shined bright enough to make Harley turn away from it.  She could feel it’s warmth on the side of her face and it felt heavy.  She stopped walking as Cas drove toward her.  He made a U-turn in the middle of the road and waited for her.  She opened the door and slid inside without speaking.  Castor glanced at her and she could feel his alarm at the state of her.  Her clothes, her skin, her hair, were coated with dried and drying Ignis blood.

“Are you sure you aren’t hurt?” Castor asked her with a strained voice.

Harley didn’t even turn to look at him.  “Just take me home.  Is everyone still at the Lux house?”

“Yeah.  We figured that since it was Jason’s crew that found us there—we might as well just stay.  We’re pretty sure Helion doesn’t know where we are.  Otherwise, she would have come for us again.”

“OK.”

Castor drove in silence and Harley zoned out, locking herself inside her head.  The warmth of his skin on hers made her jump when he grabbed her hand.  Lacing her fingers through his she sighed and closed her eyes.  She knew everyone was going to want to know what happened, but she avoided thinking about it or talking about it for as long as possible.  Her Nocte was still awake and restless—making Harley’s discomfort worse.  As they neared the house, she was glad that it was daylight.  The Nocte would be asleep and, according to Cas, the Lux were either out hunting or watching the Burner warehouse.  “Did you tell Levi you were picking me up?”

“No.  I didn’t have a chance.”

“OK.  Good.  He’s asleep, right?”

“I don’t know,” Cas glanced at her as he parked next to the garage.  She could see the classic Mustang still in its spot and she itched to get in it and just drive for a while.  But she needed to shower and rest—that was step one.  With the blood coating her skin she couldn’t begin to forget the night that she’d endured.  “He’s not slept much since you’ve been gone.  He was pretty exhausted this morning though, so I’m betting he’s sleeping whether he really wanted to or not.”

Harley nodded and climbed from the truck.  Castor caught up with her as she hurried into the house.  Catching her by the arm he tried to pull her to him but she yanked it away.  “I’m filthy.  I need a shower.”  She turned away from the worried look on Castor’s face and entered the house.  He followed her as a silent observer as she gathered clean clothes from the pile she had in his room and he sat on the bed when she headed to the bathroom.

Harley turned the water on as hot as it would go and when she stepped under the spray.  The water that ran off her was rust colored she had to close her eyes against the sight.  She remembered the first time she had showered blood off herself.  It was after Jamie had been killed and she had taken out one of the Burners that had attacked them.  Harley opened her eyes and picked up a bar of soap and a wash cloth.  She scrubbed her skin until it was raw and then watched as it healed itself.  She didn’t have the blood of the humans on her, but she might as well have.  The only time she had stepped in was to make sure that the Ignis finished with them as painlessly as possible--and by then it was a mercy killing.  By the time she had dried off and brushed the tangles out of her hair, her skin was back to its usual pale color.

Harley knew Castor was still sitting on the bed waiting for her, she could feel the warm buzz of his presence.  For a moment she considered going into the room and curling herself around him.  But she couldn’t.  Not yet.  She couldn’t stand the way he was looking at her.  With sympathy—not when she didn’t feel like she deserved any.  Harley wandered downstairs to the den and found Heather watching the monitors.  The Lux glanced up at her with curiosity on her face but Harley didn’t give her a chance to speak.  She grumbled to herself and wandered towards the living room.  Cas intercepted her before she made it all the way.

“You can lie in my bed.  I’m going to go out and hunt.  Do you want me to bring you anything back?”

Harley shook her head and rewarded Cas with the faintest of smiles.  For once he didn’t pressure or smother her with concern.  He was letting her have her alone time and she was so grateful that she nearly cried.  Harley knew he was watching her as she climbed the stairs, but she didn’t look back.  She crawled into the large bed and took a deep breath as she sank into the mattress and pulled the blankets over her face.  She could smell Castor on the sheets and it was enough to comfort her as she drifted off to sleep.

Harley knew she wasn’t alone before she even opened her eyes.  She sighed heavily and turned her face into the pillow.  A sharp slap on her butt cheek caused her to jump and yelp.  “Come on Nya!  Was that necessary?” she asked, her voice muffled by the pillow.

“If you don’t at least look at me, I’ll do worse.”  Harley sighed again and rolled to her side, drawing her legs up into a fetal position.  She met Nya’s eye and waited.  “I’m not going to ask you what happened exactly.  I can imagine.  The only thing I’m going to ask is, was there anything else you could have done?”  Harley shrugged and struggled to hold Nya’s heated stare.  “Sit up.”

Harley knew better than to argue with that steely tone.  She sat up on the edge of the bed so that she was eye to eye with her mentor.  Nya held her gaze for a moment before speaking again.  “Was there a better decision?”

“No,” Harley finally answered with a dry cracked voice.

“How do you know?”

“I considered all my options.”

“What else?”

“I consulted with everyone else before I made the decision”

“That’s right.  We all knew the decision was bad as necessary as it was.  You can’t carry the burden of whatever happened all on your own.  That’s what it means to be a team.  To work together.  You have people here who care about you and are all working toward the same goal.  Whether you tell them what happened—share that burden with the ones who have chosen to be your partners in this—is your decision.  But whatever decision you make—make sure you can live with it—because you don’t have a lot of other options.”  With that, Nya stood and walked from the room and moments later Levi and Castor came in

Castor sat in the chair that Nya had vacated and Levi placed another next to it.  Cas rested his hands in his lap with and Levi crossed his arms over his chest but stretched his legs out in front of him as if he was relaxed.  Harley met their eyes one after the other and they simply waited for her to speak.  She squirmed and twisted her neck until it popped.  Finally, she took a deep breath and began telling Castor and Levi what happened.  When she was done she felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders.

Levi and Castor glanced at each other before either of them spoke.  Levi ran a hand over his face.  “We kind of figured something like that would happen.”

“I know,” she muttered.

“What do you feel the worst about?” Cas asked her.

She shook her head.  “I guess…it just seems like last night went against everything that it means to be a Nocte.”

“Really?” Levi asked.

“What do you mean?” she asked him.

“Your actions gave us information we didn’t already have, gained us an ally—albeit an unexpected and unusual one—and minimized the damage to all parties as much as possible.”

Harley leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees.  “That was just…actually being inside the secret torture chamber of the NSA.”

Castor shrugged.  “We all have had to do things we would rather not do.  And I’m sure we will all have to make more decisions that we don’t want.  This isn’t over for any of us.  If we are going to stop Helion from bring the worlds together we have to be prepared for a lot worse.  No one is judging you for what you had to do—except yourself.”

“What I don’t get,” Levi muttered, rubbing his chin.  “Is why the Sol let Landon loose to begin with.”

“I doubt it was on purpose,” Harley snorted.

“What do you think happened?” Levi tilted his head.

“I would guess that it was Jenna or some other Sol.  Probably trying to control Landon and he got the best of them.  Escaped.”

“I bet Helion loved that.”

“Right.”  Harley.

“Do you think Landon could have done what Helion wanted anyway?” Cas asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, could he have even brought the worlds together.  Would he have been strong enough to do that?”

“Not likely,” Levi answered.  Harley raised a brow.  “It’s always been you who has been different.  Stronger.  Even stronger than the other hybrids.  I don’t know if it’s that strength or the fact that you are strong enough to handle the power and are therefore sane--mostly anyway.”

“Ha. Ha,” she rolled her eyes at him, but refused to agree even though she suspected he was right.  She bit at a cuticle but Cas pulled her hand away

“Stop,” he told her firmly.

Harley nodded.  “I’ll be OK.  I just need…time.  And I need to feed—I need to save a human,” she chuckled.

Cas gave her a small smile—he looked tired and strained.  “That sounds like a good plan.”  He glanced at Levi.  “You have it?”

“Yep,” Levi smirked at him.

“Have what?” Harley looked between them both.

“You’ll see,” Cas grinned at her.  “Now, get out of here so I can get some rest.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Levi waited for her in the hall and Castor pulled her off the bed.  He wrapped his arms around her.  He kissed her softly and whispered in her ear.  “Thank you.”

She tilted her head at him.  “For what?”

“Doing what no one else can—bringing everyone together.  For making the sacrifices that none of us had to make and certainly wouldn’t want to make.  Thank you for being able to be the one we need.”

Harley’s heart shuddered in relief.  “I just hope I did the right thing.  Am doing the right thing…”

“Well, time will tell.”

Dressed in jeans and a sweater, Harley followed Levi down the stairs.  He still hadn’t told her what “it” was but she was sure it was something she was going to like.  Levi led her outside without speaking.  The sun had set and Harley took a deep breath of cool evening air.  Her Nocte stretched and shook off the lingering discomfort from their adventures with the Ignis.  Harley realized they were headed towards the Mustang and a smile spread across her face.  Levi leaned against the back end of the car and held up a key.  “Using a key is easier than hotwiring,” he gave her a half smile.

“How did you guys do that?” Harley stood on her tip toes and kissed him, pressing his bottom lip between hers.

“James knows a guy who’s good with locks,” he shrugged.  “You ready to take it for a spin?”

“Fuck yes."

--------------------

The rumble of the car’s engine was soothing as she and Levi cruised the PCH.  She itched to floor it and open the car up since there was so little traffic this time of night but she resisted the urge.  She needed calm, not adrenaline.  One hand rested on the car’s gear shift and the other held the wheel steady.  Levi covered her hand with his and she smiled at the feel of his calloused skin against the softness of hers.  She took a deep breath and the cool, salty night air washed over her face and helped brush away her guilt.

Harley noticed signs for Malibu Bluffs and at the last minute she turned the car into the drive that lead to the parking lot.  When Levi looked at her she shrugged.  “Go open the gate.”  He shook his head but complied by hopping out of the car, retrieving a tire iron from the trunk, and a moment later the chain was snapped and he held one side of the gate open as she drove slowly through and she eased the car into a dark corner of the lot.  By the time Levi caught up to her she was out and leaning against the hood.  He joined her and together they watched the ocean over the zip lines and baseball fields.  This far away from the busyness of the cities, Harley felt like she could breathe easy.

“What are we doing here?” Levi finally asked.

Harley reached out and fingered his hair as the breeze rustled it.  “Just breathing.”

Half of Levi’s mouth curled into a smile.  “OK.”

Harley continued to watch him even as he turned back to the ocean.  “You and Castor seem a lot friendlier,” she smiled.

Levi wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.  She loved the feel of his body against hers and her Nocte shivered the same time she did.  “I guess so,” he said enigmatically while his eyes twinkled playfully.

“Not that I’m complaining—but what’s up with that?”

Levi shrugged.  “He’s a good guy.  A good fighter.  A loyal friend.  He and I agreed a long time ago that we needed to put our egos to the side in light of the fact that there were bigger things we needed to focus on.”

“I like that.  Thank you.”

Levi raised a shoulder again.  “I think it just took a while for us to figure out how to make it work.  And to realize that…you weren’t going to…play favorites.”  Levi shook his head and Harley knew how he felt.  It wasn’t easy for anyone involved in an unconventional relationship like theirs.  But it was built on their mutual respect for all parties involved.  “And I guess we bonded over our shared…concerns and worries.”

“Mmmhmmm,” Harley tried not to smile at that slight dig at her recklessness.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Levi held his hand out to her.

Despite the lack of lighting, Harley and Levi had no problems following the hiking trail.  The signs along the path pointed the way to the bluffs overlooking the ocean and Harley was looking forward to the sight.  She wasn’t disappointed.  After walking the mile long trail they stopped at a well-worn edge overlooking the beach and dark purple waves.  Levi lowered himself to the damp prickly grass and pulled Harley into his lap.  She rested her head under his chin with her back to his chest, and pulled his arms around her.  “Thanks,” she mumbled.

“For what?”

“Getting me out here.  Away from the house.”

“You’re welcome.” His breath fluttering across her cheek.

Harley turned to face Levi and wrapped her legs around his waist and rested her lips against his.  “I love you,” she murmured.

“I love you too,” she could feel his smile against her mouth.

Harley buried her fingers in his hair and rested her thumbs against his cheekbones when Levi pressed his lips against hers.  Lifting her, he rolled so that she was on her back in grass with him leaning over her.  They weren’t looking for anything but peace and quiet as they watched the night sky and listened to the crash of the waves below.

Lying in the moonlight Harley considered what had happened with the Burners.  She knew that Nya, Levi and Castor were right.  She did what she had to do.  They all agreed that any of them would have made the same decision had they been in her shoes.  Watching the smoky clouds drift across the purple sky and running her hand along Levi’s arm she made the decision to not beat herself up over the humans in the warehouse.  The decided to stop regretting letting a few Burners live.  If she was going to waste her energy and concentration on remorse and guilt she might as well give up and turn herself over to Helion right now.  She wouldn’t be any good to anyone if she didn’t have her head totally in the game.

Harley thought of the subtle quirks and personality tics of the other Nocte and Lux that she had met since joining the Praesidio.  When she snorted humorlessly, Levi looked at her with one brow raised.

“What?” he asked.

“I just realized something.”

“That is?”

“Everyone is a product of their past.”

“Riiiight.”

“Well, the Lux and the Nocte have more past than humans.  We all are made up of the victories and the defeats that we have lived.  I have to just add all of what happened to my history and move on.”

“Exactly.”

“What’s the worst thing that you have done, or had happen, since you became a Nocte.”

Levi sighed, and for a minute Harley didn’t think he was going to answer her question.  But, finally, he spoke—and his voiced was heavy with regret.  “About thirty years ago I was in New Orleans and came across this Ignis that was using humans—a lot of them kids—to run drugs.  This one kid in particular kept getting picked on by the others.  I made them leave him alone and eventually got the kid to trust me enough to help me get into this dealer’s compound so I could take out the Burners in charge.  The kid I was working with, Lonnie, promised he would help get the kids kept hostage to their homes and the police so I left.  The next morning, one of the older kids that I made leave Lonnie alone came back—humiliated—looking for revenge.  He burned the old hotel they all lived in down.  Fifteen kids died.”

Harley cringed.  “Damn.”

“Yeah.  If I had just stayed out of Lonnie’s fight and had focused on another way into the dealer’s compound—none of that would have probably happened.”

“Something worse could have happened though.”  Harley propped herself on her elbow and watched Levi’s pained blue eyes lighten out of the darkness that had come over them.

“True.  And that’s why we can’t live in the past.  We have to let go of defeats and focus on learning from them and moving on.”

“I know.”  She pressed her face into Levi’s hand when he cupped her cheek.  “We should get out of here.  The night isn’t getting any younger.”

It took a great effort for them to leave the breath taking view, but both Harley and Levi needed to hunt.  They still had a few hours until dawn and they hurried back to the car.  She was feeling better than she had in days and she was overcome with a sense of gratitude and love for her friends.  Castor, Levi and Nya were family to her and the more she learned to trust them and rely on them the stronger she felt.

Harley was looking for a specific prey and it didn’t take long to find it.  She and Levi agreed to hunt together and they both kept an eye out for an Ignis that was preying on humans.  Harley drove the Mustang towards South Central L. A. confident that area would live up to its reputation.  They parked at an all-night convenience store and walked, with the hoods of their jackets up, until Harley eventually caught wind of a brothel type of house.  She took a deep breath and turned until she was sure of its direction.  Feeling like Toucan Sam she followed her nose to a rundown row house off Vermont Avenue.

Levi followed Harley through the chain-link gate as she confidently strode to the front door.  Harley knocked sharply—she was too focused on the hunt to worry about strategy.  Levi hung back surveying the neighborhood.  She could tell by the solid sound of her knuckles against the door that it was reinforced, probably with a steel plate to prevent bullets from being fired through the door and there were at least four locks that she could see.  A narrow metal panel at eye level slid back and someone stood to the side of the slot.  “You lost?” a rough voice asked.

Harley wrinkled her nose at the spicy, chemical smell coming from inside.  She could tell by the slur in the Burner’s voice that he was high.  “Nope,” Harley kept her voice low.  “We’re just looking to party.”  She hoped that his own condition would help disguise the fact that they were Nocte.

“Who sent you?”

Shit.  She glanced back at Levi.  If they needed to, the two of them could burst through the door fairly easy, but it would be noisy.  “Man,” she whined, sounding twitchy and impatient.  “He told us not to say his name.”

“Then I can’t help you, bitch.  We don’t sell Tupperware here.”

“But we have this,” Levi stepped closer, holding up a wad of money.  He scratched at this arm through his sleeve and Harley bounced on the balls of her feet—both of them doing their best to look like dope-fiends.

“Please,” she whined.  “We just want some company and some candy.”

The man on the other side of the door was quiet for a minute.  “Back up.  And put your hands in the air.”

They both complied and Harley’s Nocte jumped with anticipation as they listened to the locks being unlatched inside.  When the door opened a young, dark-haired man leaned around the frame.  “What kind of company you looking for?”

He was younger than Harley would have expected but even through the haze of drugs she could see his eye shine. She was surprised the pimp himself was working the door—and she was sure he was a pimp as she could smell it in his pores.  Two human women sat on the couch behind him and Harley could feel their fear of the man at the door, even though they were both so high they couldn’t sit up straight.  Harley felt a growl in her throat.  “Yours.”

“Wha—?” Harley cut off his question when she reached forward and pulled him out of the house by his throat.  He didn’t even have a chance to struggle before she pushed him to the concrete porch and tore open his throat.  Both the street and the doorway were so dark she wasn’t worried about anyone seeing.  Besides, this is a neighborhood full people too blind to see anything they shouldn’t see, she thought just before the blood poured into her mouth and set her body on fire.

When Harley was done she fell back against the wall of the house.  She could hear Levi talking to someone inside but she didn’t pay attention—instead she was enjoying the rush of the blood high that flowed through her body.  Annoyingly, the euphoria had a rough edge to it and she grumbled.  She had fed from plenty of drunk and high Burners before and, while you didn’t get the full effect of their condition, the chemicals tended to change their blood enough to take some of the enjoyment out of it.  But, Harley’s pleasure of this particular feed didn’t come just from the blood, it also came from the three young girls Levi was ushering from the house.  They stared at Harley and their dead pimp in a daze as they shuffled past.

Levi squatted next to Harley and rubbed a hand over his mouth.  “I tried to talk to them.  Offered them a ride, and a drop phone.  They took the phone but didn’t want the ride.  I gave them some money.  I’d like to think they will go home to their parents—but…I’m pretty sure I know what they will do with it.”

Harley shrugged.  “At least we tried.”

When she felt like she could walk again, Harley stood and they left the pimp burning in front of his open door.  Only a block away they found another Burner, this one selling “candy” and Levi fed quickly before they hurried back to their car.  She insisted on driving again and she roared onto the freeway heading back to Hollywood.  Both she and Levi were exhausted and looking forward to sleep.  But before they could make it upstairs, Nya stopped them.

“Kai just got a call from the Council,” she informed them with neutral face.

“Yeah?” Levi asked.

“Yeah,” Nya spoke to Harley.

“The Council has agreed to meet with you.  We need to leave tomorrow night.”

Chapter 28

Twelve hours later Harley was complaining as she, Nya and Kai boarded a plane at LAX.  She had done everything except beg to drive, but no matter how much she hinted, pushed and cajoled Nya and Kai were not willing to drive.  Even if they had left the night before they would not have been able to make it to New York in twenty-four hours—which was when the meeting had been scheduled.  Harley huddled in her seat and ignored the confused look Kai was giving her and the wide-eyed snicker that twisted Nya’s mouth.

Harley was even less happy about the fact that it was only Kai, Nya and herself on this trip.  The Council had refused to meet with anyone else and considering the fact that Helion was surely lurking around in L. A. still they thought it wise to leave as many in town as possible.  They hoped that it would be less obvious that she was gone if most of them remained behind.

“Calm down,” she heard Castor’s slightly amused voice in her head.

“I don’t like flying.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“What?”

“A little bird might have mentioned that you may need some distraction on the flight.”

“I’m going to kick Levi’s ass.”

“Aw now, he wasn’t laughing when he told me about it…much.”

Harley could hear the smile behind Castor’s words.  “Yeah, well, keep it up and I’ll just block you out for the rest of the trip.”

“Oh, I’m just trying to help.”

“I know,” Harley grumbled.

“Has Kai said anything else about the Council and the meeting?”

“Nope.  Any clues as to who the human who ratted us out was?”

“No.  Do you still suspect one of us?”

Harley hesitated.  “I don’t know.  Honestly, I don’t know if that feeling comes from personal prejudices or something real.”

“The Ignis seemed to be telling the truth, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, in that case which of us would have access to a Sol?  Which of us could be working with the Sol?”

Harley knew Cas’ use of the inclusive “us” was just rhetorical.  “I still don’t trust Pax.”

“I can understand that.  But if it was him, why hasn’t he acted again?  What could his motive be?”

“I don’t know,” Harley sighed.

“I’m going to keep digging and see what I can find out.”

“Good.  And while you are at it, try to investigate Kai too.”

“Why Kai?” Castor asked suspiciously.  Everyone knew Harley was wary of Kai, but they all realized that it had a lot to do with Levi—as unreasonable as that wariness was.

“I just really don’t…trust her.”  Harley felt Castor’s mental sigh and she spoke again before Cas had a chance to interrupt.  “And it really doesn’t have anything to do with Levi.  After Helion rose she was…different.”

“Different how?”

Harley told Castor about finding Kai and Levi outside the Den deep in conversation.  And about how Kai always seemed to watch her when she didn’t think anyone was looking.  “I just get a bad feeling.”

“Well, you trust Levi, right?”

“Of course.”

“Why do you think he won’t tell you what they were talking about?”

“He said it wasn’t worth telling me—that I didn’t need to worry about it.”

“But you are.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll see if I can find anything out.  Keep an eye on her.”

“So you believe me?”

“Of course.  What do you think she could be up to?”

Harley let out a breath that she hadn’t realized she had been holding.  She was relieved that someone trusted her enough to take her concerns about Kai seriously.  “I have no idea,” Harley admitted.

“Well, just be careful.”

“You too.  Stick with Levi.”

“Why’s that?” Cas chuckled but sounded slightly offended.

“Of everyone there, you two are the only ones I trust completely.”

“Good to know.  I’m going to miss you.”

Harley smiled despite her nerves.  “As long as everything goes as it planned, I should only be gone for a couple of days.”

“Don’t jinx us.”

“Good point.  And thank you, by the way.”

“For what?”

“The distraction.  I just realized that we were in the air.”

Cas laughed.  “My pleasure.  Do you think you will be alright for the rest of the flight?”

“Yeah.  You should go to sleep.”

“Love you.”

“You too.”

As the connection closed, Harley tried to relax.  They may have been in the air but that didn’t mean her troubles were over.  They still had eight hours of flight left.  When she glanced at the window from the corner of her eye she caught Nya watching her and trying not to laugh.

“Are you OK?” her mentor asked her.

“Of course,” Harley trying to sound wounded enough to be believable.

“Sure.”

Harley was glad to see that Kai looked to be asleep or at least doing a very convincing job of not paying attention.  “So…what is the Council like?”

Nya shrugged.  “Your guess is as good as mine at this point.

Harley couldn’t stop herself from glaring at Kai.  She looked back to Nya guiltily expecting her to reproach her but was surprised to see a concerned look on her face.  At Harley’s raised eyebrow Nya shook her head dismissively.  Harley wasn’t sure what Nya’s look meant, but it caused a worm of anxiety to squirm across her belly.  Neither she nor her Nocte knew what was coming and the uncertainty left her as uncomfortable as the plane ride.

--------------------

Harley lead the way into her old apartment and the smell brought back the feeling of being a new Nocte having just joined the Praesidio.  She took a deep breath and shivered but moved out of the doorway so that Nya and Kai could enter.

“We have a couple of hours before we have to meet the Council.  I’m going to take a shower,” Nya announced.  She dropped her bag and headed towards the tiny bathroom across from the bedroom.

Harley tossed her bag on the bed quickly; inexplicably she had felt the need to claim the bedroom as her own.  For all she knew Kai had used this apartment before she had even been born and, therefore, could have more of a claim on the place than she did, but that didn’t stop Harley from feeling possessive.  She wandered into the kitchen, ignoring Kai standing at the window watching a plane cross the skyline.  Searching the cabinets she found what she was looking for—a bottle of whiskey.  The cap spun off easily and she didn’t even bother with a glass.  The combination of lack of sleep, the anxiety of the flight and her nerves over the impending meeting with the Council left her feeling agitated and unsettled.

Harley narrowed her eyes at the back of Kai’s head.  “So,” she finally broke the silence.  “What did you have to do to get the Council to agree to meet with me?”

Kai turned calmly and gave Harley a small smile.  “I just had to list the reasons they needed to speak with you and show them evidence of Helion’s attacks…and assure them that you weren’t behind the attacks or dangerous.”

Her soft voice was pleasant enough, but that didn’t stop Harley from doubting Kai’s story.  “Why did it take so long then?”

Kai tilted her head.  “The Council is always on the move.  And they haven’t been inclined to believe what we have been telling them.  We’ve discussed this already.”  For the first time Kai’s voice was edged with a lack of patience.  Her black spiky hair was tipped in green and contrasted with the seriousness of her voice.  It gave Harley the impression she was wearing a costume whereas before she had always viewed Kai as eccentric and quirky.

“Why has talking to the Council fallen to you?  Why not Nya?”  Harley watched a muscle flex in Kai’s jaw.  The more she talked to the little Nocte, the more the friendly façade slipped.  Last year when she had first met Kai, she had been eager to be Harley’s friend.  However, over the months that had changed.  Now Kai seemed to associate with her strictly on a perfunctorily level.  Her disassociation was different than Nya’s.  Nya had become distracted—whereas Kai was…removed.  Harley narrowed her eyes at Kai until she finally answered the question.

“I have worked with the Council before.”

“How?  What capacity?”

Kai shrugged nonchalantly, but before she could answer Nya emerged from the bathroom and answered the question for her.  “Kai was an enforcer—like Cassandra.”

Harley’s heart beat roughly for a moment.  Cassandra’s specialty in the Praesidio had been to deal with difficult Noctes.  She “took care” of the ones who didn’t adjust to the bond.  “But you’re not anymore?” Harley asked her.

A friendly enough smile stretched Kai’s mouth.  “No.  I haven’t done that for a long time.  But I’m still friendly with some of the oldest members of the Council.  So it made sense that I should be the one to talk to them.”  With that she took her turn in the bathroom.

Harley looked at Nya who purposefully didn’t return her look and avoided her eye.  Harley took another deep pull at the bottle.  “Are you worried about this meeting?” she asked finally Nya.

Nya sighed.  “I think we should be cautious.  I don’t think the Praesidio would do anything to hurt humanity or the Praesidio.”

Harley couldn’t help but hear what Nya didn’t say.  Who are they willing to hurt then?  Harley brushed her hair out of her face.  They had left just after dawn to make it to Manhattan on time and they were all sleep deprived.  Kai and Nya had to be affected the most, since they had been forced to travel during the day, but Harley was feeling the effects as well.  It was still early for the Nocte’s but they were heading out to meet the Council as soon as possible.

Harley did not have a chance to ask Nya more questions before Kai was finished with her shower.  She could hear the littlest Nocte rummaging around the bathroom before she came out and Harley almost rolled her eyes.  Kai had apparently found some gel and used it to re-spike her hair into her usual faux-hawk and she was dressed in black leather pants and a red, lace-up bustier.  Harley felt almost boring compared to Nya and Kai.  Nya, as per usual, was dressed in bright colors—this time it was bright green tights and a yellow and green sweater.  Harley looked at her own fresh clothes once she was showered and dressed.  Her tight stretchy jeans, knee-high boots and tight blue tee-shirt were unremarkable.  Maybe that’s a good thing though—I don’t want the Council to take too much notice of me.

Harley shrugged on her machete, buckled her knife at her waist and zipped a black leather jacket over it all.  She flicked her still damp hair over her shoulder and regarded her two companions.  “You guys ready?” Kai and Nya both nodded.  “Let’s get this over with then,” she mumbled and unlocked the door.

On the street, Kai climbed behind the wheel of their rental car.  Harley smirked at how small she looked behind the wheel as she slid into the back seat.  Nya settled into the passenger side and shut the door.  Kai was the only one who knew the exact address and Harley struggled against feeling as if she were at Kai’s mercy.  She gritted her teeth and called Castor’s name.  She would have liked to talk to Levi, to a Nocte who had at least some experience with the Council, but she had no privacy in which to talk to anyone except Castor.  Her stomach knotted more each block they drove.

“What’s up?” Cas answered after a moment.  “Is everything OK?”

“I don’t know.  I just have a bad feeling.”

“About the meeting in particular?  Or just in general?”

“Mostly about the meeting.  But will you get Levi up and out of the house?”

“Now?  The sun hasn’t even set.”

“Yes.”

Castor was silent for a moment.  “Why?”

“Please.  I just have a bad feeling.”

“But…”

“Just trust me.”

“Shouldn’t I get others out too?  Everyone?”

“Do you trust everyone else there explicitly?”

Castor hesitated.  “OK.  I’ll get Levi out.”

“Thank you.”

“Where do you want us to go?”

“I don’t know.  I don’t care.  Don’t tell anyone else where you are going.  I don’t even want to know until the meeting is over.”

“What is happening?”

“I don’t know.  Maybe nothing.  I hope nothing.”

“Harley…if you have that bad of a feeling you shouldn’t go through with it.  Just leave.”

“I can’t.  I have to do this in case I’m wrong.  We need this.”

“Not this badly.”

“Nya is with me.  I trust her with my life.”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

“You and me both.”

Harley broke the connection refusing to say goodbye.  The buildings lined the streets of the city like gargantuan trees lit up with Christmas lights.  Under any other circumstance it would have been beautiful, but as Harley rode along she felt suffocated and claustrophobic.  Her Nocte shifted against her heart and it was uncomfortable but Harley found it reassuring at the same time.  She flexed her hand on the grip of her machete, between the otherworldly strength inside her and the solid feel of her weapon she felt fortified and braced for whatever was to come.

Chapter 29

Kai stopped the car outside of a normal looking office building in Lenox Hill near the hospital.  Harley took a deep breath and followed Nya and Kai out of the car.  She could feel Castor at the back of her mind and she gave in, opening the doorway but remaining silent.  She was sure that Cas could feel her nerves.  If neither of them were inside a silver fortified structure the connection was strong enough to even pick up on feelings at times.

Kai led the way into the building and Harley brought up the rear—she was as apprehensive as ever even though she wasn’t feeling anything that was particularly alarming.  She didn’t have any Ignis or Helion alarms ringing.  There wasn’t even any indication that a particularly strong Nocte or Lux was around.  Everything so far seemed rather anticlimactic and she hoped it stayed that way.  This late at night the lobby lights were dim they were only able to get through the glass door after Kai entered at code into an access panel.

The three of them traipsed across the marble lobby with their boots squeaking loudly.  Harley nervously peered into the shadows behind the security desk but she saw no movement—nothing more sinister than an overlooked paper ball lying next to a tarnished gold trash can.  Kai lead them to an elevator alcove and pressed the button to call the lift.  Harley shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she waited.  Nya stood immediately to her right and Kai waited in front of both of them—closest to the doors.  When the ding announced the arrival of the elevator Harley prepared herself in case an armed guard burst from inside.  Her tension must have been obvious because Nya gave her a small smile after the tiny space proved to be empty.

Kai had to enter another code before she could select the tenth, and top, floor.  Harley wondered if Kai had been told the codes, or if she just knew them by heart.  It didn’t do much to settle Harley’s distrust of the little Nocte.  Neither did her quiet attitude.  Kai had barely spoken since they left the apartment and it seemed contagious as Harley and Nya matched her silence.  The elevator came to an abrupt and jarring stop and Harley could feel her heart beating in her throat.  She was relieved to see the lobby before them empty, but the darkened office beyond was as ominous as the lobby was benign.

Shadows reached out through the double glass doors and beckoned them forward.  Kai didn’t have to enter another code to get inside the office suite and the further they stepped into the space, the heavier the dread grew in Harley’s stomach.  Finally, she could feel the presence of other, strong, supernatural creatures.  Despite the strength that hung in the air, Harley couldn’t decipher the source.  It could be one very strong Nocte, or ten Noctes of mild strength.  As her heart beat harder, Castor knocked more insistently at her brain and she sent him as reassuring feelings as she could.

Kai stopped at the beginning of a hallway that opened to the left of the empty reception desk.  “Hello,” she called.

A figure stepped from the illuminated doorway on the right side of the hallway.  The lit office behind him created an impressive aura of light about him.  The figure was a man, average height and slightly built.  Harley could tell that his hair was dark, nearly black, and it was shaved so short it was barely more than dust on his scalp.  His eyes were pale, nearly washed out brown and his jaw was square.  His military-esque appearance was out of sync with his slim build and business suit.  He was dressed like a lawyer meeting with a client.  Despite the fact he wasn’t exceptionally big, Harley sensed his strength more than she saw it.  He was undoubtedly a Nocte.

The man barely glanced at Kai or Nya but zeroed in on Harley immediately.  Even though his focus remained on her, when he spoke he addressed Kai.  “You are right on time.  Good.”

Kai didn’t respond and Nya stepped forward.  “Raymond, it’s good to see you again.”

Raymond finally broke away from his examination of Harley and turned to Nya.  “You look well,” he observed.

“So do you.”

“Come in,” Raymond stepped back from the doorway and Kai, Nya then Harley followed him inside the well-lit room.

Harley hadn’t really known what to expect—maybe some kind of dungeon?  A gauntlet?  Some kind of archaic tribunal?  What she hadn’t expected was to be faced with a meeting so business-like that it should have been boring.  The whole room was beige and without character.  Several chairs were lined up in front of a standard, laminate table in the middle of the room.  At the head of the room was a much larger table with eight chairs lined up behind it.  Six of the chairs were filled and Harley drew up in shock.  All six Noctes—three women and three men—sat waiting for Harley and her friends.  Raymond, sitting in the sixth seat made up the fourth male and as Kai sat in the last chair, she made the eighth Nocte and fourth female.

Harley tilted her head in confusion and turned to Nya.  Her mentor’s own look of shock deepened Harley’s concern and she felt her hands curl into fists.  Kai is a Council member?  Her Nocte shifted, uncomfortable and agitated.  “What’s going on?” she mumbled to no one in particular.

“How long have you been on the Council?” Nya asked Kai.

“For about a year now.”  Kai didn’t gloat—she spoke as neutrally as if asked about the weather.

“Before you came to us?”  Nya’s question was rhetorical and no one bothered answering.  “WHY did you come to us?  Was it really just to help?”  Nya seemed to be onto some truth that Harley hadn’t come to yet.

“Not only to help.  It was also to observe and report back.”

Harley’s back drew up straighter as she realized what Kai was saying.  The Council had sent Kai to observe and report on her.  Harley looked at each of the Council members one at a time.  They were all dressed differently.  Some were more conservative, like Raymond, while others were dressed casually or, in Kai’s case, strange and eccentrically.  As differently as they were in dress they were each nearly robotic in their neutrality and it unnerved Harley more than if they had all been scowling at her.  Is that look part of the uniform? she wondered.  Even Kai’s face grew more and more blank the longer she sat next to Raymond.

“And did you get the information you were looking for?” Nya asked Kai.  Harley could hear the anger in her friend’s voice and it increased her own and caused her Nocte to writhe against her sides restlessly.

“I got enough.”  Kai’s face may be blank, but her voice wasn’t.  Harley could hear the condemnation behind Kai’s admission.

“Please have a seat,” one of the female Noctes ordered.

Harley considered refusing and she knew Nya was thinking the same thing but finally they both, almost in unison, moved towards the hard plastic chairs.  It took all of her will power to restrain her attitude as she lowered herself into the chair.  She didn’t need to be told that giving the Council a reason to distrust her right now would be a very bad idea.

“And what is your verdict?” Nya asked Kai once they were seated facing their interrogators—because that’s exactly what it felt like to Harley.

Kai hesitated in answering; instead she glanced towards Raymond who in turn looked to the rest of the Council.   The woman seated close to the middle, the one who had commanded them to sit, spoke again.  “Kai’s opinion is not the end of your observation,” she addressed Harley.  “Kai’s report is just one piece of evidence.”

“Evidence?” Harley asked, speaking directly to the Council for the first time.  “Evidence of what?”  She tried hard to keep her voice light and impartial but it was nearly impossible.  She closed the contact with Castor as she had a feeling that letting him have a periphery view of whatever was about to happen, yet with no ability to intercede, would be a very bad thing for him.

“Since your bonding you have been a source of concern,” the woman continued.  She had long dark blonde hair and wide blue eyes.  By outer appearances she didn’t seem much older than Harley—mid to late twenties.  But Harley could feel the wisdom and history behind the woman’s dark eyes.

“Concern?” Harley’s throat was dry and her voice almost cracked on the word.

“None of us have ever seen anything like you before.  And this is even before your…unique second bond.”  This came from a male Nocte opposite end from Kai.  He kept his head shaved and his eyes were steely, ice blue.  His voice was heavily accented and Harley had a hard time placing its source.  It sounded melodically, Nordic.

“Yeah, well, I guess the mold was broken with me.”  This time Harley wasn’t able to keep the sharp edge from her voice.

Nya prevented her from saying anything else with a hand on her arm.  “I reported her differences to you,” she said.  Harley looked sharply at Nya in wounded shock.  Her mentor’s hand tightened on her arm.  “And I also reported my confidences in Harley.”

“Indeed you did,” the blonde Nocte conceded.  “However, in light of the past year, we felt it was best to finally meet her for ourselves.”

“And?”  Harley was surprised by the challenge behind Nya’s words.  “To what end?”

Harley held her breath.  She had not thought beyond the present moment—which had been stupid.  Of course the Council has a reason for this “observation.”

The Council members turned to the woman who had been doing most of the talking.  “We needed to make sure that this Nocte was not a threat to the Praesidio.  Discretion.  Loyalty.  Dedication.  These are all vital qualities of every Praesidio member.”

Harley was pretty sure that she stopped breathing.  Every choice she had made.  Every mistake.  Every misjudged action flashed through her brain.  How many times could her actions have gone against those touted qualities in the wrong eyes?  She turned to Kai who met her gaze with cold detachment in her eyes.  How does Kai view my actions?  But Harley was pretty sure she knew the answer to that question.  And she suspected that Levi knew how Kai felt as well.  She had a sneaking suspicion she knew what the conversation between Kai and Levi had been about now.

“So?” she asked the Council.

The mouth-piece Nocte flinched in agitation.  “So what?” she asked with a sneer.

“So what’s your verdict?  Do I meet those qualities or not?”

The woman leaned back in her chair, a much more comfortable looking chair than Harley and Nya’s chairs, and folded her hands in her lap.  “It turns out the answer is complicated.”

Harley glanced at Kai again.  “Really.”

“It is true that you have killed Ignis with brutal efficiency.  You have saved countless humans.  You have saved other Noctes.  For the most part you have stayed out of the public eye.”

“But?”

“But…You have been seen.  Running through the streets with little regard for witnesses.  You have killed Lux.  You have defied the commands of your general.”

At that Harley turned to Nya again and was relieved to see her mentor’s brow wrinkle in confusion before she turned her golden eyes to Kai.  Harley was glad to see that Kai couldn’t, or wouldn’t, meet Nya’s outraged glare.

“You have risked the lives of humans, Nocte and even Lux in your reckless search for personal vengeance.”  Harley wanted to interrupt, to defend herself, but Nya’s hand on her arm was still effective in keeping her quiet and under a tight rein.

“That’s hardly fair,” Nya protested calmly.

“So it wasn’t purely a lucky coincidence that Harley’s quest for revenge just happened to coincide with stopping a rogue Lux”

“No.”

“No?”

“No.  Harley’s ‘revenge,’ the Ignis you are referring to, targeted Harley specifically.  He is the one who instigated everything.  And not just when he attacked her and her friend.  It goes back much farther than that.  Cutter caused the death of her parents.  He, we believe, lead to her mother’s becoming Ignis.  Harley was simply putting an end to a fight that was not started by her at all.  Cutter’s drug dealing existed many years before Harley became a Nocte.  And it was Haddon and the Sol Invictus who brought Cutter into their plots.  Harley didn’t instigate anything.  Cutter brought Harley into this world.  He started a war between him and her that she finished.”

Harley swelled with pride at Nya’s defense of her actions—until the words of the blonde Nocte turned her warm feelings into ice.  “Oh, yes.  Cutter and Mary Finn.  We know all about that.”

Chapter 30

Even Nya was taken aback by the Nocte’s words.  “What?” she asked with narrowed eyes.  Harley herself was too stunned to speak.

“Mary Finn didn’t die in the fire that she set.”  The woman’s words were as plain as if she were reading from a phone book.

Harley didn’t realize that she was standing until Nya stood up as well.  “What are you talking about?” she finally managed to growl between clenched teeth.  Her Nocte had gone deadly still.

“Mary Finn was indeed an Ignis.  Did you really think that she would let herself die in a fire?”

Harley’s whole body twitched.  She hadn’t really thought about it.  Her childhood memory had been so raw, so powerful, that she had never questioned it.  It was the definition of her childhood.  When she didn’t answer the woman spoke again.  “Mary Finn lived for several years after the fire.”

“But she is dead now?” Harley hated the vulnerable shake of her voice.

“Quite.”  It was a Nocte that had not spoken yet.  He sat next to Raymond and he leaned forward, clearly proud to take credit for the kill.  He had dark hair and pale skin.  His eyes were so dark that for a moment Harley thought they were dilating to the Nocte black.

Harley didn’t know how she felt about the Nocte’s admission.  She had assumed her mother was already dead, so finding out that she had died didn’t change anything.  Finding out that her mother had lived through the fire that had killed her father did cause her to flinch internally.  The residual childish part of her whimpered at the fact that her mother had lived for several years and had not tried to reclaim her child.  Rationally, Harley knew that she shouldn’t be surprised—a Burner wasn’t going to answer to any maternal obligations.  But that didn’t change the fact that knowledge was now a part of Harley.  She tossed her head.  “Good,” she said gruffly.  Nya gripped her shoulder again and Harley was grateful.

“Why were you keeping tabs on Cutter and Mary Finn?” Nya asked.  “What made them any more special than any other Ignis?”

“Cutter was being financed by the Sol Invictus even then.  He and Mary were quiet the team in recruiting and distribution.  They were responsible for a majority of the funds that supported the Sol Invictus.  Mary was one of his many partners.  He went through them pretty quickly.  There were at least two between Mary and Raven.”  The more the man spoke the clearer his accent became.  It was obvious that he was European--Italian specifically.

“Why would the Sol, an Italian group, rely on American funds?” Nya asked.

“The Sol isn’t just an Italian group.”

“We figured as much,” she responded.  “But it is based in Italy, right?”

“Mostly.  And from what I can tell, Cutter originated in Italy as well.”

Harley watched their exchange, still stunned and feeling like she was playing catch-up.  The knowledge that her mother was one of Cutter’s women caused her skin to crawl.  And she was confused—that was prime information for Cutter to taunt her with.  Then again, she thought, to admit that he was pissed over the death of my mom would be admitting that he cared about her.  And Cutter did care about his “partners” did he?  Harley had used that bit of affection to set Cutter up to force him to help them confront Haddon.  That explains why he was so hell bent on killing me, Harley realized.  She had assumed that it was because Cutter was just an evil, vindictive bastard.  But it had to be more than that.  The idea that Cutter, a vicious monster, could be wounded enough by the death of his partner to fixate on her daughter shook Harley even more.

Nya turned to Harley and held her hand towards the Nocte who had bragged about killing her mother.  “This is Alphie.  He’s the one who so helpfully provided the information about Cutter.  It was him who gave Levi the information that sent you to New York.  I have to say though,” Nya turned back to the Council.  “I’m surprised that, despite sending Harley after Cutter, you would now question the very actions that you helped spur on.”

Alphie shrugged and spoke for the rest of the Council.  “It was a test.”

“A test?” Harley scoffed but fell silent as Nya gripped her shoulder harder.

“A test that you set her up to fail?” Nya asked.

Alphie shrugged again.  “Pass, fail—in the end it really isn’t that simple.  Harley’s actions have simply painted a picture of a Nocte who is out of control—dangerous.”

Harley froze and tried to process what he was saying.  This isn’t good, is it?  Her Nocte shivered and readied herself.  “Harley has not harmed an innocent,” Nya spit the words at the Council.  “She has not revealed herself to the public.”

“And what about these riots?” the female Nocte spoke again.

“Those are the result of Helion.  That is exactly what we have been fighting to stop.”  Nya was gripping Harley’s shoulder hard enough to hurt, but she didn’t care—it was helping distract her from her own anger.

“Oh, yes, ‘Helion.’” Alphie rolled his eyes.

“You doubt the existence of Helion?” Nya was incredulous, furious.

“What proof do you have that this creature exists?  That this Lux is some—what do you call her?  ‘Sun Creature?’  That she isn’t just a normal Lux.”

“Our—MY word.  Do you think—after all these years—that I am now lying?  That I’m too stupid to know what I see.”

Alphie and the woman both shrugged but the rest of the Council—including Kai and Raymond—looked uncomfortable.  Harley was relieved to see that Nya’s reputation apparently still held some weight with most of them.  She was shocked and disturbed by the man’s lack of respect for Nya as she was by his accusations about her.  She had never seen someone disregard Nya before and it was jarring.  The woman spoke again.  “You have been around a long time Nya,” her words were softer than before--bordering on condescending.  “Time is hard on us all.  And the longer that we live…the more we struggle to hold onto what we know.”

Harley peaked at Nya and she could see the woman’s eyes darken.  She felt like the two of them were being swallowed up by something bigger than either of them.  She turned back to Kai--her eyes narrowing to slits.  How can she turn her back on all of us?  Harley knew that Kai didn’t like her--but she was shocked that she would lie to the Council.  Harley wet her lips and forced herself to speak.  “What proof do you have that I am causing the riots?  You are asking us to prove that I’m not dangerous.  Should the burden of proof lie in the hands of the accusers?”

Alphie smiled patronizingly and the blonde Nocte just shook her head at her.  “This isn’t American justice.  This isn’t a democracy.”

“So what?  You decide that I’m dangerous and you ‘take care’ of me?  What if you are wrong?”  She tried to keep her voice steady but she could hear the tremor caused by her indignant rage.  She turned to Kai who finally met her eye.  “You have been with me.  You have fought at my side.  You SAW Helion yourself.  Why are you doing this?”

“I don’t know what I saw, Harley,” Kai answered with a hint of remorse.

“What?”

“I barely remember the fight,” Kai looked away—unable, or unwilling, to hold Harley’s gaze.

“How can you not remember?  Helion almost killed you.”

“I remember going into the warehouse to get you out.  I remember humans shooting at us.  I remember the Lux being there.  I remember a female Lux you were fighting—and…I remember you shooting at me.”

Harley was appalled and she could feel the fury rolling off Nya as well.  “Helion was feeding off you and I SAVED you.  I didn’t even shoot YOU.”  When Kai shrugged dismissively it took all of Harley’s strength to not throw one of the chairs at her.  Harley had known that Kai had been different since the fight, but she hadn’t realized it was because she didn’t remember the details.  “Why didn’t you tell us you didn’t remember anything?”

“So you could fill my head with what you wanted me to remember?”

“Oh, come on!  Kai!  You have been working with us for months!  Can’t you see what I’m trying to do?”

“What?” Kai scoffed.  Her small voice now filled with righteous anger.  “I see you gaining more and more power.  I see you corrupting the Nocte strength with hideous behavior.  Feeding off other Noctes?  I know that’s what you do!  And whatever you have going on with that Lux—Castor.  You’ve even been able to manipulate them.”

At Kai’s outburst, Harley turned to the Council.  She felt exposed and naked in front of them.  They all wrinkled their noses when Kai “outed” her.  Drinking from other Noctes was an aberration—cannibalistic almost.  Harley could hear the nails being pounded into her coffin.  “Well…I guess that’s that then.”  Harley resigned herself to the knowledge that the Council had decided her fate.  Nya’s nails dug into the flesh of her shoulder again.  She knew—as well as Nya did—that neither of them would go down without a fight.  Nya’s grip was the reassurance that she was with her—until the end.

“And my word means nothing anymore, Nas-Rey?” Nya asked softly, finally giving the blonde Nocte a name.

“Nya, you’ve been losing your mind for years.  This creature next to you was just the final straw.”

Nya reacted so fast that even Harley could barely follow her movements.  One minute she was standing next to Harley, the next she had vaulted onto the table in front of Nas-Rey.  Nya was kneeling on one knee and gripping the front of the woman’s sweater and with the other hand she was raising her silver dagger.

“Nya!  No!” Harley called.

Thankfully, her voice stopped Nya from plunging the blade into the woman’s heart and everything seemed to stand still.  Nya turned to look at Harley over her shoulder, her eyes black as coal and her fangs descended.  Nas-Rey froze in a defensive position.  Kai and the rest of the Council were in various stages of rising to their feet—all of their faces twisted in shock and outrage.

“Everyone just stop,” Harley pleaded.

“Stand down,” Nas-Rey commanded the rest of the council in a low deadly whisper—not taking her eyes off Nya.

Harley felt like she was watching two tigers in a stand-off.  The first to twitch would set off the battle.  The power seemed to crackle off both of the women.  “Nya,” Harley spoke softly.  “Bring her with us.”

“What?” Alphie snarled.  “Not going to happen.”

“Yes it is,” Harley turned to him.  “She is going to come with us to the lobby.  Then we will let her go.  You will not follow us or we will kill her and take as many of you out as we can before we go down.”  Her words felt heavy as metal in her mouth.

“Nya, you don’t want to do this,” Kai warned.

“You shut your fucking mouth,” Harley spat at her.

Kai glared at her and Harley held the gaze for a moment.  When Nya began backing up, pulling Nas-Rey over the table with her Harley finally broke the eye contact and hurried towards the pair in front of her.  She pulled the knife from Nas-Rey’s waist and laid it on the table.  A quick glance told her that the Nocte didn’t have any other weapons on her.  Nya began backing towards the doorway and Harley followed cautiously not taking her eyes off the Council.  Her heart was heavy in her chest—it would take a miracle for them to make it out of the building alive.

Chapter 31

In the doorway Harley stopped.  “I didn’t want it to come to this.”  Alphie and Raymond glared at her.  “Believe it or not, I’m just trying to do the right thing.  We all are.  We don’t want a war with you.”

“Well, you’ve got one,” Alphie snarled.

“Kai,” Harley turned towards the little Nocte.  “Think long and hard.  You know I’m not lying.”  And with that she ducked out of the room and followed Nya as she backed into the office lobby and through the glass doors.  Harley watched their front and back as they made their way towards the elevator.  She could feel Castor pounding at the door in her brain but she ignored him.

By the time the elevator doors closed the rest of the Council had followed them out and stood glaring at them from behind the glass doors.  Harley turned to see that Nya had spun Nas-Rey so that she had her back to Nya’s chest.  Nya’s dagger was resting against the Council-woman’s temple and Harley took a deep breath.  “Are you OK?” she asked her mentor.

Nya raised one shoulder and Harley just nodded.  Nya seemed on the verge of unraveling and she didn’t want to push her over the edge by making her talk right now.  “You have made a big mistake,” Nas-Rey growled.  Her Nocte black eyes flashed at Harley.

“And so have you,” Harley nodded at her.  “If you think I’m—my friends and I—are so dangerous and yet you don’t have any real plan to take me down?  Did you just think I would go quietly?”

“We didn’t realize just how far gone Nya was.”  Nas-Rey grimaced when Nya pressed the dagger hard enough to cause a drop of blood to roll down the side of her face.

“We really didn’t want this,” Harley mumbled.  “We could have worked together.  We could have stopped the real danger.  Helion is trying to unite the other world and this world.”  Nas-Rey flinched at that piece of information.  As the doors slid open Harley peered around them and, seeing no one waiting for them, quickly led the way out of the elevator.

“If that is true,” Nas-Rey spoke quickly.  “How does she expect to make it happen?”

Harley glanced from her to Nya nervously.  Nya shook her head and Harley understood what she was trying to say.  “It doesn’t matter, right?”  Harley asked.  “You don’t believe us anyway.”  A second elevator binging its arrival caused Harley and Nya to both turn towards the alcove.  “Let’s get out of here,” Harley called to Nya.  Harley had many more questions she would have liked to ask Nas-Rey but was forced to let them go in light of escaping with their lives.

Nya took her dagger away from Nas-Rey’s temple and gripped her chin with her right hand.  With a sharp crack, she broke the Nocte’s neck and let her fall to the floor.  They both turned and fled from the building.  Luckily, they didn’t need a code to get out as the doors opened freely to allow them to exit.  On the street Harley started to run as fast as she could.  But as they passed their car, Nya caught her arm and jerked her to a stop.

“Here,” Nya motioned her towards the car.

“Kai has the keys.”

“No she doesn’t,” Nya grinned holding up the set of keys Harley had seen Kai put in her pocket.  As Nya unlocked the doors and they climbed in, Harley could see the Council burst from the building.  “I figured I should hold onto them,” she snorted as she started the car.  “So, I ‘procured’ them in the elevator on the way up.”

“Good job,” Harley muttered, flinching as Alphie leapt for the car.  Nya peeled away from the curb just in time.  Alphie fell to the pavement and Harley watched him in the side mirror as he rolled to his feet and started to run after them.  Her heart slammed in her chest and her Nocte paced trying to get free to fight.  But Harley resisted.  She didn’t doubt that she could take the Council members on—maybe not all at the same time, but at least one on one.  But she knew that was a bad idea.  They needed to avoid an all-out war if at all possible.  So far, they hadn’t actually done any real damage—Nas-Rey would recover just fine.

Harley was surprised that Nya was able to gain as much speed as she did considering they were driving through the streets of Manhattan.  Had it not been so late at night it would have been impossible.  After gaining three blocks on Alphie, he finally gave up and stopped running.  Even from so far away, Harley could tell how angry he was, it rolled off him in waves of darkness.  “We’re clear,” she told Nya and finally removed her machete so that she could sit comfortable.  How did I manage to not even draw my weapon?  She was amazed by how much self-control she had exhibited.  “Are you OK?” she asked Nya.

Nya let out a long breath as if she had been holding it in for a while.  “Yeah.  Sorry,” she glanced at Harley.  “I just…kind of lost it,” she chuckled dryly.

“Completely understandable.  Had you not acted, I probably would have.”

“I just don’t like people calling me crazy.”

“Obviously,” Harley snorted.

“Nas-Rey and I also have a lot of history.”

“Do tell,” she raised a brow and waited for Nya to elaborate.

“When she was made a general, I was her mentor.  She messed up—a lot.  I covered for her and eventually she got the hang of it.  When a seat opened on the Council I was invited to take it.  I turned it down.  She was second choice.  She doesn’t like knowing that not only did she succeed as general because of me—but she also got her position on the Council because I turned it down first.  She’s just petty like that.”

“Reminds me of Rafe…” Harley trailed off.  Rafe had, at one time, had been petty and annoying.  Eventually, he changed and Harley ended up considering him a friend.  She got the feeling that Nas-Rey wasn’t the type to make a change, however.

“Not far off, really.  She’s a good Nocte, and a better Council member than a general—I’m just surprised that she’s gone this far down the stupid path.  But I am kind of surprised she’s allowing her vindictiveness to guide the Council--and that they are going along with it.”

“Why didn’t you want to be on the Council?”

Nya shrugged.  “I felt like it was retirement.  I wanted to be a part of things—not separated from them.”

Harley couldn’t imagine Nya not training new Noctes.  Noctes needed to be strong, confident, smart and fearless—who better to teach them those qualities than one who held more of those characteristics than any other Nocte she had met.  “What are we going to do?  This feels really bad.”

Nya sighed. “It’s not good,” she admitted.

“Now we have the Council after us too.”

“And we can pretty much guarantee that we aren’t going to get any more help from other generals.  The Council will put a stop to that.”

“I really hope the meeting with the Electorate goes better.”

“Don’t bet on it.”

“Couldn’t you just let me have a little bit of hope?” Harley smiled weakly at Nya but the other Nocte only shook her head.  “Why do you think it took Kai so long to get us to the Council?”

Nya shrugged.  “Maybe they didn’t have the support from the whole Council?  Maybe some of them were trying to wait it out--hoping for the best?”

“This is all so fucked.”  Finally, she couldn’t ignore Cas anymore.  “Hang on.  If I don’t answer Cas he’s going to pound my brain into damaged.”

As soon as Harley opened the door, Castor rushed through.  “Are you OK?”  She could hear the exhaustion and worry in his voice.  The only reason he was up this late was because of his worry for her.

“Not particularly.  But, we aren’t wounded.”

“What happened?”

Harley filled Castor in on what had transpired between her, Nya and the Council.  After the was finished she Cas was silent for a moment.  She didn’t know if he was raging in anger, telling Levi what happened or gathering his stuff to rush to New York.  Maybe all three.  Finally he spoke again.

“I can’t believe this.”

“I’m not surprised actually.  How is Levi taking it?”

“How do you think?  He’s on the phone with Jag now.  He looks like he wants to break someone’s skull.  I don’t blame him.”  Silence.  “Do you think he knew that Kai was watching you?”

Harley sighed.  “I think he at least suspected it.  I think that’s what their conversation was about that night.  Did he seem surprised when you told him about Kai?”

“Yeah, he actually did.”

“I still trust him.  I know he wouldn’t turn his back on me or our mission.”

“I don’t think so either.  But he should have told you about Kai.”

“I know.”

“What now?” Castor asked.

“I don’t know.  I’ll talk to Nya.  I don’t think California is really all that safe right now…but that is still where Helion is…”

“Get back to me soon.”

“I will.”

“What do we do now?” she asked Nya.

“I think we go back to California.  Keep searching for Helion.  We meet with the Electorate as soon as we can make it happen.  And I do mean WE.  Everyone we trust needs to be there.”  Harley wondered who they really trusted but she declined to voice that concern.  “At least then we will know where we stand fully,” Nya continued.

Harley slumped in her seat and sighed.  This just keeps going from bad to worse.

Part Two

Chapter 32

Two days after returning from New York Harley was in a hotel with Nya, Levi and Castor.  She stood, staring out a tiny crack in the curtains.

“And you weren’t followed?” Nya asked Castor.

“No.  I’m sure of it.”

“Was James successful?” she asked him.

A sigh.  “Yeah.  The meeting will be on Saturday.”

Three days from now, Harley thought.

“I don’t like this,” Levi grumbled.

“You never do,” Nya responded with a small smile.

Harley finally turned from the window.  “What else are we supposed to do?” she asked him.

Levi sat heavily on the end of the bed next to Nya.  “I don’t know.”

“Are we supposed to stop fighting?  Run?”

“No,” he huffed.  “It’s just…I think we are walking into trouble.  We are going to willingly head right into the lion’s den.”

“Not quite,” Harley tried to reason.  “Maybe the Electorate will listen to reason and back us up,” she shrugged lamely.

No one even bothered to laugh or disagree.  After returning from the disastrous meeting with the Council, Nya and Harley had decided it was best if they stayed separate from the rest of their little group.  Nya had admitted that the only people she trusted were Levi and Castor.  And she only seemed to trust Cas because Harley did.  They kept their exact location a secret from the rest of the Nocte and Lux friends.  While they weren’t naive enough to think that the Council didn’t know they had returned to California they figured they might as well make it as hard to be found as possible.  They agreed to change hotels every three days in addition to using different fake names each time.  They also each purchased new phones and destroyed their old ones.

“How is Jag taking this all?” Nya asked Levi.

Levi raised a brow and glanced at Harley before answering.  “He’s annoyed and worried.  But he is on our side.  He’s angry that you won’t talk to him.”  Nya sighed.  “I think he’s…hurt.  That you don’t trust him.”

“Did you explain to him that we can’t trust anyone?  And that it’s not even him that I don’t trust?”  Harley couldn’t read Nya’s voice.  She sounded like her normal authoritative self, but she knew it had to bother Nya to not be able to reassure Jag herself.  Even if Nya was very good at hiding it, Harley knew she cared about the other Nocte general.

“Hey, I tried,” Levi held his hands up.

Nya’s face went completely still and impassive and it made Harley sad.  She couldn’t help but feel responsible for their situation.  “Stop,” Levi said shaking his head and catching her eye.

“What?” Castor asked.

“Harley knows what I’m talking about.”

Harley rolled her eyes but didn’t deny it.  Levi’s ability to read her was more than a little annoying sometimes.  Suddenly, her phone pinged with a text notification and after pulling it from the pocket of her cargo pants she grimaced.

“Who’s that?” Castor asked.

“Jason,” Harley sighed.  “He wants me to meet him.”  Harley had known who was texting as soon as she heard it.  Jason was the only one she had given her new number to that wasn’t already in the room.

Harley ignored the scowls that twisted both Castor and Levi’s faces.  Nya tilted her head shrewdly.  “You’re going, right?”

“Yeah.  I need to.  Why?”

“I think we have been overlooking an important ally.”

“I don’t think we can actually call a group of Burners allies,” Cas muttered.

“No.  Nya’s right,” Harley nodded.  “We’ve been sulking because our ‘home’ groups aren’t willing to back us up.  But we have a group of strong creatures who have the same goal.  They want to stop Helion just as much as we do.”

“I still don’t think we can trust them.”

“The devil’s not always as black as he’s painted,” Nya addressed them all.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cas asked.

“It just means that they aren’t as bad as they seem.  We all have our roles.  And each group sees the other as some kind of nemesis.  But we all have to learn that none of us are as bad as the other thinks.  We need to keep in mind who and what the real enemy is.”

“I still don’t like it,” Levi crossed his arms over his chest.

“I’m with Levi,” Cas shrugged.  “I know we NEED to do this—but it’s like we are choosing the least of all evils—even though they are normally the MOST of all evils.”

“Well,” Nya’s voice left no room for argument.  “We really don’t have a lot of options at the moment.  This IS the least of the evils.”

No one had the guts to disagree with Nya even if they were still feeling it.  Harley left the room, refusing to allow Cas or Levi to go with her.  The sun was setting and Castor wouldn’t be any help anyway.  Harley dropped Levi off in Santa Monica, promising to pick him as soon as the meeting was over.  Harley drove their stolen sedan towards Venice Beach.  She didn’t know exactly what Jason wanted, but his meeting request had been in response to her letting him know that they had met with the Council and it had not gone well.

Harley found Jason standing near a pier in shadows.  She had followed the Burner alarm until she spotted his eye shine and waited for him to come to her.  She wasn’t worried about him luring her into the shadows—but she was making was a power play and wanted him to come the last few feet to her.

“I can’t say that I’m surprised,” he sneered at her.

“About what exactly?”

“That the Council has turned on you.”

Harley’s stomach hardened and she wished she could deny it.  “Well, I’m not exactly surprised either.  We don’t expect it to go any better with the Electorate.”

Jason’s eyes widen.  “You’re going to meet with them too?”

Harley shrugged.  “I guess we are just a glutton for punishment.”

Jason shook his head.  “You shouldn’t bother.”

Harley refused to admit that he was right.  “We have a back-up plan.”

“That’s good.”

“You’re a part of it, actually.”  That really seemed to surprise Jason.  She studied him carefully.  His dark blonde hair was messy and not nearly as clean and styled as he used to maintain it when he was human.  It was small details like that that reminded her that he wasn’t the friend she had once cared so much about.  It was a reminder of how different he had become—a tiny detail that made a significant alteration to who he was.

“Really now?”

“Yeah.”  Harley explained her and Nya’s plan and rolled her eyes at Jason’s dubious look.  “Can you think of anything better?”

“Yeah.  Don’t go to the meeting.”

“We need to.  We need to learn what the Vigilum knows.  Find out where they stand.  Defeating Helion is going to take all the reinforcements we can get.  We can’t just throw away this chance.  THEY requested the meeting with ME.  They could have come after us in force.  They could just ignore what is happening.  There may only be a tiny, slim chance, that they are willing to help us, but it is a chance we are not just going to throw away.”

“Didn’t the Council want to meet with you too?  Look how well that turned out,” Jason snorted.

“Actually, they didn’t.”  He raised a brow and Harley explained.  “Kai apparently had to convince them to meet with me.”

“Why?  If they were watching you.”

Harley shrugged and looked out over the water.  “We aren’t sure.  But we think she didn’t want to make the call to...I don’t know...execute me...on her own.  Nya thinks she wanted to suck up to the Council.  Or maybe Kai hoped that Nya wouldn’t blame her.  Some last little bit of reverence for Nya.  Maybe some of the Council still respect Nya.  Who knows?”

Jason rolled his eyes--not even pretending to understand.  “I guess you want us to play back up when you meet with the Electorate?  Be your expendable infantry and just wait until they attack.”

“Hey, it worked for us before.”  At Jason’s confused look Harley elaborated.  “When we met with Haddon we had the Lux waiting to back us up and we had a couple of other Noctes backing them up.  It was successful then.”

“And you think the same trick will work twice.”

Harley closed her eyes and counted to five.  It was taking a lot of effort for her to play nice with Jason.  Had they not had a history of friendship she doubted she would have been able to maintain the amiable demeanor.  “Again, it’s a good plan.  They won’t be expecting us to be working with Ignis--if it even comes to that.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that it will.”

“Come on.  Have a little faith,” Harley couldn’t help but chuckle a little.  The absurdity of the whole situation was wearing her down.

Jason sighed, but Harley knew it was out of resignation.  “When and where is the meeting?”

--------------------

After finalizing details with Jason Harley texted Levi who sent her directions to his location.  He was still in Santa Monica and Harley turned the car and headed north on Lincoln before parking near the Promenade.  She found Levi leaning against a closed shop, his hood pulled low over his face.  His feet were crossed at the ankle and his hands were in the pockets of his jacket.

“You look like a drug dealer,” she smiled at him before leaning against the wall next to him.

Levi shrugged.  “You’d be surprised by how many Burners approach me to buy when I’m posed like this.”

Harley swallowed the lump in her throat trying to work up the nerves to ask Levi about Kai.  They had yet to discuss that aspect of what had happened.  Neither of them were looking forward to it.

“How did the meeting with Jason go?”

“As well as I could have hoped for.  He agreed to the plan.”

“Good,” Levi nodded.  He may not like their plan, but he also felt like it was their best shot.

“So…”

“Yeah…”

“We need to talk about it…”

Levi rubbed his face.  “OK.”

“You knew didn’t you?”

“Which part?”

“Come on.  Don’t play this game.  You KNEW Kai was watching me.”

“More or less,” he growled.  His anger wasn’t directed towards Harley.

“Why didn’t you tell me?  Or even Nya?”

“I-I didn’t think it was going to go that far.  You have to believe that.”

“I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me or put any of us at risk.”

Levi’s blue eyes peered from the darkness of his hood and Harley could read the relief and the regret in them.  “I wouldn’t.”

“I know.”

“I knew that she was worried about you.  As in, she was starting to think you might be dangerous.  That’s what you interrupted that night.”

“I figured as much,” Harley shook her head bitterly.

“But, I had no idea she was working for the Council.  She, apparently, realized that I wasn’t willing to doubt you and stopped trying to bring me into her plans.”

“I just don’t understand how she could have spent so much time with us and still not trusted me.”

“I think her not remembering the fight with Helion was what really enabled that.”

“You knew about that?”

“Yeah,” Levi frowned.

Harley sighed.  “I wish you had told me.”

“I should have.  I know that.  Honestly, though, I just thought that eventually she would come around and it wouldn’t matter.  She seemed friendly enough at first.  I just…thought…hoped that eventually—whether she remembered the fight or not—that she would realize you were on our side and that you weren’t dangerous.  But, well, I figured that if you knew her feelings—combined with the fact that you didn’t like her all that much to begin with—it would only make you dislike her more and she would pick up on that and she would never get over her mistrust.”

Harley was quiet for a moment.  “I understand.  Just don’t ever do that again.”  She could see the muscles in his jaw flex.  He didn’t like being told what to do any more than she did.  But he also knew he had made the wrong decision.

“I won’t,” he finally agreed.

She wanted to ask him if there had ever been anything between him and Kai.  Not recently, while she and he were together—she knew better than that.  But, she did still wonder about before.  To her, it seemed like a perfect motivator for Kai to betray her.  Harley refrained from asking Levi.  It was not any of her business.  No matter what the reason, Kai had turned on them and they needed to move beyond it and she wouldn’t disrespect Levi by asking her about his previous relationships when it wasn’t necessary to know.

“Have you told Nya about your meeting with Jason?”

“Not yet.  I didn’t have time.  I left him and came directly here.”

Levi placed his hands on Harley’s shoulders and she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer so that he could rest his chin on her head.  She could feel his heart beating against her cheek.  “Well, let’s get back to the hotel,” he muttered.  “What are the chances you think we could kick Cas out for about an hour?”

She snorted.  “That’s mean.”

“I know.”  She could feel the smile against her hair.

“I really am glad you guys are getting along.  It means a lot to me.”

“Yeah—he’s a good guy.”

“OK, let’s get out of here,” she pulled away finally and walked towards the car.

Levi caught up with her in a few strides and pulled the keys from her pocket.  “My turn to drive,” he laughed and, for once, Harley didn’t put up a fight.

Chapter 33

At the car Harley was surprised when Levi followed her to the passenger side and as her Nocte shivered she realized what he was up to.  A wicked smile pulled at her mouth as he pushed her against the car and buried his fingers in her hair.  Lowering his mouth to hers, Levi kissed her with enough fire to make her knees week and she melted against him with a little moan.  Growling, Levi slid his hands under the edge of her shirt and dipped his fingers inside the waist of her pants.  His fingertips were cold and it caused her goosebumps to raise on her skin.  With his hands against the small of her back, Levi pulled Harley closer and she grinned up at him as he pressed himself against her stomach.  She swallowed heavily at the dark, hungry look in his eyes.  Times like this, Harley felt like something he was going to devour and it caused a thrill to shake her shoulders.  Sex with Levi was intense and breathtaking.  The only time Harley saw Levi let go and get carried away was when they were together.  Knowing that Levi, one of the most composed people she knew, couldn’t control himself with her revealed more of his feelings than words ever could.

Levi turned Harley and pushed her, face first, into the backseat of the car and she chuckled throatily.  He climbed in after her and shut the door.  The car wasn’t small, but the two of them were forced to clumsily maneuver against the seats, the ceiling and each other.  Instead of being comical or uncomfortable, it was sexy—it was frantic and frenzied.  It became a part of the foreplay.  Harley held herself upright with her hands on the window and Levi dragged his fingernails down her back as he bit into her neck from behind.  Their breath fogged up the glass and Harley pressed herself into Levi’s chest.  The air whooshed from her lungs as she was pulled into him and was swept away.

Harley, with numb fingers, fumbled at the button of her pants.  She had barely undone them when Levi yanked them over her hips.  She heard the zipper tear and laughed as she realized she would regret that later.  Using her shoulder for leverage, Levi drove himself into her and she gasped as satisfaction radiated through her in rippling tingles.  Harley gripped the door handle with one hand and dug the fingernails of the other hand into Levi’s arm as she brought his wrist to her mouth.  A groan rumbled through him as she sank her fangs into his vein and he thrust harder.  His hair fell over her shoulder and tickled her face as his breath blew across her cheek and fluttered the dark locks.  His hand curled around her jaw and caressed her face as she swallowed more of his blood.

Harley came just before Levi did with a shuddering moan that caused her to arch her back and press her neck further into Levi’s grasp.  Moments later Levi’s grip around her chest tightened as he growled deeply with one last thrust and slumped against her back.  Together they collapsed against the seat and struggled to catch their breath.

“Damn,” Harley muttered.

“Yeah,” Levi gasped.

“I don’t think I’m going to be able to move for a while.”

“Well, you might have to drive after all.”

“Doubt that is going to happen.  We might just have to spend the night here.”

“Good enough for—” Levi’s words were broken off by the ringing of a phone.  “Shit,” he grumbled.

“Ignore it.”

“I can’t,” he groaned, struggling to extricate himself from Harley.  “You, Nya and Castor are the only ones who have that number.”

Harley pulled at her twisted pants and snickered at her broken zipper.  She stopped fidgeting with her sports bra when she saw the look on Levi’s face.  “What?’

“I’ve missed three calls from Nya.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”  Harley fished her phone from her pocket and cringed at her own three missed calls from Nya.  “Shit.”

Levi began dialing his phone and switched it to speaker as they crawled from the backseat and out of the car, their post-sex stupor all but forgotten.  By the time they opened the front doors Nya answered the phone.

“Where have you been?” she snapped.

“We didn’t hear our phones.  What’s going on?” Levi asked sliding behind the wheel.

“Everett has disappeared.”

“What?” Harley gasped.  “What does that mean?”

“It means he was supposed to meet Jag and Pax but he never showed.  He’s not answering his phone.”

“Could he just be busy?” Levi asked, starting the car.

“Not likely.”

“Why?” he asked putting the car into gear and pulling out of the space.

“He was meeting another Praesidio weapons maker.  One that is apparently still loyal to the Council.”

Harley and Levi looked at each other and saw their worry reflected back at them.  “Where should we go?”

“We are all meeting at the Lux house.”

“OK.  We’re on our way.”

--------------------

Harley and Levi were both apprehensive about returning to the Lux house, but neither of them felt like they had much of a choice at the moment.  As they rushed inside they found Jag and Pax sitting at the dining room table.  Nya rushed in just moments after they arrived.  Apparently, the Lux hadn’t been roused and Harley found that surprising and disappointing.

“Where is everyone else?” Harley surveyed the other Nocte.

“The Lux?” Jag asked.

“Yes,” Harley responded, trying not to let the exasperation show through.

“We didn’t think we needed to disturb them.”

Harley rolled her eyes and called to Cas.  It was still a couple of hours before sunrise but she wanted him to be prepared.

“What’s going on?” he mumbled.  “Are you OK?”

“I’m not sure what’s going on at the moment but I think you should get up and prepare the other Lux.  Everett is missing.”  With that Harley closed the connection and focused on the story Jag was telling the others.

“He was supposed to feel Remy out and buy more supplies to make more silver bombs.  He was then going to meet us at The Viper Room but he never showed.  I’ve tried calling him.  Pax has tried.”  He nodded at Nya.  “Nya has tried to call.  Nothing.  I even broke down and tried to call Remy but the call is being ignored.  As in it rings enough for me to be able to tell that someone is declining the call.”

“It’s not looking good,” Nya shook her head.

“What do we know about Remy?” Harley asked.

Jag shrugged.  “He’s young.  Seems level headed.  We decided it was worth taking a chance to see if we could buy or borrow from his supplies.  Everett has worked with him a lot before.  Apparently, her overestimated their friendship though.”

“Fuck,” Harley muttered.

“What do we do now?”

“It’s too close to dawn now, but tomorrow evening—if we haven’t heard from Everett yet—I want to go by Remy’s place.  See what it looks like—if we can pick any clues up there.”

Sounds of movement turned everyone’s attention toward the doorway.  A few moments later James, Aaron, Diego and Heather shuffled in.  “Castor’s on his way,” James announced.  “What’s going on?”

Jag and Pax turned to Harley who shrugged off their annoyance.  “We’re in their house.  And we need their back up.”  She was angry that she even had to explain herself.  After everything they had been through, the fact that the Pax and Jag were still wary of the Lux saddened and frustrated her.  Then Harley thought about the fact that she would soon have to convince them to work with Burners and slumped in her seat.  They might know that Harley had been taken then release by a group of Burners--but they didn’t realize the extent to which they would eventually expected to work with them.

Harley jumped upright again when Castor banged frantically at her mind.  “Shit!”  Everyone turned to her but she ignored them as she answered his knocking.  “What?!”

“Get everyone out of the house.  Now!”

Harley didn’t even take the time to ask what was going on.  She trusted Castor enough to not need to be told twice.  “Everyone out!”  She leapt from her seat and pulled Nya and Levi to their feet.  With varying degrees of alarm and hesitation everyone finally followed Harley through the living room and towards the side entrance and the cars that were parked there.  Her heart was hammering in her chest as she, Levi, Nya, Pax and Jag dived into their sedan.  Levi had just started the car when a large truck barreled through the security gates with a loud crash.

Everyone froze as they processed what was happening.  Burners, Council, Helion, the Sol or even the Vigilum.  It could have been any of them and they all seemed unable to move until they saw who their attackers were.  As one of the security lights flashed across the windshield, Harley scowled, realizing that the truck was being driven by a human.  The Sol.  Her Nocte growled at the same time Levi slammed the gas pedal and the car shot forward directly towards the truck.

Harley gripped the “oh shit” handle next to her head and braced herself.  She knew that Levi wasn’t actually going to ram the truck but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t worried about what he was going to do.  At the last second, Levi veered away from the truck but he had come so close the man driving also jerked his wheel.  Their sedan, with better handling and suspension, easily darted away from the truck, simply sliding and spinning tires through the grass.  The truck, however, lurched sideways on two wheels before bouncing and veering out of control.  Turning in her seat, Harley watched the Lux narrowly avoid being taken out by the swerving box truck.

Levi regained traction and shot through the, now destroyed, gates only to slam on the brakes to avoid crashing into Castor who was rocketing towards the driveway in Harley’s Mustang.  Seeing them escaping, Castor executed a sliding 180 turn and followed them as the peeled rubber away from the property.

“Did everyone make it out OK?” Cas asked her.

“Yeah.  How did you know they were coming?’

“I saw the truck and recognized the driver from our attack on the warehouse Nya found.”

“I’m glad you did.”

“Where are you going?”

“No idea.  We just got out of there.”

“Let’s regroup at the hotel.  We can go from there.”

“Sounds good.”  Harley related the message to Levi knowing that Castor would tell James and the other Lux.

“How did they find us?” Jag snarled.

“I have an idea,” Harley muttered.

“What?  How?” Nya asked.

“Jag?”

“Yeah?”

“Where is Marc?”

Chapter 34

“What?” Jag looked at her bewildered.

“Marcos.  Where is Marcos?”  Everyone else was staring at her in confusion as well.

“I-I don’t know.  He wasn’t here today,” Jag replied slowly, as if he was beginning to catch onto what she was getting at.

“I have reason to believe that a human tipped off our location to the Sol before—I KNOW it was a human who told the Ignis where to find me.”

Jag looked doubtful.  “He’s worked for us for years.  Why would he betray us?  And to the Sol no less?”

“I didn’t say I knew everything.  That’s just my theory.”

Jag seemed to be waiting for someone else in the car to disagree with him.  When Nya, Levi and Pax remained silent he angrily punched the roof of the car.  “I will kill him if I ever see him again.”

“Don’t act rashly.  We should make sure I’m right before we do anything.  And we should hear him out first too.”  Harley turned back to face the road and left Jag grumbling to himself.  The sun was just starting to rise and Harley glanced at Levi.  He was looking as tired and Harley was glad they were almost at the hotel.

Once everyone arrived Harley and Nya changed their room to a suite style that had two bedrooms and a living area where everyone could gather.  Nya, Levi, Castor, Jag, Pax, Diego, James, Aaron, Heather and Harley sat quietly waiting for someone else to break the silence.

“OK,” Jag finally gave in.  “Why do you think Marc sold us out, Harley?”

Harley, facing the shocked looks of the Lux, caught them up on her theory.  “Jason said that a human was the one who told them how to find me.  I don’t know why Marc would have any dealings with the Burners, but I also can’t think of a reason the Sol--the only other humans who know about us--would turn us over to them.  Helion’s primary goal right now is to get to me so why would they waste an opportunity to bring me to her.”

“I still just don’t want to believe it,” Jag shook his head.

“What’s the alternative?” Harley asked.  “Jason was lying and one of us betrayed the group?”  Jag didn’t continue to argue, but he still looked like he swallowed something nasty.  “Try calling him.”

“Should we?” Levi asked.  “Is there a chance our cells could be tracked?”

“Maybe,” Harley shrugged.  “Maybe everyone who has given Marc their number should get a new phone.”  Everyone who had not purchased a new phone recently grudgingly agreed to buy a new one.  James offered to purchase the new phones and destroy the old ones.

“I can get rid of my own phone,” Pax growled when James held his hand out.

James lifted a brow.  “I know a pawn shop that will erase the phones and give us new ones.”

Pax still hesitated and Jag finally broke the awkward silence.  “Pax, give him the phones.  If he can get new ones in exchange for these why not do it?”

“Pax,” Nya narrowed her eyes at the bulky Nocte.  She might not have been his general, but jurisdiction be damned—everyone listened to Nya.

Finally, Pax handed James his phone.  But, Harley couldn’t help notice that he did it just before his hesitation became too suspicious.  To everyone else at least—but it had only taken a fraction of a second to reignite Harley’s suspicions.  She continued to watch him closely but didn’t voice her concerns.  She had just gotten through accusing Jag’s human assistant of betrayal—if she kept making accusations she would end up becoming the girl who cried wolf.  It was better to wait for more evidence and not alienate anyone until she had to.  Keep your enemies close, right?  “And we can’t all stay here.  I don’t just mean in this room—I mean at this hotel.”

Nya turned back to the group.  “We are too noticeable.  Too easy to remember in case anyone is asking around.  Hollywood is a big city but not big enough to hide all ten of us in one hotel.”

In the end, Jag and Nya took the master bedroom and Levi, Harley and Castor took the smaller room that had two double beds.  Harley flopped, face first, onto one of the beds—leaving Levi and Cas to figure out sleeping arrangements.  She didn’t have the energy to include any opinion or input.

“You sleep,” Cas told Levi.  “I’m going to keep watch.”

“Thanks,” Levi kicked off his boots with a thud.  When the bed dipped under his weight she rolled into his chest and was asleep in moments.

Harley felt her muscles twitch as she fell into a dream and was surprised that she didn’t jerk hard enough to wake herself up.  When she opened her eyes she was back in the dream world where the supernova light nearly blinded her for a few moments and she blinked her eyes until they adjusted.  The dream seemed to pick up where the last one left off.  She was still inside the bundled nest of tentacles and as her skin shuddered in revulsion she realized that she was still in the body of the Lux and not just along for the ride.

Harley tried to sit up but found that the foreign body wouldn’t cooperate.  Looking down she saw her taloned feet were tied with a strange, greenish, leather strap and given the fact that she couldn’t move her arms or wings; she assumed they were tied as well.  Without thinking about it she cried out in frustration and flinched at the high pitched and angry sound that tore out of her throat.

“Struggling won’t do any good,” a thin reedy voice spoke lowly behind her.  Somewhere in the back of her mind, Harley realized that the voice wasn’t speaking anything remotely English—it wasn’t even vaguely human—but she was able to understand it nonetheless.

“What’s going on?” she asked without any real intention of speaking.  She may be inside the creature—Haddon—but she had no real control over it.  She stopped pretending that she wasn’t in Haddon’s memory, it was obvious to her now that was what this was.  A memory.  She realized that he wanted her to see this—to understand.

“I know what you have been doing,” the voice spat angrily.

Harley tried to turn the body—or maybe the body was trying to turn on its own—but it did no good.  Haddon hadn’t been able to see the creature that had tied him up and therefore Harley couldn’t either.  “I haven’t been doing anything.”  But Harley knew this was a lie.  She could feel it in the increased heartbeat that fluttered inside her chest.

“You lie!”

“I don’t.”

“I saw you!”  Harley flinched again as spittle hit her, Haddon’s, cheek.

Haddon paused and Harley knew he was trying to think of a response.  “I-just wanted to be strong.  Like you.  I wanted to be more of an asset for you.”  Harley groaned internally.  The lie behind the words was obvious even to her.

“You think you can challenge me.  Do not bother to deny it, brother.”

Helion.  Harley shuddered again.  She sensed Haddon’s resignation.  “Fine,” the word chewed its way out of the Lux’s throat.  It was an admission that nearly choked them both.  “Why should you be the strongest?  Why should I listen to you, LITTLE brother?”

A dry chuckle tickled Harley’s ear.  “You have to be strong enough to take power—and you aren’t strong enough to take it from me.”

Before Haddon could respond, Harley felt the sharp puncture of claws digging into her shoulders and she was yanked into the air.  Watching the nest grow smaller and smaller made Harley dizzy and her stomach swim.  Haddon struggled to free himself from Helion’s grasp and Harley was glad that he was unsuccessful.  With their wings and arms tied they would have plummeted to the ground below them—which was at least two hundred feet down.

Helion began descending and Harley’s stomach clenched—she knew something bad was coming.  She could feel the dread—foreign and heavy—in the pit of her stomach.  The closer they were to the ground, the clearer the landscape became.  Finally, Harley was able to make out the spot that Helion seemed to be aiming for.  A darkened hole in the barren landscape grew from a small circle to a gaping maw in the ground.  The fear inside Harley pulsated writhed and Harley realized it wasn’t her or Haddon’s fear—it was coming from somewhere—something—else.  Before she could understand what was happening, Harley was jerked from her sleep and she sat straight up in bed.

Her heart slammed in her chest and she shook from the inside out with fear and anger.  Despite the sunlight streaming through the window, her Nocte was wide awake and clearly upset.  Harley looked around the room and was relieved to see Levi dead to the world next to her—face down in the pillow as usual.  Castor was watching her from the other bed with a laptop open in front of him.  He looked concerned and curious.  “Are you OK?” he asked.

“I-I don’t know,” Harley panted.

“You were having a really intense dream.”

“You felt it?”

“Yeah,” he looked a little guilty.

“What?”

“I didn’t wake you up on purpose.”  Harley tilted her head at him.  “I kind of thought that you might need to have the dream.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well—it didn’t feel like a normal nightmare.  I guessed it was another of the Lux dreams.  We’ve not been able to figure out what these dreams—memories—have been all about.  I just thought that you maybe needed to see it through to figure it out.”

“I’m glad you didn’t wake me up.”  As Harley’s head cleared, discomfort began to match her Nocte’s.

“What?  Did you figure something out?”

“Kind of…”

“Well?”

“The last dream I had ended with me, the Lux, being attacked.  This time I woke up into the dream and was tied up.  I was inside the Lux—Haddon—and even though I couldn’t control what was happening I experienced it like it happened to me.”

“And what happened?”

“I’m sure it was a memory.  Haddon was trying to show me what happened.  He’s been trying to tell me something.”

“ And what was it?”

Harley slid from the bed and crawled in next to Castor.  Her Nocte’s shivering was leaving her cold and shaken.  “It was just like my Nocte thought.  Haddon wanted Helion’s power.”

“They were feeding on other Lux?  Noctes?”

“I think so.  It wasn’t said specifically, but that felt true.”

“OK.”

Harley shifted closer to Cas and he put an arm around her.  “Helion was punishing Haddon for preparing to challenge him.  I don’t know exactly what Haddon was doing—but Helion was on to him.  His punishment…”

“What?”

“Helion was taking Haddon to a cave.  It was the entrance to a Nocte cave.  And the only reason I know that is because of my Nocte’s response.”   Cas looked down at her, his pale green eyes narrowed in confusion.  Her Nocte went still, and Harley felt her apprehension.

“What do you mean?”

“I woke up when we got close to the cave entrance.  And it my Nocte that woke me up.”

“How?”

“Her fear.”

“Fear?”

“Yeah,” Harley whispered.  Her Nocte went silent and Harley could only feel her as a cold stone in the pit of her stomach.  “And I woke up because my Nocte DID NOT want me to see what was in that cave.”

Chapter 35

“What does that mean?” Castor asked, taken aback.

“I think she doesn’t want me to see what Haddon remembers in that cave,” Harley admitted.

“What could it be that she doesn’t want you to see?”

Harley always found it relieving when her friends readily accepted her ability to communicate with her Nocte—a previously unheard of ability.   “I really don’t know.  Right now she is…just silent.”

“Right now?  Man, I never get used to how weird that is.”

“Yeah.  She’s just kind of there but not interacting with me like she normally does.”  But even as Harley said that she felt her Nocte shift.  She may have been a stony blank before, but now the devil inside her was…annoyed.  “Strike that.  She’s pissed now.”

“That’s…weird.”

“Definitely.”

“And a little worrisome.”

Harley didn’t want to admit that Castor was right, but it did worry her.  What the hell are you hiding?  She was disappointed but unsurprised by the Nocte’s lack of answer.  “I wish I could talk to her whenever I needed to.  Really talk.  Not just the feelings and impressions I usually get.”

“Don’t get any ideas about killing yourself again,” Castor warned her bitterly.

“I won’t,” Harley rolled her eyes.

“We don’t need to risk that right now.  It took us too long to get you back last time.”

“What do you mean?” she regarded him warily.

Cas sighed before grudgingly answering.  “Levi didn’t want me to tell you but it took us almost fifteen minutes to revive you after we got you out of the tub.  And we both had to give you blood before you really started to come around.”

Harley gaped at him.  “Why didn’t you guys tell me this before?”

“Levi didn’t want you feeling guilty.”

“Shit,” she murmured in shock.  “I had no idea.”

“Well…now you do.  And now you know why I will fight you and tie you down before I will let you try that shit again.”

“Yeah, yeah.”  Harley didn’t argue that Castor couldn’t take her down on his own no matter how much he wanted to.  Besides, she had a sinking suspicion that Levi might be more willing to fight her this time.  “I just wish I had more answers.”

“How relevant do you think whatever Haddon is trying to tell you is?”

“Well, he seems to really be working hard at getting me the message.  I can’t imagine it’s not important.”

“Well, I don’t think there is much that you can do other than wait.  Maybe before you sleep you can try opening yourself up to Haddon somehow.”

“Yeah, easier said than done.”

“I’m sure,” Cas shrugged.  At a loss they both let the subject dropped.

With her head on Castor’s shoulder Harley rested for a while—having given up on sleep.  He handed her one side of his ear buds and they both watched a comedy show that hadn’t been on the air for years.  Harley had forgotten how much she had enjoyed the show.  She smiled at the feeling of Cas’s laughter rumbling through his chest and into her cheek.

After the show was over Cas closed his computer.  “Are you awake for the day?”

“Yeah.  There is no point in my trying to go back to sleep.”

“I’m going to go hunt then.  Do you want to go?”

“No.  I’ll stay here and keep watch.”

“OK.”  Cas wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest.  The strength of his hug sent warm chills over her body.  “Call for me if anything happens,” he murmured, tilting her head up.

“I will.”  She sighed as he pressed his lips against hers, but groaned when he slid from the bed.  “Be careful.”

“Yes dear,” Cas smiled at her as he pulled on his shoes.

Once he was gone Harley returned to the bed with Levi and wrapped herself around his back and threw a leg over his waist.  A part of her wanted to wake him up because she didn’t feel like being alone.  But she contented herself to enjoying the sigh that slipped out of him as he tightened his hands over hers in his sleep.

--------------------

Harley jerked awake with a start when Castor returned to the room.  She hadn’t expected to fall asleep again but she must have.  She sat up rubbing her eyes and Levi rolled over and blinked blearily at Cas.  “Nya and Jag are awake,” he informed them.  Harley tilted her head at the wary look in his eyes.  She knew it wasn’t because of her being in bed with Levi, they were over all of that.  Cas only shook his head at her questioning look.  “Later,” he sent her.

Harley looked towards the large picture window and realized the orange sky meant the sun was setting.  “Is anyone else here?”

“Pax is on his way, according to Jag.  And the Lux are going to hang out together until we get word from you guys.”  The plan was for just the Nocte to make a run by Remy’s house to see if they could find any evidence as to what became of Everett.  It would be easier if they could just take one vehicle and the Lux could serve as backup since they wouldn’t be very effective at night anyway.

It only took a few minutes for Harley and Levi to get dressed and all the Nocte and Castor to gather in the sitting area of the suite.  “So, is everyone ready?” Nya asked

Castor tossed a set of keys at Harley.  “I thought you might like a bigger vehicle than the sedan.”

“What’s this?”

“A SUV.  I parked it next to the car.”

“How did you get the keys?” Levi asked, snatching the keys from Harley.

“I charmed them away from a soccer mom.”

Everyone chuckled except Harley.  “You’re joking, right?” she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Maybe.”  The humor behind his eyes gave him away.

“You’re good at getting vehicles,” Levi smirked.

“We all have our hidden talents,” Cas lifted a shoulder.

“Where are the Lux going to wait?” Nya asked.

“I’m going to their hotel.”

“Where are they staying?” Jag asked.

“Across the street.  We figured it would be close enough to help cancel out all of our combined energies but still far enough away that most people probably won’t notice us.”

“Works for me,” Nya shrugged.

“What is the plan exactly?  Are you guys going to actually go into the house to look for evidence?” Cas asked.

“Maybe,” Levi replied, securing his Bowies on his back.  He had gotten a second sheath and they strapped over his chest in an X.

“It could be a trap,” Cas offered.

“We know that,” Jag rolled his eyes.  His attitude toward the Lux may have been better than Pax’s but it Harley could tell that he only half-respected Castor—and that was more than he had for the other Lux.  She shook her head in exasperation.  If his distrust was based solely upon the fact that none of them were sure who could be trusted and who couldn’t, it would be different.  It annoyed Harley that Jag, as well as Pax, still didn’t trust the Lux.  At least James, Aaron, Diego and Heather seemed to do a better job of hiding their feelings about the Nocte.

“What are you hoping to find?” Cas asked Nya.

“Evidence that Everett was there?  A clue as to who has him?  An idea of where he might be held.”

“It’s gotta be the Council,” Levi grumbled.  “Anyone else would have killed him where they took him or would be trying to ransom him by now.  And if he was dead there we should find evidence of it.”

That possibility brought silence to the group as they continued readying themselves.  Harley watched Jag and Nya interact and tried to gain some kind of insight as to the nature of their relationship.  If they weren’t sharing a room you wouldn’t even be able to tell that there was anything going on.  She didn’t know why she cared, other than that she hoped Jag was able to bring Nya some peace.  The mad glint flashed in Nya’s eyes as she caught Harley staring at them.  Nya smiled as if she knew what Harley was thinking and she wiggled her eyebrows at her.  Harley shook her head and tightened her machete, comforted by the cold metal against her back.

Castor stopped Harley and Levi as they all filed out of the suite.  “Be careful,” he warned them.  He looked like he wanted to say more, but hesitated.

“What’s up?” Levi asked.

Cas sighed and ran a hand over his hair.  “James checked everyone’s phones before his pawn guy wiped them.”

“Yeah,” Harley asked, her heart beginning to beat harder.

“He was suspicious about how Pax acted over his phone.  Turns out there was a pretty good reason.”

“Why?” Levi asked through a clenched jaw.

“He redialed the last few numbers Pax had called.  He got a voicemail on the most recent.  It was Remy’s voicemail.  We assume that is the weapons maker that Everett went to meet?  Not like there are a lot of Remy’s.”

“Maybe he was just looking for answers.  Trying to find Everett?” Levi offered.  Harley knew he didn’t want to believe Pax could be working against them—believing Pax was an enemy was too close to believing Jag was against them too.

“The call was ten minutes long and made just before Everett went to meet Remy.”

Chapter 36

“Shit,” Levi muttered under his breath as he drew a hand over his chin scratching at his stubble.

“I guess this explains why Pax didn’t want to give up his phone,” Harley shook her head.

“It’s nothing concrete, but…”

“But it doesn’t look good,” Levi agreed.

Harley placed a hand on his arm.  “It doesn’t automatically mean that we can’t trust Jag.”

“I know.  But we really can’t trust anyone right now,” Levi replied.

“The only ones I trust are you two and Nya,” Harley admitted.

“Same here,” Castor agreed.

“You don’t trust the Lux?” Levi asked.

Cas blew out a long breath.  “I want to trust James.  But…I have to be realistic.”

Harley clenched her teeth.  She didn’t need to express her frustration at always having to be wary of people she should be able to trust—she knew the guys felt the same as she did.  “We should get going.  The others are going to wonder what the three of us are up to,” she tried to chuckle.

“That’s nothing new,” Castor smiled at her.  “You guys watch your backs.”

“You too,” Levi nodded and turned back to the door.

“Keep in contact,” Castor insisted as he hugged her tight.

Normally, Harley would resist keeping the link open so much, but lately she knew it was best for everyone.  “I will,” she agreed.

“I’m going to take a shower before I head over to the Lux.”

“Love you,” Harley smiled at him before slipping out the door.

Levi drove the maroon SUV to the Malibu address mapped out by the GPS.  Harley sat low in the passenger seat with an ankle crossed over her knee.  She kept one hand on the machete next to her feet, running her fingers over the leather handle for comfort.  Nya, Jag and Pax sat quietly in the backseat.  No one had much to say.  Nya seemed to suspect Harley and Levi were hiding something but she, wisely, didn’t press for details.  Pax was quieter and moodier than usual.  His deep set eyes were colored in shadows that had nothing to do with his Nocte nature.  Jag seemed edgy simply because everyone else was.

The navigation led them to a street lined with palm trees and far enough away from the beach that you couldn’t hear the surf, but the air was still crisp and salty.  “This is it,” Levi nodded towards a house that was made of stucco and glass.  No lights were on and in the early evening dark the house looked abandoned and barren.

“Keep driving,” Nya instructed.

Levi barely slowed as they passed Remy’s house.  The property was bordered by palm trees and large, leafy bushes but there were no property fences.  Nya and Harley rolled down their windows and listened carefully as they were on the same side of the road at the house.  “I can’t hear anything.  I don’t smell anything unusual,” Harley shrugged as they drew further away.

“I didn’t either.  Levi, drop Harley and me off at the end of the street.  You guys can park on the next street over—at the playground we passed.

“What?” Jag gaped at Nya.  Levi didn’t even bother arguing and Pax’s face turned darker than ever and Harley was sure his pupils grew twice their normal size.

“In this neighborhood, Harley and I will still stand out a lot less and be less suspicious than you three.”

“I don’t know if I should be offended by that,” Jag scowled.

“Don’t be,” Levi half smiled.  “She’s right.  Two women out for an evening walk won’t raise as many eyebrows as three men.  Besides, you should know better than to argue with Nya by now.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jag rolled his eyes.

Levi brought the truck to a smooth stop and Harley and Nya hopped out immediately.  Jag slid out after Nya to move into the front seat.  He looked as if he wanted to say something but Nya turned and began walking back towards the house before he had a chance.  Harley had to rush after her, struggling to secure her machete on her back.

As soon as Harley drew even with Nya, the taller Nocte began with the questions.  “What happened?” she spoke quietly so that their voices wouldn’t carry back to the truck as Jag hadn’t even shut the door yet.

Harley related the information that Castor had leveled on them.  For several moments Nya didn’t speak, she just continued to hurry towards their destination and Harley nearly had to jog to keep up.  Finally, she spoke.  “It’s time for Jag to start asking Pax some hard questions.”

“You’ve already discussed Pax with him?”

“A little.”

“And?”

“He didn’t want to hear anything bad about his friend.”

Harley sighed.  “What should we do?”

“For now?  Right now we see what we can figure out at Remy’s.”

As frustrating as it was, Harley agreed with Nya.  They needed to focus on one problem at a time.  “What if Pax warned someone we were coming?”

“He hasn’t had a chance.  James gave me the new phones and I haven’t given him or Jag theirs yet.  And, even though Jag doesn’t want to doubt his captain, I made him agree to stay with him at all times.”

Harley was relieved and impressed that Nya was able and willing to use her authority  to sway Jag.  They might share rank but that didn’t mean they were equals.  “That still doesn’t mean that this couldn’t be a trap.”

“Indeed.”

Regardless of the risks, Harley and Nya hurried towards Remy’s house.  They needed answers and they needed them badly enough that they had to risk coming walking into the spider’s lair.  “How do you want to play this?” Harley asked.

“Just walk right up to the door,” Nya shrugged and grinned down at Harley with gleaming eyes.

Harley couldn’t help but grinning back.  Nya’s mania was contagious—she loved a good fight and Harley loved fighting with her.  Remy’s house was set back approximately fifty feet from the road and the walkway to the front door was paved in large river stones.  Nya didn’t slow, she just walked right to the front door, and Harley followed listening for sounds of anyone nearby.  She took a deep breath outside the heavy oak door and felt her Nocte’s hackles rise slightly.

Harley was relieved to feel her inner devil wake up.  She had been abnormally quiet since Harley had woken from the strange dream.  Despite her misgivings, Harley had missed the Nocte’s presence.  But, beyond her initial relief, Harley’s back stiffened.  “Do you smell that?”

“Yeah,” Nya muttered, the disappointment was evident in her low voice.

A faint, but sharp smell of blood wafted from the house.  Harley took another deep breath.  She couldn’t get a clear enough scent to tell if it was Nocte, Lux or human blood, but it was strong enough to be alarming.  Nya moved towards the door and pressed her ear again the cool wood.  When she leaned away from it again Harley raised a questioning brow.  “I can’t hear anything,” Nya responded.  She reached out and slowly turned the bronze knob and raised a brow of her own when it turned easily and opened without a sound.

Neither Harley, nor Nya, had to point out that this was a bad sign—especially when the smell of blood grew stronger.  A low growl rippled from Harley’s throat when she realized that it was Nocte blood she smelled.  And what’s worse—it was Everett’s blood.  She could smell the familiarity—the spicy scent that was all Everett and she closed her eyes for a moment.  Her only consolation was the fact that she was sure that the amount of blood she smelled wasn’t enough to actually kill Everett, and further, there was no acrid burnt smell of a Nocte body having disintegrated to ash.

Harley followed Nya across the threshold and quietly shut the door behind them.  Taking another deep breath and listening carefully, she was sure that no one was currently in the house.  Had it been a human she would have easily been able to hear their heartbeat.  An Ignis and she would have the alarm buzzing in her head.  And she or Nya would have been able to smell another creature—of any kind—in such a small space.  Nya eased further into the foyer and Harley was right behind her.

“The smell of blood is coming from this direction,” Harley pointed to the right.

Even though they were sure they were alone, Nya and Harley both moved quietly towards the kitchen and formal dining room to their right.  Moonlight filtered in through the large bay windows over a sink and counter.  The house was clean, but lived in.  Harley could smell the remnants of decaying food in a trash can and wrinkled her nose. On the far side of the kitchen was a pantry.  The door stood part way open and Harley was sure that was where Everett had bled.

In the doorway, Harley and Nya paused.  Blood was pooled and smeared across the black and white tiled floor.  Everett had either lain here, bleeding for a long while, or had bled a lot quickly.  Both women stepped softly into the room, carefully avoiding the blood.  There was not much food on the shelves—as the case with most Nocte houses—but there were other tell-tale items lining the shelves.  A few small daggers.  Leather sheaths.  Work boots and jackets.  Nothing important enough to solicit further examination.  But what was intriguing was the far wall.  Nya smiled as she tapped her knuckles against the wooden panel.

“This must be the access to the weapons storage.”  The sound of her tapping, beyond the reinforced door, was hollow.  There was empty space on the other side of the unusually strong wall.  Harley left Nya looking for the recessed hinges and turned her attention to the blood.  She knelt next to the largest part of the pool and narrowed her eyes.  The idea of Everett lying here hurt and bleeding caused anger to flare her nostrils.  She tilted her head as she noticed something strange about the smear patterns.  From this angle she could see where his fingers had dragged the streaks of blood toward the shelves to her left.  The direction was easy to decipher as the smears were darkest and thickest at the beginning and grew fainter closer towards the shelves.  Harley stretched out over the pool of blood, her head hovering just where she figured Everett’s would have rested.  Her muscles felt like iron bands holding her aloft and out of the blood in a twisted plank yoga position.

When Harley found the message she giggled and glanced up at Nya.  The sound of her laughter caused Nya to pause in her examination of the hidden door.  “What?”

“Everett left us a message.  In blood.”

“What?” Nya’s eyes narrowed.  “Where?”

“Under the shelves here.”  Carefully, Harley stood and dusted her hands off, making sure she didn’t have any blood on them.

“What does it say?”

“It’s an address.  Look.”

Nya recreated Harley’s unusual yoga posture but had a more difficult time placing her feet as the pantry was rather small and didn’t easily accommodate her six foot frame.  Without getting up she grinned at Harley.  “That’s in Beverly Hills.  Good job Everett.”

“Bless that sexy bastard,” Harley chuckled.

“Help me up,” Nya groaned.  There wasn’t enough room for her to maneuver her way back up with having to put a hand or a knee in Everett’s blood.

“What about the weapons room,” Harley asked as Nya hopped over the pool of blood towards the kitchen.

Nya shrugged.  “I doubt it will work, but you can try a generic code that SHOULD work for any general.”  She nodded towards the door.  “There should be a panel somewhere.  Do you see it?”

“Actually yeah.”

“Where was it?” Nya poked her head back into the small room.”

Harley pointed towards the door frame next to Nya’s face.  “It’s right there I bet.”  There was a rectangular shape cut out in the drywall and when Nya pushed on it the panel fell away to reveal a square of numbered buttons.  It looked like the dial pad of an old payphone.  Nya keyed in a code too fast for Harley to follow and three angry sounding beeps indicated the code was wrong.

“That’s what I figured.  They changed the General’s code,” Nya rolled her eyes in annoyed frustration.

“We could try to break the door down?”

“There’s no point.  It would take us hours to get through.”

Harley scowled; it would have been nice to be able to claim some of the weapons as their own.  They really couldn’t have enough at this point.  As they made their way back through the kitchen an odd beeping sound caused her to stop in her tracks.  “What’s that?”  It seemed to come from the pantry but since they hadn’t pushed any more buttons there shouldn’t be any reason for there to be beeping.

Nya must have heard the sound too because she was already turning towards Harley with her eyes wide.  “Run!”

Harley didn’t need to be told twice.  She was only a fraction of a second behind Nya as they bolted for the front door.  Two strides away the world exploded around them.  Harley felt herself lifted off her feet and was thrown through the air in debris and pain.  She couldn’t tell which way was up or down.  She couldn’t tell where she ended and Nya began as they were tossed about in a tidal wave of stone, dust and glass.  Harley’s body was slammed into the ground and she struggled to focus her eyes.  Her vision swam in front of her but as she drifted away from her body she was dismayed to see a large spike of wood sticking out of her chest.  The further she floated away the darker the world became until the blackness swallowed her whole.

Chapter 37

Harley floated for a while as she waited—she knew what was coming.  She was weightless in the icy blackness.  She had, unfortunately, sustained enough serious injuries to know she was borderline dead—maybe even a little over the line.  Harley sighed--or would have if she had working lungs at the moment.  She should be tired of this state—the regularity in which she found herself in it was exasperating.  She would have felt like a bad Nocte except that logic told her that the extraordinary circumstances she faced made it less surprising and less of an anomaly—in fact, she was a little surprised it didn’t happen more often.

Harley expected her Nocte to arrive at any moment but she was getting tired of waiting.  She knew that time passed differently for her in this limbo state but she felt like she had been waiting even longer than previous times.  Hello?  Harley softly into the darkness.  After a moment she got an answer, but it wasn’t the one she expected.  A tiny pinpoint of light appeared far off in the distance.  She couldn’t tell if the light was coming closer, or maybe the light was simply growing larger, stronger.  Regardless, suddenly the darkness exploded with brilliant light and Harley squinted against the change.

Even though she knew it was coming, Harley was still surprised to find herself back in the clutches of Helion as they dropped toward the cave—picking back up where they left off.  Her insides turned to stone as she dreaded what she was about to see.  Whatever was coming, she knew that her Nocte didn’t want her to see it.  After the bond, Harley had quickly grown close to her Nocte.  Despite the unusually present nature of her devil, Harley felt her as a part of herself and not as a foreign entity.  Knowing she was about to see something that her Nocte didn’t want her to see was more than a little scary.

When they were about ten feet from the ground, Helion released Haddon and together she and the Lux fell to the stone floor of the cave’s entrance.  They lay in the shadows recovering their breath, waiting for the pain to diminish.  Harley couldn’t tell if they had broken anything in the fall or not.  Their hands, wings and feet were still tied in the most uncomfortable of positions—underneath them.  As Harley waited for Haddon to be able to move or function at all really, she watched the war between the light and the darkness all around her.  She didn’t know if it was this world, or just a trick of the eye, but the light and the shadows seemed palpable as they twisted and contorted on the cave walls.

A scraping shuffle caused Haddon, and Harley, to freeze in alarm.  She hadn’t realized that they weren’t alone and she felt Haddon’s fear.  He knew what lived inside the caves and he was furious at his own fright and at his inability to defend himself.  As the sounds drew closer, Haddon began twisting and struggling, inching himself along like a broken snake—trying to crawl away from the shadows.  When a strong hand closed around their ankle, Haddon looked over his shoulder and couldn’t see anything other than his own black, leathery wings bound together.

Disturbing on a whole different level was the hand that was closed around their bony, ankle.  The discomfort Harley felt at seeing the Lux inside her faded as she realized what—who—was holding onto her foot.  She felt like she was outside of her own body, watching a part of herself acting independently.  Even though she had only seen her Nocte’s hands once, and in very low light at that, she recognized it just as she would recognize her own.  Her Nocte dragged Haddon deep into the shadows and she could feel him struggle against their bonds hard enough for them to cut into his flesh.  Haddon’s heart slammed against their ribs in fluttering spikes.

Once they were all the way inside the dark, Haddon stopped struggling, taking a desperate “play dead” approach.  Her Nocte made a rumbling sound that Harley recognized as laughter, but Haddon—having no reference for the sound—panicked again and began uselessly struggling.  With one hand on their shoulder and another on the back of their neck, her Nocte easily held them face down and in place.  She felt her lean over them and the sound of her breathing in deep—collecting their scent—and nearly sent Haddon into a panic again.

“Calm down,” her Nocte growled.

Haddon—and Harley—froze at the sound of her speaking.  Even though Harley had no idea what the Nocte’s language sounded like—judging from Haddon’s reaction, she might as well be a cat barking.  Clearly, the Nocte had their own language and Haddon was shocked by this one’s ability to speak the Lux language.

“Who are you?” her Nocte asked.  Haddon was too astounded to answer until her Nocte tightened her grip on his neck.  He made a sound that definitely wasn’t Haddon and Harley wouldn’t have been able to repeat it if she tried.  She was reminded of the fact that Haddon was a human name for his Lux.  Just like Helion was made up by the Sol.

“I’ve heard of you,” the Nocte answered thoughtfully in her gravelly voice

Haddon was torn between terror, anger and fascination.  He recovered his attitude enough to croak back.  “Who are YOU?”

Again, Harley couldn’t make out any pronounceable word from the guttural sound her Nocte made.  But, apparently, Haddon recognized the name because it sent a new bolt of fear to course through him.  “What are you doing here?”

“Hunting,” her Nocte answered simply.

“How do you know our language?”

“…I have friends…” her Nocte chuckled but her answer only confused and worried Haddon even more.  Harley couldn’t figure out what kind of Lux friends her Nocte would have had before crossing over.  She didn’t know of any type of real friendships between their races...not until her and Castor’s relationship anyway...

“What are you going to do?”

“With you?”

“Yes.”

“I haven’t decided yet.  You look particularly delicious though.”

Harley hadn’t thought it was possible to stun Haddon more than he already was, but she had been mistaken.  Everything inside and out went still before he was able to speak again.  “What?”

“Are you surprised?”

“I’ve never heard of a royal…doing that…”

‘What?  The Eaters should have all the fun?”

“But…”

“But what?” her Nocte’s words were tinged with a warning.

“Your kind…”

“My kind what?”

“If you let me go, I’ll help you.”

“Why would I need your help?” even though her words were shaped by doubt, they were colored with curiosity.

“You want to stop the Eaters, don’t you?”

“You are selling out your own kind?” the Nocte snorted and Haddon could feel the cold breath on his cheek.

“They—my own brother—sold me out.”

“Interesting.”

“Do we have a deal?”

“I really don’t think I need your help,” but Harley could tell her Nocte was just playing with Haddon now.

“You do,” Haddon managed to sound smug.

“Why’s that?”

“You’ll never get close to him if you don’t have my help.  He trusts no one.”

“Who?”

“My brother.”

“Your brother is the leader of the Eaters.”

“Yes.”

Her Nocte was quiet for a moment.  “Apparently, he doesn’t even trust you.”

“He doesn’t.”

“Then how can you help?”

“You’ve been feeding on Lux for a while, right?”

Her Nocte was silent again and Harley suspected it was because using your strange habits to intimidate was different than having it thrown back at you.  “I have had a couple.”

“And it’s changed you.  Hasn’t it?”

“A little.”

“How?”  Haddon shifted, trying to move his face so that his sharp nose wasn’t pressed into the cold stone floor anymore.  All it did was succeed in causing the Nocte to put more pressure on his neck.

“The sunlight.  It doesn’t bother me anymore.”

“And?”

“I’m stronger.”

“And?”

“I can sense the Burning Ones.”

“What else?”

“Nothing!  That’s it.  What else are you expecting?”

“We feed psychically.  We feel energies and we pull them out.  I—we—have to touch the Burning Ones to pull their life out.  But you, I don’t think you do.”

“Why?  What gives you that idea?”

“You have royal blood.  You can manipulate the psychic field.  That’s how the royals open the doorway to the Other world.”

“And how do you know this?”

“I don’t.  Not for sure.  But I have suspected it for a while.  So has my brother.  He has talked about it for a long while.”

“Why?  Why is it important to him?”

“I don’t know really.  I just know he has been looking for a royal Nocte.”

Her Nocte’s clawed fingers dug harder into his skin and Haddon gritted his teeth.  “Ask your mother if you don’t believe me.”  Harley could hear the sneer in Haddon’s voice.  She knew as well as he did that her Nocte wouldn’t, couldn’t, tell anyone that she had been feeding off Lux.  It was forbidden.  “The queen will tell you I’m right.  That’s why the royals have gone into hiding, isn’t it?”  When her Nocte didn’t answer, Harley knew Haddon was onto the truth.  “What reason have they given you for going deeper into the caves?”

“There are not many of us left.”

“Sure,” Haddon sneered.

Suddenly, Harley felt the world spin away from her and she was falling, falling through cold blackness.  She crashed back into her physical body with a gasp and it felt like she was breathing glass.  “Harley?”  She heard Levi’s voice over her and she struggled to clear her vision.  The first thing she saw was his deep blue eyes peering down at her.  The worry began to melt from his face as he smiled at her.

“We were worried about you.”

“What the hell happened?” she croaked.  Her chest was on fire and she wished she was back in the cave, trapped inside Haddon’s body—the pain of his being tied up and held to the ground was less than what she felt now.

Nya leaned into view looking tired but whole.  “The Council apparently set a trap at Remy’s.  When we entered the old General’s code it set off explosives.  The house blew and you took a piece of wood to the chest.  It missed your heart by a fraction of an inch.  Actually, I’m pretty sure it HIT your heart—it just didn’t pierce it.”

“Shit,” Harley moaned.  “How long have I been out?”

“About a day.”

Nya looked grim for a moment.  “I just can’t believe the Council went this far.  I can’t believe they are actually willing to kill us.”

Harley sighed and shook her head even though it caused the room to swim around her.  She couldn’t begin to process the betrayal that Nya was feeling—her own was strong enough.  “I need to go back,” she groaned.

Nya and Levi looked at each other in alarm.  “Why?” he asked.

“The dream I’ve been having.  It is a memory.  I need to finish it.”  Her voice sounded like dried leaves rubbing against each other.

“Not a good idea.  You aren’t very strong right now.  What if we can’t get you back?”

“When have I ever not come back,” Harley snorted and then winced.

Levi sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.  He was sitting on the bed next to her and they looked like they were in a hotel room.  “Where’s Cas?”

Nya nodded towards the other side of the room, behind Harley.  “Asleep.”

“Don’t wake him up for this.  He’ll only freak out.”  Nya nodded with a small, knowing smile.

Levi finally raised his head from his hands.  “How do you want to do this?”

Harley tried to shrug but the burst of pain took her breath away.  “I don’t know.  What do you guys think?” she gasped when she could speak again.

“I can hold a pillow over your face.  I’ve kind of always wanted to do that to someone,” Nya grinned.  Levi shook his head at them both, wide-eyed and exasperated.

“Go for it,” Harley nodded.  Nya leaned over her to pick up the extra pillow.  “You really enjoy this type of thing too much,” she chuckled at the maniacal glee on her friend’s face.

“Make it count,” Nya warned her.  “As fun as this is going to be, I’m not going to do it again—not right now anyway.”  The last thing Harley saw was Nya wiggling her eyebrows at her as she lowered the pillow over her face.

Chapter 38

This time Harley didn’t have to wait long before she could feel her Nocte’s presence.  She could feel her lurking there, silently, in the darkness.  Finally, Harley gave up waiting on her devil to speak first so she broke the silence.  What’s going on?  A sigh whispered through the air and echoed back off the stone walls—that was when Harley realized they were back inside the cave—deep in the darkness.  Well?

I was feeding off Lux before I crossed over.  Her Nocte’s gravelly voice was contrite—a child admitting to something they had already been caught doing.

I heard that but it wasn’t surprising.  What’s the big deal?

Another sigh.  I didn’t just feed off them, she admitted.

What does that mean?

I actually…killed a couple.

Oh.

Yeah.

OK…So…that’s kinda unexpected.  But why were you hiding it from me?

I wasn’t exactly hiding it.

No?

No…I just didn’t mention it…

And?

And sometimes it’s hard to remember details.

Like your name?

Yes.  Her Nocte’s admission sounded angry and a little bitter.

Sorry.

Not your fault, she finally admitted.

I still don’t know why you didn’t want me to know about that.

It’s not exactly something to advertise.

I guess not.  Did you learn how to manipulate energy?

I think so.  Actually, I think I must have.  She was quiet and Harley gave her a moment to remember.  Castor.

What about him.

That’s how we take and give him energy without even touching…

Really?

I’m sure of it.  Despite her assurance she sounded doubtful.

Can we do it with everyone?

We would only be able to do it once we have fed from them.

Is that what Haddon has been trying to tell me?

…I think so…

What now?

Nothing.

Stop keeping secrets from me!  If it’s something that can help stop Helion I need to know.  We need to work together.

It’s nothing that will help.

Come on!  What is it?

Another sigh.  I wasn’t strong enough at first.

Why?  What happened?

I can’t remember exactly.  I just remember I agreed to his plan.  And I let him go under the condition he would teach me how to pull without touching.  He wanted to find another Lux to try it on but I used him.  She chuckled at the memory.

And it didn’t work?

No…

Well…what’s changed?  How are we able to do it now?  Can we do it with Nocte or Ignis?  Or is it just Lux?

It was supposed to be any creature…but I don’t know.

Well?

What?

How can we do it now if you couldn’t then?

I don’t know.  We just can.  Her answer came out in a growl.

That’s not going to work with me.  Why does it work now?

I don’t want to talk about it.

Obviously.  But why?  Her Nocte refused to answer but Harley could still feel her there.  You weren’t strong enough YET.  No response.  What did you kill?  Where did the strength come from?

Another voice broke through the darkness.  Harley hadn’t realized that Haddon was with them until he spoke.  She was surprised to find him in the darkness and at night at that.  His voice was faint and weak.  The question isn’t what did she eat?  It’s who.  He laughed a thin reedy laugh.

Fuck off, her Nocte snarled.

What did you do? Harley asked softly.  Whatever it was, she could feel the guilt and shame and regret rolling off her Nocte.

It’s not important! She insisted.  What is important is what we are going to do with the knowledge.  I couldn’t get close to Helion here and you can’t get close enough to her there to kill her.  But we might be able to use this to our advantage.

How the hell is that supposed to work?  We have to feed from her first to develop a connection.

I didn’t say I had it ALL figured out, she snapped.

It was Harley’s turn to sigh.  You being able to open the door.  That’s why she needs your blood, right?  You’re the one strong enough to open it as wide as she need it to merge the worlds aren’t you?

I guess so.  I guess she has a plan to destroy the veil and thinks I can make that happen.

What the hell did you do that made you so strong?  Harley wasn’t really expecting an answer anymore.

Hey!  It’s not just me.  Something is different here too.  Otherwise, I would have brought it down when I came here the first time.  I don’t know how to destroy the veil.

How do you come here?  How does it work?

All of the species have to destroy their bodies first.  Then they go through their elements.  Ignis burn apparently.  I think the Lux suffocate—something like that—I can’t remember.  Noctes have to drain their blood.  I don’t even know if it HAS to be done in a certain way—or if each of our kind just has a preference, she added as almost an afterthought before continuing.  Once we drain our blood, it goes into a…chalice-like thing.  I-I can’t remember what it’s called.  Harley could hear the frustration in her voice at not being able to remember finer details.  And the music is played through the blood.  Then somehow the veil is opened.

Harley remember the thrum of the deep brass chimes and shivered.  How?

I don’t know!  I…I think someone has to open it for you.  That’s what Haddon meant by a royal has to open it.  We—they—are the ones who guard it.

Who opened it for you?

I-I…no one.

What do you mean?

I think I did it myself.  She wasn’t sure of her answer, but she sounded amazed at the possibility.

I take it that’s quite a feat?

Yes.  If that’s what I did…I can’t remember ever hearing of anyone else doing that.

Why did you do it yourself?

The Nocte was silent again.  I don’t want to talk about that!

Damn.  What the hell did you do?

I’m not proud of the choices that I made.  But I’m not sorry I made them.  I did what I had to do.

Why were you still hunting Haddon?  If you were working together?

He…he betrayed me.

How?  Harley narrowed her eyes at the thin reedy laugh that flickered through the cave.

I don’t remember.

Don’t the Lux and Ignis need someone--some kind of royal to open the doorway for them?

Well...yeah.  I would assume so.

If that’s the case--who opened the door for Haddon or Helion?  Are they royals?  If so, why do they need me at all?

No.  They aren’t royals.  Harley could hear the snicker behind the Nocte’s answer and the irritation behind Haddon’s silence.

So…?  Who opened the doorway for them?

I don’t know.

Harley and the Nocte waited for Haddon to answer.  Finally, his thin voice muttered something about his own brother turning him in.

To whom? Harley asked.

No answer.  Eventually, her Nocte chuckled.  I don’t think all the Lux agreed with the Eaters.

So, the Lux who didn’t agree apparently had the power to cast the Eaters out?  And they sent them to this world?  Without even considering the harm that would do?

Maybe, her Nocte mused.  Haddon remained silent.

Harley huffed out a growl.  So, we’re still left with trying to figure out how to get close enough to Helion to feed from her.  If we can’t kill her that way, we can drain her energy psychically?

Sounds about right.

Oh, that shouldn’t be hard at all.

Harley felt herself falling through the darkness and sighed.  She would have liked to keep talking to her Nocte.  Not only did she want to gain all the information she could, she actually enjoyed talking to her.  Even when she was hiding stuff and being an all-around ass.  Her eyes fluttered open and this time she found herself staring into Castor’s face and he looked unsurprisingly angry.

“How long was I out?”

“Which time?”

Harley rolled her eyes.  “The second time.”

“Less than a day.”  Cas’s face softened and he lay down next to her.  She could smell the clean scent of his skin and she smiled.  She was pleased to see that her body was hurting significantly less now.  She was surprised that Nya and Levi weren’t waiting for her to wait up though.  “Where are Nya and Levi?”

Castor slid close to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.  “Asleep.”

“Harrumpf”

“What?”

“They went to sleep before I woke up?”

Cas raised an eyebrow at her.  “You do this often enough that no one is really that worried about it anymore.  It’s stupid and risky—but you’ve done it enough that it isn’t exactly a big event.  You didn’t even wake me up for it.”

Harley didn’t argue.  There was always the risk that they could go too far and she wouldn’t wake up.  Or something could happen to her body while she was out.  Castor was right, it was risky and if she was going to be so flippant about it then she had to be prepared for others to be as well.

“Did you at least get the information you needed?”

“Yeah,” the word came out heavy and wary.

“And?”

“I’ll tell everyone at the same time.  And I don’t really want to think about it right now.  I don’t have the energy.  I just want to rest.”  She scooted closer to Castor’s chest and sighed when she felt his heart beat against her face.  Horror caused her to jerk almost into a sitting position but Castor held her down.  “What about the meeting with the Electorate?” she asked.  “We missed the meeting, didn’t we?”

“Yeah,” Cas winced.  “But don’t worry.  When James tried to contact them to reschedule or see if they would meet without you they didn’t even answer.  We think it’s because of the Nocte house explosion.”

Castor was hiding something behind his words.  “What?”

“James thinks they probably believe that you were attacking the Council and now they are avoiding you.  Afraid you are going to do the same thing to them.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Harley shielded her eyes with her arm, frustration causing her chest to ache worse.  “I-I just…I don’t even know.”  Harley gave up trying to accept the willfully ignorant actions of the Council and the Electorate both.  “Just wake me up if I start having any unpleasant dreams.”

“OK.”

“I’ve had enough unpleasantness in my head for the last day and a half.”

Chapter 39

Later that evening, as the sun began setting, Harley sat against the headboard.  She brushed her wet hair over her shoulder.  After feeding from both Levi and Castor, Nya had brought her a Burner back from her hunt and Harley was feeling almost fully recovered.  Emotionally, however, she was still shaky as she told the others what she had learned from both Haddon and her Nocte.  Everyone was stunned silent for several minutes.  Finally, Levi spoke first.

“I guess we know now, why you have been different from the get go.”

Harley shrugged a shoulder.  “I guess so.”

Nya seemed to read her flicker of disappointment.  “I still don’t think it is just her Nocte that is different.”

“What do you mean?” Levi asked.

“I still think Harley is different herself.”

“Meaning?” Cas asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m not sure yet.  But I think her Nocte is right, something is different here too.”

“I’m just…amazed I guess, with all that we know about the Other world now,” Castor shook his head.

“Try being the one to see it,” Harley muttered.

“What’s it like?” Nya asked.

Levi laid his hand over Harley’s while sitting next to her on the bed and she let herself sink into the pull of his weight on the mattress.

“It’s…barren and scarred.”

“What do you mean?” Cas asked from his seat in the cheap motel sitting chair.  He was sitting with his back straight and at attention.

“The land.  It reminded me of…like the African plains.  Kind of faded colors and sparse vegetation.  But, there is a surreal beauty in what does grow there.  The grotesque tree things and there are these grey looking bushes at the base of them.  The tree-things feel like they are alive--not like plant-alive--like living, breathing creature alive.  The so-called branches fell like giant snakes or something.  The bushes are weird too.  Coarse and powdery.  They are so different and so foreign that they are beautiful no matter how strange there are to me.”  Harley could feel her Nocte shift in discomfort.  “But that’s probably just because I’ve never seen anything like it before.  The novelty and the exotic-ness of the landscape are what make it so beautiful to me.”

“What’s that mean for the creatures from there,” Cas asked.  He and Nya were obviously enraptured, waiting on the edge of their seats.  Levi, equally fascinated, was more subdued in his interest.  He was picking up on the melancholy behind her voice.

“My Nocte, and even Haddon, have this…longing for what things used to be like.  I can feel it.  Their world used to be lush and full of life.  But their wars burned everything out.”

“What is the Nocte like?” Levi asked softly.

“You mean what do they look like?”

“Yeah.”

Harley shivered.  “I never really get good, complete looks.  Either I am them or the light is too bad.  Besides, you don’t want to know.”  She could feel her Nocte’s amusement.

“Yeah I do.”

Harley held out her hands as if to say “you asked for it.”  “Well, kind of reptilian or dragonish, I guess.  Maybe a cross between humanoid and dragon.  That’s the impression I get anyway.”  Levi and Nya’s responses were raised eyebrows.

“What about the Lux?”

“Meh.  Kind of bird-like.  Something between a pterodactyl and a giant humanoid-eagle maybe.”

Everyone was silent.  Harley was remembering the regret of losing a world she had never actually lived in and the others were mulling over the details of a world they couldn’t begin to imagine.  Each of them felt varying degrees of longing, jealousy, envy, fear and regret.  Finally, Harley had had enough of her morose thoughts.  “So, what do we do with what we’ve learned?” Harley wondered out loud.  A few months ago she had been bothered by feeling so different than everyone else.  But now, she realized that her difference was her advantage.  What made her different also made her capable.  She was the one who had the strength, the ability, to fight Helion.  It might sound arrogant, but Harley was sure of that fact.  Now, I just need to figure out how to make it happen.

“How do you feel about your Nocte?” Nya asked her, startling her out of her introspective moment.

Harley shrugged.  “As close as ever.  Maybe even a little more.  I know that she did something really bad there.  Something she doesn’t even want to tell me about.  But none of us are perfect.  Hell, I’ve been...different from the beginning.  I just can’t bring myself to judge her—any more than I can really judge myself.  She’s a part of me.”  She felt her Nocte relax a little and it softened the pit of her stomach.

“Let’s hope,” Cas muttered.

“What?”  Harley looked at him through narrowed eyes.

“I’m just saying—maybe you should wait to know what she did before you forgive her.”  Harley shook her head and Cas gave her an apologetic look.  “You spend an awful lot of time now feeling guilty for things you have no control over.”

“That’s different,” she argued.  Even as she tried to defend her Nocte--herself--Harley wondered about the wisdom of doing so.  She--and basically everyone--knew that she feed on pretty much anything.  Nocte, Lux and Ignis alike.  But surely that’s a coincidence.  Harley almost laughed at such an empty wish.

“How?”

“I-I don’t know.  It just is.”  Even if she heard the wisdom of his words, she knew that whatever it was she would just have to live with it and move on.  It was one of the lessons that Nya had been trying and trying to get her to learn.  “Well?  What now?” she asked, changing the subject.

“If you’re feeling up to it, I say we head towards Beverly Hills.  Get a hotel close to the address that Everett left us,” Castor suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” Levi nodded.

“I’m up for it.  By tomorrow I’ll be good as new.  What kind of address do you think it is?  Who do you think lives there?”

“No idea.  The location doesn’t sound familiar.  But I’m willing to bet that they are holding Everett there,” Nya admitted.  Harley wished they could ask the others about the address but didn’t want to risk the Council finding out that they knew where Everett was.

“Are you going with us?” Harley asked Castor.

“Of course.”  He looked offended that she even had to ask.

Harley gave him an apologetic look.  “I didn’t know if you would want to stay closer to James and the other Lux or not.”

He shrugged.  “I’ll stay in contact with them.”

The four of them packed their stuff quickly and left the hotel to find one in Beverly Hills.  They would have preferred to check into a cheap room, but given the fact they were in such an extravagant area of California they had had to splurge on a fancier place than they intended.

Castor let out a low whistle as he stood at the huge picture window overlooking the city.  They were on the twelfth floor and it provided a panoramic view of the streets below giving them a good perspective of the undisputed wealth of the city.  “I’m going to get some rest.  When do you guys plan on going to the address?”

“Sunset,” Levi answered.

Castor flopped down onto one of the beds.  “OK.”

For the rest of the night Levi, Nya and Harley tried to relax and recoup.  They watched TV, read a magazine that had been left in one of the dresser drawers and checked online for any unusual activity that would give them some kind of clue as to what Helion was up to.  Harley scanned the police blotter sites for larger areas around L. A.  She was feeling restless and would have preferred to lightly spar with Levi in the tiny, open area in front of the bathroom, like Nya was doing.  But, Harley had been relegated to internet searches because Levi and Nya disliked the web.  They both tried to say they just didn’t have the patience for it—Harley, however, suspected they just weren’t very good at it.  Especially Nya, who had been born hundreds of years before the idea of computers had even been hinted at.

The soft taps of Nya and Levi’s hands and feet meeting seemed to amp Harley up even more.  She wanted to close the computer and join in so badly her muscles ached.  Fight porn, Harley chuckled to herself struggling against her annoyance.  “Hey!” she jumped as she finally noticed something.  She turned to the other Noctes and nearly laughed at Levi struggling to free himself from a chokehold that Nya had him in.  Harley would have had to climb on his back to put him in a hold like that.  Nya barely had to reach up.

“What?” Nya asked, finally letting go her Levi’s throat.  He stumbled away rubbing at his neck and looking chagrined.

“I think I found something interesting.”

“What’s that?” Levi croaked as they both stepped closer to Harley and her laptop.

“I was searching for ‘decrease in crime’ and ‘missing dealers,’ that sort of thing.  And I found a couple of posts on public profiles on social media sites.”

“Yeah?” Nya leaned over her shoulder and squinted at the screen even though her eyes actually were strong enough to see the tiny bits that made up the LCD display if she concentrated.  “What does it mean?”

“It’s looking like people on social media are complaining about not being able to find their dealer.  A couple of cops seem to be chattering about slow shifts.”

“That kind of stuff is online?” Nya sounded disbelieving.

“You’d be surprised,” Harley muttered.

“Hmmm,” Nya muttered thoughtfully.

“Should we go check it out?”

“Not this late,” Nya reasoned.  “The sun will be up soon.”

“We should make sure the Lux know though,” Levi offered.

“Definitely,” Harley nodded.  “I’ll stay up and tell Castor when he’s awake.  I’m too wired to sleep anyway.”

As the sun began to lighten the sky, Nya and Levi stretched out over the comforter of the empty bed.  Not only she was still too edgy to rest, Harley had slept enough in the last day or so to do her for a while.  She decided to take a shower while she waited for Castor to rise.  In the bathroom Harley pulled her shirt off and ran a finger along the angry red line marking where the wooden spike had torn through her body.

Her Nocte shuddered and Harley ran a hand over her face.  The scar would heal completely soon, leaving no trace of the injury but until then she had to reminded of how close--once again--she had come to dying.  She climbed into the shower and let the water run over her hair.  When a cold draft brushed her back she smiled.  She didn’t have to open her eyes to know Castor had joined her.  He wrapped his arms around her waist as pulled her against him.  She placed her hands over his as he ran slid his fingers from her waist to her breasts.  The hot water ran over their skin and collided with the sensitive chills that were creeping over Harley’s arms and stomach.

Harley curled her fingers around Castor’s, causing his fingertips to dig into the soft flesh of her chest and she moaned softly.  He turned her in the tiny shower as smoothly as he would have spun her around a ballroom floor and when her back was against the wall he cupped her jaw and held her gaze.  Harley couldn’t look away; his eyes were magnets drawing her closer.  He ran his fingers over the jagged, red line that pulsed with her heartbeat and he shuddered.

When Cas spoke his words came out tight and pained.  “You scare the hell out of me.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Harley smirked, ignoring the real meaning behind his words.  She knew what it would mean to him if he lost her—just as she knew how badly it would crush her to lose him or Levi.  She refused to promise him that he wouldn’t because both of them knew that it would be a promise that she might not be able to keep.

Castor bent and lifted Harley by her hips and pressed her even harder into the shower wall.  She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his mouth to hers.  Neither of them was in any hurry and they spent what felt like forever kissing the water away from each other’s mouths and skin.  Harley pulled Castor closer by wrapping her legs around his waist tighter and she could feel his hardness against her.  With a grin she reached between them without breaking eye contact.  As she gripped him and ran her hand up his length she pressed her thumb gently into the underside and she had to smile as Cas’s eyes rolled back and he gasped.

Harley used Castor’s hips to lift herself higher and guided him inside.  They both moaned with pleasure as the heat of their bodies came together and she hooked her fingers over her head were the shower stall met the wall.  She didn’t plan on trying to pull from Castor’s energy without using her hands but inspiration struck in the heat of the moment.  Instinct and intuition told her to imagine Castor’s energy as a bright ball of white at the center of his chest.  As he thrust into her she imagined the energy pulsing in time with their movement and then concentrated on pulling it towards her using her will to move the light towards herself.

Castor didn’t seem to be aware of what she was doing, digging his fingers into her wet hair she could feel him connect with her energy.  As they both pulled at each other’s life force Harley saw it as a circling vortex between them.  With no pressure or expectations she took a chance and it seemed to be paying off.  She concentrated on the pleasure of the feed and arched her back as the physical ecstasy mingled with the psychic swirl of power between them.  As they climaxed the light between them surged and popped enveloping them both.  Castor rested his cheek against hers and gasped for breath.  “What did you just do?  How did you do that?”

Harley’s body hummed with power and euphoria.  “I think I’m finally get the hang of this Dybrid thing,” she grinned.

Chapter 40

As Castor and Harley left the bathroom they were startled to see the green notification light on his phone blinking.  She began to pull on her clothes, watching Castor’s face screw up in confusion.  “What is it?” she asked.

“James tried to call me.”

“That’s odd?”

“He tried to call four times.”

“Oh…”

“…yeah,” Cas touched a few buttons and held his phone to his ear as he pulled on a pair of jeans.  He was shoving his feet into his shoes before buttoning his pants.  Harley heard the faint murmur indicating James had answered as she worked her way into her sports bra.  “What?” Cas scowled.  “Dammit.  OK.  I’m on my way.”  He hung up the phone and shoved it in his pocket before zipping his pants.

“What’s going on?”

“A riot just broke out in Santa Monica.  James is saying a bunch of wild Burners are involved.  They went in and now they need help getting out.”

“Shit.”

Something in Harley’s voice gave Cas pause.  “What?”

“I meant to tell you I found some stuff online about missing dealers and things being really quiet lately.”

“You maybe should have mentioned that,” he grumbled as he strapped his kitana across his back.

“Sorry—you were the one distracting me.”

Castor ignored that and handed her the strap to her machete.  “Do you want to wake them up and tell them?” he nodded at Nya and Levi.

“No.  It’s daylight.  Let them rest.  I’ll send Levi a text he’ll get it when he wakes up…unless we are back by then,” she added almost hopefully.  Cas rolled his eyes at her as he held to door open.

“You drive,” he tossed her the keys and she caught them easily.

Harley narrowed her eyes.  “Why do you want me to drive?”

“Don’t you want to drive?”

They both slipped quickly into the Mustang—Cas had made a point of retrieving it for her.  “Yes, but I get the feeling you want me to drive because you think it will keep me from jumping in the riot with you.”

Castor glanced at her guiltily.  “I resent that.”

“But that doesn’t make it not true,” she rolled her eyes and started the car.  If Castor thought that driving would occupy her enough to prevent her from joining the fight, he was going to be disappointed.  The tires squealed and the car fishtailed as she pulled out of the parking spot.  They screeched around the tight corners of the parking garage with the rumble of the engine echoing off the concrete walls.  The few people coming and going glared and shouted at them as they roared past.

Harley barely slowed the car as she tossed a twenty out the window at the garage attendant.  Luckily, this was not a garage that used a security arm because she would have hated to mess up the shiny grill of the car as they plowed through it.  “Pretty sure you’re driving is going to get us kicked out of the hotel,” Castor growled through gritted teeth.  He had one hand on the seat between his legs and the other pressing against the ceiling.

Harley shrugged as the stomped on the gas and the car shot into traffic.  Horns blared behind them as cars swerved out of their way.  “We’re in a hurry.”

“Well, unless you want a police escort you might was to back off a little.”

“Alright, alright.”  Harley let off the gas and the car settled into a cruising speed.  “Where exactly are we going?”

“Santa Monica Boulevard,” Cas explained as if she should already know the answer to her question.

“You mean the whole street?”

“Yeah,” he dropped his answer in the air between them.

“Shit.”

“Exactly.”

“How are we going to clean this up?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s broad daylight.  Humans, police, news—surely they are all going to see the rioters turning into fiery ash once they are killed.”

“Maybe.  Maybe not.”

“What?” she looked at Cas from the corner of her eye.  She may have slowed down, but she was still driving aggressively and needed her eyes on the road—proven by the fact that she had just had to lurch around two slowly moving cars.  Really wish Wilshire wasn’t so damn busy, she grumbled to herself.

“Think about it.  If there is a riot there are going to be cops with tear gas—creating confusion as smoke and haze.  Not to mention panic and running people.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t hope the weirdness goes unnoticed,” Harley added thoughtfully as she slammed the car into fourth gear once the road opened in front of her as they merged onto the 405.

“Why is that?”

“If the news picks up the strange nature of the perps then maybe the Council and the Electorate will take notice.  Start believing what we have been trying to tell them.”

“Or they could just think that we are the ones who set the Burners loose.”

“…or that,” Harley sighed and tightened her hand on the wheel.  She resisted the urge to use the V-8 to pass the late morning traffic and cut even more time off their drive.  Harley shot across three lanes of traffic to make the I-10 exit.

By the time they made it to Santa Monica Boulevard Castor and Harley realized they would have to park and go in on foot.  The streets were clogged with onlookers, police and other emergency vehicles.  They found a place to leave the Mustang and ran towards the heart of the riot.  Castor had his phone out texting James as they went.  Harley could smell the fear and the aggression before they could see the fights.  On top of that, Castor had been right, a chemical odor of tactical gas burned her eyes and nostrils.  They both paused behind a store—near the dumpster, long enough to slip sunglass on hoping it would help protect their eyes.  Harley also tied her black bandana over her mouth and nose while Cas ripped his left sleeve off and made a makeshift mask out of it.

“What are we going to do?”

“Find James, Diego, Hannah and Aaron—there is no telling where they are but we gotta help get them out of there.  If we get separated we’ll meet back at the hotel.”

“OK.”

“There’s no point in trying to talk you out of going in, is there?”

Harley didn’t even bother answering, instead, she pulled her phone out and texted Jason.  “If you haven’t heard yet, you might want to get to Santa Monica.”  She shoved her phone back in her pocket and rushed towards the roaring, angry mob of people that surged through the streets with Cas hot on her heels.

Harley felt they did a remarkable job not hurting humans.  She, for her part—and she assumed Castor followed the same plan—only attacked shining-eyed targets.  It was easier than she would have guessed it was going to be.  Most of the humans were on the ground or running, trying to find a way out of the poisonous cloud.  Some determined humans, taken up with the fervor of the crowd, ignored the burning pain of the gas.  But it was still easy to see which beings were least affected by the tear gas.  Like Harley and Castor, the Burner’s quick healing ability lessened the impact of the fog against the thin membranes of their eyes and lungs.  It created a constant sting and irritation, but it wasn’t as debilitating for them as the humans.

The Burners were all so preoccupied with their feeding frenzy they barely acknowledged Harley before she took them down.  The whole time she fought, she tried to keep her eye on Castor—it was better for them to stick together.  Harley kept her head down, parrying attacks and thrusting her blade into one Burner after another.  The closer they got to the center of the riot, the thinner the gas became.  It was an indication of the amount of time that had passed since the beginning of the riot and the involvement of the humans.  The air had had more time to clear at the center of the storm.

Suddenly a voice broke through the chaos of Harley’s thoughts.  At the same time her brain erupted into a shockwave of alarms.  “Come with me and this will all end.”

Harley stumbled to her knees and shook her head, fighting to clear her brain.  “Fuck you—you psycho parakeet.”  She was proud of her ability to reclaim her attitude in light of the pain and pressure inside her head.  Helion’s fury raged through their connection but Harley could feel a hand close around her arm.  She looked up, startled then relieved when she saw Castor’s worried face.

“What’s going on?” he shouted.

“Helion,” it was all she could choke out but it was enough for him to drag her to her feet and lift her up.  Harley wanted to try to focus on Helion’s energy to test their theory that she could only feed from something whose blood she had tasted but she couldn’t clear her brain enough to even begin.

“Which way do we go?” he spun in a circle.

“I-I’m not sure.”

“There is no escaping.”  The voice was eerily calm speaking across a silent, frozen field inside her brain.  Harley felt like she had been put on pause.  She couldn’t fight, she couldn’t run—she was struck dumb and clumsy by the presence of the Sun Creature inside her head.  How am I ever going to fight her if I can’t even function around her? Harley wondered to herself.  She struggled to put her feet down and run with Castor instead of making him carry her.  She took a deep breath and tilted her face east, towards the ocean.  “She’s there,” she stammered.

“Then we’re going this way,” Castor turned and ran west, back towards their car.  The mob was beginning to thin but he still had to dodge humans still fleeing to safety.  They encountered significantly fewer Burners than before and for that Harley was grateful.  The further they got from Helion the clearer Harley’s brain became.

“Put me down,” she gasped.  “I can run now.”  Cas reluctantly lowered her to the ground and once he was sure she was steady enough to run he was on the go again with just an arm around her for support.

“You are only putting off the inevitable,” Helion’s voice was softer but no less disturbing.

“Yeah, well, can you blame me?  Why would I just come running to you willingly?  You can’t actually think I’d do that, can you?”

“If you want to keep losing your friends, keep running.  Keep hiding.”

“What?”  Ice formed in Harley’s chest—she was sure Helion wasn’t referring to Evie’s death.

“The red-head Lux.  What was his name?  Aaron?  He feels so good inside me.  I can feel the love he felt for…James.”

Harley’s teeth clenched as she lost the ability to banter and antagonize her enemy.  “Fuck you.”

“And the dark one…Adelio.  Or was it Diego?  He’s with me too.”

Harley saw the Mustang in the distance and breathed a sigh of relief.  She refused to answer Helion’s taunts—she was too stunned and upset.  She didn’t want to believe that the Sun Creature was telling the truth.  Harley hoped that she was just trying to goad her into doing something stupid.  But the voice of reason told her that Helion wasn’t lying.  Her voice had the steadiness of truth—and how else would she know their names?

Harley didn’t even realize they had made it to the car until Castor was pushing her inside the passenger seat.  After sliding the seat back as far as it could go, he slipped behind the wheel and turned to her.  She was watching people run past the car, choking and wiping tears from their eyes.  She felt more calm than she should have and she knew it was just a defense mechanism.  She was the innocuous looking pressure cooker—inside she was a rage about to explode.

“Are you OK?” Castor asked her, his hand held out for the keys.

Harley slid her hand in her pocket and extracted the keys.  “No.”

“What’s going on?”  Cas wasn’t stupid.  He knew something was up.

“I’m sorry,” she finally turned to look at him.  She could feel the rage spilling out of her black and white eyes in waves of heat.

“For what?” his eyes were wide and wary.

“Aaron.  And Diego.”

“What about them?”  But Cas knew without her having to say.  He clenched his hands on the wheel and Harley saw the hard rubber crushed under his fingers.  “James?”

“I don’t know.  Helion didn’t mention him.  I think—hope—he’s still alive.”  She turned back to the road.  “There’s nothing else we can do here.”  The riot was beginning to finally disperse.  They had saved as many humans as they could.  Lost two friends—at least—in the process and still hadn’t managed to stop Helion.  “Don’t go back to the hotel.  In this mess it will be too hard to make sure we aren’t followed.”

Cas nodded, his head moving in short angry jerks.  “And it would have been too easy to put a tracker on the car.  We need to check it first.”  Castor turned the wheel sharply and stomped on the gas.  The back wheels spun before finding traction and the car nearly turned 180 degrees before straightening out and roaring away from the curb.

Chapter 41

Neither Castor nor Harley spoke as he hurried away from Santa Monica.  Harley, using Cas’s phone, tried to contact James.

“Any answer?” Cas asked.

Harley bit back a sharp answer—As if he couldn’t hear that no one answered.  “No.”  It was only early afternoon or she would have tried to contact Nya and Levi.

“No point—there isn’t anything they can do either,” Cas muttered and Harley scowled.  She hadn’t realized that he was listening in.

“Where should we go?”

“Somewhere quiet—out of the public eye.  We don’t want to risk being seen by Lux or Burners.

“I have an idea.”

“What?”

“Hang on.”  Harley pulled out her phone.  “Where are you?”  Jason was a few minutes in replying.

“Back at the warehouse.”

“Castor and I are on our way.”  Harley put her phone away.  “Head to the warehouse in Venton.”

“Why there?”

“Jason and his crew are there.  They can help back us up.”

“Is that a good idea?”

“Do you have a better one right now?”

“No,” Castor admitted.

Fifteen minutes later Castor parked the Mustang inside the Burner warehouse.  Neither one of them relished the idea of trapping the car in a place that wasn’t easily accessible, but necessity required they keep it out of sight.  Jason was standing in the doorway to the office and Cas eyed him warily as they approached.  Jason took in Castor’s height and the sword on his back.

“Is he going to be a problem?” Jason asked Harley.

“No,” she rolled her eyes and Cas simply offered a very Levi-like smirk.  “Jason, this is Castor.  Castor, this is Jason.”  They both gave each other small nods as they had never been officially introduced before even though their paths had crossed.

“Fine.  He’s your responsibility,” Jason warned her as he opened the door and stepped back to give them room to enter.

“Understood.”

As they passed Castor made a point to look down his narrow nose at Jason to emphasize their height difference and Harley elbowed him lightly.  “Play nice.”

Inside the warehouse Jason led them to the office that Harley had been kept in before.  Nan and Robbie waited inside.  Nan sat behind the abandoned desk and Robbie sat on it.  Jason pulled a chair away from the wall and settled in it while Castor and Harley took the worn, smelly couch.

“Did you go to Santa Monica?” Harley asked once they were all seated.

“Yeah,” Jason nodded folding his hands behind his back.  “By the time we got there everything was pretty much a lost cause.  What happened with you guys?”

Harley glanced at Castor before answering the question.  Cas ran a hand over his hair and rested his elbows on his knees.  “We got a call from James—a Lux that we are working with—about the riot.  We went to see what we could do and back him and two other Lux up.  When we got there everything was chaos.  We did what we could.”  When Jason narrowed his eyes Harley knew that he understood that meant they had killed as many Burners as they could.

“Did you even try to recover any?”  Nan and Robbie stiffened drawing the same conclusion only moments later.

“We didn’t have time—didn’t have the opportunity.  By the time we got there it was a rescue mission.”

“What were the Ignis’ conditions like?” Robbie asked.

“Castor this is Robbie.  And Nan, is it?” Harley introduced the two other Burners.  Robbie held a hand out to Cas and after a brief hesitation he shook it.  Nan didn’t even bother standing up but she did at least give Castor a tiny nod.  “About like we’ve seen before.  Snarling.  Wild.  I don’t think I saw any who weren’t out of their minds,” she looked to Castor for confirmation.

“No, all of them were out of control.”  Harley looked away quickly.  The truth was, they hadn’t even considered trying.  She figured she had done her part by even contacting Jason and letting him know what was going on—giving him a chance to do his thing.

Jason looked grim when he spoke again.  “Well?  How did things end up?”  Harley figured he didn’t believe them, but he was letting it go and for that she was grateful.

“Helion was there.  She was waiting for us.”

“And?”

“She killed two of the Lux—Aaron and Diego.”

“Shame,” Jason replied dryly and Harley felt Castor stiffen next to her.  “So, why are you here?  Why did you come to us?”

“We didn’t really have anywhere else to go.”  Harley left out the part about not wanting to bring a tail back to the Nocte accidentally.  If they were followed, Castor and Harley had decided that it would be better to bring them to Ignis.

Jason tilted his head.  “I feel like there is more to the story.”  With a sigh, Harley filled him in on the Council trying to kill them and the current level of distrust they had in their companions.  Jason snorted with laughter.  “You trust us more than you trust your own people?”

Castor started to respond but Harley stopped him with a hand on his knee.  “We don’t really trust anyone right now.  But we figure you have more to lose by selling us out right now than the others do.”  Should Jason and his group of Burners turn them over to Helion they would, eventually, end up dead—or worse.  If any Lux or Nocte sold them out they would get back into the good graces of the Council or the Electorate.  The way Harley saw it—they had a better understanding of where they stood with the Burners—they had more in common with them right now than Harley wanted to admit.  They were being hunted by the Council and stood to end up in the same position with the Electorate.

Eventually Jason shrugged.  “So what now?”

“This evening we will go back to Nya and Levi and we will check out a place in Beverly Hills where we think they are holding Everett.”

“Why?” Jason asked and Harley was taken aback.

“Why what?”

“Why risk it for one friend?”

“We would rescue any of our friends that were taken.  And, we don’t want the Council to use him as leverage against us.”

Jason shrugged.  “I guess.  It just seems like a risk for one person.”

“Beyond the obvious reasons, it also gives us a chance to make a move against the Council.”  Harley and the others hadn’t really said that out loud yet.  No one seemed to want to admit that it had come to acting offensively toward their governing body—the group that was supposed to support and back them up.  Castor glanced at her and he knew what she was thinking.  He winced slightly but didn’t disagree.

Jason shrugged again—this time more dismissively.  “Sure.”

“What?” Harley was getting tired of him beating around the bush.

“I just think that you should focus on Helion and not the Council, this Everett, or the Lux.”

“We need all the backup we can get.  How many Burners do you think Helion has tucked away—ready to set loose on us?”

Jason narrowed his eyes in disgust.  “After today? I’d still guess at least a hundred.  She had at least two other warehouses we’ve been able to find.”

“And how many of the Sol Invictus do you think are still around helping her?”

Before answering, Jason looked to Nan.  “How many would you think you’ve seen?”

“I’ve SEEN maybe fifty.  But I’m willing to bet there are at least twice that many in the woodwork somewhere.”

“And how many of you are there?”

“Forty-five.”

“OK.  So accounting for any possible mistakes in the numbers—we could be looking at less than sixty fighting at least one hundred—and that is a conservative guess—Ignis and humans.  Humans who use guns.  Not to mention Helion—a damned creature so strong none of have been able to get close to stopping her?”

Jason shrugged.  “You have a good point.”

“We need everyone we can to stand a chance of succeeding in defeating Helion and the Sol.”  When Jason didn’t respond she took that as acknowledgement of the risk being worth it.

“How sure are you that the Electorate is going to listen any better than the Council did?” Nan asked.

Jason, apparently, hadn’t briefed his friends on what she had reported already.  “We aren’t.  Not at all, really,” she didn’t bother lying or sugar-coating anything.

Robbie rolled his eyes and Nan snorted.  “And you want us to back you up in this foolish meeting.”

“Yes.”

Robbie and Nan turned to Jason.  “She has a point,” the Lux-Ignis hybrid conceded.

“We are risking our forty-five that we know we have for the off chance that we MIGHT be able to bring in some more Lux?”

“We could potentially more than double our numbers if the Lux will listen to reason,” Castor said, speaking for the first time.

“And Nya and I were able to get out of the Council without losing anyone—us or them.  They hesitated to attack us.”

“But now?” Jason asked knowingly.

“Well, now is a different story.”

“I still think this is stupid,” Nan argued and Robbie, obviously, agreed.

“Look,” Castor held his hands out.  “We can’t just give up on the Electorate.  The Vigilum and the Praesidio have backed us for centuries.  You don’t know what it is like to have a group that supports you—a community.”  Harley cringed at his bluntness but Cas understood, realized his misstep, and tried to smooth it over.  “What you guys have now.  This is new for you.  The Vigilum and the Praesidio have always been our family—yours is new.”

The three Burners had stiffened in offense at first but began to relax as Cas appealed to their new sense of identity.  “I can understand that,” Jason finally admitted.  Harley watched him carefully as he studied the Ignis milling about the warehouse through the observation window.  She tried to put herself in his shoes.  After Alice died he was left alone.  He found his support the hard way.  He carved it out—created it from the vicious façade of previously solitary creatures.  “If you guys insist on trying,” he continued.  “We’ll back you up.  But only because the more we have the less we are likely to lose.  But I have to warn you.  We are holding back and will only go in as a last resort.   We’ll do the bare minimum.  The Electorate—the Lux—they have a vendetta against us already.”

Harley glanced at Cas.  “Understood.”  After a moment Castor nodded his understanding.

“You guys can rest here as long as you want but we don’t want any other Lux or Noctes here right now.”

“OK,” Harley nodded.

“When do you plan on meeting with the Electorate?”

“Well…” Harley began.

“James was working on making it happen…again,” Cas finished for her.

“What do you mean again?” Jason scowled.

“I kind of missed the first meeting when I was almost blown up.  We think,” Harley sighed, “that they believe we attacked the Council.  Now they aren’t communicating with us.”  Jason chuckled but Harley knew he didn’t actually find the situation funny.

“Until they respond to us, we aren’t going to know where we stand with them,” Cas finished lamely.

“And where did you say Everett was being held?” Jason declined to continue arguing about the futility of their meeting.

“Beverly Hills,” Harley answered.

Jason scowled at Robbie and Nan.  “Do you know of any Nocte compounds in Beverly Hills?”

“No,” Robbie answered and Nan shook her head.

“What are you trying to say?”

“If your friend is being held in Beverly Hills, I doubt it’s by the Council.”

“They could be renting a place,” Harley tried to reason.

“A place that came pre-secured for holding hostages?  A supernatural hostage that would need silver reinforcements?”

Harley narrowed her eyes, not wanting to admit the truth of Jason’s words.  “Then who would be holding him then?”

Jason shrugged.  “I’m just saying watch yourself.  There is no telling what you will run into.”

After the Burners left, Harley and Castor pulled out their phones again.  “Anything?” she asked him.

“Nope.  Did you try Heather before?”

“No.”

“I’ll try her.”

“OK.  I’m texting Levi to give him a heads up on what happened.”

By the time Harley sent the message she could hear Heather answer Castor’s call.  She sat up when she heard the Lux’s voice.  She couldn’t hear all of the conversation but from the look on Castor’s face, it wasn’t good news.  When he hung up he put his phone back in his pocket and stared at the ceiling looking exhausted.  “What?” Harley asked.

“Hannah said James was taken--but not by Helion.”

“What?”  Harley’s chest felt hollow with dread as she waited for him to explain.

“Hannah saw James being taken by a group of Lux.  She tried to follow them but lost track of them just outside of Beverly Hills.”

Chapter 42

“Fuck!”  Harley didn’t realize that she had jumped from her seat and kicked the metal desk until a loud clang reverberated from it.  When she turned back to Cas she could see the Burners through the window looking her way with fear and apprehension.  A moment later Jason returned to the room.

“What is all the racket?”

Castor explained what they had learned.  “And you are still insisting that you need to meet with the Electorate?”

“I don’t know,” Harley admitted and Castor was quietly running his hand through his hair.  “We need to call a meeting,” she sighed.  It was time to stop avoiding the inevitable.

“With who?” Castor asked.

“Everyone.  Our people.”  Harley had considered going with the good guys but realized that she didn’t know if that term could apply to all of them or not.

“Meaning?” Jason asked.

“We need to bring all the players in our group together.”

“Where?  How do we risk it?”

“We don’t tell them where they are going until they get there.  We can pick them up in a van—make sure that they don’t have any phones on them and transport them ourselves.”

“Where exactly are you thinking about having this meeting?” Jason asked.

“Here,” Harley answered trying to sound firm and confident.

“Nope,” Jason shook his head.

“Come on,” Harley argued.  “It’s the best place.  We can take the van, pick them all up unannounced and bring them here with no phones or way to communicate with anyone.  We will take responsibility.”

“What good is that if my people end up dead?” Jason countered.

“Your people can clear out.  As many as you want can leave—they can go feed.”

“And if things go wrong then we have lost our hideout.  And this is a damn good hideout.”

“Which is what makes it a great meeting place.  You yourself didn’t want to go along with meeting the Electorate.  You were right,” the words were sour in Harley’s mouth.

Jason looked highly amused by her admitting he was right.  “Let me discuss it with Robbie and Nan,” he finally agreed.

Once he was gone Castor pulled Harley back onto the couch beside him.  “Do you think this is a good idea?”

“I think it’s a better idea than meeting with the Electorate.  At least until we figure out for sure where they stand and what they are doing with James.”

Castor sighed.  “OK.  What’s first?”

“We borrow a van and go to Nya and Levi.  Run what we know past them.”

“This is all if Jason and the Burners go along with our plan.”

“They will.”

“Why are you so sure?”

“Because Jason wants to be the one we are relying on.  He hates our idea of meeting with the Electorate so much, but he’s willing to go along with it.  He is letting us stay here as long as we need.  He likes us turning to him.”  Cas raised a doubtful eyebrow.  “Trust me.  I’ve known him a long time.”

Before Castor had a chance to argue, Jason returned.  “Fine.  But Robbie is going with you and will do the weapons search before you get anywhere near here.”

“Deal,” Harley gave Castor a smug look.

--------------------

It was nearing sundown when Castor and Harley returned to the hotel in Beverly Hills.  They were  careful to make sure that they weren’t followed—there was enough time and distance between the riot and their moving again they were sure that no one was on their tail.  Walking to the room Harley was relieved to feel the hum of Levi’s presence and she was surprised to find both he and Nya awake.  They had barely shut the door behind them before answers were demanded.

“What the hell happened?” Levi growled stepping close to Harley and hugging her against his chest while Castor pulled off her machete.

Harley scowled at Cas as she disentangled herself from both men.  She rolled her eyes at Nya who chuckled softly.  She sat on the bed next to her mentor and began pulling her shoes off as she, assisted by Castor, related the events of the day.

“If the Lux took James and he isn’t answering, I think we have to assume that they are not an ally,” Nya admitted.

“That’s what we figured,” Harley nodded.

“Shit!” Levi grumbled.  He and Castor were sitting on opposite sides of the round table.  Cas rested his head on folded arms and Levi had his legs stretched out in front of him with his arms crossed over his chest.

“I second that sentiment.” Cas’s voice was muffled in the hollow behind his arms.

“What do you think about my idea?” Harley asked Nya and Levi.

They glanced at each other before Levi shrugged and Nya answered.  “I think it’s a good plan.  But first I still want to do a drive by the Beverly Hills address.  I think there is a good chance that Jason is right—as much as I hate to admit it.  But I still want to see for myself.”

“I’ll go with you,” Harley offered.

“I’m going too,” Levi added.

Less than an hour later they were on their way with Nya driving and Levi in the passenger seat.  The address was in the midst of the huge, extravagant homes that Harley expected to see in Beverly Hills.  They drove past their target without slowing down and stopped at the end of the street.  “Did anyone pick up anything thing,” Nya asked, looking directly at Harley.

“Something weird,” she muttered in response.

Nya and Levi turned to look at her.  “What was it?” Nya asked.

“I’m not sure.  Go by again—slower this time.”

On the second pass, Harley rolled her window down and took a deep breath.  “Strange.”

“What is?” Levi asked.

“I-I’m not sure.  Muddled.”

“What does that mean?” Nya looked over her shoulder.

“I have no idea, really.  Park over there,” Harley nodded at a turnabout at the end of the adjacent street.

“You aren’t thinking about trying to go in again are you?” Levi narrowed his eyes at her.

“Hell no.  I’ve learned my lesson,” Harley rubbed at healed wound on her chest.  It was still fresh enough that she could remember the pain.

“No kidding,” Nya added.

“Then what?”

“I just want to see,” Harley shook her head distracted, staring in the direction of the house.  There really wasn’t anything that stood out more from it than its neighbors, but Harley couldn’t ignore the wrongness she felt from it.  “One thing I’ve been wondering,” Harley broke out of her thoughts.

“What’s that?” Levi asked, his dark blue eyes shining out of the dark.

“How did Everett know the address he was being taken too?”

Levi shrugged and Nya nodded.  “I’ve wondered the same thing,” she admitted.

“Either the Nocte who took him specifically mentioned the address—or he knew it.”

“If they said the address out loud around him then they WANTED him to know it…”

“So he could get a message to us somehow,” Levi nodded.

Harley chewed at a fingernail.  “Or if he knew the address then we know who runs this house.”

“I’m sure it’s not a Nocte house,” Nya spoke softly.

“So does that mean it’s a Lux house?” Harley asked.

Levi sighed.  “Surely not.”

“If this is a Lux house,” Nya brushed her braids out of her face.  “Then we should assume the Council and the Electorate are working together.”

“Holy shit,” Levi rubbed a hand wearily across his eyes.

“That’s insane, right?” Harley asked Nya.

“I never thought I would see the day…but at this point I don’t know.”

Harley couldn’t stop herself—the laughter burst out of her sounding out of place and disturbing.

“What?” Levi scowled at her.

“It’s just that we have been trying to get them to work together all this time and it has seemed like an impossible task.  But now, we may have managed to unite them.  They’ve come together to stop us—not help us.”  By the time she finished tears were running out of her eyes she was laughing so hard.

Levi continued to glare at her but Nya looked like she was trying to not join in with Harley’s fit of hysteria.  “I don’t think it’s very funny,” Levi muttered turning back towards the house.  “What do we do now?”

“Let’s head back to the hotel,” Harley suggested.  “I want to check something and I need the laptop.”

Nya started the engine.  “What are you checking?”

“I have an idea how to find out if that is a Lux house.”

--------------------

Back at the hotel, Harley sat at the desk in front of the laptop trying to ignore Levi and Nya who were hovering over her shoulder.  Castor was asleep in the bed behind them—dead to the world—so to speak.

“When we looked up the property records of that house before it showed it was owned by Anna Toch.”

“OK” Nya shrugged.

“It has been under her name for the past nine years.”

“And?” Levi asked.  Harley could feel his hair tickle her cheek and it raised goosebumps on her arms.

“Well, I’m going to look up Anna Toch’s donation histories.”

Harley could see Nya’s head tilt in the reflection of the laptop screen.  “How?”

“There are databases that track that kind of stuff—to help other organizations fish for donations.  It’s legal and normal.  Not to mention organizations publish that information sometimes.”

“And you are going to…?” Nya asked.

“I worked at the university library in college.  They use one of those databases.  My old boss still works there.  I’m sure I can guess her password—she always uses the same one.”

Less than ten minutes later Harley was in with a “Hah!  I knew it,” she laughed in triumph.  A simple search later and Harley had what she was looking for.  “See,” she pointed at the screen.  “Anna Toch.  Regular donor to the Antioch Mission Church.  What’s more—even though her age is listed at sixty-two, she has no financial records going back farther than nine years ago.”

“So she is a false identity.  A fake front to filter money into a church.”

Harley switched to a tab with a search engine already pulled up.  “Right…a church that doesn’t actually exist.  They have a tax id number, but that’s not that hard to get.  Create a fake organization and just do what needs to be done—fill out the paperwork and hold an event or two—to keep up appearances.  So you know what this means…”  Harley had found that Lux properties were usually listed under the ownership of either churches or donors to churches.  It was a front most people didn’t question too hard.

“It means that house belongs to the Vigilum,” Nya answered.

“And that means…” Harley waited for one of them to fill in the answer.

“...the Council took Everett to a Lux house…” Nya filled in.

“And…”

“That the Council is working with the Electorate,” Levi supplied the answer.

Chapter 43

About an hour before sunrise Harley woke Castor and told him it was time.  “Time for what?” he mumbled crankily.  Harley rolled her eyes at Nya who laughed.

“Time to collect everyone.”

“Oh,” he muttered blearily before becoming fully awake.  “Oh!  OK.  I’m up.”

Jason had sent Robbie with the van and he was waiting in the parking garage.  “I’m driving,” Harley announced as they arrived.  Robbie shrugged and climbed into the back.  It would be easier for him to search everyone that way and Harley was the only other one who wasn’t half asleep/half awake at the moment.  Their first stop was at the hotel the Lux had been staying at.  The only one currently there was Hannah and Harley felt an ache of regret in her guts.  Hannah shouldn’t have been alone for numerous reasons.

Castor, who had been sitting in the passenger seat, nodded at Harley.  “I’ll go in to get her.”

Harley leaned back and rested her foot on the dashboard.  Robbie leaned forward to speak to her.  “What’s this one like?”

Harley scowled at him.  “‘This one’ is Hannah.  A Lux.  And be nice to her.  I don’t think I need to remind you that she just lost her companions.”  Robbie shrugged and Harley could see Nya and Levi both narrow their eyes from the seat behind the Ignis.  This is not going to be fun, Harley thought to herself.  She could feel her Nocte’s doubt and it only made hers worse.  She had a feeling bringing the Lux, Nocte and Ignis together was going to be like throwing cats, dogs and mice into a pen together.

Movement caught her eye and Harley looked up to see Castor exiting the hotel leading Hannah with an arm around her shoulders.  Harley could hear Hannah arguing with him as they approached the van.

“Where are we going,” she growled.  Hannah had been quietly pleasant any other time Harley had been around her.  Apparently, she wasn’t a morning person.  “I need my bag,” she continued to protest as Castor opened the door.  The first person Hannah saw was Robbie and she froze in shock.  She looked from Robbie, to Harley, to Levi and Nya before turning back to Castor with fading eyes.  “What the hell?”

“This is Robbie,” Harley spoke up more pleasantly than she should have.

“What’s going on?” Hannah glared at Castor, choosing—understandably—to put her trust in him.

“We are meeting with everyone.  The Lux, the Noctes and the Burners.  We talked about this,” Castor assured her softly.

Hannah looked like she wanted to argue, but decided against it.  “You didn’t say I was going to have to actually deal with them,” she glared.  “Fine.  But why can’t I bring my stuff.”

“Just a precaution,” Robbie offered and Harley was glad he was the one to say it.  Hannah flinched when he spoke as if she had just seen a dog start speaking English.

“What’s he doing here?” she asked Harley.

“We are meeting at the Burner warehouse.  He’s here to make sure no one brings any weapons or phones.”

“So he’s going to…what?  Search me?”

Harley could see the recoil forming in Hannah’s nearly white eyes.  “Yes.  And the quicker you agree to it, the quicker it will be over.”

“He’s not touching me.”

“Then you aren’t going,” Robbie responded.

“Just do it and get it over with,” Castor reasoned with her.  He put a hand on her back and she shrugged it off.

“Alright,” Hannah snapped.  “I can’t believe you are letting her bring us down—bring us to this.”  Harley felt her eyes darken when she caught Hannah’s meaning.  Castor shook his head slightly over Hannah’s as she climbed inside the van.  She let out a long breath and returned her attention to Robbie and Hannah as the Lux sat as far away from him that she could while on the same bench.  Castor returned to his passenger seat, looking brighter as the sun rose higher in the sky.

Harley watched Robbie run his hands over Hannah’s body in a way that was entirely non-sexual but that didn’t stop the Lux from stiffening in barely contained rage and discomfort.  Harley winched when she saw the Burner’s nostrils flare.  She knew he was relishing Hannah’s fear and anger as he searched her for weapons and communication devices.  Harley didn’t take a breath until Robbie sat back and announced that Hannah was clear.

As soon as she was released, Hannah jumped from her seat and moved to the back of the van.  She paused next to Levi and Nya as if she considered sitting with them before changing her mind and taking the empty bench in the back.  Harley shook her head and put the van in gear.  “Now for the fun part,” she announced trying to sound more humorous than she felt.  Jag and Pax were next and Harley knew they were going to be the most difficult sell.  “What did you tell Hannah about the Ignis?” Harley asked Cas.

Harley could hear his internal sigh.  “I told them you had some contacts inside.  That they would be able to help take some of the heat off us.”

Shaking her head Harley closed the connection.  He should have been more forthcoming.  He had made it sound like they were going to use the Burners for bait or kindling.  A few minutes later, Harley pulled up in front of the hotel Jag and Pax were staying in.  The sun was barely up and she figured that they would just be settling down for the day.  She had found a side, service entrance, to the hotel and was confident their van wouldn’t draw any undue attention.  “I’ll go get them,” Nya offered.  Harley was relieved.

“Need any back up?” she asked.

“No,” Nya shook her head.  Harley knew that Nya would get them out easier than any of them could.  Ten minutes later Nya emerged guiding both Nocte toward the van.  Pax was surly as ever and even Jag looked perplexed and angry.  Harley figured that his anger had as much to do with Nya not contacting him and suddenly showing up with orders as it did the way he was being herded out after sunrise.  At the side of the van, Nya opened the door and waited for the Nocte’s response.  Her jaw was set and her eyes were all business.

“Are you serious?” Jag asked Nya.  Harley was impressed with Robbie’s self-control.  So far he had refrained from reacting to the other’s responses to him—but Harley knew it had to be difficult.

“Do I look like I’m not?” Nya’s voice was as steely as her eyes.

“Where are we going?” Jag asked.

“To their warehouse,” Harley nodded in the direction of the Burner.

“I guess I’m supposed to let him search me?” Jag turned back to Nya, ignoring Harley.

“Yes.”

Harley felt Pax’s stare before she even realized he was looking at her.  She nearly flinched under the weight of it.  But, she met his look with one as equally severe and refused to look away.  Pax had his hands shoved in his pockets causing his elbows to jut away from his body and widen his stance.  His entire demeanor was aggressive.  In her periphery she saw Jag climb into the van and sit himself next to Robbie.  Harley’s Nocte roused herself out of her daytime stupor as her annoyance matched Harley’s.  She felt her biceps flex as the Nocte urged her to teach Pax to not challenge them.  And that’s exactly what he was doing—challenging Harley.  She could see it in the flare of his nostrils.  He wanted to pull her out of the van and pummel her.  Bring it on, asshole.

Nya’s hand snapping her fingers sharply between them broke the stare down.  “You’re next,” she informed Pax, leaving him no room to argue.  Harley waited for him to challenge Nya’s order and for a moment she thought he would.  But after another sharp glance towards Harley he gave in.  He lowered himself into the seat that Jag vacated and stared straight ahead.  After Robbie was done he only nodded sensing it would be unwise to even speak at the moment.  Harley could see his eyes flash with the strength of his feeding from the anger and distrust that was swirling inside the van and Harley hoped no one else noticed.

When Pax stood, so did Levi, moving awkwardly, the two large men switched seats.  Levi sacrificed his seat to allow Jag and Pax to sit with Nya while Levi sat with Robbie.  Harley smiled at him gratefully as she turned back to the road ahead of her.  She glanced at Castor out of the corner of her eye and saw her relief reflected in his pale green eyes.  She started the van and pulled away from the curb with a sigh.  It’s only going to get worse, she shook her head.

--------------------

Harley looked around the room and imagined this would be exactly what she would expect to see if Lux, Nocte and Burners were put in a room together and asked to get along.  The Nocte stood close to each other, Jag and Pax closest together, as near to Levi and Nya as they could.  Hannah kept close to Castor and they all watched Harley.  They were waiting on her to either act or react and Harley wasn’t sure how any of them would respond no matter what she did.  I don’t think I can win with any of them.  She almost smiled when she felt her Nocte’s distinct “fuck it,” response to that thought.

Harley caught Levi’s eye and he gave her a half smile and an eyebrow raise.  OK.  Here goes.  “Here is what we know,” she spoke loudly, more confident than she felt.  As she, Levi, Nya and Castor filled everyone in Harley watched Pax, Hannah and Jag for reactions.  How has our group gotten so small? she thought regretfully.  She focused more on Pax than anyone else.  If there was a nonhuman leak, it was doubtlessly him—but can we really trust any of them right now?  The only part she left out was her knowledge of the Other world.  While it might eventually help them stop Helion, right now it would only confuse and complicate things.

“And you want us to rely on the Burners?  Not even try to reason with the Electorate, or work things out?” Hannah asked.

“Yes,” Harley replied.

Jag and Pax looked at Hannah as if they were annoyed to agree with her.  “Are you really sure that the Electorate took James for bad reasons?” Jag asked.

“Why else wouldn’t he contact us or answer his phone?” Nya pushed back.

Jag groaned and looked up to the ceiling.  His black wavy hair was pulled up into a high knot at the back of his head.  He looked as tired and as grumpy as Pax did.  Harley could see the dilemma he faced.  Listening to reason.  Listening to the woman he cared about.  The people he considered friends.  But at the same time that meant going against everything he had always known.  “I’m just more inclined to believe that the Electorate or even the Council are more trustworthy and reliable than the Burners.”

Harley gritted her teeth and stole a glance at Jason.  He was biting back his annoyance and Nan was glaring at Jag as if she was ready to rip his head off.  Harley knew it was just a matter of time before the tension would break if she didn’t do something to diffuse it.  “And what would you rather we do?  Take Helion on ourselves?  Or go to the Electorate and risk them turning on us—as the evidence seems to indicate they would?  Or should we just turn ourselves in to the Council.  Let them kill us?”

“They don’t want to kill us,” Pax spoke for the first time.

Harley narrowed her eyes at him.  She heard his emphasis on the word “us.”  “What are you trying to say?” she asked him—she wanted him to say it.  Wanted him to admit it in front of everyone.

“They just want you.  If we turn you over to them they will work with us to fix what you have caused.”

“Excuse me?”  Nya, Levi and Castor glared at Pax while the Burner’s looked on amused.  Even Jag looked surprised and angry.  “What exactly do you think I broke?”

Pax snorted.  “If it wasn’t for you, Helion wouldn’t be here.  Evie, Cassandra, Rafe—none of them would be dead.

Levi started to speak but Harley held up her hand to silence him.  She stepped closer to Pax and held his steely brown glare.  She knew her eyes had shifted but she didn’t care.  “If I wasn’t here, Haddon would have run rampant.  There is no telling how many would have died if I hadn’t stopped him.”  She felt a twitch inside and knew it was Haddon—annoyed or agreeing with her.  “And if I hadn’t been here, the Sol would still have brought Helion over.”

“Maybe, maybe not.”  Pax stepped closer—they were nearly toe to toe now and Harley saw Nya put a hand on both Levi and Castor—stopping them from intervening.

“You’re right.  I don’t know what would have happened had I not been here.  But neither do you.  I—we are all just trying to do what is best.  If you and the Council and the Electorate just want to keep working against us we will never win this war.  How will killing me solve anything?”

“It will stop Helion from uniting the worlds for one.”

“Oh, so you believe us?”

Pax shrugged.  “I believe what I’ve seen.”

“What about the Council.”

“They still don’t know what to believe.  But they know you are trouble.  And they are right.”

“You’re working with Kai?”

Pax shrugged.  “We’ve been in contact.”

Harley shook her head in frustration.  “So, what would you have me do?”

“Turn yourself in.  Let the Council decide the best course of action.”

“Because they have acted so well already?”

“You’ve not given them the chance.”

“Oh I did!  Nya and I both did.  And it almost got us killed.  Besides, what have they given me?”

“You had your chance,” Pax snarled.  “At every turn you have caused one problem after another.”

“That is exaggerating a bit, don’t you think,” Harley sneered.

“Not at all.”

“What is it going to take to get you to listen to reason?”

“For you to step down.  Stop acting like you are so much more important than everyone else.  You aren’t better than any of us.”

Harley wanted to argue with him, but she had to be honest.  She had claimed that she was stronger than everyone else.

Nya came to her rescue.  “Pax, don’t ignore what is right in front of your own face.”

“I’ve never claimed to be better than anyone else,” Harley softened her voice, chagrined.  “But, by nature, I am different.  I am better suited to fight Helion.”

“She’s stronger than all of us,” Levi added.

“Bullshit,” Pax shook his head.  Even though Pax denied it, Harley knew he realized the truth.  He just didn’t want to admit it.  Something was ingrained in him to not believe her—to not like her.

“Your problem isn’t with me.  It’s with the Lux in me, isn’t it?”

Pax flinched and the other looks appropriately confused and surprised.  “Fuck you.”

Harley started to laugh.  “The Vigilum refused you, didn’t they?  They took you but decided that you didn’t belong in the Vigilum.”  Harley remembered what Castor said they did to people who didn’t make it in the Vigilum--if they didn’t die, they lost their memories.  “They tried to wipe your memory and turn you back out.”

“Fuck you.”

Harley started laughing harder.  “Let it go, man.”  Everything had come together.  Pax’s over the top hatred of the Lux and her by default.  The fact that he had been training to supposedly be a priest before being brought into the Praesidio.  It was glaringly obvious to Harley now--how could anyone else have not seen it?

Pax glared at her for a long moment before responding.  “I was just as good as everyone there.”  After a moment he kept going.  “The memory wipe didn’t work.  I still remembered enough that eventually everything came back.  It took a long time but I finally found a Nocte who agreed to bring me into the Praesidio.”

Castor’s eyes grew wide and Levi put a hand over his mouth and Harley wasn’t sure if it was because of stress or because he was trying not to laugh.  Harley could see the fury melt away from Pax’s eyes enough for her to see his shame.  Taking pity on him she nodded.  “This is what we are going to do.  We are going to stop fighting about this.  You are going to stop reporting our activities to the Council and you are going to work with us to stop Helion.  You are going to get over your prejudice against the Lux and me.  Shit happens.  Move on.”  It felt good to put her foot down and have Pax listen.  She looked to Nya and her mentor gave her a small nod and a smile.

Harley didn’t wait for Pax to respond, she turned to the side so that she could address all the parties.  “Now that we are all on the same page we need a plan.”  But before anyone could offer a suggestion the north wall of the warehouse exploded in a shower of dust and concrete.

Chapter 44

Harley was knocked off her feet by Pax who was knocked off his feet by Jag who had dived out of the way of a rather large chunk of stone.  Before she could recover her breath or her wits she felt Castor pulling her from underneath the pile of bodies.  Levi and Nya were on their hands and knees scrambling toward her, trying to stay low and out of the line of fire should anyone one begin shooting.  All around her Harley heard coughing and shouts of alarms.  Smoke hung heavy in the air and she waved a hand in front of her.  “What the hell?” she asked no one and everyone at the same time.

“Sol?” Levi offered.

Harley took a deep breath and fought back a wretch as a gritty cloud coated her lungs and nostrils.  “No,” she growled.

“What is it?” Nya asked as they scrambled towards the office.  Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea.

“Lux.”

“What?” Castor gasped and coughed.

“Can’t you smell them?  Feel them?”

Cas paused, looking over his shoulder.  “Fuck!  What are they doing?”

“I believe they are making their stance known,” Jag offered as he and Pax caught up to them.

“What do we do?” Cas asked and Harley could hear the despondency in his voice and she realized how much he had been hoping that the Electorate would be on their side.

As they ducked inside the office, careful to stay low, Harley could hear the sounds of fighting throughout the warehouse.  A reluctant Jason was the last to roll into the office and she mud-crawled toward him.  “How did they find us?” he gasped.

Harley glared pointedly at Pax and everyone else followed her gaze.

“Pax?” Jag growled.

“I didn’t tell the Lux we were here.”

“Who DID you tell?”

Pax had enough decency left to look ashamed under his friend and general’s gaze.  “I told the Council.”

“How?” Jag croaked.

Pax rolled onto his side and pulled a small black object that looked like a key fob out of his pocket.  Tossing it on the floor he muttered something Harley couldn’t hear over the sounds of fighting.

“What is that?” Harley asked.

Jag shook his head at Pax before answering Harley’s question.  “It emits a GPS signal.”

“If you told the Council why are the Lux here?” Levi snapped.

“I don’t know!”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Harley barked.  Turning back to Jason she spoke firmly.  “You have to make them stop fighting.”  Many of the Ignis had left before the meeting but many had stayed.

“What?” he was appalled that she would suggest a surrender.

“If the Ignis fight the Lux, we will lose even more.  It’s not worth it.  Tell them to retreat.  We can all meet up at the warehouse of Helion’s we cleared.”

Jason risked a glance over the edge of the observation window.  “The Vigilum is blocking the exits.”

Harley gave him a blank stare.  “There’s no back way?”

“No.  There was a service exit but we closed it up so the warehouse would be easier to secure.”

“But harder to escape from,” Harley rolled her eyes.  “We’ll have to go out the front then.”

“How do you suppose we do that?”

“Fight our way out.”  She could feel the Lux and Nocte behind her stiffen.  “Don’t kill anyone unless it can’t be helped.  Subdue and disarm only.”

“She’s right,” Nya slid closer.  “We’ve gotta get out of here.  But if we just openly kill Lux it’s going to bite us in the long run.”

Jason looked like he was going to keep arguing but, finally, he clenched his jaw and nodded his head.  Harley was sure that he didn’t care about being able to ever work with the Lux in the future, but he was concerned with saving as many of his people as he could.  “Fine.  But you guys lead the way.”

Harley glanced at Nya and the others.  “Let’s do this.  But you guys,” she nodded at the Nocte behind her, “stay back.”  Even though she knew they wanted to argue, the realized the wisdom of her words.  They weren’t operating at full capacity and there was no sense in taking undue risk—not like this.  She didn’t bother unsheathing her weapons.  She wanted to keep them away as long as possible to help avoid killing Lux if she could.  Harley and Nya led the way out of the office, Hannah and Castor were right behind them and they were followed by Jason, Robbie, Levi, Pax and Jag and several Ignis who had slipped in with them.

“Spread the word,” Jason ordered.  “Kill no one unless it can’t be helped.”

Harley made a beeline directly for the first knot of fighters.  A Lux was taking on two Burners but was barely keeping them at bay.  She grabbed one Burner by the shoulder and threw the woman backwards, head over heels, away from the Lux.  Then, grabbing him by the shoulders, Harley shoved the other Ignis toward Jason.  The Lux flinched when she saw Harley and she hesitated—long enough for her to twist the sword out of the woman’s hand.  “Go.”  When the Lux continued to sputter and stumbled in surprise Harley pointed toward the hole in the wall.  “Get out of here.”  Finally, the Lux turned and ran and the knot in Harley’s stomach eased a little with optimism.

Harley made her way through the battlefield and Levi stayed close.  Any time she disarmed a Lux or an Ignis she passed the weapon to Levi who either secured them or used them to back Harley up when she needed it.  She had been afraid that she wouldn’t be able to avoid killing anyone, but by the time she made it to the middle of the battle the worst she had done was break a couple of necks and the Ignis or the Lux lay in heaps on the floor.  A shout drew her attention to her left and Harley was surprised to see Hannah motioning towards the shattered wall.

“Joshua,” her Lux ally pointed.

Harley swung back towards the north side of the warehouse and saw who Hannah was pointing at.  A tall, black haired Lux was taking the heads off Burners with a heavy sword and he looked like someone who wouldn’t be willing to listen to reason.  “Shit,” Harley growled and darted toward him.

“Harley,” Levi called her name and she paused long enough to catch him by the shirt.

“Get back.”

“Not a chance.”

“He’s not going to take dealing with a Nocte well.  If I can get him to listen at all you can’t be there.”

“You think he’s going to listen to you?”

“I hope.  You help the other Nocte.”

“Fuck that.”

“Please,” Harley gave him a pleading look.  She knew he wanted to be there to back her up, but she needed all the advantage that she could.  She could see Cas fighting two Lux in between her and Joshua and she planned on grabbing him on her way.  Levi saw where she was looking and sighed.

“Fine,” he shook his head.

“Get Nya and the others out of here.  We’ll meet up with you soon.”

“You’d better.”  And without another word he turned and hurried towards Nya who was working with Jag to disarm two Lux.

Harley caught up with Castor as a Burner, obviously having not gotten the message—or was not acknowledging the message—grabbed him the hair raised a shiny dagger.  Harley caught the Burner’s wrist and easily snapped it with a twist of her arm.  He yelped and backed off.  “Get lost,” she snapped and he turned and ran towards the cluster of Burners Jason was trying to get out of the main exit on the west side of the building.  The doors—both the rolling overhead doors, and the double walk through doors, were blocked by Lux.

“Help me with Joshua,” Harley shouted at Castor as he rammed his sword hilt into the face of the Lux he had been fighting.  Stunned, the man fell backwards and Castor pounced, snapped his neck and took the Lux out of commission for at least a day.

“What are you going to do?” Cas asked, fighting his way through the crowd—shoulder to shoulder with Harley.

“Try to reason with him.”  James and Jag had both made it clear the Lux captain was difficult--but if she could reason with him they might have a shot at ending this without losing good fighters needlessly.

“Why?  What’s the point?”

“Last ditch effort?” Harley punctuated the rhetorical question with a boot to the face of a Lux who tried to stab her.  The woman was knocked down and Harley didn’t even bother to take the time to disarm or restrain her.  She was too focused on her goal of getting to Joshua.  By the time they made it through the crowd and eased toward Joshua, Harley could see Jason and Nan directing Burners through the open doors.  Harley could only hope that the way was clear enough that they would be able to make it to safety.  The best she could tell there were at least fifty Lux inside the warehouse—who knew how many were outside.

When Joshua caught sight of Harley and Castor he stopped fighting.  The two Burners one either side of him nearly fell at the sudden cease in fighting.  Harley pointed towards the door and after glancing at one another they ran for freedom without looking back.

“Why am I not surprised?” Joshua shook his head at Harley and Castor.  “I should have known you would stoop to working with Burners.”

“It’s not what you think,” Castor said evenly.

“Hear us out?” Harley tried.

Joshua looked at her sharply.  “And I’m supposed to listen to an abomination like you?”

“What do you have to lose?” Cas asked.  When Joshua still looked doubtful, his weapons raised, Cas slid his sword into the sheath on his back.  Harley held out her hands to show that she wasn’t holding any weapons.  Finally, Joshua lowered his and even if he didn’t put them away, Harley considered it a tiny victory.

“Speak quickly,” he ordered.

“We need to work together,” Harley began.  “Helion is trying to merge the two worlds.  If she brings the veil down there will be no stopping the Ignis from flowing into our world.”

Joshua looked confused, shocked and disbelieving all at once.  “Bullshit,” he spat.

“She’s telling the truth,” Castor insisted.

“And how do you know what?”

“Because she is on our side.”

“And what side is that?  The Burner side?  The Lux side?  Or the Nocte side?”

“I’m on the side that is trying to save humans—not to mention Lux and Nocte.”

“And you think that’s going to happen by working with Burners?” he motioned toward the mass of fighting bodies at Harley and Castor’s backs.

Harley held her hands out in supplication.  “I don’t have time to convince you right now.  But look around you, and think about it for a while.  Eventually, you’ll realize what we are telling you is the truth.  Take a body count later and figure out how many Lux died here.  Listen to the Lux that insist the Noctes, and even the Burners, were only fighting to get away.  We have not killed anyone that we didn’t have too.  You’ll see.”

Joshua still didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t look like he was ready to fight them yet.  Harley opened her mouth to continue her desperate plea but was rocked off her feet as her head exploded in rumbling alarm.  “Shit.  No!”

“What?” Cas looked at her sharply and she could see Joshua jump in response to her sudden flinch.  She took a step back and Castor steadied her by the arm.  “What is it?”

“Helion.  She’s here,” Harley gasped.

“Fuck.  How?”  Castor turned to Joshua.

“What’s she talking about?” he asked.

Reassured that Joshua wasn’t working with Helion he wrapped an arm around Harley’s shoulders.  “You should get the Lux out of here.”

“What are you talking about?” No sooner than the words left Joshua’s mouth the gunshots started.  The Lux Commander ducked, forgetting about Harley and Castor.

“We’ve gotta get out of here,” Harley gasped.

“Can you walk?”

“I think so.”

“Use me.” Cas caught her chin and pulled her face up so that he could look her in the eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“Use me to help block her presence.  You did it before, with Haddon.”

Harley nodded, too stunned to argue with him.  Normally she would resist the idea of taking any strength or energy from her friends when they needed it themselves, but she had to own the fact that right now, she was the one who needed it.  It took a great effort, but using the intensity of Castor’s stark white eyes as an anchor, she found the source of his energy and locked onto it.  Before she had never tried regulating the flow between them—she hadn’t realized it was possible.  But, knowing Cas needed his energy as much as she did, she concentrated on controlling the rush.  She imagined the white light funneling into herself through her nose forcing it to narrow and slow.  As Castor’s light warmed her, the roaring inside her head lessoned and she found she could breathe easier again.  She nodded indicating she could walk on her own again.

Harley glanced over her shoulder and saw Joshua staring after them stunned and clearly unsettled.  She could feel Helion trying to break into her thoughts, and if Cas knocked at her brain with insistent knuckles when he wanted to talk—Helion was a giant slamming a sledgehammer against her head.  But Harley relied on Castor to guide them toward the doors and away from the hole in the wall and Helion.  With each step Harley felt stronger and clearer and she let out a gasp of relief when she saw Levi duck back through the doors.  “What happened?” he yelled to Cas.

“Helion’s coming.”

“What?  Where?”

“I don’t know.  Get everyone out.”

“Come on,” Levi waved them towards the door.  “Nya has the van ready.”

Harley, still unsteady on her feet, ducked as more shots were fired into the building.  She let Levi and Cas lead her towards the plain white van they had all arrived in.  Before climbing inside she turned back to the warehouse.  Black clad men—and even a few women—converged on those still left to fight.  They carried guns and knives and were shooting into the mass of people regardless of who they hit.  Harley saw Lux and Burners alike pummeled with bullets.  From the side of the building she saw Joshua dart forward and knock a gun out of the hands of a man who was preparing to shoot a female Lux.  She was cowering on the ground, weaponless, and once Joshua pulled her to her feet he turned towards the van.  The look on his face revealed him to be a man being pulled in multiple directions and confused as to which way to go.

Chapter 45

Two hours after the sun went down, Harley sat on a folding metal chair playing with her hunting knife.  Burners had finally stopped trickling in and things were beginning to grow quieter.  Levi woke with a start next to her.  He was stretched out on a blanket over the ground.  “The sun is down?” he asked groggily.

“Yeah.  When you didn’t wake up on your own I figured I should just let you sleep.”

“Where is everyone else?” he asked sitting up and peering into the darkness.

“Castor is asleep.  Jason is talking to Robbie and Nan—they slept for a little while.  Nya and Jag are off somewhere talking and Pax is who knows where.”

“He’s not up to no good is he?”

“I’m actually confident he’s not.  I think being sold out to the Lux and nearly killed may have convinced him of the stupidity of his actions.

Levi stood and moved a chair close enough to her that he could pull her legs over his lap.  “Did you get any sleep?” he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“A little.”

“How many Burners have come back?”

“So far?  About twenty have trickled in I think.”

“Combined with the ones that came in when we did?  We have what? About thirty Burners with us now?”

“Yeah.  Jason seems to think we only lost about ten.”

“That’s a miracle.”

“Right?”

Harley looked around the room and sighed.  They had ended up running to a different warehouse.  Once Helion showed up with her humans they figured it wasn’t safe to go to a site that she was familiar with—not once they knew she was on their tails.  The had to assume that she had found them due to their numbers and the fact she knew they were in the area.  Trying to get as far away as possible it had taken them thirty minutes to travel, by vans, to another site the Burners held.  This warehouse was north of Venton in another small, industrial town called Los Rocas and it had taken the Burners who had not been lucky enough to catch a ride in the vans much longer to make it in.

Just before dawn the sound of a phone ringing caused Harley to jump and look around for the source.  “Isn’t that Castor’s phone?” Levi asked.

“Shit.  I think you’re right,” Harley left her uncomfortable seat and knelt next to Cas, shoving her hand into the pocket of his jeans, searching for his phone.  As she tugged it free he spoke, “What are you doing?”

She nearly laughed at the curious and amused look on his face.  “Your phone was ringing.”

“What?”

“See,” Harley held up his phone and he took it from her and unlocked the screen.

“Shit!” Cas sat straight up.

“What?”

“It’s James.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.  He’s the only one, not here and alive, that has this number.” Cas climbed to his feet and Harley stood next to him.  Levi came to join them and the scrap of shoes on concrete announced Jag, Nya and Pax’s reappearance as they realized something was going on.

“James just tried to call you?” Nya asked.

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure it’s him and not just one of the Lux trying to call you from his phone?” Levi asked.

Harley shrugged.  “So what if it is?  No one would even talk to us before.  This could be good.”

“Or very bad,” Pax grumbled.

Harley rolled her eyes at him, but didn’t disagree.  “Well, call them back.”

“Are you sure?  Couldn’t they trace the call?” Castor asked.

“If they could or were going to they would by now,” Harley shrugged.

Cas took a deep breath.  “OK,” he ran a hand through his hair.  He redialed the number and stepped away from the group—turning his back to them.

Another presence at her shoulder caused Harley to look up.  Jason was standing next to her.  “What’s going on?” he asked.

“James, a Lux that the Electorate ‘apprehended,’ just tried to call Castor.”

“Is this good or bad?”

“We don’t know yet.”

Harley couldn’t hear the other end of the conversation, but she could hear Castor’s responses.  “Who is this?...Oh….Where is James?...Why?...And why should we trust you?...Not alone…Fine.”  He turned and met Harley’s eyes before he looked at anyone else.

“Who was it?” she asked.

“Joshua.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“What does he want?” Levi asked.

“To meet with us.  Harley specifically, but I told him she wouldn’t come alone.”

Harley raised a brow but didn’t argue.  “When?”

“At sunrise.”

Nodding, she agreed.  “Fine.”

“The Council will have a representative there too.”

“Holy shit,” Jag whistled.

“So they really are working together?”  Harley had been sure of it when Pax summoned the Council and the Lux showed up instead, but now there was no denying it.

“Apparently.”

“Well, fuck me,” Harley muttered.

“Bad idea…” Jason muttered.

“I agree with the Burner,” Levi scowled.

“They are waving a white flag,” Castor offered.

Nya tilted her head.  “Seriously?”

“He gave me his word.”

“We have to do it,” Harley decided.

“Agreed,” Nya nodded.

“Who’s going?” Levi asked.

Castor spoke up.  “I am.”

“So am I,” Levi added.

“Jason should go to,” Harley braced herself for argument but was surprised that other than dubious looks no one disagreed.  “Where are we meeting them?”

“At the warehouse.  The one from yesterday,” Castor snorted.  “It seems Helion spooked everyone.”

“And they are finally willing to listen to reason?”

“It’s looking that way,” Castor smiled.

--------------------

Harley, Levi, Nya, Jason, and Castor stood in the middle of the warehouse that once housed a whole nest of Burners.  Broken chairs and other debris littered the floor and everything was covered in a fine dust.  Harley wrinkled her nose realizing it wasn’t just grit from the exploded wall, it was also the dust of dead Ignis.  She crossed her arms over her chest and wondered how long they would have to wait for Joshua and whoever else was coming with him.  No sooner than the thought crossed her mind than a voice interrupted the stillness of the late morning air.

“Good morning.”

Harley and her friends turned to see Joshua and another Lux she didn’t know lead James and Everett into the warehouse—followed by Alphie, Raymond and Nas-Rey.  Harley’s stomach tightened seeing the Nocte and nearly overrode the relief of seeing their two friends alive and relatively unhurt.  Everett looked tired and hungry and James had dried blood crusted at his hairline and he looked weary and drained—but otherwise they both seemed to be in good condition.

“You OK?” Harley made a point to address their friends first instead of the Council or the Electorate.  She recognized the disrespect that it showed but she didn’t care at the moment.

James only nodded but Everett spoke.  “Yeah, we’re OK.”  His voice was dry and lacked inflection.

Harley narrowed her eyes at Joshua and Nas-Rey, as she stood next to him.  She could feel Nya stiffen next to her and Harley could empathize.  “So?  What is the purpose of this meeting?”

Joshua glanced at Nas-Rey.  “To make sure that you and your little group clean up your mess.”

“Excuse me?” Harley scoffed.

“Helion—that’s the creature’s name, right?  She needs to be taken care of,” Nas-Rey filled in.  Her long blonde hair was braided over her shoulder making her look much younger than she really was.

“So you finally realize that we are telling the truth?” Nya tilted her head.

“You know,” the Council leader shrugged.  “I don’t know what you guys have gotten yourselves into, but you need to finish it.”

“What the hell is this?” Levi asked.

Nas-Rey turned to him.  “You should hold your tongue.”  Harley scowled at her and she could feel Levi’s anger build as it radiated off him.

“I think you have lost the authority to tell me what to do,” Levi snarled and Harley placed a hand on his arm.

Wrinkling her nose, Nas-Rey addressed him again.  “You have allowed yourself to become a toy of the Dybrid.  I’m not going to talk to playthings.”

Everything in Harley struggled for release and Levi’s fury and offense encouraged the feeling.  Taking a deep breath she tightened her hand on his arm.  “If you don’t have anything nice to say—why don’t you shut your fucking mouth.”

“Enough of this,” Alphie pulled Nas-Rey back and stepped forward causing Harley to wonder if Nas-Rey was the leader of the council in anything other than name.  “We don’t care who is doing what—or who.  At this point we don’t care what you did or did not do.  As it stands, Helion is a problem.  And, in one way or another, you guys are responsible and you need to fix the situation.”

“This is ridiculous,” Nya snapped.  “This is ALL our problem!”

“That’s not how we see it,” Nas-Rey stepped forward again.

“And how exactly do you see it?”  Harley asked.

“You started this.  You finish it,” Alphie leveled the proclamation at her.

“Without your help I take it?” she asked.

“I’m sure you will do just fine on your own,” Nas-Rey turned to her.  “Maybe if we are lucky our problems will take care of each other.”

“Meaning?” Nya bit off the word.  Harley could tell she wanted nothing more than to sink her blade into the Council leader.

“Meaning either you take care of Helion, or she takes care of you.  But if we are lucky you will take care of each other.  At worst, one gets rid of the other then we’ll clean up.”

“Do you realize that if we can’t stop Helion she will merge the worlds?  That’s what she’s trying to do”

“Oh, we are sure that you won’t let that happen,” Alphie offered.  “We are sure that you would rather kill yourself than let Helion use you to bring the other world into this one.”

Harley tilted her head at him.  “Really?  Do tell.  Why are you so confident?”

He gave her a smiled that turned her stomach.  “We are pretty sure that neither you nor your Nocte want the words combined”

“Spit it out!  What are you getting at?”  Harley could feel her Nocte shift uncomfortably.

“How did you get so strong, Harley?” Nas-Rey inquired with a sneer.

How could she know?  “Just lucky I guess.”  Harley could feel Levi and Castor focus on her, waiting for her reaction.

“Oh, it’s not that simple is it?” Nas-Rey was enjoying herself too much.

Harley flinched.  She couldn’t help herself.  “If you’re going to accuse us of something, just fucking say it.”  Harley was banking on the hope that Nas-Rey didn’t really know anything.  She was hoping the Council leader was just guessing.

“Your Nocte was a deviant before she crossed over,” Nas-Rey smiled sweetly.

Harley went still.  She really didn’t want it said out loud in the presence of those who she had not already shared the secret with.  “And you know this how?” she struggled to keep her voice light.

“Oh, piecing together clues and information.  Meditation and trances can help recover information our Noctes forget.  Brainwashing and hypnotism is good for more than just making you forget  And the Burners have good memories—better than our own.”  Harley glanced at Jason who narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw.  Harley could guess how those memories were extracted.  “Your Nocte had quite the reputation in their world.  The most interesting memory was the apparent disappearance of the Queen Nocte—that was your Nocte’s mother, right?  After yours crossed over--chasing after Haddon--the caves were in an uproar.  The Burners remember something big happening.  So, should I ask again—how did your Nocte get the strength to come over on her own?  And she would have had to come without help wouldn’t she.  I have to admit, I don’t know for sure that’s the case, but I don’t think I’m too far off. Am I?”

Harley tossed her head.  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”  But she knew that wasn’t right.  The guilt and shame rolling off her Nocte disagreed with Harley’s denial.  What did you do to your mother?  She wished her Nocte could answer her but the best she got was more guilt, softened only with something that felt like conviction.

Nas-Rey shrugged.  “Doesn’t matter.  But if the worlds merge, you won’t just have to worry about Burners.  There will be a lot of angry Noctes that won’t be too happy to meet you, won’t there?”

“Enough of this,” Nya snapped.  “What is the bottom line?”

“The only thing we have to offer you,” Joshua rejoined the conversation, looking confused, stunned and maybe a little scared.  “Is our assurance that we will stay out of your way.”

Levi snorted with sarcastic laughter.  “Oh thank you!”

Nya shook her head.  “So we are right back to square one.  We are in this fight on our own?”

“Well, you seem to have added to your little faction,” Alphie gestured toward Jason.

“You know, I’ve not been here long,” Harley shook her head.  “But the one thing that I have learned about the Electorate and the Council is you are both worthless.  A waste of strength.  You are supposed to support and back us up, but the best you can do is not be there?  That’s just great.”

Nas-Rey narrowed her eyes and Alphie shrugged.  “Those of you who can’t submit to the rules and practices that we all live by have to accept the consequences of their actions.”

“Well, you know what?” Nya growled.  “Fuck off.  I have covered for you, Nas-Rey, for most of your Nocte life.  That’s the real problem here.  So, if you aren’t going to help us, hurry up and get the hell out of our way.  We have a job to do.”

“Our pleasure.  But here, we did at least bring a peace offering, of sorts,” Alphie pushed Everett then James forward.  “Good luck.”

Chapter 46

In the van, on the way back, Levi watched Nya closely.  Harley knew he wanted to question her but he was hesitating.  Finally, Nya got tired of him staring at her.  “Nas-Rey and I go way back,” she offered softly.  Her eyes shone with the dazed, far-away look that worried Harley.

“Apparently,” Levi cautiously responded.

Nya sighed.  Castor was driving and she rode next to him watching the sun set.  She didn’t turn back to Levi as she filled him in.  “Nas-Rey has always hated that her leadership has been ‘tainted’ by my help.  Everyone knows that she got to where she is because I helped her.  If she can discredit me then she can get out from underneath our history.”

“Great,” Castor muttered.  “So this is just a vendetta?”

“I don’t think that’s the only thing,” Harley reasoned.

“What?” Levi asked.

“I think it’s a combination of a lot of things.  Personal grudges, fear of war, fear of what’s different, ignorance, stubbornness, all of the above.”

Levi leaned back into the seat looking as exhausted as she felt.  Harley gave him a small smile and rested her hand on his leg.  “What was she saying about your Nocte?” he asked her.

She let out a heavy sigh.  “My Nocte might have killed her own mother.”

No one spoke for a minute.  “Do you know why?” Nya finally asked.

Harley raised her hands and let them flop back into her lap.  “I think she needed the strength.”  She could feel her Nocte’s guilt and it soured her stomach.  “I don’t think she MURDERED her mother though.”  She felt her Nocte relax a little and it eased her own discomfort.

“Why?” Nya asked.  Levi, Castor and Jason all seemed to be holding their breath--even Everett and James were quiet despite how much they needed to be caught up.

“It...just doesn’t feel right.”  It seemed like a lame answer but it was the best one Harley had.

“I think you’re right,” Jason finally spoke and Harley looked at him almost gratefully.  “I don’t know details, but I remember...rumors, impressions maybe.  About the Burners staging some kind of attack on the royals.  I think that’s when all hell broke loose.”

“Yeah, it would make sense,” Harley insisted.  “That could be why Haddon and my Nocte’s ‘partnership’ ended.  Maybe he attacked and killed her mother.”  She waited hopefully for some sign from her Nocte but she was silent.

“That still doesn’t explain how your Nocte would have gotten strong enough to come over on her own?” Nya said gently.

When Harley didn’t answer everyone was quiet for the rest of the ride.  There was nothing else to be said.  They didn’t have the answers they wanted and needed.  And, they were on their own--at best.  At worst, up against the Council and the Electorate in addition to Helion.  By the time the seven of them returned to the warehouse in Los Rocas, Robbie, Nan and, reluctantly, Hannah had made it a bit more livable.  There were more chairs and tables—picnic tables that Harley suspected had been acquired from parks or community centers.  Also, there were a stack of cots that would provide more of them a place to sleep and seeing as how they were all olive green, she guessed they came from some sort of army surplus store or survivalist stash.

Harley settled at one of the tables with a sandwich and Castor slid in on the opposite side.  Levi patted her shoulder as he made his way to claim one of the cots and Nya followed him.  Jag and Pax were already asleep, having claimed one corner for themselves.  Nya and Levi added their cots and lay down to get some rest.  Harley was surprised that Jag and Pax had been able to relax around the Burners enough to sleep—but, then again, she figured they didn’t have a lot of choice.  The call of sleep was brutal on Noctes during the day.

Harley rested her head on her arms and peered at Castor through her lashes.  “So,” she mumbled.  “What do you think?”

A long sigh preceded Castor’s response.  “About which part?”

“All of it.”

“I think we have to deal with what we have.”

“I just can’t believe neither the Council nor the Electorate is willing to back us up.”

“I’m pretty…confused…amazed…furious…about it all myself.”

Harley watched James and Everett wander cautiously into the main room of the warehouse.  There were several other smaller rooms off the main area that had been designated at a weapons room (only a few were allowed to keep their weapons on them at all times), a food storage room and a “shower” room—which mainly consisted of a spout and a bucket with a drain in the middle of the floor.  Everett nodded at Harley and Castor before collapsing on the cot Nya had set up for him while James wearily made his way to their table.

“So, fill me in,” James sat next to Castor but kept his eyes on the table.

Harley and Cas glanced at each other.  “Does he know about Aaron?” she asked him.

“I don’t know.”  “Where do you want us to pick up?” Cas asked him.

“After the riot.  After Aaron and Diego…” James’ voice cracked and Harley’s heart ached for him.  He had cared a lot about the both of them, it was written in the lines on his face that should not have been able to mark his preternatural skin.  Harley and Castor took turns filling him in on all that had happened since he was taken by the Electorate.  “So, is what Nas-Rey true?” he asked.

“Well,” Harley sighed.  “I think she’s right in that my Nocte did some pretty crazy stuff before she crossed over.”

“Besides maybe being involved in her mother’s death?”

“Yeah.  I know she was feeding on Lux in her world.”  Harley’s Nocte shifted angrily and she struggled to not let it shape her words when she responded.  James deserved to know the truth.  “Also, my Nocte crossed over on her own and that is unusual.”

“How did she do it?  If she killed--or someone killed--her mother?  Another royal?”

“I don't’ know,” Harley answer honestly.

Harley was grateful that Castor was silent through the exchange—it was easier to pretend that he wasn’t listening.  Her Nocte’s shame couldn’t be separated from her own feelings.  She didn’t hold it against her inner devil—but it didn’t feel good either.  “I don’t know.”  Harley wasn’t lying—she really didn’t know.  But she did suspect the truth—she just didn’t want to admit it.  For herself as much as her Nocte.  “I’m getting guilt from her.  But there’s more than that.”

“Like what?” James asked.

“I don’t really know…I just don’t think my Nocte murdered her mother in cold blood.  Just to chase after an Ignis.”

“So,” Castor finally spoke up and his timing was perfect—as usual.  Harley was conflicted and confused by the feelings radiating off her Nocte.  “Now we are in this alone.”

“I don’t know about that,” James muttered.

“What do you mean?” Harley asked.

“I just think that the Electorate and the Council are speaking for everyone and maybe they shouldn’t be.”

“Why?”

“Well, they are both the figureheads for the Vigilum and the Praesidio, but when it comes down to it—we both do what we want.”  He looked up finally and regarded Castor and Harley’s confused looks with a slight smile.  “The Electorate oversees the Vigilum.  There are captains that answer to them and they direct our responsibilities and assign our jobs, but they don’t micromanage us.”

“They assign your jobs?” Harley asked.

“Yeah,” Castor tilted his head at her.  “Doesn’t the Council?”

“Not really.  Our generals do that.  Based on what we are good at,” Harley shrugged.

“Huh,” Cas frowned.

“What?”

James answered.  “The Lux are trained for what is needed.”

“Well that seems fucked up.  So is the Electorate trained?”

“They are chosen,” James explained.  “By the existing members.”

Harley shook her head.  “The Vigilum needs to work on how it’s run.  What if someone doesn’t want to be an Electorate?”

“You accept the calling when it chooses you.  Or you don’t,” James shrugged.

“Moving on,” she rolled her eyes.  “You’re plotting something.”

“I think if we are careful, we may be able to gather more support.  We just have to go around the Electorate and Council.”

“Do we really have time for that?” Harley asked.

He shrugged.  “Probably not for our immediate goals.  But, in the long run, we may find more support useful.”

“We need to concentrate on the now,” Cas pointed out.

“I know.”

Harley watched the Burners milling around the warehouse.  “We need to go on the offensive for once.”

Castor looked wary.  “We still haven’t figured out how to stop Helion.  NONE of us have gotten close to taking her down.”

“But if we catch her off guard, take her support away—the Sol—we have a better shot than we have had before.  Up until now, she’s come after us.  She has caught us off guard.

“We need to talk to Jag when he wakes up.”

“Why?” Castor was thrown by the sudden mention of Jag.

“I think Marc still has something to do with this.”

“You think he’s a part of the Sol.”

“That’s my suspicion.  I need to know if Jag has found him yet.  If he has been in contact with him maybe that will give us some answers.  Once Jag and Pax are awake we’ll start asking our questions,” Harley rested her chin on her hand and closed her eyes.

“You should get some sleep,” Cas’ voice caused her to jerk awake.

“You’re right,” Harley shuffled her way towards her cot.

--------------------

“Well, I’m sorry.  In light of everything else, I’d forgotten I was supposed to be searching for my errant human,” Jag rolled his eyes.  “He didn’t answer any of my calls before, but I’ll try again.”

“Don’t bother,” Harley snapped.  “What’s his number?”  She pulled out her phone and opened her text messages.  After Jag recited Marc’s number Harley composed a quick message.  “I need to talk to you.  Maybe you can cook stir fry for me again?”  It only took a few minutes to get a short, simple reply of the name and address of a coffee shop in Santa Monica along with a meeting time.  She nodded at Cas who had just returned with Hannah and James from picking up some of their vehicles.  “I need the Mustang,” she held her hand out for the keys.

“Why?” he asked as he tossed them to her.

“I’m meeting Marc in Santa Monica.”

“Whoa!  Not alone,” he shook his hand and made to snatch the keys back but she put them in her pocket before he could grab them.

“Yes alone.”

“And if he sets you up and Helion comes?”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“Why not?”

“Why what?” Levi joined them, drying his hair on a towel.  He had only caught part of the conversation but he knew he wasn’t going to like it.

“Harley is going to meet Marc in Santa Monica,” Nya piped up from the picnic table.  She was tying her shoes as she and the rest of the Noctes prepared to go out on a hunt.  The Burners were pretending they didn’t know what was happening—not very successfully.  They kept watching the Nocte from the corner of their eyes and keeping their distance.  Necessity forced them to ignore what they knew was going to happen.  Not all Ignis had been willing to join Jason’s gang.  Those who hadn’t were still roaming the streets—and in an unspoken rule—they were fair game.

“Alone?” Levi sighed and brushed a hand over his brow.

“Yes.”

Levi shook his head with a bitter laugh.  “Have you still not learned you can’t argue with her?” he asked Castor.

“I just keep foolishly hoping she’ll listen to reason one day.”

“Hey!” Harley interjected.  “I’ve gotten a lot better.”

“You have,” Nya laughed and clapped her on the back.  “Call us if you need us.”

Levi hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead before he followed Nya and Jag out of the warehouse to the truck that Pax had waiting for them.

Harley turned back to Castor.  “I’ll be careful,” she assured him before he could say it.  “And I’ll even keep the connection open so you can help if I need it.”

“Fine,” Cas finally gave in before pulling her in for a soft kiss.  “Love you.”

“Love you too.  Get some rest.  If this meeting goes as planned we are going to need all the strength we can get.”

Chapter 47

Harley cranked the radio loud as she drove the Mustang towards Santa Monica.  It felt strange to be alone but it was relaxing too.  She took the PCH for the scenery and allowed herself to feel a moment of peace.  As she neared the coffee shop she sighed, tranquility was over—time for business.  She found a parking spot nearby and sat watching the area for a few minutes.  She rolled the window down and took a deep breath.  She wasn’t getting any Burner vibes—other than one or two a few blocks away.  Harley marked them off as not concerning but noted their location in case she had a chance to hunt later.  Eventually, she stepped out of the car and made her way inside the shop.

Harley took a deep breath relishing the smell of coffee and baked goods.  She spotted Marc immediately.  He was seated in the back looking nervous and twitchy and he waved her over as if he was in a hurry.  She slid into the seat next to him and scowled at his appearance.  “What happened to you?” she asked.

Marc picked at a just healing split at the corner of his mouth.  “I got into a fight.”

“I can see that.  With who?”

“Why do you care?”

Harley shrugged.  “I guess I shouldn’t, right?  Since you turned us over to Helion.  You’re a part of the Sol, aren’t you?”

“You figured it out.”

It wasn’t a question but Harley nodded anyway.  “Wasn’t all that hard.”

“But I tried to take it back.  I tried to make it better.”

That caught her off guard and Harley tilted her head.  “What did you do?”

“I told the Burners where to find you.  The ones fighting Helion.  I left a note on one of their cars.”

Harley hadn’t expected that, but she realized that she wasn’t as surprised as she figured she should have been.  “Interesting.  How did you know who to tell?

“I recognized one of them.  The Sol have all the pictures up of Burners that they are looking for.  She was one of them.  It was just a coincidence.  A lucky chance.”

“Why?”

“Why did I tell them?”

“Yeah.”

“I-I felt bad.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t really think we were going to do anything that bad.  They seemed like they were trying to do good…”

“But?”

“But Landon died.  I owed him.  And it was my fault he died.”  Marc sounded anguished and miserable.

Harley took pity on him.  “Landon’s better off.  The fire actually put him out of his misery.”

“Really?  You couldn’t have helped him again?”

“How did you know I was able to at all?”

“I went in the basement.  He was better.  He said you did it.”

Harley winced.  “What I did wasn’t permanent.  Nothing I could have done would have ‘cured’ him.”

“Well,” Marc shrugged.  “He deserved better than that.”

“How long have you been with the Sol?”

“Less than a year.”

“And why did you join up with them in the first place?”

Marc picked at the sore on his face again.  His clothes were dirty and Harley could smell that he hadn’t had a shower in a while.  “Pax and Jag are different than Landon.  I thought Noctes were good—helpful.  But they torture people.  I know they were Ignis—but just leaving people sitting around like that.  Waiting to die.  It reminded me of growing up with the cartel.  They would keep people prisoner like that.  I just kept thinking it was only a matter of time until it was me in there.  They already looked down on me.  Like I was trash—unworthy.  It was stupid—but I couldn’t get it out of my head.  I-I thought the Sol would protect me.  Protect all humans.”

Harley could understand how childhood fears and insecurities could stick with you long after the dangers had passed.  “Well—thanks.  For going to Jason’s group,” Harley sat back and crossed her arms.

“Why did you text me?” he asked.

“We need to get to Helion.  We need to stop her.  You know what she’s planning is a bad thing.  She’s going to end up destroying the world if she gets her way.”

Marc sighed.  “I know.”

“Do you know of any weaknesses she might have?  A way we can defeat her?”

He shook his head.  “I’ve only ever seen her once.  She travels separate from everyone else.  She has a guard of ten Sol and they stay away from everyone else.  You have to go through this scientist woman to get to her.”

“Jenna?” Harley’s heart beat harder and she flinched at the memory of being electrocuted.

“I-I think that’s her name.”

“Can you find out where she is?  Helion.”

Marc looked at her with fear and apprehension in his eyes.  “You’re kidding, right?”

“We need to stop her.”

“I know.  But-but I can’t help you?  They will kill me if they find out.” his voice had raised an octave.

Harley hated herself for what she was asking but it needed to be done.  “Sorry to be an asshole—but you kind of owe us, you know.”

“Cojeme,” he muttered, staring at the table.

Harley didn’t know Spanish but she could guess what it meant.  “All we need is for you to figure out where she is, or is going to be.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he finally agreed.

“You have my number.  Text me when you have the information.”

“If I do this.  And if I live through it.  If you guys live.  Will you help me?  I’ll have no place to go.”

“Absolutely,” Harley promised him.

--------------------

“And you’re sure we can trust him?” Levi asked her two hours later.  Harley had picked him up and they finished their hunt together.  Harley was feeling refreshed and energized.  They were sitting on the hood of the Mustang staring up at the night sky.  Away from Los Angeles the sky was clearer and they could actually see a couple of stars.

“Yeah.  I trust him.  He’s torn up with guilt and I don’t think life for him in the Sol is all he thought it would be,” she said remembering his fading bruises and healing wounds.

“I trust your judgment,” Levi shrugged.

“Thanks,” she smiled at him.  “The others are going to be hard to convince.”

“Fuck ‘em,” he shrugged again.  “They’re getting used to listening to you—they’ll see reason.”

“I still don’t know how to stop Helion though.”

“Me either.  Do you really think feeding from her will give you a chance to take her down?  If you can ‘suck the life out of her’ without even touching her?”

“I hope so.  But that’s the real question, right?  How do we get that close to her for long enough to just get a bite?”

“Shit.  Do we really even need to?”

“What are you thinking?”  Levi sat up and looked back at her.  His excitement roused her as well and she sat up.  “Let’s blow the bitch up.”

“What?” she half laughed until she realized he was serious.

“Let’s just find out where she is staying and either lure her out and shoot her with an RPG, or throw a grenade at her.  Let’s not complicate things.  If we can’t get her out, fuck it.  We’ll blow the whole damn place up.  I don’t want to kill the humans—but they’re dangerous too.  If we have to do it, then we do it.  At least it will stop them from trying something else.”

Harley stared at him for a moment before smiling.  “That’s actually a really good plan.”

“Why do you sound so surprised?”

“I kinda was expecting that we would have to have some kind of cinematic showdown.  Isn’t that how these things usually play out?”

“Fuck that.”

“One problem though,” she pointed out.

“What’s that?”

“Where are we going to get grenades or RPGs?  We’ve been having a hard enough time finding knives and swords.”  It was true.  Had they not needed all the weapons they could get Everett never would have gone to Remy, setting off that whole fiasco.

Levi growled with frustration.  “We’ll talk to the others when we get back.  Surely we can find something.  Or, hell, even make it.”

Harley raised a brow and shrugged.  “It’s definitely worth looking into.”

Less than an hour before sunrise, Harley and Levi were back at the warehouse discussing their idea with Everett.  Harley was glad to see that he seemed to have fared well despite his captivity.  His wounds had healed and he had fed which left him more alert and comfortable.

“I don’t know,” he shook his head.  “Pipe bombs would be the most likely candidate but they really aren’t that easy to make.  We would have the easiest time getting black powder—gun powder—but even then, they are dangerous and unpredictable.”  He looked annoyed and frustrated as he scratched at the short, black stubble on his jaw.  “If I had access to my stock, or even Remy’s we would be golden,” he muttered bitterly.  “I had a few bombs with silver shards and I’m sure Remy had something similar.”

“Yeah, well,” Levi shrugged.  “That, unfortunately, isn’t an option.  Will you see what you can do?”

“Of course.  I’ll talk to James and Jason and see if they can help.”

Harley was impressed that his lips only curled slightly on Jason’s name.  At least everyone seems to be slowly getting used to working together.  “I’m going to get some sleep,” she announced after making sure that Marc had not tried to contact her yet.  She knew it was wishful thinking and foolish optimism to think she would hear something already—but she kept checking nonetheless.  She forced herself to pass the time by building up as much strength and reinforcements that they could.  If Marc was successful, the call could come at any time and she wanted to be ready when it did.

Chapter 48

The call finally came two days later.  It was nearly three in the morning and Harley and Nya had just returned from hunting when Harley’s phone rang.  Seeing Marc’s name on the screen caused her heart to beat harder and she paused just before entering the warehouse.  She stepped to the side before answering and Nya followed her with raised brows.

“Hello?”  Harley could barely make out what Marc was saying at first as he was whispering.  As his words became clearer she gritted her teeth.  “OK.  What kind of people?  Fuck!  Thanks.  Are you staying there for now?  OK.  Are you safe?  Well…be careful.”  After she hung up the phone she looked to Nya and sighed.  “Good news and bad news.”

“Good news first?”

“Marc was finally able to give me the address where Helion is.  She came out of the woodwork, I guess.  Apparently, he volunteered for some job that put him in the same place Helion is,” she shook her head.  He had not offered more details about whatever it was that he had volunteered for but Harley hadn’t liked the sound of it.

“Well, what’s the bad news?”

“There are a bunch of humans with her.”

“Sol?”

“No.  Innocent humans.”

“What is she doing with them?”

“He wasn’t sure, but it sounds like she’s up to the same shit.  Making Burners.”

“So the humans are a bunch of low-lifes?”

“Unfortunately, no.  Marc thinks they are legit, normal people.”

“Why the sudden change?”

“No idea.  But this complicates things.”

I know,” Nya narrowed her eyes.

Harley sighed again.  “I don’t want to kill a bunch of innocent people.  Not if there is a chance we can take her down other ways.”

“It’s more risky.  But I agree with you.  I’m not OK with blowing up a warehouse full of people either.”

“Do you think we can get her out of the building?  If we can get her to follow me to a different location or something…”

“I don’t know.  It’s worth trying.  But if it doesn’t work we will have to go in after her.”

“I know,” Harley nodded.

Harley and Nya went into the warehouse together and ignored the looks from the Burners.  After days the Ignis still stared at the Noctes and Lux as if they were exotic, potentially dangerous, animals.  Levi and Everett returned shortly after and the two women filled them in on the phone call.

“It’s just as well I guess.  I’ve not had much luck getting a hold of explosives.  I’ve made a couple pipe bombs but I’m keeping them outside in a utility shed and not in here if that tells you anything,” Everett shrugged.

“Where is Helion?  Still in Venton?” Levi asked.

“Actually, yeah.  Not far from the warehouse we found her stash before.”

“How have we missed her?”

Harley shrugged, Jason had been in charge of locating their common enemy.  He had more people to work with and could cover more ground.  They trusted that he was doing the best that he and his people could.  “Apparently, she hides away and only a couple of Sol know where.  Also, Jenna—“ Harley could feel Nya stiffen beside her, “—doesn’t let anyone near her.  The only reason he was able to find her now is because something is getting ready to happen with the humans and they needed him to get some car batteries and electrical cables.”

“That doesn’t sound good at all,” Nya mumbled looking blankly past them all.

Harley shuddered.  “No.  It doesn’t.”

Levi leaned forward, Harley could almost hear the wheels turning as he considered possibilities and options.  His shoulders were tense and he kept flexing his hands into fists before relaxing them again.  “Did Marc say how many humans?  How many Sol or Burners are with them?”

“He thinks about fifty humans.  Maybe twenty Burners and ten Sol.”

“That doesn’t sound like a lot,” Everett narrowed his eyes.

“You’re right.  Apparently, they are close to another warehouse where even more are being and held and can have back up in seconds,” Harley answered grimly.

“How many are there?” Levi asked, obviously dreading the answer.

“Marc guesses fifty to hundred.”

Everett groaned and Levi winched before responding.  “So we are outnumbered at least two to one?  And that’s if Helion doesn’t turn all those humans into Burners.”

“That about sums it up,” Nya grumbled.

“What about James,” Levi asked, nodding towards the corner the Lux had claimed.

“Has he found any other Lux willing to help us?” Harley clarified.

“Yeah.”

“Nope.”

“Jag hasn’t had much luck either,” Levi sighed.

When James offered to try to feel out other Lux—a task that would have to be done extra carefully—Jag offered to talk to some Noctes.  They hadn’t held out much hope and so far they had mostly gotten what they expected.  Word had spread quickly—the Council and the Electorate’s word anyway.  They had given orders to not assist anyone working with Harley.  The Lux and Nocte that were even willing to speak to James or Jag in no uncertain terms declared their loyalty to their governing bodies.

“We really should have been bringing more Noctes, and Lux, in earlier,” Harley grumbled.

“Right.  At least then we would have already had a kernel of credibility with them,” Levi agreed.

“But then again, we would have had to contend with the very problems that stopped us from going that route in the first place,” Nya countered.

No one could disagree.  Had they any idea how large of a problem this would become, they could have gone to the Council for backup.  But, doing so would have potentially created an influx of Noctes in certain areas which would create imbalances and leave too many places open and susceptible.  And that is if the Council had even believed them to begin with.

“Did you keep the Council informed of what was going on in the past year?” Harley asked Nya.

“Of course I did.  I let them know that a situation had arisen and that we had it under control.”

Harley grimaced at Nya’s offended tone.  “I wasn’t accusing you of not doing your job.  I just wasn’t sure how much you had to report to the Council.”

Nya shrugged off the insult.  “The Council is only interested if things are going smoothly.  The generals are usually trusted to keep order and make sure the Noctes are doing what they are supposed to be doing.  This is such an unprecedented event that I don’t know that we have ever really had a protocol.”

“The Council has never had to send in reinforcements before?” Harley’s brow wrinkled.  She was having a hard time imagining there wouldn’t ever be a call for something on a grand scale.

“Well, there have been times when more Noctes than normal were needed in particular areas.  Natural disasters, human revolutions. It tends to bring our Burners in large numbers and we will have to go where needed.  But that’s different.  It’s either slower and happens in a natural progression, or it’s quick and explodes and is over almost as soon as it starts.”

Harley felt like grumbling more even though she knew it wouldn’t do any good.  “Well, in a couple of hours I will wake Cas, James and Hannah and we will start to work out a plan.”

--------------------

“Did Marc give you any idea of how long we have?” Castor asked.  He was rubbing at his face trying to clear the sleep away.

“He wasn’t sure, but the thinks less than two days,” Harley answered.

“And we trust him?” Jag asked.

“As much as I trust anyone,” Harley stared at Pax pointedly and was gratified when she could see him squirm next to his general.

“Well, what’s the plan then?” Jag asked, trying to brush off his guilt over the leak coming from a Nocte he commanded.

“Do we know what Helion is planning?” Hannah asked softly.

Harley turned to the usually quiet Lux.  “The theory is she is going to turn them into Burners.”

“It’s what she has done so far,” Jason added.  “Then lets them starve and suffer until she sets them loose.”

“But why?” Jag asked.  “What is the point?  Why cause so much chaos?”

“She’s been trying to lure us out,” Levi’s voice was gruff.  “And it’s worked so far.”

Harley glanced at Castor, James and Hannah.  They had lost a lot of friends as a result of Helion’s  actions.  “And how can it not?  None of us can just sit around while Burners terrorize and attack people.”

“Well…” Jason half sneered.

“Don’t,” she and everyone else glared at him.

“I’m kidding,” he chuckled.  “It’s not good for any of us.”  Harley raised a brow at him.  “What?  We’re not stupid.  The more this keeps happening—the more Helion sets crazed Ignis on people, the more humans are going to take notice and figure out something is up.”

“There are already plenty of rumors and conspiracy theories online,” Jag shook his head.

“We don’t want the humans hunting us too.”

Harley closed her eyes for a minute.  Jason’s reasoning was completely logical and, unfortunately, correct.  The Burners were here—just as the Noctes and Lux were.  Things had an order and the humans learning about their world would only make things worse.  Levi had explained that before she even joined the Praesidio.  Humans trying to fight Burners would only make a mess as they caused wars and destruction and got in the way.  When humans learned of the Praesidio and Vigilum and wanted join but couldn’t—it would create jealousy, hostility and fear and humans never reacted well to those emotions.  There weren’t enough Lux and Nocte for every human who would want the bond.  Not to mention plenty of humans wouldn’t survive the bond or be able to handle the power.

“OK.  So…plan?” Castor asked, pointedly changing the subject.

“The sooner the better,” Harley shrugged.

“Agreed,” Levi nodded and so did Nya.

“Well, let’s get down to business then,” Nya clapped her hands.

Chapter 49

No one wanted to waste any time giving Helion a chance to move or hurt more humans—so an hour before sundown Harley rode towards the warehouse Marc had directed them to.  In the van with her were Levi, Castor, Nya, Everett, Jag, Pax, Hannah, James and Jason.  Robbie and Nan followed, each in a van full trusted Burners.  The rest of the Ignis had already migrated as near Helion’s warehouse as they could get.  Castor drove and Harley sat in the passenger seat trying to relax but wasn’t very successful.

Harley found herself wishing there had been more time—another day or so before they had to act.  Her reluctance wasn’t born of fear or self-doubt—it was out of regret at not having a chance to spend alone time with Levi and Castor.  She tried to tell herself that it wasn’t necessary—that the three of them were going to live happily ever after.  But she knew that was wishful thinking.  She couldn’t imagine never having another chance to lie next to either man and enjoy the heat of their skin next to hers.  She couldn’t imagine trying to cope with losing either of them.

So many things could go wrong with their plan that Harley’s gut twisted with anxiety.  They had tried to plan for every possible thing that could go wrong, but she—they—all knew that they couldn’t anticipate everything.  She spun her machete on its tip next to her leg as she silently went over the plan again.  The Burners were going to storm the warehouse, serving as the infantry of their forces.  They would be followed closely by Castor, Harley and James.  As the sun went down Nya, Levi, Jag, Pax and Everett would close in as Castor and James dropped out.  Whoever was outside of the building was to watch for reinforcements and provide warning and back up should more Burners or Sol arrive.  Harley glanced at Castor.

“You better keep your word,” she cautioned him silently.

“And if I don’t?”

Harley narrowed her eyes at his smirk.  Harley didn’t respond—she had no bite to back up her bark.

The goal was to get the humans out first, if at all possible.  If or when they were out, Everett would bring in the four pipe bombs he was able to put together—no matter what the status of the sun was.  Then it would be Harley’s job to get them as close to Helion as possible.  If they weren’t able to get the humans out—then she was to try to lure Helion out of the warehouse and as far away from the humans as she could.

“What about you?” Castor sent to her.

“What about me?”

“Will you promise to not sacrifice yourself to bring Helion down?  Or to stop her from using you to unite the worlds?”

“You know I can’t make that promise.”  Harley’s stomach twisted again.  It took her breath away, but she—and everyone else—had to face facts.  It was unlikely everyone would make it out alive.  She didn’t say that to Castor—he already knew, as they all did.  She also knew that Alphie and Nas-Rey had been right.  She would kill herself before she let Helion use her.

“Do you think you will be able to pull psychically when you need it?”

“From Helion?”  Harley knew what he was really asking though.

“Not just Helion.”

“I can do it,” she sighed.

“Will you?”

“Yes!”

Harley narrowed her eyes at Castor but he ignored her.  In the little time they had they had practiced her pulling his energy without touching him.  It had taken a few tries but she had been successful enough that she had insisted she didn’t need to try anymore.  She had been worried about taking too much of his strength when she knew that he was going to need it.  She had also tried feeding from Levi the same way but it hadn’t worked.  They hadn’t really expected it to, but they had tried anyway.  The psychic feeding seemed unique to Lux.  Harley had even tried with Jason.  It had taken a lot of convincing but he had finally agreed to let her try.  She was surprised that it worked.  None of them had known how well it would work considering he was also Ignis.  While it had been more difficult and less effective than feeding from Castor, she had been able to do it.

In the hopes they would figure out a way to get close enough to Helion to let her sink her teeth in—literally, James had allowed her to experiment with him.  They hadn’t been sure how much blood she needed to ingest or how much time was needed for her to develop the connection.  It had been strange and uncomfortable feeding from James and both Levi and Castor had not stayed in the room while she did it.  They were all pleasantly surprised to learn that it had only taken a few mouthfuls of James’ blood and less than fifteen minutes before she was able to identify his energy signature and pull from him.

“Robbie and Nan said that the others have circled the warehouse,” Jason announced from the back as he maintained contact with his partners through text messages.

“They aren’t too close are they?” Harley asked.

“No,” he assured her.  “They are back a few hundred feet—keeping other buildings between them and Helion’s.”

“Good,” she muttered, returning to her worrying.

“Where are we meeting up?” Castor asked.

“Park over there,” Jason pointed.  He had made his way towards the front of the van so that he didn’t have to shout at them.  “There doesn’t seem to be anyone watching this far away.”

They were roughly a half mile from Helion’s hideout.  “How sure are you?” she asked him.

“Do you see anyone?”

“No.”

“And look around,” Jason pointed.  “No cameras.”

“Besides,” Jag spoke up.  “This far away, to have cameras, they would have to run lines that they haven’t had time to put in.  These old warehouses aren’t already set up for much technology.”  Harley looked at him, amazed.  “What?”

“I just wouldn’t have pegged you for a…techie.”

Jag winked at her.  “You’d be surprised.”

Castor pulled the van close to the backside of an empty carport looking building.  Harley climbed out  and took a deep breath.  She could sense the Burners nearby, but couldn’t distinguish between their allies and their enemies.  She couldn’t feel the crushing weight of Helion’s presence yet—but just knowing how close she was caused Harley’s Nocte to writhe impatiently.  She slid her machete into the sheath on her back and secured the knife at her waist.  Harley suddenly felt the need to have her guys close and she looked behind her to see Castor and Levi going through similar arming rituals nearby.  They apparently shared her need to stay close.

“Everyone ready?” Nya asked after she secured her sword across her back.  Normally, she fought with a large Bowie knife, but she added the sword and Harley was relieved.  She didn’t feel like anyone was armed enough—but they would have to make do with what they had.

When they all answered Nya’s question affirmatively she nodded and turned to Jason.  “Lead the way,” she nodded in the general direction of Helion’s warehouse.

Jason stepped forward but kept to the shadows at the edges of the buildings.   Harley followed with Castor and Levi, then James, Hannah, Pax, Jag and Everett bringing up the rear.  They didn’t walk long before the Burner alarm grew loud enough for her to need to block it out.  Robbie was glued to the side of the building and greeted their party with a nod.  Harley could feel the large group he led around the corner of the building, keeping out of site.

“Have you seen anything?” Harley asked them.

Robbie shook his head.  “It’s been quiet.”

“But we’re sure she is still in there?” Jag asked.

Harley closed her eyes.  Helion’s location was a quarter mile away and after she allowed whatever part of her that sensed other supernatural creatures to open—she felt it.  Helion’s presence, while not in the immediate vicinity, was large and imposing—a skyscraper seen far away.  “She’s here,” Harley confirmed.

“You can sense her?” Levi asked.

“Yeah,” she winched.

Castor scowled.  “Are you sure she can’t sense you.”

“I don’t think so.  Anytime that she has communicated with me before she was able to see me.”

“Well there’s no point worrying about it now,” Nya reasoned.  “If she can sense Harley then she knows we’re here already.”

Everyone held their breaths as if they were waiting for lights to kick on and sirens to blare.  Harley shook her head slightly.  “I really don’t think she knows.  I was able to block her out at the warehouse when she wasn’t right next too.  I think I’m doing it again.”

“Let’s hope so.  But, like Nya said, nothing we can do now,” Levi shrugged.

Harley rubbed at her head.  “You OK?” Cas asked.

“Yeah.  It’s just really hard to block her out after feeling her once.

“Draw from me.” Castor spoke softly but knew that everyone could hear their conversation.

Harley ignored the curious glances from Jag, Pax and Hannah.  “I don’t think that is a good idea.”  But the look Castor gave her made her sigh and give in.  Harley rubbed a hand over her face.  Practicing had helped her direct and control the pull of energy, but it was still a new skill that she wasn’t all that confident with.  She reached out with her mind and felt the source of Castor’s energy next to her.  Concentrating very hard, she opened the doorway the tiniest crack possible.  His energy slipped through and rushed into her like a warm breeze.  His calming strength help her steady her resolve and focus and slowly she was able to block out the massive force of Helion’s presence.

“Here we go,” Jason took a deep breath.  He used his phone to send a mass text to the Burners who led each offensive.  Harley heard the Ignis before she saw them.  The group closest to them slipped from the cover of their warehouse and hurried towards Helion’s hideout.  She leaned around the corner and watched them advance towards the east side.  Before they were within fifty feet of the entrance shots were fired.  Harley flinched at the sound and groaned when she saw several Ignis fall to the ground.  She had to give them credit—the gunfire didn’t slow them down.

Harley had no doubt the doors to the warehouse were reinforced somehow, but regardless, the Burners weren’t slowed for long.  Several of them teamed up to kick the door in and it looked like the hinges gave first.  The Ignis darted inside with their weapons held high and Jason looked anxious as he watched his people disappear inside.  They had decided that Jason’s strength—greater than the other Burners due to the fact that he was part Lux—would necessitate that he go in with Harley and the other Lux.

Harley chewed at a fingernail as she listened to gunshots and shouts coming from inside the building.  She hated not knowing what was happening and she began to imagine the worst.  She worried there were more Sol or Burners working with Helion than they expected and their allies were being crushed.  They had agreed that the Burners would go in with a ten minute head start before Harley, Cas, James, Hannah and Jason went in.  Harley glanced at Jason who was keeping track of the time—she was sure that an hour had passed already.  But Jason shook his head at her to let her know it wasn’t time yet.

Levi placed a hand on her shoulder and she took a deep breath.  She drew in comfort and fortitude from the strength of his touch.  Anxiety and excitement flowed through Harley’s body and her Nocte shivered and flexed in anticipation.  Finally, Jason spoke and his voice sounded like a starter pistol in her ear.  “Now,” he growled.  Harley surged forward with the others on her heels.  When she felt Levi’s hand slip from her shoulder she went cold from the absence of his comfort.

Harley ran as fast as she could and felt bullets whiz past her head as she drew closer to the warehouse.  They kicked up tiny bursts of dust and gravel as they struck the ground.  A set of four stairs lead the way into the building and she bound up them in one leap before bursting through the broken doorway.  Inside, Harley was greeted with a warzone.  Bodies of humans and Burners littered the floor and sprays of blood painted the walls.  Harley turned in a circle wondering where to go first.  Three doorways lead off and away from the main office and she could hear fighting in each of them.  But the decision was made for them when Burners—snarling unfriendly ones—burst from all three doorways at the same time.

Chapter 50

No matter how much Harley wanted to worry about her friends she had to focus on her mission.  Get to Helion or the humans or both—and stay alive…unless it was to stop Helion from using us to unite the worlds.  Three Burners rushed her and she barely had time to draw her machete.  She was able to take the first one down with a strike through the chest.  But the second and third were on her at the same time.  One stabbed her in the stomach with what felt like a platinum knife while the other broke a baseball bat across her forehead.  Harley hit the ground hard and immediately rolled hoping to get out of the line of fire.

Harley’s stomach burned and her vision was blurry but she could make out the sounds of fighting coming from her friends.  The Burner with the knife stabbed her in the back as she rolled and it was purely luck that put her in a position to wrestle the knife out of the Burner’s hand as she contorted her body away from him.  Harley twisted the Burner’s hand and heard several bones snap—the force of the movement pulled him off his feet and she rolled until she was sitting on his chest.  She rammed the knife into his chin giving herself a fraction of a second to defend herself against the Ignis that had attacked her with the bat.

The woman came at her with fingers curled into claws and Harley managed to catch her by the throat with one hand and twist her head with the other.  A loud crack signaled a successfully broken neck and she returned her attention to the Burner underneath her as the female dropped limply to the floor.  Harley yanked the knife from the Burners chin and hauled his head to the side.  She risked a few mouthfuls of blood before she drove the knife into his heart and climbed unsteadily to her feet.

“Are you OK?” Castor shouted at her as he took the head off a Burner that rushed him.

Harley nodded and took a deep breath.  The knife wounds were slow to heal, but she could feel them beginning to close.  She grunted as she leaned over to retrieve her machete and her head swam drunkenly.  As she blinked her eyes clear she stumbled towards the doorway that seemed to pulse with the strength of the Burner alarm.  The hall was dark but Harley could see into the shadow clearly enough to tell that no other Burners were lurking at the moment.  She didn’t bother to put a hand over the wound on her stomach—it wouldn’t do much good to stop the flow of blood and she didn’t want to risk coating her hands with the slick liquid.

At the end of the hallway a door stood slightly ajar and Harley nudged it open with her toe.  On the other side was a large room—probably used for meetings at some point.  There tables and chairs stacked against the wall leaving the center clear except for dust, grime and scattered trash.  Several doors led deeper into the warehouse and while Harley contemplated which one to take, she heard the sound of feet approaching and froze.  Cocking her head she listened carefully and at the last second realized the sounds were coming from the doorway to her right.  She turned and lowered herself into a fighting position as two Ignis burst through and froze at the sight of her.

“We’re on your side,” the dark haired one that came through first held up his hands and the other followed suit.

Harley only had a moment to consider the truth of his claim.  “Get out of here,” she nodded towards the door she had come through.  Whether they were telling the truth or not, they weren’t attacking her, they were weaponless, and it was two less creatures she had to fight.  She wasn’t going to take the time to berate them for being cowards.  Besides, they seemed cleared eyed and present—unlike the snarling Burners that were rushing up behind them.

Three Burners rushed through the door after the ally-Ignis and they didn’t hesitate in coming right for Harley.  More prepared this time, she took the first one down with a kick to the face.  The second she decapitated as she spun into a kick that caught the third in the chest and knocked her back.  Harley returned to the first Ignis and drove her machete into the creature’s heart as the third regained her footing and came at Harley again.  She brought her knee up into the Burner’s chin and twisted her around by the head until her neck snapped and she went limp in Harley’s arms.  Again, she risked a few swallows of blood before she finished the Burner and let her body hit the floor.

Harley closed her eyes and concentrated on the loudest, strongest, alarm—knowing it was Helion.  Going through the door, Harley found herself in a long, empty hallway and at the end there was another door and she had no doubts as to what she would find beyond it.  The space was cold and barren and Helion’s presence seemed to pulsate through the cold concrete walls.  She listened at the door before opening it and could hear people on the other side moving around and mumbling.  Taking a deep breath Harley was convinced that the beings were human.  The unending thrum of Helion’s signature energy made it hard to pinpoint her exact location and Harley was wary lest she burst in and find the Sun Creature unexpectedly.

“Come in, my friend,” a voice sliced into Harley’s brain.

Harley’s knees buckled and she pulled against Castor’s energy and righted herself.  She hated to tax him, but she had promised him—and she needed it.  She pushed the crash bar to unlatch the heavy metal door and eased her way into the room.  As the crack widened, Helion’s force flashed against her face like the glare from the sun.  Harley squinted but pushed on.

“Are you alright?” Castor pushed into her head.

“I can’t talk to you right now.”  Harley found the doorway Castor had opened and slammed it shut.  She felt like her teeth were bleeding her head pounded so hard.  This close, it was much harder to block Helion.  When the door shut with a muffled thump behind her, she finally looked up.  The humans—Harley guessed that Marc was right, there were about fifty—huddled in the center of a large storeroom.  They stood, afraid and uncomfortable in several inches of water and Harley knew there was something odd about that—but she didn’t have time to figure out what.  Helion stood on a raised, metal platform at the back of the room in front of a rusted bay door.

“Thank you for coming,” Helion nodded.

Harley froze in fear that Helion had been expecting them all along.  Did Marc sell us out again?

“You have saved me the effort of hunting you down.”

Harley relaxed—Helion hadn’t known they were coming.  While the creature didn’t show normal emotion, Harley sensed her surprise even if she was making the best of it.  “Well, we figured it was time to bring the fight to you.”

Helion smiled coldly.  “This isn’t going to turn out as you hoped.”

Harley wished Helion would speak out loud—her voice forcing its way into her head was painful and distracting.  If it wasn’t for Castor’s assistance she was sure that she would be on her knees, stunned into near catatonia again.  “Oh, don’t underestimate us.”

“I have to say that I am surprised you are working with Ignis.  I would have thought the Praesidio and Vigilum above it.”

Harley concentrated on the voice in her mind.  As much as it hurt to do so, she forced herself to focus on it until she could tell exactly where it was coming from.  It was like trying to hold onto air, but Harley struggled to catch Helion’s presence in her head.  She may have been fifty feet away, but Harley could read the confusion on the Sun Creature’s face.  She knew what Harley was trying to do.

“Look at you, Little One.  Trying so hard—”

Harley grinned when she finally caught origin of the sound and forced it back—out of her head—and the silence was bliss.  She allowed herself a moment of gloating before she spoke again.  “There.  Now we can talk.  I was getting tired of you trespassing.”

“I can see you have learned some new tricks,” Helion’s real voice was soft, equally gender-less and scary as hell in its otherworldliness.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Harley smirked.

“Same to you, Little One.”  Helion stepped forward to the railing of her platform and push a button on a control panel Harley hadn’t paid any attention to before.  A loud hum raised the hairs on Harley’s arms and with a pop the room exploded in light and crackling.  Harley flinched and when she could see again the humans were jerking and shaking as if having seizures.  At first she thought they had all been turned into Lux because their eyes were solid white—but then she realized it was the result of their eyes rolling painfully back into their skulls.  By the time Harley started forward, Helion pushed another button and the humming stopped.  The silence was punctuated by the mass of people splashing to the floor, unconscious.

“What did you do?” Harley growled at Helion, finally noticing the stack of car batteries on the platform with Helion.  Thick, smoking wires trailed from the terminal ends to the water.  Harley thought it seemed more complicated than necessary for a moment.  Why not just plug the wires into the wall?  But then she realized that would likely blow a fuse and throw the warehouse into darkness.  That wasn’t something Helion would care about—but the Sol Invictus would.  Harley shuddered in revulsion at the Sol’s cruelty.

“I just invited some friends to join me,” she smiled and her mouth stretched too wide.  “Before I came here I made it known that I was going to unite the worlds.  I brought Ignis to the bonding fires and threw them in by the hundreds,” she laughed barely above a whisper.  “Now they are just waiting.”

“For what?”

“For me to open the door,” Helion smiled.  “All it takes is a human—weakened by suffering and agony—and willing Ignis and the way is paved.”

“What have you done to them?” But Harley already knew the answer.  The first person to stir on the floor caused Harley to groan internally.  As the man opened his eyes, Harley saw the glint that signified his new nature as a Burner.  Harley shook her head in despair.  The only thing she had going for her was that these Burners hadn’t been locked in a warehouse for weeks—starving and half-crazed.  But how long had they been waiting to cross over.  What was that wait like?  “If you need me to help you open the door way—what’s the point of setting these Burners on me?”

“Oh, they aren’t meant for you.”

Harley’s heart sank again when she realized that Helion intended to turn these news Burners loose on her friends.  Her mind raced trying to think of a way to stop them all at once.  She wished she had some way to set them on fire, or electrocute them en masse.  Her only chance was get to the panel that Helion had used to hurt them to begin with and she didn’t have a clue as to how it even worked.  It was bad enough that they had failed the humans, it was worse that it would cost her friends as a result.  At this point she hoped that Everett would just come in and blow the whole place up.  “We failed Cas,” she sent out.

“What happened?”

Harley didn’t know who or how many he was fighting, but he was her best hope of getting a message to Everett.  The plan had been for her to call him, but she wouldn’t have the chance to do that.  “I couldn’t stop her.  She turned all the humans into Ignis.  We need to blow the building.  Get everyone you can out.”

“OK.  But you’ve got to get out too.”

Harley hoped that Castor would succeed.  She desperately hoped that he would be able to save Levi and Nya.  They had all known there was a possibility that they would just have to blow the building up so when Castor gave the order everyone would retreat.  But Harley knew Levi and Nya and Castor—they weren’t likely to leave with her still inside the building.  “Get out of the building and take Nya and Levi with you.  I’ll get out the back.”  She felt bad for lying to Castor but she had to keep Helion in the building.  “Helion is in the main storage space.  Send Everett through the meeting room and I’ll help him.”

“And then you both will get out?”

“Yeah.”  Harley closed the link and refocused her attention on the Ignis again—even more were awake now.  Harley realized the Sun Creature was speaking with them psychically when they all stared up at the her in rapt confusion.  Before Harley had a chance to guess what she was telling them, they began to rush towards a walk-through door in the corner to Harley’s right.  She wanted to stop them as they stumbled, ran and carried their brothers and sisters into the rest of the building but Harley knew she had to focus on Helion.  She had to keep her occupied until Everett could get to her with the bombs.  “Heads up,” Harley called to Castor.  “The Burners are loose.”  Harley slammed the mental door shut again and returned to Helion.  “Let’s do this,” Harley shook her head.

Helion only laughed but she did turn to the panel on the railing again and pushed another button.  A sucking sound precipitated the gushing sound of the water flowing into opened drains.  Shit, Harley muttered to herself.  A part of her had been hoping she would be able to find a way to electrocute the creature.  Helion stepped away from the panel and descended the steps to the cold, stone floor.  Harley took a deep breath and made her own way down.  One way or another—this ends here.

Chapter 51

Harley and Helion slowly came towards each other.  Harley was armed but Helion was not and the Sun Creature nodded at Harley’s machete.  “Let this be a fair fight and put your weapons down.”

“Fuck you,” Harley scoffed.  “Do you think I’m stupid?”

“Debatable,” Helion shrugged, the human gesture looking weird and unnatural on her.

Harley could feel her Nocte bracing for the fight—she could even feel Haddon trying to swim to the surface.  She swung the machete in wide arcs—Hell, I might as well get in some showboating while I can.  She tried to remain positive but given her and Helion’s history, it wasn’t easy.  Harley made the decision to move on the offensive—she was tired of always being on the defensive.  She lunged forward—drawing her machete back to strike.

Helion dodged the blade but Harley caught her off guard with a kick to the stomach.  She took several steps back and glared at Harley with her inhuman eyes.  Moving faster than Harley could follow, Helion darted forward and caught her by the throat and by the hand that held the machete.  Harley could feel Helion lifting her off her feet and she refused to let her gain the upper hand again.  As she was lifted into the air she brought her feet up and bracing one foot against Helion’s throat she used the other to kick away from the Sun Creature  by slamming a foot into her face.

Helion was forced to let go and Harley landed on her back but was relieved that she held onto her machete.  She rolled, feet over head, until she lurched upright and began backing away from her advancing enemy.  Helion lunged at her and Harley brought up her machete just in time to block the strike.  The blade embedded itself in Helion’s forearm and she yowled like an animal and yanked her arm free.  She was surprised and dismayed that Helion’s arm wasn’t taken off but she didn’t have a chance to consider the creature’s unexpected bone density.  Harley grinned over her advantage and surged forward again—refusing to give Helion a chance to recover.

Helion parried two more strikes before Harley got lucky again.  This time she managed to catch Helion in the hand—on the same side that she had wounded before unfortunately.  It would have been better had she been able to damage the other hand so that Helion would be handicapped on both sides.  Regardless, Harley was grateful when half of Helion’s hand was sliced off.  A surprised laughed burst out of her.  “Hah!” she laughed and moved in for another hit.

Helion, angered by Harley’s success, growled and lunged forward to meet her.  She managed to catch Harley with a fist to her jaw and it felt like she had been kicked in the face by a horse.  She stumbled backwards, shaking her head to clear it front the violent rattle of Helion’s punch.  Before she could recover, Helion struck again.  She slammed her fist into Harley’s stomach and kicked her in the ribs hard enough to knock her off her feet as her machete spun out of her hand and slid across the floor.  Harley heard Helion coming but wasn’t able to get out of the way fast enough.

The Sun Creature yanked Harley’s head back by her hair and her only thought was to stay alive long enough to give Everett time to make it to them.  Harley pulled the hunting knife from her waist and spun it so that the blade faced backwards.  She drove it into Helion’s stomach.  The creature grunted, but didn’t let go of Harley’s hair.  Instead, Helion lifted her off her feet and Harley clawed desperately at the hand that held her aloft.  Realizing that she couldn’t break Helion’s hold, she switched to throwing elbows into the side of the creature’s face, hard enough to hurt her own joints, Harley pounded Helion’s head over and over.

Finally, the Sun Creature let go and Harley’s knees buckled when she hit the floor.  She scrambled forward going for her machete as Helion pulled the hunting knife from her own stomach.  Harley snatched her weapon up and jumped and rolled out of Helion’s reach.  She climbed to her feet and ran trying to put enough distance between them to give herself time to mount an offensive.  Turning, she raised the machete, to block any attack Helion had for her, but Harley was surprised to see the creature more than five feet away.

“Why do you keep fighting?” she asked Harley.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Harley snarled.  “I’m not your toy to use for your stupid plan of joining the worlds.”

“Don’t you realize how much better it would be?”

“And I suppose I would even live through your stupid plan?”

“You might.”

“Fuck you.”

Helion sighed in an a too human show of impatience.  “You and I—we are so much better than these sheep that roam this world.  We could have it all.  Power.  Eternal life.  Why would you not want that?”

Harley was surprised, and relieved, by Helion’s willingness to talk.  Whenever the villain started trying to reason with the hero is meant they realized their goal was in danger.  “It’s not right,” she panted.

“Who decides what is right or wrong?  The strongest?  Wouldn’t that mean me,” she chuckled not sounding like she knew what humor was at all.

“You know what,” Harley shrugged.  “You’re right.  Right or wrong shouldn’t just be decided by the strongest.  Maybe the Praesidio and the Vigilum and the Burners are all wrong about what is right or not.  But we don’t even belong in this world.  Our fight shouldn’t kill innocent people.”

“And you decide who is innocent or not?”

“No.  No I don’t.  I don’t kill humans unless I have to.  Their conflicts aren’t mine unless they make it so.  They are weaker than me and I have the ability to protect them so I will.”

“Even when you could grow stronger on their fear and pain?  Humans kill weaker animals all the time.  Why should you view them any differently?”

“Because I can,” Harley said simply.  “Everything has its place in this world.  What happens if you merge the worlds and the humans eventually die out?  What will the Ignis eat then?  Then who will you eat?  It would be nice if no one ever had to die—but life doesn’t happen that way.   Everything needs a balance.”  Harley was edging away from Helion—trying to put enough distance between them to gain a proper advantage.  “If you merge the worlds—that balance will be destroyed.”

“As you would say—fuck the balance,” Helion snarled.

Helion darted forward and embedded the hunting knife in Harley’s chest.  Harley had made the mistake of not paying enough attention to the Sun Creature’s wounds.  As they talked, her arm had healed and her hand had stopped bleeding.  The missing fingers and palm were covered over with a fresh scab.  The realization of just how fast she healed caught Harley off guard—she had made the mistake of not watching Helion’s right hand.

Harley stumbled backwards, clutching at the knife protruding from her chest.  She snarled and yanked the blade free and winced at the raging fire that flared through the wound.  As Helion came at her again and she spun the knife and flung it the creature.  The reflex paid off and the knife sunk into the base of her throat.  Harley’s eyes went wide at the gush of blood.  If only she could get close enough to drink some of it she would stand a much better chance at killing Helion for good.  She went in quick, hoping to follow up on her successful attack, raising her machete high.  But again, the Sun Creature was too fast and caught the blow and slammed what remained of her palm into Harley’s nose.

Stars danced before Harley’s eyes and she took a step back, but Helion’s grip on her machete hand stopped her from going far.  Before she could recover, Helion gouged at her eyes with the three fingers on her left hand.  Harley was forced to grapple with the hand trying to keep it away from her eyes while at the same time struggling to land a solid kick or knee to Helion’s midsection.  Where is Everett? Harley thought desperately.  Harley stopped fighting for the upper hand—Helion was too strong and too quick.  Instead, she spun—using her momentum she tore her right hand loose and darted out of Helion’s reach as quickly as possible.

Harley could feel the blood running down her face like tears from where Helion had clawed her—she was just grateful it wasn’t getting into her eyes.  Movement from her right—the direction of the rest of the warehouse—caught her attention and she risked turning away from Helion long enough to find out what it was.  Nya was running at the Sun Creature and Harley’s heart sank.  She had a flashback to Evie doing the same thing and remembered all too well how it had ended.

“No!” she shouted and ran forward to intercept Nya’s attack.

But Harley shouldn’t have underestimated Nya.  As her mentor drew near, she stopped next to Harley and stood with her—shoulder to shoulder.  “Let’s finish this bitch,” Nya growled.

A grin spread across Harley’s face.  “Where’s Everett?”  Helion was watching them both as they circled around her trying to set her up.  They were two dogs fighting a snake—as soon as Helion focused on one—the other would attack.

“He’s down.”

Harley’s head jerked but she didn’t take her eyes off the Sun Creature.  “Dead?”

“I don’t think so.”

Relief flooded through Harley.  “What about his toys?”

“I didn’t see them.”

“Fuck.”

Helion seemed to be tired of trying to watch them both as Nya and Harley chatted around her.  Or maybe she was just crazy enough to doubt their ability to hurt her.  She rushed towards Nya and Harley reacted instantaneously.  She raised her machete at the same time Helion grabbed Nya by the throat.  She swung the huge blade towards Helion’s neck—already feeling the elation that would burst through her once the Sun Creatures head was flying through the air.  The euphoria evaporated quickly when the blade stopped halfway through her neck.

Tiny finger bones may have come off relatively easy, but thick vertebrae was apparently as strong as her arm.  Helion made a gurgling, mewling sound and jerked away from Harley and Nya and she scurried across the room holding onto the gaping wound in her throat.  Harley and Nya dashed forward with their weapons raised but Helion suddenly disappeared and they both pulled up short looking at each other stupidly.  A weight slammed into Harley’s back hard enough to crack bone and she was knocked off her feet.  She rolled as she hit the ground and saw Helion yanking Nya off her feet.  The Sun Creature had managed to jump over their head so fast that they didn’t even see her move.

Helion pulled Nya in close as if she were going to kiss her and Harley knew what she was doing.  She tried to jump to her to feet but her legs collapsed beneath her.  The kick Helion had given her had done its damage.  Her legs were numb and clumsy and by the time Harley got to her feet Nya’s body was shaking.  Harley rushed forward as fast as her unsteady legs would carry her.  She drew the machete back, intending to sink it into Helion’s stomach, but the creature yanked Nya into the path of Harley’s weapon and she was forced to spin away to stop herself from stabbing Nya by accident.

Harley let her spin carry her behind Helion and the creature didn’t have time to turn to defend herself before she drove the machete through her chest.  She felt the weapon scrape against bone and it was diverted through her side instead of her chest.  Growling, Harley pried the weapon lose by placing a foot on Helion’s back and kicking her off the blade.  The Sun Creature dropped Nya and turned to Harley.  The wound in her neck was already mostly healed, and while the wound in her side bled freely—Harley knew it wouldn’t stop her.  Won’t she just die already?

As Helion came towards her, Harley raised the blade.  She was prepared to chop the creature like vines in a jungle until she finally went down.  Before Helion came within striking distance, Harley saw Nya stumble to her feet and time seemed to freeze as she realized what Nya was going to do.  In one might leap Nya was on Helion’s back, plunging her Bowie knife into the front of her chest.  Harley watched the blade was deflected to the side again.  But even if the blade didn’t hit Helion’s heart—the combination of Nya’s choke hold and the knife in her lungs slowed the Sun Creature down.  “Do it!” Nya shouted.

Harley didn’t have to ask what Nya was telling her to do.  She rushed forward and caught Helion’s ruined hand in both of hers.  She saw that the hand was nearly healed but raw, red protrusions brushed against Harley’s palm.  She knew they were the beginnings of new fingers but Harley’s disgust was overridden by her focus as she yanked Helion’s arm towards her mouth.  She latched onto the creatures forearm and groaned with happiness as the blood burst into her mouth with all the power of the sun.  Helion began thrashing and fighting harder.  She clawed at Harley’s face and hair while she punched and kicked her repeatedly—trying to loosen her grip.  Harley felt herself slipping and sucked at the wound as hard as she could.

A sharp kick in her stomach sent Harley flying backwards.  She was too close to the wall and she slammed into the concrete blocks hard enough to knock pieces loose.  She struggled to clear her vision as she slid down the wall but she couldn’t even blink.  Horrified, Harley had to watch as Helion pulled Nya over her shoulder and hold her up by the throat.  Harley could feel the Sun Creature’s blood flowing rapidly through her body—healing her as it went—but it wasn’t fast enough.  Helion opened her mouth and began sucking the life out of Nya again.  By the time Harley could finally move her limbs, Helion stopped feeding off Nya.  She clawed her way up the wall preparing to make a run at Helion.  At the same time the Sun Creature drew back her fist and shoved it through Nya’s chest.

A scream tore its way out of Harley’s throat as Helion tossed Nya to the side.  She watched her mentor slid lifelessly across the concrete floor and flinched when Helion tossed a gory lump after her body.  Harley roared in anguish and tore at her own hair.  Helion laughed and the sound ripped its way down her back and caused her to shudder.  Closing her eyes, Harley concentrated on Helion’s energy.  She was surprised that she was able to find it so quickly—but for once, the creature’s strength counted against her.  Harley latched onto the blazing white light but before she could pull it towards her, Helion slammed a fist into her chest—knocking the wind out of her and causing Harley stumbled backwards.

Harley realized the Helion was playing with her when she caught her by the hair and began pummeling her with jackhammer strength.  Harley felt her ribs crinkle and pop under the creature’s brutal fist.  The blazing fire of Helion’s blood surged through Harley’s body, healing her faster than ever.  She tilted her body to the side to try to deflect the creature’s blows but only succeeded in earning a broken shoulder.  Growling, Harley was eventually able to get a foot high enough to kick the Sun Creature away.  Shouts drew her attention and Harley nearly sobbed when Castor and Levi ran into the room.  “No!  Get out!  Run!” she begged them.

Levi raised both of his Bowies and ran for Helion’s left when Castor went for her right.  Harley groaned and peered through the blood dripping into her eyes.  It was night and Castor was too weak to be fighting.  Harley knew that if she had to watch Levi and Cas die after having just watched Nya die that she would never be able to live through it.  She would die with Helion one way or another.  As Levi and Cas darted forward, Harley held her breath.  If she was going to save them she needed to focus on pulling Helion’s energy—her life—out as weapons only seemed to slow her down.  Harley closed her eyes and found the source of the Sun Creatures energy again.  As she opened herself and willed it to come towards her a smile spread across Harley’s face.

Chapter 52

Helion froze when she felt Harley yank on her energy and she turned to her with a look of shock and confusion.  Realizing what was happening, Levi and Castor stopped fighting and stepped back.  “Don’t stop,” Harley commanded.  “Finish her.”

Helion’s eyes glowed brighter than ever before and Harley could feel the heat reflected in her own.  She was vaguely aware of the sounds of Levi and Cas fighting with Helion but she didn’t let it distract her.  Harley pulled the creature’s life force into herself while the two men stuck her with their sword and knives.  The energy lit Harley up from the inside out and it felt like swallowing the power of the sun.  She knew that—unlike she had done with Haddon—she would never be able to swallow the life force of this being.  It was too big—too strong.  Instead, she hoped to weaken her enough that Levi and Cas would be able to take her down for good.

Helion’s bones might have been impossibly strong, but her organs were apparently as vulnerable as any Nocte or Lux’s were.  Eventually, the Sun Creature fell to her knees and blood poured from her mouth.  She looked more human that Harley had ever seen her.  Dizzy with the power that she had consumed, Harley let go of the creature’s life and stumbled back coming to a rest against the wall.  Helion was on her way down and she took the moment to recover.  Levi and Castor paused in their assault on Helion and they turned to Harley for an indication of what she needed them to do.

Harley pushed off the wall and stepped closer to the three creatures in front of her.  She smiled at her two men and they smiled back.  Their excitement at realizing they were going to win an elation.  Helion couldn’t even resist when Harley lifted one of her arms and handed it to Levi.  The creatures head lolled forward, she was barely conscious and she was covered in blood and gore from her many open wounds.  She took Castor’s hand and placed it on top of Helion’s head.  “Dinner’s served,” she snarled gleefully.  She dropped to her knees in front of Helion and buried her face in the creature’s neck.  She didn’t even need to bite into her flesh.  Harley only needed to close her mouth over an already gushing wound on Helion’s throat.

What Harley couldn’t contain inside herself the three of them shared.  The rush of blood felt like being struck by lightning and it was all she could do to hold on.  Sounding far away, Harley could hear either Levi or Castor moaning--but she couldn’t tell if it was in pain or pleasure.  But there was pleasure.  Underneath the violent surge of power, Harley felt every molecule of her being come alive.  Her vision was burned out with radiant light and she felt herself falling.  They sank into a molten lake of energy.  Together, the three of them melted into one being and the light that surrounded them pulsed in time with their synchronized heart beats.

Together, she, Castor and Levi drained the life out of Helion.  When there was nothing left of her they were thrust back into the present like being thrown into a frozen lake.  They let go and stumbled away from Helion’s hollow carcass.  The Sun Creature’s body fell forward at Harley’s feet and her skin began to dry as they watched.  Levi, Castor and Harley watched Helion begin to turn to dust as her skin flaked away.  As one they looked away from the body and met each other’s eyes.  The residual euphoria faded quickly as reality came crashing back.

“Nya?” Levi’s voice was choked—dreading the worst he was refusing to look in their general’s direction.

Harley felt a hysterical sob bubble up from her stomach.  “She’s gone.”

“Oh, fuck, no,” Levi groaned and stepped towards Nya’s limp body.

Harley followed him and together they knelt at Nya’s side.  They rolled her until she was on her back.  Harley gritted her teeth but that didn’t stop the choking sob from ripping its way out of her.  It took more self-control than Harley realized she had to stop herself from lying down with Nya and holding her while she turned to dust and floated away.  Harley fought the need to try to hold her friend together and as Nya’s skin dried and turned to ash she pressed her hand over the fine power trying to will it from crumbling and floating away.  She was Harley’s friend and mentor—her sister and rock.  She never would have been the Nocte she had become if it hadn’t been for Nya’s guidance.

For a minute Harley thought her face was bleeding again when she felt drops roll down her cheeks.  But when they dripped onto Nya’s shirt, Harley realized she was crying.  She couldn’t remember crying since Jamie had died but she didn’t bother trying to stop.  She felt she owed it to Nya’s memory to relish the ability to still hurt--to be alive and suffer. It was the same feeling she had after Jamie’s death.  Pain meant she was still alive and still had her humanity—none of which would she have been able to retain had it not been for Nya’s wisdom and strength.  Her foundation and safety net were gone.

Harley felt Castor’s hand on her shoulder and realized he was standing behind her and Levi, steadying them both.  He let them grieve until Nya’s skin had crumbled to the point of being grotesque and he tightened his hand on their shoulders. “We need to let her go,” he said softly, trying to spare them from seeing her turn to ash and dust.  Harley’s Nocte, and even Haddon, was stunned silent--radiating a bruised horror that caused her bones to ache.

Harley and Levi let Castor pull them to their feet and she turned into his chest.  She could feel his pain too—he might not be Nocte or a part of the Praesidio but they had all been friends and partners.  Castor was hurting over Nya’s loss too.  He wrapped his arms around her and held her as Levi bent over Nya’s body again--saying his own last goodbye.  By the time he stood again, Nya’s body was mostly gone and he was shuddering from witnessing it.  Feeling hollow, she followed him out of the storage room leaning against Castor—not for support, but for comfort.

In the hallway, Everett was stumbling towards them, looking like he should be dead.  He was covered with wounds from head to toe and some of them still bleed freely.  He carried a duffle bag over his shoulder.  “Where’s Nya?  She was ahead of me?” he asked them.

Levi could only shake his head and Harley bit her lip to stop from sobbing again.  “She’s gone,” Castor answered his question.

“No!” Everett looked like he was going to be sick.

“I’m sorry,” Cas muttered.

“Are you sure?” and Harley could read the bitter hope on Everett’s face as he practically begged them to tell them Nya might still be alive.

“Yeah,” Levi breathed through clenched jaws.

“Where’s Helion?” Everett gasped as he tried to keep his voice steady.

“Dead.  In there,” Castor pointed back the way they came.

Everett leaned against the wall.  “Get out of here,” he choked on the words.

“What are you going to do?” Harley was surprised by how normal her voice sounded.  She would have been less shocked if it came out in a wail.

“I’m not taking any chances.  I’m blowing that bitch to pieces.”

The three of them hurried from the building after they made Everett promise to get out before it blew.  In the cool night air Harley finally felt like she could breathe.  She nearly stopped short at the sight of all the Noctes and Lux that waited for them.  Harley recognized Joshua, Alphie, Nas-Rey and Raymond and several important looking Lux that Harley didn’t know.  Even Kai was there and Harley narrowed her eyes at them all—but that was the only attention she paid them.  None of them bothered to speak either.  Instead, they stood around with unreadable faces whispering and muttering to themselves.  Harley could have been mistaken, but some of the Nocte and Lux behind the leaders were looking somewhat angry and shocked.

The vans had been pulled closer and Harley looked over what was left of their party.  There were quite a few Burners that she had never learned the names of.  Otherwise, Harley saw Jag, James, Hannah and Jason.  “Where’s Pax?” she asked Jag.  All he offered was a pained shake of his head.

Castor slid open the door to one of the vans and Harley started to climb inside.  “Where’s Nya and Everett?” Jag asked.

Harley slipped into the van.  She knew it wasn’t fair, but she left Levi and Castor to answer his question.  She couldn’t bring herself to say the words again.  She shut the door to block out Levi’s response.  When Jag roared and began punching the van, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat.  She knew how he felt.  She wanted to rage against the truth of Nya’s death—but she knew it wouldn’t do any good.  Instead, she savored the agony that festered in her stomach.

Harley looked up and was surprised to see Kai staring at her in heartbroken horror.  She hadn’t expected to find any empathy left for the little Nocte but the tortured look in Kai’s eyes said it all.  Normally impish and soft brown, they turned brittle and shattered into tears.  Harley gave her a small nod.  As stupid as her mistake had been, Harley would not hold it against Kai.  Nothing she could do would ever punish her as much as the pain of the death of her friend.  Harley knew that—and in that moment—the intensity of Kai’s regret shone through.

Raising one tiny hand, Kai pointed to the other side of the van and Harley turned.  She was stunned but a small smile spread across her mouth.  Jenna, the Mengele of the Sol, sat against the tire of one of the vans.  Harley turned back to Kai and nodded at her.  Kai would make sure Jenna paid for the pain she had caused and make sure she didn’t become a loose end that Harley would have to deal with, and for that she was grateful.  Her Nocte settled into morose calm that helped ease her nerves and Haddon slid into the darkness content to keep to himself.

Castor and Levi hurried everyone into the vans or told the ones who wouldn’t fit to run.  Without a word or another look, Kai hurried into one of the vans and, forgiven or not, Harley was glad to see her go.  Moments later, Everett rushed from the warehouse, hobbling on an injured leg.  Levi helped him from the door to the van and pushed him inside before jumping behind the wheel.  They only made it a quarter of a mile before the explosion lit up the night.  They were too far away and protected enough inside the van that they didn’t have to worry about the concussion of the explosions—but Levi floored it anyway.  Human authorities would be alerted soon and the farther away they were the better.

----------Six Months Later----------

Harley closed the door of her apartment and made her way outside.  The warm New York air reeked of food and humans and she took a deep breath and smiled.  She still couldn’t get used to the feeling of normalcy.  Well, as normal as life gets for a us, she thought to herself.  She felt her Nocte’s chuckle and for the first time in a long time she didn’t feel guilty for feeling good.

Nya may have died, but she would be pissed—and probably kick Harley’s ass—if she, or anyone else, moped around because of it.  Instead, she would want them to enjoy their victory and continue to protect humans from the Ignis.  And that is exactly what they did—with a big change.  Harley hadn’t been mistaken.  A lot of the Lux and the Nocte HAD been angry that night, but not at Harley or another of those working with her.  They were angry at the Council and the Electorate.  Having seen the truth of what was happening they realized they had been kept in the dark and manipulated by their leaders.

Stupid prejudices, fears and jealousies had resulted in more deaths than there should have been.  Including one of the most respected Noctes that had ever lived.  Nya’s death rocked the foundations of the Praesidio and even the Vigilum.  The Nocte general’s renown and esteem had been wide spread and when everyone realized she had died fighting for something they had refused to get involved in they had felt guilty.  And guilt is a strong motivator for change.

If anything positive came from Nya’s death—the willingness to put aside differences and work together was not the least.  Jag and James were the main voices in advocating for change.  Already having come together to hunt down Harley and her friends—the Council and the Electorate willingly sat down to discuss a unity.  It took a lot of debating, shouting, whining and compromising—but finally an agreement was reached.  The Unity was formed to govern both the Praesidio and the Vigilum.  It is now headed by a Lux and a Nocte and each of them are appointed by a Board that is elected by the generals.  Harley had been offered a position on the governing Council.  But Nya’s words came back to her and declined—she didn’t feel she was ready for retirement.

Currently, the Unity is run by James and Everett.  The position of Council Elect was offered to Jag but he declined.  Like Nya, he felt he could better serve by remaining a general and guiding Noctes in their fight against Burners.  He returned to California and Harley heard from him often.  Levi became the general of north east—replacing Nya.  He had resisted the appointment at first—but Harley convinced him it would be good for him to stay in one area.  The fact that Harley agreed to be a trainer for new Nocte’s—requiring her presence in the Virginia Den often—had a little bit to do with that.  Castor became the New York Commander requiring him to oversee the Lux in that area and he was adjusting to the leadership role.

One of the most surprising changes that resulted from defeating Helion was between Harley, Castor and Levi.  Since taking Helion down, the three of them--Castor, Levi and Harley--shared an even greater bond than they had before.  Castor and Levi could communicate telepathically now as well as Harley and Levi on their own.  She knew that Levi and Castor rarely spoke without her but she didn’t care if they did.  She trusted both of them implicitly.  They never tried feeding together again--it was a one-time deal.  Without having to discuss it, they all knew that the only reason they had been able to complete the act and not have it tear them apart was because it had been so intense and powerful that it overrode the violation of intimacy between the three of them.  If they even considered feeding on a less powerful creature at the same time Harley was pretty sure they wouldn’t be able to look at one another in the face again.

Harley knew James still missed his partner, Aaron, but he was slowly recovering—returning to normal life would go a long way in his grieving process.  Jason returned to L. A. and continues to unite Burners.  The truce that had been formed in their shared mission is mostly over.  Harley stopped actively hunting him and he isn’t after her or anyone she cares about.  Should their paths cross, Harley knew they would let the other go their own way.  The last time Harley spoke to Marcos was when he called to tell her how to find Helion.  Not knowing what happened to him, she chose to believe he escaped and was living happily not working for the Noctes.

Lux and Nocte still hunt Burners and Burners still feed on humans.  That is the natural order of their world.  Harley, Castor, Levi, James, Jag, Hannah and Jason all continue to do their parts.  All of them sometimes worry about the other world and the chaos left by Helion’s plans and how it could affect this world.  They realize they may have to deal with it one day--and when that day comes they will be ready.   The balance of good and evil, light and dark, powerful and protected is constantly in danger.

Harley smiled and turned her face up to the night sky still feeling the warmth of Castor’s body against her side.   A soft brush against her mind turned her smile into a grin, “Hey…”

“Hey babe.”

The sound of Levi’s voice in her head raised goosebumps across her body.  “What’s up?”

“I think you need to take a trip down here.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeeeahh.”

The change in his tone caused her shoulders to slump.  “What?”

“There’s someone you need to meet.”

It’s always something.  Harley shook her head and smiled while her Nocte giggled excitedly.  “I’m on my way.”

Table of Contents

As The Devil’s Painted

Part One

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Part Two

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52