Ride to the Devil

Text Copyright © Brandy Isaacs

All Right Reserved

Table of Contents

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

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

Throughout the writing of this book I was reminded of how lucky I am to have such wonderful friends.  I can’t list you all here but if you read a draft, shared a congratulatory beer with me, gave me a single word of encouragement, bought a book, gave me advice, or even just liked a status—I am forever grateful.  Without you, no book would be possible or worth writing.

Chapter 1

Harley Finn woke up face down on the floor.  Fading pain throbbed through her nose and head as she lifted her face away from the carpet.  Her brain felt like a rusted clock, her thoughts slow and creaky.  Her supernatural sense of smell picked up on numerous lingering odors from the old, faded fibers of the rug she lay on.  She wrinkled her nose and flinched as a sharp jab of pain shot through her face.  The itchy, splintered feeling told her it was still mending and must have been broken moments before.

Harley pushed herself to her knees and took a deep breath to try to clear her head.  Looking around she realized she was still in her small Manhattan apartment and, by the light around the blinds, she could tell the sun was just beginning to set.  She wiped at her nose and her hands came away with faint streaks of blood.  Putting the pieces together, Harley realized she must have fallen, face first, onto the floor and broken her nose.  Thanks to her extra quick healing ability—fast even among others like herself—her nose hadn’t time to gush blood before it began to mend itself.  The blood that escaped hadn’t even begun to congeal before she woke up.

Harley struggled to recall how she ended up on the floor in the first place.  The last thing she remembered was crawling into bed as the sun began to rise.  Harley sat back on her heels and forced herself to relax.  Did something wake me up? She wondered.  Castor was here but I went to bed when he left to hunt.  She was still as she listened to the rest of the apartment.  She was alone, not able to hear any movements or breathing from anyone other than herself.  Nor could she smell anyone else.  Furthermore, if Castor had been near she would have known without needing any physical clues.  She would have felt his nearness.

Slowly, Harley pushed herself to her feet.  As she stood, her blood rushed to her head and she stumbled before catching herself on the couch nearby.  What the hell?  She sank onto the old sofa and put her head between her knees, breathing deeply.  The calming breaths helped her regain some clarity and she surveyed the state of herself.  She was still dressed in the clothes she had slept in—a pair of cotton shorts and a thin tank-top.  She didn’t appear to have any other injuries besides the, now healed, broken nose.  The longer she sat, the less fuzzy her thoughts became.  But no other memories came with the clearer mind.  It appeared as if she had gone to bed and woke up after falling to the floor.

Uneasiness crept up Harley’s spine one vertebra at a time, coming to a rest at the back of her neck causing her hair to stand on end.  Something is very wrong, she decided.  She left the couch and carefully made her way towards the small bathroom.  The setting sun didn’t quite reach into the bathroom so Harley flicked the on the switch as she crossed the threshold.  The harsh, white light blinded her momentarily and she shielded her eyes until they adjusted to the sudden glare.  Finally, the shock faded and she was able to move her hand.  What she saw in the mirror took her breath away.

Harley gaped at her reflection.  Her normally pale skin was even whiter than usual and she could just make out faint and unnaturally dark veins underneath the flesh of her face, neck and chest.  Her thin lips were so blue they were nearly purple—as if she recently recovered from a near drowning or hypothermia.  But it was her eyes that alarmed her the most.  They were solid white.  As a human, her eyes were a dark green, as a Nocte they were solid black.  Since consuming the Lux energy they were solid black with eerie white irises.  However, now, staring into the mirror, Harley saw they were the total white that marked all Lux.  With her breath catching in her throat, Harley realized another reason why she was so unsettled.  She was as quiet on the inside as her apartment was on the outside.  For the first time in almost a year, she couldn’t sense the Nocte inside her.

Harley’s heart slammed against her ribs as she stumbled backwards and collided with the wall behind her.  As she watched her reflection, her mouth split into a wide, toothy grin and deep rumbling laugh spilled from the gaping maw in the mirror.  The sound didn’t come from within her, she realized—Harley knew that the unnatural chuckle was coming from the mirror and her reflection.  Suddenly, her knees turned to rubber and she sank, sliding down the wall.  As her reflection descended the chuckle increased in intensity.  By the time she slipped from the view of the mirror, the laugh and grown into a cackle that jarred her already frayed nerves.  When her butt bumped against the cold tiles everything went dark.

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Like falling into icy water, Harley snapped into alertness.  She was crouched against the wall of her bathroom, knees raised against her chest.  Harley only took a moment to come to her senses before she sprung from the floor.  Peering into the mirror, she expected to see the eerie, white-eyed Lux-Harley, laughing back at her.  A breath exploded out of her in relief when she saw that her eyes were their normal dark green.  She gripped the edges of the sink trying to figure out just what had happened.  She was comforted when her Nocte stumbled into alertness along with her.  The devil shifted in confusion that equaled Harley’s.  She almost laughed in relief to find that her Nocte was still with her.  Harley had grown so used to her presence that she wasn’t sure how she had ever survived without the moody beast within.  The Nocte humphed inside her and that did bring a smile to her face.  Harley knew the devil felt the same whether she would admit it or not.

Listening closer within herself, Harley tried to pick out the jagged energy that lived deep inside her.  Past her own consciousness and past the Nocte’s—all the way to her core she sought out the Lux’s energy.  There, buried so deep that she could barely pinpoint it, she found the rough hum of the Lux’s light energy.   Harley relaxed a little more, reassured that the Lux was still contained deep inside.  Harley looked into the mirror again, making sure her eyes were still as they should be.  Was that a dream?  She wondered.  Looking closer she saw blood dried around the edges of her nostril and her hair stood on end again and she swallowed hard.

Harley rinsed her face in cold water, careful to wash away the dried blood from her nose.  Feeling more alert, she made her way out of the bathroom, surveying the apartment as she went.  She was definitely alone.  That much she was sure of.  But what about the rest?    Almost no light peeked around the closed blinds.  So, if she really had woken up on the floor it must have only been minutes before.  She crouched over the throw rug and running her hand over the trodden-down fabric she found what she was looking for.  A tiny spot of blood matted the dark brown fibers.  She knew it was blood and not some other mysterious liquid because she smelled the metallic tanginess.

Harley’s bafflement grew but was interrupted by a soothing tingle that crept through her, starting in her head and spreading out through her limbs.  She looked to the door just as she heard the key being inserted into the lock.  She jumped to her feet, desperately trying to look normal, as Castor opened the door.  He stopped abruptly when he found her just standing in the living room.   Harley watched him take in her pajamas, tousled hair and her “caught-in-the-act” look as she frantically tried to think of something normal to say.

“Are you OK?” he asked her, easing into the apartment.  His brown hair was smooth and freshly trimmed and his light green eyes were darkened with concern.  He tilted his head to the side and studied her carefully.  He softly shut the door, not taking his eyes off her.

Harley had only seconds to answer before he became any more alarmed.  Truth?  Or Lie?  “I’m fine.  Why?”  She pulled her features into an innocent confused look.

Cas narrowed his eyes at her.  “You looked startled,” he said suspiciously.

“I…just wasn’t paying attention.  You coming in caught me off guard.”  She felt her Nocte shaking her head at her.  There’s no way he’s going to believe that, she thought.  Cas narrowed his eyes even more.  Time to change gears.  “What?”  She drew her shoulders up and narrowed her own eyes.

Castor knew what she was doing, but he didn’t let it go.  “Since when do you not know when I’m coming?”

Harley cocked an eyebrow.  “Oh, I always know that,” she smirked.

Cas rolled his eyes at her.  “Stop playing.”

It was Harley’s turn to roll her eyes.  “I had a weird dream.  I just woke up and was still a little weirded out and then you came in.”  She shrugged to show her nonchalance and turned back towards the bathroom.

“Are you sure?” Castor asked. Harley shook her head at him without looking back.  Levi would have gotten the message and let it go by now.  Without answering she stepped into the bathroom and shut the door.

Harley hesitated before looking at the mirror again.  Cautiously, she peeked at her reflection.  She and her Nocte both relaxed a little when they saw that her eyes were still green.  She ran a brush through her dark red hair, noticing how long it had gotten.  It was half way down her back now.  She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she had worn her hair like this.  Normally, she gave up trying to let it grow and cut it because it took so long.  But not anymore, she thought.  When she thought about it, though, it wasn’t surprising that her hair grew so fast now.  If a broken nose can heal in seconds why can’t hair grow super-fast?

Harley climbed into the shower and began to work shampoo through her hair.  She didn’t always shower before going out hunting but she hoped this shower would make her feel a little more together and less disoriented.  She still wasn’t sure if she had dreamed the whole “Lux eyes” thing or not.  Where did the dream begin and end?  She certainly didn’t want to go into it with Castor.  Either she had been sleepwalking, broke her nose and continued to sleepwalk through it.  Or sleepwalking, broke her nose and woke up…as a Lux?

Yeah, that will go over well, Harley thought, climbing out of the shower.  Castor had been overly anxious about her in the month since she defeated the rogue Lux, Haddon.  He watched her as if he was expecting her to grow a second head or burst into song and dance.  Not to mention the fact that he had been purposefully hunting on his own.  She was surprised when, two weeks ago, she offered to come with him and he turned her down.  He insisted that she needed more time to recover.  While his trying to baby her wasn’t unusual, Harley had sensed something else behind it.  She wondered if it was because of what she went through, or if it was his discomfort with their strange relationship.

After drying off Harley slipped into the bedroom to get dressed.  Castor was lying awake, fighting the oppressive sleep that always came over him with sundown.  Harley, unlike any other living Lux or Nocte, wasn’t affected by the sun or lack thereof.  She made her way to the closet without a word to Cas.

“Come here,” he mumbled softly.

Knowing what was on his mind, Harley gave a short answer.  “No.”

“Um…please.”

“No.”  Castor’s stunned silence guilted her into explaining.  “I’m still creeped out.  I need to get out and work off some of this energy.”  She had to admit, she was a little stunned herself.  Her Nocte was nearly insatiable and if Harley herself wasn’t in the mood, her devil usually pushed her over the edge.

Castor accepted her excuse.  “Are you sure you are feeling up to it?”

The annoyance tightened Harley’s chest.  She took a deep breath before answering.  “Yes.  I’m sure.”  It was the same discussion they had been having for two weeks.  If Cas returned before she left he fretted over her “condition.”  She wasn’t sure what he—and to some degree, Levi—worried would happen to her.  They both knew that she was stronger than ever.  Do they just not trust me to do the right thing? she wondered.

Since taking the Lux’s energy into herself Harley was stronger than any Lux or Nocte before her.  There was a short adjustment period.  For about a week she was mostly confined to bed in pain and delirium.  It came and went in between periods of anxiety and discomfort.  But, all in all the change had been much quicker than she hoped for though.  When bonding with her Nocte, it took months to finish—which had never happened before.  Apparently, her, and her Nocte, were so strong they broke all the molds.  But, between them both, they adjusted to the Lux’s energy remarkably fast.

By the time Harley dressed in stretchy jeans and a long, black sweater and boots, Castor had fallen asleep.  She left the bedroom quietly, so as to not wake him.  The sweater did more than just keep away the chill of the impending fall weather.  It also helped her hide the silver machete she strapped to her back that she carried whenever possible.  When she couldn’t conceal it beneath a jacket or a shirt she would revert back to using the silver Bowie knife that had yet to fail her.  Tonight, though, she was in the mood to carry the machete.  Feelings of disorientation left her insecure enough to risk walking the streets of New York City with a machete.  She felt the need to kill something—and, preferably, to do it with style.

The cold weight of the machete hanging down her back, secured in a smooth leather sling, comforted Harley as she walked the streets.  It may have been a bad idea for her to return to New York—Levi, Castor and even Nya argued against it.  Harley had made some powerful enemies in the short time since joining the Praesidio.  The Lux were suspicious of her and she had killed—kind of—the Sol Invictus’ best attempt at resurrecting Christ.  She was sure there was a pretty big target on her back and going back to her known home base seemed reckless.  But, honestly, Harley didn’t care.  Let them come, she thought.  The sooner I get this over with—the better.   She wasn’t one to hide.  In fact, she made it a point to take the same path every night.  She made no secret of her whereabouts or routines.  If Cas or Levi had any suspicions of her actions, they didn’t let on.  Surely, he didn’t have any idea or he would try to follow and watch over her.  She rolled her eyes to herself.  His overprotecting annoyed her sometimes, but she had to admit, it was nice that he cared.

Harley had been walking for several hours and the streets gradually cleared of people.  As she neared SoHo a scent traveled to her on the cool breeze.  She perked up like a hunting dog, and goose bumps rose across her shoulders.  Not even aware of slowing down, Harley stopped walking.  Turning she headed west to follow the unexpected smell.  With each step the smell grew stronger and her Nocte shifted anxiously.  Rounding a corner Harley stopped and turned in a circle again.  Finally, she spotted the source of the unsettling scent.  A boutique was wedged into the corner opposite where she stood.  Barely checking for traffic, she trotted across the street.  All of the shops nearby were dark and a couple of restaurants on the next block were open but quiet as they wound down for the night.  As she drew closer she was able to see what had caught her attention.  Smeared across the bottom of the window displaying mannequins dressed the overly expensive clothes was one word—written in what smelled like Nocte blood.  “Harley.”

Chapter 2

Harley’s back stiffened with alarm.  She swept her hair to the side and slid the machete from underneath the loose neck of her sweater.  The silver blade whispered against the leather case as she pulled it free.  She held the machete pointed at the sidewalk, perpendicular to the ground and close to her leg. Her eyes shifted into black and white as her Nocte went on alert.  She took a deep breath and surveyed the night.  Harley didn’t smell anything beyond the normal smells of the city—except for the Nocte blood scrawled across the glass.  There wasn’t anything familiar about the blood.  Had it come from a Nocte she knew she was sure that she would recognize its uniqueness.

The night was quiet except for the sounds of people inside the nearby buildings.  Harley concentrated on her “extra-sense.”  She wasn’t getting the hum of a supernatural being anywhere nearby.  Since becoming a Nocte she was able to pick up on the energy signals of Ignis if they were close enough.  Sometimes, if the Lux or Nocte was familiar to her—or especially strong—Harley could pick up on them as well.  But, tonight, nothing.  She seemed to be the only other-worldly creature within, probably, a half mile radius.

Harley crouched in front of the word scrawled on the window, balancing the machete on its tip between her legs.  She couldn’t make out the scent of the sender of this message.  There weren’t even any fingerprints in the dried blood.  Whoever left the message was careful.  Standing, Harley searched the gutters in front of the store.  A few yards away she found what she needed.  She picked up a wad of napkins, damp with things to which she purposefully closed off her sense of smell.  She wiped at the blood enough to smudge out her name.  While humans would probably assume that the gross graffiti came from some crazy motorcycle enthusiast, she didn’t want to take any chances.  She tossed the now more soiled napkins in a trash bin as she quickly walked away.

Harley didn’t have a destination in mind.  She simply needed to walk and give herself time to think.  I’m having some kind of strange blackouts and possibly seeing things.  Someone—something—is leaving me messages for me in Nocte blood.  She smiled to herself and her Nocte agreed.  Finally.  She had worried that she would have to wait a long time, or maybe even go hunting for the Sol Invictus herself.  Harley wasn’t sure what was going on with her personally, but she felt fine now that her disorientation passed, so she didn’t keep worrying about that.  She also wasn’t going to tell anyone else—that much she was positive about.  I’m sure it’s just more adjusting to the Lux, Harley told herself firmly. Everyone would make a much bigger deal out of it than necessary.  Instead, she focused on the Sol Invictus as they drew closer to her.

Keeping the machete out and ready, Harley left her usual path.  She needed to make a kill.  The excitement and stress she had been through this evening took its toll on her.  Since taking the Lux’s energy into herself she found that she needed to feed more often than she did before.  She didn’t know if it was the effort at holding the Lux down or if it was like a powerful car consuming more gas than a weaker model.  Either way, the hunger burned in her stomach and her mouth was practically watering already.  The Burners had apparently picked up on the path that she had been following and was avoiding it tonight.  She suspected that she was going to need to change up her routine if she wanted to be able to hunt while she waited for the Sol to find her.

Heading west, Harley kept her Burner-sense open.  It wasn’t long before her effort paid off.  She caught the light buzz and began to mindlessly wander, guided only by the beacon drawing her closer.  It didn’t take long before Harley picked up on the scorched scent that accompanied the psychic hum of a nearby Ignis.  Across the street she spotted the Burner walking quickly with his jacket pulled tight around his neck to block the chilly wind that cut in and around the towering buildings of the city.  The only reason he didn’t pick up on her presence yet was because the wind was blowing east and away from them both.  A growl rumbled from her throat and she crossed the street to meet the man head on.  The wind whipped her hair around her face and she narrowed her eyes against the gust.  The burning odor that came with all Ignis singed her nose and she wrinkled it in disgust.  The man kept his head down and didn’t paying attention to what was coming for him from the front.

Harley was surprised by his appearance.  When hunting at night she usually came across the drug dealers, the pimps, murderers and thieves that stalked the night.  This man was well dressed and looked like he just left an office.  Maybe an accountant.  Yep, Harley breathed the man’s scent in.  Cheat.  The man cheated people out of their hard earned money.  Not my usual, that’s for sure.  Harley shrugged it off.  Food was food.  The man didn’t look up until her was within feet of her.  Whatever preoccupied his thoughts kept him distracted enough that he hadn’t even realized someone was standing in front of him until it was too late.

The Burner was at first just startled to find someone in his path, but when he caught sight of Harley’s eyes he gasped.  He seemed frozen for a moment, torn as to whether to fight or run. Harley smiled at him.  She intended on offering him some sort of clever quip but she didn’t have the chance.  Without realizing it was going to happen, she lunged forward and caught the man by his throat with one hand.  In one swift motion she raised him off his feet and slammed him to the ground flat on his back.  She heard his teeth clack together and his feral, gleaming eyes flashed as he snarled at her.  She had planned on at least dragging him into a doorway since there were no easily accessible alleys nearby.  Again, her body had other plans.  Harley dropped to her knees and leaned over the Burner and he clawed at her hands and face, but she barely felt it.  She yanked his head to the side by his short blonde hair and ripped into his throat with her fangs.

The blood gushed into Harley’s mouth and she moaned with pleasure.  The Burner stopped struggling as the bite immobilized him.  The blood burned down her throat and her sense of control reappeared enough for her to realize she was feeding out in the open on the street.  But, she gulped the warm vibrant blood, still not yet able to stop what she had started.  Suddenly, she caught the sound of a door closing nearby.  She was finally able to tear herself away from the man’s throat to risk a glance in the direction of the sound.  Across the street Harley spotted a human woman, inexplicably leaving her shop in the middle of the night.  Just my luck, Harley grumbled to herself.  The woman had apparently caught sight of Harley because she was frozen in her doorway, watching as buried her face in the neck of a seemingly average business man.

Harley swallowed hard, the blood becoming an obstacle in her windpipe.  The Ignis below her was still alive and he was flopping graceless.  The streets were dark this time of night and the street lamps barely penetrated the night so she hoped the woman wouldn’t be able see clearly what was going on from across the street.  Her Nocte was quiet with shock and indecision over what they had done.  Thinking quickly, Harley threw her leg over the man’s waist and sat astride him.  Discreetly wiping her mouth on his jacket she raised her head from his shoulder and giggled looking at the woman.  The woman scoffed and drew her coat closer and looked away from the man and woman with such poor breeding they were practically having sex on the street.  Breathing a sigh of relief Harley climbed off the Burner and dragged him into the doorway of a nearby shop.  She quickly finished with him and, wiping her mouth again, she sheathed her machete and trotted off into the night before the Ignis even began to burn.

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Dawn was just beginning as Harley climbed the stairs to her apartment.  She didn’t know what had gotten into her.  She had never attacked like that before, with no thought or planning.  She seemed to completely lose control over her actions and it left her as shaken as when she first woke up to the illusion of her eyes going solid white.  Her Nocte shifted in equal discomfort.  It only worried Harley more that her Nocte also didn’t seem to have any idea what was going on either.  Anxiety knotted in her stomach as she opened the door to her apartment.  She was uneasy and worried—not just about herself, but also about the Nocte who had bled for the message she was left.

The small space was silent except for the soft breathing coming from the bedroom and Harley felt the faint buzz of Castor’s closeness.  A different hunger spread through her body and Harley didn’t question if it was her own or her Nocte’s—she needed comfort and distraction. She tossed her sweater and machete on the couch and kicked her jeans off as she quietly opened the door to the bedroom.  By the time she crawled under the covers at the foot of the bed she was completely naked.  Castor’s sharp intake of breath told her he had woken up as she climbed over his feet.   Starting inside of his knee, Harley brushed her teeth across Castor’s skin and his soft leg hairs tickled her lips.  As she made it to his waist she realized just how fully awake he was and she tossed the blankets back off of them both and she laughed at the dramatic entrance she made.  Cas grinned at her.

“Good morning to you too!” he chuckled.

Harley returned his greeting by running the tip of her tongue along him while she held herself up with a hand on either side of his waist.  Cas gasped again and his stomach muscles jerked with excitement.  Taking him in her hand, Harley flicked her tongue across him, tracing the contours and ridges.  He groaned with pleasure and relaxed against the bed enjoying the tension that Harley was creating.  Suddenly, Cas broke from the moment and gripped her arms.  He firmly pulled her up his body as he slid down the bed at the same time.  He stopped when Harley was kneeling over his face.  Her stomach shuddered and she sighed as he buried his mouth against her.  Cas was rarely the aggressive one and she liked this side of him.  She clutched at the headboard and tried not to whimper as pleasure rippled through her.  As she came she cried out breathlessly and shivered from the contrast of the cool air against her warm skin.  She eased herself down Castor’s body until she was sitting in his lap and smiled languidly at him.

Cas gripped her face and kissed up her throat while his hands began to throb against her skull.  This was what she needed and she sighed.  Forcing herself to be gentle, she sank her teeth into Castor’s neck as he began to pull from her.  She raised and lowered herself in time to the pulsating white hot ecstasy that flowed through them both.  Harley felt herself spiraling downward in bliss.  The ecstasy built up in them both as they rode the electric flow of energy between the two of them.  The Burner had filled her stomach, but Castor’s energy filled a part of her soul.  When they both finished in a blinding pulse, they collapsed against the bed panting for breath. Cas pulled her close and stroked her hair.  Harley didn’t fight the closeness.  Instead, she floated, tingling as the euphoria that came along with feeding from Cas spread across her body.  Her thoughts slowed and mellowed as her body relaxed and her skin hummed.

All of Harley’s fears and worries melted away even though the euphoria was fading at the same time.  She didn’t care if something strange was going on with her.  She didn’t care if a dangerous cult was hunting her.  She wasn’t going to worry about a Nocte that she didn’t know possibly being dead.  She wasn’t going to worry at all.  Cas raised himself and looked down at her.  He stroked the side of her face and kissed her softly.  She sighed against his mouth and smiled at him.

“I love when she just lays here like this.”

“What?” Harley asked in response to Castor’s odd statement.

“What?” Castor looked down at her.

Harley peered up at him with her eyes narrowed.  “What did you just say?”

“Nothing?” Cas drew the word out in confusion.

Great, now I’m hearing things.  “Oh.  Never mind.  I thought you said something.”  The comfort she found faded a little in her confusion.

Castor continued to look at her curiously for a moment before brushing aside his puzzlement.  “So, to what do I owe the lovely wakeup call?” Cas asked her.

“I felt guilty for being so grouchy last evening.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s all,” she sighed.  “Well, I needed some Cas also,” she smiled.  Harley found she could barely keep her eyes open as the sun rose fully.  Not because the sun had any real effect on her, but because she was exhausted.  Cas laughed softly at her sluggishness and slid from the bed to start his day.  Harley turned onto her stomach as she felt her Nocte settle down for the day.

“When will Levi be back?” Castor asked in a guarded voice.

“Two nights from now.”  Cas didn’t respond.  Harley sensed the annoyance in his silence but she ignored it.  The three of them had agreed—this is how it was to be.  Cas was silent as he finished getting ready to leave.  He didn’t bother to be quiet as he gathered his things.  Harley knew he was doing it on purpose but she ignored his small tantrum.  He left without speaking and even though Harley hated to do so, she let him leave angry.

Chapter 3

Harley Finn woke that evening from uneasy dreams.  One instant she was sleeping fitfully and the next she was standing in the bathroom—staring at the mirror.  Harley gasped in shock and stumbled backwards away from the mirror.  Her fright was obvious in her, thankfully, green eyes and flared nostrils.  Her mind couldn’t process what happened.  Her legs went numb and she stumbled out of the bathroom before falling on her face.  Harley lay panting on the hard floor trying to regain her sense of reality.  Her Nocte’s frustration began to outweigh her alarm.  She gritted her teeth as her initial fright faded into anger over another bizarre episode of sleepwalking.

Harley climbed to her feet, taking deep calming breaths.  With each breath she felt her body begin to respond to reason and move away from the adrenaline fueled flight or fight response.  The feeling slowly came back into her toes and fingers and she ran her hand through her hair.  It was tangled and damp with sweat.  What the hell happened?  Her Nocte echoed her question.  Harley made her way back into the bathroom cautiously.  Even though her eyes were been green when she woke, some primal part of her feared that she would find that they were corpse white and not under her control any longer.  But, her nerves didn’t calm any more when her reflection reassured her that her eyes were really her own.

Harley stared into her reflection—searching for an answer to what was happening.  She leaned so close to the mirror that her breath left foggy clouds on the glass.  Nothing.  She looked completely normal.  Well, as normal as supernatural creatures normally looked.  Harley eased herself onto the closed toilet lid, looking around to room as if she would find the answers in the hair collected in the dusty corners.  After a quiet moment to collect herself she shook her head and climbed into the shower.  The coating of dried sweat on her skin left her feeling dirty and she wanted to wash away her unease.  Scrubbing only ridded her of her physical distress, however.  Leaving the bathroom she braided her hair and sat on the old worn couch.  She hadn’t bothered to dress yet and the thin fabric of the sofa itched at her skin but she ignored it.  Harley forced her brain to examine the events of the past twenty-four hours.

1—I’m doing some intense sleep walking.

2—I’m losing control over my actions

What does this mean?  Harley racked her brain for an answer.  The most logical answer, she decided, was the Lux energy inside her.  Her Nocte agreed with her.  Searching herself, she found the energy where it was supposed to be, buried deep where it couldn’t do any harm.  Could it?  If the Lux was finding some way to rise to her surface, wouldn’t she know?  Her Nocte was uncomfortably silent.  Or was it something worse?  Was she losing control over the power that she now wielded?  Harley stared at her hands as if to make sure they were her own.  She was surprised to see a faint tremor causing them to shake subtly.  Harley took a deep breath and balled her hands into fists.  Forcing the nagging worry about her mental state to the side, she dressed for the evening.  She found it odd that Castor wasn’t home yet.  It was rare for him to be out after dark.  The Lux were as vulnerable at night as the Nocte were during the day.  Except for Harley that was—Harley wasn’t ever vulnerable.  At least not from the night or day, she rolled her eyes at herself. She figured that Cas was probably pouting at his apartment.

Harley left dressed in jeans and a black tee-shirt.  Her Bowie was strapped to her back and her chain clinked around her waist.  She enjoyed the cool air that stroked her bare skin.  It raised goosebumps along her arms and it left her feeling refreshed after her feverish waking.  She headed towards her normal route, determined to seek out the Sol Invictus or any messages they had left for her tonight.  She was wound tightly and ready for confrontation.  The night was early enough that people still roamed the streets—shopping, eating, drinking, and laughing.  Harley blocked the sounds out and felt the night as she walked.  Since the Sol was made up of humans, she knew that she wouldn’t feel them as she felt her usual prey.  But it didn’t hurt to keep her senses open.  The tingling need to feed crept into her stomach as the night wore on.  At the very least she may pick up on an Ignis straying into her path.

Suddenly, Harley’s phone chimed in her pocket and she pulled it out.  She assumed that it was Levi or Cas, or maybe even Nya.  They were the only ones she communicated with on a regular basis.  However, she was surprised to find that the text was from Jaxson, a Nocte with a dark complexion and faint Caribbean accent.  The text was simple.

“Meet me at Strawberry Fields.”

Harley’s brow wrinkled and her Nocte’s hackles rose.  She only briefly met the other Praesidio hunter that stalked Upper Manhattan.  She had barely ever spoken to the man and couldn’t imagine why he would want to meet her.  It has to be a trick.  Indecision crawled across Harley’s mind.  She might be walking into catastrophe if she went.  Then again, if she didn’t go, she may lose her chance at finding out what the Sol Invictus was up to.  She drummed her nails against her phone.  Making up her mind, she replied.

“I’ll be there in 20.”

Quickly, Harley made her way towards the Spring Street station.  It was late enough that the subway wasn’t crowded and she was able to avoid running into the commuters coming to and from their destinations.  Descending under the city, the smells of human waste and moldy water crept its way into Harley’s nose and she concentrated on blocking the odor.  The smell would have been bad enough as a human, but with her super smell it made her nauseous if she let it.  Inside the train, Harley chose to remain standing even though there were plenty of available seats.  As the car rocked its way toward Central Park, she avoided looking at the people around her.  She knew they were avoiding her as well.  It was the rule of survival in the city.  Keep to your own.  She folded her arms and leaned against the support pole in the center of the car.  Knowing she was most likely on her way to meet her biggest enemy left her palms damp in anticipation and she kept them open against her shirt to dry them.

Harley didn’t have any particular opposition to religion, or religious groups.  But the Sol Invictus wasn’t a normal church. It was a cult.  Its members corrupted the ancient Roman worship of the sun into a twisted mission to resurrect the Son of God.  Harley wasn’t sure how they had learned of the Lux, or the Nocte and Ignis, but it didn’t matter.  The early thoughts on the Lux and Nocte were that they were angels sent to fight demons born from the fires of hell.  While the Lux and Nocte, and eventually the conventional church, knew this wasn’t true, apparently the humans that made up the Sol Invictus hadn’t gotten the memo.  Levi found out that they had managed to create—and lose control of—an extraordinarily powerful Lux while trying to instigate the Second Coming.  It was because of this rogue Lux’s power that Harley was as strong as she was.  His power threw the balance of light and dark off—opening a big enough doorway for Harley’s Nocte to enter this dimension and bond with her.

Harley had known when she defeated Haddon that the Sol Invictus would be coming for her.  She wasn’t even surprised they were using a Nocte to do it.  She suspected that the blood smeared on the store window last night belonged to Jaxson.  And if they had gotten close enough to get Jaxson’s blood, that didn’t bode well for the other Nocte.  She certainly hadn’t been close to Jaxson, she had barely known him.  But that didn’t mean that she was OK with anyone attacking him either.  In the back of her mind she knew that she should call someone else.  She had no idea how many members of the Sol Invictus would be waiting for her.  But she ignored that voice that tried to reason with her.  She wasn’t going to bring anyone else into this fight unless she couldn’t avoid doing so.  Furthermore, she didn’t necessarily plan on fighting the Sol tonight.  Her primary goal was to get a look at what she was dealing with.  If there was more than she could handle herself, she wouldn’t take their bait.  She would call for backup if she needed it.

The train screeched its way into the station and Harley braced herself against the lurch of the stopping motion.   She made her way through the turnstiles and bound up the stairs.  Once again in the open air of the metropolis Harley took a deep breath.  Food and trash and the sweat of the people around her wafted across the breeze and to her nose.  She kept close to the building as she walked down 72nd towards the park.  The hum of a nearby Ignis drifted through the air but she brushed it off for the time being.  She had bigger fish on the line this evening and she kept her eyes out for humans that looked suspicious.  It occurred to her that she didn’t have any idea what to look for.  She doubted that the Sol Invictus had a members-only tee-shirt.  She would have to rely on her intuition.  At least there aren’t many humans out now.

As she neared the infamous Dakota building, Harley slowed and stepped inside one of the gothic looking archways.  She surveyed the buildings around her, and examined the few people bustling along the sidewalks.  No one stuck out as being suspicious.  Tension crept into Harley’s shoulders and her Nocte was on high alert.  Reason tried to prod her into realizing the foolishness of her actions, but again she continued to ignore it.  Her Nocte agreed with her—both of them wanted to end this as quickly as possible.  But she knew that Levi, Nya and especially Cas would all insist that she run—and run quickly.  Resolved squared her shoulders and she stepped away from her shelter and trotted across 8th Avenue, eager to duck into the shadows again.  As she made her way into the park the insistent buzz of a Burner nudged against her brain again.  She paused against the white sign announcing that she had arrived at Strawberry Fields and sniffed the air.  Something wasn’t right.  She didn’t smell any humans nearby.  She could, however, smell something in the cold breeze.  The strange smell caused the hair on her arms to stand up straight.  It smelled sour and wild—like an animal with rotting wounds.

Curiosity and confusion urged Harley on.  She kept to the shadows as she followed the path into the clearing designated as a memorial to the music legend, John Lennon.  The large circle of white tiles seemed to glow in the dim light and the word “Imagine” sat solidly in the middle.  She saw flowers laid in tribute around the edge of the memorial and could smell their decaying sweetness.  Hearing a sound from the path to her left, Harley spun, drawing her knife from her back as she turned.  When the man stepped from the shadows her heart stopped being for a moment.  His blonde hair caught the moonlight and his smirk showed off impossibly white teeth.  Of the people she would have expected see this evening, this was not one of them. Cutter took a few more steps and chuckled at her surprise.

“Glad you could make it” he smirked.

Harley finally recovered from her shock.  “You?”  Good job, Harley, very original.  Her Nocte growled and rose up, ready to battle.  As Cutter stepped into the glow of the closest streetlight, Harley got a good look at his eyes and was surprised to find that she could be even more shocked than she already was.  His eyes were milky white, like they were covered over with cataracts.  She tilted her head trying to understand what she was seeing and had a source for the odd, sour smell that permeated the memorial.  At the same time, Cutter lunged towards her, drawing out his machete as he came at her.

Harley’s body was still trying to play catch up.  Harley only recovered enough to jump to the side and away from Cutter’s huge blade as it sliced through the air.  She hit the ground hard, landing on her shoulder and rolling to her feet.  Of all the nights to not bring my machete...  Harley had been an exceptionally good fighter since joining the Praesidio.  But after consuming Haddon, she had not encountered anyone capable of matching her speed and strength.  So she was dumbfounded by Cutter’s quickness as he struck again.  She only time to register that he was moving before he was on her.

As Cutter swung his blade towards her again she ducked and knocked his hand away with a snap of her foot.  Thinking quickly she unwound the chain from her waist and with a flick of her wrist she wrapped it around her left forearm.  Harley held her own knife ready and crouched into a fighting stance.  Cutter skipped to the side as she went in close for her own attack.  He easily dodged strike and closed even more of the distance between them.  This was another new detail to her oldest enemy—Cutter had always been a hit and run kind of opponent.  She managed to push him back with a front kick to his stomach but he countered with a wide sweep of his blade.  Instinctively, Harley brought her left arm up to block the attack.  As she had hoped, the chain prevented the blade from slicing off her arm but it didn’t stop the force of the hit from cracking her forearm.  Sparks flew from the impact of the blade against the metal chain.  She grunted in pain and stumbled back from the blow.

Cutter closed in again, using the fist that clenched the handle of the machete, he swung at Harley’s face.  He was too close, too fast and Harley was still too off-guard and the hit connected.  She felt her jaw crack and her neck bones pop.  Her vision went blurry as she was spun away from the impact.  By the time her vision cleared and she turned back towards her opponent, Cutter was already coming at her again.  He raised the machete again as Harley brought her own knife up in a desperate attempt to halt the enormous blade.  Her left arm was still numb and mostly useless from the previous block.  Normally, the Bowie was an awe inspiring weapon but against the machete Cutter wielded it looked as threatening as a butter knife.  The force of the machete and the Bowie meeting ripped the hunting knife from Harley’s hand as easily as chopping down a weed.

Cutter laughed as Harley back-pedaled away from him.  Her Bowie spun to a stop near the center of the tiled memorial.  Cutter made his way obnoxiously slowly towards her, enjoying having her cornered so to speak.  She knew if she made a sudden move towards her weapon he would be on her in an instant.  She would never be able to make it to the Bowie before he sliced her in half with his machete.  She growled at him but he only laughed harder and his milky eyes glowed with the normal feral light of all Ignis.  Harley continued to edge her way backwards, hoping that Cutter would be too focused on showboating to notice how close she was to her weapon.

Harley only made it half way before an incredibly loud crack broke through the, otherwise, silent night.  The noise was followed by something slamming into her left thigh.  The impact caused her to stumble to the side and she stared down at her leg in confusion.  When she looked up she realized that Cutter was just as confused as she was.  There was a hole in her pant leg and as she watched blood seeped through the jeans and towards the ground.  At the same time her leg burst into invisible fire and her leg muscle shuddered before giving out completely.  She stumbled to the side again as another loud crack split the night.  This time it was Cutter who was hit.  He wobbled towards her and his blood peppered her face.  A dark hole appeared high in his chest near his left shoulder.

Before Harley had a chance to process where the gun shots were coming from, more bullets tore through them both.  Harley was hit four more times before she was knocked from her feet.  Once in the arm, once in the hand, and two times in the back with the bullets tearing their way through her stomach.  As she slammed face first to the ground she saw Cutter crawling desperately towards the direction from which he came.  She, regrettably, had to let him go if she hoped to save herself.  She may be mostly immortal, but a well-placed shot to the head or heart and she would die just like anyone else.  The bullets continued to follow Harley as she dragged herself along the ground.  The irony burned in her mouth along with the taste of blood as the tiles of the memorial burst into dust around her head.  Rising to her knees, she recovered her knife and rolled into the bushes hoping they would help hide her.

Harley coughed up blood and bile and she curled into a fetal position trying to make herself as small a target as possible.  It was a Hollywood miracle that she didn’t received a deadly shot.  Her right hand was useless for the time being so she laid on her right shoulder as she fumbled with the sheath under her shirt trying to slide the knife into its holster.  She was surprised by how badly the bullets stung.  The gaping holes felt like someone had embedded a red hot poker in her skin.  The bushes around her were shredded as the bullets continued to rip through them but she managed to crawl far enough that she was apparently hidden from view because none of the bullets were finding their intended target.  She finally secured her knife and using her good hand and good leg she crawled away from the barrage of bullets, keeping herself close to the ground as possible.

Chapter 4

The bullets stopped flying as Harley crawled through the bushes.  If she had to guess she would have said there were probably two or three gunmen.  Who the hell is shooting?  Harley was reeling from the surprise of being shot at as much as she was from the pain of being shot.  They shot at both Cutter and me.  So I’m sure they aren’t Ignis.  And who uses guns anyway?  Humans?  It had to be the Sol.  Did they even know Cutter was going to be here?  How did he even show up here without Levi knowing?  Levi had been hunting for the Burner for the past month.  So far Levi hadn’t found so much as fingerprint from him.  Harley knew that Levi wouldn’t have kept it hidden from her if he had found him.  Obviously, he had no idea Cutter was back in New York.  And what was going on with Cutter’s eyes? The thoughts raced through her mind and she crawled away from Strawberry Fields.

Once the shots stopped and Harley felt she was safe enough to stand, she pushed off the ground and hopped to her feet.  Foot?  She still couldn’t put much weight on her left leg at all.  But the burning wounds in her stomach were slowly healing.  The bleeding had slowed to a drip but the holes still felt like they were on fire.  Her right hand was mangled and she wasn’t able to move it at all.  She hobbled as fast as she could, panting against the pain.  It had only been minutes since getting shot but she was still surprised she wasn’t healing faster.  Luckily she wasn’t encountering anyone else, human or supernatural.  Covered in blood and in obvious pain, she would make a memorable sight.  She made her way towards Bow Bridge hoping to find some cover and a place to hide until she healed enough to make it back to her apartment.  Her Nocte urged her on equally eager for shelter.

By the time Harley stumbled through the trees towards the bridge her stomach had stopped bleeding and the wound in her arm seemed mostly healed.  The bones in her hand popped as they began pulling themselves back together and they grated against each other with a stomach churning sound.  Her leg, however, didn’t feel any better at all.  She half crawled and half ran for the cover of the bridge.  Sliding and stumbling across the rocky shore, Harley was desperate to make it to shelter.  She didn’t hear any more shots or anyone following her, but she didn’t want to take any chances.  Tucking herself against the stone abutment, she listened.  The night was eerily silent.  It was as if all the animals fled at the sounds of the fighting and gunfire.  From a distance, Harley caught the screaming police siren that was drawing closer.  The very reason the Nocte doesn’t use guns.  Now she had to avoid the police too, her Nocte grumbled along with her.

Gingerly, Harley examined the wound in her leg.  It appeared as if the hole was trying to close but it wasn’t quite there yet.  The edges were rough and burnt and some kind of puss was seeping from the narrow and jagged cavity.  When she poked at it fresh liquid oozed out and blazing hot pain shot through her whole leg.  She gasped and gritted her teeth.  What the hell?  The excruciating ache throbbed through her leg.  She had been shot before.  Nya once proved a point to her with a .50 caliber gun and even that didn’t hurt as bad as these shots did.  Especially the one in her leg.  It was a bone deep agony that made Harley feel like she was going to throw up.

Looking at her leg again, Harley realized there was only one hole.  Her arm, her abdomen and her hand all had two holes.  And entrance wound and an exit wound.  Fuck!  She felt her Nocte’s dejected sigh.  Harley cursed, thumping her head back against the stone structure behind her.  The bullet was still inside.  Harley was sure her leg wasn’t broken, she was able to move it, so she was pretty sure that the bullet hadn’t stuck her bone.  But somehow the bullet didn’t make it all the way through, that’s why the wound wouldn’t close all the way.  Taking a deep breath she examined the hole again.  It wasn’t completely closed but it was trying to mend itself.  In movies and books the bullet normally works its own way out, Harley thought miserably.  She allowed herself several moments of refusing to admit what she was going to have to do.  What’s worse, she was going to have to use her left hand, since her right hand was still useless.  She prodded at her Nocte, but the devil didn’t have any help for her.  Anger colored her pain making it red and sharp.  She was angry at herself as much as she was at Cutter and the Sol.  She should have known better than to walk into this set up.  Concentrating on breathing though the pain in her leg and hand was the only thing that kept her from punching something out of frustration.

Deciding to get it over with, Harley pulled the knife from her back and took a deep breath.  She braced the silver blade against the ragged wound in her thigh.  She let out a deep breath, swallowed and thrust the blade through the meat of her leg.  She clenched her teeth hard enough to crack them and a strangled scream tore its way through her throat.  She would have loved to have a moment to deal with the blinding pain.  Maybe writhe around on the ground and maybe even cry a little.  But she knew that she didn’t have that kind of time.  Not only did she need to get out of the park before the police found her, the path she cut open would soon begin trying to heal again.  Taking another breath she forced a finger into the path she had remade.  Her warm blood spilled out around her finger and the contrast to the cool night air created a grotesque undeniable quality to what she was doing.  Harley realized that she was panting like a woman in labor and her Nocte roared at her to hurry up so she forced her finger deeper inside her leg.  Harley’s stomach lurched as she slid past what she assumed was muscle and other tissue while searching for something hard and metallic.  Just when she began to worry that she made a new path that went somewhere other than where the bullet was, she struck gold.

Harley groaned as she dug at the bullet, trying to get a grip on it with her fingernail.  Some part of her brain shut down as her vision swam.  She wasn’t sure how she didn’t pass out before finally extracting the bullet.  But when the twisted lump of metal was in her hand she realized why the shots hurt so badly and why it was taking so long to heal.  The bullet appeared to be made of silver.  Even covered in blood and gore the bullet shined in the moonlight.  With a relieved and exhausted sigh, Harley tossed the mangled bullet into the water and it sunk with a plink.  She finally took a moment to regain her strength and composure.  She flopped over onto her side and took deep breathes as she waited for her body to heal itself.

Harley lay on the cool damp grass for maybe ten minutes, listening to the sirens and commotion of the police grow louder.  She knew that she needed to get moving.  She couldn’t allow them to find her, covered in blood, so near the crime scene.  She sat up and examined herself.  Her stomach and leg still burned but the wounds were closed enough that she wasn’t worried about moving them.  Her hand was no longer bleeding and she could flex it slightly, grimacing as she did so.  The tiny delicate bones were taking a long while to put back together.  Harley made it to her feet and limped away from the bridge.  She headed west towards 5th Avenue hoping to grab a taxi back to her apartment.

By the time Harley emerged from Central Park her wounds were mostly healed, and her hand was the only part that still ached badly even though she was finally able to move it without wanting to scream.  She was exhausted and felt like she hadn’t slept in days.  It took a lot of energy to heal from the gun shots and she needed to feed before she collapsed.  In the light from the streetlamps she got a good look at herself.  She was covered in blood and her pants and shirt were torn.  Her hair came undone from its braid and was hanging in bloody clumps around her shoulders.  Shaking her head, she dragged her feet to the edge of the road and waited outside the glow of the streetlamps.  She knew that she wouldn’t be able to hunt in this state.  She was too tired and too conspicuous.  If she ran into the police looking like this she would be arrested for sure.  She didn’t have to wait long before she saw a yellow taxi cruising down the road.

As the taxi glided closer Harley took a deep breath.  This was probably a bad idea, but there wasn’t much else she could do.  She needed the safety of her apartment.  Taking the train would only draw more attention.  She was just going to have to rely on humans’ remarkable ability to not pay attention and hope that the cabbie didn’t notice that she was covered in blood.  Her black shirt, red hair and dark jeans would help disguise the state of her.

Sliding into the cab, Harley shut the door quickly hoping the darkness would help hide the blood.

“Where can I take you?” the driver asked with a musical accent.

Harley gave him her address and settled back into the seat.  The driver barely glanced back at her for the whole ride.  He was tired himself and had probably seen it all.  A dirty woman who smelled funny and looked like death warmed over wasn’t going to make too big of an impression on him.  During the cab ride Harley rested her head against the window and took the time to calm herself further.  Her nerves were still frayed and raw and her Nocte was still wound tight.  She was tempted to text Levi, but she decided against it.  He would be here tomorrow night, and if she told him what happened he would only try to rush here sooner.  When the cab pulled up in front of her apartment she handed the driver the fare plus a good tip.  Not so good as he wouldn’t forget her—but not bad enough to stand out either.

Stepping out in front of her building, Harley surveyed the night.  She took a deep breath and listened carefully.  Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.  The shops were closed, and most people were asleep.  She didn’t catch the scent of anything supernatural.  Deciding that she was safe, Harley stumbled up the stairs and quickly locked the door behind her.  The silence of the apartment surprised her.  A part of her expected Castor to be here asleep—waiting for her.  But she knew right away that he wasn’t.

As tired as she was, Harley forced herself to shower quickly, washing the blood from her hair and body.  The rusty red water pooled around her feet before circling the drain.  What a mess.  The fact that her blood, as well as Cutter’s, would be found at the scene was a problem, she realized.  Deal with one thing at a time, she told herself.  Clean and dry, she flopped into bed.  Staring up at the ceiling, Harley went over the events of the night.  Was it Cutter who texted me?  Was he the one who left the message on the window?  Who was shooting at us?  It had to be the Sol, right?  Harley wasn’t sure what was going on and worry nagged at her brain.  She was eager for Levi to arrive tomorrow night.  Maybe he had found something that would help shed light on the events of the night.

Harley was still unsettled enough that it took longer to fall asleep than she expected.  She realized that she was disappointed that Cas wasn’t here.  She sighed.  He must still have sore feelings about Levi returning to New York.  Not only had a part of her been counting on being able to feed from him and recover sooner, she recognized the need to sleep next to him for a little while.  His calm, soothing concern was just what she wanted right now.  Inexplicably, she found herself craving a soft hand stroking her hair and coddling her.  It had been an exceptionally bad night that left her feeling stunned, vulnerable, and downright whiny.  Another nagging thought spinning though her mind was a worry about what would happen while she slept.  Where am I going to wake up this time?  But the storm of thoughts that rumbled through her brain could only fend off sleep for so long.  Harley was fast asleep before dawn even began to show its face.

Chapter 5

Harley opened her eyes slowly.  She realized quickly she was still in bed and breathed a sigh of relief.  She pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed her face.  She felt like she had been hit by a truck.  Her gunshot wounds were healed without even a scar, of course.  But she was body weary and her head was pounding.  Furthermore, her stomach burned with hunger.  By the light creeping around the heavy curtains, she could tell that it wasn’t quite dark yet.  Groaning, she rolled out of bed and stumbled her way to the bathroom.

With apprehension tingling along her spine, Harley glanced at the mirror.  She was relieved to see that her eyes were still their human green—even if they were bloodshot and darkened with circles beneath them.  After relieving herself, she decided to take another shower hoping it would help wake her up and clear the fog from her brain.  The shower did its job the best that it could.  She was only a little dazed when she shuffled her way to the kitchen to search for some kind of food.  She still needed human food—just not much of it. Therefore, she rarely kept anything in the apartment but the hunger for blood made her need for solid food stronger than normal as well.  She considered herself lucky to find some peanut butter and stale bread to make a sandwich.

Her stomach was grumbling its displeasure at the meager breakfast, when her phone pinged with a text.

“Flew in this evening. I’ll be at your place in 15.”

Excitement shivered through her.  Levi was on his way.  The Nocte roused herself awake in anticipation.  Harley nervously paced the apartment until she the familiar buzz flowed across her skin and through her stomach.  She wrenched the door open and found Levi standing in the doorway with his hand grasping for a doorknob no longer there.  His long dark hair brushed his shoulders and his blue eyes gleamed with pleasure at seeing her.

A rare and full smile began to split Levi’s rough face when Harley reached out, grasping the front of his red tee-shirt.  She yanked him through the doorway and slammed the door shut behind him.  They didn’t even make it to the bedroom.  Harley pushed him to the floor and they both fumbled with their clothes and each other.  The sex was a ravenous display of how much they had been anticipating this.  Their hands and mouths savored each other’s skin and left burning trails marking where their lips had been.

When Harley sank her fangs into Levi’s neck they both groaned in relief and pleasure.  Levi seemed to hesitate in feeding from Harley, but she pressed his head into her shoulder and he obliged.  As his fangs broke her skin, they both slipped into the spiraling vortex of shared vision that always accompanied their feeding.  She felt what he felt, saw what he felt and it was disorienting in best ways possible.  The act was different than feeding from Cas.  Whereas feeding from Castor left her dazed and high, Levi pulled her into himself and vice versa as they shared strength and power.

Afterwards, Harley and Levi lay on the floor enjoying the bliss and surging power coursing through their blood.  “I’ll never get tired of that,” Harley breathed with an absent smile.

“Me either.”  Levi’s voice rumbled through his chest where Harley’s head laid.  He was playing with her hair and she was enjoying the sensation.  She relaxed for a while, comforted in the healing power of Levi’s blood.  Finally, she raised herself from his chest and looked down at him.  He smiled back up and her and then wrinkled his brow.

“What’s going on?” he asked.  Levi could always read her.

“Crazy shit when down last night,” Harley began.  She climbed off the floor and began dressing.  Levi followed suit.

“I’m guessing we are going to need a drink for this?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah.”

In the kitchen Harley and Levi sipped their whiskeys.  She sat on the counter opposite Levi with one leg folded under her.  She recounted the events of the night before.  She decided to leave out her odd, black-out behavior.  She had a feeling that was something Levi wouldn’t be able to fix, but would be compelled to worry about.  The whiskey warmed Harley’s body as she spoke and she wished she could actually get drunk.  Levi’s blood finally brought her back to feeling mostly normal even though she was still craving Ignis blood.

When Harley told Levi about the text message and her decision to meet the sender he growled at her carelessness.

“Babe!  It didn’t occur to you to call another Nocte?  Me?  Or even Cas?”

Harley scoffed at the question.  “What would you or Cas have done?  You were off who knows where and Cas is practically human at night.”  Levi continued to scowl at her but didn’t argue.

“When I got to the spot it wasn’t the Sol waiting for me—well, maybe they were.  I’m not sure.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well.  Actually it was Cutter.”

“What?!”  Levi slammed his glass on the counter.

“I guess you didn’t realize he was back in New York?”

“Of course not,” Levi snarled.  She could see that he wanted to start pacing but resisted so that he could stay close to her.

“Well, he is.  And something is different about him.  He looks…well he almost looks blind.  But he’s faster and stronger.”  Levi looked at her dumbfounded.

“I know.  That was my reaction too.”

“But—what…?”

“I have a suspicion.  If you want to hear it.”

“What have you got?”

“I think the Sol have been experimenting again.”

Levi’s mouth hung open.  “Surely not.”

“Would you put it past them?  They’ve done it before.”

Levi finally pushed away from the counter and began pacing the kitchen.  Harley watched him in silently.

“What the fuck?” he cursed still processing the information that Harley has just given him.  She shrugged without trying to give him a real answer.  “Do you think they have tried to…I don’t know…mix him with a Lux?”

Harley let loose the breath she was holding.  “That would be my guess.  Is that even possible?”

“Who the fuck knows.”  Levi shook his head.  “Have you told anyone else?”

“Nope.”

Levi stopped pacing and leaned against the counter again.  He nervously rubbed at his face.  “I wouldn’t put it past them.  If they know about your—you—then they might have tried to do something similar on their own.”

Harley wondered what he started to say but she let it go.  “There’s more.”

He dropped his hands and waited for her to continue with bated breath.  He seemed to suspect something worse was coming.  When she told him about both she and Cutter getting shot he gritted his teeth.

“Why would the Sol shoot Cutter if they have been experimenting on him?” he asked.

“Maybe they don’t have control over him either?  Maybe they only wanted him long enough to draw me out?”  She shrugged and held her palms out in a hopeless gesture.

Levi looked at her as if he was trying to make sure she was OK—as foolish of a gesture as it was, Harley couldn’t help but find it sweet.  She rolled her eyes.  “I’m fine now.  I still need to feed, but otherwise I’m good.”  Levi shook his head at her and pride brightened his eyes a little.  She could tell he wanted to lecture her, but he refrained.

“You know, I always assumed that a bullet would just work its way out, like in the movies.”

It was Levi’s turn to roll his eyes.  “Unfortunately, no.  Try getting shot and having it lodge in your lung.  That was unpleasant.”

Harley shuddered.  “I’m sure.”

“I’ve never been shot with a silver bullet though,” he said thinly.

“I’m OK now,” she repeated for his sake.

Levi decided to move on.  “I was planning on breaking it to you that I still hadn’t had any luck finding Cutter.  I guess this explains why.”

“Yeah, it would seem so.”

“So, the Sol Invictus seems to have been experimenting on Cutter and he called you out after killing a Nocte.  When you got there the Sol attacked you both?”

“So it would seem.”

Levi thumped his fist against the counter as if keeping time for his thoughts.  “Where’s Cas?” he asked cautiously as if just occurred to him.

“At his place I assume,” Harley answered and Levi relaxed.  “There’s something else we need to think about,” Harley pointed out.  He raised a brow.  “My blood, not to mention Cutter’s, will be found at the scene.”  Harley let the statement hang with unspoken connotations.

“We can take care of that.”

“How?”

We can call in some favors.  Nya probably knows someone who can make it go away—make the blood samples disappear maybe.  If she doesn’t, she will know someone who knows someone.  We wouldn’t have survived, hidden, this long without some inside help.

Harley was relieved.  She had worried about what would happen when the headlines of some strange, non-human, blood being found at a crime scene dropped.

“We need to tell Nya,” Levi declared.  “See if she has any theories about how they could actually accomplish this.  And make sure she gets on top of the blood problem.”

“I agree.  But first I need to hunt.”

“OK.  I could stand to hunt too.”

Harley’s Nocte stirred with excitement.  She hadn’t hunted with Levi like this before.  They had been on “missions” together.  But not a normal hunt.

The hunt went smoothly.  They both found a meal and enjoyed watching each other feed as much as they enjoyed the feeding itself.  There was something intimate about it.  It was a chance to appreciate the power that each other held.  Harley watched Levi brawl with a large Burner and smiled.  Watching the same hands that touched her softly and gently raise the Burner from his feet and slam him into the wall made her feel…special?  Harley rolled her eyes at herself.  Just as she had watched Levi, he watched Harley feed without interfering.  She couldn’t help but show off a little as she spun the Ignis and slammed her to the ground.  The half smile on Levi’s face told her he knew she was showing off, but he didn’t seem to mind.

For a few hours while they hunted, Harley let herself forget that she, herself, was being hunted.  She just simply enjoyed being the simple creature that she was.  Hah!  Harley and Levi made their way back to her apartment and they fell into bed together as the sun began to rise.  Just before slipping off into dreamland, Harley wondered if she should warn Levi about her blackouts.  Worry poked at her stomach as she considered her options.  Foolishly optimistic, she reminded herself that nothing happened yesterday.  Maybe it was just a fluke.  Maybe it was just stress or something.  I’m sure it won’t happen again.  Especially tonight with Levi here.

Chapter 6

As she came awake, Harley opened her eyes slowly and breathed a sigh of relief.  She was still in bed with Levi curled around her with his mouth hanging open in deep sleep.  She smiled at the sight of him.  He rarely showed any comical, non-stoic, side and she found it endearing.  Glancing at the clock she saw that it was still early evening and the sun had not yet set.  She slid from bed, not worrying about waking Levi.  It would take a bomb to wake him when he was sleeping this hard before sundown.

Harley had just finished dressing when she heard her phone ping from the living room.  At this time of day it could only mean one person.  And she was surprised Castor was texting her when he knew Levi was here.  She had assumed he would pout until Levi left again.  Castor might not be overly happy with the situation, but he knew this was their arrangement.  Levi’s specialty kept him traveling—a lot—even when he wasn’t searching for Harley’s enemy #1.  He monitored the balance between Nocte and Ignis and Lux for the Praesidio.  When things were unbalanced it was bad for Lux, Nocte and humans alike.  An overflow of Lux in one area, for example, created a shift in power and energies that made them stand out to Ignis.  The Burners would be attracted like flies to a corpse.  Levi helped figure out where more Nocte were needed based upon the number of Lux and Ignis in the area.  This was the job that brought him through Kentucky and into Harley’s life.

During a night out with her best friend Jamie, and their other friends Jason and his girlfriend Olivia, Harley had met Levi and—as cliché as it was—her world was turned upside down.  Harley had yet to figure out if Cutter would have noticed her and eventually attacked her and her Jamie if Levi had not been around.  But, regardless of what had gotten his attention, Cutter had sent two Burners to kill Harley but Jamie had died instead.  Jamie had been Harley’s sister in spirit but not blood.  Jamie and her family had been the closest thing Harley had ever had to a real family.  Her own family had been torn apart by drugs and violence and left her an orphan as a child.  After learning what Cutter was, Harley had realized that her connection to the Burner went far back into her past.  He had brought her mother into the Turba, the Ignis horde, and thereby caused her miserable childhood.  One of Harley’s goals was to find out what Cutter did to her family and why—before she ripped his throat out.

After joining the Praesidio and bonding with her Nocte, Harley met Castor while assigned to New York.  Something drew her to Castor in much the same way she had been drawn to Levi.  Something about both men spoke to opposite sides of her.  Castor soothed her.  Levi challenged her.  She fed from them both, and they fed from her.  The dynamic was previously unheard of in their world.  Harley didn’t have any desire to feed from any other Lux or Nocte, nor did they.  Levi believed that his dark energy and Castor’s light energy balanced her out.  Nya simply believed that Harley was able to feed from anyone—but chose these two men.  Harley was pretty sure it was some combination of all of that.

Harley cared deeply for both men equally—more than she cared to admit probably—as they each had their own strengths and weaknesses.  And she wasn’t willing to give either up for the other.  In a human world it would probably be a different story.  As a human Harley would be expected to choose one or the other.  But Harley wasn’t any more a human than Cas or Levi was.  Actually, less human than either of them if truth be told.  The Lux and Nocte didn’t settle down and get married and have careers and have children.  Normal expectations didn’t apply here.  In a world where Harley’s sole responsibility was to protect humans and prevent the supernatural dimensions from harming humanity, Harley could have her cake and eat it too—with ice cream and sprinkles on top if I damn well please.

Harley, Castor and Levi were all stronger for their partnerships.  As long as they all agreed to the arrangement they would get along just fine.  Levi, understanding how little he was able to be around, was accepting of the situation.  Harley, who’s ultimate goal was to stop as much evil in the world as she could—seeking her revenge at the same time—and have fun while doing it, was fine with the situation.  It was Castor who reluctantly accepted the arrangement.  Harley didn’t hold it against him or think him weak for it.  On the contrary, Harley found that she respected him for being honest about his feelings.  Levi, undoubtedly, had his own reservation about the arrangement but he chose not to voice his complaints.  What person was happy about sharing their significant other?  Levi did what he knew needed to be done—for all of their sakes.  Castor, on the other hand, wore his feelings a little closer to the surface.  Harley often wondered how long he would tolerate the arrangement before giving her an ultimatum.  And she wondered how she would respond when the time came.

Harley flopped onto the well-worn couch and checked her phone.

“I need you to meet me.  ASAP.  And alone.”

Harley frowned at her phone.  It wasn’t like Castor to butt in when he knew Levi was around.  He, grudgingly, respected their time together.

“Why?” she asked.

“I’ll explain when you get here.”

Harley sighed and tapped the phone against her forehead.  It had to be important.  He wouldn’t ask it if wasn’t.

“OK.  Where?”

Cas replied with the address of a parking garage in Tribeca, not far from his apartment.  She quickly scrawled a note to Levi, letting him know where she was going.  She told him she would be back or call as soon as possible.  She nearly left the apartment with just her Bowie but thinking better of it, she doubled back and strapped her machete under her hoodie.  There was no telling who would be out hunting for her tonight and this time she wanted to be prepared.  She kept her Bowie but tucked it into her boot and wound her chain around her waist.

A growing knot of apprehension churned in Harley’s stomach and her Nocte didn’t like it any more than she did.  She really hopped that Castor wasn’t going to give her a hard time about Levi.  Her stomach sank.  Maybe he heard about what had happened.  He was going to flip out and she would have to calm him down if that was the case.

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

As Harley made her way to the parking garage she tried out various responses to whatever arguments Castor was going to have for her.  Along the way she caught sight of newspaper headlines about the shooting the night before.  The only reason it had drawn so much attention seemed to be because it happened in a “nicer” part of the city at a monument for peace.  Harley regretted the destruction to the memorial and vowed to make up for it somehow.  Harley also picked up on the faint hum of Burners in the area.  She made a mental note to return for a midnight snack later if they were still around.  With the sun just beginning to set, her Nocte was still languishing in the dark inner recesses.  The darkening sky rumbled with thunder.  Great, she thought, that’s just what I need to add to this scene.  The cloud covered sky added to the mood.    She might not be weakened by the sun, like other Nocte.  But her inner devil still didn’t like the light and since there was little cause to be alarmed she chose to not rouse herself just yet.  Harley also suspected that her Nocte was avoiding confrontation with Castor.  Coward.  Her Nocte gave her a cold shoulder in response.

Harley approached the parking garage quietly.  It was still under construction and Harley had to hunt for a good spot to enter.  She found an access area used for the workers to come and go and slipped inside.  Since much of the block was undergoing construction there were no humans on the street and the late afternoon was surprisingly quiet.  Harley felt the familiar hum indicating that Castor was close.  She followed the gentle tingle and her footsteps echoed back from the cold concrete structure.

Finally, she found Castor on the far side of the complex, leaning against a saw horse with his arms crossed staring at the ground in front of him.

“Nice brooding,” she snickered at him as she drew near.

Without speaking, Castor looked up as she stopped in front of him—his pale green eyes locking onto her darker ones.  Slowly, a trickle of ice formed in her stomach.  Her Nocte shivered awake at the first sign of alarm.  Castor didn’t look right.  He looked…sad?  He’s dreading something.  She recognized it in the way that his eyes flickered away from hers as he nervously swallowed.  The sliver of ice turned into a fog that spread through her limbs and her stomach sank.  Here it goes, she thought.  He’s going to say he can’t do this triangle thing anymore.  Harley swallowed hard and stayed silent.  Her jaw was set and she crossed her arms.  She was going to make him say it—make him start the conversation.

Castor met her eyes again.  “I’m sorry,” he said simply.

She didn’t respond.  Instead, she waited for him to continue.  She wasn’t going to make this easy for him.  She wasn’t surprised to be angry at Castor’s decision.  But she was dreading the conversation already.  And what am I going to say?  She still did have a clue.  She wouldn’t choose—much she was sure of.

“They just want to talk.”  Wait!  What?  “And I really didn’t have a choice.”  He was already reasoning with whatever reaction she was supposed to be having.  What is he talking about?  It was like taking a step off a stair and expecting to meet ground but finding only air.  Her body was taking too long to figure out what he was talking about and change directions.  She knew her confusion was showing on her face as Castor waited for her to process what he was saying.

Before Harley had a chance to understand, she heard a noise behind her.  Castor’s eyes flicked over her shoulder at the source of the sound.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, emphatically.

Harley slowly turned on her heel to see what exactly he was sorry about.  Exiting the second floor stairway was a small group of Vigilum lead by Randall and Alice.  She glanced back at Cas but he was looking at the ground.  The snide look on Randall was giving her and the angry sneer that marred Alice’s otherwise beautiful face told her this wasn’t going to be a pleasant meeting.

Chapter 7

Harley’s blood turned cold as the fog in her limbs returned to ice form.  She squared her shoulders and her Nocte braced herself for confrontation.  Her eyes darkened, but she forced them to relax.  She didn’t want to show any aggression unless it was necessary.  Randall was the leader of the small group of Lux that Harley and her crew worked with last year to defeat Haddon.  Alice was, apparently, his second in command.  She had not seen them since they dragged Castor out of the gym after Harley had stolen his energy to help her defeat the rogue Lux.

“Good evening,” Randall said, overly pleasant.  His group stopped about ten feet in front of Harley and Castor.  Harley’s only response was to narrow her eyes shrewdly.

Undeterred, Randall continued in the same condescending voice.  “As Castor said, we just want to talk.”

Harley raised her chin.  “About what?”

“Well, frankly, about what you are.”

“Excuse me?”

“What do you consider yourself now?”

Harley took a moment to consider the question.  She normally didn’t hesitate to call herself a Nocte—a member of the Praesidio despite the Lux energy that resided inside her.  However, she knew the answer wasn’t actually that simple anymore.  She refused to admit to any doubts in front of Randall though.

Harley raised a shoulder.  “Asskicker number one?” she sneered.  Castor stiffened beside her as Randall’s smirk shifted to anger.

“I guess you think you are funny?” Randall asked.  Harley raised a shoulder again.  Randall continued with his questioning.  “Haddon’s energy is still inside you, isn’t it?”  Harley raised a shoulder again.  She could tell that Randall was grower angrier with each shrug.  But she let her attention drift to Alice.  The statuesque woman was looking more and more uncomfortable.  Not worried, Harley decided, just edgy.  Like a dog wary of its situation and prepared to attack if necessary.  Harley made a note to not forget about the Lux at Randall’s side.

Castor finally spoke up from next to Harley.  He was trying to play mediator, his voice steady but firm.  “Harley, they just want to make sure that you aren’t a threat to them.”

Harley allowed herself a moment of distraction to look at Castor astonished that he could be so naive.  “Why would I be a threat to them?  We all have the same goal.   Don’t we?” she asked, turning back to Randall and his group.  “We all want to stop the Ignis from feeding off humans, don’t we?”

“Of course,” Randall answered quickly.  Harley narrowed her eyes at him.

“Then what’s your problem?” Harley asked.

“We all know the balance is vital,” Randall answered as if it was obvious what he meant.  “You were created because Haddon was here.  His presence called your Nocte here.  What are you going to call here having the strength of both of you combined?”

Harley gritted her teeth.  She hated the idea of explaining herself to someone who obviously despised her since the day he met her.  “Both energies are still here.  The balance is maintained—inside me.”  She saw Alice’s jaw clench as Randal gave her a sideways, speculating look.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“I’m not going to defend myself to you.  You can take my word for it.”

“And if I don’t?  Are you really willing to risk human lives?  Nocte and Lux lives if you are wrong?”

Harley looked at him flabbergasted.  “And just what is your solution?” Harley asked, playing devil’s advocate.  She had known that Randall had been worried about her power after she consumed Haddon—but she hadn’t realized just how concerned he was.

Randall paused for a moment.  “We want to remove the Lux energy from your body.”  His tone made it sound deceptively simple.

Harley scoffed.  “That’s not possible.  I’ve bonded with the energy.  You can’t break a bond once it’s started.”  They discussed this after Harley’s victory and Nya had been confident.  There was no way to remove the Lux.  Castor edged closer to the Vigilum—but he didn’t seem to be siding with them.  Instead, Harley got the impression he was putting himself, literally, in between Harley and the Lux.

“You think you have a way to do this?” he asked Randall.

Randall turned his attention to Cas for the first time.  “We think so.”

“You THINK so?  At what risk?”  Cas looked from Harley to Randall.

Harley’s attention was on Alice.  Her dark eyes were shinning—edging toward white—as she remained focused on Harley.

“We have reasonable belief that Harley would survive the procedure, maybe even her Nocte,” Randall answered Castor’s question.

Cas scoffed at Randall’s answer and a laughed erupted out of Harley.  She felt her Nocte’s outrage.  Randall and Alice were looking angrier by the second.  “And what if you are wrong?  What if you manage to remove the Lux?  Doing so will leave just my Nocte—already stronger than average.  Then there really will be an imbalance.  And at what cost?  What gets dragged over then?”

“We don’t intend on killing the Lux,” Alice finally spoke, half snarling.  Castor and Harley both looked at her, confused and waiting for her to explain.  Randall held up a hand to silence her.  Harley didn’t miss the annoyed look that Alice let slip before recovering her composure.

“Where do you think the Lux will go without a body?” Harley asked, still trying to sort out the Vigilum’s plan.

Randall hesitated a moment too long before answering.  “We plan to contain it.”

Harley shook her head.  She couldn’t believe the arrogance of the Vigilum.    They were discussing the Lux as if it were a house caught in a divorce battle.  A possession to be used how they wished.  Even if they managed to remove the Lux’s energy they would never be able to contain it.  Harley knew personally how strong Haddon was.  Even locked down in the darkest recesses of her soul, Harley felt his power.  She couldn’t deny what his strength was doing to her.  There was no telling what kind of damage holding him back was doing to her mentally and physically.  She was already blacking out and having a hard time controlling her impulses.  She didn’t know what Randall and Alice’s real plan was, but she wasn’t stupid.  Harley didn’t particularly like having the Lux energy inside her—but this was the safest place for it.  She shook her head again.  “You’re insane,” she told Randall.

“We figured this would be your response,” Randall sounded almost happy about it.  Alice smiled.

The tension increased and Harley reached for the zipper of her hoodie.  She stopped herself just in time.  She didn’t want to be the one to instigate a fight.  A part of her hoped that it wouldn’t come to that.  She knew the Vigilum were nervous about her, but she couldn’t believe they would resort to trying to kill her.  She also hesitated for Castor’s sake.  If she started a war with the Vigilum, she didn’t know where that would leave him.

Harley risked a look at her friend.  Castor met her eyes and seemed to be pleading for her to not start a fight.  Her anger began to build upon itself.  He might not have known what the Vigilum was planning, but he brought her here.  Her jaw tightened and she returned her attention to Randall.  “Just what do you think you are going to do?”

Alice chuckled and the other three Lux shifted nervously.  Suddenly, a buzzing alarm picked up in the back of Harley’s skull.  She tossed her head lightly trying to alleviate the vibrations.  “What did you do?” she asked Randall.

“Only what we had to do.”

Castor looked at them both in confusion.

As the buzzing grew in strength Harley unzipped her jacket and shrugged it off.  What the fuck?  From the corner of her eye, Harley saw Castor shoot a glance in her direction as if he heard her recognition of alarm and was still trying to figure out what was about to happen.  “You will be sorry for this,” Harley snapped.  She saw movement to Randall’s left.  The first floor of the parking garage was surrounded by a half wall and over the concrete barrier jumped Cutter.  He glided over the obstacle effortlessly and made his way in front of the group of Lux.  Harley heard Castor’s sharp intake of breath as he reflexively lowered himself into a fighting stance.  A slid out of Harley’s throat and her Nocte roared in fury.  She was reeling from the shock and anger.  She hadn’t expected this.  She had assumed that Cutter had been in league with the Sol Invictus—not the Vigilum.  Harley didn’t have time to try to sort out the dynamics.  The bottom line was Cutter was here and the Vigilum had staged this ambush intentionally.

When Harley pulled the machete from her back, Castor followed her lead and unsheathed his own sword—a narrow bladed kitana that he spun gracefully.  Harley pointed at the group of Vigilum with her machete.  “You will all die for this.”  Alice laughed but Randall didn’t respond.

Cutter stalked Harley and she bent her knees and matched his pacing as they circled each other.  From the corner of her eye she saw Randall and Alice step back from the action as the other three Lux drew their weapons and advanced on Harley and Cutter, looking to join the fighting.  Castor, thankfully, intercepted them.  Apparently, Randall and Alice were content to watch the action because they made no effort to get involved further.

Cutter made his move, darting forward and coming in with a low slide meant to take out her legs.  Harley jumped back out of range of his blade and danced to the side.  She focused all of her attention on Cutter.  She was more than ready to end this vendetta.  His milky white eyes glared at her.  She couldn’t stop the glee that rippled through her as she concentrated on her adversary.  She finally had another shot at making Cutter pay for the things he had done to her.  Every time he drew closer she had to actively block the rotting sour smell that emanated from him.

A part of Harley wanted to ask Cutter about her past—about her parents and what he did to them.  But she refrained.  Doing so now would only show weakness.  Not only to Cutter, but also to the Vigilum watching the fight.  In the long run, if it came to answers or revenge—she would take revenge.  She dodged another attack.  She was more prepared for him this time.  She wasn’t underestimating him and was having an easier time following his movements and avoiding his attacks.  Castor continued to block the Lux from joining the fight.  They seemed hesitant to attack him outright but kept trying to dodge around him and get to Harley and Cuter.

Harley surged forward on the offense, her boots scattering gravel as closed the distance between them.  She thrust her blade up towards Cutter as he brought his own up to block the attack.  The machetes met with a burst of sparks and a loud clang.  Harley and Cutter parried back and forth and the fight was marked with violent clashes of their weapons.  She went through the whole range of emotions as they traded blows back and forth.  Anger, sadness, excitement and regret.  She knew in her bones that this was it.  This was the final chance to defeat the man—thing—that had made her life miserable.  The rage boiled in her stomach and she focused it all towards Cutter.  She held him responsible for all the unhappiness of her childhood and the agony of losing her best friend.

Cutter stepped back from another jab of Harley’s machete and she found her opportunity.  Spinning she let out a roar.  As she closed in on him she saw the shock in his cloudy, shinning eyes.  Her silver blade cut through the air with only a hint of a whisper.  The silence seemed to stretch on and was only broken by the wet thwack of her machete meeting his neck.  His flesh, bones and veins gave away with surprisingly little resistance. Blood erupted as his head toppled from his shoulders and his knees hit the ground the same time his blonde head tumbled across the pavement.

Harley realized she was giggling as she turned back to the Vigilum behind her.  The feeling of victory rippled through her.  Randall looked shocked and Alice looked livid.  Castor and the Vigilum he blocked were frozen, stunned in place.  At the same time Alice made a move towards Harley the three held back by Castor decided it was time to stop playing nice with their fellow Lux.  They apparently came to the conclusion that Harley was worth attacking their brother.  The three came at Castor with their own knives and swords at the same time Alice drew her weapon—a thin and shiny sword with an ornate handle that Harley had not seen hidden under the Lux’s long sweater.

Alice only made it a few feet before Randall stopped her.  As he pulled her back by the arm Harley’s vision began to shimmer.  She was so angry she was surprised she wasn’t literally seeing red.  Her fury burned through her chest and she snarled animal like.  She was overwhelmed by the idea of making Alice and Randall pay for their arrogance and attempt on her life.  As Randall swung Alice away from Harley, pushing her towards the exit from the parking structure, Harley shifted the machete to her left hand and pulled the Bowie from her boot.  Using all her strength, Harley flung the knife at the retreating Randall.  With a satisfying crunch the blade sunk into his back—dead center.  He dropped so fast that Harley had no doubt the blade severed his spinal cord.

Alice glanced behind her and saw what happened.  She shouted for the three Lux fighting with Castor to follow her before she darted through the exit.  The Lux shoved Cas into Harley before making their mad dash after Alice.  Harley pushed her off her and gave chase.  She paused at Randall’s side, seeing that he wasn’t dead yet.  His head was turned to the side and his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.  Harley wasn’t aware of the decision to do so, but suddenly she was crouching at his side.  Carelessly, she yanked the knife from his back and tucked it in her boot.  Randall didn’t flinch.  He wasn’t able to feel anything at the moment.  She assumed if she left him alone that his spinal cord would heal and he would be whole again.  Also, he would most likely rejoin Alice and come after her again.

Grinning wickedly, Harley gripped Randall’s short hair and yanked his head back.  With a quick swipe of her machete she cut Randall’s head off and let it roll to the side.  The wet sound sent chills through her and despite her outward appearance, the act churned Harley’s stomach.  Standing up, she saw Castor watching her.

“Oh God,” Castor moaned in horror.

Wait!  Who said that?  Harley just barely registered that even though she heard him speak, Castor’s lips never moved.  His mouth was parted and he looked torn.  She knew he didn’t know what to do.  She wanted to ask him why she wasn’t able to see him talking but could hear him—however, she didn’t have a chance.  Like a woman possessed, she stood, turned away from Castor and darted for the exit.

Rage continued to inflame Harley’s body.  She was swept away—not thinking, she was just reacting.  The sun had begun to set and rain was falling by the time Harley exited the garage.  She saw Alice and the other Lux climbing into a black car across the street.  She made a move in their direction but stopped short.  Apparently, Cutter had brought some friends along.  They had stayed far enough away that Harley’s psychic sensor hadn’t picked them up sooner.  But now that she wasn’t consumed with fighting, the buzz of their presence vibrated through her skull.  Guessing, Harley would say that around fifty Burners were running across the street towards her.

Chapter 8

Castor exited the building behind Harley and froze at the sight of the advancing Ignis.  Harley, with a rumble in her throat, prepared to meet the horde that was descending upon them.  They attacked with knives, swords, claws, sticks and anything else that would cause damage.  Harley lost herself in the fight but she knew Cas was fighting with her too.  One after the other, she knocked back the Burners with strikes through the heart and head and throat.  Harley felt the blood splatter against her face and hands creating a strange contrast to the cold rain drops pelting her skin. At some point during the melee she realized she was laughing and snarling with gnashing teeth.  The rational side of Harley receded and watched from the dark.  There was no reason guiding her actions.  She should have run.  She and Cas were too outnumbered and he was losing strength fast in the dying sun.

As Harley fought she nearly took almost as many hits as she gave out.  She had as much of her own blood on her as she did Burner blood.  Cas was calling her name, desperately trying to get her attention.  She knew he wanted her to run with him before it was too late.  But she couldn’t stop herself.  She felt like a runaway train, heading for the bridge out sign.  She didn’t have a death wish—not by any means.  But she wasn’t able to let herself forget the Burners and flee.  Fury, frustration and plain old arrogance prevented her from giving up.  She didn’t even try to reason with herself, she just let it go.  She needed to burn herself out, or it would consume her.  And she was pretty sure that she wouldn’t be able to stop even if she tried.  Something had taken hold of her and she couldn’t shake it off.

Unbelievably, the Ignis slowly seemed to lose hope.  The fact that Harley and Castor weren’t giving up despite their wounds seemed to cause the Burners to second guess themselves.  Not inclined to form actual mobs, the Ignis had little reason to stick together and not save themselves.  Eventually, the ones furthest from the epicenter of the fight turned to run.  With one last stab at Harley, the closest one turned and fled just like the others.  Harley didn’t think about it—she gave chase.  Well, this is just an awful idea, she thought to herself but still didn’t stop.  She took the closest one down with a smooth swing of her machete as she over took him.  She heard Cas yelling after her as she sped away from him.

Harley chased the retreating Ignis down through the streets.  They dodged through walking humans and cars in intersections.  Her actions appalled her even as she performed them.  This is so not good.  Harley finally began to try to stop herself.  She tried to make her legs stop pumping and struggled to stop the anger from flowing through her in heated waves.  As she feared, she couldn’t—not even with the pain of her wounds dragging her down.  It was like trying to hold back a raging bull.  There was no telling who was seeing her.  Or taking pictures.  And who knew how many calls to the police were being made.  The only saving grace was that this was an area heavy with construction and businesses and at this time of night on a weekend the people were normally sparse—even more so tonight due to the rain.

Harley focused her attention on one final Burner.  She was the last one unable to shake Harley from her trail.  Harley chased her into Battery Park, following the whip of blonde hair as the Burner darted around a statue. She didn’t have any idea how long she had been stalking the fleeing Ignis.  It seemed like only seconds, but she had covered a lot of ground and night was fully descended.  Harley was locked onto the Ignis and couldn’t back down no matter how much she tried to convince herself to let it go.  The Burner stopped suddenly at the guard rail overlooking the harbor.  She turned to look at Harley, panting—as if she had finally given up hope of escape.  It was then that Harley saw who she found.  Raven.  Another maniacal giggle escaped her throat.  Harley was a little surprised to see that Raven appeared to be a normal Ignis.  Whatever had been done to Cutter wasn’t shared with Raven.

“Fuck you,” the Ignis spat at her.

“This is my lucky night,” Harley clapped her hands gleefully.  “I’ve been looking forward to this for so long,” She snarled.  She was surprised by the rasp to her voice.  It didn’t sound like her voice anymore.  “I cut off your lover boy’s head,” Harley giggled at the pained look that crossed Raven’s face.  “Now I’m going to rip your throat out.”

Harley darted forward and Raven didn’t even have time to react.  Harley caught her by the throat and slammed her to the ground.  The Ignis instinctively fought back as Harley tore into her flesh.  The Burner’s claws dug into her skin until the paralysis finally settled over her.  As the life drained out of Raven she whimpered.  Along with the blood that burst with power in Harley’s mouth she felt something else.  The burning energy that Harley swallowed was accompanied by a stunning light that exploded in her head, sending her swirling into a fog.  She was lost in the pleasure of feeding and beyond caring who could see her.  She didn’t feel the hard ground digging into her knees and she didn’t even feel the cold rain drenching her clothes and hair.  It was like feeding from Cas—only ten times better.  She realized that she must be pulling from Raven—Lux style—while at the same time feeding from her blood.  Harley would have been stunned had she not been so enthralled with feeding.

Suddenly, the spell was broken by a hand on her shoulder—Harley growled and shrugged it away—and predator defending its prize.  But the hand’s pressure became more steady and insistent.  Harley wasn’t able to break her hold until the blood ran cold and her mind went dark.  Only then was she able to let the hand pull her off the broken and dead Ignis.  As she was pulled off Raven, Harley fell back onto the ground and she stared up into the darkened sky—dazed and tingling with the rain cascading onto her face.  She finally began to regain her senses as she realized it was Levi crouching over her.  She smiled up at him drunkenly.

“Come on,” he said firmly and forcefully pulling her to her feet.

Still dazed Harley followed Levi and the world seemed void of sound.  As they made their way to the street they found Castor a short distance behind them, bent over with his hands on his knees.  He was covered in blood and healing wounds.  He looked at Harley, almost sadly, as Levi dragged her towards a waiting car.  Harley offered Cas a drunken smile and reached out lazily, bushing her fingertips across his jaw as she stumbled past him.  She heard Cas following them to the waiting Audi.  It was Castor’s car but after pushing Harley into the back seat, Levi climbed into the driver’s side.  Cas fell into the passenger seat as Levi floored it away from the park.

“What happened,” Harley slurred, still trying to regain her composure.

Levi glanced at her in the rearview mirror and Cas looked at her over the seat.

“You went…nuts.  On a rampage.” Castor answered wearily.  “I couldn’t catch you.  The night—and I took a bad wound to the stomach.  I had to call Levi.”  Over the exhaustion, Harley heard the bitterness in Castor’s voice.

Harley could only nod and slump in the seat.  It was Levi’s turn to question Cas.

“What about you?  What the fuck happened tonight?”

Cas looked at out the window with a clenched jaw.  He took a deep breath before answering.  “Randall and Alice insisted on talking to Harley.  They said they just needed to see for themselves that she wasn’t a threat.  I arranged the meeting.”  Levi glared at Castor as they stopped at a red light.

Castor continued in a low voice.  “They didn’t just want to talk.  They wanted to ‘remove the Lux energy’ from Harley.”

The light turned green but Levi didn’t move.  “That’s not possible,” he snapped.

Cars behind them began honking in typical New Yorker fashion.  “I know.” Cas responded without looking at Levi.  “Then Cutter showed up.  Apparently, the Vigilum—or at least Randall and Alice—have been working with him.  I had no idea.”

Lightening quick Levi caught Cas by the throat with his left hand and drew back his right.  Harley saw the attack in slow motion and leaned forward to grab Levi’s fist.  She managed to stop the hit just before it was landed.  Castor didn’t bother trying to fight back.  He looked resigned—as disappointed with himself as Levi was.  Harley looked to her Nocte partner—his eyes were solid black and his nostrils flared.

Neither the time nor the place,” Harley said evenly.  “Drive.”  She, finally, felt like she was coming back to herself.  Her actions this evening left her feeling raw and her nerves were on edge as the last remnants of the feeding euphoria faded.

Levi glanced at her but didn’t argue.  Instead, he drove them towards their apartment.

“Where are we going,” Harley asked softy.  She was beginning to come to grips with what she had done.  She didn’t regret killing Cutter, or the Ignis—and truth be told, not even Randall.  But she knew her actions were extreme.  She was ashamed of losing it and drawing so much attention.  Not to mention Cas and Levi now knew she was spiraling out of control.  Even if they didn’t know just how out much.

“We have to get out of the city,” Levi answered through clenched teeth.  “There’s no telling how many people saw.  Not to mention how many Vigilum will be after us now.”  Cas didn’t say anything.

“What about Cas?” Harley asked.

“What about him?” Levi snarled, not taking his eyes off the road.

“If he stays the Vigilum is going to be after him too.”

“Why should I care about that?”

Harley met Levi’s eyes in the mirror.  “He didn’t mean for this to happen.  If he hadn’t been there I would be dead now.  After I killed Cutter, I killed Randall.  He kept the Vigilum off me and helped me fight off the horde of Burners that came.  He called you.”  Castor met her eyes but still didn’t speak.

Levi’s hands tighten on the steering wheel.  “Fine.  Are you coming with us?” he barked at Castor.

“Apparently, I don’t have a lot of choice in the matter,” he stated looking at Harley again.

“Whatever,” Levi muttered angrily.  He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.  Harley heard Nya answer the phone.

“I’m on my way to the Den with Harley and Castor.  We’ll be there by tomorrow night.  We need major damage control here in the city.”  Harley heard Nya ask what happened.  If she was surprised by, or resistant to, a Lux coming to the Den she didn’t say anything.  “Harley went on a bit of a rampage,” Levi answered thinly.  Harley heard Nya’s soft “Oh.”  Little else needed to be said so Levi hung up the phone a moment later.

Harley focused on sorting out the events in her head.  She worked at coming to terms with the things she had done.  It seemed as if she had been observing her actions from outside her own body.  She felt what she was doing and she knew what she was doing.  But she hadn’t decided to do any of it.  Her body had been reacting on instinct.  But whose instinct?  Harley wasn’t sure, she realized with dismay.  The uneasiness radiating off her Nocte caused her more concern.  If her Nocte was uncomfortable—chances where that the devil wasn’t responsible for Harley’s out of control behavior either.  Is it the Lux? Harley wondered.

Harley thought about the destruction she had caused with a heavy heart.  But when she relived the fight with Cutter, her heart thumped and grew lighter with the remembered adrenaline and excitement.  He’s dead! She thought gleefully.  She wanted to giggle with joy.  She had spent so long with the desire for revenge that it had felt like barbwire twisted around her heart.  As the reality of Cutter’s death settled over her, she could feel the wire slowly unwind itself and her heart lifted.  It was such a wonderful feeling that it nearly overrode the bitterness she felt over the rest of the night.  Harley didn’t entirely feel remorseful about killing Randall—he was, apparently, willing to kill Harley after all.  He deserves what he got.  Even though Harley knew she meant that, she was also struck by the wastefulness of his death.  The Lux and the Nocte all wanted the same thing.  The safety of humanity and less evil in the world.  So why does it seem like we have to clash at every turn?  Harley let out a sigh of exhaustion as much as frustration.  Her stomach twisted upon itself uneasily.

After a quick stop at both Castor and Harley’s apartments they were on their way to Virginia.  Levi drove until the sun came up and then he traded spots with Castor.  Instead of getting into the passenger seat, he crawled into the back with Harley.  Wordlessly, he pulled her back to his front and leaned against the door before falling asleep.  Harley didn’t look at Castor as he took his turn driving.  She didn’t have the energy to deal with his feelings at the moment.  And I’m still a little pissed at his stupidity too, she admitted to herself.  She concentrated on relaxing against Levi’s chest.  The solid feel of him behind her was comforting.  He seemed to know that she was still on edge because he soothingly ran his hands over her arms.  Harley soon joined Levi in sleep, but she was haunted by strange dreams in which she killed both Levi and Castor while unable to control her own body.

Chapter 9

Levi’s voice rumbled through his chest against Harley’s ear and brought her out of her deep sleep.  He was giving Castor directions on how to get inside the gates at the Den without his car being wired for security access.  The sight of the huge white house stirred memories in Harley’s stomach.  It had been a year since the first time she entered these gates.  When Cas rolled down the window to punch in a gate code, the cool damp air blew in through the window and rubbed against Harley’s face.  The breeze was refreshing against the clammy filth of her skin.  Harley sat up and looked at herself.  Her clothes were finally dry but they were rumpled and stained with blood.  Her mouth tasted sour and was so dry she was pretty sure she must have been sleeping with her mouth open.  Attractive, she grumbled to herself.

When Levi and Castor realized she was awake they watched her compose herself warily.  Unease was growing in her belly.  Levi looked her over like he wasn’t sure what to make of her.  Cas kept glancing in the review mirror as if he expected her to do something crazy.

“What?  I’m fine.”  She knew she was going to have to explain herself eventually.  Everyone was going to want to know what happened—and that would lead to explaining what had BEEN happening.

Levi looked at her sideways.  “Did you have nice dreams?”

If Levi had laughed or if his voice had less of an edge to it she would have assumed she managed to embarrass herself in her sleep.  But she had a feeling nothing funny had happened.  “What do you mean?” she asked cautiously as Castor pulled slowly into the barn-that-is-a-garage.  Levi and Cas shared a quick look.  Harley hated it when they did that.  “What?” she snapped.

Neither man spoke as Castor parked the car next to a red, new model Camaro.  Harley huffed a sigh.  Looks like Rafe got a new car.  She could pick out his cologne over the new car smell as she climbed from the Audi.  Just what I needed, the most annoying man alive to make this all the more enjoyable.

Castor and Levi began pulling bags from the trunk.  Harley refused to pick her own bag up.  Instead, she folded her arms across her chest and waited until the two men noticed.  Finally, Levi slammed the trunk closed and they both turned to look at her.  “Well?  Why were you asking about what I dreamed?”

Levi raised an eyebrow at her as Castor took a deep breath.  He looked tired in the dying sun that filtered through the garage door closely slowly behind them.  “You sat up, looked around, said something in a weird language we’ve never heard before and then passed back out.”

Anxiety knotted in Harley’s stomach.  “So?”

“Your eyes were solid white,” Castor answered flatly.

“Oh.”  Harley shifted guiltily.  She tried to dismissively shrug off Castor’s words.  She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder.  She quickly began walking towards the side door of the garage.

Castor hurried to catch up to her with Levi scuffling his feet behind them both.  “I’m guessing this isn’t the first time this has happened?” He asked her, grabbing her arm to slow her down.

Harley kept walking.  “Well, I don’t know if I’ve ever spoke in another language before…but yeah…I have woken up to whited-out eyes before…a couple of times maybe.” Cas gaped at her.  Looking over her shoulder she saw Levi rub his face and sigh.  “Can we just not talk about it right now?  If we are going to have this conversation I would rather do it all at once.  And I would really like to shower first.”

Castor ran a hand over his hair and Levi just looked at her with a clenched jaw.  Both men silently agreed to table the conversation for later.  She read the concern in both of their faces and her Nocte grumbled to herself.  They were both dreading having to face everyone after confessing what they had been going through.  Further, the fact that her Nocte still didn’t seem to have any more answers than she did made her worry more.

Levi unlocked the windowless backdoor and led the way inside.  Harley stepped in after him and Cas brought up the rear.  Nostalgia swept over her as she took in the dimly lit kitchen and the lingering smell of tacos.  She knew it was one the few things that Nya could actually cook.  She smiled fondly remembering teasing her mentor about being centuries old and still not knowing how to cook.

Harley realized they weren’t alone when she stepped inside the kitchen.  She found Nya leaning against the counter with a small smile on her face.  The other Nocte had skin the color of chocolate and fiery hazel eyes.  Today her braids were gathered into a high pony tail that flowed down and around her face.

Harley smiled at the women.  “You’re up early.”

“Well, I had to be prepared in case you came in on a murder spree,” Nya’s eyes flashed wickedly.

“Oh, that’s hilarious.”  Harley replied sarcastically but couldn’t keep the smile from her face and she spread her arms wide as Nya came forward to hug her.  It had only been a month since she had seen her, but Harley had missed the wise woman’s half-mad sense of humor.  The two parted and Nya turned to look at Levi and Cas.  Levi hugged Nya and then stepped to Harley’s side as Nya examined Castor.  The more alert Levi was becoming, the more sluggish Castor became.

Nya narrowed her eyes at Cas.  “If you want to stay here you will have to turn over your weapons, and donate blood for feedings.”  Her voice was tight and overly serious.

Castor’s eyes widened in shock and Harley shook her head and rolled her eyes.  Nya began to chuckle, her face breaking into a grin.  “Gotcha,” she laughed.  Cas looked relieved and tried to laugh with her.  The laugh died quickly though because he still didn’t seem to be sure what he made of Nya.  Despite fighting together just months ago, neither had interacted with the other much.

Nya turned back to look at Harley.  “I’m going to leave the sleeping arrangements up to you guys.”  With a laugh at Harley’s obvious cringe, she turned and walked from the kitchen.  “I’ll meet you in my office once you guys get cleaned up.  You smell awful”

Harley looked from Cas to Levi and they both avoided looking at the other.  Instead, they looked to her with carefully neutral faces.  “Oh, I am so not dealing with this right now.”  With that she also left the kitchen.  Making her way towards the large shower room she left Levi and Castor to catch up to her.

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

After an awkward shower where the three of them silently used the three stalls in the extra-large bathroom at the same time, Harley, Levi and Castor all sat in Nya’s office.  Castor was wearing a red tee-shirt and black athletic shorts and tennis shoes.  Levi wore jeans, a long sleeved black shirt and was shoeless.  Harley purposefully dressed as comfortable as possible in yoga pants and a long tee-shirt.  Nya sat in the chair across from them wearing bright orange overalls and a blue tank top.  Harley shook her head at Nya’s clothes.  Nya, in her turn, shook her head at Harley sitting on the fluffy, blue couch in between Castor and Levi who were doing their best to ignore each other.

“OK.  Who’s first?” Nya asked clapping her hands.

“I think Harley needs to fill us all in because we only seem to have half the story.” Levi said pointedly.  Castor remained quiet as he surveyed his surroundings.  He seemed mildly uncomfortable in Nya’s strange, cartoon plastered office.

Harley took a deep breath as Nya raised an eyebrow at her.  “By all means, enlighten us,” she said raising a hand and inviting Harley to tell her story.

“Well,” Harley began slowly.  “After I beat Haddon and we all left the cabin, things were fine for a while.  Then a few days ago I woke up on the floor with no memory of how I got there.”  She didn’t look at Castor or Levi as she told her story.  She held Nya’s gaze even though she felt the eyes of both men on her.  “When I looked in the mirror my eyes were solid white and I couldn’t feel my Nocte at all.  I wasn’t sure if it was a dream or if is really happened because I passed out and when I woke up everything was back to normal.”  Nya’s brows knitted but she didn’t interrupt.  Castor and Levi bristled on either side of her.  “When I went out hunting that night I found my name scrawled in blood on a window—Nocte blood.”  Nya raised an eyebrow.  Cas sputtered next to her—Levi, at least, already knew about the bloody message.  She ignored Cas and continued.

“Then the next night I woke up just standing in the bathroom.  My eyes were normal though.  I don’t know what went on prior to me waking up…” Harley trailed off in shame.  “When I went out hunting that night I found a Burner and when I made a move—I just…lost it?  I pounced without even thinking about it.  Right there on the street.”  Harley’s stomach knotted and she still refused to look at Levi and Cas even though the tension radiated off of them both.  And once she was even sure they looked at each other over her head.  Nya just continued to watch her silently.

“The next night I got a text message from Jaxson.”  Nya looked up sharply at that.  “I’m assuming he is dead?” Harley asked.

“No one has heard from him in a week.”  Nya’s jaw was tight and her warm eyes hardened.

“Yeah, I’m guessing the Nocte blood was his.  He asked me to meet him at Strawberry Fields.  I knew it was a set up but I went anyway.”  Castor drew in a breath but she continued before he could start a lecture.  “I figured it was the Sol Invictus.  The messages, the meeting—all of it.  I had no plan on fighting them if a group showed up.  I was mainly going to do some recon.  But when I got there it was Cutter—and he was different.  It’s like he was mixed with a Lux or something.  His eyes were different and he was even faster and stronger.  It looked like he had cataracts or something.  His eyes were almost solid white but they still shined like an Ignis.”  Nya looked surprised and sufficiently concerned and Caster stiffened uncomfortably next to her.

“How does that even work?” Castor asked.  “Why would a Lux choose to join with an Ignis?”

Everyone looked to Nya for answers.  She shrugged helplessly.  “I’m still trying to figure that one out for myself.  I guess you have no insights to this?”

“No,” Castor scoffed.

Harley continued her story.  “When we were fighting someone started shooting and I got shot with silver bullets a few times.”  This time Castor actually gasped and Nya just raised another eyebrow.

“Hurts like a son of a bitch, doesn’t it?” the wise Nocte smirked.

“Fuck yes,” Harley half-laughed.  “Anyway, fast forward to yesterday.  Cas texted me and asked me to meet him.  I went.  Turns out the Vigilum had gotten him to arrange the meeting.  They wanted to ‘remove the Lux energy’ from me.  It seems they believe that I will drag something else more powerful into this dimension.”

When Harley spoke of Castor’s involvement he seemed to grow even more ill at ease.  She felt her Nocte turn a cold shoulder towards him and Levi shifted angrily on the other side.  Harley knew Cas hadn’t meant for anything bad to happen—but it did and a part of her still couldn’t help but be angry with him.  Nya narrowed her eyes at Cas—not humorously this time.  The guilt rolled off him.  Everyone knew he didn’t need to be told how stupid his decision to drag Harley into a meeting had been so they maintained an accusing silence instead.  But, at the same time, a voice at the back of Harley’s mind pointed out that he had no way of knowing that the Vigilum would actually attack her.

“I guess Cas should pick up here,” Harley left off with a gesture towards the Lux beside her.

Cas folded his arms across his chest and took a deep breath.  “I never expected them to pull something like this.  I knew Randall and Alice didn’t like Harley—or any Nocte—but I didn’t expect them to try—” he hesitated with a bitter clinch of his jaw.  “Hell—Lux usually don’t like Noctes under normal circumstances.  I just figured if they could see that she wasn’t a threat—that her extra power wasn’t a problem—” he broke off and looked at her pointedly before continuing.  “—that they would back off.  I had NO IDEA they had been working with Cutter.”  He paused again to smooth his hair nervously.

“After Harley killed Cutter—” Nya grinned at Harley and Harley couldn’t stop herself from meeting the look with a satisfied smile of her own.  “The Lux attacked us and Harley killed Randall.  When she went after them a small army of Ignis came after us.  We held them off and when they ran, Harley chased them down.  Through the streets,” he added regretfully.  “I couldn’t stop her.  I was wounded and the sun had set.  So I called Levi.  Luckily, he got there in time to stop Harley from doing any more damage.”

Harley avoided looking at anyone now and Nya was quiet for a moment.  She turned back to Castor.  “Is this just Alice and Randall?  Or is the whole Vigilum on the same wavelength about Harley?”

Castor shook his head.  “I’m sorry.  I just don’t know.  I don’t THINK it is the whole Vigilum.  I surely would have heard something from someone other than Alice and Randall if it was everyone.  No—I’m pretty sure it is just Alice and Randall and their own little group.”

“And are you sure Alice and Randall are responsible for Cutter’s…cross-state?” Nya asked.

Castor ran his fingers through his hair.  “Not at all.  I can’t imagine how they would know how to do anything like that.”  He thought carefully.  “But I guess they know SOMETHING if they thought they could take the Lux out of Harley.”  He looked to her again—the regret was clear on his face and Harley was beginning to feel a little—but only a little—sorry for him.

After a moment to consider Castor’s words, Nya forced Harley to look at her with a question.  “What do you think is happening to you?”

Harley sighed and thought carefully before answering.  “I’m really not sure,” she said in a small voice.  She swallowed the lump in her throat.  “I’m AFRAID that I’m losing control.  I don’t feel like the Lux and Nocte are too much, but…” she trailed off.  She hated to admit it—not only to herself but to her friends especially.  Levi patted her knee softly and Cas placed his hand over hers on the other side.  A nervous and feverish giggle threatened to bubble up from her stomach.  How is any of this real, she laughed to herself.  How is this the life I have ended up with?  How am I sitting his being comforted by two men at the same time?  She forced herself to maintain composure though—if she started laughing now she wouldn’t stop.

“Well,” Nya began.  “Nothing like this has ever happened before.  So I don’t have any precedence to go on.  But I don’t think it’s an inability to handle the power you have.”  Harley didn’t feel relieved to hear this.  She knew more was coming.  “I think—and I’m only guessing at this point—that it’s the Lux energy.  It’s still there, right?”

“Yep, it’s there.”

“Can you feel the Nocte in the same way?”

“No,” Harley considered carefully.  “Not specifically.  She’s more…everywhere.”

Nya nodded, “If you can locate it, then it’s not completely a part of you.  It’s…piggybacking I guess is a good word for it.”

“Well what does that mean for me?  What do I do about it?”

“At this point, I have no idea.  I think you just need to be careful until we have a better understanding of what is going on.”

“Careful?” Harley asked incredulously. Frustration boiled outward from her Nocte.  The devil inside her didn’t like it any better than she did.

“I’m sorry. I don’t have a better answer yet.”  Nya watched her evenly.  “You need to stay calm and I don’t think you should be alone for a while…Not that you have any fears of that,” she smirked looking from Cas to Levi.

“What about the Vigilum and the Sol?  What do we do about them?”

Nya scratched at her braids.  “Evie has been searching for the Sol—trying to get a handle on what they are doing.  I’m going to make some calls and see if I can figure out how deep the resistance goes in the Vigilum.  I’ll let you know what I find out.  In the meantime Rafe is on damage control.”

“Rafe?” Harley snorted.  She was certainly no fan of the arrogant Nocte.  From the day she met him he seemed to make it his mission to annoy her.  Then he had been indirectly responsible for another of her friends’ death.  Cassandra was dead because of his attitude.

“Yes, Rafe.”  Nya sounded slightly annoyed.  “He’s quite good with computers.  He already made your exploits from last night seem like a stunt from a group of pranksters.  Lucky for us, social media is pretty easy to manipulate.”

Harley’s jaw clenched but she forced herself to keep her mouth shut.  Harley wanted to insist that she didn’t need babysitting and that she wanted to be out searching for the Sol or Alice herself.  And the fact that she had to rely on Rafe to do anything only annoyed her even more.  But the Nocte general didn’t appreciate arguing.  Abruptly, Nya rose from the chair, calling their meeting to an end.

“Oh!” Harley stopped everyone before they left the room.  “I almost forgot something.”  Everyone looked at her expectantly.  “Um, I—well—I think I’m hearing Castor’s thoughts.”  It was something that she had pondered since the fight in the parking garage and she knew that if she was spilling the beans—so to speak—she might as well spill all of them.

Castor raised his brows in curiosity and surprise.  “Are you sure?” Nya asked, tilting her head.  Levi froze as he waited for Harley’s explanation.

“Yeah.  Well, it’s happened a couple of times that I noticed.”

Cas looked at her with narrowed eyes.  “When?”

Harley glanced at the three who were in turn waiting for her to give more details.  Discomfort tingled through her face.  “Um, the other morning when I woke you up.”

“Oooh,” he replied, purposefully not looking at Nya or Levi.

“And then in the garage when I killed Randall.”  Harley’s stomach sank with guilt.  Acknowledging it made it so much more real.  Harley noticed the tension increase in the set of Levi’s jaw.  Nya raised an eyebrow.  “And I think you’ve heard me.  In the garage, I think you heard me pick up on Cutter’s signal when he got close.”  Castor began to look as if the pieces were falling into place finally.

“Castor, is that normal for Lux?” Nya asked.

“Not that I’ve ever heard.”

“I’ve not heard of anything like this either,” Nya admitted.  She shook her head and appeared to be lost in thought.  “I can only guess that this is yet another new ability you have.”  The intensity of Nya’s eyes were lighting up as she seemed to consider the implications of this.

Harley found this new aspect of herself more troubling than exciting.  While she had never wanted to be just like everyone else—it seemed that she was continuously becoming more and more different.  And the more different Harley became the more trouble for everyone, it seemed.

“I’m assuming that you haven’t been able to hear Harley’s thoughts or vice versa?” Nya asked Levi.

“No.”  Harley didn’t miss the edge to Levi’s answer and she almost felt the need to apologize to him.  She imagined that he would be feeling pretty left out about now.

Nya shrugged rubbing her forehead and looking very tired.  “I’ll add this to the list of things to research.  If I were you, though, I would see what you guys can do with it.  You never know just how handy this can be.”

The lack of answers, Levi’s discomfort—which was becoming more and more obvious—and Harley’s increasing annoyance with being told to keep waiting, was sufficient to draw the meeting to a close.  She led the way out of Nya’s office and avoided looking at either Cas or Levi.  She didn’t like the idea of anyone being able to hear her thoughts.  How much ruder can you be?  Her thoughts were her most private thing.  It took long enough to get used to sharing her head with the Nocte.  The idea of sharing it with Castor was not sitting well at all.

Castor was the first to break the silence as they made their way down the hall and away from Nya’s inner sanctum.  “So…what ARE we doing about sleeping arrangements?”

Harley looked back over her should.  Levi kept quiet but seemed to be wondering the same thing.  Harley growled.  “I’m guessing one bed isn’t big enough for the three of us?” she asked raising an eyebrow.  She chuckled at the indignation on both their faces.  “Just find a bed Cas.  I’m going to go get something to eat.  I’ll flip a coin later.”  With that Harley left Levi and Castor staring after her, their mouths hanging open in amused shock.

Chapter 10

Levi must have shown Cas a bedroom he could use because he didn’t get to the kitchen until a few minutes after Harley.  She didn’t speak at first.  She just silently ate a sandwich she made out of the left over taco meat.  He grabbed an apple and sat across from her watching her carefully.  Harley worked hard to ignore his staring.

Finally, he spoke.  “I’m not going to lecture you.”

“Good!  I appreciate that,” Harley replied with sarcastic enthusiasm, still not looking at him.

“I’m worried about you though.”  Harley didn’t respond.  “Whether whatever is happening is the Lux energy, or just your reaction to the power you have—you have to get a handle on it.”

Finally, Harley looked up at him.  She could feel the anger edging her towards hatefulness.  “Really?  Are you sure?  I figured blacking out and losing control was a pretty cool trick.  Maybe you are right though.  Maybe I should stop doing that.”

Levi didn’t take the bait.  He ate his apple in silence and continued to watch her steadily.  She finally tore herself away from his gaze and finished her sandwich.  The food didn’t satisfy her as she hoped it would.  She still had an empty nagging in the pit of her stomach.  She knew that it wasn’t necessarily sex that she was craving—but it will do.  She and her Nocte both snickered silently.  Her eyes darkened as she looked at Levi again.  Her blood was itching for him and her Nocte shivered in excitement.  She could easily go wake Cas up, but she was still a little mad at him.  The thought of mad sex with Cas worried her—she didn’t trust herself to not lose control right now.  But mad sex with Levi?  Her heartbeat picked up and her stomach shuddered.  Levi grinned at the look in her eyes.

“What makes you think you are going to get your way?  Maybe I think it would be a bad idea to encourage you?  Drinking from me always makes you feel stronger and more energized, right?  That sounds pretty dangerous to me right now.”

“You aren’t going to turn me down.  Besides, I don’t need someone else telling me what I need or don’t need,” Harley smirked at him as she pushed away from the table and stood looking down at him.

“Baby, you are awfully full of yourself,” he stated, trying to keep a straight face.

“OK, then.  I guess you shouldn’t follow me to the bedroom.”  Harley turned and left the kitchen without looking back.  She didn’t need to check to know that Levi was following her.

Levi was right behind her as they entered the room they always shared.  She turned to look at him and he roughly pushed her onto the bed.  A wicked smile spread across her face as she flopped against the mattress.  Levi pulled his shirt over his head and without breaking eye contact he crawled onto the bed and held himself over her.  She wrapped her legs around his waist and grinned up at him.  He kissed her hard, biting her lip as he pulled away and drew the tension from her at the same time.  His black eyes bore though her and made her breath catch in her throat.  She wanted nothing more than to float away with him at the moment—to become so swept up in each other that nothing else existed or mattered.

Harley reached up and knotted her fingers in his hair, pulling him to her again.  Levi gave in for a moment before disentangling her hand from his hair.  He held her wrists above her head in one hand and she giggled but didn’t struggle.  Harley stretched herself out and raised her hips to help as Levi yanked her pants and underwear off.  He lay over her again, pressing his hips into her and lowering his mouth so close to hers she the heat from his breath caressed her lips.  “What do you want?” he asked her in a low voice.

“You.”

Levi smiled at her as he kicked his own pants off without letting go of her wrists.  He sank into her at the same time that he bit into her neck and she gasped in shock and pleasure.  He let go of her wrists so that he could hold her mouth away from his neck for a moment and Harley didn’t fight it.  She smiled to herself and enjoyed the feeling of being drawn into Levi.  She was able to lose herself for a moment as she sighed against his jaw.  Being with Levi gave her a moment, even if only a brief moment, of not having to be in control.  It gave her a chance to let go and just feel without thinking.  It was what she needed the most just then.  Levi finally released her face and she turned into his neck.  She ran her tongue across his smooth skin before she sank her teeth into the pulsating vein just under his ear.  As the blood exploded into her mouth Levi groaned with pleasure.  Harley felt herself spiraling away into darkness and bliss and sighed contentedly.

Later, Harley rolled from the bed and dressed.  “Where are you going?” Levi asked her lazily.

“I need some air,” she said smiling at him.  She felt like she could bounce off the walls.  Levi’s energy helped sooth her nerves, but she had too many thoughts racing through her head.  Too much was going on for her to be able to forget anything for long.  She needed to walk them out and find some clarity.  She had barely been able to take stock of how she was feeling about all that had happened, but being here at the Den helped her.  It was safe and secluded and gave her a chance to concentrate on the immediate issues that needed to be resolved.

“OK,” Levi shrugged.  “I’m going to check in with Rafe.  See how things are going on his end.”  Levi’s voice hardened only slightly on the Nocte’s name.  Harley was surprised that Levi seemed to have an opposite reaction to Rafe after Cassandra’s death.  It was if he felt sorry for the haughty Nocte.   At one time he seemed to despise Rafe even more than she did.  Harley shook her head in dismissal and left the bedroom.  She wasn’t as ready to let go of her grudge as Levi was.

Harley walked through the house to the familiar porch that she spent so many hours sitting, waiting for her bond to finish.  She heard other Nocte going about their business behind closed doors as she made her way through the house.  And she even figured out where Castor was sleeping when she passed a door that emitted the familiar hum of his presence.  She didn’t bother him, but instead, continued on her way.

Sitting on the stone bench, Harley tipped her head up and stared at the night sky.  Every time she left the city and was able to get a good view of the stars she was reminded of their peaceful beauty.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  She relished the smells of nature.  The smell of New York was so over powering this was, in turn, a cleansing.  The cold night air was refreshing and she sat quietly under the stars, enjoying the silence, until dawn approached.

As the sun rose, Harley stood and stretched.  Her Nocte was settling down to sleep and she was sure that Levi would be as well.  Cas, on the other hand, would be waking up soon and she considering going to his room.  Finally, she decided against it.  She made her way towards her and Levi’s room deciding to get a few hours of sleep before finding Cas.  She still wanted more time to cool off and relax before she spoke with him alone.  Harley climbed into bed with Levi who was just starting to fall asleep.  He didn’t say anything.  He just raised the covers for her and wrapped himself around her once she was settled.  As she drifted off Harley hoped nothing strange would happen to her in her sleep this time.

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

When Harley woke up she saw the sun shining around the curtains.  She looked at the clock and saw that it was five in the afternoon.  She slid from the bed and slipped quietly out of the bedroom, listening with both of her senses.  She could just barely pick up on the faint buzz that told her Castor was near.  She followed the hum until she realized that he must have found the training rooms in the basement.

Harley stepped into the familiar room and saw Castor practicing with a variety of weapons from the cabinet that stood open.  She watched him for a moment appreciating his smooth movements as he swung the sword expertly.  She knew that he was aware of her presence but he didn’t stop shadow sparing.  Harley leaned against the wall and waited for him to finish showing off.

Finally, Castor sheathed the sword and returned it to the rack inside the cabinet.  He made his way quietly to where she stood, not meeting her eyes as he loped his way over.  Only after stopping in front of her did he make eye contact.

Castor took a deep breath.  “I’m sorry,” he said simply.

“I know.”

“I really didn’t mean for this to happen.”  His voice was soft and she heard the regret that colored his words.  He rested his hands on her shoulders when he realized that she wasn’t really mad at him anymore.

“I know.”  Harley sighed.  “It would have happened eventually,” she shrugged.  Her anger towards him began to fade away.  His pale green eyes were shining with sincerity.  “What happens to you now?” she asked him.

Cas ran his fingers through his hair and blew out a breath.  “I don’t know, really.  I can’t just go back to New York.  I’m pretty sure Alice isn’t going to be happy with me at all.  I’ll have to wait to see what Nya finds out before I can have any clues as to what is going on with the rest of the Vigilum.”

Harley nodded and chewed at her cuticles before she realized what she was doing and stopped herself.   Cas leaned against the wall next to her and slid to the floor.  Harley followed him and leaned against his shoulder.  He wordlessly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and they sat in silence for a while.  Castor’s presence was a comfort to Harley and she stopped worrying about everything for a short while.  No Vigilum, no Sol—nothing but a peaceful moment.

“So is this where you trained?” Cas asked, breaking the silence.

Harley laughed, “Yeah, why?”

“When I found the place I swear I could smell you here,” he laughed.

“Well, I wouldn’t be surprised.  I got my ass kicked in this room enough that I’ve probably bled into every inch of this floor.”  They both laughed softly at that.  They sat in silence for a moment before Harley broached the question she had been waiting to ask for a while.

“How did you become a Lux?”  She felt Castor stiffen beside her.  She asked once before but he had gotten offended and refused to answer.  He only said that it hadn’t been a choice.  Harley waited for Castor to answer—fully expecting him to get snappy again.

With a deep breath he finally answered.  “I was born in Limerick, Ireland.  Just after the Famine.”

“That was when?”  Harley looked at him wide eyed.  She knew it was a long time ago but couldn’t remember the exact date.

“I was born in 1855.  The worst of the famine was over by then but everyone was still struggling to recover.  I can see you trying to do the math,” he laughed.  “I’m 159—no, 158 years old.  I was born in the winter.  I can’t remember which month exactly though.”

“Wow,” Harley breathed.

“Yeah,” Castor agreed.  “Anyway.  My family moved to Cork to try to find work.  But a lot of other farmers had the same idea.  There were a lot of starving children in those times.”  He was silent for a moment.

“I bet,” Harley whispered.

Castor continued softly.  “People turned to the church for help.  The local friars started to offer to send children to ‘training.’  They said the children would be taught a trade that would be beneficial to the church.  Carpentry.  Writing and the like.  They gave families a small fee.  For the sacrifice they said.”  He stopped talking again.

“What were they really doing?”  Harley looked at Castor.  His eyes were hard—looking into a past that couldn’t be forgotten.

“They were trying to create an army of Lux.”

“Ah.”

“I didn’t want to go.  I begged my father to not send me away.”  His voice had a hard edge to it.  He was quiet for a moment again.  Finally, he shrugged.  “In the end I stopped fighting it.  If it wasn’t me, it would have been one of my siblings.  I can’t really complain all that much.  I was one of the lucky ones.”  Harley raised an eyebrow encouraging him to explain.  “The children were starving,” he said.  “They were weak and malnourished.  The life in the Abbey was hard.  We didn’t get to see our families any longer.  Most of us were sent to other locations to keep our families from asking questions.  We had to work hard.  We had lessons to learn and chores to do no matter what condition we arrived in.  The friars believed that hard work was the best thing for us.  Those of us who made it past the first few months usually reached adulthood but the transition as hard for the Lux as it is for the Nocte.  Medical skill was abysmal.  Very few of us survived the bond.  I think all of the hard work was a part, in some part, a way to test us.  To see who was strong enough to undergo the bond.”

“I’m sorry.”  Harley’s heart ached for Castor.  “Are all Lux chosen?”

“That I know of.”

Harley sighed.  “I didn’t think the bonding was likely if you didn’t choose to accept it?”

“Well—when the option is death or bond with a creature from another dimension, what do you think most people choose, even if it isn’t a conscious decision?”

“Good point.  Does it happen the other way too?” she wrinkled her brow.

“What do you mean?”

“Do the Lux and the Nocte have to choose too?”

“They have to be willing, I guess.  I don’t know what it is like on their side—but I don’t think the bond would work if they weren’t willing to accept it.”  Harley nodded at Castor’s explanation.  She wasn’t able to imagine what it would have been like to be forced to bond.

“Look, my bonding isn’t the best story,” Cas continued when he saw the pity on her face.  “But I’m grateful too.  If my family had not chosen to give me up to the Church, I very likely would have starved to death.  Along with the rest of my family.  I had three sisters and a brother to think about as well.  I always tell myself that the money the Church gave my family probably saved all their lives.  And if I refused to go, it could have been one of my sisters or brother.  They may not have survived and I’m glad I was able to take the risk instead.”

“What the Church did sounds harsh—but they had good intentions,” Cas continued.  “Things were different then.  They believed they were chosen to fight evil.  They weren’t trying to kill kids.  And they weren’t, and aren’t, the Sol Invictus.  They never had any lofty goals of resurrecting Christ.”

Harley knew that Castor believed that and meant what he said.  She, herself, had no idea what life had been like at that time.  And, really, who was she to judge?  “How closely is the Vigilum tied to the Church now?”

“Not very.  The Church disavowed knowledge, records and connections with the Lux long ago.  I would say there are very few records that survive today.  And if there are records I would bet they are sealed in a vault in the Vatican somewhere.”

“Who does the choosing now then?”

“The Council.  They search for kids who need to be saved and they ‘help.’”

“Is it always children?”  Harley wrinkled her brow.  While saving children sounded like a good thing, there was a line that could easily be crossed.  Who were the Vigilum to decide who needed saving?

“Not always.  Not now.  But it still happens quite a bit.”  Something about the idea didn’t sit well with Harley but she brushed it aside for the time being.  Her worries and issues were not important at the moment.

Castor obviously wanted to change the subject.  He rubbed at his hair smoothing it down.  She smiled to herself.  It was like he was polishing the top of his head and it worked—his light brown hair shone even inside under the florescent lights of the training room.  Harley tried hard to not feel sorry for Castor.  He didn’t need it and she knew he wouldn’t want it either.  It was hard to not feel more connected to him though.  His opening up to her was sharing a part of himself that he guarded very closely.  Harley looked at Cas and smiled.

“So,” Cas finally broke the silence.  “You want to try the mind reading thing again.”

Harley looked at him sideways.  “I don’t know about that.”

“Why not?”  Castor’s eyes lit up and he was beginning to look as excited about the idea as Nya.

“I don’t like the idea of someone—even if it’s you—being in my head.”

Castor looked somewhat offended.  “Imagine how incredible it would be if we could communicate telepathically.”

Harley cringed internally when she imagined feeling more exposed by having someone else besides her Nocte inside her head.  And she realized that guilt also played a part in her reluctance.  It didn’t feel fair to Levi.  Harley groaned internally.  This is so complicated—and exhausting, she huffed.

“Come on!  Let’s just see what happens.”  Castor’s pale green eyes pleaded with her.  She knew that not only was it a potentially handy skill to have, but she also knew how much Castor would love to have an even deeper bond with her.

Harley rested her head on her knees for a moment.  “OK.  Fine,” she finally agreed.

“Yes!  OK, what do we do?”

Harley shook her head with a small smile.  “You are the one wanting to do this so bad.  I figured you had an idea.”

“Not really.”

“Well,” sighed Harley.  “Try thinking something at me.”

“OK.”  Castor’s brow furrowed with concentration.  After several minutes he shook his head.  “Well?”

“Nothing,” Harley shrugged.

Cas screwed up his face in concentration again—this time even harder.  After several moments he relaxed with a comically gust of air.  “Well?”

“Nothing.  But you did look like you were trying to poop,” Harley laughed.

“Come on!”  Cas tried not to laugh.  “Were you even trying?”

“Yes!”

“Let’s try again.  Be serious.”

Harley resisted the urge to roll her eyes.  “OK.”

Castor resumed his look of concentration.  Harley, for Castor’s sake, did her best at clearing her mind and being receptive to Castor’s thoughts.  She decided to hold her mind as steady as she would hold her body if she was trying to catch a ball.  When she focused really hard on thinking nothing and making her mind as silent as possible—she realized that she could hear a faint static sound.  Almost like the sound of old fashion TV’s when the channel was off.  White noise.  She, surprisingly, was pretty sure that she had heard this from Castor before—when he pulled from her.  The more she relaxed the louder the sound became.  However, the more she tried to hear the noise—the less distinct it became.  Like a fish in water—it only seemed to come closer when she was absolutely silent and still.  Just when she thought the static was beginning to resemble a recognizable cadence of speech she made a grab for it.  She reached out and attempted to capture the words that she knew where just at the tip of her mind.  And just like that—it was gone.  Her mind was quiet again.

“Shit!” Castor exclaimed.  “I think we almost had it!”

“Yeah, I think I almost heard something.”  Harley rubbed at her head.  Her brain throbbed as if someone had been tapping against her forehead with their knuckles.  “I don’t think I can try again right now.”  Harley’s head felt like it had just run a marathon.  She was definitely done with the psychic practice.

Castor looked disappointed but agreed.  “Yeah, my head kind of hurts now.”

“What were you trying to tell me anyway?” Harley wondered.

Castor chuckled and gave her a look that caused her stomach to shudder.  “Oh!” she laughed.

Harley’s Nocte stirred and woke.  She rolled her eyes to herself but didn’t resist when Cas gently pushed her back to the floor and kissed her softly.  He held her face gently and she sighed against his mouth as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.  A moment too late she became aware of another familiar hum as Levi strode through the training room door.

Chapter 11

Well, this is awkward, Harley groaned to herself.  Castor pushed himself off her, slower than necessary.  They both sat up and looked at Levi who was carefully looking straight ahead.  Nya came waltzing through the door behind him.  She didn’t even pause when she realized what happened.

“Get a room,” Nya laughed and turned to face all three of them.  She clapped her hands and spoke animatedly.  “While we are all waiting on information I figured this would be a good opportunity for me to find out just what you are made of now, Harley.”

Harley raised an eyebrow at her.  Nya hadn’t stuck around for long after Harley defeated Haddon.  Nya took Cassandra’s death hard and had left after making sure Harley would live, saying she needed time to herself.  Harley hadn’t realized how close Nya and Cassandra been until then.  She looked at Levi and Cas.

“Don’t look at me,” Levi said with a shrug.  “I’d kinda like to see this for myself.”  Cas said nothing but shrugged as well.

Harley couldn’t help but remember all the times Nya had beaten her senseless while she was trying to finish her bond and learn to fight.  She groaned out loud and Nya laughed while bouncing from foot to foot in an exaggerated boxer’s dance.  Her Nocte urged her forward; reminding her just how powerful she was now.

Harley shrugged and took up a stance opposite of Nya in the center of the room.  Nya didn’t hesitate in coming at her.  She landed a spin kick against Harley’s jaw that sent her stumbling to the side.  I have really got to stop letting people catch me by surprise, she grumbled to herself.  Recovering quickly, she stepped into Nya’s next kick and caught the other Nocte by the leg.  With a quick twist she flung Nya to the ground and drove a fist into the woman’s thigh.  Harley stepped back imagining the pain that was throbbing through the other Nocte’s leg.  Nya came off the floor with a grin and a limp but ready to retaliate.

Nya and Harley traded blow for blow.  Less than a year ago Nya had been able to mop the floor with Harley.  Even after the bond, Harley had to struggle to get the best of her mentor.  But now, Nya’s moves seemed slower and less powerful.  Harley felt her own strength flowing though her limbs.  The Lux was locked down inside her—mostly?—but his energy added to her own power.  Fighting had become an instinct and she let her body take over.  She didn’t over think the fight or the moves she needed to make.  Harley could have easily defeated Nya already, but she hesitated at every chance that presented itself.  She didn’t have any desire to hurt her friend.

“You are holding back,” Nya growled, seemingly on the verge of losing her patience.

Harley didn’t insult Nya’s intelligence by trying to deny it.  “Only a little,” she panted.  Regardless of Harley’s superior speed and strength, Nya was no slouch.

Suddenly, Nya dropped her hands and stepped back.  “OK.  Let’s just call this a draw,” she laughed.  Harley was glad that she wasn’t going to insist on finishing the fight.  Nya held her fists up and Harley bumped them.  Turning they realized that while they had both been distracted Cas and Levi had decided to spar for some reason.  Apparently, when they saw that Harley wasn’t making a real go of it, they lost interest and decided to get a workout of their own in.

Harley’s stomach sank and she looked at Nya who snorted with laughter.  The women continued to watch the men trade soft blows back and forth.  Harley had a bad feeling about this.  Despite their easy going “fight” she could see the tension strung between the two men.  Whether they would admit it or not, they both had something to prove.  Harley saw it in the hard set of their jaws and shoulders.  Nya stood next to her with a small smile on her face and her hands on her hips.  Harley crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one foot.

Just as Harley feared, Castor and Levi’s blows became rougher and more purposeful as they continued to spar.  Harley sighed.  Here it comes, she thought.  Her Nocte’s glee at the two men’s aggression was obvious.  A small tingle ran through her stomach.  A part of her, no matter how much she wanted to deny it, was excited by the strutting and flaunting of her partners.  With the sun just beginning to set both were on pretty even ground.  The animalistic part of her was interested in seeing just who the strongest was.  But the rational part of her was annoyed by the display.

Castor was the first to draw blood with a well aimed elbow to Levi’s mouth.  After Levi wiped the blood away from his lips he retaliated with an upper cut that caught Castor under the jaw and knocked him from his feet.  Harley could smell both men’s blood and it raised the hairs on her arms.  Levi closed in and Castor leapt to his feet ready to meet the Nocte advancing on him.

Harley rolled her eyes and realized she has seen enough.  Harley knew that if she stayed she would only get more and more drawn into the fight.  She also suspected that her watching didn’t help calm things between them.  “Let’s go,” she said stepping backwards.

“Aren’t you a little curious to see who will win?” Nya asked her, her gold eyes blazing.

“No,” Harley answered nodding her head at the same time.  She forced herself to turn from the fight and make her way to the door of the training room.  Nya laughed and threw and arm around her shoulders as they left the men to work through their surging testosterone.

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

The next morning, Harley was walking through the forest that surrounded the Den.  She had avoided Levi and Castor both since their little fight last evening.  She even found an empty room and claimed it as her own for a few early morning hours of sleep.   I wonder who won.  No, I don’t.  Sure, you don’t.  She debated with herself crazily.    She rolled her eyes, she was thankful neither man came looking for her.  She was sure they when they came to their senses both of them felt pretty silly.  Or maybe they just know I’m going to be mad at them and they are both avoiding me.  Good, she huffed.

Again, Harley thought about the improbability of their odd “relationship” working.  It wasn’t natural for either man to share someone they cared about.  She knew that the more they cared about her, the harder it would be for either of them.  She sighed.  Why isn’t anything ever easy?  Her Nocte grumbled in agreement.  She still refused to choose between either of them.  She cared—a lot—about them both.  They were her partners.  She didn’t want to imagine living this life without either of them.  Dammit!

Harley decided that she was just going to have to sit her men down for a talk.  They had to find a way to be OK with how things were and with each other.  They were all happier together than they were apart—that much had to be admitted.  Once the two of them got over their egos, they would be able to move on and do what they needed to do.  Harley would be the first to admit that their relationship wasn’t conventional.  But hell, what is conventional about our lives now, Harley wondered.  She could feel her Nocte’s metaphorical eye roll.  Her inner devil never did seem to understand why it was such a big deal if she was “involved” with multiple men.  Harley got the feeling that where the Nocte came from, human relationship standards did not apply.  The Nocte sniggered in agreement.

Harley didn’t have a problem with monogamy.  Not even now, as a Nocte.  That wasn’t the issue.  She didn’t have any desire to be involved with everyone else.  She just felt like this dynamic worked the best for all of them.  They drew strength from each other.  Despite any mistakes any of them might make—Harley believed with her whole heart that neither man would intentionally hurt her or disappoint her.  And the same was true for her.  But, it seemed that Castor and Levi were both still stuck to the very human idea—whether either of them would admit it or not—that she “belonged” to one of them.  Her hackles rose at that idea.  However, that didn’t stop her own possessive feelings towards her Lux and Nocte.  Those men were hers and that was that.  Her Nocte chuckled at that and Harley rolled her eyes but didn’t fight the feeling.

Suddenly, Harley’s phone buzzed in her pocket causing her to jump.  Even though it was daylight, she made a bet with herself about which of the men were texting her.  She wouldn’t put it past Levi to hard stay up late waiting for her.  She was surprised when her phone display indicated that she had a media message from a number she didn’t recognize.  Opening the message caused her stomach to clench painfully and her heart stopped beating.

The message was a picture taken outside of a bar.  Lots of young people were coming and going in the image, but the focus was on one man in particular.  A young blonde man standing in front of a chalkboard sign announcing which bands would be playing at Jay’s tonight.  The man in the picture looked confident with a smile on his face and he appeared to be waiting on someone.  The distance from which the picture was taken, and the fact that it was sent from a number Harley didn’t recognize all added up to an ominous intent.  Harley’s heartbeat returned with an agonizing thump.  She had not seen her old friend Jason in a year, but he had not changed a bit.  The picture was followed by a text.

“Come Alone.”

A growled rippled through Harley’s throat.  She gripped the phone so tightly she could feel the plastic crack.  The sounds of the woods coming alive in the early morning light clashed with the dark feelings inside her.  She clenched her teeth and considered her options.  There was no doubt who had sent the message.  It had to be Alice.  How would someone else with nefarious intentions have gotten Harley’s phone number?  It was highly unlikely that the Sol had managed to acquire it.  More likely, Alice had gotten it from Jaxon’s phone.

Harley struggled with the decision whether to alert her friends or not.  She knew how dumb it was to go off on her own.  Nothing good ever came from it.  It was the same mistake every movie hero made.  On the other hand, it was made with good reason.  If she came with backup Alice would kill Jason.  Of that Harley had no doubt.  And she couldn’t guarantee that Alice’s crew wouldn’t spot them first if she tried to sneak the others with her.

Harley also considered if it was worth the risk to return to save Jason at all.  Not only was her life in jeopardy by returning to Lexington, but so was her discovery.  She had left when she and Jamie were attacked.  The police either assumed she was dead too—or worse, involved in Jamie’s death.  The thought of ignoring the threat to Jason’s life was brief.  She knew that she would never be able to live with herself if another friend died because of her.  Jamie’s death still haunted her and Jason’s could very likely push her over the edge.  She was already too close to losing her mind anyway.

Harley was stuck in between action and inaction.  The chilly mist in the air seemed to soak into her arms and the back of her neck.  Finally, her legs began to move without her even having made a decision yet.  If she were asked, Harley would have blamed it on another episode of being out of control.  Rather that, than admit that she was making a colossally stupid decision all on her own.  Her Nocte didn’t offer any resistance either as they made their way back towards the Den.

Harley only went as far as the mudroom, grabbed her messenger bag that doubled as a purse and her machete and Bowie.  She didn’t risk going for clothes or other supplies—not even her chain since it was tucked away in her bag in the closet.  There was too great of a chance of coming across Castor, or—no matter how remote—accidentally waking Levi up while gathering her things.  The last thing she did before leaving the Den was grab a sheet of paper from the notepad affixed to the fridge.  Scribbling a message, she explained that she had to take care of something alone—God, that is so cliché.—and that she would contact them soon.  The number that texted her went on another sheet of paper that she shoved in her pocket. It seemed extreme, but she planned on tossing her phone in the trash once she got on the road.  Nya could track their cells and she wanted to give herself as much of a head start as possible.   Harley strode into the barn and surveyed the cars parked in front of her.  Eenie meanie miney mo…she smiled to herself.

Harley’s gaze settled on Rafe’s bright red Camaro and she grinned.  If I’m going to steal a car why not piss Rafe off in the process?  Most of the Nocte just left their keys in their vehicles.  It saved time and there wasn’t any chance someone was going to come along and take a car that didn’t belong to them.  Well, not an outsider anyway.  Harley chucked to herself and climbed into the flashy sports car.  Other than having to move the seat much closer to the steering wheel, the car’s interior hugged her like a dream.  She turned the key over and the engine roared to life giving Harley chills.  She put the car in reverse, released the clutch and the car lurched backwards out of its space.  The power of the vehicle caught her off guard and caused her to let off the clutch and the car jerked as the engine died.  She laughed at herself before starting it up again.  She rolled forward, more carefully this time, and the sensors engaged sliding the large doors open.  Harley roared from the barn, kicking up gravel as she went.  It was unlikely that any of the Nocte, or Castor would hear her leave, but if they did she wanted to get on the road as fast as possible.

Chapter 12

Once the security gates opened Harley turned onto the main road and floored it.  She was, again, surprised by the power of the Camaro as it fishtailed before catching traction and accelerating.  A smile spread across Harley’s face.  She loved fast cars and this one had her heart thumping excitedly.  Say what you want about Rafe, at least he has good taste in cars.  The Den was only located a few miles from the interstate and once she was on 270 she didn’t hesitate to open the car up.  She zipped past the early morning traffic as if they were standing still.  She had an eight hour drive ahead of her so she settled back into the seat and turned on the radio.  She jumped and scrunched her nose at the techno music that blared from the speakers.

“I never would have pegged Rafe for a techno fan,” she mumbled as she searched through the stations and finally settled on one playing rock music.

Guilt nagged at Harley’s gut.  She knew she was probably making a big mistake by not bringing her friends in on this mission.  But she knew that if she told them they would never have let her go alone and the longer she waited, the more likely Alice was to hurt Jason.  If she woke Nya and Levi she would be pulling them out during the day and that just created more danger.  Castor, on the other hand, was most definitely awake somewhere in the house, as the day was his time.  But, Alice may even expect her to bring Cas with her.  Castor was a target now too, and Harley was hesitant to put him at risk.

The thought of Alice caused Harley’s jaw to set in anger and her Nocte to rouse from her daylight rest.  She couldn’t wait to rip that Lux’s throat out.  Alice was playing with fire and the outcome was not going to be good.  Harley didn’t know exactly what Alice and the Vigilum had been up to with Cutter, but Harley doubted they would stop with just the one Ignis.  Harley dropped the car into fifth gear and surged past a string of cars.  The growl of the engine was a good soundtrack for the mood Harley was in.

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

Harley, unsurprisingly, made the trip quicker than expected.  It only took her about seven hours to arrive just outside of Lexington.  She pulled off I64 into Georgetown since she didn’t want to go straight into Lexington for fear of any surveillance Alice had in place.  Stepping from the car, Harley took a deep breath.  Kentucky, this part of it at least, smelled of dirt and horses.  It smelled like home.  The powder blue sky and deep green grass stretched across rolling pastures and Harley could saw several young horses bucking and running across the fields.  The area that she had chosen was at the edge of town.  On one side of the street you could find hotels and shopping, on the other was a horse farm.  It may seem incongruous to a lot of people, but this mix of scenery was fairly standard at the outskirts of central Kentucky and it made Harley smile to be back home.  Whether she would admit it or not, she kind of missed the place.

Harley walked into the first rundown hotel she came across.  She didn’t know if she would even need a place to stay while she was here—hell I could die tonight.  But she needed somewhere to get cleaned up and rest.  She picked this one in particular because it was shady enough looking that she suspected they would take cash and mind their own business.  Luckily, Harley had withdrawn a decent sum of money before she left New York.  If she had to use credit she could be easily tracked, by both the Vigilum and the Praesidio.  She was careful to keep just how much money she had hidden inside the bag as she paid the pasty looking desk clerk.  He handed her an old-fashioned key on a bright orange, diamond-shaped keychain and Harley raised her brows at it, but didn’t say anything.  The room itself wasn’t as dirty as she had feared.  When she took a deep breath she mostly smelled dust and old fabric.  Relieved, she tossed her bag on the bed before stuffing some money in her pockets and leaving her room.  She needed to prepare before she made a move.

At a strip mall nearby Harley found the items she needed and after returning to her room she tossed the bag into the corner and sat on the edge of the worn and squeaky bed.  Evening was quickly approaching she had barely gotten any sleep in the past twenty-four hours and she felt her exhaustion in the sand behind her eyelids and the lead in her hands and feet.  A headache was beginning to throb in the front of her skull.  Not only did she need to feed more often, but she found she needed sleep more often as well.  She considered her options.  If I leave now to find Jason and watch over him I’ll have to sleep at dawn.  That will leave him unprotected during the day.  The scenario left her feeling even worse about coming alone.  She shook her head at herself and began undressing.  Finally, she crawled under the covers hoping that she wouldn’t wake up wandering down the road in her underwear.

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When Harley jerked awake, she became aware of two things.  One—she wasn’t in bed any more.  She was huddling on the floor, against the wall and next to the heater/air conditioning unit.  Two—she was pretty sure that she was doing it to get closer to the warmth.  She was shivering so hard that her teeth were clattering.  Harley sighed and kicked her legs out in front of her while letting her head thump against the wall.  Her annoyance was mirrored in her Nocte’s, which was exacerbated by the devil’s irritation at being awake during the day. She might not be weakened by sun, but it still wasn’t her favorite time either.  Harley ignored the uneasiness of losing of self-awareness and control again.  She needed to get going and focus on more immediate problems.  And besides, she thought, it’s always easier to ignore the things you don’t know how to fix.

After showering, Harley dressed, pulling on a tight, green tank top, a black sweater and a pair of jeans.  She tucked her dark red hair into a floppy knitted hippie-cap after snapping in a cheap fake blond streak.  She pulled the streak forward until it hung from under her hat.  At a quick glance people would, hopefully, assume she was a blonde.  A year later, Harley wasn’t expecting people to actively be on the lookout for her, but she didn’t want to take any chances.  Plus, she hoped that Alice wouldn’t notice her as easily.

Digging though the remaining contents of the bag, Harley extracted a drop phone.  It was a pre-paid phone that wasn’t registered to her and wasn’t traceable by either the Vigilum or the Praesidio.  She quickly programmed the number that had texted thepicture.  She also programmed Levi, Castor and Nya’s number in case she needed to get in touch with them quickly.  She took a deep breath and texted Alice.  “I’m here.”

Only a few moments later Harley received an automatic response indicating that the number she had tried to text was not in service.  Shit.  Alice must have done the same thing she had just done—used a disposable phone.  It meant that she had one option.  Wait until Alice made a move.  It was a situation that made Harley extremely uncomfortable.  It meant that she was playing Alice’s game by Alice’s rules.  At this point Harley recognized she didn’t have a lot of choices and her Nocte wasn’t any help either.  Harley finally strapped her machete to her back, her Bowie to her ankle and made her way towards the door.  For better or worse, Harley had made her decision, now she had to deal with it.

Chapter 13

Harley left the hotel and climbed into the Camaro.  She took the back roads into Lexington hoping to avoid the early morning traffic. Less than an hour later, she pulled into the parking lot of Jason’s old apartment complex.  It had been a year and she didn’t know if he still lived here or not, but it was the first place she chose to look.  She was assuming that Alice had not taken him yet.  If she had the picture she sent her would have been of Jason held captive.  That’s what Harley would have done herself—most likely a picture of him tied up and gagged.  Maybe a little beat up for affect.

Harley watched the ground floor apartment that, at one time, belonged to the only other human friend she had left.  She couldn’t make out any movement beyond the curtains, but that didn’t mean much.  Maybe he just wasn’t near any windows.  Harley looked around the complex.  Nothing stuck out as suspicious but she didn’t doubt that Alice knew where Jason lived.  Following him would have been easy.  She shook her head at herself.  This was crazy and she knew it.  Her Nocte, again, agreed with her.  I don’t need you making it worse, Harley grumbled.  Harley rolled down the window and took a deep breath.  She didn’t pick up on any unusual smells.  She didn’t even pick up on the alarm of a nearby Ignis.  She tipped her seat back farther and tried to get comfortable.  She knew she would be here for a while.

The day was, mostly, uneventful.  A lot of families lived in the complex so after the initial morning rush, the parking lot was quiet.  A couple of times someone would pass by and notice Harley sitting in the car but anyone who saw her brushed off their surprise.  They easily dismissed a nice looking girl in a fancy car apparently waiting on someone.  Around noon, when Harley still hadn’t seen Jason leaving for work she became concerned.  He could have moved.  Or he could be in there dead.  Between the possibility that she was watching a stranger’s apartment and that Jason may already be in danger, Harley made the decision to get closer to the building.

Harley eased open the car door after making sure she still couldn’t see any threats nearby.  She stepped eased out and shut the door softly.  Harley quickly crossed the parking lot and walked purposefully around the corner of the building to where the patio of Jason’s apartment was located.  There were two weathered plastic chairs pushed up against the light brick building.  Harley recognized them from the times she and Jamie sat out here drinking beers with Jason and whoever he was dating at the moment.  To be sure she leaned close against the sliding glass door and took a deep breath.  The faint smell of mint and expensive cologne wafted through the crack in the patio doors.  Yep.  Jason still lives here.  Harley listened carefully.  She couldn’t hear footsteps or other movement.  But she could make out the faint snore of a sleeping human when she strained hard enough.

Harley took a deep breath and stepped back from the door.  Jason must have taken the day off work.  Most likely, his not working today, had lead to his staying out incredibly late the night before.  He would probably end up sleeping all day.  Harley’s chest squeezed tightly and she quickly made her way to her car.  Memories were threatening to rush back and drown her if she let them. Back inside, Harley tipped her seat back even farther and rested for a moment with her eyes closed.  She forced herself to concentrate and return her focus to what was most important right now.  I’m not here for a walk down memory lane, she chastised.  Her head began to throb again.  Harder than ever this time.  It was an insistent bang against her skull.  Harley let out a gasp and sat straight up in the car seat.  She had been so distracted that it only just occurred to her that the throbbing in her head wasn’t a headache.  She didn’t just get headaches anymore, she felt stupid for not having realized the truth of the thumping in her brain.  This was Castor.  The knocking was coming from Castor trying to communicate with her telepathically.  I’m surprised it even works from this far away.  Harley rubbed her forehead.  She wasn’t ready for Castor and the others to know where she was just yet.

It took a lot of concentration and willpower, but Harley was able to bar Castor access from her brain.  She imagined a door in her mind and she flipped the lock and backed away from his pounding.  The knocking ceased abruptly and she breathed a sigh of relief.  I can’t believe that actually worked.  The relief was immediately followed by guilt.  Castor and the others were probably frantic with worry.  She reached for the cell phone lying in the seat next to her.  Her hand hovered for a moment.  She couldn’t bring herself to do it.  As ridiculous as she knew it was, calling Castor and the Praesidio felt like admitting that she wasn’t able to do this on her own.  That she was so weak she had to put her friends at risk.  Fuck!  She punched the steering wheel and only catching herself at the last minute prevented her from punching through the compact rubber circle.

As the sun set, Harley started to get paranoid and restless again.  She found it odd and disturbing that there had still not been any activity on either Alice’s end or from Jason’s apartment.  When a shadow suddenly floated past the kitchen window, Harley was so caught off guard that she jumped.  She rolled her eyes and chuckled.  She wondered what Jason had done last night that had kept him in bed for most of the day.  If he had been awake before, she didn’t think he had been out of bed, she would have seen movement and maybe even heard him if he was loud enough.

When the car door opened and a cool breeze blew in, Harley was startled again.  She flinched away from the door prepared to fight whoever was coming in after her.  Her hand slipped off the handle and she realized she, herself, had opened the door.  Her feet, moving of their own accord, stepped from the car and she shut the door behind her.  Harley watched her actions with detached curiosity and frustration.  She gritted her teeth but didn’t bother trying to stop.  She knew where she was going and fighting it would only make her lack of control undeniable.  Instead, she let the decision become her own.  Only when she was standing outside of Jason’s patio door again did she feel as if her control had returned.  Her stomach soured and her Nocte shifted uncomfortably.  Frustration and shame gnawed at her.  What the fuck is wrong with me?

From inside the apartment the sound of Jason singing broke through her self-pity.  Harley’s heart ached and she had to sit down on one of the plastic chairs to catch her breath.  She hadn’t counted on how seeing Jason again would affect her.  As she forced herself to take a slow breath she pulled her legs under her, accidentally kicking a beer bottle over as she did so.  The scrape and ringing sound of glass on concrete was loud in the silent, early evening air.  Damn.  She heard the singing stop and footsteps speed up as they approached the sliding patio door.  The vertical blinds jerked to the side and Harley saw Jason stare out at her.  She forced herself to meet his gaze steadily.  I may have bumbled into this meeting, but at least I can pretend to have done it on purpose.  She hadn’t exactly decided if she was going to face Jason or not, but her blunder made the decision for her.

Jason’s head tilted to the side and his face was a frozen blank look of stupid. Harley could only imagine what he was thinking.  A strange girl was sitting on his porch and despite the hair color and the sunglasses she must seem familiar to him.  Jason was curious enough that he slowly undid the latch and slid the glass door open.  He was dressed in a button down blue shirt and a pair of dark jeans.  He looked like he was getting ready to go out for another evening of late night partying and Harley was glad that she had been able to find him at home.

“Can I help you?” he asked her curiously.

Harley smiled and looked away before she pulled off her sunglasses.  By the look on his face, his brain was trying to deny what his eyes were telling him he was seeing.  She looked back at him and held his shocked gaze for a moment before responding.  “Hi.”

Jason’s mouth moved silently, trying to form words.  “What?” he finally croaked, still trying to understand what he was seeing.

The guilt poured out from wherever it had been tucked away and flooded her stomach.  The regret over what happened and how things worked out left a bitter taste in her mouth.  She didn’t regret the decisions that she made.  But she did regret why they had to be made in the first place.  Seeing Jason brought back a reminder of what it felt like to lose your humanity.  And, worse, it forced her to face the reality of what had happened to those she had left behind.

“Can we have this conversation inside?” she asked hoarsely.  She didn’t want to be outside and exposed any longer than she had to.

Jason shook his head. “No.”  Harley gaped at Jason.  “Not until you explain what—who—where—what is going on.”  His voice was coming out in shocked gasps.  He sounded like he was about to hyperventilate.  The knuckles of the hand that was gripping the door casing were turning white.

“Well, you aren’t hallucinating.  I am who you think I am.”

“What…?”

“I know.  I’m sorry.  And I’m sorry to sound like a cliché, but I can explain.”

Jason stumbled backwards away from the door, leaving it open.  Harley took that as a—sort of—invitation, stood and slipped into the apartment.  It was as she remembered it.  Decorated like a normal guy’s apartment.  Sports memorabilia and random junk tossed around.  It wasn’t dirty, but it wasn’t exactly clean either.  Harley smiled as the memories came rushing back to her.  She and Jamie dancing like idiots after a night of drinking at one of his parties.  Jason finally figuring out neither of them was going to sleep with him and moving on to other women at his party.  Later, after Jason had gotten sick and thrown up on the girl he convinced to join him in the bedroom, Harley and Jamie helped clean him up and put him into bed.  It was the night they bonded with their fun-loving.  He became their key to any party or social gathering they wanted from then on.

Harley slowly sat on the couch and crossed her legs.  She made a show of casualness by propping her arms on the back of the couch.  Jason was still standing in front of her, his face kept shifting from shock, to anger, to confusion, to sadness.  But it always came back to anger.  Harley swallowed and took a deep breath.

“Start explaining,” Jason said coldly.

In the in the end it took about an hour, multiple eye shifts and a sliced and quickly healed forearm to convince Jason of what had happened to her and that she wasn’t crazy. Jason sat across from Harley staring at her, dumbstruck.  She told him the whole story and she ignored the feeling of betrayal that nagged at her.  Levi had made it clear she couldn’t ever tell humans about their world.  But the only chance she had of convincing Jason to do what she said relied upon her being honest and convincing him exactly what he was up against.  The true story was so far out there that he would pretty much have to believe it.

Jason said he believed her story, but he still seemed mad at her for leaving and not contacting anyone or explaining what happened.  But there was so much to the story that he wasn’t be as angry as he wanted to be.  He was too consumed with trying to get a grasp on the world Harley was painting a picture of for him.

“So, you are saying that this Alice woman is threatening to kill me now?”

“Yes.”

“In order to get to you.”

“Yes.”

“OK…well what is your plan?  I’m assuming we can’t go to the cops.”

“No.  We definitely can’t do that.  At this point my plan is to make sure she doesn’t get to you.  If she does make a move then I’ll be here to stop her.  So…think of me as your body guard for the time being.”

“That’s your plan?”

“Don’t look at me like that.  I may not have thought things through all the way—but it’s the best I have at the moment.”

Jason tossed back his head and laughed a deep hardy laugh.  Harley’s chest burned as she realized just how long it had been since she heard his laugh.  “What?”

“Same old Harley.”

“What is that supposed to mean,” she pretended to not know what he was talking about and tried to keep the smile from her face.

“Impulsive.  Not thinking beyond the now.”  Harley rolled her eyes but didn’t defend herself.  “What about your friends?  The Predators?”

“Praesidio.”

“Yeah, them.  What about them?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you really come alone?”  Harley didn’t meet Jason’s eyes and twisted her mouth in a dismissive gesture.  “OK.  So, I’m still not saying that I believe you 100%, but let’s say I do.  Don’t you think coming here alone was pretty dumb?”

“Probably,” Harley snapped.  “But I have my reasons.  And they sounded really good when I was making the decision.”  And I don’t need babysitters.

Jason shook his head at her, clearly still trying to wrap his head around the situation.  “Why do you think she wanted you to come alone?  Obviously, she wanted you in a situation where you would be at a disadvantage.  And considering it sounds like this Alice has an army, how do you expect to fight them alone?”

“I’ll call the Praesidio.  I just need to get a handle on the situation first,” Harley acquiesced.  She knew that Jason was right.  She couldn’t begin to predict what he would say if she were to explain the out of body experiences she had been having.  “And I don’t think she has an ACTUAL army.”

“I’m still just finding all of this really hard to believe,” Jason said again, shaking his head.

Harley sighed.  She remembered having this conversation with Levi a year ago.  She’d had the unfortunate advantage of just having witnessed the murder of her best friend to help convince her.   “Jason, think about it.  Why else would I run away after Jamie was murdered?  I’m not dead.  So there has to be a good reason.  Right?”

Jason shook his head again.  “This is just all too much.  Do you want a drink?”  He stood and headed towards the kitchen.”

“Hell yes!” Harley laughed.  Jason poured dark liquor into glasses and carried one to her.  He sat opposite of her again and rested his chin in his hand.  Harley kept quiet and let him work out the story again on his own.  He had to decide for himself to believe what she was telling him.  She tipped her glass to the side and watched the warm liquid coat the sides of the tumbler while she waited.

Jason pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the screen.  “So, what plans do you have for us for the rest of the night?”  He seemed to be tired of trying to figure out what Harley was telling him.  Instead, he was resorting to what he knew best.

“Board up the windows?” Harley laughed.

“Screw that!  Let’s go out.”

“Are you insane?”

“Well, I’m pretty sure that I believe your wacked out story…so apparently, yes.  I am insane.”

Harley rolled her eyes at him.  “Going out is asking for trouble.”

“And coming here at all wasn’t?  You said yourself that Alice can’t go out during the night, right?”

“She can go out at night.  She’s just really weak, so it’s highly unlikely she would.”

“Well, there you have it.  Let’s go.”

“Ridiculous.”

“What is?  That creatures are trying to kill us and these might be our last few hours of safety to enjoy ourselves so we should have some fun?”  Harley shook her head again.  This was Jason’s style.  He loved to have fun and she could see him building to a near manic level of excitement.  “Oh, come on!”

“Alice might be working with other Burners.  I don’t know if it was just Cutter’s influence in New York or not but we could run into a mob of them again.”

“Then wear the disguise,” he shrugged.  “I always thought you would make a hot blonde.”

Harley wrinkled her nose and laughed.  “Fine!”  As they got ready to leave the apartment Harley ignored the sinking feeling in her stomach.  This was an epically bad idea.  She knew her Nocte agreed with her but that didn’t stop either of them from following Jason out the door.  Some nostalgic part of her craved old times and that’s all she needed to give in to the desire to just let go.  Trying, on some level, to be reasonable, Harley also reminded herself that she could get a sense of the area if she was out in it.  The number of Ignis and their behavior might tell her something about the Lux and Nocte in the area.

Chapter 14

As Harley and Jason walked towards the Camaro she surveyed the parking lot around them.  Night had fallen but she wasn’t picking up on any Burner alerts.  The tension in her neck relaxed a little.  When she stopped next to the sleek red car Jason whistled.

“THIS is what you are diving?”

“Yep,” she couldn’t help but smile at Jason’s enthusiasm—mainly because it mirrored her own reaction to the car.

“A lot better than the Chevy you used to drive.”

Harley laughed but it was tinged with a little melancholy too.  “I actually kind of miss that car.  Whatever happened to it?”  She was hesitant to ask, but she needed to know what happened to her old life.

Jason fixed his warm brown eyes on her; they softened recognizing the questions that lay beneath the surface.  “The police impounded it.  Eventually, I think, it was released to the Andrews’.  I’m not sure what they did with it.”

Harley slid into the car and turned the key as Jason shut his door.  “And the Andrews.  What happened to them?” Harley asked.  Her throat was tight causing her voice to sound thin and strained.

Jason took a moment before answering.  “They moved away.”

“When.”

“About six months ago maybe.”

Harley nodded.  She didn’t find the news surprising.  She doubted that, had she been in their shoes, she would have been able to stay around either.  “What about all of our stuff?”

“The Andrews did something with it,” Jason shrugged.

“Do you know where they went?”

“No,” Jason looked apologetic.  Harley realized she was relieved.  If she wanted to bad enough, she would be able to find them—but, she was actually glad that she didn’t know where they were.  It was easier to resist the temptation of checking in on them.

Harley took a deep breath.  She knew that coming back to Kentucky was going to bring back all sorts of memories and pain, but with each passing moment the ache in her chest was growing.  She decided to change the subject.  She didn’t need to know how badly last year had ruined the Andrews’ lives.  She hoped that leaving Lexington gave them some opportunity to move on and heal.  “So, where do you want to go?  Jay’s?”

“No.  There’s an even better bar now.  It’s called Top Shelf.  Let’s go there.”

Harley hesitated.  Jason liked all kinds of bars.  Everything from piano bars to dive bars.  Top Shelf didn’t sound like her normal taste.  Then again, that’s probably a good thing.  Shaking her head, she agreed and pulled out of the parking lots while Jason scanned through the stations looking for something with a fast beat.

“Where’s Olivia?” Harley asked when it occurred to her that Jason hadn’t mentioned the sweet girl he had been dating a year ago.

Jason didn’t look at her and his answer was curt.  “We broke up.”

“Oh.  Sorry.” Obviously, he didn’t want to talk about it.  Jason shrugged it off and settled with a station playing dance music.  Harley was sad to hear about their split.  She had been convinced that Olivia was the one to finally settle him down.  She figured something big must have happened between them—and she hoped that it didn’t have anything to do with what had happened to her and Jamie.

Harley parallel parked the car at the curb a few blocks away from Top Shelf and she and Jason climbed out of the car.  Downtown Lexington wasn’t a veritable metropolis, especially compared to New York.  But it was busy on this Friday night and people bustled along shouting and laughing together.  Harley heard the thump of techno music and cringed.  She had a feeling they were heading towards the source of the electronic beat.

Harley followed Jason as he made his way towards a club that pumped music so loud Harley could already feel the base pounding in her chest.  She toned down her hearing—otherwise she was pretty sure her head would explode.  She looked around with her eyes and her extra sense and while she picked up on a slight hum from some Ignis they didn’t seem to be close enough to be overly concerning.  She lengthened her stride to keep up with Jason.  She didn’t want to let him out of her sight and, despite the fact that he wasn’t much taller than she was, he walked fast.

Inside the club Harley stood out like a sore thumb.  At least it felt that way to her.  The women here were all dressed in skimpy, brightly colored clothes.  The men in polo shirts and their hair was gelled to a perfectly careless quality.  Harley tried not to let her disdain show for her friend’s sake.  She was the dive bar, live band type of girl—this wasn’t her scene at all.  Jason grinned over his shoulder at her as they made their way through the line inside the doorway of the club.  She tried to tone down her sense of smell also.  She may not have any desire to feed from humans, but that didn’t stop them from affecting her.  The pheromones they gave off, stronger in bars and clubs than anywhere else, caused her pulse to race and her Nocte to shiver.  Fight or fuck—it doesn’t matter which.  People fueled on hormones amped Harley up and got her pulse racing.

In no time Jason was on the dance floor surrounded by people.  He tried pulling Harley with him but she had refused.  She caught the surprised look on his face when he tried tugging on her arm and felt the strength of her resistance.  He shook his head as if he was still having a hard time accepting the truth of her story, and laughed before melting into the crowd of people.  Harley stayed near the edge of the dancing crowd keeping an eye on her friend as he rocked, bumped and writhed to the music.  He wasn’t the best dancer in the world, but he didn’t care and no one watching him cared either.  His carefree spirit moved everyone around him.  Harley relaxed a little as she concluded that there didn’t seem to be any Burners in this club.  Even over the rhythmic beating music she would have been aware of their presence.

Deciding that Jason was safe enough for the moment, Harley made her way towards the bar.  She didn’t hold back in forcing her way through the crowd and she ignored the dirty looks that the people gave her.   After a brief glare they seemed to pick up on her—unusual?—aura and move away from her.  The bartender was surprisingly attractive for such a posh place and Harley gave him a sly smile and ordered five shots.

“Of what?” the bartender shouted over the music.  His dark skin was smooth and flawless and his eyes were a blue so bright that he had to be wearing contacts.  His hair was in long dreads that hung around his shoulders.  Harley smelled his cologne from across the bar and felt her stomach twitch as the woodsy sent drifted to her.

“Surprise me,” she shrugged.  Harley held his gaze and he didn’t seem to be able to look away.  Finally, he laughed and shook his head to break the contact.  He quickly spread five plastic cups—the type that she always imagined psych wards gave medicine out in—across the bar.  Looking at her out of the corner of his eye he tipped a bottle of premade shot up and skillfully poured it into each cup without stopping.

When he was finished he stowed the bottle back underneath the counter.  “Need a tray for these?”

“Nope,” Harley winked at him.  One after the other she tossed the shots back, stacking the empties together.  When she was finished the bartender gaped at her.

“Damn girl,” he laughed.

Harley leaned over the counter as if to share a secret with him.  She may have only been wearing a sweater and jeans, but clothes didn’t determine sexiness.  It was all in attitude and she knew that the man was interested in her.  It poured from his skin even stronger than his cologne.  As he leaned forward with her Harley realized what she was doing and mentally shook herself.  It took great effort to pull back over the bar and away from the bartender.  Her Nocte grumbled.  She laughed at the man’s visible disappointment as she forced herself to back away through the path that had stayed clear behind her.

The heat of the shots added to the pulsing energy radiating off the people and Harley found herself swaying slightly to the music.  She wasn’t drunk enough to dance, but the music and the life of the crowd were carrying her away.  She slipped into a brief “what if” moment and convinced herself that Jamie and Jason were both on the dance floor.  She, as usual, stood off to the side watching swaying to the music.  The lights blurred and the people became one living entity—each person an extension of the whole.  Her metabolism wouldn’t really let her get drunk anymore, but the life that flowed off the warm bodies around her made it hard to think clearly.  The music caressed her heart as it thumbed rhythmically.

Suddenly, something broke through the hypnotic pulse of the music like an ice cold draft.  A faint buzz tingled at the back of Harley’s neck.  She twisted, blinking against the lights that flashed around her.  Near the bar she saw the source of the alarm.  A Burner stood glaring at her.  Her Nocte growled and Harley was glad the music was loud enough to drown it out.  The need to dart forward and sink her teeth into the Burner’s throat out made her bones ache.  Her eyes started to shift but she blinked it away.  She couldn’t stop her fangs from sliding down however.  Her hunger was as strong as her anger at the moment.  But she needed to get Jason out of here.  His safety was more important that feeding.

Diving into the crowd of people, Harley made her way towards where she last saw Jason.  There she found him dancing in between two young women that were dressed so scantily they were nearly naked.  Harley grasped his arm and pulled him away from them.  Jason laughed and stumbled towards her.  The women swung to face Harley looking like they were ready to pounce on her.  One was blonde and the other had dark brown hair.  Their eyes shone brightly with more than just drunkenness.  She bared her teeth at them and they shrank together making a united stand against her.

Harley wasn’t sure if the two female Burners were angry because they thought she was taking their man or if it was because they were after her to begin with.  It didn’t matter though because Harley had only microseconds to make a choice.  She began pushing Jason through the crowd towards the exit.  She tossed a glance back to the two women letting her eyes shift as she did so.  Confusion barely crossed their faces.  Harley was sure the only thing they found surprising was the black and white nature of her eyes.  She was confident it wasn’t the fact that she was Nocte that shocked them.

Running away went against everything in Harley’s nature.  She could feel her Nocte’s anger and resistance, but even the devil knew that getting into a brawl in the middle of a dance floor was a bad idea.  Maybe I’m finally learning after all.  Not only might Jason get hurt, but there would be no hiding from the humans.  Harley glanced back again and saw the male Burner and both the women Burners had joined together and were walking quickly towards them.

“What’s going on?” Jason shouted over the music.  He was slightly drunk but he was still steady on his feet.

“Burners.”

“Here?  Where?”  His voice was a mixture of curiosity and alarm.

Harley didn’t want to keep shouting over the music so she didn’t answer until she shoved Jason through the doors and out onto the street.  “The two you were dancing with.  Plus a guy that was at the bar.”  Harley kept a vice-like grip on Jason as she guided him towards the car.  They didn’t get far before she felt the Ignis behind them.  As the creatures exited the club, the signal got stronger.  Harley didn’t need to look behind them again.  She knew they were gaining on them.  “Fuck.”

“What?”  Anxiety was finally beginning to sharpen the edges of Jason’s words.

The car was far enough away that the Burners would catch up to them before they could climb in unless Harley picked Jason up and awkwardly ran with him down the street.  Thinking quickly, she shoved him between two buildings.  She could see a dimly lit parking lot behind the bank and barbershop that formed a narrow alley and she pushed him towards it.  This time of night the expanse of broken and crumbling concrete was empty of cars and people.  If she was going to have to fight, she wanted to do it away from as many humans as possible.  She tossed her keys to Jason after finally releasing his arm.

“Hide.  And if I don’t make it—take the keys and get out of here.”  Harley didn’t doubt herself, but she wasn’t going to risk it either.  “And don’t go back to your apartment.  My phone is in the car.  Call Levi.”  Jason looked like he wanted to argue, but finally he shoved the keys in his pocket and ducked behind a dumpster just as the three Ignis burst into the parking lot.  They didn’t hesitate and came at Harley like a pack of wolves—snarling and growling.

Harley pulled the machete from underneath her jacket and swung at the first Burner to make it to her.  The blonde woman didn’t have time to dodge the blade.  Her head spun from her shoulders and hit the ground with the sound of a melon bouncing across the pavement.

The man and the dark haired woman came at Harley at the same time.  They weren’t particularly strong or fast, but the fact that she had to take them on together was giving her more than enough to handle.  They fought across the parking lot, kicking up gravel and trash.  Harley did a good job of defending herself, it was the offense that she had the hardest time with.  Every time she knocked one back, the other pounced on her.  Finally, after a cry of frustration, she managed to stab the man through the heart with a quick thrust of the machete and catch the woman under the chin with an iron-like grip.  The woman’s eyes nearly popped out of her head as Harley squeezed her throat and yanked her forward.

“Are you working for Alice?” she growled.

The Ignis couldn’t answer until Harley released the pressure on her windpipe.  “Who?” she wheezed.

“Alice.  The Vigilum?”

The Burner’s eyes narrowed in confusion.  “I have no idea who or what you are talking about.”  The Burner dug her nails into Harley’s hand feebly.  Harley knew the woman wasn’t lying.  The truth kept the Burner’s gaze steady and her heartbeat even in its accelerated rhythm.   “Bad place and bad timing then.”

Harley considered ducking out of the middle of the parking lot before feeding from the Ignis.  However, before she had a chance to take that precaution the blood was exploding in her mouth.  Again, she acted before she has a chance to think.  She tried to tell herself it was from the stress of being around so many humans and the strength of her hunger.  But she knew it wasn’t just that.  She had lost control over herself again.  Her body—her need—acted on its own.  Like before, she was shoved aside and forced to watch from afar.

It wasn’t until the blood ran cold that Harley felt in control enough to be able to pull away from the Burner.  The other Ignis were already beginning to smolder and burn when she dropped the remains of her meal.  Harley gasped for air and surveyed the damage.  She was relieved to see that at least no one seemed to have noticed the commotion.  But, movement caught her eye and she swung towards it ready to fight.

Jason was standing beside the dumpster looking stunned.  The power of the feed was coursing through her, giving Harley the chance to steady herself and regain her wits.  Meeting Jason’s eyes, she tried to gauge his reaction.  The slight curl to his lip told her he was partially grossed out.  The heavy breathing told her that he was still a little scared and the sparkle in his eye hinted at a curiosity or interest.

Harley wiped her mouth and sheathed the machete.  “Let’s get out of here.”

“What about the bodies?”

“They’ll take care of themselves.”

Harley led the way back to their car and she could hear Jason behind her struggling to keep up.

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

At Jason’s apartment Harley locked the doors and windows.  She felt the insistent tapping of Castor at her mind, but she refused to answer.  He must have picked up on her adrenaline spike and became concerned.  She wondered if the fight woke him up, or if he had been awake anyway.  The knocking began in the car once she calmed down enough to notice it and had only gotten stronger.  But, with the strength of the Ignis blood flowing through her, Harley barely had to concentrate to keep Castor out of her head.

“What now?” Jason asked her once they were safely inside.

Harley rubbed at her temples and sat on the couch.  “We need to stay put.  It’s too close to dawn to move now.  I’ll stay here in case Alice makes a move today.”

After a few moments of fidgeting Jason finally spoke.  “That was…”

Harley braced herself.  She didn’t want to have this discussion with Jason.  But she had known it was coming.  Now that he was down off of his own adrenaline high he was beginning to process what happened.

“That was…,” he tried again.

“Scary?  Gross?  Awful?”

“No.  Incredible.”  She looked at him with one brow raised.  “You were badass.”  Jason was pacing around the small apartment.  Not the way the stalking kind of way that Levi did when he was thinking, but in a mad scientist kind of way.  An uneasy feeling crept up Harley’s spine.  “Can I become a Nocte?” Jason finally asked, breathlessly.

Harley’s mouth fell open—she hadn’t expected this.  Every ounce of Harley’s intuition, and her Nocte, screamed no.  She couldn’t put her finger on the reason why, but she knew that it was a bad idea.  “No,” she answered simply and firmly.

Jason stopped his pacing and looked at her with more fierceness than she expected.  “Why not?”

“It’s complicated.  I won’t argue about this.”  Harley wasn’t sure why people, in books and movies, were always shown as being so resistant to being turned into a vampire.  Noctes and Lux weren’t actually vampires, but they had inspired the legend.  Maybe it was because vampires were always depicted as hunting the innocent.  Maybe that is the way the outside viewers saw the Nocte and the Lux.  Maybe the first humans to learn of the supernaturals had been mistaken.  Whatever the fiction, the truth was a whole different story.  Many humans wouldn’t hesitate to trade innocent lives for everlasting youth, strength and beauty.  But when you took away the innocent hunting part, it would be hard to find a human who WOULDN’T want the bond.

Harley sighed.  She was reminded why Levi insisted that humans not find out about them.  She realized she made a mistake being so honest with Jason.  She was sure, on a primal level, that he wasn’t suited to be a Nocte.  Now she had to deal with his hurt feelings at “being left out of the party,” so to speak.

“But—“

“I said I wouldn’t argue about this.”  Harley allowed steel to enter her voice.  She fixed him with an icy stare and let her eyes darken just slightly.  Jason immediately stopped trying to argue and she saw him swallow.  She also saw his eyes harden in anger.  “I’m sorry,” she sighed.  “I’m not trying to be a bitch.  I’m just really tired.  And stressed out.  I need sleep.”

Jason continued to watch her for a moment before he finally nodded and softened his features.  “You can have the bed.  I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“No.  No way.  Besides, I’d rather be out here.  It will be easier to keep an eye on things.”

Jason snickered, trying to regain some sense of humor.  “You could always sleep with me if you wanted.”

Harley tried to laugh at his joke but it came out more like a grunt.  “No thanks.  I’ve got my hands more than a little full of guys at the moment.”

“Suit yourself,” Jason shrugged with a small smile.  He brought her some blankets and a pillow and left her to get comfortable.  He picked his phone up off the table as he made his way to the bedroom.  “I’m not setting my alarm.  I’m planning on sleeping pretty much all day.  Just so you know.”  He tried to sound light and playful, but Harley could hear the hard edge to his voice that hinted at his sore feelings.

Harley laughed, hoping he would eventually get over his wounded pride.  “Me too.”

Chapter 15

Harley didn’t sleep well that day.  She woke up at every little sound.  When she wasn’t having a nightmare or waking up at a car door shutting outside, she was getting woken up by Castor knocking at her brain.  When Harley finally jerked awake for good she was drenched in sweat.  She sat up on the couch and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.  The lingering sensations from the dream left her feeling raw and guilty.  She stared at the phone in front of her.  She knew what she needed to do.  It was time for her to stop being childish and stupid.  Last night had been too great of a risk.  Even if the three Burners from the club had not been working with Alice, it was still her fault that Jason had been placed in harm’s way.

Harley thought back to the most vivid dream she had during her fitful sleep.  In the dream she was back at the café where she and Castor had coffee several times after they first met.  She was human again and she felt small and weak as she sat watching Castor sip his drink.  The sun was shining so brightly she had to squint against it and it made her eyes water.  Before long she realized that her eyes weren’t just watering.  She was crying.  The tears rolled down her face and Castor finally turned to look at her.  He looked as sad as she felt.

“We just wanted to help,” he said softly.

“I know,” the words were a bubble of pain as she sobbed quietly.

“When you died, we all died with you.”

“I know,” she said again.

Suddenly, the light flashed so bright it blinded Harley.  She flinched and tried to block the sun with her hand.  It faded quickly and as her vision returned she saw that Castor had turned to ash.  Tiny white flakes floated across the breeze and away from her.  She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out.

Harley had jolted awake with her heart pounding and she now sat with her feet folded under her, attempting to regain a sense of calm.  She didn’t know if it was entirely a dream—or a figment of her imagination and stress.  Or maybe the dream was somehow connected to her psychic connection with Castor.  Harley quickly dressed and folded the blankets—she knew that she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep.

A few moments later Jason stumbled from the bedroom.  He was only wearing sweat pants and Harley laughed as he shuffled towards the bathroom.  His hair stood on end and he rubbed at his eyes boyishly, he grunted a greeting at Harley before he shut the door.  She turned towards the window and was surprised to see that that the sun would be setting soon.  She couldn’t believe that she had been able to sleep all day—but it seemed like she hadn’t gotten any rest at all.

In the kitchen, Harley splashed cold water on her face and braided her tangled hair to try to keep it out of the way until she could take a shower.  By the time she reseated herself on the couch, Jason emerged from the bathroom looking slightly more awake.  He joined her in the living room, sitting across from her in a recliner.

“Good morning—er, I mean evening,” he laughed.

“Good evening,” Harley smiled back at him.

“OK, so we made it through the day.  What now?”

“Well,” Harley began, “It’s obviously not safe here.”

“No shit.”

“I think we need to get you away from here.  Somewhere they wouldn’t expect us to go.”

“Like where?”  Jason looked apprehensive.

Harley rubbed the back of her neck and balanced her elbows on her knees.  When she realized Jason was looking down her shirt she sat up and rolled her eyes at him.  He chuckled as if to say “Well, what did you expect?”

“I don’t know,” Harley finally admitted.  “I don’t have a lot of cash.”  She sighed.  “I think it’s finally time to call in reinforcements.”

Jason raised his eyebrows.  “Well, I’m glad to hear that you are finally listening to reason.”  Neither of them spoke for a while.  Harley was going over the dialogue in her head.  She was trying to imagine how the conversation would go with each of them—Castor, Levi and Nya.  Which one is going to be more dramatic and openly upset with me? she wondered to herself.

“I need a drink,” Jason finally huffed and pushed himself out of his chair.

“We just woke up!”

“Even more reason to drink,” he mumbled.

Harley picked up her phone and spun it in her palm.  She really, really didn’t want to make this phone call.  But, she knew she needed to.  More like have to.  But the idea of admitting defeat stuck in her throat.  This is ridiculous.  I’m not being weak, I’m being practical.  Why can’t I just make myself dial the number?  Her hands seemed to refuse to push the buttons.  Her frustration caused her to clench her teeth.

Jason swaggered back into the living room.  He balanced two glasses in one hand and checked his phone at the same time.  “Well, it’s only 4:30, so we have a little time to decide what we are doing if we need to wait until dark to do it.  I just don’t know about leaving.  And beside—where is safe anyway?  Didn’t you say these Ignis were everywhere?”  Jason handed her a glass and sat opposite of her again.

“They are.  But, Jason, it’s not safe here.  I’m thinking maybe the safest place for us to go might be the Den.”

Jason’s eye grew round.  “I can’t just up and leave and go to some weird compound.”

Harley smirked at him.  “I could make you, you know.”

Jason looked at her out of the corner of his eye.  “You’re serious aren’t you?”

“Of course I’m serious.  I could make you.  Will I?” she raised her shoulders.  “Well, I would really rather not.”

“But I have a life here.  I have family and a job.”

Harley grimaced and rubbed her forehead.  “I know that.  Speaking of!  Why weren’t you at work yesterday?”  Today was Saturday so she wasn’t surprised that he was sleeping all day and not working.  But the Jason she remembered never missed work.

“I needed some time off,” he shrugged.  “So what happens if we don’t leave?  When is this Alice supposed to come for us?”

“I don’t know exactly.  But I would really rather not be here to find out.”  She tipped the glass up and knocked the drink back in one quick swallow.  Her throat burned with fire and she welcomed the hot trail it left through her chest.  Jason smiled at her with nostalgia—she always had been the best at taking shots.  Her Nocte shifted uncomfortably and Harley found it added to her uneasiness.  “We need to get out of here before Alice and her crew do show up though.  It will be dark in a few hours and that will be the best time to move.”

“Where is this Den anyway,” Jason huffed.  Harley knew he didn’t like the idea of leaving but he was at least listening to reason.

“You’ll see.”  Harley didn’t know why she didn’t just tell him.  Maybe it was the regret she felt over how open she had been the night before.  She was just grateful he wasn’t asking about becoming a Nocte again.  Her head began to throb again, but it was a different throb this time.  It didn’t feel like knocking—it was more like a vise twisting.  “Well, you should go pack some stuff,” she sighed and rubbed her temples.

Jason stared at her like he wanted to argue.  His brows were so drawn they nearly touched and he was perched on the edge of his chair.  He seemed to think better of it.  “Do I need to pack for warm or cold weather?”

“Just pack anything,” Harley snapped.  The weird pressure in her head and the writhing of her Nocte were making her short tempered and impatient.  Jason stared at her shocked by her outburst.  “I’m sorry,” she muttered.  “I’m not feeling very good.  It’s weird.  Just pack—I want to get out of her before Alice makes a move.”

“Too late for that,” a thin voice stated.  It came from over Harley’s shoulder and her head snapped around to see Alice walking into the apartment through the sliding patio door.  At the same time a sharp pain shot through her stomach.  It felt like something was slicing its way out from inside her.  She grabbed her stomach and looked at to Jason.  He was watching her with a small smile and a tilted head.

Chapter 16

“What the f—?” Harley’s question was cut off in a garbled grunt.  Her Nocte began panicking and so did Harley.  She started to choke and cough as blood dribbled from her mouth.  The single stabbing pain in her stomach turned into a thousand tiny knives ripping at her insides.  She stumbled to her feet as Alice drew near her.  Harley nearly fell over the coffee table trying to put space between herself and the Lux.  From her peripheral Harley saw a small group of Lux—they looked like the same ones that had been with her at the parking garage—follow Alice into the apartment.

Harley found it hard to breathe through the blood in her airway and the pain that was ripping through her body.  She snatched the machete from underneath the couch where she tucked it away.  Alice laughed at her as she took up a defensive posture.  More blood dribbled from Harley’s mouth and she was like a rabid dog when a snarl rippled from between her clenched teeth.  Harley was still trying to process what was happening as Jason stepped closer to Alice.

“If you had waited I could have gotten Harley to take me to the Den.”

Alice looked at him annoyed.  “Why didn’t you warn me?”

“How was I supposed to do that without tipping her off?”  Harley looked from Jason to Alice and back to Jason again.  The realization that he was working with Alice rolled over Harley like a boulder.  Jason looked back at Harley with a false shrug of apology.

“What did you do to me?”  Harley choked the words out through the gurgle of blood forcing its way up her throat.

Alice answered the question for Jason.  “Liquid silver.  In the drink.  You’re going to feel like hell for a while.  It won’t kill you though.”

Harley didn’t find the words comforting.  “Why?” she asked Jason, hating the tiny sound of her voice.  There was no strength or defiance behind the question.

Jason looked at her, the anger contorting his face.  “Why should you get all the power?” he spat at her.

“What?”  Harley’s guts twisted from the poison and from the betrayal.

“You let Jamie die and then ran off to become some kind of vampire.  You just leave me—”

Alice cut him off.  “We don’t have time for this,” she held up a hand.  She turned to the dark haired Lux behind her.  “Take care of her.  I’ll pull the van closer.”  With that she and Jason left the apartment.  Harley would have like to have gone after them.  But at this moment, all she wanted was to get out of this alive.  Shit.  I messed up.  Bad.

The three Lux drew their weapons and advanced on her.  She held them off for as long as she possible—which proved to be almost no time at all.  Very quickly the pain in her stomach and the blood forcing its way out of her made it impossible for to fight.  Her incredible strength and speed were virtually nonexistent. With a sweep of his leg the dark haired Lux knocked her off her feet and pounced quickly.  He gripped her chin from behind and with a sickening crack, the bones in her neck snapped as everything went dark.

Well, this is a fine mess you have gotten us into, her Nocte growled at her.  Harley sighed.  She had been in this situation an unfortunate number of times and knew what was going on.  She was nearly dead.  In this state, half in and half out of life, Harley was able to communicate with her Nocte directly.

Hey, don’t blame this all on me, she snapped back.  You were there too, you know.  The Nocte growled in answer.  What is going on, Harley asked, not really expecting her devil to have an answer.  But she expressed her confusion anyway.

My best guess?  I am assuming that Alice has “invited” Jason to join the Lux.  Harley was sure her Nocte was right.

I certainly didn’t see that one coming, Harley sighed mentally.  Me either, the Nocte grudgingly admitted.

If they wanted to kill us they would have done it.  Do you think they are really going to try and remove the Lux from us?

Looks that way.

Harley sighed again.  What is your name anyway?  I’m tired of not knowing what to call you.

Harley, the Nocte sneered.

Oh, that’s funny, Harley metaphorically rolled her eyes.

Ducati?  Kawasaki?

You are such a smart ass, Harley shot back.

Well, what were you expecting?  I’m a part of you now.  I am you.  I don’t have a name of my own.

What about before you came here?

The Nocte was silent for a moment.  I had a name then.  But it would be impossible for you to pronounce.

Mmmhmm.  Harley wondered if that was the whole truth.  She was sure that during her moment of silence, the Nocte had been trying to remember her name.  Well, I know one thing.

What’s that? The Nocte asked.

When we get out of here we really need to get a hold of the others.

Yep.

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

Harley woke up slowly.  As she came to she became aware of the pain in her neck and in her shoulders.  The next thing was the fact that she wasn’t able to move her hands.  That was most likely related to the burning agony in her wrists.  Silver.  She forced her eyes open and blinked at her surroundings.  Her vision was blurry and it was hard to focus on anything.  Finally, her eyes cleared enough for her to make out that she was in an empty room that looked like an unused store room.  The ceiling was low and some instinct told her she was under ground.

Harley was laying on her side in a fetal position.  Her stomach didn’t hurt any longer, but she still felt weak and sick.  Dried blood was caked on her tongue and chin.  She grimaced as she tried to work up enough saliva to wash away some of the metallic taste.  Drinking other creature’s blood was glorious.  Tasting her own was disgusting.  She shifted and shimmied and scooted until she was sitting on her butt.  She tried to move her arms again, but it was impossible.  Glancing over her shoulder she saw that her hands were beginning to turn purple, bound by silver wire.  Well, you know what they say about karma, she snorted to herself as she remembered the number of Burners she had put in this very position.

Silver shouldn’t have affected her much at all.  As a Nocte she should be able to handle it without significant problems.  Prolonged exposure or having introduced to her blood stream would—and did—cause more problems.  But she was surprised to find the silver wire burning her flesh so painfully.  She didn’t know if it was some kind of special silver, or if this was just another of her many differences from other Nocte.  Her machete and Bowie didn’t seem to be a problem when she touched them, so Harley leaned towards the wire being special.  She groaned and turned to her side and leaned against the wooden wall behind her.  She knew that her phone wasn’t in her pocket—Alice must have taken it.  Straining against the wires only caused more agony to shoot through her wrists.  Her head throbbed and her stomach churned.

Harley forced herself to breathe calmly as she took stock of her situation.  She listened carefully and could make out the sound of electronic shuffling outside the door.  It sounded as if someone was on the other side playing a game—probably on their phone.

“Hey,” she yelled and winced against the pain in her head.

A moment later the door creaked open and one of the Lux—the lighter haired one she had fought at the apartment—poked his head inside.  “Finally awake?” he sneered and shut the door again.  Harley heard him push buttons on his phone and then speak to whoever answered.  “She’s awake.”

Harley continued to gather her strength as she waited for whatever would happen next.  She didn’t have to wait long before she heard footsteps approaching the door.  Alice opened the door and stepped inside, quickly shutting it behind her.

“Good morning,” the Lux said with an obnoxious smile.

Hopefully, I’ve only been in here one night.   “Good morning,” Harley answered with a sickly sweet smile.  She was still dizzy and her vision swam drunkenly.

“How are you feeling?”  Alice asked.

There was no real concern behind the question.  In fact, Harley was sure that had she said she felt horrible, Alice would be gleefully happy with the answer.  “Just peachy,” she smirked.  Alice sneered at her in response.

“Well, that’s fine.  For now.”

“Oh, fuck off.”  Harley snapped, losing her patience with the false pleasantries.  “I can’t believe you are still stuck on this.  The Lux is a part of me.  There is no open doorway—no pull for another super-strong creature to come through.”

“Oh, no.  I’m sorry.  You are a little behind on the situation.”  Alice had medium length black hair that she let fall around her shoulders.  The woman’s eyes were so dark they were almost black when they weren’t washed out in white as a Lux.  Harley shook her head—Alice should have been a model not an asshole.  The sneering looks—while annoying—appeared mask-like and unnatural even through the blurry haze.

Harley narrowed her eyes at Alice.  “What does that mean?”  Alice looked like she was hesitant to answer.  “Come on.  You know you are going to tell me.  The bad guy always has to tell his plan.”

Alice rolled her eyes.  “You really believe that, don’t you?  That I’m the bad guy.”

“Yes!”

“So you go on a killing spree.  Not caring who sees.  And I’m the bad guy?”

“Putting it like that makes it sound much worse than it is.”  Harley forced a chuckle—just to annoy Alice even more.  “I killed Burners.  I didn’t hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it.”

“So far you haven’t.  Have you seen an out of control Nocte before?”

Harley hesitated.  She had not.  According to Levi, some weren’t able to handle the power—the darkness.  But he never went into details about what happened to them.

When Harley didn’t respond Alice continued.  “Noctes who lose control are brutally dangerous.  They don’t care who dies—humans, Lux, anyone who gets in their way.”

“And I guess Lux never lose control?”  Alice didn’t answer the question.  “I’m not going to pretend that I don’t have some stuff to work out.”  Harley was trying to be reasonable.  “But I’m not a danger to you or humans.”  Harley figured it was pointless to try to reason with the Lux, but she tried any way.  She could feel her Nocte’s impatience and Harley did her best to quiet the devil.  I’d really prefer the easy way if at all possible.  Harley hated having this conversation with Alice standing above her and forcing her to look up.

“And we are supposed to be comfortable with a creature as strong as you running around?  Even if you are right.”

“Have I killed anyone that didn’t deserve it?”

“Not that I know of,” Alice answered.  “But you have been noticed by the humans.”

“Well excuse me,” Harley snapped.  “I lost a little bit of control when you sent a horde of Ignis after me.  And I had just fought and killed the creature I have been hunting for a year,” Harley never was able to keep the slight smile from her face when she said that.

“But that’s not the only time, is it?”

Harley looked at her perplexed.  The only other time was with the Burner on the street—the one the shop owner saw her with.

“Yes.  That’s right.  We know about that.”  Alice must have read the look on her face.

How she knew about that, Harley didn’t know, but she wasn’t going to keep playing this game.  Her patience finally ran out.  “Who is this ‘we’ you keep talking about?  Is the whole Vigilum after me?  Or are you just using the royal ‘we.’”

“Those who need to know about you and my mission know.”

Harley scoffed at Alice’s answer.  “I’m pretty sure I have a little more renown than that.”  She knew antagonizing Alice was poking a sleeping bear but she couldn’t help it.

“You are so full of yourself, aren’t you?” Alice sneered.  “Not everyone agrees that you are dangerous.  But enough Vigilum see the possibility that they aren’t going to intervene in my…interrogation of you.

“Interrogation?  That’s what you call this?”

Alice shrugged.  “The Council doesn’t want any more details than it needs.”

Harley wondered if that was the whole story.  How much is Alice just not telling them? Harley wondered.  She shook her head with derision.  “I promise you.  WHEN I get loose, I am going to kill you in the most painful way I can think of.”

Alice laughed at her patronizingly.  “Honey, after we are done with you, you won’t be killing a flea.”  Harley swallowed.  “Yeah,” Alice continued.  “We never actually have tried out our plan for removing the Lux.  We were going to practice on Cas but never had the chance.  But, really, that was Randall’s idea.  What’s the point in trying to remove the Lux from you?”  Harley glared at her but still didn’t respond.  At the mention of Randall’s name Alice’s face turned from stone to iron.  It took her several moments and a few deep breaths before she was able to continue.  “I’ve decided to just bypass all the effort.  I’ve never been confident that we could remove the Lux.  So, I’m just going to kill you instead.  This world doesn’t need something like you in it.”

“Then why not just kill me?  You could have killed me at Jason’s apartment.  Why bother to go through this whole ordeal?”  Harley’s voice was tight with anger and worry that was slowly building upon itself.

Alice watched her evenly.  “You are going to serve a purpose first,” she finally answered.  Ice trickled through Harley’s enraged blood as a smile stretched across Alice’s face.  Having said her bit, the Lux exited through the door leaving Harley to burn from the inside out with a collected fury.

Chapter 17

Harley rested against the wall behind her.  Nothing seemed particularly broken or damaged but she was still exhausted and in a lot of pain.  And hungry—but not for food.  The hunger simmered in her stomach and made concentrating on anything difficult.  Harley strained against the wires holding her hands and nearly screamed out loud as metal cut into her skin.  She didn’t doubt that if the wires had been made of a material other than this weird silver she would have been able to break through pretty easily.  But no matter how many times she tried she just couldn’t find the strength the tear the wire.

Harley finally took a moment to examine herself.  She was still wearing the clothes that she had dressed in after waking up.  Jeans and her tank-top.  She had no shoes on and definitely no weapons.  She huffed out a sighed and closed her eyes.  Some part of her still refused to accept the fact that Jason had betrayed her.  That thought sent a flare of anger and pain shooting through her stomach and chest. She clamped down on the feelings and decided to store them away to deal with later.  I need to get out of here alive before I can start dealing with that turn of events.  I get myself into some of the stupidest shit, she thought.

Harley had lost the feeling in her hands but she was sure that blood was now coating them.  She could smell it.  This just sucks, she grumbled to herself.  Her Nocte huffed in agreement.  And what’s worse was that the back of her head was itching.  It was like torture not being able to scratch it.  Eventually, the longer she rested the clearer her thoughts became.  She was still weak and tired, as if she had the flu.  I wonder if this is what a Burner bite feels like.  As the gears and cogs in her brain began functioning smoother she gave the room a closer examination.  It appeared to be empty, but she hoped to find a nail or something to use to help her cut the wires from her wrist.

Harley pulled her legs underneath herself and shuffled to a—mostly—standing position.  She used the wall for balance as she waited for the nausea and dizziness to pass.  She took deep breaths and focused on remaining standing.  When she felt ready, she pushed off and stumbled across the room.  She managed to keep from falling, but the only thing that stopped her drunken trip was the wall on the opposite side.  She fell against the smooth wood right next to the door where she held her breath, waiting for the Lux guard to come in and see what she was doing.  But he must not have been concerned because the door remained closed.  She could still hear the cartoon like sounds of whatever game he was playing.

Harley took a few more breaths and stepped away from the wall.  This time she was significantly more successful as she didn’t go on a wild, stumbling trip again.  She squinted her eyes and tried to focus on the hinges holding the door in the wall.  Her eyes were slow to clear but she could tell that the old metal hinges were not going to be of help to her.  They were rounded and smooth with no sharp edges.  Even if she was able to get a bolt out it wouldn’t help her cut through wires.  She moved away from the door and turned her attention to the latch.  There wasn’t even a handle on this side.  Apparently, this room was designed to hold someone prisoner.

Harley tried to keep hope and not become discouraged.  She made her way around the room looking for a nail, or anything that might help her free herself.  By the time she made it back to the spot she had woken up in, she needed to close her eyes and give herself a pep talk.  You’ll find a way out of this.  You aren’t going to die here.  Just keep calm and something will come to you.  With that thought she heard a pounding on the door behind her.  She turned so fast that she lost her balance and nearly fell again.  Looking at the still and quiet door, she realized no one had been knocking on the physical door in front of her.  The knocking was coming from inside her brain.  She began laughing out loud and slid down the wall.  With everything that had happened, she managed to forget her connection to Castor.  Hope began to form as a tingly seedling in her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she imagined the door in her brain.  Not unlike the door in front of her—made of solid, plain wood.  She reached out and unlocked it.  She stepped back and waited as it swung open slowly.

At first nothing happened.  The kernel of hope froze and Harley forced herself to relax.  She concentrated on taking long calming breaths and blocking out her lingering sickness and the pain in her hands and arms.  Finally, slowly, like an idea, she felt Castor’s presence form inside her mind.  Communicating telepathically on purpose was proving to be much harder than she would have expected.  When they weren’t trying to do it, it just seemed to happen.  Eventually, her mind became heavy and full of white noise and she knew Cas was with her and she smiled in relief.  Hi, Cas.

…—arleee—…  His voice sounded like a really bad radio reception from the bottom of a barrel.  She cringed at the rough scrap of the sound inside her brain.  She pulled a lungful of air in and let it out slowly.  She concentrated on the connection with Castor.  It felt somewhat like the hum she picked up on when an Ignis was near.  But it was warmer and more comfortable like wrapping herself in a towel from the dryer.

Castor?  She tried again.

Harley.  The voice was faint but she could still make out the panic in Castor’s voice.  Where a—…

I’m not sure where I’m at.  I came back to Kentucky.  She concentrated on projecting her thoughts clearly as possible but she couldn’t be sure how much he was actually picking from her.

Why?

Harley realized he must have gotten some of that.  Jason.  There was no response for a long moment.  For a minute Harley worried the connection was lost but she could still feel the hum at the front of her brain.  I came back because I thought Jason was in trouble.  He’s working with Alice.  The thought caused her stomach to twist and her teeth to clamp together.  Harley’s head was beginning to ache and she was growing more tired by the minute.  It was taking a lot of her energy to keep the conversation going with Castor.

—our way— Castor’s voice faded away abruptly.  Her mind was left feeling empty and dull and shrouded in darkness.  Harley growled and thumped her head against the wall.  Well, I really hope he got enough of that message to figure out where I am.  Her Nocte shifted and Harley felt the exhaustion seeping from her as well.  The hunger and the lingering effects of the silver were wearing her down.  Combined with the effort of trying to communicate with Cas, she could barely raise her head.

Emotion tightened Harley’s throat.  Jason’s betrayal was too big to swallow easily.  It was stuck as a lump and she worked to force it down.  If she let the obstruction rise it would manifest itself as a sob and she refused to give into despair and anguish.  Jason was the last connection to her human life.  Some part of her had hoped that her and Jamie’s memories would live on in Jason.  With Harley outside the “real world” there were few people left who would remember and honor the memory of their friendship.  People lived on in the memories of others and while people like Jamie’s parents would remember them both as family—Jason was the only other person who known their friendship closely.  Maybe if I just explain?  Maybe I can convince him to see reason and to see that Alice is up to no good.  With the lump of pain weighing her stomach down, Harley drifted off to sleep.

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

Harley blinked her eyes against a warm blinding light.  She couldn’t see anything beyond the glare that stung her eyes.  She stumbled around trying to get her bearings.  She realized that she was walking through what felt like tall grass and the rough vegetation pulled against her clothes.  That was when she realized she must be dreaming.  Because the last thing she remembered was being held captive in a room underground.  She covered her eyes with her hands and tried to block the light but it didn’t help.  It was so painfully bright it felt like it was coming from inside her head.  She began to run, blindly, trying to escape the harsh glare.  She couldn’t see where she was going, and even though she knew this was a dream, she couldn’t stop the panic that spread across her body.  She was sure that the light was going to burn through her brain and leave her a hollowed-out shell.  The blazing brightness had no real source it came from everywhere and nowhere, outside and inside all at the same time.

Harley kept running in a blind panic even though she didn’t know where she was going or what was in her path.  For that reason she wasn’t really shocked when the ground suddenly disappeared and she felt herself falling.  Still blind, she fell through the air.  Her lungs seized and she wasn’t able to breathe, let alone scream.  The unseen ground rushed at her in a sense of on-coming doom and she braced for the inevitable impact.  But suddenly, with sharp, piercing pain, something grasped her shoulders and yanked her back upwards into the air again. But Harley didn’t feel relieved.    She imagined that a mouse must feel the same thing when the eagle snatches it from the ground.  She knew, without a doubt, that she was snatched out of the frying pan and was being tossed into fire.

Harley never figured out where the flying creature was taking her because she snapped awake suddenly.  When she opened her eyes her heart stopped and her blood turned to ice.  At the same time she crashed face first onto the ground.  She lay crumpled against hard floor, her face tilted to the side, groaning in pain.  Apparently, she had been…flying?  Floating?  The fact that she could see again and knew where she was should have at least comforted her a little.  But she was still reeling from the terror of the nightmare as well as the shock of falling through the air.  Even more unsettling, she could feel her Nocte’s panic as well.  She had floated before right after initiating her bond.   She had woken Levi up while hovering over the bed and only came to when he pulled her down.  But, her Nocte’s fear was a new sensation.  She couldn’t shake the predator and prey analogy and she felt the tremors rolling from the devil inside her.  She had never known her Nocte to be so filled with fear.  Anger, lust, stubbornness, excitement and on rare occasions—nervousness, but never this fear that now caused the Nocte to shiver and tremble within her.

Harley gulped for air and closed her eyes.  Eventually, her Nocte began to return to calm.  With each breath the Nocte also seemed to remember where she was and what was happening.  As the devil calmed, so did Harley.  What the hell was that?  Harley had a feeling that her Nocte knew what that dream was all about.  She wished, more than she had wished before, that she could talk directly to her devil when she wanted to. The dream seemed so real—she just couldn’t pass it off as meaningless.

When Harley was ready, she rolled onto her side and groaned at the pain that radiating through her shoulders and arms.  If she were human the tissue of her hands would have begun to die off by now.  It took a great effort and concentration but eventually she was able roll and scoot to the wall and use it as a support to shift herself into a sitting position again.  She couldn’t tell if it was day or night.  She tried searching for Castor inside her head but the connection was silent.  She hoped that he and the others were on their way.  She hated feeling like she needed someone to save her but it was her own fault.  She grimaced as hunger pains flared through her body.  They had become bone deep and it was hard to think about anything else.

Harley didn’t know how long she sat waiting in the room alone.   The minutes passed agonizingly slow and she had plenty of time to mull over her stupidity and Jason’s betrayal.  Finally, she heard footsteps approaching the door.  Compared to earlier, Harley could tell that it wasn’t Alice coming this time.  The footsteps were heavier and slower.  The door was thrown open and the dark-haired Lux who broke her neck at Jason’s apartment stood there.  He sneered down at her before crossing the room.  The Lux guarding the door followed him in, and together, they lifted her from the floor without speaking.  One on either side of her, they gripped her upper arms and dragged her from the room.  She clenched her jaw and refused to cry out as her weight tore at her shoulder muscles and tendons.   She didn’t have the strength to fight back—it had been a long time since she felt this weak and she didn’t like it.

“Let’s go, badass.  It’s time,” the darker Lux finally growled at her.

Chapter 18

The two Lux drug Harley down a narrow hallway.  The floor was made of old splintered wood but it was clean.  A fact that she was mildly grateful for considering her bare feet and knees were being dragged along.  She didn’t try to stand or walk.  Instead, she chose to bear the pain in her hands and shoulders while taking advantage of the illusion that she was too weak to fight.  She still hadn’t figured out how she was going to get herself free, but she was trying to keep all possibilities and doors open.

The hallway was short and at the end there were a set of stairs which the two Lux hoisted Harley up, not caring if her knees banged against the steps.  Harley’s eyes darkened and her fangs descended.  Her body was reacting on its own now.  Pain and hunger were bringing out the animal side—the Nocte side.  Her discomfort hissed through her clenched jaws and she focused on the floor in front of her.

The Lux slammed through the door at the top of the stairs and they emerged into an old fashioned kitchen.  Harley wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but this wasn’t it.  Maybe some kind of fortress?  Not grandma’s sunny yellow kitchen for sure. The walls were an almost painfully bright lemon color and the cabinets were a freshly polished walnut.   Harley raised her head and committed the layout to memory.  There was one door and judging by the curtained window that glowed with late afternoon sunlight, it appeared to lead outside.  Harley noticed with dismay that it was bolted securely with multiple locks that required a key to come or go.

From the kitchen Harley was dragged down another brightly painted hallway.  From the hallway they made their way into what had probably been a bedroom at one time.  The room she was forced into was large with two windows.  Both of which were covered in heavy wooden planks.  The curtains were secured in between the wood and the glass.  Obviously, someone was trying to give anyone looking at the house the impression that the windows were simply covered in pleasant cloth shades and not boarded up as if someone was being held against their will inside.  The total incongruity of the house was unsettling—it felt like the big, bad wolf had moved into granny’s cottage.

The rest of the, mostly empty, room was what concerned Harley the most.  It had hard, shiny wood floors and cream colored wallpaper that featured tiny geometrically placed roses.  Harley’s still tenuous condition caused the roses to blur and swim across the paper and caused her head to spin.  However, Harley was sobered by the main features of the room.  In the center there were two, low…examining tables?  The leather wrapped, cushioned platforms lay side by side with just enough space in between them for a small person to squeeze into.  Harley’s alarm constricted her throat and caused her heart to thump painfully.

The two Lux dropped Harley and she grunted as her knees collided with the floor.  Neither of the men spoke.  They simply stepped away from her and left her there waiting for whatever was going to happen next.  Harley’s breath heaved through her nose and her nostrils flared.  She kept her head down but paid attention to every sound and smell that her senses could pick up.  The house was large but eerily silent.  She just barely picked up on the faint sounds of movement from somewhere above her and it sounded like more than one person walking around.  Harley’s stomach growled and twisted upon itself at the scent of the Lux standing over her.  If the Lux heard it they didn’t care enough to laugh or comment about it.  Harley could actually smell the blood that pumped through their veins.  She had never felt tempted to feed from a Lux other than Castor, but now—well—now she was willing to chew the faces off either man if it meant she could swallow their warm coppery blood.  She didn’t have enough the energy to care when drool slipped over her parted lips and dripped down her chin.  Instead, she found it funny and had to clench her teeth harder to not giggle maniacally at the image she knew she must be projecting.

Finally, Harley heard footsteps approaching.  She was sure that it was Alice.  The quick, light tapping of hard-soled boots was definitely Alice’s gait.   Harley waited silently as the steps drew closer and closer.  At this point Harley was just anxious to get things over and find out what the Lux leader wanted once and for all.  When the door opened, Harley refused to jump, turn around or give any hint that she was concerned at all.  Alice’s clipped walk allowed Harley to follow her movements without looking up as the Lux took up a nonchalant stance in front of her.   Harley stared down at the Lux’s brown leather boots with a small, pointy heel.  Absurdly, Harley found herself wondering if it was hard to fight in heels.  Struggling to focus on the situation at hand, she refused to look at Alice in the face.  Instead, she stayed balanced on her knees, hands still tied behind her back, hair curtained her face and she stared at a spot on the floor in between her knees and Alice’s boots.

After a moment Alice stepped backwards and sat at the edge of one of the tables.  She stretched her legs out in front of her and crossed her ankles.  Only when she felt like she made her lack of concern obvious did Harley raise her eyes and glare at Alice.  The Lux flinched just a fraction before recovering.  Harley chuckled at Alice’s reaction to her strange eyes.  The Lux cleared her throat and began speaking as if Harley wasn’t glaring at her like a rabid jackal.

“Like I said yesterday, you are going to serve a purpose.”  Alice crossed her arms and held Harley’s gaze.  She may have been surprised by Harley’s appearance, but she wasn’t afraid.  Harley could tell that by the steady look in her cold brown eyes.  “I AM going to kill you.  But first you are going to help me accomplish something.”

Yesterday?  I was asleep for a whole day? Harley didn’t respond but she wrinkled her nose to show her distaste.  Her Nocte was awake and was practically throwing herself against Harley’s ribs in her frustration at being confined and starved.    Further, Harley felt something else.  The strange, out of body feeling that came along with her loss of control was edging its way through her limbs.  The need to react, to fight, to bite and tear was taking all of her self-restraint to stop from launching herself off the floor at the woman in front of her.  It didn’t matter that she was severely impaired and handicapped.  If she had been asleep for an entire day—that meant it had been nearly three days since she had fed.  No wonder it feels like my bones are hungry.

“Randall was right. You are too strong to live in this world.  Darkness like you has no business with a power like that.”

Harley’s brow furrowed.  What the hell is she talking about?  “You know,” Harley began.  Her voice was rough and foreign.  “If you’ve finally decided to do the whole ‘villain confessional’ thing now, can we just skip it?  I’m too tired to listen to your self-serving bullshit.”

Alice’s gaze could have burned holes in Harley.  In one fluid motion she lunged from her seat on the table and closed the distance between them.  Harley barely registered Alice’s hand drawing back before it cracked across her cheek.  Her head was whipped to the side with a sharp pain.  Harley felt a growl ripple from her chest and she glowered at Alice from underneath her lashes.

“You will listen to me,” Alice snapped, pointing a finger in Harley’s face.  She visibly forced herself to calm down before she returned to her seat.  “As I was saying…A Nocte doesn’t deserve the strength of a Lux.  You will only corrupt the divine light inside you.  You can’t handle the power that it will give you and the Nocte will only use the power for darkness and selfish, earthly desires.”

A cold chill spread across Harley’s back.  Alice’s speech was sounding suspiciously like something the Sol Invictus might preach.  From what Levi had told her, the Sol was a group of fanatics that turned religion into a weapon.  They were the abortion clinic bombers and funerals picketers.  Alice spouting out tirades about “earthly desires” and “divine light” was causing Harley’s anxiety to rise to a whole new level.  “What the hell are you talking about?” Harley snapped.  “Since when is killing the creatures that hunt us and humans alike ‘selfish’ or ‘corrupt?’”

“You were a vile deviant before you even killed Haddon.  How long will it be before you lose any sense of decency?”

“Vile deviant?”  Harley gaped at Alice.

“You are a nasty whore!”  Alice’s voice was wound tightly, making her normally nasal accent even more pronounced.

Harley wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of the Alice’s words but the seriousness prevented it.  “You mean Castor and Levi?”

“Of course that’s what I mean.  What kind of slut runs around sleeping with two men at the same time?”

Harley spoke before she could stop herself.  “Well, I never really tried to get them at the SAME time and, sadly, I don’t think I could talk them into it.”  Harley’s asinine comment was answered with another slap.  This one was closer to her mouth and actually caused her fang to break the skin of her lip.  Harley made a point to let Alice see her lick the blood away.  She closed her eyes as if she were enjoying a fine wine.  The disgusted look on Alice’s face drew a demented giggle from Harley.  She wasn’t sure where this madness was coming from.  It seemed as if Harley was beyond rationale at this point, but, she didn’t fight it.  Whatever had control over her did it with panache, so she just let it go. Besides, whether it was being under the influence of Haddon or not, Harley was finding a sick pleasure in antagonizing Alice.  “Is all of this really over two men?”

“The fornication is just a symptom of your disease.”  Alice’s voice was becoming more and more preachy.

“Fornication?” Harley scoffed.

Alice ignored Harley and continued.  “This world needs power.  It needs control.  But you aren’t cut out for the job—no Nocte is.”  Harley began laughing and shaking her head.  Alice kept talking louder.  “With power like yours—in the right hands, we can finally take care of the Ignis.  We can even rid the world of Praesidio.  The world doesn’t need dark creatures like you.  The Light will lead the way.”

Harley finally had an idea of who the “we” that Alice kept referring to was.  “You are working with the Sol, aren’t you?”

“The Sol Invictus want to heal the world.  Together we can make it happen.  Helion is the answer.  But not with filth like you and your kind.”

When Alice said the word Helion, a cold fear raced through Harley’s body.  It faded quickly though—Harley didn’t know what the word meant or why she should fear it but her reaction had been primal.  A laugh barked out of Harley.  It was so loud and strong Harley tossed her head back and closed her eyes.  The cackle came from deep inside her and she had never sounded less human. To her the laugh was one of disdain and rue.  But she was sure the Lux heard it as pure evil.

“Shut up!” Alice snapped.  Harley laughed harder, her whole body shaking.  “Shut!  Up!”  Alice swung a shiny boot into Harley gut with enough force to bruise some internal organs.  With a groan, Harley stopped laughing and doubled forward.  She gasped for air as Alice motioned the two Lux forward.  They yanked Harley off the floor and tossed her on to the closest padded table.

Alice began talking again while Harley writhed in pain and fury.  “See, when you consumed the Lux energy it gave me an idea.  Randall wanted to destroy your power.  But I think he had it all wrong.  You suppressed the Lux while still wielding its power.  If I take on the Nocte, I can suppress it but still hold its power.  I can use the combined strength for the Light.  And using your blood—your extraordinarily powerful blood—I am sure that I can call one hell of a Nocte through to this dimension.”

Chapter 19

Harley’s stomach muscles finally relaxed enough to allow her to suck in a wonderful, blissful lungful of air.  Several relieved breaths later she was able to respond to the insane statement Alice just leveled at her.  “You have lost your mind,” she growled through clenched teeth.

“Think what you want,” Alice shrugged.  “I don’t need to justify myself to you.”

Alice motioned to the other Lux and they quickly took hold of Harley’s legs and shoulders.  She was already lying on her useless hands so they didn’t bother with trying to secure them.  But they pulled leather straps from a bag that had been stored between the tables.  They wrapped the straps around her shoulders and ankles.  Her anger and frustration was growing by the second.  Normally, these restraints wouldn’t be able to hold her.  As it were, when she strained against them she could hear their creaking.  However, she was still too weak to break free.

Harley tried to find some sort of sense in Alice’s plan.  Apparently, she believed that she could bring a Nocte into herself and suppress it as Harley had done with the Lux.  Then she planned on using that power to do what?  Rid the world of darkness?  How does she even know how to bond with a Nocte?  Harley knew that the Praesidio knew very little of the Lux bonding process.  It was a closely guarded secret for both organizations.  She didn’t have time to ponder that conundrum for long, however, because Alice was leaning over her with a disturbingly happy smile.

“So, as I understand it, you will have to drink enough of my blood to nearly kill me.  Then I drink yours.  The Chimes are played and the rest happens as it will.”  The Lux might normally be adverse to drinking blood, but Harley wasn’t picking up on any disgust in Alice’s voice now.  She seemed excited by the prospect and her eyes were already beginning to fade to white.

Harley knew Alice wasn’t asking her a question, but she answered anyway.  “I have no idea.  I wasn’t exactly conscious for all of it.”  Harley glared at her.  “You know this plan is madness.  Even if it works, there is no guarantee it will work the way you want it to.”  They both knew that she wouldn’t be bothering to try to argue with Alice if there was not some legitimate fear that the ridiculous plan might actually work.  Harley could feel the worry from her Nocte souring her already sick stomach.  Harley stopped struggling against the straps holding her to the table.  She was going to need her energy and she knew there was no point in trying to break free just yet.

Alice began doling out instructions to the two men helping her.  Harley was beginning to suspect that Alice’s group was rather small since she had only seen the same few Lux helping her.  She found some comfort in this theory.  If it wasn’t a large group of Lux behind Alice, Harley and the Praesidio would have a better chance at stopping her.

“Jeff, hold her head still when the feeding starts and monitor my heartbeat.  When it slows to the point of death get her off me.  Break her jaw if you have to.  I’m probably going to be unconscious at that point, so you will have to force her blood down my throat.”

“How much do you have to drink?” Harley heard the disgust in Jeff’s voice.  He was the darker haired Lux and was standing over Harley watching her as Alice prepared by rolling her sleeves up.  She propped herself on the edge of Harley’s table and she found the Lux’s closeness infuriating.

“I’m not sure really.  He didn’t say.  I think we are just supposed to know.”

He? Harley thought.  Who the fuck is this he?  The uncomfortable knowledge that a Nocte must be giving Alice this information settled over her making her already panicked state even more frenzied.  Harley closed her eyes and searched for Castor.  She couldn’t feel his presence but she called out for him, hoping to draw him in.  She screamed his name silently and was shocked when Alice and Jeff and the lighter haired Lux all gasped.

“What the hell is she doing?” Alice snarled.  Harley opened her eyes and saw the two Lux in her line of sight clutching at their temples.

“I don’t know,” Jeff cringed.

Did they hear that?  Before Harley was able to try to contact Castor again, Alice called for the other Lux.

“Robert!”

Robert crossed the room, his boots thumping against the floor.  He apparently didn’t need to ask what Alice wanted from him.  Harley only saw a flash of some shiny metal as it was slammed against her skull.  Her vision immediately went black, but she could hear the metallic reverberation bounce around her head.  She didn’t lose consciousness completely, but she was stunned and her thoughts vibrated too hard to be coherent.

Harley’s vision soon cleared and she watched Alice, Jeff and Robert moving around the tables, setting things up, moving things around and giving each other orders.  Harley watched them warily.  She still had the strange “out of body” feeling coursing through her.  She felt as if she wasn’t inside her skin anymore and instead just hovering and waiting for her body to react.  It didn’t, however.  Apparently, whatever possession that controlled her body realized the same thing that she did.  Struggling was pointless right now.  Harley found it increasingly disturbing to realize that there was an intelligence behind her loss of control.  It reasoned and planned—but in this case, at least it seemed to be working and planning WITH her.

Harley refocused on Alice when she realized she was leaning over her again.  So was Jeff.  Alice looked to her right and asked Robert if he was ready.  Harley heard the deep musical sound of the Chimes clink together.  The sound caused Harley’s heart to beat faster and sweat began forming under her back.  She nearly called for Castor again but stopped herself.  She knew that if she did and Alice and the other Lux felt it or heard it, they would bash her in the head again.  If Harley was going to get out of this alive she knew that she needed to keep her brain in one piece.  Harley didn’t doubt that Alice was going to kill her when she was finished.  But she knew that they needed Harley to at least get through the bonding initiation first.

Alice didn’t look at Harley as she raised a knife and slashed her own wrist.  To her, Harley was just an animal waiting to play a part in her plan.  Jeff gripped her head and lower jaw in his vise-like hands.  At the smell of Alice’s blood Harley’s nostril flared and the heat of her excitement at the impending feed flushed her body.  She hated feeling like an animal, but she couldn’t stop her body.  The hunger—the need to feed—was primal.  Harley had no more control over her body’s reaction to the scent of blood than she did her lungs needing to breathe.  If Harley been given a choice she would have starved to death before she would have helped Alice fulfill her mission.

Alice lowered her wrist over Harley’s mouth and the warm blood dribbled over her lips.  Involuntarily, her mouth opened wider and she latched onto the Lux’s arm, sinking her fangs into the woman’s skin roughly.  Harley wished that Alice had presented her with the artery in her neck.  Had she done so, Harley would have ripped her throat out, but Alice must have thought of that herself.  Harley didn’t even consider trying to be gentle.  She tore at the Lux’s flesh like a rabid beast.  She heard herself growling and grunting as Alice whimpered in obvious pain.

The blood flowed over Harley’s tongue as she gulped and swallowed.  It wasn’t the same as feeding from Castor or Levi, or even an Ignis.  In those situations Harley savored the hot, powerful blood as it flowed into her.  But, feeding from Alice was like eating a boring meal.  It tasted good, and was what her body needed, but there was no passion, no glory, and no excitement emanating from the blood as she swallowed it down greedily.

Too soon Harley felt Alice slump against her lap as she passed out.  She resisted the hands that attempted to pry her mouth away from Alice’s arm and she growled in defiance.  Something thin and metallic was wedged in between her back teeth.  With a crank of his wrist, Jeff attempted to pry Harley’s jaws apart.  She resisted, but facing either a broken jaw or teeth she finally release the Lux and pulled away panting.  The blood boiled in her stomach as it churned and writhed.  The Nocte began slowly regaining her strength and clarity, but, Harley forced herself to not struggle.  She desperately tried to maintain the illusion that she was helpless and weak in her battered and starved state.

As Harley’s Nocte revived she felt something else too.  There was a tightness, a tension of two sides being united.  It didn’t take much thought for Harley to realize it was the Lux energy inside her aligning with her Nocte.  The unification didn’t change the rage or the frustration inside her, but it did give her more strength.  It was two streams brought together to create a river with their combined force.  She took a deep breath and tried not to smile at the fortification settling over her.

Jeff forced Harley’s head to the side and a searing pain flared as he cut her throat open.  He pulled Alice’s unconscious head and face toward Harley’s neck and pressed Alice’s face to the blood that flowed from the wound.  Harley tried to pull away from the woman but Jeff held her head down with an iron grip.  It was only a matter of moments before Harley felt the Lux beginning to instinctually suck at the gash in her throat.  Harley saw Jeff nod to Robert and the room was filled with the sound of deep music as he began to tap out a tune.

The notes brought back memories that bounced around Harley’s brain and chest.  She remembered the sound feeling like it was going to tear her apart.  The agony of the Lux feeding from her and the monotonous clanging of the Chimes seemed to go on forever.  Finally, something changed.  Alice stopped chewing at her neck and pulled away suddenly.  The Lux began writhing viciously—her hands and feet knocking against Harley.  She would have fallen off the padded table had Jeff not caught her and transferred her to the waiting platform next to Harley’s.

Harley turned her head to watch the Lux as she began to convulse.  Her eyes were wide open and solid white.  Her head slammed repeatedly into the padding in rhythm with her hands and feet and they pounded the table.  Like a child throwing an epic tantrum, Alice’s body jerked and slammed itself brutally against the firm padding beneath her.  Harley wondered if she had done the same thing.  Had her body reacted this violently to its meeting with the creature of darkness?  Or was it just because she was a Lux encountering a Nocte?  Harley remembered the agonizing fight between her Nocte and Haddon she when she consumed the Lux.  The memories were not pleasant and she chuckled to herself knowing the pain Alice was going through.

The laughed caused Jeff to look at her sharply.  He wrinkled his nose in disgusted.  “What’s happening to her,” he snarled.  His deep voice edged with worry.

Harley licked the remnants of blood from her lips. “She might be dying,” Harley stated hopefully.

Jeff left Robert to hold Alice down as he leaned over Harley and clenched her throat tight enough to cut off her air.  The wound in her neck was slowly started to heal, but the blood made her skin slick and it was hard for him to get a solid grip.  He kept readjusting his hold which caused him to close and open her airway repeatedly.  The sensation was even more tormenting than if he had maintained a solid hold.  “You better hope she doesn’t die.”  He spoke so closely in her face that she could see the pores in his skin.  His solid white eyes glared into hers and she lay still until he released her throat.

When the air rushed through her airways again she began coughing.  It was a normal reaction to having been choked.  But in a moment of inspiration she encouraged the hacks as they racked her body.  She was even rewarded with a dribble of blood that was jostled loose from her overfull stomach.  Jeff leapt back, his face twisted in revulsion as the blood splattered the floor, nearly catching his boots.  Harley smiled at the look on Jeff and Robert’s faces.

Jeff returned his attention to Alice whose body was slowly beginning to relax.  She still shuddered and recoiled unconsciously, but she wasn’t convulsing with agony any more.  Disappointment flooded through her.  She realized she had been holding onto a slight hope that the Lux would die during the bonding process, but it didn’t look like that was going to be the case.  Jeff and Robert began to relax as they saw their leader easing into a calmer state.

“What’s wrong with her?” Robert nodded in Harley’s direction.

Jeff turned to look at Harley.  She let her breaths coming in ragged gasps as she stared off into space.  She could feel the Lux blood reenergizing her as it flowed through her body.  Haddon’s energy felt calmer and smoother and her Nocte hummed in contentment. “I don’t know,” Jeff answered.

“Is it because she drank Lux blood?”

Jeff shrugged.  “I assume that she drinks Castor’s blood.”  His face twisted again as if he had just stated that Harley and Castor regularly committed some kind of abhorrent act.  To him—it is, Harley mused.

Robert looked equally disgusted.  “I think Alice is calm now.”  As he looked at Alice his face softened into a look of wonder and caring.  It was hard for Harley to not roll her eyes at the Lux’s adoration.  “What do we do with her,” his face returned to stone as he nodded at Harley again.

“We can’t kill her yet,” Jeff answered.  Harley was relieved by that statement.  “We have to wait to see what happens with Alice.  We don’t know what she is going to need.  Alice might need her.  In the meantime we’ll lock her back in the basement.  Keep an eye on her.  If she tries that mental stuff anymore I’ll snap her neck again.”

After they made sure that Alice wasn’t going to flip out again Robert and Jeff turned back to Harley.  She concentrated on seeming as out of it as she could.  “Do you think Alice’s blood is making her sick?” Robert asked.

“I don’t know,” Jeff snapped, tired of being asked the same question again.  “It looks like it doesn’t agree with her, but how the hell should I know.  Let’s get her back to the basement.”  They undid the straps holding her to the table.  Harley groaned as they dragged her from the platform.  She didn’t really have to fake the sound of agony.  The movement caused her hands and shoulders to flare with pain.  She would have thought it wasn’t possible to even feel her arms or hands any longer but apparently she wasn’t going to get that lucky.  But, she thought hopefully, at least that means I’m finally healing.

The two Lux took their places on either side of Harley as they dragged her from the room the same way she came in.  Exiting the bedroom, Harley’s head was bathed in a warm, familiar sensation.  She smiled to herself.  Joy flared through her and she nearly cried out in relief. Castor was close.  She wasn’t able to tell how close but from the strength of the hum she could tell that Levi was with him as well.  The intensity of them combined might mean they were a mile away or right outside the door—it was hard to pinpoint and measure.  Her smile grew into a teeth baring grin as she stared at the floor sliding underneath her.

Harley could feel the power of the Lux blood bolstering her muscles.  With Haddon cooperating with her she felt more in control of herself than she had in weeks.  She still wasn’t 100%, though.  That would take some time due to the damage her body has sustained.  Furthermore, Alice’s drinking from her counteracted a lot of good that the feeding did for her.  But, her Nocte gathered what strength she had reserved.  Well, if I’m gonna make a break for it, now’s the time, she thought.  She took several deep breaths and collected herself.

“Wait—wait,” Harley croaked.  Her speaking caught both Lux off guard and they paused.  Harley made a show of pulling her legs underneath her feebly.  She finally looked up meeting the both Jeff and Robert’s eyes one at a time.  “Watch this,” she grinned wickedly.

Chapter 20

Harley tensed her muscles and using every bit of strength she had, she launched herself off the floor.  With her hands still bound behind her, she didn’t have a lot of options but she was going to do the best she was able.  Levi and Castor could burst through the door any moment, or they might take an hour to get here.  They could be a half mile away and never actually find her exact location.  Maybe she had imagined their presence entirely.  Either way, she was going to try to free herself if at all possible.  The longer she was locked in the basement, the more she would suffer and the greater the chance that Alice would give the order to kill her.

Harley used one Lux to help her attack the other.  Planting a bare foot against the side of Jeff, Harley was able to launch herself off him and land with one leg crooked around Robert’s neck.  The force of Harley’s kick caused Jeff to stumble backwards, giving her enough time to wrap her other leg around Robert’s neck and twist her body.  It took every ounce of strength she could muster, but Harley was relieved to hear the sharp crack of his neck breaking.  Harley hit the floor before Robert’s body and she rolled away to prevent him from landing on her.

Jeff recovered quickly and lunged for her.  As he pulled a huge knife from a sheath on his leg he raised the other leg and attempted to stomp on her stomach.  She rolled as he continued to pound the floor with his heavy boot, just missing her body each time.  Deciding to switch tactics he raised the knife and brought it down towards her face with enough force to embed the blade in the wooden floor when Harley rolled out of its path.  Climbing to his feet, Jeff attempted to stomp on Harley again.  This time instead of rolling she managed to catch his leg behind the knee with one foot and prevented him from completing the stomp.  With the other foot she kicked the side of the knee that was bearing all of his weight.

Jeff collapsed with a loud thump, landing in a kneeling position. Harley quickly rolled to her knees and before lurching to her feet.  She stumbled off balance and desperately tried to regain her footing as Jeff yanked the knife from the floor.  He threw himself at her with the blade held high.  Recklessly, Harley turned her back and let him swing at her.  She judged the distance as best as she able but it was still slightly off.  Harley intended on letting him complete the attack while hoping she might move forward just enough to not sustain any damage as Jeff’s knife cut through the wires binding her wrists.  It was a good, albeit, risky decision.

Harley took more damage than she would have preferred.  The knife blade sliced down the back of her head, down the center of her back and along the edge of her arm before cutting the wires.  The blade also chopped through a large chunk of her hand. Harley probably would have lost significant portion if Jeff had not realized that he inadvertently freed her hands and stopped his swing short.  Harley’s wrists came loose from their bindings with a thin, metallic twang.  The relief of having her arms free flooded through her as Harley stumbled forward.

“Fuck!” Jeff cursed behind Harley.

Harley turned to guard against another attack as best as she could.  A crazy laugh bubbled up from her stomach.  Jeff was frozen in front of her trying to decide if he should attack or run.  Harley held her hands up and surveyed the damage done.  Her stomach heaved.  Her hands were a dark purple and her left hand was coated in fresh blood.  The knife had nearly cut her thumb off.  Not just the actual digit but the large piece of bone and flesh beneath it as well.  It hung awkwardly to the side and as the blood flow returned to her hands it began to pump out of the wound.

Harley realized she was laughing again when Jeff looked at her with fear-widened, white eyes.  In a last ditch effort to kill her Jeff lunged forward and Harley dug deep for a little more fight and manage to spin kick the knife from his hands.  Even wounded she was faster than the large Lux.  She growled and darted towards him as he recoiled.  Harley’s dread increased when her legs wobbled.  She didn’t have the energy or strength to fight the large Lux without weapons or the full use of her hands.  As he rebounded and came back at her swinging she leapt backwards.

Suddenly the kitchen door to her right burst open.  Deus ex machina.  Harley giggled to herself as Levi burst through the door followed by Castor and Nya.  When Jeff drew up short in shock, Harley began to laugh harder.  She wasn’t able to stop laughing.  Even her Nocte felt gleefully giddy.  It was a bizarre and absurd reaction to the events taking place and Harley wondered which part of her the hysteria was coming from.  Levi didn’t hesitate in throwing his blade at Jeff with full force.  It embedded itself in his skull with a wet thunk and Harley and the Lux dropped to the floor at the same time.  Jeff because he was dead, and Harley because she had no energy left with which to stand.

Harley was still laughing when, an instant later, Levi and Castor dropped on either side of her to check on her condition.  She could not find words to express how relieved she was to see them.  So she continued to giggle instead.  She held up her throbbing, bleeding and purple hands—one of which had a dangling thumb—for them both to see.  “Look at my hands,” she cackled.

Harley could tell by the looks on both their faces that the wounds were serious and gory, but she had to give them credit for trying to keep a straight face.  “It’s not that bad,” Castor muttered looking at Levi with wide eyes.

Nya, who had apparently been securing the Lux, suddenly popped into view also.  “Holy shit, that’s gross!” Nya exclaimed looking at Harley upside down.  Levi and Castor gave Nya a dirty look and Harley laughed harder.  “Get her out of here,” Nya ordered standing and leaving Harley’s view.  Both Levi and Castor reached for Harley to help her up.  They looked at each other again, this time annoyed.

“I’ve got her,” Levi snapped.  “Why don’t you go take care of your friends?”

Castor only hesitated for a moment before looking at Harley and nodding.  She saw the relief plainly visible on his face along with a determined fury.  “Go get ‘em, tiger,” she giggled.  Castor stood as Levi scooped her off the floor as if she was a small child.  Nya began to lead the way down the hall but Harley called out to stop them.  “I have a feeling Jason is here somewhere.  So is Alice.  Be careful…Alice is different.”  Harley was composed for the first time since they found her  She didn’t know what state Alice might be in—but she didn’t want Nya or Cas to take unnecessary chances.  “And find my weapons!” she shouted after them.

Harley wished she could better explain what Alice had done and planned on doing.  But the mania that gripped her was fading and in its place was a growing agony in her hands.  As the blood and life began to reawaken the flesh at the end of her arms, the useless lumps became a blazing fire of pain and she had to grit her teeth to keep from crying out.  Despite the pain in her hands, Harley took comfort in how in control she felt.  With fighting for her life to distract her, she was more able to fully appreciate the unified feelings within her.  The energies from the Lux and the Nocte, while still separate from each other, hummed together in harmony.

Nya and Cas both nodded at Harley’s warning as Levi turned and carried her from the house.  Outside in the dying sun, she realized they weren’t in Lexington any more.  There were too many open fields surrounding the small house that she had been held in.  Levi made his way to a black SUV parked in the grass at the end of the wrap-around driveway.  He carefully slid her in the back seat and climbed in behind her.  Before he shut the door the sound of a revving engine roared from the front of the house.  Levi looked as if he wanted to pursue the black sedan as it bounced into the road and roared away.  But, he stopped himself because he knew there was no way to catch the car.  Even if he tried to give chase in the SUV, by the time he got behind the wheel the car would be long gone.

“Shit!” he spat punching the back of the front passenger seat.  He looked at Harley and all she could do was shrug and then wince as pain shot through her shoulders and hands again.  “We’ll get them,” Levi promised.  He leaned over the back of the seat and dug around in the cargo area.  He came up with a dusty looking first aid kit that had probably been for the human that owned the truck before they acquired it.  Harley watched him dig through the kit looking for something to help encourage her hands to heal.  Her heart lurched in an undeniable confirmation of her relief at seeing Levi again.  His strong jaw flexed as he pulled a roll of gauze from the box triumphantly.  He met her eyes and paused.

“What?” he asked.

Harley smiled realizing she must have been staring at him with an odd look on her face.  As much as she hated to admit it, she was overwhelmed with feelings at the moment.  Anger at the Lux that had attacked her, happiness at seeing her friends and shame at needing to be rescued because of stupid mistakes she made.  Furthermore, she knew she wasn’t just relieved to see Levi and Castor because they helped her escape. There was more to it than that.  Looking at Levi she felt the rough, jagged pain in her heart easing.  No matter what mistakes she made—her friends came to her aid and were happy to see her alive.  She could have given a lot of explanations as to why she was looking at him the way she was, but she finally settled with the simplest response.  “Thanks,” she smiled at him.

Levi released a gust of air, as if he had been holding his breath for a long time.  “Don’t mention it,” he smirked shaking his head.  He gently took her left hand and looked at her steadily.  “This is going to hurt,” he said simply.

“Yeah,” Harley muttered.  “I kinda figured that.”

Levi leaned forward and kissed her.  The kiss caught her off guard but she leaned into it.  At the same time Levi squeezed her dangling thumb against the rest of her hand, returning it to the position it was supposed to be in.  She jerked away and groaned through clenched teeth.  Levi quickly wrapped the gauze around her hand.  Not hard enough to cut off the flow of blood again, but tight enough to hold everything in place while it healed.  He quickly dumped some peroxide over more gauze and wiped at her face and neck—while looking for more injuries.  He scowled at the amount of blood that he was wiping away.  He soon ran out of gauze and had to use a blanket from underneath the seat to clean most of the blood from her hands and face.

Harley examined her fingers.  Even in the low light she saw them clearly, thanks to her supernatural eyesight.  They were looking less purple, but still throbbed agonizingly.  It was like falling asleep on your arm and having to wait out the tingling throb of it regaining feeling—only times 1000.  She tried flexing her fingers and when they wiggled slightly and she sighed in relief.

Movement from the house caught Levi and Harley’s attention.  They turned to look as Castor and Nya run from the back door.  Suddenly, Harley became aware of a burning smell and she saw flickering light from an upstairs window.  Nya jumped behind the steering wheel and Cas dived into the passenger seat after tossing a sack into the cargo space.  A musical chiming sound erupted from the bag and it sent chills through her body, both she and Levi froze at the unsettling clamor.

“What happened?” Levi asked warily as he shut the back door.  Nya started the engine and floored it away from the small white house causing both Levi and Harley to bounce around in the back seat.

“Someone set a firebomb,” Cas explained as Nya paid attention to the road.

“Did you find anything inside?” Levi asked helping Harley right herself from having fallen over when Nya bumped onto the road.

“We found something.” Castor scowled.

“What’s that mean?”  Levi asked.

Harley remained silent.  She was going to have to tell them, but judging from the look Nya was giving her in the rearview mirror, she probably already had a good idea what happened.

“I’ll explain later,” Harley sighed.

No one argued with Harley.  Once they were on the road and clear from the house, Castor held something over the back of the seat.  “I’m guessing you might need this?”

“What is it?” Levi asked.  Harley was slumped against his side still waiting for the excruciating pain in her hands to pass.

“Smells like Ignis blood to me,” Cas answered.

Levi reached out to take the small dark package that Castor was still holding.  It was a blood collection bag.  Harley could smell the rich liquid through the rubbery material.  It smelled like fire and her mouth began to water.  Her Nocte shifted uncomfortably in agreement.  They must have collected blood in case Alice needed it after the bond.

“Why did the Lux have Ignis blood?” Levi asked Harley.  He wouldn’t figure that they would be feeding her.  He knew they would have wanted to keep her weak.

Harley sighed again.  “They probably didn’t know if Alice was going to need to drink it once she bonded with a Nocte.”  Castor and Levi stared at her with open mouths while Nya barely glanced in the mirror.

“Please tell me you are joking,” Levi looked at her warily.

“Nope, afraid not.”  Harley maintained her self control as long as possible.  She flexed her fingers some more and found she still couldn’t even form a fist.  “I’m going to need some help here,” she snapped motioning towards the bag of blood still lying tantalizingly in the palm of Levi’s hand.

“Oh,” he jumped when he realized what she meant.  Harley hated asking for help.  But if she learned anything in the last few days it was “don’t be a stubborn idiot.”

Levi bit the end of the straw-like top from the bag and stuck it in Harley’s mouth.  She began gulping the blood barely taking the time to breathe.  Levi raised an eyebrow in amusement as he licked a drop off his lip.  The blood was cold and dead but it satisfied the burning hunger that still remained in the pit of her stomach.  Her Nocte purred in happiness and her body began to soften in relief.

Harley’s hands began to tingle less painfully and her thumb started to itch as it knitted itself back together.  Castor turned away from the site of Harley feeding and Levi’s obvious enjoyment in watching her.  By the time Harley was sucking at the empty bag hard enough to make it crumple on itself, she could hold it on her own.  Levi chuckled at her and took the empty bag away when she thrust it at him.  He tossed it carelessly into the cargo area before he took hold of her face and studied her carefully.  His warm blue eyes were soft as they held her gaze.  For the first time in days she felt good—right and comfortable and safe.  The energy and life from the blood flowed through her body and gave her the final sustenance to override the lingering effects from the silver in her system.

Levi leaned in licked the blood from her mouth with the tip of his tongue.  Harley parted her mouth and kissed him hungrily.  She was glad that Castor had fallen asleep in the front seat and Nya was pointedly not paying attention.  Levi wrapped his fingers in her hair and pulled away from her mouth.  He smiled at her before kissing her again and drawing her even closer to him.  His mouth was against her ear and his warm breath tickled her sensitive skin.  “I was so afraid you were gone,” he breathed.  Gooseflesh raised the hair along her arms.  She ran her fingertips over his face and smiled back.  She took a deep breath and the scent of Levi’s skin scent caused her stomach to shudder in excitement.

“I’m not that easy to get rid of.”

Levi grabbed her legs and tossed them over his so that she was nearly sitting in his lap.  She rested her head against his shoulder and sighed.  She didn’t know where they were going, or what their next move would be, but honestly, at the moment she didn’t care.  The only thing she cared about was that her friends were safe.  The rest—Alice’s hybrid state, Jason’s betrayal, and the Sol Invictus’ continued meddling—could all be dealt with in due time.

Part Two

Chapter 21

Nya drove them all back to the hotel that Harley had rented.  Apparently, the house she was held in was in the outskirts of Paris, Kentucky but it only took about thirty minutes to make it back to Georgetown.  When they pulled into a space near the Camaro she looked at Levi warily.

“So, how exactly did you guys find me?  And how did you get the car back here?”

“It wasn’t hard to find Jason’s apartment after Castor got your message.  Rafe drove his car back here once he figured out which hotel you were in.”

Harley gritted her teeth at the mention of Rafe’s name.  “How did he figure out which hotel I was in?”

Levi shrugged.  “He checked something in the car’s computer system and could tell how far your last trip was.  Then it was just checking hotels in the vicinity.”

Harley raised her eyebrows.  “He can do that?”

“Yep.  And, the downside to hotels that ‘ask no questions’ is they typically remember pretty girls driving fancy cars,” he pointed out with mocking eyebrow.

“Apparently.”  Harley normally would be annoyed.  But considering it may have saved her life, she decided to be grateful instead.

Nya nudged Castor awake.  He groaned, sat up and rubbed his face while looking around.  Without speaking he climbed clumsily from the truck and began walking towards the hotel.  Harley looked at Levi and Nya who had exited the truck with her.

“He really isn’t a night person, is he?” Nya chuckled, pulling the bag from the cargo space.

“Nope,” Harley smiled as Nya handed her the sack.  “What’s in here?” she asked, peering into the bag.  “Ooo!  Yes!”  Besides the musical tubes that Robert played for the bond, her machete and her Bowie were inside.  Harley swallowed hard.  She didn’t want the instrument near her.  Even the small sounds that reverberated as they bumped against her weapons set her teeth on edge.  Harley refrained from visibly shuddering and closed the bag.  “Thanks,” she said looking at her and swallowing hard.

The chimes felt even more dangerous than the weapons.  The damage they could inflict and the power they wielded caused Harley to be incredibly cautious and protective of the bag that held them.  It meant a lot to her that Nya trusted her with them.  She knew how badly she had messed up by coming back to Kentucky alone and she was relieved that Nya didn’t seem to hold a grudge.  It allowed her to let go of a small amount of the guilt that was still weighing her down.  Levi threw an arm around Harley, breaking her moment of self-reflection, and led her towards their room.

Levi pulled the orange tagged key from his pocket and unlocked the door.  Nya did the same and entered the room to their right.  When the door opened, Harley saw a light on inside and she could hear movement.  She looked at Levi.

“Nya and Rafe are sharing a room,” he answered her unspoken question.  “Castor is on the other side,” he nodded to the left.

“Oh,” was all she said, following Levi into their room.  “Where did you get my key?”

“You left it in the car.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Rafe was—is—pissed you stole his car,” Levi smirked.

“Hah!  I bet,” Harley didn’t even try to pretend to feel guilty about that bit.

Harley wanted to flop down on the bed and sleep for a week.  But, after looking at herself, she decided that would be a bad idea.  “I’m going to go take a shower,” she said.

“Want some company?” Levi raised an eyebrow at her.

“Hell yes,” she laughed.  Neither of them could undress fast enough.  Harley’s hands were still sore but that didn’t stop her from yanking at Levi’s zipper as he pushed her into the small bathroom area.  Harley bumped against the cold sink and reached up to tangle her fingers in Levi’s long hair.  She closed her lips over his bottom one and sucked gently.

As Levi breathed out, she breathed in.  His warm breath soothed her as did the warmth of his tongue as it slid along hers.  His hands held her lower back, pulling her into him and sliding her onto the sink at the same time.  She wrapped her legs around his waist and leaned her head back as Levi ran his mouth over her jaw and down her throat.  His stubble contrasted with the gentle kisses he placed on the fading scar where her throat had been cut open.  His is breath blew across her skin as he huffed an angry breath at the damage that had been done.  He closed his teeth around the fading scar but he didn’t bite through her skin.  His teeth teased and tested her.  She wanted nothing more than to wash away the violation and replace it with strength and peace.  “Yes,” she breathed.

When Levi’s teeth broke through her skin she moaned in ecstasy.  His hot mouth against her flesh erased the invasion and lingering disgust at her contact with Alice and the other Lux.  Levi’s hand drew her head into his shoulder and she gently bit into his neck.  The warm Nocte blood rushed into her mouth and she swallowed greedily.  It satisfied a hunger that Ignis blood wasn’t able to reach.  Levi’s blood soothed her as it always did and left her feeling like her strength had been renewed.

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

The next evening, everyone was gathered in Levi and Harley’s room.  She smiled slightly at the déjà vu that settled over her.  There were less people this time, but the situation was eerily similar to a few months ago when they all sat in a hotel in California planning how to stop Haddon.  Harley could tell that Rafe was still mad about his car as he made a point of not looking at her.  She found it amusing.

“OK, Harley, tell us what happened,” Nya demanded.

Harley took a deep breath and began her story.  She started with getting the picture text of Jason and her rash decision to run off to save him alone.  She ignored Castor’s angry glare at her explanation of why she left like she did.

“You are the one who keeps saying that we are in this together.”  Castor motioned between himself and Levi.  “And yet you continue to try to exclude us and hold us away and do things on your own.”

Harley sighed.  She knew she deserved the lecture.  She looked at Levi, who didn’t offer any consolation or defense for her.  He agreed with Castor, and she did too if the truth be told.  “I know!  Really, I do.  I can’t blame it all on this…loss of control—this weird out of body thing that keeps happening.  I made the decision to go.  No one, and nothing, forced me to go alone.”

“Then why did you?” Nya asked.  Harley turned to look at her in surprise.  Harley was standing against the dresser, her arms folded defensively across her chest.  Castor sat on the bed and Levi stood next to him.  Nya leaned against the door playing with her braids and Rafe sat in the chair next to the desk.  Her tone was more critical than Harley was used to and heat crept into her face.

“I don’t really know.  I—I guess I just felt like I needed to do things on my own.  I felt overwhelmed by everyone.”  She looked at Levi and Castor apologetically.  “With everything that had been happening—having everyone know about it—feeling like I was losing control.  I think I just got tired of people seeing, tired of people looking at me like I was about to explode or something.”  Levi and Castor both look somewhat guilty and Nya nodded.  Rafe looked confused—obviously not having been told the whole story—but to his credit he didn’t interrupt.  “I just—didn’t want people watching me do something crazy again.”  Harley’s shoulders slumped.

“What role do you think this…fugue state played during the whole ordeal?”

Harley considered her answer carefully.  Her Nocte shifted uncomfortably.  “I could feel it pushing me into things.”

“Was it the same as before?  Did you have no control over what was happening?”

“No.  I—well, I just went with it for the most part.  Even if I knew it was a bad idea.  I didn’t fight it.  And then when I was with Alice…it was like the Lux was suddenly on board.  We both knew what we needed to do and working together we were stronger than when we were fighting each other.”

“OK, that makes sense.  Keep going with your story,” Nya encouraged.

Harley was careful to not leave anything out—not even the dream where she was blinded by light.  The memory caused sour remnants of fear to seep from her Nocte and it caused her to fidget nervously.  When Harley got to the part where the Lux held her down and forced her to participate in the bond, Levi and Castor became visibly angry.

“How did they even know how to do it?” Castor asked.

Harley shrugged and everyone looked to Nya for explanation.  “I think this is one of the parts that worry me the most right now.  Obviously, a Nocte has told her,” Nya scowled

“She referred to a ‘he’ that gave her instructions,” Harley offered.

Nya shook her head.  “I don’t know.  But trust me—I’m going to find out.”

“She also mentioned someone, or something, called Helion?  Does anybody know what that is?”  Harley was surprised by the flash of emotion that jolted through her.  It was anger and resignation.  Harley tilted her head trying to determine the origin of the feelings.

Nya shrugged and the others looked equally baffled.  “Doesn’t ring a bell to me,” Nya replied.  “But you look troubled by the name.”

“I don’t—I don’t this so anyway,” Harley shook her head.  “It just…strikes a chord.  I feel like I’ve heard it before—or that I should have heard it before...”

“I’ll research it and see if I can find anything out about it,” Rafe offered.

Harley finished her story with recounting how she knew that Castor and Levi were close and deciding to make her move.  She took a deep breath and forced her next words out.  “I’m sorry.  For all the trouble I caused.”  The words made her physically uncomfortable.  She shifted and scratched at the back of her neck as it tingled uncomfortably.

Levi and Castor smiled at her.  She knew that they didn’t require her to apologize, but she also knew that they appreciated it.  Nya shrugged.  “We all make mistakes,” she nodded at Harley.

Harley looked at Rafe and sighed again.  He was staring at her pointedly—obviously waiting.  “I’m sorry for stealing your car,” she finally said, and quickly looked anywhere but at him.  Castor, Nya and Levi all looked like they were trying not to laugh.

“Apology accepted.”  He seemed to understand the wisdom of not holding a grudge with Harley.

“So, what do you guys know?” Harley ventured.

Everyone looked at Nya.  “Well,” she began.  “When we realized you had left we started trying to find you.  We all figured you went back to New York at first.  While we were trying to track you down, we kept digging on the Vigilum and Sol situation as well.  We are reasonably confident that Alice’s resistance is not supported by the Vigilum.  Her Commander—Randall’s replacement—was insistent that he had not sanctioned her actions.  But he wouldn’t assist in trying to stop her either.”

Harley stood taller in indignation.  “Why?”

Nya raised her shoulders in reluctant dismissal.  “I can only put myself in his shoes.  If the Vigilum called me and told me that you—well, Levi,” she snickered, “was causing trouble and acting of your own accord, and I hadn’t seen anything he was doing wrong myself…well I wouldn’t be in a hurry to believe him and censure my team either.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Levi protested.

“I agree—” Nya began but Castor interrupted.

“I’ve told you before—the Vigilum doesn’t trust the Praesidio.  And you guys don’t really trust them either.”

Nobody argued with Castor.  Harley noticed Castor’s use of third person.  He wasn’t considering himself a part of the Vigilum.  A part of her heart ached for him.  She imagined that he was probably feeling a bit lonely—orphaned—at the moment.  “Has there been any progress on trying to locate the Sol Invictus?” Harley asked, looking around the room.

Rafe answered her question.  “Actually, yes.”  Everyone turned to him surprised.  This must be new information for everyone.  “I’m pretty sure I have figured out where they have set up a base here in the States.”

“Where?” Levi asked.

“Here.  In Kentucky.”

“Here?” Harley confirmed.

“Yes,” Rafe was trying to not be short tempered at having to repeat himself.

“Why here?”

“Well, I would assume it is to get to you,” he answered Harley’s question.

“How did they know to come to Kentucky?  Why not New York?  Or even L. A.?”

“I guess they were trying to lure you back to your home state, maybe to throw you off balance or unsettle you or something.”

“But how did they know where I’m from?”

“Really?  You think it’s that hard to Google?  Harley isn’t exactly a common name and I’m sure it was in the papers.”

Harley felt stupid for not having thought of that herself.  “Do you know where exactly?”

“Not yet, but I’ll figure it out soon.”

“Where does Alice end and the Sol begin in the grand scheme of their plans?  I assume the Sol is running the show.  But how did Alice get involved with them?”  Harley wasn’t expecting an actual answer, but was compelled to ask anyway.

Levi blew out a frustrated breath.  “It had to have been in L.A, right?”

“That would be the most logical answer,” Nya answered for everyone else.

“When did she get involved with Jason?  And how?” Castor asked.

Harley gritted her teeth.  “I’m assuming she came back looking for a way to hurt me.  A way to weaken me.  I don’t think Alice ever expected Randall’s plan to work.  I think she has had her own agenda for a while now—with or without the Sol.  I think the Sol is just giving her the backing she needed.  Once Randall was out of the picture there wasn’t anyone left to stop her.”  The grim looks around the room echoed her own feelings.

After a few moments, Harley sighed. “Do you think Alice’s plan will work?” she asked Nya.

Nya sighed.  “I hope not.  But it sounds like it will to some extent.  Something happened, obviously.  I just don’t know what.  But I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.”

Chapter 22

After the powwow Castor retired to his room, Nya left to make some phone calls and Rafe went back to his computer.  Harley and Levi were left in their room.  When the door closed Harley crossed the short distance to the bed and fell dramatically, face-first next to where he sat.  She heard Levi chuckle and she folded her arms over her head.  The old mattress springs squeaked as he moved across the bed to straddle Harley’s waist.  He unfolded her hands and placed them at her sides, then, brushing her hair aside he began massaging her shoulders.  She sighed as she felt the tension beginning to melt away.  His strong fingers coaxed the stiffness away and gave her goosebumps.

“I wish your bike was here,” Harley mumbled.

“Why?”  Harley heard the smile in Levi’s voice.

“I don’t know.  Just being back here is bringing back memories.  Not all of them bad.”  Harley smiled at him over her shoulder.

Levi stopped rubbing her back and lay down beside her.  He propped his head on his elbow and looked at her—an unusual softness to his eyes.  Harley was used to Levi being wary, sardonic, tough, rational, passionate, and the like.  But this was not a look she was used to seeing on him.  She was surprised by how comfortable it made her feel.  Instead of making her want to pull away, the look made her lean in closer.  She reached out and stroked his jaw.

Harley’s heart thumped in her chest.  “I love you,” the words were pulled out of her before she even decided to speak them.  This time it wasn’t something foreign presence taking control of her actions—it was her own assertion of control—her own desires forcing their way through.  She decided that it was time to stop denying what she had known for a while.

Levi’s smile stretched from ear to ear.  “I love you too.”  His voice was gruff and he pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers.   He pulled away and ran a finger over her lip.

Harley didn’t want to break the spell, but she was compelled to.  “I love Castor too though,” she whispered.

Levi’s full smile shortened to his normal half-smile.  “I know.”

Harley leaned forward and ran her bottom lip along his.  She pushed Levi over until he lay on his back.  He chuckled when she threw a leg over his waist and sat in his lap.  He put his hands behind his head and watched her with a sly grin.  Harley pulled her shirt over her head and leaned forward to kiss Levi again.  When she pulled away he reached out and ran his warm hands over her arms.  Harley caught his hand and brought it to her mouth.  Without breaking eye contact she kissed the top of each finger.  When she got to the middle one she wet her tongue and slowly ran the tip from the base of his finger to the top.  She grinned at the shudder that rippled across his chest.

Harley let go of Levi’s hand to unhook her bra and he grabbed her waist pressing her against him.  She tossed her bra to the side and Levi sat up to rub his face against her chest.  His rough whiskers tickled her breasts and she buried her hands in his hair.  Harley pushed him away long enough to shimmy out of her jeans and tossed them aside before slowly unbuckling taking off Levi’s pants as well.  When they were both naked she leaned over him again and could feel his eyes on her when she took him in her hand.  She ran her fingertips across his soft skin and ran her tongue around the tip.  Harley saw Levi grab handfuls of the blanket underneath them and she smiled.

“Come here,” he gasped.

Harley crawled the length of his body, leaving a trail of kisses across his stomach and chest.   Levi placed a hand on either side of her face and pulled her to him kissing deep enough that she melted against him.  Levi raised her with a hand on her waist and with the other he guided himself into her.  Harley lowered herself as he rose to meet her and a deep sigh escaped them both.  Levi rolled Harley over and wrapped his arms around her back, burying his face in her neck.  The feeding—the sex—the energy and power that they shared made them both stronger.  Neither needed one more than the other.  And neither was weaker without the other.  Both Harley and Levi knew that they would survive apart.  But the power in their relationship resided in the fact that they chose to be together and share their strength.

Afterwards when they lay, drifting in and out of sleep, Harley thought about Castor.  It was true, what she told Levi.  She did love them both.  And as she had always known, she would never choose between them.  Despite Castor’s, sometimes, petulance about their “love triangle,” she knew that he wouldn’t ask her to chose anymore than Levi would.  She knew that she needed to tell Cas how she felt soon, knowing how important it would be to him to hear it.  Finally, Harley just stopped caring about the awkwardness of loving two men and just did.

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

Shortly before dawn Harley finally drifted off to sleep.  In her dream she was sitting in Jason’s apartment.  She was reliving the memory of one of his parties that she and Jamie had attended.  She was drunk and the dream was so realistic that she was actually light headed and her body felt numb.  She watched Jamie and Jason dancing like fools to some silly pop song and she laughed.  Suddenly, the laugh caught in her throat and turned bitter.  She tried to swallow the lump but it wouldn’t budge.  A sob broke around the emotion that choked her.  The sight of her two closest friends was nearly unbearable.  They had been so happy then.  No worries.  No fears.  No deaths.  No betrayals.  Just having fun and being young.  It was like she was watching the dancing couple on TV because they didn’t even seem to realize she was there.  The pain of loss and failure put her heart in a vise-like grip and she doubled over trying to scream away the agony—but no sound could escape her constricted throat.

“Harley?”

A familiar voice broke through and released Harley from the suffocating grip of her memories.  “Cas?” she gasped.

“Yes.  Are you ok?”

The dream slowly faded and she was pulled from the emotional nightmare.  She opened her eyes and found that she was still in bed with Levi.  He lay with his front to her back with an arm draped over her waist.  She still felt Castor in her mind.  His heavy presence chased away images that tried to linger but it the rawness in her heart was slow to dissipate.  Her brain was left vulnerable and naked despite the comfort of his presence.

“You still there,” she asked.

“Yes.  What was that?”

“An awful nightmare.  How can I hear you so well?”

“I think highly emotional states—anger, sadness—fear—fighting—makes it easier to connect.  And we are only a room away.”

“That makes sense.”

“Well, are you going to tell me what the dream was about?”

“I’ll come to your room.  This feels weird.”  With that, Harley closed the connection and sat up in bed.  Having had the psychic bond potentially save her life gave her good motivation to stop being resistant to the idea of using it.  However, that still didn’t mean she enjoyed it.  Levi’s arm fell away from her waist.  He didn’t even flinch—when he slept, he really slept.  Harley smiled at him and placed a kiss on his forehead before sliding out of bed.

After dressing, Harley slipped into Castor’s room.  As soon as the door closed Cas caught her in a comforting hug.  He wrapped his arms around her tight enough to make it hard for her to breath.  She laughed at him and looked up into his soft green eyes.  “I’m OK.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.  I am now.  Thanks for waking me up.”  They sat on the bed, their backs resting against the headboard that was bolted to the wall.  “Do you hear me in your head or something?  When my emotions are high?”

“Kind of.  It feels kind of like a panic attack.  These alien emotions just suddenly start overwhelming me.  It takes me a few minutes sometimes to realize where it’s coming from.”

“Well, thanks.  I was really glad to wake up from that dream.  BUT I would really rather you didn’t invade my head like that.”

“I was just trying to help.”

“I know!  I do.  But my brain is my space exclusively.  I would rather no one else be in it—unless it is an emergency.”  Castor looked at her as if her were mildly offended.  “It’s MY head!” she groaned.

“OK!  OK!”

“Promise me…”

“I promise.  Unless it is an emergency—I will stay out of your head.  What was the dream about anyway?”

Harley sighed.  “Jamie and Jason.”

Cas put an arm around her and rubbed her shoulder.  “I’m sorry.”

“Me too.  I just—I—I just can’t believe that Jason did this.”  Castor rested his head against hers.  “Before I bonded, Levi tried to tell me how humans would respond to us.  I thought Jason would be different.”

“Sadly,” Cas mumbled, “humans rarely surprise me anymore.”

Harley rose up and looked at him carefully.  “Do you think humans are…predictably bad?”

Cas thought about his answer.  “Sometimes.  Don’t you?”

“I don’t know,” Harley shook her head.  If she accepted the idea that humans were inherently evil or greedy or just plain bad—then what was the point in trying to save them.  It was easy to dismiss humans after being confronted with just how badly they could disappoint you—but Harley wasn’t give up on humanity that easily.

Lying with Cas, Harley found it easy to return to a sleep inducing calm.  She rested her head on his shoulder and he turned on the TV.  She knew that not only was she physically safe with Castor, but his presence would help soothe her mind as well.  And even with the promise that he would stay out of her head—knowing that he was always mentally aware of her made her feel less alone.  Soon, her breaths grew deeper and deeper until she faded into a restful sleep.

Unfortunately, her calm sleep didn’t last long—Harley was jerked awake when Castor sat up suddenly knocking her to the side of the bed.  She didn’t have time to register what happened before he shoved her off the side of the bed.  She dropped to the floor with a surprised grunt at the same time the large picture window exploded and rained down in shards across her back.  From her vantage point on the floor, Harley could see Cas land on the other side of the bed.  He met her startled gaze before rolling towards his bag that lay in the corner near the bathroom.

Harley couldn’t fit under the tiny space between the mattress and the floor so she had to turn and army crawl around the bed.  More shots pinged through the broken windows, tearing through the heavy curtains and causing tiny explosions of stuffing where they ripped into the mattress.  By the time Harley made it to Castor he was already pulling his sword from its leather sheath.  Harley’s heart pounded with shock and alarm.

“What’s happening?” she asked stupidly.

“We’re being shot at,” he snapped.

“By who?”

“Does it matter right now?”

Harley didn’t answer that question; instead she cringed when she realized her weapons were still in the room with Levi.  Cas saw her expression.  “What?”

“I don’t have my blades.”

“Harley!”  Levi called her name from the next room.

“I’m in Castor’s room,” she called back.

“Stay there,” Levi called back as automatic rifle fire continued to paint the side of the hotel.

“You stay where you are!”  Harley shouted.  Weaponless or not, she was in better shape than Levi—or Nya or Rafe.  They were hampered by the sunlight.  She wasn’t.  Levi didn’t respond.  She looked to Castor who was frantically trying to come up with a plan.

“How many gunmen do you think there are?” Harley asked.

“I think only one—maybe two.  The shots are traveling up and down the wall.”  They both cringed as a bullet shattered the lamp near their heads.  “If there were more than one the shots would be more constant.”

Harley pulled her body into a ball as small as she could make it.  The bed and the wall blocked most of the shots but she still wanted to make as small of a target out of herself as possible.

“I have an idea,” Castor said after a moment.  Harley looked at him and waited for him to explain.  “The next time they move away from us, we both jump out the window.  You go towards Levi’s room.  While they are shooting at you, I’ll try to figure out where they are and get to them first.”

Harley gaped at Cas.  “That’s a really good idea.”

“Why do you sound so surprised?”

“I just can’t believe you are willing to let me draw the gunfire.”

“Well, I really couldn’t think of a better plan under the circumstances.”

Harley laughed and kissed him hard.  They both crawled across the floor to the window.  They ducked behind the air condition unit as they waited for the shots to return to their room.  Maybe three minutes had passed since the shots began.  As the bullets pinged against the brick as the gunman returned his attention to their room Harley listened carefully.

“It sounds like the shots are coming from the east.”

“Yeah.  Which means I’ll have to go North through the parking lot and use the cars to cover me.”

Harley looked at him with a wicked gleam in her eyes.  She pulled his head down for another rough kiss.  At the last second she spared a moment for movie cliché.  “Be careful.  And, Cas...”

“Yeah?”

“I love you,” she winked.

Given the situation, Castor’s grin should have been ridiculous.  But despite the adrenaline flowing through her veins and the Nocte that was writhing inside her, she found the stupid grin surprisingly endearing.

The shots slowed and it seemed as if luck was on their side, because instead of moving towards her and Levi’s room, the shots stopped.  He must be reloading, Harley decided.  “Here I go,” she said before jumping over the empty window frame and directly into the gunman’s line of sight.

Chapter 23

Rolling onto the walkway outside of Castor’s room Harley was completely exposed.  She was just able to lurch into a crouched shuffle before the shots began again.  She heard Cas drop through the window behind her and with a barely a sound he was gone—darting through the cars.  Harley was barefoot but that didn’t slow her down.   Her incredible speed was the only thing that saved her from getting shot as she dived through the broken window into her and Levi’s room.  The shooter continued to aim at her, and not turn their shots towards Castor, which confirmed Harley’s suspicions that she was the main target.

Harley had just hit the floor inside her room when she felt a hand clasp her foot and drag her, roughly, across the carpet to the other side of the over turned bed.  Rolling onto her back she smiled up at Levi.

“Good afternoon!”

Levi rolled his eyes at her.  “Where is Cas?”  A bullet shattered the cheap framed print above the TV.

“I distracted the shooter and he is trying to circle around to come up behind him.”  Harley rolled to the corner of the room and, without standing, yanked on her boots.

“What are you doing?”

“We can’t leave Castor out there. “  While Harley was tucking her Bowie into her boot a great crash hit the wall.  Both she and Levi froze—not sure what to expect.  Another boom and the thin wall exploded in a cloud of drywall.  With another crash more of the wall crumbled inside their room.  Nya poked her head through the hole that she kicked in.

“Hello!” she called too brightly.  Harley laughed and Levi looked at them both as if they were crazy.  Shots continued to zing around the room like demented bees.

“What are you planning on doing, Harley?” Nya asked climbing through the hole in the wall.

“I’m about to go out there and make a run for the gunmen.”  Harley heard sirens wailing in the distance.  “You guys get our stuff together and head for the cars.”

Harley began to crawl towards the empty window frame again when she heard Castor’s voice in her head.  “Now!”  Harley launched herself off the floor and out the window and the same time the shots stopped.

Just as she made it through the window, someone fired at Harley again.  This time the shots came from the west and were slower as if they came from a gun with much less power.  She dodged away and caught site of someone stalking towards her with a gun raised.  The person—it looked to be a man—was dressed all in black and wore a ski mask covering his face.

Harley spun out of the line of fire and darted towards the gunman.  She nearly used her machete to chop off his gun hand, but at the last second she stopped herself.  Using her left hand she caught the gun, twisted his hand and ripped it from his grasp.  She quickly fired two shots straight into the man’s chest.  She moved so fast that he didn’t even have time to register what happened.  She avoided using the machete because it would seem less strange to the police if there were only gun shots.  If they were to find that someone with a huge blade had taken out all the gunmen even more red flags would be raised.  The smell of the man’s blood filled the air and her stomach jerked.  This was the first human she had ever killed.  I’ll deal with that later, she told herself.

As Harley slipped the machete into the sheath she had strapped to her back, two more shots rang out.  Caught off guard Harley didn’t see the other gunman coming at her from in between the cars parked closest to the hotel.  The shots slammed into her back, but luckily they didn’t seem to have hit anything vital as she was able to remain on her feet. After stumbling a few steps she righted herself and turned towards the advancing man—also dressed in black.  Regrettably she had to use something with a longer reach—she pulled the Bowie from her boot and flung it at him.  The blade sunk into his chest before he could fire off anymore rounds.  He fell hard, dead before he even hit the ground.  The bullet wounds burned but she was able to block most of the pain by concentrating on helping her friends.

Levi and Nya hopped out of the window behind her and she turned towards them, shouting.  “Get to the cars.”  More automatic fire began to rain down around them.  This time the shot were coming from farther away and to the west.  Castor may have stopped the gunmen from the east, but apparently someone was taking up the slack from the west—most likely from a taller hotel next to theirs.  As police cars roared towards the parking lot, Harley dove behind a beat up red Cadillac, snatching her knife from the dead man’s chest as she went.  Nya and Levi ran like semi-erect cavemen through the lot towards the Camaro and their black SUV.  Harley wished they were running faster, but she knew that they were running as fast as they could considering it was daylight.

Harley stood up straight and ran around the Caddy, heading straight towards the hotel where she was sure the gunmen was stationed.  She darted, zigzagging through the mostly empty parking lot.  Her speed and erratic path made her a nearly impossible target to hit.  The bullet wounds in her back continued to throb and burn but they didn’t slow her down.  Fear for her friends kept her moving with superhuman speed.  Pieces of concrete shattered into stinging shrapnel as the bullets hit the ground around her.  She came to a stop every few steps so as to keep the gunmen aiming in the right direction.  One of the times that she stopped, she found herself directly in front of the first cop car to pull into the lot.  She looked up to see a stunned office staring at her open mouthed.

“Harley!”

Harley looked up to see Nya roaring towards her in the Camaro.  The Nocte general cut the wheel hard and pulled a Hollywood stunt to slide the car to a stop with the passenger door angled towards her.  As Harley darted towards the car Nya pushed the door open and Harley dove inside.  As Nya fishtailed out of the parking lot Harley looked back to see Levi roaring towards the hotel room to pick up Rafe and their bags.

“Cas!”

“Yeah?”

“Where are you?  Get back to the room.  Levi and Rafe are getting out of there in the truck.”

“Almost there!”

“Castor is on his way back to the room.  He’ll jump in with Levi and Rafe.”

“Good,” Nya said, whipping her head around to check for traffic as she floored it through an intersection.  They just barely missed being hit by a blue car and Harley laughed as she buckled her seat belt.

“What,” Nya looked at her, unable to keep the smile from her own face.

“I seem to have stolen Rafe’s car again.”

Nya tossed her head back laughing loudly.  “He is going to be pissed.”  Nya looked tired and her dark skin was paler than usual.  Harley took note of the sunlight’s visible effect on her.

“Are you OK to drive?” Harley asked her.

“Yeah, I’ll be OK.”

“Castor’s with Levi and Rafe, they are heading north.  We should head south,” Harley relayed the psychic message to Nya.  “That way it will be harder to catch all of us.”

Not only did they have to outrun the people shooting at them, but now they had a cop car on their tail.  Nya grumbled checking the review mirror.  “How are we going to lose them,” Harley asked.

“Well there only seems to be one.  I think their main priority is the hotel.  That’s obviously where the shooters are.  We may have to ditch the Camaro though.”

Harley laughed again thinking about telling Rafe they dumped his car in the Kentucky River to destroy evidence.  “Do you think you have a contact to help us get out of this one?”

Nya looked at her with raised brows.  “This is kind of big.  It’s going to be hard.  I think it just might be better to let them make assumptions.”

Nya avoided the main highways and instead stuck to back roads that caused her to take corners hard and fast.  They fishtailed across the road, sometimes barely avoiding oncoming traffic or trees or fences.  It didn’t take long to lose the cop that was on their tail.  Not only was the Camaro fast, it was better able to handle tight turns and quick acceleration.  Harley finally began to relax when they hadn’t seen the cop car for the past five minutes.  As her heartbeat slowed and she started calming down the bullets in her back began aching.  She groaned without meaning to as she shifted in the seat.

“What?” Nya looked at her with concern.

“I got shot twice.  The bullets are still in my back and it hurts.”

“Silver?”

“I think so.”

“We need to get off the road and take care of that.”

Harley groaned again, knowing what that meant, but also knowing it had to be done.  “There,” she shouted suddenly, sitting up straighter in the seat.

“What?”

“That broken down barn.  Pull in there.  It will hide us while I try to get a hold of Caster and the others.”

“Good thinking,” Nya agreed, swinging the car onto the rough dirt road that led to the barn.  The plain wooden structure probably housed tobacco at one time but now it was just a leaning formation of rotting wood, barely recognizable for what it once was.  Harley hoped that they didn’t drive over anything that would flatten their tires as Nya bumped towards the barn.

Chapter 24

Harley lay across the hood of the Camaro with gritted teeth.  Her Nocte was braced as well and the inner tension combined with her own was causing Harley to shake.

“You have to stop moving,” Nya grumbled.

“I can’t help it.  I know how bad this is going to hurt.”

“Well, do you want to leave the bullets in?”

“No,” Harley huffed.

“Then you need to calm down.  If I have to go digging around because you are moving too much, it’s only going to hurt worse.”

Harley took a couple of deep breaths and forced herself to relax a little.  Nya leaned over her with her own hunting knife held high.  Harley cracked open one eye to peek at the other Nocte and wished she hadn’t.  “You don’t have to look so excited,” she exclaimed.

“I can’t help it,” Nya laughed.  “I feel like I’m playing that game Operation.”

“Just get it over with,” Harley said through a clenched jaw.

“Here we go…you might feel some pressure,” Nya giggled.

It was all Harley could do to not scream as Nya cut into her back.  The bullet holes had already begun trying to close, but they were still oozing blood when she got out of the car.  The silver burned like fire and Nya cutting into her with a silver knife only made it worse.  She felt the weight of Nya bearing down as the blade seared through muscle and tissue.  The worst was the crunching feeling as it passed through and over her ribs.  Finally, Nya pulled the knife free with enough force to lift Harley’s chest off the car.  Immediately, Nya began digging around inside the path she made to find the bullet.  Harley started to cough and gag from both the nausea behind the pain and the pressure on her lungs.

“There!” Nya held up a mangled bullet and Harley sighed with relief.  “One more to go.”

“Fuck,” Harley mumbled as Nya lined the knife up with the other bullet hole obviously trying not to laugh.

Afterwards, Nya and Harley sat on the trunk of the car watching the sun go down.

“Man, I really wish I had a giant bottle of tequila right now,” Harley sighed.  They were waiting on Cas, Levi and Rafe to find them.  They decided the barn was well hidden enough that they should all meet here before deciding what to do next.

“No kidding,” Nya chuckled.

“So, that was the Sol, right?” Harley asked.

“I think that is a safe bet.  Which is actually better for us in terms of the police.”

“Why?”

“You didn’t bleed at the scene did you?”

“I don’t think so?  These bullets were small and I was always upright.  I doubt much blood could have sprayed or leaked.”

“Then with just humans the police are going to assume it was something drug related I bet.  The Sol can clean up their own mess,” Nya’s voice was bitter and angry.

Harley was quiet for a moment.  “I’ve never killed a human before,” Harley mumbled.

“I have.  A couple of times.  Sometimes it’s unavoidable,” Nya responded softly.

“I know they were trying to kill me, but it still sucks.”

“It does.”

“How did they find us?”

“I would assume the same way Rafe found you—more or less.”

Harley ran her hands through her hair, scratching at the back of her neck.  “How are we going to stop them?”

“What do you mean?”

“They are doing this because they believe it’s the right thing to do.  They think bringing creatures over will resurrect Christ.  How do you convince that kind of crazy it’s wrong?”

“That’s a good question,” Nya muttered.  Harley stared at her expectantly.  “Well,” Nya held her hands up.  “I don’t know everything.  We’ll figure something out though.”

Harley rolled her eyes.  “Well, what do we do about Alice?  How do we find her?”  Nya didn’t answer the question—not that Harley necessarily expected her to have an answer yet.

“How is the whole ‘losing control’ thing going?  Still good?” Nya asked.

Harley sat up straighter.  “You know…surprising well.”

Nya nodded wisely.  “I thought so.”

Harley waited for more.  “Care to explain, oh wise one?”

Nya smiled at her.  “I think you were right before, it’s because you aren’t fighting it so much.  You said yourself—you just let it go and did what your body wanted.”

“So, just like that—I’m what—cured?”

“Oh, I didn’t say that.  I just think you aren’t going to have to worry about the Lux and Nocte fighting for control—at least not right now.  I’m guessing your body is still adjusting to the power that you have thought.  There’s no telling what else is in store.

“Gee, thanks,” Harley shook her head.

Both women looked up at the sound of a vehicle approaching.  A black SUV slowed then turned onto the dirt road that would lead it to the barn.  The buzz in her head confirmed that it was Levi and Castor.  The barn was falling apart but it was big enough to allow both vehicles to park side by side.  Harley wasn’t surprised to see that Castor had taken over driving.  It was probably for the best considering Levi and Rafe were at their daytime disadvantage.  Harley stepped close when he climbed out of the truck and wrapped him in a deep hug.  “Good work!” she said.

Cas harrumphed at her.  “Not that good.  There ended up being a lot more shooters that we thought.”

“But taking out the first allowed us to make a move.” Nya joined Harley in congratulating Castor with a pat on the back.

Levi got out of the passenger side and made his way to Harley.  When he wrapped his arms around her Castor noticed the bullet holes in the back of her shirt.

“When did you get shot?” he demanded.

Levi spun her around to examine the damage.  “After I got my blades.  I didn’t realize there were shooters on foot coming in close.  Don’t worry.  Nya got the bullets out.”  Harley cringed at the memory.

“Did you get blood on my seats,” Rafe demanded moving around to the passenger side of the car.  His British was accent more pronounced when he was angry.

Harley chuckled.  “I don’t think blood on the seats is the worst of the damage.”

“What do—aahhh!”  Rafe crouched next to the car to examine the bullet holes that had punctured the side of the sports car.  “Dammit!  Woman, you owe me a car.”

“Sure, sure.  I’ll get right on that,” Harley rolled her eyes.

Everyone chose to ignore Rafe’s whining about his car.  “So,” Castor began.  “I guess we are all in agreement that was the Sol.”  Everyone nodded.  “Well, we are pretty sure we know how they found us.”

“How?” Nya asked.  Levi and Cas looked at Rafe, who finally stopped moaning about his car long enough to look up and address their question.

“Your phone,” he nodded at Harley.

“My phone?”

“Yeah, the drop phone you had with you when they took you.  Castor and Nya grabbed it the other night at the house.  I think they put some sort of bug on it to track you.”

“Fuck!  Where is it now?”

“We tossed it off a bridge on the way here,” Levi answered.  “We got rid of all of our phones and went through all of the stuff we had just in case.  We don’t think there is anything else they can track us with.”

Harley hopped onto the trunk of the Camaro again and Nya joined her.  “Excuse me!” Rafe snapped.  “Get off my car.  You’ve done enough damage.”

“Oh, shut up,” Nya responded, sounding bored.  Rafe looked like he wanted to argue, but thought better of it.

“What do we do now?” Castor asked, leaning against the SUV.

“Return to the Den?” Levi asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No,” Nya answered quickly.  “If they are still managing to track us somehow, I don’t want to lead them there.”

“Good point,” Levi reasoned.

“I think we should stick close by where we are now.”  Everyone turned to look at Rafe, waiting for him to explain.  “This is where the Sol is.  If we want to stop them, we need to find them and leaving Kentucky isn’t going to do it.”

“As much as I hate to say it—Rafe is right,” Harley mumbled.  Rafe smirked at her but didn’t gloat.  Harley was surprised—months ago he wouldn’t have hesitated to rub it in.  In fact, despite the whining about his car, he seemed remarkably more mature.  Maybe this is why Levi has been cutting him some slack.  Maybe he really has changed since Cassandra’s death.

“Well, we need to find somewhere else to stay.  And we need to get more phones and call in reinforcements,” Nya declared, jumping off the trunk and gesturing for everyone to climb back in the vehicles.

Chapter 25

Since the sun had set, Castor relinquished the driver seat.  He and Harley and Levi rode in the SUV and Nya and Rafe took the Camaro.  Harley snatched the keys away from Cas and declared herself the driver.  She needed to think and driving would help.  They all agreed to meet in Frankfort and buy new phones before finding a place to stay.  Harley drove while Levi fiddled with the radio looking for coverage of the shootout.  Reports were sketchy still.  The only thing being reported was a shooting and there was speculation that drugs were involved.  That’s not surprising.  Drugs usually are involved in small town shootings.  Harley decided that was good news for them.  The cop may have seen her moving with inhuman speed but he must have decided to not report it.  He was probably sure no one would believe him.

After they had new phones and full gas tanks they stopped at a restaurant that served breakfast at all hours.  No one paid them any mind as they huddled around a table and ate a quick late night dinner.  Harley was craving blood and she knew the others had to be as well.  Human food would hold them all over for a while—but they would all need to hunt soon.  Rafe had his laptop sitting on the table and he was typing furiously.

“Aren’t you worried they will be able to track your laptop?  You’re on the internet, right?” Harley asked.

Rafe scoffed.  “No one will be able to track what I do online.”

Harley didn’t bother to ask why.  She suspected the answer would involve some technical mumbo jumbo and she didn’t particularly feel like listening to it.  Instead, she looked at Nya who was on the phone with another of the Praesidio generals.  She was speaking in code and Harley was having a hard time following but she got the gist.

Nya hung the phone up and leaned in to speak quietly.  “I just talked to Michael—another general.  Apparently, a lot of stuff has been going down in the past day or so.”

“Like what?” Levi asked.

“More shootings.”

Nya’s words settled heavily over the table.  Rafe stopped typing and looked up at the rest of them.  “The Sol?” he asked.

“Apparently,” Nya answered.

“Well,” Rafe sighed.  “I think I know who has been giving Nocte secrets to Alice.”

Everyone looked at him in shock.  “Who?” Nya asked in a tight voice.

“Evie has been helping put things back together in L. A.,” Rafe explained.  “And Landon has been less than cooperative.  Apparently, he hasn’t appreciated the interference in his area.”

Harley scratched at her neck again.  The hair was standing on end and tickled.  She remembered Landon from their time in L. A.  She hadn’t met him personally, but Nya had communicated with him when they made a move against Haddon and his Ignis before.  “And?” she asked Rafe.

“He eventually just stopped talking to Evie.  She hasn’t been able to contact him in days.  I just hacked into his phone records.  He’s been talking to someone here in Kentucky as recently as two days ago.”

“Fuck,” Harley spit the word softly.  Everyone sat back in their chairs and mulled over what they had learned.

“Evie is on her way to us now,” Rafe explained.  Harley noticed the way his voice softened when he said Evie’s name.  Harley thought a lot of the blonde Nocte.  Evie had been one of the first people she met when she arrived at the Den.  She was also one of the nicest and Harley was always surprised that Evie could tolerate Rafe enough to be with him.  To each his own, she thought.

“Are any other Praesidio going to come and help us?” Harley asked Nya.

“Not many.”

“Why?”

“It’s not a good idea,” Levi answered.  Harley raised an eyebrow at him.   “For one, the more Nocte come to us, the less there are in their normal areas.  It leaves us at a disadvantage where they are stationed.  And, the more Nocte in one area means more Ignis.  It will make us easier to locate.  Since Alice is working with the Lux it won’t be hard for her to put in some calls and find out if there are any new influxes anywhere.”

“Well, shit…” Harley mumbled.  “How do they not pick up on the Den then?” Harley wondered suddenly.

“The frame is made of iron infused with silver.  It blocks our energies,” Nya explained.

“Oh!  Why didn’t I know this before now?”

“You never asked,” Nya smiled.  She addressed everyone again.  “I’m glad Evie is coming, but I don’t want to involve any more people than we have to.  Michael is sending Kai and I think that is enough—unless things get really out of control.”  Everyone agreed with that.  Although Harley didn’t want to imagine what “really out of control” meant if this wasn’t it.  Her Nocte grumbled in agreement.

“Will a group as large as ours attract attention,” Harley wondered out loud.

“Not likely,” Levi shrugged.  “Especially with Castor here to throw off the balance some.  That’s what helped in L. A.”

Everyone looked at Cas and Harley smiled at him.  “Well, I’m glad I’m good for something,” he smiled ruefully.

“Hey, don’t be like that,” Nya nudged him.  “Who else is going to keep Harley company during the day?”  Everyone chuckled at that and Castor rolled his eyes but gave a Harley a warm look.  Being awake during the night wasn’t sitting well with him.  He poked at his food and smoothed his hair reflexively.

“Let’s get out of here and try to find a place to stay.  I suggest we head into Louisville,” Nya offered.  “It will be easier to blend in there—plus we will be better able to find real food there.”

Harley’s mouth watered at the mention of “real food.”  Everyone else seemed to feel the same way.  Even Cas.  He might pull life from Ignis instead of drinking their blood.  But that didn’t mean he didn’t feel hunger the same as the rest of them.  They paid for their food and returned to their vehicles.

Levi took over at the wheel of the SUV and Nya and Rafe climbed into the Camaro.   Cas made himself comfortable in the back and Harley buckled into the passenger seat.  As they followed the red car onto I64 Harley got a bad feeling.  The feeling tickled at the back of her neck and she scratched with both hands tossing her hair and surveying the night outside of the window.

“What?” Levi asked, noticing Harley’s discomfort.

“Something’s wrong…”  There were few other cars on the road this time at night and even fewer street lamps.  Harley peered into the dark; her Nocte was becoming as anxious as she was.  Her nerves were on edge and a dread hung over her.  She peered into the side mirror trying to see behind them.  Harley’s breath caught in her throat when she registered the speed of the two lights in mirror.  The two pinpoints became beacons that bore down on them silently.  Levi cursed and Castor sat up and braced himself.  With a loud crunch the truck slammed into them the SUV began to spin out of control.

Chapter 26

Harley became lost in the chaos of scraping metal, shattering glass and pain.  She wasn’t able to tell where the sky was versus the ground as the SUV rolled off the shoulder of the highway.  By the time the world stopped spinning, Harley’s vision was starting to go black.  Her entire body was throbbing in pain and she tasted blood.  As she lost consciousness she heard yelling and realized it was Levi.

“Nya!  No!”  Followed by metallic banging and scrapping and then gun shots.

Harley came to again moments later with Castor prodding her awake.  His voice was soft in her ear.  “Harley, wake up.”

Harley groaned.  Her head was still throbbing and her face felt wet but it was her leg that exploded in pain.  “What’s happening?”

“I’m going to have to push on the dashboard and you will need to pull your leg out.  It’s stuck.”

She touched her head and her hand came away sticky with blood and her body was twisted awkwardly.  She was hanging upside down held in by the seatbelt.

“Harley!”

“OK,” she snapped groggily.  Her head wound itched as it began healing and she was still foggy.

Castor braced himself against the frame of the door after he wrenched it open.  Using his legs he shoved at the dashboard that was crushed in, trapping Harley’s leg.  He grunted out loud with the effort and Harley knew that it was taking all his strength to move the twisted metal.  Where’s Levi?  Castor can’t move that this time of night.

Even as the thought crossed her mind the broken dash shifted and with a shriek it moved enough that Harley’s leg slipped free.  “Aaaghh!” she cried.  Her leg flopped out uselessly and she realized it was broken and twisted.  Her stomach lurched at the sight of her mangled leg.  She could tell it was fractured in multiple places because of how misshapen it was beneath her jeans.

Harley began to hear Levi arguing with Rafe somewhere in the distance.  She expected to hear Nya telling them to shut up but something about that thought didn’t quite work she realized.  “Where’s Nya?” she asked cautiously.

Castor ignored her question as he cut her free from the seat belt.  He caught her weight and slid her carefully from the wreckage.  As her leg drug along behind her, Harley gritted her teeth.  The pain was awful but it was starting to heal—which wasn’t an altogether pleasant feeling in itself.  Castor rested on the ground with her back to his front giving them both a moment to recover.

Harley looked up as Levi stalked towards them, Rafe hurried after him, limping with obvious pain.  “What happened?” she asked Levi.  Levi wiped as a healing gash on his forehead and was limping slightly himself.

“The Sol took Nya.”

“What?!” she exclaimed trying to pull her good leg under her but Cas held her down.

“Do you think you could have waited a few minutes before dropping that bomb?” Castor scowled at Levi.

Levi ignored him and kneeled in front of Harley.  “She got out of the wreck first and the guys in the truck shot her.”  Harley looked at the Camaro.  It didn’t look nearly as damaged as the SUV, but it had slid through the grass and come to rest against a fence.  She could see where the large truck clipped the Camaro hard enough to spin it off the road.  The boards of the fence were snapped and twisted against the car.  “When I managed to climb out,” Levi continued.  “They saw me coming and just picked her up and threw her in their truck and left.”

“What were you doing the whole time,” Harley growled at Rafe.

“Excuse me?  See that fence?  It was very recently embedded in my side.”

“He’s right,” Levi grudgingly admitted.

Harley chose not to argue the point and instead returned to Levi.  “Is she alive?”  Harley asked, breathless with dread.  She assumed that Nya was if they bothered to take her with them.  But she had to ask anyway.

Levi looked at her evenly.  “I believe she is.”  Harley nodded.  She knew he wouldn’t lie to her.  “I’m going to set your leg,” he stated, moving towards her foot.  “It will heal faster.  We need to get out of here before someone notices the wreck.”

Harley groaned.  “You know, this whole healing super fast thing ends up being a lot more painful than you would expect.”

Levi nodded towards the Camaro.  “Rafe, go see if you can get your car started.  It might run enough to get us out of here.”  Rafe didn’t argue but turned and limped away.

“Well, here goes,” Levi met her eyes with an apologetic look.  Harley gripped Castor’s hands hard enough to make him flinch as Levi yanked on her foot firmly.

Harley groaned through gritted teeth.  “Holy hell!  That hurt.”  But she could already feel the bones kitting themselves back together.  The feeling was sharp and splintered as the pieces of bones rubbed together and she forced her focus away while her leg did its magic.  She heard the Camaro sputter to life and they all turned to look as Rafe slowly revved the engine.  The car coughed and chugged but stayed running.  Levi visibly relaxed.

“Castor, you get all of our stuff out of the truck.  I’ll get Harley in the Camaro.”

Castor agreed and shifted out from behind Harley as Levi pulled her to her feet.   “Can you walk yet?”

Harley scoffed at him.  “I heal fast, but not THAT fast.”

Levi shrugged and scooped her off her feet and hurried to the car where Rafe waited.  Harley looked back at Castor over Levi’s shoulder.  He had pulled all of their stuff from the wreckage and was fiddling at the side.  Harley realized what he was doing when a small flame lit up the night.  Castor scooped up their bags and ran towards them.

“Good thinking,” Levi offered, wrenching open the bent passenger door with a squeal of metal before the three of them dove into the car with Rafe.

“I figured we should leave as little evidence as possible,” Cas explained.

As the Camaro sputtered back onto the road the SUV erupted into flames.

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

By the time they found a hotel just outside of Louisville, Harley’s leg was fully healed.  Her body may not be damaged any longer but she was exhausted and covered in drying blood.  Castor looked the least worse for wear so he dragged himself inside the hotel to rent them a room.  They had decided it would be easier to defend themselves if they all were in one room.  The sun was just beginning to rise, so after quick showers Harley, Rafe and Levi settled down to get some rest.

On the way to the hotel they had racked their brains to try to figure out how the Sol had found them.

“We got rid of everything they could have used to track us!” Castor had insisted.

“Maybe they planted trackers on our cars at the hotel?” Rafe offered.

“Maybe,” Castor shrugged.  “While you guys are getting some rest I’ll find us a new car.”

“Steal one?” Levi asked.

“Yeah…why?”

“Just wondered.  Make sure you switch license plates after you steal a new one,” he answered.

“Thanks, I never would have thought of that,” Castor mumbled sarcastically.

“What are you guys planning on doing with my Camaro?” Rafe whined at them.

“Burn it too?” Harley asked.  Neither Levi nor Castor answered but had to turn away so that Rafe wouldn’t see them laugh.

“You definitely owe me a new car,” Rafe muttered under his breath.

“Why do you think they took Nya,” Levi asked the people in the car.

“To draw us out?  Make us come to them?” Rafe guessed.

“I hope that’s all,” Harley mused out loud.

“What are you thinking?” Levi asked her.

“I’m not sure.  Did they look like they were going for Nya in particular?  Or was it just because she was the first out of the car?”

“I really don’t know,” Levi answered.

Harley sighed and scratched at her scalp again.  “I don’t know...  It would make sense that they would take someone to try to draw us—me—to them.  But my gut thinks it might be more than that.”

“Well, they are long gone.  All we can do for the moment is recover.  If they wanted to just kill Nya they would have done it at the car,” Levi offered.  “I think we need to regroup and see if they contact us.”

“You’re right.”  The words settled heavily onto Harley’s chest.  If Alice wanted her for the bond because she was strong, could the Sol want Nya for a similar reason?  Nya was stronger than other Nocte Harley knew—except for herself.  Unease spread through her body and her Nocte was equally uncomfortable.

After checking in and settling down for the day, Harley asked Castor if he was sure he wanted to go out and find a new car now.

“Yeah.  If they are tracking us by our cars I don’t want to give them time to find us.”

Harley lay next to Levi who was already finding it impossible to keep his eyes open.   Castor looked away and strapped a large knife to his waist and covered it with his long sleeved tee-shirt.  Rafe was already snoring from the next bed.  “I’ll be back soon.  And I’ll keep watch while you guys sleep.”

Harley smiled at him.  “Be careful.”

“I will,” Castor looked at her out of the corner of his eye.  “Love you,” he said with a smirk.

Harley rolled her eyes.  “Love you too.”  Levi wrapped an arm around her waist but remained silent.  Harley tried not to laugh at the amused and mischievous look on Castor’s face as he left the room.  Rolling towards Levi she shook her head at his half smile.  Well, at least they are making a joke out of it now.  Her Nocte hummed contentedly as they eased into sleep.

Harley felt like she had just closed her eyes when they snapped open again.  She found herself standing in front of the bathroom mirror.  Rafe and Levi were asleep in the double beds behind her and her heart slammed in her chest.  Her reflection glared back at her with solid white eyes.  Her mouth was stretched wide in a shark-like grin.  Harley gripped the sink and tried to force herself to calm down.  It’s just a dream—it’s just a dream, she chanted to herself.  Her Nocte was nowhere to be found her absence sent Harley’s panic closer to the edge of hysteria.

Suddenly, her reflection had her Bowie in her hand.  One second the white-eyed Harley was gripping the sink, just as she was.  The next it was raising the large knife towards her own maniacally grinning face.  Harley couldn’t look away and her breaths came out in frantic gasps.

The reflection didn’t cut into her face.  Instead, at the last second, it reached around and pulled her hair off her neck with one hand and raised the blade with the other.  Harley tried desperately to turn away from the image in front of her.  She tried screaming—she tried turning her head—nothing worked.  She was forced to watch as the reflection plunged the knife down, brutally, into the back of her own neck.  The pain of the blade as it cut through her skin caused her to whine pitifully as tears streamed down her face.  The white-eyed image dropped the knife where it clattered in the sink.  Her reflection dug its fingers into the wound—digging frantically through the flesh as the blood streamed around her shoulders in warm rivulets.

Harley bolted up into a sitting position in the bed.  Her movements were so fast she managed to startle Levi awake beside her.  She gasped for air and began clawing at the back of her neck.

“Get it out,” she panted.

“What?” Levi was still disoriented from sleep.

“Get it out,” Harley bit the words out.  Realizing that she wouldn’t be able to do anything with her hands she shoved the blankets aside, kicked her legs free and rolled from the bed.  She stumbled around until she found her bag.  She snatched her Bowie from its sheath and tossed her hair to the side.  Just as she raised the knife Levi caught her wrist.

“What the fuck are you doing?”  He was wide awake now.  His blue eyes were bugging out and his nostrils flared in alarm.

“Alice put something in my neck.  That’s how they’ve been tracking us.  I have to cut it out.”

Chapter 27

“What are you talking about?” Levi’s eyes searched Harley’s.  She had a feeling he suspected that she was having an “out of control” moment again.

“That’s how they’ve been tracking us.”

“Harley—”

“No, listen to me.  I was out of it for a while when they first took me from Jason’s house.  It was during the day and they broke my neck.  I think they implanted something under my skin—to track me.  It would have healed by the time I woke up.  I think the Lux inside me was aware of it because it happened during the day—when my Nocte and I were asleep.  The dream I just had—the Lux showed me that I needed to cut it out.  Stop looking at me like I’m crazy.”

“But, that would imply that they KNEW you were going to escape.”

“I don’t know.  I just know that it’s true.  It’s there and we need to get it out before they find us again.”

“Is that why you keep scratching at the back of your head?” Rafe was sitting up in the bed watching their argument.  He rubbed the sleep away from his face.  His blonde hair stood on end and would have been comical if Harley had been in a laughing mood.

“Apparently!” Harley looked at Levi pointedly.  “My head has been itching and feeling weird.  This must have been why.  I just haven’t paid much attention to it.”

“I don’t know…” Levi still looked skeptical.

“You can believe me or not—I’m cutting this out of my neck.  Let go of my hand.”  She looked pointedly at the hand that held her wrist.  Levi knew as well as she did that she could free her hand by force if she needed to, so he slowly let go.

“Just calm down.  Take a second to think about this.  What if you are wrong?”

“Then I’ve cut into my neck for nothing.  It’s not like it’s going to kill me.”

“Not unless you accidentally cut the wrong thing.  That’s awfully close to your brain and some pretty important arteries.”

Harley considered his words.  “You’re right.”  Levi relaxed a little.  He was lying on his stomach hanging over the end of the bed and Harley looked up from where she knelt on the floor.  “You do it.”  She spun the knife and presented it to him hilt first.

“What?”

“You do it.  I can’t go cutting around on my own neck.”

“I’m not cutting into your neck and looking for some sort of device that may, or may not, be there.”

Harley looked at Rafe who was becoming more alert by the moment.  “You agree with me don’t you?”

Rafe looked from her to Levi.  “It makes sense, Levi”

Harley met Rafe’s gaze.  She hated to ask him for help but she didn’t have many options.  “Will you do it?”

Rafe watched her for a moment.  “Yes.”  He started to climb out of the bed but Levi stopped him.

“This is ridiculous.  But I’ll do it.” Levi looked like he wanted to do anything but give in to her request.  But Harley knew Rafe agreeing to help would finally push Levi into doing what she wanted.  He wasn’t going to trust anyone else to do it.  Levi rolled out of the bed and retrieved towels from the bathroom rack.  Harley and Rafe made eye contact again and he winked at her.  She smiled back at him before climbing onto the bed.

When Levi spread a towel across the mattress she laid down on top of it.  “Feel around first and see if you can feel anything.”  Levi sighed but did what she asked.  He pressed his thumb into the back of her neck and rolled it around.  The force of his thumb should have actually been soothing-massaging the muscles at the top of her neck.  However, the pressure caused a mild sensitivity to flare near the base of her skull.

“Ow!  Did you feel that?” she asked.

“No,” Levi sounded exasperated.  “I don’t think so.  What was it?”

“It just kind of hurt.  Like biting down on a bad tooth.”

Rafe leaned over the bed and peered down at her.  “Let me see.”  Levi moved out of the way and Rafe grasped her neck.  Normally, Harley would have rather hit him than let him touch her, but for now she was grateful.  “I don’t know.  There might be something there.  Or maybe you just have a really bumpy spine.”

“Ha. Ha.  Just do it.  I think it’s there.”  Her Nocte’s urgency pushed her forward.  The devil wanted the foreign object out as much as she did.  Beyond that, there was something else.  A strange tingling sensation that flowed from her stomach outward.  She knew on an instinctual level that it was the Lux energy and it felt…right.  “Do it.  I am sure that is it.”

“Shit” Levi exclaimed.  “I can’t believe I’m going to do this.”

Harley grabbed one of the other towels he brought to the bed and stuffed it in her mouth.  From over her shoulder she watched Levi raise the knife.  He paused with the tip held a few inches over her neck.  His cloudy blue eyes were tormented.  She nodded at him the best she could in her position.  Just before he lowered the knife they all herd the electronic beep of the door unlocking.  Castor stepped into the room and froze at the sight in front of him.

Harley could only imagine how things looked.  Again, if the situation wasn’t so serious she would have laughed about it.  She was sprawled on the bed on top of a towel.  Levi was straddling her hips holding a huge knife to her neck while Rafe leaned over them both.  To make matters even more bizarre, they were all still in their pajamas.

“What the hell is going on?”  Castor dropped the bag he was carrying and hurried across the room as if to pull Rafe and Levi away from her.

Harley spit the towel out and waved a hand to stop him.  “We don’t have time to explain.  There is a tracking device in my neck.  We are cutting it out.”

Castor gaped at them all, unbelieving.  “Man,” Levi reasoned.  “Trust me.  I’ve already tried all the arguments you are about to make.  If I don’t do it, Rafe will.  Or she will herself.”  Castor displayed great will power by slowly closing his mouth and sitting on Rafe’s bed looking dumbstruck.

Levi turned back to Harley’s neck.  “Do it,” she said before stuffing the towel back in her mouth.  She heard him take a deep breath and blow it out.  Then she felt the tip of the knife against her neck.  With a sharp, red-hot pain, the silver blade pushed through her skin.  Immediately, blood ran down the side of her neck, making the whole situation very real.  She bit into the cloth as the knife pushed deeper and tried to breathe through the pain.

By the time Rafe held the sides of the wound open for Levi to dig around in with his fingers and a pair of first aid kit tweezers, Harley was grateful for the towel.  Her breaths were coming out in hot gasps that flared her nostrils.  Castor knelt next to the bed and held her hand.  The squishes, snips, and crunches were sickening and it was all she could do to not throw up or pass out.

“Damn” Levi breathed.  Castor looked up and relief edged away Harley’s agony.

“Look at that,” Rafe exclaimed.

“Did you find it?” Castor asked.

“Yep,” Levi answered as if he could barely believe what he was seeing.  “Babe, I’m going to pull it out.  Then it’ll be all over.”  She consented with a pitiful grunt.  After a brief moment of pressure, Harley felt the hands and instruments draw back from her neck.  “Wow,” Levi sounded surprised.  “I guess you were right.”

Harley spit the towel out and raised herself up enough to see what he was holding.  It was a small black object, barely bigger than a grain of rice.  Levi handed it to Rafe and pushed Harley back down on the bed.  “Here, we need to clean your neck up.”

Castor wiped at the area with gauze and Levi cleaned the bed up.  Harley looked up when a loud thump sounded from the sink.  Rafe smashed the device with the handle of his knife and then flushed the pieces down the toilet.  “I can’t get over how fast you heal,” Cas mused.  “Your neck is almost closed already.”

“I eat my Wheaties,” Harley mumbled.  “You know,” Harley muttered.  “I’m getting pretty damn tired of having stuff cut out of me.”

Castor smiled at her and shook his head.  “So, apparently I missed a lot.  Fill me in.”

After Harley, Levi and Rafe filled Castor in on what had transpired while he was gone Cas told them about his day.  He had gotten them a new car.  He didn’t set fire to the Camaro but he left in a rough part of town with the keys still in it.  Rafe grumbled over this for a while but everyone ignored him.

“Oh, and I found some Ignis and pulled.  They are plenty of them downtown.”  The three Nocte were glad to hear it.  Harley saw that Castor was rejuvenated after pulling the Ignis energy.  His eyes were brighter and his skin less sallow.

“Do you think we should worry about the Lux finding us already?” Harley wondered as she headed into the shower.

“Not really,” Rafe shrugged.  We can move hotels if you guys want.  But with as small as that tracker was and the amount of electronic activity in a city this size, it would have taken them a while to pinpoint our location.

“If you are confident that they wouldn’t have been able to locate us yet I would rather just stay here.  At the moment I just want a shower and to feed.  Then we can figure out how we are going to rescue Nya.”

Chapter 28

Harley and Levi hunted separately from Rafe.  He and Harley may have found an uneasy truce, but that didn’t mean that she wanted to share something that personal with him.  They parked the stolen blue Toyota SUV near Fourth Street and Rafe went his way and they went theirs.  They agreed to meet back at the truck in four hours.

Harley and Levi wandered the crowded sidewalks.  The area collectively known as Fourth Street featured numerous trendy and crowded attractions in downtown Louisville.  The crowd was making Harley uncomfortable but she was grateful for it as well.  It was easy to blend in with the drunken revelers.  Harley picked up on the buzz of Burners almost immediately.  She perked up like a dog catching a scent and turned to follow the humming alarm.

“Got something?” Levi asked, following her.  Harley didn’t answer and kept walking.  She was too focused to be distracted.  Several blocks away Harley located an Ignis sitting in a parked car.  She suspected that he was a drug dealer waiting to make a deal.  He was parked away from the glowing and bumping bars and out of direct street light.  Harley snickered to herself.  The necessity of cover for the Burner’s illegal activities made it easier for them to do their job while at the same time made it easier to be hunted.

Without hesitation Harley grabbed the handle of the Lincoln’s passenger door.  She swiftly ducked inside and shut the door behind her.  The Burner was going for his gun when Harley caught his wrist and snapped it easily with a brittle crack.  Before he could cry out, she slapped a hand over his mouth.  At the same time, Levi opened the back door and slid inside.  The Burner’s glazed, feral eyes were wide with shock at her appearance.  Not giving him time to struggle, Harley yanked his head to the side and sank her fangs into his throat.  The blood pumped into her mouth in time with the Burner’s heartbeat.

Harley appreciated her Nocte’s satisfaction and relief, but Harley wanted more than just blood.  Her hands and brain itched to pull the life out of him at the same time.  Clasping her hands around the Burner’s face, she let her instinct take over.  As she swallowed the power of the blood, she took in the euphoric light just as she had seen Castor do when he pulled from an Ignis.  Harley didn’t question her actions—she just enjoyed the pleasurable feelings that surged through her mind and body.  When the blood turned cold and the light faded, Harley released the Ignis and let him slump against the car door.

Levi, who had been keeping watch, chucked softly.  Harley drunkenly raised her head.  It felt like it weighed a hundred pounds and she had to concentrate on not letting it flop back onto her shoulder.  She lazily smiled at Levi.  “What?”

“Nothing,” he said.  “I just love watching you do that.”

“Do what?”

“Feed and pull like that.  You did it to Raven too.  You just…glow when it happens.  You light up the night like a star.”

“It feels incredible,” Harley sighed.

“Is it just the same as feeding off...a Lux?”

Harley rolled her eyes.  She knew he meant Castor.  “It kind of is, but it’s more too.  When I feed from Cas—” Harley decided to stop beating around the bush—so to speak, “—it’s sharing instead of taking.  But when actually ‘pulling’ its consuming the energy instead of sharing it.”  Levi nodded and tried to look like he understood.

Harley smiled at him again and pushed her weight over the front seat.  Levi caught her hands and pulled her the rest of the way into the back seat.  She wrapped her arms around his neck when he kissed her.  Her whole body hummed at the electricity that passed between them.  He pulled away reluctantly, taking a deep breath.  He licked the blood that transferred to his lips and closed his eyes.  “If we start that, I’ll never get out of here to feed before we have to meet Rafe,” he moaned.  Harley didn’t argue.  The Ignis in the front seat was beginning to burn and the smell wasn’t conducive to romance.

Harley giggled, still feeling light headed even as the euphoria faded.  She settled against his lap to wait out the high.  She didn’t want to leave the comfort and cover of the car just yet.  Levi brushed the hair away from her face and looked out the window into the night.  Harley heard the music and laughter from Fourth Street and it sounded like a carnival in the distance.

“Do you regret what your life has become?” Levi asked suddenly.

Harley wrinkled her brow.  She was a little disappointed at the dip in her high that the question caused.  “I regret why my life ended up this way.  But, I don’t regret the choices that I made.  What makes you ask?”

Levi focused his steady blue eyes on her green ones.  “I just worry sometimes.”

“About what?”

“That you hold what happened against me.  That I’m to blame.”

“But I don’t think you are to blame.”  Harley sat up and propped her feet in the seat while resting her back against the front so that she faced Levi.  “Chances are Cutter would have come across me in the bar that night whether I had met you or not.”  Levi shrugged and didn’t look convinced.  “And,” Harley continued.  “What if I hadn’t been leaving with you?  He probably would have attacked me that night.  I was half drunk and completely unprepared.  He probably would have killed me.  So stop worrying.  I don’t blame you.  I thank you.  You gave me the chance to defend myself.”  She smiled at Levi and grasped his chin tugging on it playfully.  “Now—show me that pretty smile and I’ll go get a Burner for you?”

Levi barked out a laugh and playfully knocked her hand away.  “Let’s go.”

Harley and Levi climbed from the car.  They didn’t worry about fingerprints—they weren’t in a system.  And even if they were, they would only be tied back to the shootout which would further establish the event as being drug related.

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

Harley followed along behind Levi as he hunted.  She was still feeling the lingering effects of her feed and pull and her body was numb.  She was keeping an “inner eye” out for a Burner but was mostly letting Levi handle it.  He enjoyed the hunt and liked to take his time when he could.

“I’ve never thought to ask,” Harley muttered, almost thinking out loud.  “How exactly do Ignis feed?  I’ve never seen it.”

Levi glanced over his shoulder.  “I think it’s a vibe or pheromone thing.  Human chemicals released during times of stress—pain, anger—strong emotions in general I guess.”

“Oh.”  Harley lost track of the conversation when she was distracted by a scuffle.  Two humans were fighting in an alley across the street.  Levi realized that she stopped and backed up to stand next to her.

“Humans?” he confirmed after taking a deep breath.

“Yeah.  Should we intervene?”

Levi thought about it for a moment.  “It looks like a normal fight.  Let them tough it out.  They look evenly matched.  Getting in the middle of human conflicts can cause greater problems than leaving it alone.”

Levi’s words sounded like they were inspired by personal experience.  She wanted to ask what he meant, but by the time she opened her mouth he was already walking again.  At the same time a low buzz moved across her brain and she poked at Levi’s arm.  He took another deep breath and his whole body went on alert.

“Where is it?” he asked.

“That direction,” Harley pointed to the east.  Her Nocte shivered in excitement.  She loved watching Levi feed.  This was a good evening she decided.  It went so well, she nearly forgot that her mentor and dear friend was being held captive.  But her focus returned when she hurried after Levi as he advanced on his prey.

Back at the hotel Harley lay down next to a sleeping Castor while Levi contacted some of the other generals to let them know what happened.  Rafe continued to try to track down the Sol Invictus.  None of their conversations or Rafe’s clicking away on the computer disturbed Cas.  Harley chuckled at him sleeping like a baby, Cas, like Levi, was oblivious to everything going on around him when he slept.  No wonder people thought vampires were dead—they sure sleep like the dead.

Chapter 29

Just after sundown the next evening there was a soft knock at the door.  Despite the fact that they all knew who it was without his having to look, Levi peered through the peephole before he opened the door with a fond smile spreading across his face.  Harley saw Evie grinning on the other side.  The happy, blonde Nocte bounced into the room and began rounds of hugging.  When she embraced Harley, she was surprised to realize just how happy she was to see Evie.  Her friendly attitude was always infectious and A grin spread across Harley’s face.

“Hey, Troublemaker!” she grinned at Harley.

“Hey yourself,” Harley rolled her eyes at her.

Evie even hugged Castor, who looked surprised but not uncomfortable.  The biggest hug Evie reserved for Rafe and Harley rolled her eyes at Levi who just shook his head.  “So,” Evie began, flopping onto the bed next to Harley.  “Give me the scoop.”  She stilled as everyone’s faces shifted back to serious.  “What?” she asked, eying Harley warily.

Harley cringed.  Evie didn’t know about Nya yet.  The words to explain stuck in her throat and she was grateful when Levi answered the question.  “Nya was taken by either the Sol, Alice’s crew, or both.”

“Taken?”  Evie’s blue eyes were already shifting and she blinked the darkness away.

Levi continued.  “They shot her and took her.  We are sure she is still alive though.  We are trying to track them down.”

Evie was all business.  “What about her phone?”

“No good,” Rafe explained.  “Her phone was in the car.  Didn’t get taken with her.”

“Shoot.  Well, what ARE we doing?”

“I’m trying to find where the Sol is hiding.  It’s taking a while to track records but I’m hoping to be able to trace them based upon flights from Italy coinciding with the time frame of the events from last year and connecting them to incoming flights to Kentucky.  It’s not exactly a simple task.”  Rafe’s voice was full of regret.  He had returned to his computer and was typing as he talked.

“What is going on with Landon?” Levi asked Evie.

Evie made a sound like a kid blowing a raspberry.  “I think he got pissed when we ‘descended upon L. A. last year’—those were his exact words by the way.  I didn’t even know that he knew Alice—or any of the Vigilum that well.  But I’m guessing they crossed path last year.  And he seemed really defensive of her whenever I would say anything negative about her.  I got the feeling they were ‘close.’”

Harley scoffed.  “I got the same feeling about her and Jason!  And she had the nerve to imply that I was a whore!”  Levi and Castor both scowled at that.

“So Landon gets mad that we stepped on his toes and he sells us out to Alice and her crew?  That’s a pretty extreme reaction,” Levi shook his head.

“There seems like there should be more to it,” Rafe agreed.  No one had any guesses as to why Landon would be so willing to turn over Praesidio secrets.

“Do we even know exactly what the Sol wants?  Why are they doing all of this?  Why take Nya?  Do they think we are going to offer ourselves up in her place?”

Levi sighed.  “I think they are counting on it.”  Everyone in the room looked uneasy.  Levi rubbed his face with both hands.  “This is just an insane mess.  Alice thinks she can control a hugely powerful Nocte and the Lux energy inside herself.  The Sol think that if you are the most powerful supernatural creature here—they can bring over the most supernatural creature on the other side.  Who they seem to think is the Christ reborn?”  The Nocte inside Harley writhed uncomfortably at Levi’s words.

“Why don’t they just use Alice to bring the Lux over?” Evie asked.  “If everything is as we think it is—isn’t she supposedly as powerful as Harley now?”

“Not necessarily…” Castor muttered.  Everyone turned to look at him.  He seemed surprised that he had spoken out loud.  He cleared his throat before elaborating on his thoughts.  “Harley has been different from the get-go, right?”  He continued without needing anyone to confirm his statement.  “I think we would all agree that there aren’t many who could contain—let alone control—the power that Harley has.  Even before the Lux energy, she was stronger than normal.  I know Alice.  She’s strong—but I just can’t imagine that the whole dual bond thing is going to work all that well with her.  She’s always been a bit of a black or white type of person.  She doesn’t see in shades of gray.  She may be powerful, but I don’t think she is going to be in any state to help the Sol.”  No one seemed to want to disagree with that.  “I think they believe they need whatever makes Harley so different”

Rafe, who had been silent for a while, spoke up.  “I have to ask the obvious question here.  Why do we have to worry about stopping the Sol?”  Harley looked at Rafe carefully.  Her Nocte froze in alarm.  “OK.  So they bring a Lux here as powerful as Harley.  What’s to say that it will be like Haddon?  Aren’t all the other Lux pretty much on the same page as us?  Would it be so bad to have a Lux as powerful as Harley helping us fight the Ignis?”

The devil inside Harley broke loose from its frozen silence.  It threw itself against her insides and the sudden surge of energy seemed to bounce around and off her heart.  She gasped and stood up suddenly.  Everyone jumped at her sudden movement.  Cas reached out as if to steady her.  She sat back down sheepishly.  “So, my ‘gut’ tells me that is a really bad idea.”

“What do you mean?” Evie asked studying Harley.

“My Nocte really didn’t like the idea of letting the Sol complete their goal.”

“Why?” Evie questioned.  She tilted her head to the side and examined Harley.  It was weird that Harley had such a vocal Nocte and most of the Praesidio didn’t even know about it.  Whenever she mentioned it they were always intrigued by the possibility of a clearer communication with the creature inside them.

“I don’t know,” Harley shrugged defensively and exasperatedly.  She enjoyed having a stronger than normal level of communication with her Nocte.  However, it also created problems.  It was always just enough to be infuriatingly vague and mysterious but never enough to actually be helpful.

Levi turned the attention away from Harley.  “To me it seems like there are four possible outcomes.  One—it doesn’t work at all.  The Sol aren’t able to bring anything over.  Two—it works and the Lux wants to stop Ignis and help protect humanity and the balance.  Three—it follows their lead and gives them their own personal fanatic, atomic bomb.  Four—The Lux refuses to play along with their plan and breaks off on their own, like Haddon did, which could result in either option two or three.  And Harley’s ‘gut’ tells us that option two is unlikely.  And option one isn’t likely enough to risk doing nothing.  So it looks like either this creature is going to work with the Sol or go after its own agenda.  Either option is no good.”

Harley flopped back onto the bed.  Her Nocte was still agitated and it was making her unsettled and nervous.  “Why hasn’t Alice, or the Sol, contacted us yet?  It’s been two days since they took Nya?”

“I think I can answer that,” Castor spoke up.  “The bond with a Lux needs to take place during a full moon.”  Everyone stared at him waiting for him to explain.  “I’m guessing the same doesn’t hold true for the Nocte?

“No,” Levi answered slowly.

“It’s when the balance between the moon and the sun is the most equal,” Cas explained.  “That will be in just over two weeks.  The Sol needs to wait until noon during the full moon.”

“So we have two weeks then,” Levi muttered.  “How exactly does the Lux bonding process work?”

Castor didn’t seem to mind telling them the process.  The apprehension or desire to hide Vigilum secrets had waned.  “I don’t really remember and I haven’t seen it done since my own.  I remember being exposed to strange bright lights that burned.  That’s really all that I remember.”  Everyone was quiet for a moment before Rafe broke the silence.

It was Rafe who finally broke their revere.  “Is Kai still coming?”

“Oh!  Kai is coming?” Evie squealed.  Harley raised an eyebrow at Evie.  “I LOVE Kai!  I got to hang out with her for a while when I was stationed in Australia.  She’s gorgeous and funny and just all around amazing.”

“Kai is from Australia?” Harley asked.

“No,” Evie answered.  “Originally, she is from Japan and was in Australia for a while.  But she is stationed in Canada now, right?”  Evie looked to Levi for confirmation.

“Yeah,” he answered.  “She helped out some when I was trying to track the Rogue last year.  So she has at least some familiarity with what is going on.”

Even with all the anxiety swirling around inside her, Harley still managed to sprout some jealousy at knowing Levi has worked with another—beautiful and apparently amazing—Nocte last year that he never mentioned.  Harley didn’t realize she was narrowing her eyes at Levi until he raised a brow at her and looked like he was about to laugh.  She turned away quickly feeling somewhat embarrassed at getting caught being jealous.

Kai should be here two nights from now,” Rafe answered Evie’s question.

“Well,” Evie looked around.  “We are going to need more rooms.”

“That’s for sure,” Rafe muttered and Evie giggled.  Harley cringed and looked anywhere but either of them.

As they figured out room arrangements and moved their stuff around, Harley couldn’t stop thinking about her Nocte’s reaction earlier.  She found herself desperately wishing she was able to talk directly to the Nocte.  She needed to know what the devil knew.

Rafe and Evie took a room together and at one point it was suggested that Kai share a room with Harley and Levi, leaving Castor in his own room.  Harley figured it was easier for her to get quality time with both of her men if she kept them in separate rooms.  However, that thought barely crossed her mind before she realized that would put Levi and Kai in a room alone together if she chose to stay with Castor at some point.  She rolled her eyes at herself as she nixed that idea.  “No, no,” she insisted.  “There is no reason why the three of us can’t share a room.”  Levi and Castor both looked at each other with curious surprise.  Castor looked like he wanted to laugh but knew better than do so and Levi just shook his head and sat his bag back down beside the bed.

Harley flopped onto the bed and ignored them both.  Why in the hell am I jealous over someone I haven’t even met?  Unreasonable or not, she wouldn’t budge on this.  She was not going to let Levi stay alone in a room with this “gorgeous” Nocte.  You have no right to say who he can and can’t be alone with, right?  Shut up, she snapped at herself.  Her Nocte was distracted from her anxiety enough to be amused at Harley’s overreaction.

I really wish you could just tell me what I need to know, Harley addressed the creature that her psyche housed.  The devil’s disappointment was apparent.  Suddenly, a light bulb seemed to go off in her head.  As soon as she had the thought, guilt nagged at her gut.  It would mean breaking your promise to stop doing stupid—impulsive—stuff, Harley warned herself.  Her Nocte considered her idea and it worried her that the devil didn’t immediately agree with her.  This could be my stupidest idea yet…

Chapter 30

Late the next afternoon Harley returned to the room she shared with Levi and Cas.  Castor watched her sit heavily at the small corner table and pull a bottle of tequila out of a bag.  She set it firmly on the faux wood surface and tried to smile at him but it came out more like a grimace.  He looked at her questioningly, but didn’t ask what she was doing.  Harley leaned forward and grasped Levi’s foot.  Given that it was so close to night she hoped it wouldn’t be too hard to wake him.  After shaking his foot violently for several moments, then calling his name, Levi finally mumbled something indecipherable then flopped onto his back and blinking stupidly at her and Cas.  Castor chuckled and sat up at attention, realizing something was happening.

“What’s going on?” Levi mumbled.

“Are you fully awake?” Harley asked.

“Getting there,” he grunted.  He wasn’t happy to be awake already.

“I have a plan and I need to talk to you both.”

This finally got Levi’s attention and he sat up straighter and waiting for her to explain.  Harley looked from Levi to Cas and took a deep breath.  “My Nocte has information that I need.”  She stood up from her seat and retrieved three of the cheap plastic hotel cups.  She poured a small amount of tequila into each and gave one to Cas and the other to Levi.

“I’d rather not,” Cas stared at the pungent liquor dubiously.  “I’m not much of a drinker.”

“You’re going to need it,” Harley stated matter of fact.

Levi heard the edge to her voice and shrugged.  “Bottoms up.”  He tossed the shot back and held out the cup for more.  Cas shot the drink back and shuddered with displeasure.  Harley smiled at him and drank her shot quickly.  Half a bottle later they were all finally feeling just relaxed enough that Harley was ready to explain her plan.

“The only time I can fully, clearly communicate with my Nocte is when I am between life and death.”  Levi looked at her with his jaw set tight.  Cas, she could see, was already bracing himself.  Both men seemed to know where she was going and weren’t too happy with it.

“Absolutely not,” Cas declared.

“You haven’t even let me explain.”

“You don’t need to.  You aren’t going to ‘kill’ yourself so you can talk to your Nocte.”

Levi was still silent, but he had propped one elbow on his knee and rested his face in his hand.  He only wore jeans and his hair was sleep tousled.  His muscles flexed making the large tattoo on his shoulder and most of his arm look like it was alive and moving.

Harley turned back to Castor.  “I know you don’t like this idea, but we need all the information that we can get.  We are up against something huge here.  We need the advantage.”

Castor opened his mouth to speak, but Levi interrupted him.  “I guess you already have a way picked out?”  There was resignation to his voice and it made him sound tired and old.

Cas looked at him as if he had sprouted a second head.  “You can’t seriously be considering letting her do this.”

Harley narrowed her eyes at Castor.  “I appreciate your concern.  I honestly do.  But you aren’t going to ‘let’ me do anything.”

Cas looked like he was going to argue but Levi interrupted him again.  “I don’t even need to ask if you are going to do this with or without our help, do I?” he asked, looking at her finally.

“No,” Harley shook her head.  She held Levi’s gaze.  “I’m going to do this regardless.”

“How are you planning to do it?”  His words sounded hollow and dry.

“In the bathtub.  You’ll have to leave me in for a while.  Then pull me out and revive me.”

Levi let go of a breath he had been holding and stood.  He began pacing around the small room scratching at his chin and rubbing his face.  Wow! Harley thought.  Pacing AND rubbing his face.  He’s really stressed.  She gave him a small, tight smile.

“This is ridiculous,” Cas shook his head and stood in the narrow space between the two beds, ignoring Levi’s pacing.  “What if I stopped you?”

Harley laughed and then felt bad for it.  She softened her face and held Castor’s gaze.  “You won’t stop me from doing this.  If you try, I’ll leave here, do it somewhere else and hope that nothing goes wrong.  I’ll send an email telling you were to find me—I’ll set the email to send at a specific time so that you will—hopefully—give me enough time but still get to me before something bad happens.”

“Cas, just stop.”  Levi stopped his pacing stood in front of Castor.  “She’s right.’  Castor scowled at him.  “We need the information that her Nocte can give us.  This is the only way I can think of to do it.”

“So you’re what—going to hold her head under water and hope that you can bring her back?”

“Yes, that is exactly what I am going to do.”

Cas shook his head at Levi and Harley smiled.  Levi smiled back at her.  The look wasn’t a happy smile.  It was a “smile because that is the best thing to do at the moment” kind of smile.  “I’m not going to sit here and watch you kill Harley,” Castor spat the words at Levi.

Harley looked at Cas sadly.  “I really would like for you to be here with me for this.”

“No.  I’m not going to do it.”

Harley sighed and picked up the tequila bottle.  She took a long drink that left her cringing afterwards.  She turned from Castor and addressed Levi.  “Are you confident you can bring me back?”

“No,” he shook his head.  “But,” he addressed Castor while answering Harley’s question.  “I’m confident I have a better shot at bringing you back if I am here when you do it than if I’m trying to get to you later—after you’ve already drowned yourself.”

Cas shook his head again.  “If we worked together, we could stop her.  Make sure she can’t leave or do this.  Together we can overpower her.”

Harley’s anger rose up and her Nocte bristled.  The idea of Castor—with or without Levi—trying to physically overpower her raced across her and left a bitter fury in its path.  The fact that someone she cared about as much as she cared about Cas was willing to betray her that badly made her all the more angry—so angry her body was shaking.  The floor was dropping away from her.  Harley was relieved to see Levi staring wide-eyed at Castor.  Through clenched teeth, Harley growled.  “Try it and see what happens.”  Her hands clenched into fists and she only realized she was doing it when she her nails dug into her palms.

Levi held up his hands in between them.  “Everyone just calm down.  Cas, I know you are only saying these things because you love Harley and you are scared of what she wants to do.  But you have to trust her.  Us.  And Harley, you can’t expect someone that loves you to sit by quietly while you potentially kill yourself.  I don’t like this anymore than Cas does, but I’m not going to make it worse by fighting you on it.”

Castor shook his head again at them both.  He looked like he was trying to shake the last ten minutes out of his head.  “I’m not watching this.”  With that he pushed past Levi and left the room, banging the door shut behind him.

“Well,” Harley huffed.  “That sucked.”

Levi stared at the floor for a moment before looking up at her.  “I’m only going to ask you once.  Please don’t do this.  We will defeat the Sol and Alice with or without the information.  Don’t take this risk.”  His dark blue eyes pleaded with her.  He reached out and grasped her face before resting his chin on top of her head.

Harley felt horrible.  She was scared of what she was proposing to do.  She felt bad for the stress and anxiety she was causing the men she loved.  But her fear of what the Sol was going to do, and her anger and worry about Nya overrode her concerns for herself.  “I know you don’t like this.  But, even IF we can defeat the Sol and Alice without doing this, can you be sure that we will do it in time?  We don’t know how long we have before they hurt her.  They’ve not tried to contact us yet.  We have no idea what we are really up against.  But my Nocte could tell us.”  Her Nocte agreed silently—she may have been apprehensive when Harley first had the idea, but she was growing more comfortable with it.

Levi put his arms around Harley and squeezed her tight.  “OK,” his words came through a throat that was constricted.  “Let’s get ready.”

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

Less than thirty minutes later, Harley was sitting in a bathtub of warm water.  She was still wearing her bra and panties.  She felt stupid, but would have felt stupider if she were naked.  What if something went wrong and Levi had to call the others to help? Harley thought to herself.  They decided not to involve the rest of their team unless Levi was unable to revive her.  Harley didn’t want to go through the same argument with them all.  Harley also didn’t want an audience if she failed.

“Do you realize how mad everyone will be if this doesn’t work?” she giggled.  “For us to be working so hard to defeat the Sol and to have me accidentally kill myself?”  The situation was so tense that the old familiar mania bubbled inside her.  Levi looked at her steadily—no trace of humor in his stiff mouth and hard eyes.  The humor left her quickly and Harley swallowed before she spoke again.  “Is water the best way to do this?” she wondered out loud.  The idea of drowning suddenly sounded more terrifying than it had before.

Levi sighed, he looked like he was fighting with himself internally.  “It will get the job done with the least amount of damage to your body.”  Harley nodded.  “Besides,” he continued, “I can’t bring myself to break your neck—and that has its risks anyway.  And cutting a vein open isn’t likely to give you enough time before you start to heal.  You heal too fast.”

Harley nodded again.  She knew all of that already but needed to hear it said out loud.  She took a deep breath before she slid down in the water so that only her head was exposed.  Her hair billowed out around her shoulders and despite the water’s warmth, she was shivering.  She met Levi’s stare and smiled.  “Everything will be fine.”

Levi swallowed hard.  “I know.”  He tried to smile but it came off looking like he was in pain instead.

“Levi…”

“Yeah?”

“I really do love you.  And trust you.”

Levi gave her a real smile.  “I know.  I love you too.”

“And if things go wrong.  Tell everyone I’m sorry.  Especially Castor.”  Levi nodded.  “And tell him I love him too.”

Levi smiled again.  “Do I have to?”

Harley chuckled but didn’t answer the question.  She knew that he would.  Just like she knew that Levi would always do the right thing.  Nya explained it best before—Levi was able to put aside his feelings and do what needed to be done.  Castor couldn’t remove his emotions from his actions.  Harley didn’t consider either way better than the other.  I think those qualities are one of the things that I love the most about each of them.  She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.  “Thirty minutes?  Right?”

“Yep,” Levi sighed.  “I’ve seen Nocte revived after thirty minutes under water before.  I know for sure it can be done.  Make the time count though.  Because I won’t wait longer.”

“Good,” Harley laughed.  “OK.  Here I go.”  But she didn’t.  She started to slide her head under the water, but she hesitated.  She looked up at Levi leaning over the tub.  She had faith in him.  She knew that he would bring her back.  She took a deep breath again and slowly forced her own head under the water and waited to die.

Chapter 31

Harley was underneath the water.  She watched Levi’s murky reflection above her.  Even through the distortion of the water see saw worry darken his eyes.  She knew that she was going to be able to hold her breath for a long time, but she didn’t have any real idea of what to expect.  She focused on the warmth of the water around her and her hair floating like red seaweed above her.  Levi’s job was to help hold her under the water and she hoped that she wouldn’t instinctively fight too much.  She doubted he would be able to hold her down if she fought too hard.

Finally, after what seemed like an hour, but was surely only minutes, her lungs began to burn.  She prepared herself for the inevitable panic that would eventually take over as her brain realized it was not getting fresh oxygen.  Suddenly, her legs and hands began to twitch in their desire to pull herself out of the water.  Levi had been looking up and away from the sight before him.  But when her limbs began to move he refocused his attention on her.  Harley saw the dread on his face as he realized what was coming.

Now that Harley’s body was becoming aware of its situation, the whole process seemed to speed up.  The burning in her lungs intensified and she had to brace her hands and feet against the sides of the tub to keep herself submerged.  Looking like he hated himself for doing so, Levi placed a hand in the water and on her shoulder.  Her eyes shift even though her Nocte was trying to calm her body as well.  As the breath she held in escaped in a garbled cry she arched her back.  She was glad Levi’s hand was forcing her upper body to stay under because her lower body rose out of the water as if it was seeking the air all on its own.

Spots of black swam in the water above Harley’s head and she felt like her chest was going to collapse upon itself.  Unable to prevent it, her body sucked in a mouthful of water as it sought fresh air.  Her legs kicked and her fingers clawed at the tub but somehow she managed to prevent herself from fighting Levi’s grip on her chest.  She could see the tormented look on his face as her vision finally shrunk to pinpoints before going black.

In what seemed like only moments, Harley was surrounded by ice cold darkness.  The contrast was so different from the warm water of the bathtub that it made the cold all the worse.  Hello?  She was utterly alone in the darkness.  It felt like she was standing in the middle of a vast subterranean cave.  She had not considered the possibility that this might not work.  Hello? Harley tried again.

About time, a sarcastic gravelly voice slowly grew out of the darkness.  Harley felt the imposing presence of her Nocte manifest.  It was as if the darkness itself had come alive and she was no longer alone.

Let’s get down to business, Harley said.  I don’t know how long it took to get here.  We’ve only got thirty minutes and I don’t think time works the same way in this state.

It doesn’t, the Nocte snapped.  You HAVE to stop the Sol.  You can’t let them open the doorway as wide as they are trying.

Why?

Harley heard her Nocte’s sigh.  Here, there is a feeding order.  A food chain.  Humans are among the top of the land predators.  An apex predator, right?  The Nocte went on, not waiting for Harley to respond.  When humans encroach on another creature’s territory—when they enter the hunting grounds of another apex predator, they realize they aren’t at the top of the food chain anymore.  In the ocean—or the forest or jungle—bears and sharks or tigers, are the kings.

It is the same in my world—the Other world.  The Nocte rule the caverns and tunnels below ground.  The Lux live in the…trees would be the easiest thing here to equate their environment to.  The Ignis live on the ground.  Each species is the apex predator in their own environment.  The Ignis breed and multiply much quicker than Lux and Nocte.  They are scavengers—the hyenas and possum of our world.  They feed off chaos and discord.  For a long time they were the hunted, the prey.  But when their numbers started to dwindle they fought back.  Imagine if the hyena could figure out how to trick the humans and lions into running into each other’s paths there would be no end to their feast.  They would dine like kings on the carnage.  The Nocte’s dragon voice caused chills to ripple through Harley’s psyche.

The Ignis caused wars and strife between our kinds for as long as we can remember.  We live entirely separate, but we must all hunt on the surface.  The Ignis found ways to create problems between our kinds.  Threats, jealousies, mistrusts.  Anything to cause discord and hostility.  Eventually, we all realized that if we wanted to survive, the Nocte and Lux would have to find a peace.  We had a common enemy and if we worked together—or at the very least stopped fighting each other—we could overcome the Ignis.

And it worked—mostly.  We learned to hunt the Ignis together instead of fighting over hunting grounds.  The lion and the human united against the hyena.  The lion ate the hyenas without fear of the human hunters and the humans lived without fear of the lion.  The sheer numbers of the Ignis and the ease with which they produce offspring made them nearly impossible to eradicate completely.  But we got close.

What no one considered though is that even scavengers serve their purpose.  The Nocte and the Lux were running out of food.  We had to feed off lesser creatures.  Their life forces—their energies will not sustain a body as long as an Ignis.  It’s like being on a diet.  Never feeling completely full or satisfied.  Harley began to see where this was going and it caused her to feel heavy and the space that should have been her heart was a stone in her chest.

The Nocte and the Lux are not unlike humans in the fact that there are good and bad in us all.  Some are jerks and some are wonderful.  Some of each couldn’t stand living as we had to.  Someone discovered that we could feed off each other.  I don’t know if it was a Nocte or a Lux that first discovered it.  It doesn’t matter.  What does matter is that some found it to be an alternative to feeding on Ignis.  Disgust colored the dry cracked voice of the Nocte.  It’s cannibalism.  Here or there—it’s a horrid act.  I’m not going to pretend that no Nocte did it.  But it was a group of Lux that caused the most problems.  As they fed on other Lux—and Nocte as well—they got stronger.  The group called themselves…well just call them…the Eaters—its close enough.

Harley finally interrupted.  But we feed off Levi and Castor?  How is that different?  She was uneasy with the implications of the picture that the Nocte was painting.

We don’t take their lives.  We share energy and power.  It might be taboo…but it’s not an abomination.  Her voice was sharp and defensive.  The Eaters consume the power of their own kind.  The lion eating the lion.  The problem was the Lux and Nocte who fed on lesser creatures were not as strong as the ones who fed on Ignis.  The Eaters needed Lux and Nocte to feed on Ignis.  The Ignis needed the Lux and Nocte to fight to feed.  The Lux and the Nocte were fighting the Ignis not only to stop their destruction—but now to fight the Eaters as well.  The Other world was chaos.  So much fighting and so much death.  The Nocte trailed off for a moment and Harley felt her sadness and despair as her own.

When the humans discovered the doorway between the worlds they were looking for eternal life, I believe.  The Ignis were looking for a place where they could flourish again.  And they found it.  They found a world populated with humans who were easily manipulated.  A smorgasbord.  When the Lux and the Nocte realized what was happening we started coming here too.  It was a place where we could feed again.  And—we felt like we had to.  It was our duty.  Our problems bleeding over into another world.  And, I’m not going to lie—our world is not a place to be anymore.  But, still, I didn’t want to leave.  I wanted to help restore order, make things right.

Then, the one calling himself Haddon broke through.  The Sol Invictus thought they were bringing their savior back—but instead they brought one of the strongest Eaters through to this world.  When the Nocte said Haddon’s name a brilliant white light flashed through the darkness causing both Harley and the Nocte to pause.  They waited to see if anything else was going to happen and when it didn’t the Nocte continued.

Haddon was one of the strongest Eaters.  I hunted him for years.  When he crossed over I followed.  I knew that if I didn’t stop him he would bring about even more destruction in this world than ours.  If allowed to rise to power here, there would be nothing stopping him from tearing his way through the Vigilum and Praesidio.  Leaving humans to be the grass on which the cows graze as the lions pick them off.

The Nocte’s story caused Harley’s metaphysical body to ache.  But we stopped Haddon.  The knowledge that something as evil as Haddon now lived inside her twisted her guts and made her feel dirty.

Trust me, I don’t really like it any more than you do.  But I think Haddon—another bright flash of light—is just fine with his situation for now.  He gets the power he has always been seeking.  His independence may have been sacrificed, but he seems to have settled for what he does have.

What is the Sol about to bring over?  Harley asked, apprehension constricting her mind as it would her lungs.

Haddon wasn’t the leader of the Eaters.  He wasn’t the strongest.  His brother was.  The Nocte’s words caused more bright flashing.  This time it didn’t stop after one.  Blinding white light bounced around inside Harley’s skull.  Harley and the Nocte were both silent until it passed.

He seems a bit angry.  Harley guessed.

I don’t think he and his brother got along so well in the end.  I think—and this is just a guess—that is why Haddon decided to cross over.  Like most groups hunting power, everyone wants to be the strongest.  The flashes of light burst again.  This time less bright and violent.  Harley suspected it was in agreement and she shivered at the strange invasion of the Lux’s presence in her head.

Let me guess, Harley sighed.  You think the Sol is about to bring over the leader of the Eaters?  More mild flashes of light and Harley’s heart sunk.

I began to suspect that when Haddon stopped working against us.  He doesn’t seem to want the Sol to succeed either.  Why else would he want to prevent something that shares his values and goals from coming here?  Unless it was going to be stronger—better at getting what he wants?  I think the Helion that Alice referred to is Haddon’s brother.

Harley was sure her Nocte was right.  The source of her uneasiness over the word Helion made sense now.  I guess that is why Haddon stopped fighting us, right?

That is my theory.  I think the combination of you both deciding to stop fighting each other has led to this union.  We are all happier and better off working for the same goal.  If we kept fighting amongst ourselves we will waste too much energy.

Inside and out, Harley thought to herself.  How do you come here?  Why would the Lux choose to bond with an Ignis or a Nocte?

The Nocte seemed to hesitate.  Those who come here have to be willing to come here.  Our bond begins differently.  It’s complicated.  But, to put it crudely, once a body becomes available our energy, our life force, has to “fit.”  If a Lux wasn’t willing, seeking, a bond that would give them power at the expense of hybridization, then it wouldn’t be accepted.  The Lux, or Nocte, energy would still be in a holding pattern—so to speak.  It’s once the bond actually starts that the wills involved have to accept each other to survive.

So, how do we stop the Sol?  How do we make sure this creature can’t cross over?

First, I think we need to make sure they can’t open the door way.  I think they want to use us.  But if they can’t, I wouldn’t put it past them to try use Alice.  They will try to open the doorway as wide as it has ever been.  Even if Haddon’s brother doesn’t break through—there is no telling how many creatures could come through a doorway that size.  I think—

Suddenly, Harley was falling again.  She crashed back into her body with a violent and sudden awareness.  Her body began coughing and choking on water as her lungs fought to dispel the liquid.  Harley opened her eyes to see Levi leaning over her looking relieved beyond words.  Castor was on the other side and both men seemed to collapse in upon themselves as the worried tension left their bodies.  Harley continued to cough and vomit water.  It was as if she had the weight of an elephant pressing down upon her entire body and she gasped for air.

When she finally had enough oxygen in her system to feel as if she could speak she opened her mouth.  Her words came out in a raspy, but clear whisper.  “The Sol will kill us all.”

Chapter 32

After Harley told Castor and Levi what she learned, Levi went to tell the others.  She and Cas sat facing each other on one of the beds.  The sun was just beginning to rise and Castor looked exhausted.  “You didn’t sleep all night, did you?”  Harley had dressed and was drinking more of the tequila to calm her nerves.  Her body had recovered but she was still emotionally shaken.

“No.”  Castor’s voice was rough with the lack of sleep, and probably from worry as well.

“When did you come back?”

“When I felt you die?”

“You felt it?”

“Yes.  It was like my brain just…went…cold.  I panicked.”  His eyes were empty, haunted.

Harley reached out and touched his arm gently.  His muscles flexed beneath his warm skin.  “I’m fine.”  She knew her words wouldn’t alleviate his worry and anguish, but she wanted to try.

Castor grabbed Harley’s hand and pulled her to him.  She chuckled as she landed awkwardly in his lap.  He pulled her back to his front and squeezed.  “I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.”

“You would go on,” she laughed, trying to add a little humor to the situation.  “Cas,” Harley began before he could interrupt her.  “I love you, I do.  But we both have a job to do here.  A bigger picture that we have to focus on.”  She felt him tense.

“I know that.  But I don’t think you need to take the risks that you do.  You—”

“Castor!”  Harley’s voice was firm, but gentle.  “They are my choices to make.”

Castor sighed.  “I know that.  But you have to remember that your actions affect other people too.”

Harley stopped arguing with him.  He was right.  So was she.  They both knew that, so they had come to an impasse.  Harley scooted to the head of the bed and Castor followed her.  It wasn’t long before they both fell asleep.

As Harley slept, she dreamed.  She dreamed she was flying, surrounded by brilliant, bright light.  At first the feeling was peaceful, freeing and exhilarating.  But, suddenly, it wasn’t.  She realized that something was chasing her.  Bearing down on her, the dark shadow blocked out much of the warm, comforting light.  She flew harder as the shadow got darker and darker.  Her wings ached and burned as she tried to outrun the impending doom.

Just as Harley was sure that the creature chasing her down was going to snatch her out of the sky, she became aware of the warm pull of Castor in her mind.  Her heart pounded in her chest and her throat was dry.  She sat up, taking deep calming breaths.  Castor was not in bed with her.  He didn’t appear to be in the bathroom either.  She assumed he had gone out to hunt even though she felt him with her.  “I’ll be back soon,” she heard his voice in her head when she probed at the connection.  Harley looked at Levi’s sleeping form in the next bed.  He must have come back in while she and Castor slept.  She shivered.  The room wasn’t particularly cold, but she felt incredibly exposed and alone.  She couldn’t shake the feeling of being chased.  She scooted from her bed and climbed into Levi’s.  He barely grunted but wrapped himself around her without waking up.

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

The next evening everyone gathered in Harley’s room and it was crowded.  Harley, Levi, Castor all sat on one bed.  Evie and Rafe sat on the other.  Kai, the newest addition, sat at the small desk.  Harley avoided looking at her for too long.  Evie had been right.  Kai was beautiful with short black hair and almond shaped eyes that were nearly black as her hair.  Harley’s insides turned to stone when Kai bounced into the room as Evie opened the door.  Evie had to take a step back, laughing, when she tackled her with a hug.  Harley had been pretty sure that she growled out loud in response to the newcomer.  Then Kai had hugged Rafe and finally Levi.  Harley didn’t fail to notice that she hugged Levi for longer than either of the other two.  This time she was sure that she growled out loud because Castor slapped her arm lightly.  Harley glanced at him guiltily and he smirked lightly until Kai reached out to shake his hand.

Then it was Harley’s turn.  Kai thrust her hand forward and Harley looked at it for a moment, debating whether she could get away with not shaking it or not.  Stop it!  If you don’t shake it everyone will think you are an asshole.  Harley forced her hand to extend and grasp the newcomer’s hand.  Don’t squeeze too hard!

“You must be Harley that Levi talks about so much,” Kai chirped.

Well played, little one, try to put me at ease…  Harley chastised herself.  She’s the same height as you!  Where the hell is this jealously coming from?  Harley shook her head.  “Unless he’s bought a new motorcycle, I must be.”  Harley forced herself to smile but her face felt rubbery.  Kai laughed at Harley’s joke, it was a high pitched giggle that grated on Harley’s nerves.  Everyone else smiled seemed relieved that Harley was trying to play nice.

Levi sat on the bed next to Harley.  She looked at him gratefully and he rolled his eyes at her as if he knew what she was thinking.  She saw Cas shake his head on the other side of her.  Introductions through, they got down to updating each other.  When Levi told Kai about Harley’s foray into…death…whatever that state should be called, Kai’s narrow eyebrows shot up towards her spiky hair.

“Oh!  You did that?!  I’m impressed.  What’s it like?”

“It’s stupid, is what it’s like,” Evie scowled at Harley.

Harley sheepishly grinned.  She wanted to like Kai, she really did.  “It’s…intense,” she admitted.

“I wonder if any of us can do that,” Kai asked her.  Harley shrugged even though Kai didn’t seem to need an answer.  Kai kept looking at her as if she were a celebrity.  The new Nocte was open and friendly and Harley found herself intrigued by the little warrior.   Why does she have to be so darn likable?

“So, basically, if we don’t stop the Sol, there is a very good chance they will be bringing a Lux to our world who’s purpose and goal will be to kill and eat—” Harley shuddered, “—as many Lux and Nocte that he can.”

“Not to mention the humans that will die along with us,” Evie added.

“Anyway,” Levi interjected.  “That’s what we know.  Have you been able to find out anything about Landon?”

“Nope,” Kai shook her head.  “No one has heard from him since Evie spoke to him last.”

“So, what do we do now?”  Evie asked.  “We don’t know for sure where Nya is.  And even if we find her, we KNOW that they want Harley to come in after her.  They want to get their hands on Harley.”

“Well, let’s get down to business and make some real plans then,” Harley suggested.

Evie clapped her hands and sounded uncannily like Nya.  “Priority number one.  Find where the Sol are staying.”

Harley smiled at the blonde Nocte.  She hadn’t expected Evie to be so “take charge” but she liked it.  If asked before, she would have assumed that Rafe would have been in charge considering he was technically a captain and not far behind Nya in the chain of command.  Harley looked to Rafe who watched Evie with admiration.  She found her respect for him growing.  He seemed comfortable with the fact that Evie was a better leader than he was.  Harley grumbled to herself, annoyed at having to adjust her opinions about people.

Chapter 33

Before they were able to locate the Sol Invictus, events happened to spur the group into quicker action.   Just after sundown Harley, Levi and Castor were eating pizza in their room when someone made them all jump by banging on the door.  All of them had tuned out the sounds and smells from outside their room.  Supernatural hearing and smell was pretty great until you could hear the couple down the hall having sex and the guy walking past your room fart.  They all stared at the door for a moment before Castor, closest to the door, got up to answer it.

They all knew who was at the door before Cas opened it.  They smelled Rafe and Evie from the hall and they both rushed when Cas held the door for them.  Harley could tell right away that something was wrong.  Rafe and Evie both had dilated eyes and heavy beating hearts.  Rafe carried his laptop with him that he sat on the desk as he slid into the chair and Evie plopped onto the bed next to the door.  Harley’s heart thumped against her chest at the alarmed look both their faces.

“What’s up?” Harley asked, apprehension edging her words.

“You haven’t seen the news, have you?” Evie asked.

“No.” Levi answered, looking at both Harley and Cas from the corner of his eye.

Without speaking Rafe clicked a few buttons on his computer and spun it so that they could see the video he had opened.  Harley’s heart dropped and she and her Nocte braced for the bad news that was sure to come.  It was a news report from earlier in the morning.  A blonde reporter stood in front of a smoking building.  The tall structure looked vaguely familiar and Harley had a hard time piecing together what the too perky blonde was trying to report.  The pieces slowly dropped into place creating a picture that made her blood follow her heart to her feet.

Early in the morning hours “someone” broke into a dorm at a local college.  The reason it seemed familiar to Harley was because it was a dormitory on the campus of her old college.  The firefighters and police were still trying to work out what had happened, but they were sure that people had been attacked.  Someone reported seeing at least three people—one possibly a female—leaving a room covered in blood.  A short time later the dorm went up in flames.  At least four people were unaccounted for currently.

“Oh no,” Harley moaned.  “Alice?”

“I can’t imagine who else,” Evie growled.  “Even Burners know better than to make such a scene.”

Harley rested her face in her hands and groaned.  “How is she attacking people already?  It’s barely been a week since her bond.  It took me over a week before I felt like getting up and out.  Let alone hunting.”

“And are we sure she attacked these people?  What would be the point?” Cas asked.

“Good question,” Levi nodded.  “It’s entirely possible the ones attacked were Ignis.”

“Then what’s the point of setting fire to the dorm.  The bodies would have taken care of themselves?” Harley shrugged.

“Covering her tracks?  Recklessness?” Rafe guessed.

“Well, surely the Vigilum will listen to us now?” Harley looked to Castor.

He ran a hand over his hair.  “I just don’t know.  I would like to think so, but I don’t have a good feeling.”

“Well,” Evie reasoned.  “Is there ANYONE you can call and feel out?”

Castor thought for a moment before shrugging.  “Maybe.  I can try James.  He is a Commander that I worked with a long, long time ago.  We always stayed on good terms.”  He didn’t sound confident but it was still good enough for Harley.

“You might as well try.”

“Yeah.  I’ll try it.  I have to wait until morning though.”

“Where is Kai?” Levi asked.  “Does she know about this?”

“Yeah, she saw it with us.  She went out to hunt,” Evie answered.

“The four people missing could be humans, or Burners or some combination of,” Levi said, half to himself.  “If they don’t find bodies at all then we’ll have to assume that those missing were Burners.  Let’s hope they were Burners.”  Levi didn’t sound like he held out much hope.

“Well, if we are lucky, no humans will have been hurt.  Think of all that ruined stuff and wasted money though.  I thought Ignis fed off misery—why is Alice causing this kind of suffering?”  Harley’s anger was growing.  But so was her exhaustion and hunger.  She was tired of fighting Vigilum.  They were supposed to be on the same side.  Finally, she huffed out a frustrated breath.  “I’m going out to hunt.”

“I’ll come with you,” Levi said, rising from his spot on the bed.

Castor, who hunted earlier in the day, began clearing away the pizza boxes.  “I’m up way past my bedtime.  I just want to sleep right now.”

They all agreed to meet back in Harley’s room just after dawn to see what Castor had found out.

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

Harley hunted alone that night.  When Levi had offered to come with her she nicely turned him down.  She explained that she needed time alone to think.  Levi looked at her carefully and suspiciously until she swore she wasn’t up to anything and wasn’t going to do anything stupid.  She left, shaking her head but knowing she deserved the third degree.

As she walked down Bardstown Road, Harley became bombarded with Ignis buzz.  She wasn’t sure if there were just more in this area than Fourth Street but the number of Burners was concerning.  Louisville was a decently sized city, but even for a city this size there seemed to be an unusually high number of Burners concentrated in one area.  Ducking under an awning of a boutique that was closed for the night, Harley pulled out her phone and texted Levi.  Even just by sight and smell the number of Ignis was detectable.

“Are you noticing a lot of Burners in your area?” Harley didn’t have to wait long for a response.

“Yes.  Same on your end?”

“Yes.  I’m going to check with Evie and see if they notice the same thing.”  Harley sent a quick text to Evie and got a reply moments later.

“Yep.  Kai noticed it too when she was out.”

“Any ideaswhat is going on?”

“Not yet :( Be careful.”

“You too…”

After texting Levi to tell him the others had noticed the same thing, Harley raised her hood and began walking again.  Moments later she found two female Burners moving quickly with their backs to her.  Both of them were taller than she and one had shoulder length dirty blonde hair while the other had platinum blonde hair—an obvious dye job.  Harley was upon them so fast that they didn’t have time to turn.  Harley swung her machete and decapitated the platinum blonde.  The darker blonde spun ready to defend herself.

Harley was caught off balance as the Burner leapt at her.  They both crashed to the ground and Harley’s head bounced off the sidewalk.  The Ignis took a deep breath above a Harley’s face.  The action caused her to freeze in confusion for a moment.  The Ignis smiled, her feral eyes flashing.

“It’s you,” the Burner hissed.

“Excuse me?” Harley asked calmly.

“The Dark Hybrid,” the Burner took another deep breath.  “There is a price on your head—or heart rather…” she chuckled.

Harley and her Nocte both tensed.  “Who has put a price on my heart?”  They two women continued to lie on the sidewalk having a conversation as if there were nothing unusual going on at all.

“The Light Hybrid.”

The hair on Harley’s neck stood on end.  So Alice has named us now?  “Well, how much is my heart worth?”

“Oh, she’s not offering money,” the Burner chuckled.

“Well, what is she offering then?”  Harley’s machete hand was trapped between their bodies but she kept her grip on the handle and let the blade lie across her body.  Instead of getting an answer, Harley’s left side erupted in burning pain.  “Ow!” she snarled, realizing the Ignis had stabbed her in the ribs with what felt like a silver knife.  Since when do Ignis carry silver knives?

The Burner rolled off Harley and hopped to her feet.  Harley yanked the small dagger from her side and flung it toward the Ignis.  The blade was off center and embedded itself in her shoulder.  The Burner stumbled backwards twisting the dagger free which gave Harley enough time to roll to her own feet.  She came at Harley with the dagger poised for attack.  On guard, Harley was able to kick the small blade away and snatch the Ignis to her by a handful of hair.  Not giving her time to fight, Harley sank her fangs into the woman’s neck.

The streets were deserted this time at night so Harley wasn’t particularly worried about being seen.  However, she dragged the woman to a grassy walkway between a closed café and a music store.  She was like a dog tugging its kill away for burial.  Harley slumped against the brick wall of the café as the intensity of the feed washed over her.  When the blood ran cold Harley released her grip on the Burner and let her roll off her lap.  After a moment to collect herself, she climbed to her feet, dusted off and made her way back to the hotel.  Great, like we really needed to have Ignis actively hunting for me on top of everything else…

Chapter 34

As Harley approached her hotel room door she caught the scent of blood—Nocte blood.  She knew right away it was Levi’s blood she smelled and she lengthened her stride until she was nearly running.  She pulled the key from her pocket, flung the door open and was greeted with the sight of Levi lying on the bed with no shirt.  His entire torso was covered in blood and Kai leaned over him wiping the blood away.  The wound wasn’t gushing but it was still healing.  Castor stood to the side with his hand over his mouth looking grim.  Everyone turned towards her as she burst into the room.

Harley ignored the twinge of jealousy that shot through her at seeing Kai tending to Levi’s wound.  “What the hell happened?”  She closed the distance from the door to the bed in what seemed like one huge step.  Her panic and worry only eased slightly when she saw that he seemed to be alert and not in distress.

Levi groaned and relaxed when he saw it was her.  He focused an angry gaze on the ceiling.  Before he had a chance to explain, everyone looked to the door again as they heard Evie and Rafe hurrying down the hall.  They burst into the room with the same alarm that Harley had.  “What’s going on?” Evie exclaimed seeing Levi covered in blood.  Kai backed away with a small smirk and her hands in the air as Harley knelt on the edge of the bed and began wiping at the wound herself.  Levi put a hand on her knee and squeezed to reassure her that he was OK.

Levi grunted in pain again before answering everyone’s question.  “I was hunting and was ambushed by a whole pack of Burners.  I think there were about fifteen.  One of them finally got in a good shot.  He stabbed me in the stomach with this huge knife.  I don’t know how I wasn’t gutted.  Something was wrong with the knife though.  It looked silver but it hurt worse than any silver wound I’ve had before.”  His voice was strained with pain and exhaustion.  “I was only able to get away because Kai heard the commotion and came and helped me out.”

The twinge of jealously increased to a jab that manifested in the mostly healed wound in her side.  The lingering throb of the wound supported Levi’s claim.  “I think the Burners are carrying some kind of special weapons.  I got stabbed tonight too.”  Everyone looked at her in alarm.  Cas hurried to her side.  “I’m OK now.  It was a side wound and healed mostly when I fed.  I don’t think its normal silver either.  It still hurts a little.  I think Alice used the same kind of wires when she was holding me for the bond.”

“So we think Alice is behind the weird stuff going on with the Ignis?” Evie asked.

“Unfortunately, I know she is.”  She continued to wipe blood away from Levi’s wound that looked as if it were finally knitting itself closed.  “One of the Burners I killed tonight said the ‘Light Hybrid’ has a hit out on me.  A ‘price on my heart.’”

“Light Hybrid?” Levi grunted, trying to sit up but Harley pushed him back down.

“Apparently, I’m the Dark Hybrid and Alice is the Light Hybrid.  I don’t know who made up those names.”

“So are they tracking us again?” Cas asked.

“I don’t see how,” Rafe scratched at his chin thinking.

“Maybe they, or Alice, are just using common sense.  They have to know we wouldn’t go far.  And isn’t a city the best place to hide out if you wanted to blend in and not be noticed?” Evie reasoned.  No one disagreed with her logic.

“Well, what do we do now?” Kai asked.  Her short, spikey hair was styled into a faux-hawk and she was dressed in all black and even wore black lipstick but she only painted her bottom lip—the top was bare.

“First, Castor, you need to call your contact.  See what you can figure out.  Then I think we need to get out of here.  Daylight or not, we should move before the Burners pick up on our energies.  Castor’s presence can’t soften our signatures for too long,” Evie warned everyone.

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

Castor made his phone call and Harley began packing their stuff while Levi rested. Evie, Rafe and Kai went to gather their things as well.  Cas had not wanted to make the call in their room so he left to find more privacy and Harley suspected, to give her and Levi privacy as well.  After Harley set all of their stuff next to the door and she laid next to Levi on the bed.  She pulled him close and he rested his head on her breast.  She ran her fingers through his hair and he sighed.  Finally, when she didn’t have something distracting her, the reality of the situation settled over her body like cold water.  Levi could have died tonight.  Her shiver was echoed in her Nocte shudder.

“Are you cold?” Levi mumbled.

“No, not really.”

Levi must have sensed something in her voice.  He almost always saw beyond what she said.  He raised himself gingerly.  “I’m OK.  I promise.”  He gave her his half smile.

Harley returned the gesture.  “I know,” she whispered.  “I think I just got a little taste of my own medicine tonight.”

Levi grinned at her.  “Maybe you’ll remember that.”  He laughed at the look on her face.  “Or maybe you’ll at least try to remember that?”

Harley didn’t answer, instead, she wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him closer.  His body heat, nearly feverish, warmed her.  She pulled his face to her neck and he hesitated only a moment before taking the strength he needed from her.  And when she fed from him she was reassured that, despite being wounded, Levi was as strong as he ever was.  His power and energy connected with hers and wrapped her in comfort.  The pain in his stomach became her own, and she was relieved when she felt her blood healing his wound.

When Cas returned to the room over an hour later, Harley smiled at how loudly and slowly he was walking.  He even cleared his throat a couple of times before she heard his key in the card reader.  He opened the door slowly and crept into the room.  Even though it was early morning and the sun had brightened the day, the room was dark with the curtains closed.  Harley knew he could see just as well as she did in the dark, and she smiled a greeting at him.  He returned the look and sat a bag of supplies on the dresser.  He made his way to the bathroom and Harley closed her eyes.  She was tired and needed sleep and she wished that she could let Levi sleep.  His wound was healed, but she knew that he would take longer than she did to completely recover.

Harley sat up in the bed and leaned over Levi.  She pressed her lips to his and even though he smiled he still didn’t wake.  Finally, by the time Cas came out of the bathroom Harley had resorted to shaking Levi.  Grumpily, he looked at them both and groaned before sitting up in the bed.

“Get dressed,” she nudged him again.  “Evie and everyone else will be here soon.”  Harley got out of bed and pulled on a pair of clean jeans and boots.  She took the tee-shirt off that she had been napping in and pulled on a sports bra.  She tried not to chuckle at the fact that Levi and Castor both avoided looking at her half-naked while the other was in the room.  Finally, she pulled on a heavy sweater and braided her hair.

By the time they were dressed, Evie, Rafe and Kai were knocking at the door.  Harley looked at the Nocte slumped around the room.  She and Cas were the only ones who looked awake and fully functioning.  “What did you find out?” she asked him.  She bit into a doughnut groaned with pleasure.  Blood may give her strength, but fresh, warm doughnuts shouldn’t be taken for granted.  Castor sighed and Harley knew he didn’t have good news.

“I think James suspects that we—I—might be right.  But he is confident that the Vigilum won’t believe us.”

“Why not?” Evie scowled.

“The Vigilum has always been suspicious of the Praesidio,” Cas raised his hands palms up, in a helpless manner.  He let them fall back onto his lap.

“But the stuff at the dorm happened during the day.  Who else would have done it?  Especially if Ignis died.”

“And some Burners DID die,” Rafe interrupted.  When everyone looked at him he explained further.  “The news is now saying that there were two bodies in the fire—those have to be human.  But there are still three ‘people’ unaccounted for.  I’m pretty sure they were Ignis.”

“Doesn’t that make a difference?” Evie asked Castor.

Cas looked at her apologetically.  “I brought up the same thing.  He said that it could have been you who did it.”  He looked at Harley with even more remorse.

“Well that’s just stupid,” Evie spat.  Being awake during the day really dampened her normal pleasantness Harley noticed with a slight smile.

“For what it’s worth,” Cas offered.  “I don’t think James believes its Harley.  He seems to trust me—even if he doesn’t like what I’m saying.”

“Is he willing to help us?” Levi asked rubbing at his eyes.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Cas shook his head.  “I didn’t tell him where we were or give him many details about what we were doing.  I trust him—but not that much.  I can’t be sure that he couldn’t trace my call either,” Cas added, almost as an afterthought.

Evie nodded and looked at the floor.  The frustration added to the exhaustion on the blonde Nocte’s face.  Finally she sighed and stood.  “Well, let’s get out of here.  I don’t want to hang around and wait for the Burner’s to track us—or Lux for that matter.”

“Where are we heading?” Harley asked.  It was easy to let Evie take over.  She seemed to slip right into Nya’s leadership role and Harley was grateful for it.  With everything else she had going on she didn’t want to be calling any shots.

“Back to Lexington?  It’s close to the college Alice attacked—but still in a larger city so it should be easier to blend in.”

“Let’s do this then,” Castor picked up his and Harley’s bags.  “I can drive our truck,” he said to Harley.  “Can you drive theirs?”

“Sure.”  As they all piled into the vehicles, Harley couldn’t help but feel like they were jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

Chapter 35

Back in Lexington the six of them found a hotel that catered to long term stays.  They got three rooms that connected and settled in.  Harley paced the room.  Night was falling but she was still feeling agitated.  Levi was catching up on a few hours of sleep while he could.  Cas left to go buy a new phone and some other supplies they might need.  He had tossed the phone that he had used to call James into the river before they headed towards Lexington—just in case James, or any of the Vigilum were able to track the cell he used to call.

Harley was worrying over the fact that they had not heard from the Sol.  They took Nya a week ago and had not bothered to try to contact them.  It was becoming apparent that they weren’t going to try to lure Harley to them using Nya as bait.  What are they wanting then?  What are they up to?  Harley wished she could lay down with Levi and get some sleep, but she knew better than to try.  She had too much going on in her head to be able to relax and fall asleep.

Just before nightfall they all gathered in Harley’s room that she was again sharing with Levi and Castor.  Kai was standing on one of the beds bouncing lightly.  Rafe and Evie sat at the desks and Harley and Castor sat on the other bed.  Levi stood near the door.  He seemed to be on the verge of pacing and Harley wondered if he was picking up on her anxiety or if everyone was feeling tense.

Rafe was combing through the local news websites trying to find reports on activities that they could attribute to an influx of Burners, or to Alice and her crew.  Evie was flipping through the evening news looking for anything suspicious.  “Hey!” Rafe jumped in his own excitement.  “I think I’ve got something.  Last night there were seven arrests in one area.  They ranged from assaults to drugs arrests.  The reports indicate an increase in arrests in that area.  It’s the distillery district and there are a lot of bars still in the area, but there doesn’t seem to normally be this many arrests.”

“I know the area,” Harley nodded.  “It’s a popular for small concerts and stuff, but it’s still out of the way and kind of secluded.  I could see Burners congregating there.”

“Well, let’s go then.  I’m tired of sitting around and waiting for something to happen,” Levi grumbled pushing himself away from the dresser.

Everyone began gathering weapons, including Castor.  Harley looked at him skeptically.  She could already see the circles forming beneath his eyes and sense his declining energy.  “Don’t worry,” he huffed at her.  “I’m planning on hanging back and being the eyes from above.”  Harley was still wary, she would have preferred he stay safely at the hotel but she didn’t insult or embarrass him by arguing.

Harley watched her friends walking in front of her and smiled.  Despite Harley’s personal differences with Kai and Rafe, she cared for them as well.  These creatures, these people, were her friends and family.  The hole that Nya’s absence left bled freely, but Harley was comforted by the friends that she had with her.  She knew each of them would die for her and her for them.  Action did wonders to soothe the agitation that flowed through her.  She breathed a sigh of relief as she and Cas climbed into their SUV and Levi pulled away from the curb.  Evie followed them in the other truck with Kai and Rafe.

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

Levi and Evie had barely parked when Harley gritted her teeth against the buzz of the Burners.  “Wow,” she groaned.

“What?” Levi looked at her with concern.

“There are a LOT of Burners here.”  She slid her machete back into its leather sheath after climbing out of the vehicle.  She always had to take it off to ride in a vehicle or she wouldn’t have been able to sit in the seat properly.

Levi looked back at Cas.  “You got your ear piece in?”

“Yes.”  Harley didn’t miss the annoyance in Castor’s voice.  He never liked it when Levi second guessed him.

Harley pressed the button on the microphone strapped firmly around her neck.  “Testing…”

“Got it,” Levi answered.

“Yep,” Cas also confirmed.

“Yea,” from Evie.

“Yo,” from Kai.

“Greetings,” from Rafe.  Harley rolled her eyes and Levi and Cas shook their heads.

“OK,” Evie spoke forcefully as they all gathered together outside Levi’s side of the truck.  Cas climbed into the driver’s seat in case they needed a fast getaway.  When we need a fast getaway, Harley grumbled to herself.  She couldn’t shake the feeling that this was a bad idea.  She knew that they needed to do SOMETHING, but she wasn’t sure if this was exactly what they should be doing.  The fire was feeling more than a little hot right now and again she was starting to think they should have just stayed in the frying pan.

“Everyone keep your eye out for Alice or one of her crew,” Evie continued giving commands.  “Hopefully the Ignis won’t notice us, but if they do, try to keep them outside.  We don’t want to start a brawl if we don’t have to.  We just want to try to stop Alice from doing any more damage and try to take her alive if possible.  We need answers.”

They all agreed and made their way towards O’Neel’s Pool Hall.  It was on Shire Street and was one of the larger bars in the area that hosted a lot of small concerts.  Harley had been here as a human more than once.  She focused on blocking out the alarm that rang in her head.  She might be able to pick up on the Ignis telepathically, but they wouldn’t be able to pick up on her specifically, even though they would no doubt sense the energies of the Nocte coming into their midst.  Harley hoped that the large amount of humans would help dispel their presence.  They might know that they were here, but they wouldn’t be able to pick them out of the crowd of humans as easily as she would be able to spot them.

Inside the bar a loud rock band played on stage.  Humans, and numerous Ignis “danced” to the loud guitars and heavy base beats.  The dancing consisted mostly of slamming into each other and Harley took moment to collect herself.  The energy flowing off the crowd was violent and aggressive.  She knew it wasn’t the music causing the tumult of the crowd.  It was the Burners that egged it all on.  They were pushing the humans into situations that caused the tension in the room to climb.  Harley saw groping, pushing and shoving, beer spilling and all around mayhem beginning to overwhelm the people in the crowd.  O’Neel’s wasn’t a place big enough for a mosh pit, but one had manifested out of the mood of the crowd.  Harley watched the club’s bouncers fight for control.

Evie, Rafe and Kai split up to cover outside.  Harley and Levi were the only ones going into the club.  They hoped that by spreading out they would lessen the chances of the Ignis discovering they were there.  Levi and Harley split up to cover as much of the bar as possible.  She caught his eye and saw the same concern that she knew was in her own.  The air was thick with anger, fear, lust and hate and it crawled across her skin and lifted the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck.  She could see that even some of the humans were picking up on the feeling as well.  It was as if she was watching the countdown on a bomb.  In crowds like this it only took one spark to set the whole thing ablaze.  She helped several young women push and shove their way out of the crowd.  They obviously sensed the impending danger and they made a beeline for the door after calling a quick thanks over their shoulder.

Harley hung back at the edge of the crowd and kept a silent watch.  The music was good, and in a different situation she would have found it drawing her in.  Instead, now, the beat of the music felt like the heartbeat of the crowd.  Harley was able to spot the Burners in the mass of people easily.  Their glossy eyes picked up the strobes from the stage and flashed dangerously.  So far they didn’t seem aware of her presence.  Maybe they are too focused on their job with the humans…The body guards were doing a decent job of keeping the crowd contained.  However, Harley knew it was only a matter of time before the top blew off.

Suddenly, the countdown reached zero and the spark ignited.  Harley couldn’t see exactly what happened, but she knew by the sudden change in the crowd’s focus that something had.  Even the band stopped playing.  The music dissolved into a clatter of noise as the crowd began screaming.  Harley found herself in the direct path of the mass of people who were trying to back away from whatever had gone down.  She dodged and pushed her way towards the epicenter.  As she progressed she had to side step fights that popped up in the chaos.  Even as she shoved two men apart and out of her way they continued to try to pummel each other.  She paused long enough to help several people to their feet to prevent them from being trampled to death.  The smell of blood drove her forward.  The blood was human—of that she was sure.

Harley realized that as she got closer to the center of the crowd, people were leaving bloody footprints as they struggled to get away from the stage.  She followed the dark red trail easily and it got heavier the closer she got.  Finally, she spotted the source.  A young man was crumpled on the floor.  A pool of blood was billowing away from his cut throat.  Standing over him was a brown haired Burner grinning like a maniac as she waited for Harley to close the distance between them.

Before Harley could take a step forward, the constant buzz of her Burner alarm exploded.  She risked a glance around and realized that as the humans were trying to escape, others were fighting their way in.  It didn’t take a closer look for Harley to know they were Ignis.  The Burners dove into the mass of people who were desperately trying to flee.

“Kill them all!”

Chapter 36

Harley swung back to the brunette Burner still standing over the dead man.  She was the one who had screamed the command.  Harley pulled the machete from her back after shrugging off her jacket.  She took several strides forward to meet the Burner who was laughing at the chaos unfolding around them both.  She heard the cries and screams of the humans being attacked behind her, but the Burner in front of her seemed to be the ring leader.  Harley made the quick decision to focus on stopping her—cut the head off the dragon so to speak.

The Burner pulled a shiny knife from her waistband and flung it at Harley.  It only took a mild swing from her machete to knock the blade from the air.  The Ignis laughed again and pulled another knife and held it aloft, waiting on Harley to come to her.  The Burner and Harley continued to circle each other, keeping the dead man in between them.  Finally, Harley got tired of chasing her in circles and reached across the dead man and caught the other woman by the wrist.  She yanked her forward and over the body on the floor.

Harley pulled the woman close and snarled into her ear.  “Where is Alice?”  The Burner laughed again but didn’t answer.  “The Light Hybrid.  Where is she?”

“Coming for you,” the Burner giggled.  Deciding an interrogation wasn’t worth wasting on her time on, Harley twisted the Burner’s wrist and thrust the woman’s own knife into her chest, piercing her heart.

Harley dropped then woman and turned to survey the rest of the bar.  The band had left the stage, not even bothering to take their instruments with them.  It looked as if they had just dropped them and ran.  Harley didn’t blame them.  The rest of the bar was in utter chaos.  Humans fought humans.  Humans fought Ignis.  She even saw some Ignis fighting other Ignis.  Everywhere she looked there was violence and terror and hatred and pain.  Harley raised her machete and ran into war in front of her.  A roar from her Nocte ripped from her throat.

Harley heard Castor calling her name—asking what was happening—through the microphone in her ear.  She ignored it and targeted one Burner after the other.  She was grateful that he kept his word and wasn’t using their psychic connection when he didn’t have to.  Having Cas in her head right now would have been too distracting.  She didn’t have any opportunities for refined and coordinated fighting.  Her attacks became little more than hacking and swinging.  She tore through a jungle of Ignis as she tried to save as many humans as possible.  It seemed as if the rest of the Burners were just now picking up on the fact that she was here.  Gradually, the creatures turned away from their human victims and came for her.  She found herself trying to fight off more and more Burners at once.  She didn’t know how many of them had originally been in the club, but by now she would guess there were over a hundred.

Even as strong and as fast as she was, Harley could only fight so many at a time.  This was worse than when she and Castor were attacked in New York.  These Burners weren’t being intimidated.  They weren’t giving up.  Despite her strength, Harley’s muscles grew tired.  Her right arm burned with the effort of swinging the machete.  She switched hands and began fighting with her left.  She was slower with this hand but her right arm was so compromised at this point it didn’t really matter.  Castor continued to yell words through the ear piece but the sounds of the shouting Ignis, screaming humans and her own growling and snarling she couldn’t make out what he was saying.

As the seconds ticked by, Harley began to take more and more hits.  Many of the Burners carried the same shiny knives that flashed and sparkled in the stage lighting that continued to pulse automatically.  The sting and burn of the cuts that she sustained were increasing and she heard her own ragged breaths as she continued to hold off the advancing creatures.  Suddenly, a figure in black broke through the crush of Burners that surrounded her.  It was Kai.  Relief flooded through her.  If we make it out of this I’m never going to think bad thoughts about Kai again.  Kai was amazing to watch fight.  She was fast and graceful, fighting with two short swords.  She looked like a deadly hummingbird as she kicked off walls and spun around poles before beheading the Burner she was fighting with a swift scissoring of her blades.

Evie’s voice suddenly blared in Harley’s ear breaking through the other sounds.  “Get to the front.  Everyone.  Now!”

Harley knew that Kai heard the command as well because she caught her eye and they both nodded.  They both turned their attention away from killing Ignis and shifted to simply trying to get out alive.  Harley took several hits from a Burner’s knife in her back before she was able to spin and take off the Burner’s hand with a single swing of her machete.  She growled at the creature and he backed off, clutching his bleeding stump.  Suddenly, something big descended upon Harley from the second floor VIP area.

Harley raised her machete again before she realized it was Levi leaping from the balcony to join her and Kai.  He looked as tired and wounded as both she and Kai did.  He was holding his right arm close to his body and fought with his left.  Together the three of them slowly made their way through the onslaught of Ignis.  It seemed like it took them an hour to make it to the front of the bar.  As they joined ranks with Evie and Rafe, who entered the bar with Kai, the all pushed towards the front doors looking for escape.  Rafe shoved a large round table forward and knocked the closest Ignis off their feet, causing them to trip a few behind them.  Rafe’s quick thinking gave them a few precious seconds to dart through the metal doors.  Looking back, Harley noted with dismay that she didn’t see any humans left standing.

On the other side Castor stood holding a burning bottle.  As soon Harley and the others were clear he slung the bottle into the bar before the doors swung shut.  It erupted into flames as it shattered against the concrete floor.  Harley and the other Nocte stumbled away from the bar and towards the truck that Castor had pulled directly onto the sidewalk in front of the bar.  Castor lit several more bottles and tossed them at the brick walls of the building.  In the flickering flames she could see that Cas was wounded.  He had apparently entered the bar long enough to retrieve liquor bottles and it cost him.  He wasn’t strong enough to fight off Ignis at night but it hadn’t stopped him from diving into the action.  He tossed a heavy chain at Evie and she ran back to the front doors.  Rafe held them together as Evie wrapped the chain around the handles.

Harley’s teeth clenched and she lurched away from the truck as Castor ducked around the side of the bar.  Realizing what he was going to do, she followed him.  There was another set of doors that opened on this side and the Ignis were pushing against them.  Someone, Harley assumed Castor, had chained the doors shut.  It wouldn’t take long before the Burners broke through and escaped into the night.  Castor shattered another bottle of liquor against the doors and lit a piece of cloth before tossing it into the spreading puddle.

Several Burners that had either escaped from the bar, or had never been in it, ran from in between cars in the parking lot and made a line directly for Castor.  Harley slid in between them, blocking the Burner’s path.

“It’s the Dark Hybrid,” the shorter of the two Ignis growled at the other.  “Take her alive.”

“She said to kill her,” the other answered.  Harley looked from one to the other as Cas turned and stood shoulder to shoulder with her, drawing his sword at the same time.

The one talking death shot forward with a knife held high.  The shorter one was only a split second slower.  Harley raised her machete to kill the first, pushing Cas out of the way as she did so.  But before she could strike the Burner down, his friend did it for her.  She was frozen in shock at the sight of the knife protruding from the taller one’s chest.  A moment later Castor sliced the other Burner’s head off and grabbed her arm.  He hauled her back towards the front of the bar and the waiting truck.  As they ran, Harley heard screeching tires and looked to her left as a black sedan roared out of the parking lot.  As it turned left and sped away, Harley caught sight of the driver.  Jason was unmistakable as he guided the car away from the bar.  He glanced back at Harley and she shuddered at what she saw.  His eyes were milky white and at the same time shone with the feral glaze of an Ignis.

Chapter 37

Levi drove and Evie sat in the passenger seat with Harley, Cas and Kai taking up the backseat and Rafe crouched in the cargo area.  They didn’t bother retrieving the second truck—they hadn’t wanted to take the time and it was stolen anyway.  Castor had also called the police and fire department, so sirens were finally filling the night in addition to the lingering screams of Ignis and the humans gathering to watch the flames.  No one spoke for a while.  Harley swallowed thickly.  She was recovering her energy and most of the smaller wounds had healed.  However, the two stab wounds in her back still burned even though they had stopped bleeding.  A deep, sickening pain lingered.  Slowly, the nausea grew until she insisted Levi needed to pull over once her mouth turned sour and began watering.

Harley stumbled from the back of the truck just in time to vomit while holding onto a street sign.  Her stomach was empty but that didn’t stop bitter stomach acid from clawing its way up her throat.  After several minutes of choking and retching she finally felt ready to return to the SUV.  Once she was back inside Levi hurriedly pulled away from the curb.  Everyone watched her carefully.  She met Levi’s eyes in the rearview mirror and he looked worried too.

“Sorry,” she mumbled.  “I think I got stabbed in the kidney.  It’s making me feel like shit.  Its healing though….Then there’s the whole potentially burning humans alive thing.”

Evie sighed and Castor looked away.  Rafe was the only one who was a big enough jerk to say what they all knew.  “Collateral damage.”

Harley reined in her temper and tried to be reasonable.  “Still, it’s not sitting well,” she said bitterly.  No one disagreed.

Castor finally spoke.  His voice was hollow.  “I didn’t want to burn humans.  I didn’t see how we were going to stop the Ignis though.  Not without getting killed ourselves.”  His voice trailed off as he seemingly decided he didn’t have the will or the energy to try to make anyone feel better about the decision that he—they—had made.

“I know.”  Harley squeezed his leg, trying to offer him some comfort.  “I don’t think there were any humans alive when we set the place on fire anyway.”  Harley took a deep breath.  If we are going to open wounds we might as well get them all.  “Did anyone else see the sedan leaving just before we did?”  She had to force the question out around the lump in her throat.

“Yeah,” Evie answered for everyone.

“Did it look familiar?”

Levi met her eyes again.  “Yeah.”

“Jason was driving.”  The silence of the car became even heavier.  Finally, she dropped the rest of the rest of the bomb.  “He looked like Cutter did.  Like a cross between a Lux and a Burner.”  Harley saw the regret in Levi’s eyes before he returned them to the road.   Castor wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Are you sure?” Evie asked.

“Yes.”

Evie punched the dashboard hard enough that Harley was surprised the air bag didn’t deploy.  “Is it Alice and her crew or the Sol that is doing that?”

“I don’t know,” Harley shrugged.  Her stomach heaved again but she knew there wasn’t anything else to come out so she didn’t ask Levi to stop.  Besides, the pain in her kidney was fading fast as it healed.

“Well, I do have one bit of good news,” Levi offered finally.

Harley raised a brow.  I hope this is good.  “What’s that?” she asked.

Levi held up a knife.  Harley’s heart jumped.  “One of the Burners left this in my arm before I killed him.”

Evie took the knife from Levi’s hand.  She held it by the handle and examined it in the moonlight.  “It LOOKS like silver, but when you really look at it, it’s a different tone.”  She pulled out her own knife to compare them. “Yeah.  See?”  Harley saw the difference.  The Ignis knife had more of a yellowish-gold sheen to it.  Evie loosely wrapped her hand around the blade.  After several moments she let go quickly.  “Shit!  It started to burn and it didn’t even cut me.”

“What do you think it is?” Kai asked, holding out her hand.  Evie passed the knife to her.  When Harley leaned over Castor’s lap for a closer look she noticed that he was dead asleep.  She smiled a little at the scowl that was still on his face even in sleep.  Kai examined the knife closer before passing it to Harley.  “I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Kai shook her head.

It was a small hunting knife with a shiny blade and a black leather handle.  It had a “rough” custom-made look to it.  “I don’t think I have either,” Harley passed the knife to Rafe.  “But I bet the ‘silver’ bullets they have been using are made out of this too.”

After looking at it for a few moments Rafe hazarded a guess.  “Platinum?”

Evie looked back at him thoughtfully.  “You might be right.”

“Why does platinum hurt us worse than silver?” Levi asked.

“You got me?” Evie shrugged.  When the knife was passed back to her she tucked it away on the floor by her feet.

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

Harley’s wounds were healed by the time they got back to the hotel.  Everyone else needed a least the rest of the night and most of the next day to heal.  By early afternoon Harley woke up and she realized Castor was lying next to her, wide awake.  He ran his fingers lightly over her bare shoulder absently.  Harley watched him think for a moment before he realized she was awake.

“Hey,” he whispered, giving her a small smile.

“Hey.”  Harley sat up in bed and looked at Levi’s sleeping form.  His face was buried in the pillow and he was dead to the world.  She smiled at how deeply he slept.

“Yeah.  He talks in his sleep,” Cas grimaced.

“Really?  I’ve never heard him before.  What did he say?”

“Your name,” Cas rolled his eyes but smiled again.

“Aw,” she laughed.  “I’m going to take a shower.”

“OK.”

After her shower Harley found Cas watching the noon news.  He looked up when she came into the room.  “Good news.”  He looked like a weight had been removed from his shoulders.

“What?”

“Four people were saved from the fire last night.  They had to have been people or they wouldn’t have needed saving.  AND preliminary reports indicate that that the people who died in the club—meaning the humans because nothing would be left of the Burners—most likely died before the fire.  I don’t think I killed any humans.  The people pulled out haven’t been able to give the police any real information as to what happened.  They are calling it a riot.”

Harley’s grin matched his.  She wrapped her arms around him pressing his face to her bare chest.   He squeezed her back.  “I knew we didn’t kill any humans last night.  We did the right thing.”

“Still,” he flopped backwards, dragging her with him. “It feels good to hear that I might be off the hook.”

“You are!” Harley reassured him.  “We are!  You can’t take all the blame.”  Harley didn’t feel like she was lying to Cas, but she also hoped that the early reports were true.  The idea that they may have burned some humans alive—necessary or not—was horrifying.  They lay like together for several minutes before Harley got up to get dressed and Castor got in the shower.

Harley sat on the bed and brushed her hair watching the news coverage of the tragedy that occurred last night.  Castor seemed to have shed some of his dark mood and she must have picked it up.  She felt sick again.  But it wasn’t because of any lingering wounds.  It was because of worry and regret.  She hated that Nya was kidnapped.  She hated that her last human friend had turned his back on her—now he was some kind of monster hybrid.  Harley resisted the urge to lie back down and sleep away the awful and heavy feelings in her stomach.  Her gut told her things were going to get worse before they got better.

Chapter 38

The next evening Levi was examining the Burner knife again.  He turned it over in his hands, testing how long he could hold the blade before it burned, and once, even gave himself a shallow cut to watch the damage heal.

Harley shook her head at him.  “You know what the knife does.  Why are you cutting yourself?”

“Just experimenting.  Cas?”

“Yeah,” Castor answered warily.  He was sitting on the other bed watching more news coverage of what was being called the “Distillery Disaster.”

“Have you been cut with one of these blades yet?”

“No…,” he was giving Levi a sidelong glance that said he didn’t like where this conversation was going.

Levi held the knife out to him.  “Will you try?  See if it affects you the same way.  If you want, I will do the cutting.”

Harley struggled to stop the laugh threatened to bubble out of her.  She succeeded in snorting slightly instead and tried to cover it by clearing her throat.  Levi smirked at her and Castor rolled his eyes.  “Hey,” she shrugged.  “I’d kinda like to see what happens too.”

“I’ll do it myself thanks,” he snapped at Levi.  He took the knife and held the blade in his hand.  In a few moments he snatched his hand away.  “Yes.  It burns me too.”  Gritting his teeth hard enough to flex his jaw he turned his left arm palm down and placed the blade against his forearm.  He quickly jerked the blade across his skin leaving a red line in the flesh.  In a matter of second drops of blood began beading at the wound.  “Wow!  That really stings,” he grimaced flexing hand as the wound slowly stopped bleeding.

“It looks like it takes as long for you to heal as we do,” Levi said thoughtfully while watching Castor’s skin seal itself back together slower than usual.  Cas wrapped a hand towel around his forearm while he waited for it to heal.  Harley shook her head at Castor and Levi’s matching improvised bandages.

“Well,” Harley said.  “At least we know if affects all of us the same.”

“What good does that do us?” Cas asked.  He was getting cranky due to nightfall.  Harley wondered why he didn’t go to bed.  But she suspected the reasons.

“It gives us more knowledge to work with.  We know that the knife can be used against either of us,” Levi snapped back.

“It also means that it should affect Alice the same as it does us,” Harley offered.  Castor shrugged his agreement.  Harley raised a brow at Levi and he returned the look.

“I have an idea,” Levi muttered.  “Let’s go for a ride,” he held his hand out to Harley, pulling her off the bed.  He tossed the blood smeared towel in the bathroom.  The wound was still raw, but it wasn’t bleeding any longer.

“Where are we going?”  She slipped her boots on and strapped her machete to her back.

“To see a friend.”

Castor scowled at them both.  Levi waited for Harley in the hall.  Harley bent over Cas as he was stretched out on the bed.  She kissed him quickly.  “Get some sleep.  We’ll be back by dawn.”  Castor held onto her hand as she backed away.

“Love you,” he whispered, finally letting go of her hand.

“Love you too,” she winked at him.

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

A two hour drive later, Harley watched the Cincinnati skyline creep up over dark hills.  “What are we doing here?” she asked.

“A friend of mine works weapons here.  I want to talk to him about the Burner knife.”

“Ah, OK.”

Not long after crossing the Ohio River Levi pulled up to a house that looked like a normal, unassuming family home in an urban subdivision.  Harley strapped on her machete and climbed from the truck.  The neighborhood was quiet even though it wasn’t all that late.  The cool air brushed across her face and she took a deep breath.  She wasn’t picking up on any Burners in the area, but she never really let her guard down anymore.

“Come on,” she looked up to see that Levi had already climbed the porch.

Harley quickly made up the distance as Levi rang the doorbell.  Harley looked around the porch and had a feeling there was at least one camera trained on them.  A moment later she heard footsteps approaching.  When the door opened Harley was surprised to see a familiar face.

“Everett?”

“Harley!”

Levi looked at them both surprised.  “When did you two meet?”

“When I was still training.  Everett kicked my ass a few times.”

Everett laughed.  “From what I hear, you could wipe the floor with me now.”

“Meh,” Harley shrugged with exaggerated modesty.

Everett laughed again and invited them inside.  He always reminded Harley of a male model.  His dark complexion and defined cheekbones made him look exotic and undeniably sexy.  Levi and Harley stepped into the small house.  It smelled like Everett had cooked recently something spicy and fresh.  It smelled good enough to make her stomach rumble for human food.  The place was immaculately clean but there was enough travel memorabilia that Harley figured he actually lived here and had made it a home.  She saw posters from France and pictures that looked like they were from China arranged around a water color of a lake scene.  Harley loved the way the place was decorated.  It felt like Everett was proud of where he had been.

“Nice place,” she smiled looking at the walls closer.

“Thanks!”  The Nocte sat on one of the leather couches and Levi sat on another that faced him.  He seemed to have no interest in the mementos tacked onto the walls—or he had seen them before.  Then Harley remembered that he had probably already been to these places.  Harley had always dreamed of traveling, but never had the time or the money.  Well, I guess I certainly have the time now…I hope…

“OK, you know I have to see them,” Everett smiled his wide, toothy smile at her.

“See what?”

“The eyes.  I’ve heard they are something that I have to see.”

“Who keeps spreading rumors about me?”  Harley looked at Levi who shrugged but couldn’t help but looking a little proud and impressed.  Harley shook her head but she closed her eyes and called up her Nocte—which she knew always brought the Lux with it too.  When she opened her eyes she laughed at Everett’s gasp.

“That is some creepy shit.”  Levi chuckled and Harley threw a pillow at Everett after plopping next to Levi on the couch.

“Thanks,” she said sarcastically.

“So, what brings you to my humble abode?” Everett asked, still giving Harley a half-amused, half-wary look.  It was as if she just told him that she had a murdering alter-ego that might pop out at any time.  She knew that Everett was still trying to hold the humor of the situation, but she found herself feeling exposed and uncomfortable.  She tried to play it off with a laugh but apparently it didn’t work completely.  Levi placed a hand on her knee before answering the question.

“Weapons.”

“A good reason…”

Harley looked at them both.  “My specialty,” Everett explained.

“Oh!  I didn’t know.”

“Everett’s one of the best weapon makers with the Praesidio.”

“ONE of the best?” Everett pretended offense.

“Time will tell,” Levi laughed.

“So what do you need?”

“We need you to look at something.”  Levi pulled the Burner blade from his boot and passed it to the other Nocte.

Puzzled, Everett turned the blade over examining it carefully.  Levi, nor Harley, warned Everett about not letting the blade rest against his hand.  Suddenly, he dropped the knife with a hiss.

“What the hell…?”

“Yeah, about that…” Levi smirked.  “It burns us and Lux both.  And it takes longer to heal from a wound made with one of those blades.  Some of the Ignis are carrying these.”

Everett gaped at them both.  “What’s it made of?”

“That’s what we were hoping you could tell us.  Rafe thinks it platinum.”

Everett stood from the couch and motioned for Levi and Harley to follow him.  He led the way into a basement that was accessed with fancy digital locks.  He didn’t take his eyes off the knife the whole way.  Harley spun in amazement.  Every inch of the underground walls were taken up with weapons.  Every weapon imaginable was shelved, propped and displayed—even weapons that Harley had never seen before.  All of the deadly instruments gleamed brilliantly silver in florescent lights.

Everett placed the knife on the table and got out a huge mounted magnifying glass.  Harley gaped at it looked at Levi who shrugged.  He looked as if he wanted to laugh as well.  It would have only been funnier if the magnifying glass had been strapped to his head.  “So,” Levi asked instead.  “Any idea what it’s made from or who made it?”

“Well,” Everett began.  “It’s not Nocte made.  That much I can tell.  As for what it is made of…”  He set the knife down and began shuffling through drawers until he came up with a small bottle of clear liquid.  Harley and Levi stepped closer and watched as he dropped a tiny amount with an eye dropper onto the blade.  When nothing happened he tried several more clear liquids.  Finally, one drop turned dark as the chemical reacted with the metal.

“Ah ha!” Everett exclaimed wiping the dot away, leaving the blade as shiny as it was before.  “Rafe is, unfortunately, right.  It really is platinum.”

“I hate it when he is right,” Harley muttered.  Levi and Everett both snickered.

“It looks hand-crafted,” Everett added.  “Other than that—I can’t tell you much about it.  But, given the damage it seems to do, its bad news for us.  Especially if Burners are using them.  Do they have any effect on Ignis?”

“I don’t know,” Levi admitted.

“I do.  I stabbed one in the heart with one at the bar the other night.  It killed her just fine.”

“Wait a minute…You guys were a part of the ‘Distillery’ stuff?”

Levi and Harley looked at each solemnly.  Cincinnati wasn’t that far from Lexington.  She wasn’t surprised that the news had spread beyond local.  “Yeah,” Harley sighed.

“What the hell exactly is going on?  I’ve been hearing rumblings of serious stuff going down.”

Levi rubbed his face with both hands.  “Got any liquor for this story?”

Chapter 39

Everett knew some of the events of the past year and Levi and Harley filled him in on the rest.  After they finished with their story he sat there looking stunned for a moment.

“Why do you think platinum is affecting us like this?” Harley asked.

Levi shrugged but Everett considered the question.  “Well…let’s start with silver.  Silver affects us all because of its properties that also help it fight infections in humans.”  Everett must have seen the confused looks on Harley and Levi’s faces because he laughed and went deeper in his explanation.  “Silver can be, was, and sometimes still is used in antibiotics.  It weakens the cells and causes an increase in toxic oxygen compounds.  When it is used with regular antibiotics it increases their effectiveness exponentially.  For the Nocte, Lux and Ignis—who are already bacteria resistant—the silver acts as a poison.  It breaks down the body’s cells and increases the oxygen reaction to such as extreme that it burns.  Hence our bodies burning after we die,” he waited for Levi and Harley to acknowledge that they were following him.

After they nodded mutely, he continued.  “Platinum also causes chemical reactions in the body.  A lot of human cancer medications are based on platinum—it stops cell growth.  But platinum can also be a poison because it can stop healthy cell growth too.”  Everett scratched his chin.  “I think the differences in how it affects Ignis and Lux and Nocte are based on the ways that the foreign entity attaches to the human host.  I think that the Ignis bond is more like a bacterial infection—the silver kills off the invading cells or entity whereas platinum kills off everything.  Platinum seems to be leveling the playing field.  We aren’t anymore immune to it than the Ignis are while silver doesn’t have as much of an effect on us because the Lux and Nocte bond isn’t based on an ‘invading’ foreign body.”

Levi and Harley continued to stare dumbly at Everett.  “What?” he finally asked.

“How do you know all of that?” Levi asked looking mystified.

Everett laughed.  “Metals are my job.  I’m supposed to know this kind of stuff.”

“Well, I think you are officially THE best now,” Harley laughed and Everett returned the grin with barely contained pride.

“Makes sense to me,” Levi shrugged.  Harley agreed—whether it made complete sense to either of them was irrelevant—they couldn’t refute Everett’s theory and it was the best that they had to go on.

Everett continued to work out the rest of the story they told him.  “And your Lux friend—?”

“Castor,” Harley answered.  They had given the simple version of their relationship because it was a strange situation—plus it wasn’t really anyone else’s business.

“Castor can’t convince any of the other Vigilum to get involved?”

“He contacted the only other Vigilum he was willing to risk talking to.  James somebody.  Cas said that James—while willing to at least consider what we were telling him—said what the rest of the Vigilum is going to say.  They don’t believe that Alice would turn her back on them.  They are saying that it could be me trying to make it look like Alice is responsible.”

“That’s absurd.”

“We agree.  But, to be fair, if the shoe was on the other foot?  We would probably think the same thing.  The Vigilum is kind of notorious for not monitoring their Lux as much as they would like for people to think,” Levi reasoned.

“I just can’t believe this group took Nya.  Have you called in reinforcements?”

“Kai is with us.  So are Rafe and Evie.”

“Kai Jin?!”

“How many Kais do you know,” Levi chuckled.

“I just haven’t seen her in forever.  How is she?”

“Really good.  I’m glad to have her help.”

“Even I have to admit that she’s a great asset,” Harley muttered despite narrowing her eyes at Levi’s praise.  Levi gave her a knowing smile and if Everett wondered why Harley wouldn’t appreciate Kai’s help, he didn’t ask.

“No one else is joining the party?”

We really don’t want to make this bigger than we have to.  If we called in an army of Nocte then the Ignis would increase.  That would just create an even worse situation.  Especially if Alice is involved with them.  If the Ignis and the Nocte are increasing the Vigilum will be in before long as well.  And who knows how they will assess the situation and which side they will ultimately fall on,” Levi wiped a hand across his forehead.

Everett didn’t have any arguments against Levi’s logic.  “How can I help?”

“Well,” Levi tilted his head.  “For a start you can keep trying to find out more about the Burner knife and the platinum it’s made out of.  Find out how they can afford to make all these weapons.  Where they are getting the metal and all that.  We could use some more weapons too.  I don’t know what’s coming.”

“Consider it done.”  Everett’s normally cheerful tone was serious and his gaze steely.  “Take what you need.

“I have a request too,” an idea had just occurred to Harley.

“Whatever you need, Doll,” Everett grinned at her.

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

On the way back Harley was naked without her machete and she shifted uncomfortably.  Not having the leather sheath strapped between her back and the seat felt strange.  They had a chance to hunt before the return trip, and she used her Bowie, but she still missed her machete.  The more she used it, the more it seemed like a part of her.  She knew it was all in her head, but it left her feeling uneasy regardless.  “I feel naked without it,” Harley pouted.

Levi didn’t have to ask what she meant.  “I can’t believe you left it with him.  You’ll have it back it no time though.”

“I know…”she grumbled.

The rest of the car ride was mostly silent.  The sun would be coming up soon and Harley was anxious to get back to the hotel.  Not that the sun would bother her.  But she knew that Cas was feeling left out and probably still felt a little bad about the fire as well.  It was hard on Castor—being the only one of the group who didn’t function as well at night.

“What else is wrong?” Levi asked.

“I don’t know.  I just feel…nervous.”

“Why?” he glanced at her, his own concern growing.

Harley shrugged, troubled.  “It’s probably just everything going on.”

“Why don’t you check in with the others just in case?”

“Good idea.”  Harley got out her phone and began texting the others.  She knew that Castor would be asleep and wouldn’t answer but she sent him one too.  “I also just don’t understand why the Sol hasn’t contacted us.  If they aren’t trying to negotiate for Nya—why do they have her?”

Levi swallowed hard.  “I wish I knew,” he rubbed a hand across his jaw.

“They want me to help them bring Helion over, yet, they still haven’t made a move.  What are they waiting for?”  She continued without waiting for Levi to offer an answer.  “And what role is Alice playing in everything?  At the bar, one of the Burners wanted to kill me—the other said they were supposed to take me alive.”

“What?”

“Sorry.  I forgot to tell you about that.  It was fast and weird and in light of everything else I forgot about it.”

“Well, that’s kind of important information to leave out,” he snapped angrily.

“Sorry,” Harley gave him a pointed look so that he would let it go.  “Apparently, there are two sets of orders though.  Alice, I’m assuming, wants to kill me?  And the Sol want me alive?”

“That’s what it sounds like to me.”  Levi sighed and flexed his hands on the steering wheel.

“Why does Alice want me dead if she is working with the Sol?”

“I don’t know,” Levi huffed.  “Maybe the Sol doesn’t have the hold on her they thought they did.  Maybe Cas is right about her not handling the hybrid bond very well.”

“I think you are probably right.  We need to find Alice and Jason.  I think we will have an easier time locating them and maybe they can lead us to the Sol.”

Harley and Levi rode in silence for a while.  Harley still struggled to come to terms with Jason’s “relationship” with Alice.  How did he end up involved with her?  And did he really want power enough to turn his back on a friend?  Can’t really blame him though can I?  Harley tried to put herself in his shoes.  One of his closest friends had died horribly.  The other was presumably dead.  When did Alice first contact him?  It must have been after L. A.  And what did she tell him?  Harley was sure that Alice had painted her as an evil creature.  Not having anyone to contradict whatever Alice said would have been damning.  Harley sighed.  The betrayal was still a raw bruise on her heart.  She had been able to convince herself that Jason was just misguided and confused.  Some small part of her had believed that she could have convinced him to turn away from Alice given the chance.  I just can’t believe how good an actor he was when I came back.

As they pulled into their hotel the sun was just beginning to rise.  Levi yawned and climbed wearily from the truck.  Harley should have felt tired as well.  She had been awake longer than Levi, but she was still too anxious to settle down.  She surveyed the parking lot as the hair on her arms stood on end.  “Do you feel that?” she asked Levi.

“What?” Levi tensed and cocked his head as if listening.  He purposefully didn’t look around as instinct kept him as still as Harley was now.

“I feel like I’m being watched.”

“Did you see anything?”  He still didn’t look around—instead he maintained eye contact with Harley.  If anyone was watching they wouldn’t want to tip them off that they suspected they were under surveillance.

“No.  It’s just a feeling I have…Maybe I’m just feeling exposed and naked without my machete,” she tried to laugh.  She wasn’t getting any buzz of nearby Burners but that didn’t rule out the Sol.  She took deep breath as they made their way into the hotel.  She didn’t smell anything, see anything nor did she hear anything.  If I keep this up I’m going to be jumping at my own shadow.  She sensed her Nocte’s uneasiness and made a note to not let her guard down.    The last time she felt this wary was before the attack at O’ Neels.  Harley debated with herself.  On one hand there were plenty of reasons to feel nervous and on edge all the time.  On the other hand, there might be something to the feeling.  Maybe her Nocte, or even the Lux, were picking up on a scent or alarm that she couldn’t decipher.  In the end, Harley decided to bring it up with the others.  She had enough of taking risks without consulting anyone else.

Chapter 40

Castor was already up and dressed when Levi and Harley returned to the room they all shared.  “Everything seems to have been quiet last night?” Levi asked Castor.

“As far as I know.  Where did you guys end up going?”  Castor’s question was light and Harley wasn’t detecting any bad feelings behind his words.

“Cincinnati,” Harley started to sit on the bed but stood up again immediately.  She still was feeling jittery and antsy.  “Come on, I’ll tell you about it.  I can’t sit around here today.”

Harley said goodbye to Levi, who was settling down for the day after getting the “alls good” report from Evie, and met Castor at the truck.  Harley drove with no real destination in mind.  She headed east away from Lexington and drove through the neighboring horse farms.  The trees that bordered the road were older than most houses in the city.  They, along with the old stone fences, created a peaceful and natural archway leading away from the noise and bustle of Lexington.  They kept their conversation light and to neutral topics.  Neither of them wanted to think about they were all facing.

Finally, Harley spotted a clear place to park alongside the road.  They were driving parallel to Elkhorn Creek and there were numerous places to pull off and park in order to walk down the embankment to fish.  It was still early afternoon on a Tuesday so they were surrounded by peace and quiet.  Cas and Harley found a dry spot to sit underneath a tree that overlooked the shallow creek.  Harley sat on the moist grass and pulled Castor back so that his head rested in her lap.  She smoothed his hair down over his forehead and he rested his hands on his stomach.  Silently, they watched birds diving at the water to scoop up small bugs and fish.

It was easy for both Castor and Harley to pretend that life was normal.  Their friends were safe.  No one was trying to kill them.  The warm sun worked its way through the leaves and left quarter-sized gold spots on the grass and water.  Harley let herself go for a moment and imagined that the both of them were normal humans.  They were just a man and woman playing hooky from work and enjoying a beautiful fall day.  Harley was surprised to find a longing that she hadn’t even realized existed.  She didn’t know whether it was thinking about Jason and having lost him or if it was because she sensed that Cas longed for the same thing.  Harley realized that it was incredibly easy to imagine normal life with Castor.

Harley could picture what it would be like to live in a house with Castor where they both had jobs and normal, average lives.  She didn’t go so far as to imagine kids—that still hadn’t changed for her.  But Castor’s patience—his love and sacrifice for his family—made her see him in a different light.  Castor felt responsible for those that he cared about.  As if it was his duty to save people.  He was calm and stable and she saw him easily settling down to an average life and watching after his family.  Levi, on the other hand, was strong and intense and Harley couldn’t envision Levi doing the whole “white picket fence” thing.  He sacrificed what he needed to in order to punish the creatures that tormented others.  Levi loved what he was.  Castor lived what he was.

Harley took a moment to consider how she felt about what she was now.  She did sometimes miss her old life.  But she mainly missed her friends.  She didn’t regret giving up her boring life to help protect those that she cared about and even those she never had and would never meet.  Her life, as unnatural as it was, had meaning now.  Levi spoke to that side of her.  On the other hand, Castor spoke to a side that she would never completely be able to shed.  It was an echo of herself that hadn’t died out with her parents.  It was a wish for normalcy and comfort.

“You are really doing some deep thinking,” Castor laughed.  His voice was smooth and he spoke softly as if not to disturb the wildlife around them.

“Hey!  You aren’t supposed to be in my head,” Harley smiled down at him.  She could see the reflection of the tree above them and the sun shining through it in his pale green eyes.

“I wasn’t.  I promise.  I just keep getting this sense of your thoughts.  Like someone breathing in my ear while standing behind me,” he chuckled.  “It was getting hard to block out.”

“Sorry”

“Don’t be.”  Cas rolled over pushed her back so that she was lying on the grass.  He rested above her and picked a leaf out of her hair.  “What were you thinking so hard about?”

“Just stuff,” Harley shrugged.

“Stuff?”

“I told you—my head, my thoughts.”

“Uh huh.”  Castor leaned forward so that his top lip just barely touched her bottom lip.  He kissed it so softly she barely felt it.

A shiver ran up Harley spine and she laughed.  “What are you starting?”

Cas smiled back at her.  “Shh,” he whispered.  He kissed her chin and slowly ran his lips across her jaw.  His mouth brushed underneath her ear and her stomach shuddered in excitement.  Her Nocte woke up and began to pay attention to what was going on.  Cas lowered his weight against her as he cupped the back of her head.

Harley felt light-headed as if all the blood had rushed to different parts of her body.  She laughed and cleared her dry throat.  “If you are going to start this you have to finish it—public or not.”

As an answer, Castor raised himself up and knelt between Harley’s legs.  He pulled her shirt over her head and she raised her back to help him.  The grass was warm beneath her skin and the cool air blowing across her chest raised goose flesh and made her shiver.  Cas pulled off his own shirt and leaned over her again.  He didn’t take her bra off, but he pulled the front down and gently ran his tongue over each nipple.  He pulled at each one with his teeth and she shuddered again.

Harley wrapped her arms around Castor’s neck and pulled him closer.  The warm skin of his chest melted into hers as he buried his fingers in her hair and kissed her again.  She could feel the warm pull of him in her head and it brought on the rush of euphoria that Harley loved.  Castor raised his hips as she fumbled at his belt buckle.  His lean stomach muscles clenched as she ran her nails lightly over his skin.  Undoing her own jeans she managed to kick them off without Castor having to move away any further—neither was willing to let go of the other for even a moment to undress.

Harley cradled Castor’s face in her hands as he leaned over her.  She felt him inside her mentally and physically and she could barely breathe as ripples of pleasure coursed through her.  The blinding white light that accompanied pulling blocked out Castor’s face.  Harley threw her head back and let the glow carry her away from everything.  Castor’s face broke through the light and he smiled down at her and she heard him whisper, though his lips didn’t move.  “I love you.”

Lying together under the shade of the tree, neither Cas nor Harley could rouse themselves enough to get dressed.  Every cell in Harley’s body was electrified and alive as she enjoyed the high that always came along with feeding from Cas.

“Hmmm,” she sighed.

Castor laughed at her expression of contentment.  “I agree.”

Harley finally worked up the motivation to raise herself to her elbow.  “We should probably get dressed.”  When Castor scowled playfully at her she laughed again.  “I have leaves in very strange places.”

“Good point,” he chuckled.

They both dressed quickly remembering just how exposed they were.  Harley insisted on driving back.  She wasn’t feeling the anxiety as she had earlier, but she still knew the roads better than Castor.  As they drew closer to the hotel Harley couldn’t resist asking him a question that had been on her mind for a while.  “Why do you go along with our ‘arrangement?’”

Cas looked at her startled.  “What do you mean?”

“Well, I know you really don’t like this…this…whatever you, Levi and I have.  Why do you keep going along with it?”

Castor took the question seriously.  “I love you.”

“But why?”  Harley hated the sound of the question.  It sounded self-effacing and as if she were digging for compliments.  But she meant the question as it was stated.

Cas stared at her a moment.  “You are the strongest and bravest person I know.  You care more about the safety of your loved ones than you do your own.  You remind me why we do this job.  And you remind me that it is possible to still be happy and feel loved in a world that full of evil and pain and terrible people and creatures.  You remind me that it is still worth loving someone.”

Harley was at a loss for words.  She swallowed and cleared her throat.  “Oh, OK then.”

Castor laughed and grabbed her hand.  He lay back in the seat to get comfortable.  “Where is your machete?” he asked looking around and realizing it wasn’t in the floor where she usually stashed it when she drove.

“Getting an upgrade,” Harley answered slyly.

As they pulled into the hotel parking lot Harley was, again, struck by the feeling of being watched.  Her Nocte roused herself from her satisfied slumber and tensed.  Harley looked around as she followed Castor into the building.  She decided right then to call a meeting with everyone else and insist they change hotels.  Castor was nearly to the door of their room when she opened her mouth to inform her of her plan.  She didn’t have a chance to speak, however, before the large picture window at the end of the hall exploded with gun shots.

Chapter 41

Harley reacted quicker than Castor did because she had been on alert already.  Any lingering euphoria from their day out dissipated at the crack of bullets pelting the walls around her.  Harley dove to the floor and instinctually covered her head.  Castor was only microseconds behind her.  He began crawling closer towards her pulling his katana from his back as he went.  She pulled her Bowie from her waist band and tucked herself against the wall.  She suddenly had a clear understanding of the saying “Don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.”

Harley glanced at the door to their room.  It was late afternoon and she was confident that Levi was in bed—as were the others.  No sooner than she and Castor huddled together than black clad men jumped inside the broken window.  The hotel was two story but their rooms were on the ground floor.  The men, wearing masks and what looked like riot gear, hurried toward them, with their guns held ready.  As Castor attempted to cover her she noticed blood on his left arm.  While she had not been hit, Castor wasn’t so lucky.

The men didn’t seem to be aiming to actually kill either Harley or Castor.  They didn’t fire again as they stood over them.  Harley and Cas both crouched on the floor waiting for an opportunity to defend themselves.  “Drop your weapons and get up,” One of the gunmen barked at them.  Harley laid her knife on the floor, but still close to her, and stood slowly.  Cas did the same.  She wanted to attack the men so badly she was nearly foaming at the mouth and Nocte writhed waiting for the moment to strike.  “Turn around,” the same guy motioned with the barrel of his gun.

Harley didn’t know enough about guns to identify exactly what kind it was, but she knew it was fully automatic and looked military.  She stared at the man over the barrel with disdain.  She hesitated to turn around—every instinct refused to cooperate.  She took a deep breath, like an animal detecting the scent of her prey.  She knew her eyes were their eerie black and white, just as Castor’s were white.  She could tell by the smell and the look in the men’s brown eyes that they were both human—the men were afraid of them, she realized.  The man closer to Cas, the one not talking, opened his eyes wide.  She heard his heartbeat increase as she locked her predatory gaze with his nervous stare.  She smiled, still refusing to turn.  Castor followed her lead and didn’t move either.

“I said—turn around.”  He jabbed at her with the barrel of the gun again.

Slowly, making it a point to show no fear, Harley finally did what the man was telling her.  She turned to face the wall and Cas followed suit.  Opening the doorway between her and Cas, she spoke to him mentally.  “When I give the signal, go in low for the one not talking.”  Harley saw the look of fear in the quiet one’s eyes and knew how easy he would be to take down.

“Harley—wait.  Don’t do anything crazy.”

Harley ignored Castor’s warning.  She knew he didn’t want anyone hurt any more than she did.  But she also knew that he wouldn’t go quietly either.  Facing the beige, textured wallpaper in front of her she started giggling at a small scraping sound that caught her attention.  Maybe two minutes passed since the men shot out the window, but Harley had to hand it to Kai—she acted fast.  When she heard the quiet shuffling above them, Harley realized what Kai was doing.  She could hear the strange little Nocte easing her way over the drop-tile ceiling above them.

“Harley, I hope you can hear me,” came the softest whisper Harley had ever heard. When she saw Castor tense slightly she realized that he too must have heard it.  Kai’s voice whispered again.  “One, two…three.”

On three Harley and Castor both spun at the same time that Kai dropped through the ceiling tiles.  Harley turned so fast that the man who had been waving his gun at her didn’t have time to fire before she shoved the barrel of his gun up and away from her.  As his gun rattled off three startled shots, Castor drove his fist into the quiet one’s stomach.  Kai’s two short swords flashed as she twirled them into the backs of the two gunmen.  She moved much slower than she normally would have at night, but the swords were nonetheless deadly.

Harley knew not to underestimate the Sol this time.  She knew more gunmen were coming.  If they aren’t here already…As if the thought summoned them, more black clad gunmen jumped over the window frame.  Simultaneously, two more gunmen burst from the lobby area.  Harley picked up her Bowie and dashed for the shooters coming from the front of the hotel.  Kai and Castor turned to face the ones coming through the window and Harley saw Cas putting himself in front of Kai.  From her left, Harley heard a commotion through the wall.  On the other side was her room where she knew that Levi currently was and she heard the, unmistakable, sounds of fighting.

Harley’s adrenaline kicked her into panic mode.  She and Castor were the only two who were in full form.  The others were virtually human during the day.  They wouldn’t be as strong or as fast and certainly wouldn’t be able to heal as well.  As she ran towards the gunmen they fired twice each.  All of the shots were low and pointed more towards the ground rather than directly at her.  She didn’t even slow down.  She raised her Bowie for attack and one of the gunmen fired again, this time actually aiming for her.  Both of the bullets struck her legs and she hit the floor hard.  She immediately rolled out of the fall and sprang to her feet.  She leapt at the men too fast for them to follow her movements and kicked off the wall in a parody of a pirouette.  When she landed behind them, her legs nearly gave out.  The shots she sustained had not broken any bones, but damage had been done.

Harley grabbed the forehead of the man closest to her.  He wasn’t much taller than she was and she had no trouble reaching him.  She yanked back on his hair and thrust her knife through his chest.  She yanked the blade free and turned to face the other gunmen before the first even hit the ground.  Unfortunately, this one had time to respond and fired three quick rounds directly at her.  The first shot missed but the second one hit her low in her chest.  The third one indicated that his shooting had been more of a reaction of her getting so close to them.  Unable to take back the reflexive squeeze of the trigger, he jerked the gun to the side and the bullet grazed her cheekbone. If she hadn’t flinched at just the right moment the bullet would have went right through her face.  The man’s eyes went wide and she used his shock to her advantage.  She grabbed the gun from his hand and stabbed him in the throat at the same time.  As she pulled the knife free, blood spurted from the wound and sprayed across her shirt.

“Hey!” a rough voice shouted from behind her.  Harley turned to face the window where the original attack began.  The wide hallway showed the destruction of the short, but intense, fight.  There were numerous bullet holes in the walls and floor.  Two pictures were shattered and had crashed to the floor.  A decorative vase lay in pieces on the tabletop outside her door.  She could hear the other hotel guest screaming behind closed doors—their fear was so great she smelled it seeping into the hallway.  Despite the broken and damaged hall, the worst destruction was in front of the open doorway to her room.

Evie lay sprawled facedown and unmoving on the floor with her blonde hair fanned out around her.  Rafe sat with his back against the wall with a gun in his face.  He looked angrier than Harley had ever seen him.  Kai was on her knees with her hands behind her head.  Blood dripped from a wound in her neck and she looked like she was on the verge of passing out.  Castor was also on his knees.  What were clearly bullet wounds gushed blood from his stomach in addition to the one on his arm.   Blood dribbled from his mouth as he coughed.  But, the sight that made her blood turn to ice and her heart stop beating was Levi.  He lay on his back with one arm across his waist and the other above his head.  It was hard to tell from this angle, but it looked like his eyes were closed.  Blood covered so much of his torso she wasn’t sure where his wounds actually were.  The worst part was how utterly still he was.

All five of her friends had guns pointed at their heads.  There were eight gunmen that she could see and they all looked ready and willing to fire.  Her chest heaved and she tightened her grip on the barrel of the gun and her Bowie.  Her options ran through her head.  Each idea she had was discarded almost immediately.  There was nothing she could do that wouldn’t get her friends shot dead before she reached a single gunman in front of her.

“Don’t even try it,” the man who had spoken looked at her evenly.  As Harley realized how familiar his voice was, he removed the helmet that shielded his face.  Jason’s feral, milky eyes flashed at her.  “Drop your weapons and get down on your knees.”

Chapter 42

Harley expected her body to fill up with enough rage that it would be on the verge of explosion.  Instead, she felt more likely to implode.  The crushing weight of seeing her friends hurt and of seeing Levi deathly still and of her former friend being responsible for it all pressed down upon her and simply shut her down.  She felt nothing except cold and hollow.  She looked at Jason and blinked slowly several times.

“I told you to drop the knife and the gun.”

Harley looked down and realized she was still holding both weapons.  She dropped the gun and it clattered to the floor.  The knife she spun in her hand and let it drop point first where it embedded itself at an angle.  When she looked back up Castor was watching her intensely.  He shook his head at her, not in disappointment, but trying to tell her to not go along with Jason.  Castor spit a mouthful of blood and seemed to not be bleeding as much.  Harley was relieved to see that, even if the bullets were made out of platinum, he was healing.  Her own wounds seemed to be stopping bleeding but they still burned like fire.  She was pretty sure that the bullets had passed through her body instead of lodging inside somewhere.  She refused to get on her knees.

Jason spoke again.  “If you don’t cooperate, I will kill your friends.”  Seeing him, not only with the Sol, but apparently leading this group of humans, was eerie and just plain wrong.

“Cooperate with what?” she asked coldly and her devil twisted her voice until it barely sounded human.  Harley’s mind was still running through scenarios.  She didn’t care if she was shot, but if one of her friends took a bullet to the brain or directly to their heart—chances were that they would die.  Castor was the only one of the five that would even have a remote chance of successfully overpowering any of the group during the day.  Unfortunately, he currently had a gun to his temple and at least three bullet wounds.  No one was coming to help them.  Even if the police arrived soon Jason and the Sol would mostly likely shoot them all and run.  It’s what I would do…

“You are coming with us.  And you can either come with us willingly, with your friends alive.  Or you can come unwillingly with your friends dead.”

Harley gritted her teeth and tilted her head at Jason.  “Why are you doing this?”  Some humanity softened her voice.  She briefly considered letting the Sol kill them all—her and her friends.  In the long run, their deaths were worth stopping the Sol’s plans.  But she knew that the Sol would have thought of that already.  She was confident that they would have a backup plan.

“We don’t have time for this,” Jason jerked his head at the people on the ground in front of him.  “Decide now or they die.” He held up a strange looking gun.  “This is a stun gun.  If you don’t cooperate, I will shoot you with it—it’s pronged in platinum by the way—then your friends.  You’ll come with us by force or not.”

The only thing that Harley was sure of was that if she went with them she might have a chance to escape later.  Or her friends could come and rescue her.  If she refused and fought back—her friends would die and she would be taken anyway.  “Why should I believe that you won’t kill them anyway?”  She could feel Castor tapping weakly at her brain.

Jason shrugged.  “Five…four…three…”  She was going to have to rely on the Sol, and Jason, wanting her cooperation.

“Fine,” Harley snarled.  She saw Castor shaking his head again.  She met his eyes and found him in her head.  “Don’t!” his voice was faint and Harley knew he didn’t have the energy to keep up the dialogue for long.  She gave him an apologetic smile.

Jason started towards her pulling out a shiny pair of “handcuffs.”  They looked rudimentary as if they had been made by some medieval sheriff.    “It would be a very bad idea for you to do that.  You can send one of the humans over here,” she snarled

“I don’t think so,” Jason shook his head.  He obviously assumed that she was planning on over powering the human.  What would have been the purpose of that?  Even if she did, it wouldn’t do any good to hold them hostage.  The Sol, nor Jason, would care if any of the humans died in the process of bringing her in.

“If you lay a hand on me, there is no chance that will be able to stop myself from ripping your throat out.  Send a human.  As long as you let my friends go I will go with you willingly.”

Jason considered it.  “Fine.”  He looked back at the gunmen.  He tossed the cuffs to one of the closer ones and motioned to the other.  “Lock the rest of them in the bathroom.  Block the door with everything in the room.”  Harley gave him a steely look.  “No more harm done to any of them.”  If any of you try to follow us—I will kill her,” he told the Nocte at his feet.  “The Sol Invictus want her alive or dead.  Preferably alive—but they will settle for dead if they have to.”

Six of the gunmen began forcing Harley’s friends into her room.  Her heart shuddered at Evie’s unconscious body as one of the gunmen dragged her by the foot.  When one of the other men began hauling Levi into the room she was sure that she saw his chest rise, just barely.  She nearly went limp in relief at the tiniest indication that he might be alive.  Castor caught her eye again and another man jabbed his gun into his temple.  Harley could tell it was taking all of his self-control to not turn and fight.  Harley sent him a silent message.  “When you find me—if you can’t get me out—burn it to the ground.”  Castor flinched but gave her a tiny nod.

The man that Jason gave the cuffs to approached Harley cautiously.  He looked like he was creeping up to a lion.  He refused to make eye contact with her and she could hear his heart pounding.  She lowered herself to her knees and held her arms out to the side.  Harley began to hear the wailing of the police sirens in the distance.  She was surprised that it took them so long to get here.  At least ten minutes had passed since the gunmen first entered the hotel.

The man stepped behind her and his tension eased.  He seemed more comfortable now that he was behind her and out of direct line of sight.  “Put your hands behind your back.”  His voice was hoarse and she heard the slight wavering as a result of his nerves.

Harley didn’t move.  She continued to stare Jason down.  “For shit’s sake,” Jason snapped.  “Hurry up.”

The man finally reached out and grabbed Harley’s arm.  His hand was warm and clammy.  It was been a long time since she had been in direct contact with a human.  His hand was like a baby’s wrapped around her wrists.  She let him pull against her arm as he tried to bend it behind her back.  Without her bending it, or choosing to allow him to bend it, it was immobile.  The man’s breathing accelerated again.  With a smirk she finally let the man bend her arm.  When the platinum cuffs were secure he put pressure on her arm to get her to stand.  He quickly patted her pockets down and pulled her cell phone free and tossed it on the floor.  She grimaced slightly; she had hoped that they would forget to check for that.  Her friends would have been able to easily find her if she had her phone on her.  Jason turned and led the way through the lobby.

As they passed the front desk Harley saw why the police had taken so long to arrive.  Some phone cords were ripped out of the wall and hung loosely.  Further, a black electronic box sat on top of the desk.  As they passed it, Jason snatched it up after pressing a button.  If she were to guess, she would have to say that the box prevented cell phone signals somehow.  She also saw that there was some destruction in the office beyond the desk.  They must have disabled the security cameras.  “Wait!”  Jason stepped closer and she bared her teeth at him.  He only smiled condescendingly as he held a black wand up.  It looked an airport security wand and she flinched from it as he ran it over her.  “Gotta make sure you don’t have any tracking devices or other weapons.”  When no alarms sounded he motioned them forward.

The rest of the gunmen must have finished with Harley’s friends since she could hear them behind her.  She knew that even if the door was blocked with every bed in the hotel, they would be free in no time.  She was confident that her friends wouldn’t stop until they found her.  She assumed that Jason was aware of this also—but he was most likely banking on the chance of her friends finding their base being slim. In the parking lot Harley saw two white windowless vans that looked like they belonged in a police transport convoy.  Jason opened the door to the closest one and she saw that she wasn’t far off.  The van was empty except for a bench alongside the right.  The human with the gun to her head poked her in the back.  “Get in.”

In a matter of seconds, Harley was secured to the seat with chains made of platinum.  Her feet were held to the wall of the van and her hands were connected to a ring in the floor and another chain was wrapped around her waist pulling her back against the wall of the van.  The platinum metal was already beginning to burn her skin.  She clenched her teeth and took a deep breath.  Her Nocte was seething with anger and she tried to focus on something other than the pain in her wrists.  She knew it was going to be a very long time before these cuffs would come off.

Chapter 43

Harley could tell that the sirens we still far enough away that the police most likely hadn’t seen the vans leave.  She wondered who had managed to call the police and how.  Maybe someone in a neighboring hotel saw or heard something.  Harley knew that the Sol would not have allowed anyone to leave the hotel.  Slowly, the fury and rage that had been threatening to descend upon her finally broke in waves of burning red pulses.  She jerked against the chains that held her and screamed through clenched teeth.  In the end, the only thing that the temper tantrum succeeded in was cutting her wrists.  The platinum against her skin prevented her healing properly and the blood oozed around the metal shackles.

Harley slumped back against the wall of the van and took deep breaths.  Her eyes burned and she held them closed.  She refused to cry.  She was so angry and so worried and so frustrated it all threatened to spill over.  You’ll get out of this.  You always do.  She refused to succumb to despair and instead attempted to focus on forming a plan.  She tried to keep track of the turns that the van took.  She hoped to listen to identify sounds and even sought out smells.  But her minor meltdown had prevented her from keeping track of path they made through the city.  They had been driving for approximately thirty minutes when the van finally slowed to a stop after bumping and rocking over a rough stretch of road.

Harley knew the sun was beginning to set even before the van doors opened.  From her spot on the bench she could see that they were parked near an abandoned building.  The red brick was covered in graffiti and she saw at least one broken window.  Jason and two humans stood at the back of the van.  Jason motioned towards Harley and the two men climbed in after a moment’s hesitation.  They both carried small handguns that Harley suspected were full of platinum bullets.  Jason looked at her leveled an even look at her.  “You’re still coming willingly, right?”

Harley knew her eyes had returned to normal, but that didn’t stop her glare from being daunting—especially to the humans.  “Of course,” she gave all three of them a wide, exaggerated smile. Jason nodded towards the men, who didn’t look convinced.  One of them looked young, more a kid than a man, and he had sandy brown hair and wide blue eyes that cautiously waited for her to make even the slightest twitch.  The other man was older with darker hair, peppered with gray.  The look on his face as he studied her was of disgust and distrust.  “Unlock the chains,” the older one nodded to the younger.  His voice was thick with an Italian accent.  Under different circumstances, Harley might have found him and his accent sexy.  But right now, Harley had to refrain from kicking him in the face.

Sandy-hair bent over her to undo the chain that held Harley’s hands and feet.  She smelled the fear coming off him and it brought out a primal urge to attack him.  He smelled of weakness and fear.  In the animal world the weakest attracted predators—they were the easy kills.  Even as a human he was enticing to the devil inside her.  She wanted to crush his throat in her hand and her eyes shifted just thinking about the damage she could do to him.

The kid must have sensed something because he glanced up from the chain that he was unwinding at her ankle.  When he saw her eyes he flinched and nearly fell backwards.  The older man shoved his gun underneath her chin.  “Don’t move,” his words rolled angrily off his tongue.

“I didn’t,” Harley forced the words through her teeth.  She held the older man’s gaze.  “The kid is just jumpy,” she snickered.  She blinked her eyes back to normal.

“Just shut up and get out of there,” Jason snarled.  He looked around nervously as if he was afraid that they would be seen.

When the chains were undone and Harley was free except for the ankle shackles and the cuffs, the humans motioned for her to stand and walk out of the van.  She shuffled to the edge, glad for once that she was short.  The two men were awkwardly bent forward while she could stand mostly upright.  At the edge of the doorway she looked around.  She was surprised to see that they were back in the Distillery District, not far from O’Neel’s.  She hopped out of the van and the two men followed her.  Several other black clad men joined their ranks and they ushered her towards one of the “abandoned” buildings.  Neither of the dilapidated structures they were parked between looked like they had been used in years.  She wrinkled her nose at the smell of filth and decay that surrounded both of them.

Jason led them the closer of the two buildings.  He pushed open a rusted metal door that swung easier and quieter than Harley would have expected it to.  It barely made any noise at all.  She realized that either the Sol, or Alice, or both of them, must have been using this building for a while now.  Inside the building Harley could tell that it had once been used as a bottling factory or some other industrial undertaking.  The bottom floor was vast and only broken up by brick columns that supported the second floor.  Even in the poor light, Harley could make out the dirt and trash that covered the expanse of concrete flooring.  One of the men poked her in the back with his gun.  She turned to see that it was the older Italian man again.

“If you keep doing that I am going to shove that gun up your ass and blow your head off.  My patience with you is wearing thin.”

Jason laughed as the man scowled harder at her.  The young man who had undone her chains was standing next to the older one again.  Harley heard his heartbeat increase again and she looked at him hard enough to make him take a step back.

“Let’s go,” Jason laughed more and pointed towards a doorway that Harley assumed lead down as it was located right next to a set of stairs that lead upwards.

When Jason opened the door, Harley realized that she had been right.  The stairs on the other side of the door did lead down to a basement.  The rotting and decayed smell didn’t seem to reach beyond first floor.  From the depths of the building Harley smelled machines and electronics and people instead of ruin and filth.  She could hear people moving around and when she took a deeper breath it brought a familiar scent to her that caused her heart to feel lighter.  “Go on,” Jason told her without touching her.

Harley awkwardly hobbled down the stairs.  She hurried as fast as she dared.  The chains that connected her ankles didn’t give her much of a stride at all.  Even the few inches of each stair caused the chain to pull at her feet with every step.  When she finally got to the bottom she was surprised at what lay before her.  The place looked just like she imagined an underground lair to look like.

It was all concrete with bare, exposed bulbs that barely lit the factory basement.  There were tables and chairs on one side as if it served as a lounge sort of area.  The other side held the machines and equipment that Harley had smelled, most of which she couldn’t identify from a distance.  Some were simple—stoves and a fridge.  But there was some medical looking equipment that caused Harley’s back to stiffen.  Medical equipment in the enemy’s dungeon is never a good sign.  Her Nocte agreed with her in an uneasy growl.

As Jason led her through the large “lair that was a basement” the people who were there stopped what they were doing and turned to look at her as she passed.  For a moment she considered changing her eyes just to give them a thrill but decided against it.  I’m not a walking freak show for them.  Across the main room was a hallway that led off to what was probably a service area at one time.  Harley took a deep breath and smiled.  There were two rooms a short distance down the hall.  The one on the left was open but the one on the right was closed.  The doors were made of metal and Harley suspected there was at least some silver in the door.  At the top was a barred viewing access.

The older man with the gun motioned her into the open and barren room.  She turned in the doorway and ignored the humans and even Jason.  “Hi, Nya.  Glad to see you are still alive.”

Nya’s dirty, disturbingly weak face appeared in the door’s window.  “Hey, girl” she returned Harley’s smile.  Her voice was dry and shallow.  Her relief at seeing her mentor was diminished by the state of her.

In the days that Nya had been gone she was obviously starved.  And Harley was pretty sure she had dried blood caked around her nose.  Even if the cuts and bruises had healed, Harley saw the evidence of Nya’s treatment.

The pepper haired human instructed Harley to lie face down on the floor.  Once she was down, the man removed the shackles from her ankles.  When the man had backed out and Jason slammed the door shut she was told to get stand and stick her wrists through a slot in the door.  The men removed her cuffs and she wiped the congealed blood from around her wrists onto her jeans.  She gave Jason a deadly glare and he laughed at the look.  “Rest assured,” told her.  “The best is yet to come.”  After Jason and the humans walked away Harley tested the door.  It was solid.  Even if it wasn’t made of platinum, she wasn’t going to be able to break through it.

“Yeah, don’t bother,” Nya croaked and then coughed.  “How did you end up here?  What happened to the others?”

Harley sighed.  “We have been trying to find the Sol and or Alice.  Before we could, they ambushed us during the day.  I don’t know how they found us.  But, I came willingly.  I didn’t have a choice.”

Nya looked at her with disbelief marring her features.  “You just gave in?”

“I had to,” Harley cringed.  “Do you know what their plan is?”

“Some,” Nya admitted.  “Not all of it.  They don’t talk about it clearly when I might have a chance to hear.”

Harley tried to peer around the bars of the door.  She could still hear the humans moving around but they weren’t saying much.  And they spoke in low voices behind the sounds of machinery.  She assumed that they couldn’t hear her and Nya talking and after looking around her cell she was sure there weren’t any listening devices that she could see.  And, really, if there are—what does it matter at this point?

“We are pretty sure that Helion is a Lux that they are trying to bring over.”

“I think I have heard them mentioning the name,” Nya agreed.

“According to my Nocte,” Harley continued.  “He feeds off Lux and Nocte.  She called him an Eater”

“You spoke to your Nocte again?  Directly?”

“Yeah.  Long story.  But if he makes it over here no one is safe.  He will hunt us all down and use the Ignis and humans to do it.”

Nya rested her head on the bars of her door.  “I’m not surprised.  How are they going to do it?” she asked, looking up again.

“I think they need me to do it.  Apparently, if they use me they can open the doorway wide enough for him to come through.  We haven’t figured out what they need you for though.  Any ideas?  We figured hostage or leverage at first, but we never heard anything from them.  They never tried to contact us.”

“I don’t know.  They have been bringing me out and doing tests.”

“Tests?”

“Yeah.  Hooking me up to electrodes.  Taking my blood.  Seeing what happens when they do stuff.”

“What stuff?”  Harley’s voice was sharp imagining all the things they must have done to her friend.

“Burning.  Electrocution.  Stuff like that.”

Harley stopped herself from hitting the concrete wall next to the door.  “For what purpose?  Other than torture?  Where they trying to get information out of you?”

“They asked some questions.  Wanted to know about the Praesidio and Noctes.  I refused to answer any of them.  They didn’t really like that,” Nya chuckled and Harley got a glimpse of her friend’s old mad gleam as her dull hazel eyes brightened a little.

“I bet.”

“I still can’t believe you came willingly.”

“I had to!  If I didn’t they would have killed the others and maybe me too.  Then where would the world be?  And besides, I figured it would buy us some time to come up with a way out of this.”

Nya nodded.  “What’s up with your friend?  Jason?  He’s Ignis and Lux, isn’t he?”

Harley stiffened.  “Apparently.  Did they do that here?  Is Alice here?”

“I don’t know.  To both questions.”

“Well,” Harley began.  “The most important question right now is—any ideas how to get out of here?”

Chapter 44

Harley spent most of the night alternating between trying to contact Castor psychically and catching Nya up on all that happened after she was taken.  She wished she could take a shower.  She was covered in her own, as well as human, blood.  Her clothes were growing more stiff and smelly the more the blood dried and flakes kept falling off her face and neck.

“I can’t figure out why I can’t contact Castor,” she grumbled.

“I think there is something in the walls of the cell here.  Maybe the whole basement.  Look close.  These cells aren’t as old as the rest of the building.  The Sol probably built them.  There is probably silver in the concrete.”

Harley stopped herself from spewing profanity at the walls.  The attempts at reaching Cas, the fight and the stress of the situation were wearing her down.  What’s worse—she was really needed to feed.  She remembered Nya’s condition and asked a question she was pretty sure she knew the answer to already.  “They aren’t feeding you are they?”

Nya snorted.  “Can’t you tell by this glow about me?”  The only glow Nya had was the shine of the oil and grime on her skin.

“Have you met anyone that seemed to be in charge of the Sol?”

Nya snorted again.  “Boy have I…”  Harley raised a brow and Nya continued.  “It’s a woman called Miriam.  Italian.  A complete psycho.  She’s the one giving the orders for the stuff they did to me.”

“I can’t wait to meet her,” Harley grumbled.  “Does she seem like she has the strength to handle the bond?”

Nya shrugged.  “I wouldn’t think so.  But I don’t know, really.  I have very little knowledge of Lux and how their bonds work.”

Dawn was approaching and while the sunlight didn’t bother Nya as badly as some other Nocte, she wouldn’t be able to stay awake for long, especially in her condition.  Nya stepped away from the door to lie down.  Harley turned and surveyed her room again.  Hoping that maybe a bed or mattress would have mysteriously appeared since she was first brought to the room.  Of course not.

Harley sat on the cold stone floor and rested her back against the wall.  “Cas!”  She tried one more time.  Nothing.  Her head was silent except for her own desperate thoughts and worries.  Finally, she gave up and closed her eyes.  She didn’t think she would be able to sleep, but before long she was barreling towards a nightmare that took her breath away.

In the dream Harley was being eaten alive by something she couldn’t see.  It was a tremendous weight bearing down on her back pushing her face into cold dirt.  Talons and sharp teeth tore at her flesh.  She had never experienced a dream so vivid before.  Every slice of her skin that was peeled away left her screaming in agony.  The weight on her back was so heavy she couldn’t breathe properly and her cries came out in ragged gasps.

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When Harley jerked away she found that she was laying face first on the floor across the room from where she had fallen asleep.  You know, Haddon, if you are going to pull stunts like this—why don’t you make them useful?  Her Nocte agreed.  Harley climbed to her feet and started to brush dirt off her clothes.  Realizing that was pointless, she stopped.  She was sure the sun was still high in the sky, even if she didn’t have any windows.  She just knew instinctively.  She paced around her cell trying to think of an escape plan.  Her only hope was either the others figuring out where they were, or finding an opportunity when they took her out of the cell.  At least she assumed that they would take her out of the cell at some point.  The full moon was four days away.  At the very least they would have to take her out then to open the doorway and perform the bonding process.

Eventually, around noon if Harley were to guess, she heard people approaching her cell.  She stepped back from the door and waited.  She saw Pepper, as she had come to think of him, step in front of the door and slide back the panel.  She was more curious than nervous to find out what was coming so she didn’t resist when he placed the handcuffs on her again.  The wounds on her wrists were healed but placing the platinum cuffs on them cause to begin burning immediately.  “Step back from the door and lay face down with your feet pointing at the door.”  Harley hesitated before finally obeying.  Let’s just get this over with shall we?  Pepper unlocked the door and Harley knew without looking that numerous guns were trained on her.  She smelled the gunpowder and the oily cleaner radiating from the metal.  She knew that attacking the humans would be pointless, so she was content to comply for the time being.  Harley flinched as the shackles were fastened around her ankles.  The man was most definitely not trying to be gentle.  The metal was cutting into both her wrists and her ankles even with the boots she was wearing.

“Roll over.”  That man’s accent is such a waste, she decided.  His voice was made for beautiful words.  Not hateful commands.

Harley rolled over and the man connected her hand cuffs and her shackles with another chain.  After he was finished he and another human—not the kid this time—lifted her to her feet.  Pepper let go of her quickly as if her skin would infect him if he touched her for too long.  “Go,” he pointed at the door.

As Harley shuffled her way past Nya’s cell she heard the other Nocte breathing heavily in her sleep.  She knew that it would take a long, long time for Nya to starve to death, but she didn’t want her friend to suffer either.  She knew how much it hurt to be really hungry and she had only experienced the pain after a couple of days.  She couldn’t imagine even going weeks without feeding.

Two men walked ahead of her, Pepper was at her side and two more men were behind her.  They were no longer in full tactical gear.  They still wore black, but without the vests and helmets.  They all carried guns and they were all ready to use them on her if they needed to.  Each man was tense and wary and Harley got a small bit of satisfaction knowing she was the cause of their fear.  The men stank with the sour sweat of worry and apprehension.  Except Pepper.  He wasn’t afraid of her at all.  Disgusted?  Yes.  But not afraid.  He seemed older and that may be one explanation for his confidence.  But Harley also suspected that he was a devoted believer in his cause.  He level of disgust with her went beyond fear.  He looked at her like she was an abomination.  Some of his confidence mostly likely came from his conviction—from his belief that he was doing the right thing and the righteousness of his actions would protect him.  Harley had met people like him and knew he would present the most challenge to her escape.

The humans led Harley to the working side of the room.  Getting closer, she still wasn’t able to figure out what most of the machines did but they looked like they were capable of serious damage.  Several tall items were covered with white sheets and Harley couldn’t discern what they were for.  In the middle of the monitors and machines Harley’s stomach tightened at the sight of two tables.  Much like the ones that Alice used when she had forced Harley to help with her bond.  One of the tables may have been new but the other was worn, dirty and covered in scrapes and cuts in its fabric.  Harley recognized the dark red stains as dried blood.  Something told her this is where Nya had been strapped down for the “tests” they subjected her to.  The anger and indignation turned her blood to fire and she to grit her teeth to stop herself from lashing out.

The men still seemed hesitate to touch her when they arrived at the table and she nearly laughed at the irony.  She had dedicated her life to helping protect humans and these were afraid to even touch her. Pepper pointed to the newer looking table and Harley knew he wanted her to lie on it.  She blinked at him and refused to move until he spoke to her.  “Lay down.”  She hesitated again before slowly easing herself onto the green, padded table.  Two of the other Sol began doing the straps over her feet, her waist, her shoulders and her throat.  Thin shiny wires were threaded into the leather and the buckles.  She doubted it was platinum, but it was probably silver at least.

When the straps were secure all of the men took seats on the other side of the room.  She surveyed her surroundings while she waited for whatever was going to happen to happen.  She didn’t think the Sol had been in this building for long.  The only paraphernalia or propaganda was a crudely painted, simple crown with the sun’s rays shimmering outward in gold paint over the stairs.  Levi described this insignia when he reported his findings of sights where the Sol had performed rituals.  Groups like this always relied on propaganda.  It was vital to recruitment and retaining members and she was surprised there wasn’t more.  Overall, there really was no sense of ownership or personality in the entire place.  Instead, it looked like it was just a convenient place to work claimed by the one hastily painted mark.  Even more significant about the building was the, disappointing, lack of windows and the limited exits.  She might as well have been in a prison or a cold war bunker.

Harley turned her attention to the men in front of her.  Is the only female in the group Miriam? She wondered.  The men sitting in the lounge area looked tense and anxious.  They were mostly young.  Besides Pepper the oldest human seemed to be maybe twenty-five, the youngest maybe eighteen.  They were all white.  She didn’t know if they were all Italian transplants or if they had picked up some American converts along the way.  When Harley heard the first floor door open she turned towards the stairs.  At the same time the men all suddenly stood up in attention.

Harley took a deep breath.  She could smell at least four people coming down the stairs.  Two were human and two were not.  The nonhumans were unmistakably Jason and Alice.  Either Jason or Alice, or both, smelled of the same rotting stench that cutter had.  She flexed her arms against the leather straps.  There was no way she would be able to break free while her hands were cuffed in platinum.  Her Nocte growled low in their throat.

The first person to enter the basement was a woman with shoulder length brown hair.  She had huge brown eyes and wore a black, calf-length, dress with long sleeves and a neckline that revealed no cleavage whatsoever.  Harley knew right away that this was not Miriam.  The woman did not have the look of someone who was in charge.  She didn’t look scared or nervous—not like the men now standing stiffly across the room—but she looked vigilant and at the ready to take commands, not give them.

The next person off the stairs was tall, blonde and beautiful.  Her hair was so pale blonde it seemed to glow.  It hung in waves down her back to her waist.  She had soft brown eyes that smiled all on their own.  Her face was neither young nor old and was without a single wrinkle or drop of makeup.  Her mouth was small and gentle and seemed ready to smile.  Her cheeks were round and the small grin that was plastered on her face carved out tiny dimples that only added to her innocent and cherubic look.  Harley didn’t have any doubts that this was Miriam.  She was dressed in a solid white dress that grazed the top of her knees.  Her brown sandals had a tall but squared heel and they strapped around her ankle.  The top of her dress was tank-style and dipped into a V that was low enough to hint at cleavage but still high enough to make you have to look twice to see it.  The most unusual detail of her entire look was the very obvious fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra.  Her erect nipples poked through the thin material wrapped around her full breasts.  Harley, absurdly, couldn’t stop staring at them.  As Miriam drew closer her smile grew and Harley wondered if it was because Miriam knew she was staring at her boobs.

The last two people into the lair were Alice and Jason.  He followed the Light Hybrid closely and his attention was focused only on her.  Harley nearly gasped out loud at Alice’s appearance.  She was so pale that her skin was nearly see-through.  In fact, Harley was pretty sure that she could see blue-purple veins peeking through her papery skin.  Her medium length black hair was dirty and matted.  Harley always thought of Alice as pretty enough to be a model.  She was always so composed and refined.  But now, her clothes were as dirty and unkempt as the rest of her.  The worst part was the look in her eyes.  Her eyes were solid white except for the pupil area which was solid black.  They were the complete opposite of Harley’s.  Alice didn’t appear to be in frenzy, so Harley wasn’t figure out why her eyes were turned.  However, when Harley looked again she could see that the woman was, in fact, in some kind of agitated state.  Her eye shine was not feral like the Ignis, but, instead it was rabid.  The madness that brightened her eyes made Nya’s look completely normal in comparison.  Alice’s teeth were clenched and slightly bared.  Her lips were parted just enough to allow clear drool to spill over and make her mouth shine.  Obviously, Alice was not adjusting to her strange bond very well.

As the group moved closer, Harley realized that Jason was remaining very close to Alice and she didn’t get the impression that it was because he just wanted to be close to her.  Alice didn’t really seem to be fully aware of where she was at or what was going on.  She looked like a beast about to pounce on the first thing to move too quickly.  Harley suspected Jason was keeping a close watch over Alice to keep her under control.  Well, that dynamic certainly has changed.  Harley couldn’t help but feel some regret for Alice.  The Lux had good intentions.  But we know what road those pave…

Miriam stopped her group in front of the men gathered waiting for her to notice them.  She nodded at each one of them, and even though her back was to her, Harley was certain she made eye contact with them all one at a time.  “Thank you for your service.”  Miriam’s voice was like a song.  Her thick accent rolled the words off her tongue with a caress.  Each man slowly sank to their knees and bowed their heads.

“Oh give me a fucking break,” Harley snorted.  All of the men and the brown-haired woman, and even Jason turned quickly to look at Harley with a look of horror.  Miriam slowly turned to face her but didn’t seem disturbed by her outburst at all.

“Hello, Harley,” Miriam gave her a smile and Harley cringed involuntarily.  The woman’s entire demeanor was so contrived and false that Harley had a hard time believing she was human.

Chapter 45

Harley watched Miriam silently walk towards her.  She curled her lip at the leader of the Sol Invictus.  It was easy to see through the woman’s charade.  She was the perfect combination of sexy and innocent.  Sweet and brutal and beautiful and ugly all at the same time.  It was a brilliant manipulation tactic.  She could be whatever she needed to be for whoever she needed to manipulate.

The leader of the Sol stopped next to the table Harley lay upon and smiled her rubber smile.  “I have to say,” Miriam tilted her head.  “You are even more disturbing than I expected.”  Harley resisted the temptation to spit in the woman’s face.  “You are an abomination.”  Her words were harsh but delivered with a soft and gentle voice.

“Well, lady, you aren’t so special yourself.”

Miriam’s mouth stretched even wider at Harley.  “It is amazing how something so glorious will come from something so hideous.”

“And it is amazing that you truly believe that you will resurrect Jesus by bringing an extraordinarily powerful supernatural creature into this dimension.  The creature you are calling Helion is not Jesus.  He is a monster.”

“I don’t expect you to understand.  The demon that sours your blood also sours your mind.”

Harley snorted.  “You are out of YOUR freaking mind.  If you actually succeed in doing what you are trying to do, you will start a rampage.  Everyone will die.  Not just humans and Burners.  Lux and Nocte will die too.”

“Of course,” her response was obscene in its simplicity.

“Excuse me?  You’re OK with that?” Harley struggled to understand what the woman was telling her.

“The world must be purged of the filth that corrupts it.  When Helion is done the world will be clean again.”

“Wow, you really are insane,” Harley shook her head.  “Why are you so sure of this?”

“For the Lord God is a sun and a shield.”

Harley’s mouth hung open stupidly.  “I guess that’s from the Bible?”

“Psalm 84:11.”

“Oh, come on.  I’m not going to sit here and try to debate the Bible with you.  Have you bothered to run this idea past any holy person—and I mean a real holy person?  A priest, a pastor, a monk even?”

The woman continued to smile at her with a robotically serene gaze.  “Modern religion has lost its way.  They have forgotten what it means to sacrifice.  And I do not mean a few suicide bombers.  I mean real sacrifice.  Abortions.  Perverts.  Harlotry.  Depravity runs rampant today.  If people still remembered how to worship, these deviant behaviors would not be tolerated.”

Harley continued to stare at the woman.  She knew in her heart that it was pointless to try to argue with her.  But she couldn’t stop herself.  “God is supposed to be love and light and all things good.  Why would he condone the slaughter of millions?”

“God sent his son to us in peace once.  The world has discarded his sacrifice—humans and creatures like you—throw it back in God’s face.  Kindness and compassion meant nothing.  It will take a flaming sword to rein in the evil of this world.”

The hair on Harley’s arms stood on end.  Not just because of Miriam’s words—while they were chilling and psychotic—it was their delivery that disturbed Harley even more.  Not once did Miriam’s smile fade or her voice harden.  She maintained the calm and beatific demeanor the whole time she spoke with her hands clasped in front of her.  Harley saw the men and the brunette behind her nodding along with everything that she said.  Harley had seen videos of cult leaders and other sociopaths before.  Charles Manson, Jim Jones, Hitler—they usually had a charisma that they exuded onto their followers.  But Miriam was different.  She drew people into her.  She was so beautiful and gentle people wanted to follow her.  They wanted to believe and protect her.  Nothing this innocent and sweet could be evil.  She was an arsenic-laced cupcake.  Harley gave it one last effort.  “And why do you think Helion will stop with ‘sinners?’  How do you know he will be content with them?  What will stop him from consuming everything in his path?  Sinner or innocent?”

Miriam tilted her head again in innocent confusion.  “God rewards those who walk in his light.”

Harley shook her head again.  She felt like she was on a crazy carousel spinning faster and faster while carnival music played out of sync and out of tune.  There was no point in trying to reason with the woman.  She looked at the followers who stood behind Miriam.  There were only about twenty in total in the basement with them.  Harley knew that there were many more somewhere else.  She felt sick.  The men and the other woman all gazed at Miriam adoringly.  They were believers.  They were ready to do whatever she asked.  Harley looked at Alice and Jason.  They were the only two who were not staring at Miriam in abject awe.  Alice stared off into space and Jason simply looked bored.

Harley nodded at them.  “And you two are OK with this?”

Jason shrugged.  “She gets what she wants.  I get what I want.”

“And that is?”

“Power.  I told you before.  Youth and freedom.  You know how good it feels to pull the life out of someone.  You know how incredible it feels to live how you want and do what you want.”

“I don’t live like that.  The Vigilum and the Praesidio both have a purpose—a goal.  It’s to protect humanity.”

“Why?” Jason was honestly confused.  “Why bother caring about humans?”  Miriam stepped back to watch the exchange silently.  Still smiling—still wearing the mask of a human.

“Because not all people are bad.  And,” she looked at Miriam.  “We have to make sure that everyone has a chance to live.  Or no one will have a chance to live.  If the Ignis didn’t feed on the pain of others, we wouldn’t have to hunt them.  We fight to protect people from what they can’t protect themselves from.”

Miriam laughed softly before Jason had a chance to respond.  Her laughter was like someone dragging their nails down Harley’s skin.  But apparently no one else saw it that way.  When the woman laughed the humans in the room smiled pleasantly as if they were happy to be graced by the sound.  She looked at Harley with indulgence.  “You are right that the world needs protecting.”  Harley raised an eyebrow at her.  “But it is not for creatures like you to judge who lives or dies.  Only God can do that.  And soon his son will be here to deliver the justice that the world needs.”

“What makes you think this will work anyway?  It didn’t when you brought Haddon here.  What makes you think Helion will be the one to come through?”

For the first time Miriam looked affected by Harley’s words.  Her face twitched with annoyance.  “We weren’t able to open the door wide enough before.  But now, with you, we will finally have success.”

“OK.  OK.  I’m done.”  Harley would have thrown her hands into the air if they had not been handcuffed and tied to her sides.  “I’m not going to waste the energy trying to argue with you.  It’s not the full moon yet.  You can’t summon Helion until the moon is full.  So why am I out here?”

Miriam sat delicately on the edge of the other table.  “The bonding process is complicated when it is not done willingly.  I have no hope that you will decide to help us.  If you won’t help open the doorway—we will have to make you open it.”

Harley swallowed.  “And how exactly do you expect to do that?”

Miriam seemed to contemplate whether she was going to explain or not.  Finally, she nodded as if she just finished having a conversation with herself.  “If enough electricity is pushed through your brain we will be able to manipulate your brain waves.  Once they reach the right pitch the doorway will open and Helion will be able to come through.  We need to figure out how your brain responds to the electricity.  We know how it affects Nocte and a Lux and even a Hybrid like Alice.  But you are a whole different creature.  We don’t want to wait until the time of the opening to find out what you need.”

“One more question,” Harley spoke bitterly.  “Why me?  If I’m the abomination you say I am—why do you NEED me to open the door?

Of course Miriam had a ready answer.  “You are the perfect darkness to Helion’s perfect light.  Not only do you encompass so much evil that you finally tip the scales enough to open the doorway, but you are also the perfect sacrifice for the Sol Invictus to make.  After you open the door, we will be able to prove to Helion our devotion through your death.”

“Why would I be the ‘perfect sacrifice?’  How am I the ‘perfect dark?’  I am both light and dark!”

Miriam looked at her almost as if she pitied her.  “Even if you can’t see it, that’s not true.”

“Then what about my eyes?  Huh?”  Harley let her eyes shift and glared at Miriam.  Miriam continued to smile at her as if she had hadn’t said anything.  Harley sighed.  There was no use.  Miriam was not going to listen to anything she said.

“Where exactly do you expect Helion to go?  Once he is here.  Who will host his bond?” Miriam didn’t answer, she continued smiling softly.  Finally, Harley laughed ruefully.  She wasn’t surprised that Miriam thought she would host Helion herself—it was arrogant but evil usually was.  “Well, let’s get this show on the road then.”

Miriam nodded and stood.  “Albert,” she said over her shoulder.

The man that Harley had been calling Pepper stepped forward.  “Yes, ma’am.”

“Assist Jenna with the procedures.  Be very careful.  We don’t want to kill her yet.”  Both the man and the woman in black nodded at Miriam’s directions.  The woman looked indifferent but Albert looked almost excited.

Chapter 46

Albert came to her side as Miriam, Alice and Jason left.  Jason held firmly onto Alice’s arm as they exited.  Alice kept looking back at Harley as if she had just realized that she was there.  The look on the Light Hybrid’s face was one that she could only describe as ravenous.  Harley shuddered as Albert began setting up the equipment.  He buckled a leather strip around her forehead and Harley saw the shiny metal electrodes on either side of the device.  When they touched her temples they began to sting and burn immediately.  Fucking platinum.  After the strap was secure the man stepped back.  Wires connecting the strap to a machine nearby dangled against her shoulder.  She took a deep breath.  Electrocution can’t be that bad, right?  Unfortunately, she wasn’t convinced.

Jenna leaned over her an attached two more electrodes to her chest.  The woman looked into her face when she was done.  She smiled at Harley’s teeth baring growl.  “It will all be over before you know it,” she said sweetly, shoving a foul tasting piece of rubber between her teeth.  Harley wasn’t sure why she even bothered.

Harley heard beeping as Jenna adjusted machines and switches.  Her heat beat harder in her chest and she could hear the EKG registering the increase.  Albert smiled at her discomfort and Harley tried to relax.  She hated that the humans knew she was scared.  When Jenna and Albert both stepped farther away from her she knew something was about to happen.  Jenna stood near a panel and after watching a monitor for a moment she flipped a switch that engaged with a loud click.  At first Harley heard and felt nothing.  Then the quiet erupted into an explosion of pain.  Her body jerked, uncontrollably against the shackles and the cuffs and the leather straps.

When the electric hum stopped, Harley’s body collapsed into a pile of mush.  She panted hard and tried to regain her senses.  She heard Jenna and Albert speaking but could only make out Jenna saying “No” as she made notes on a clipboard.  “Increasing,” Jenna spoke again.  Everything sounded far away and distorted, like it was at the end of a tunnel.

Before Harley had a chance to recover from the first shock another wave pulsed through her muscles.  Her head was thrown back against the table and her back arched as far as the straps would let her.  It seemed like an hour later when the pulse stopped and her body relaxed again.  The waves of pain crashed over her taking her breath and all of her senses.  Her Nocte was silent as if she had been stunned speechless.

“Still nothing?” Albert asked.

“No,” Harley saw Jenna shake her head.  “Increasing.”

Another burst of electricity raged through her body.  Each pulse washed over her like a tidal wave.  Each nerve ending burst into flame.  When the waves stopped Harley realized that she was drooling on herself.  Her ear canals felt like they were on fire and her fingertips and the tips of her toes burned.  She tried to open her mouth but found that her teeth were embedded in the piece of rubber.  She didn’t have the strength to pull them free.

When she heard Jenna state that she was “Increasing” again, Harley couldn’t stop the mewling groan that crept out of her throat.  As her muscles contracted again, Harley blacked out.  One minute her body was burning alive.  The next she was sitting in a dark, cold room.  The sound of her rough breathing echoed off the walls and she realized that she was in the dark cavern she always went to when she almost died.  Slowly, her vision adjusted to the dark and she realized that she could see the ground in front of her.  She looked down at her hands and gasped.  Her fingers were elongated and appeared to have an extra knuckle.  Her skin was so white that she could see the black veins running underneath.  She tried to stand and stumbled over her feet that were longer than normal with toes nearly as long as her fingers.  She opened her mouth to scream but lost her breath as she fell back through the blackness.

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When Harley opened her eyes she was face down against a cold stone floor.  She blinked slowly and tried to raise her head.  It took her several tries before she was successful.  She saw enough to figure out she was back in her cell and her entire body hurt.  She felt like she was dangerously sun burnt from head to toe and her muscles screamed in agony with every movement.  She tried to work up some saliva to wet her dry and crusted tongue, but doing so made her wish that she hadn’t.  Her mouth tasted like blood and burnt rubber.  A groan escaped Harley’s throat as she rolled onto her back.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” she heard Nya speak softly from her cell.

“You mean I’m not dead?”

Nya sighed.  “Afraid not.”

“How long was I out?” Harley croaked.

“An entire day.”

“Damn.  I guess we weren’t rescued while I was out then?”

“Nope.”

Harley rolled back to her side and tried to push herself into a sitting position.  Besides the pain of her muscles, she was also feeling a dry burning in the pit of her stomach.  She was starving to the point of not being picky.  At this point she would eat a Burner, a Lux, hell—maybe even a human.  Sitting up she had to take a moment before her head stopped spinning.  She ran her hands over her face and found dried blood on her lips (unfortunately the pain in her stomach assured her it was just her own), blood on her nose and she even found blood crusted in her ears.

As her head cleared, Harley stumbled to her feet and collapsed against the door.  She wanted to see her friend again.  “You look like shit,” Harley tried to laugh when she saw Nya’s face.  Her friend’s normally beautiful chocolate skin looked more gray than brown and her hazel eyes were dilated halfway to her Nocte state.

“Well, you don’t look so hot yourself,” Nya tried to chuckle.

Harley leaned heavily against the door.  “Did you hear any of our conversation last night?” she asked Nya.

“Some, unfortunately.”

“What do you think?”

“That she’s one psycho bitch.”

“Sadly, she is probably crazier than we are even seeing now.  What happened to Alice?”

“I think the dual bond was too much for her even before they tried the shocks on her.”

“Why did they shock Alice?”

“I think they wanted to see how much she could stand.  And probably see if she was strong enough to open the doorway.”

“And she wasn’t?”

“I don’t know.  I think there has to be some focus before the doorway can open.  Even if it’s being forced.  She was probably too far gone by the time they got her there—if they were even able to.”

“So there has to be some motivation to open the door?  Cause I don’t care what they do.  I’m not going to choose to open it.”

“I don’t know if you would call it motivation, really.  And I don’t think you really have to want to do it.  What did you see when you were out?”

Harley didn’t answer.  “I’m not sure.  Why?  How do you know I saw anything?”

“I got the impression when they brought you back that they had been able to get you where they wanted you.”

Harley swallowed dryly.  “You mean they opened the door way?”

“Oh, I think there’s more to it than just one person can do—but they seemed happy enough.  What did you see?” Nya asked again.

Harley’s stomach clenched but not from hunger.  “I think I saw myself as my Nocte.”  The devil inside her seemed to agree.

“Really?  What exactly did you see?”  Harley described what she saw to Nya.  “You are probably right.  White skin.  Long fingers and toes.  That sounds like something that would live underground.”

Harley wiped more crumbs of blood away from her face.  “Did you see anything when they had you on the table?”

“No,” Nya sounded relieved but also a little jealous.

“How can I stop them from forcing me to open the door?”

“I don’t know that we can.”

“Then what can we do?”

Nya sighed.  She looked like she was ready to collapse where she stood.  The wise Nocte was always Harley’s source of knowledge and assurance.  Seeing her so at a loss shook Harley.  “I don’t really know,” Nya finally admitted.  “If we can’t stop the door from being opened, we have to stop Helion once he gets here.”

Harley’s Nocte shuddered with the thought.  “I just find it so hard to believe that something so…evil exists.”

“Who?” Nya asked.  “There are a variety of options you know.”

Harley breathed a half laugh.  “Miriam.”

“I’m rarely surprised by the world anymore,” Nya sighed.

“I can’t believe people put so much stock in power and eternal life.  That they are willing to give up so much.”

“Well,” Nya breathed.  “There’s an old saying.  Put a beggar on horseback and he’ll ride to the devil.”  Harley shuddered again at her ominous words wondering exactly to whom Nya was referring.

Chapter 47

The next morning they came for Harley again.  She spent most of the night pacing her small cell trying, uselessly, to form a plan.  Nya got up to talk to her a few times, but didn’t seem to have the strength to spend much time up or on her feet.  Harley made a few more attempts to contact Castor but didn’t have any luck.  Not long after she felt the sun rise, she heard footsteps approaching her cell.

Harley’s hands shook and her stomach burned.  Her muscles and skin still had not recovered from their electrocution almost two days ago.  Had she been allowed to feed she knew that she would have returned to normal by now.  Which is exactly why they aren’t feeding us.  Harley tried to think of a way to escape.  If she could at least find a way to get to the first floor she might have luck at contacting Castor.  She suspected that whatever silver guards had been installed in the basement wouldn’t be on the first floor.  The disrepair and decay of the ground floor hadn’t shown any renovation, unlike the basement.  And, she couldn’t count on Castor and the Noctes being able to find them in time on their own.

Harley wondered if they got cell phone reception in the basement.  She hadn’t seen any of them using a cell phone, but that didn’t mean that they wouldn’t work.  She hadn’t seen anyone with a cell phone and wasn’t sure it was worth the risk to search the humans for one if she had the chance.  It would be better to run.  She and Nya both racked their brains to come up with a plan.  Every scenario that they came up with to try to even just get out of the basement was pathetic, even to her.  Albert stepped into the view of the barred window.  “You know the drill,” he grumbled.

Harley stuck her hands through the slot in the door and winced as he fastened the cuffs.  Not only was the skin still torn and raw, the bones themselves seemed to be bruised.  She lay on the floor and waited for him to fasten the cuffs around her ankles and connect them with the chain again.  She needed more help standing this time and Albert and the young human that usually accompanied him pulled her roughly to her feet.  She shuffled drunkenly out of the doorway and almost stumbled to her knees once.  Feeling so weak and in so much pain made her as angry as any of the other things that she currently faced.  If she wasn’t able to find a way to regain any of her strength she was never going to break out.

Harley ran the possibility of feeding from one of the humans past Nya the night before.  “Don’t bother,” she answered dryly.  “It will make you so sick that any strength you MIGHT gain from it will be canceled out.”

Harley looked longingly at the stairs underneath the Sol Invictus symbol.  They might as well have been a mile away.  Even if she didn’t have chains binding her hands and feet, she wouldn’t be able to get to the stairs in her condition before the men shot her and dragged her back.  As Albert was strapping her onto the table, Harley heard a commotion on the first floor.  The commotion came closer as it seemed to barrel down the stairs and it caused everyone to stop what they were doing and look in the direction of the sound.

Alice half ran and half fell down the stairs like a panicked deer caught inside a house.  The men went into immediate alarm and began shouting orders at each other.  Some were in Italian and others spoke in English.  Alice crouched on the floor as the men surrounded her.  She snarled like a wild animal and darted towards the man closest to her.  The only thing that saved her from being shot was that she had pulled the man, most likely accidentally, into the line of the fire.  The other hesitated to shoot her for fear of hitting their comrade.

Jason burst into the basement at the same time that Alice sank her fangs into the man’s neck.  “No,” he shouted.  He made to grab Alice from behind, but she released the man before he even got to her.  She spit the blood out growling pitifully.  Jason tackled Alice as the other retrieved their friend.

“How many times have I told you to keep that monster on a leash?” Albert shouted at Jason.

Jason, still holding Alice on the floor, glared up at Albert.  “And I told you, she has to feed.  She only gets like this when she’s hungry.”

Albert shrugged.  “I don’t care.  She can starve to death for all I care.  The only reason either of you are still alive right now is because Miriam has granted you grace.”

“She needs to feed,” Jason repeated coldly.

“Well, the black one doesn’t have much left to give.  And I’m not going to risk this one just to let that monster live.”

“One bite won’t hurt Harley,” Jason reasoned.  “Alice has fed off Nya for days and she’s held up pretty well.”

Harley froze as rage seeped into her body.  No wonder Nya was so weak and sick.  She hadn’t told Harley that Alice fed off her.  She wondered why Nya left that bit out but then it hit her.  Feeding off of each other, and being fed off of, was still taboo.  Even if it was known and accepted for Harley, Castor and Levi to do it, it was still not normal.  And what they did was pleasurable and consensual.  Harley recoiled at the idea of having someone—something—steal her blood from her.  Alice had done it to her once and that was appalling enough, she couldn’t imagine having it happen repeatedly.  Nya must have just not wanted to talk about it and realizing that Nya was been embarrassed about anything that had happened to her made Harley ashamed to know about it.

“It’s not happening,” Albert said again.  He glanced at Harley and she made it a point to look as week and sickly as possible.  “You’ve fed her yourself before haven’t you?  Do it again.”

Jason growled at Albert and his eyes faded to milky white in anger.  “I can’t.  It nearly killed me last time.”  Albert shrugged again.  “At least let us go out to hunt,” Jason almost begged.

“No.  We aren’t risking the attention.  Not this close to the full moon.”

Harley wondered why Jason was obeying the humans.  When Harley and her friends were ambushed in the hotel, Jason had been in control.  Alice finally seemed to be calming down and Jason slowly eased up his hold on her.  “Are you going to be calm?” he asked her sternly.  She nodded but didn’t speak.  Her eyes looked less wild and her breathing was returning to normal—well, as normal as it seems to be since becoming a hybrid.  Jason helped her off the floor and guided her to a chair.

Harley bit her lip to stop herself from smiling as the humans returned to strapping her to the table.  I think I finally have my way out of here, she smiled to herself, and her Nocte was almost hopeful.

When Miriam came down the stairs a few minutes later, Albert tried to tell her what happened with Alice, who was still slumped in the chair that Jason had propped her in.  But Miriam waved him off gently.  “I trust that you handled everything in the best way possible.”

Miriam approached Harley’s side and smiled down at her.  “I hear that yesterday went very well.”  When Harley refused to respond she continued.  “We are going to try again today.  We want to make sure that it wasn’t a fluke.”

Harley sighed, the breath catching in her throat, and looked at the ceiling.  Jenna, who followed Miriam into the basement, began attaching the electrodes to her skin.  Harley used the tried and true method of “going to a happy place” to try to block out what she knew was coming.  She thought of the night in the car with Levi.  He always made her feel stronger and she wasn’t surprised her thoughts returned to him now.  Lying in the backseat of the car she had been happy and had felt loved.  She thought of him smiling at her, the full smile and not just the half smile he normally used.  Harley turned to memories of Castor and of lying with him in the sun.  She thought of laughing with Nya and even of fighting with Rafe.  Instead of thinking about her present condition, she thought of the happiness her friends brought her.  It was a plan that served her well, until Jenna flipped the switch on the machine that sent volts coursing through her body.

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

Harley found herself sitting in the black cave again.  She flexed her hands in front of her face and was more prepared for the shock this time.  Her extra-long fingers curled around themselves and she smiled at their strength.  She touched her face and tried to not to panic.  Her skin felt thin and the bones of her skull poked through sharply.  Her talon-like nails tickled as she ran her fingers over her flat, almost nonexistent nose.  Her lips were thin and pulled back easily from teeth that were razor sharp.  She didn’t just have two fangs, she had multiple fangs—at least three sets.  Her heartbeat increased as she tried to imagine what she looked like and was somewhat glad there didn’t appear to be any mirrors or pools of water nearby.

Harley stood less than gracefully but was glad that she at least didn’t fall this time.  She walked deeper into the darkness of the cave and she was forced to step awkwardly as if she were wearing flippers.  How do you get around on these things, she asked her Nocte.  She hadn’t expected an answer, but got one anyway.  Her body began running on its own.  Harley didn’t panic knowing that it was her Nocte who was taking over.  Her movements became more graceful as she let go and let the devil guide them.

The Nocte was familiar with pitch black cave and Harley was confident that she knew where she was taking them.  Harley relaxed and enjoyed the ride as they darted through the darkness and climbed the walls of the cave.  Her long fingers and toes caught the crevices and cracks and easily propelled her deeper into the cave.  Suddenly, the Nocte launched them into the air and across a pit that Harley hadn’t been unable to see in the utter darkness.  The chasm stretched at least a hundred feet wide and judging from the cold breeze that rushed up at her, Harley knew it was deep.  She realized, while the Nocte was powerful and the jump was a good one, more was going on than just heaving themselves through the air.  Their trip across was too slow and too controlled.  Harley realized with alarm that they were floating as much as they were jumping.  After the initial fright of realizing what was happening, Harley’s heart soared along with the Nocte.  As they landed gracefully on the other side of the underground gorge she was jolted awake.

Harley lay on the cold floor of her cell recovering for a moment.  Her Nocte shivered inside her.  The devil seemed exhilarated and Harley felt the lingering excitement as well.  She didn’t know exactly how she was living through her Nocte, but, whatever was happening—Harley and the Nocte both found it comforting and it soothed their spirits.  She wasn’t sure if it was a memory brought on by a connection to the other dimension or if it was some kind of transportation.  Harley promised herself and her Nocte that WHEN—not if—they got out of here they would explore this again and more in depth.  Harley shared her Nocte’s longing to relive the rush of flying through the air again.

Harley sat up slowly, her body hurt worse than ever and her hunger was a constant blinding agony.  But, despite her physical condition, she felt better mentally and emotionally than she had since being brought to the Sol Invictus’ lair.  She scooted to the door and called Nya’s name softly.

“Yeah,” came the weak croak from Nya’s cell.

Harley listened carefully—it was night and the entire basement seemed quiet.  She took a deep breath and didn’t smell anyone—human or otherwise—nearby.  “I have a plan,” she whispered.

Chapter 48

The next morning Harley woke up to a chaos of activity in the basement lair.  People were coming and going and lots of things were being moved about and rearranged.  Harley tried to see beyond the bars of her cell but she was at such an angle she couldn’t see anything except the occasional shadow.  Anxiety knotted her stomach along with the hunger pains.  Today was the day.  Castor said the ceremony had to be performed at noon.  That meant she only had hours before the process began.

“Nya?”  Harley figured that she would have a hard time waking her friend but she tried anyway.  “Nya?”  There was no response.  Even if Nya hadn’t been weak and starved she would have been sleeping like the dead—so to speak.  After trying couple of more times she gave up.

Harley slid down the door and tried to will away the pain in her head and stomach.  She wasn’t sure what time it was, but she knew the sun had not been up for long.  Suddenly, loud banging and shouting pulled her out of her stupor.  She pulled herself up and put her face against the bars, not giving up hope that maybe this time she would be able to see something.

By the sounds of the shouting and the growling, Harley guessed that Alice was on a rampage again.  She took a deep breath.  Yep, I can smell the crazy bitch.

“What’s going on?” Nya croaked from the other cell.

“I think Alice is flipping out again.  Why are they even keeping her around?

“Probably for backup.  If you don’t work out, they will probably resort to trying to use her.”

As the sounds of Alice snarling, and Jason cajoling, died down Harley got lost in her thoughts again.  She was going over her plan when a voice outside the door startled her out of her thoughts.

“I don’t suppose you will be helpful and sneak me some of your blood to give to Alice?” Jason laughed bitterly at the bars of her door.

Harley groaned and climbed to her feet.  She was startled to see Jason’s face so close to the bars and nearly took a step back in shock.  He looked tired and angry and Harley had to wrinkle her nose against the putrid odor that emanated from him.  I really hope all of us hybrids don’t smell like that, she made a mental not to ask someone who would tell her honestly once she had a chance.  “No, sorry.  The Sol needs my blood to remain right where it is.  We wouldn’t want them to be disappointed, now would we?”

Jason sneered at her.  “I really hope I can convince Albert to let me kill you myself.”

A jagged jolt of pain—worse than being electrocuted—cut through her heart.  Hearing Jason speak such cold and brutal words wounded Harley to the core.  She swallowed before trying to speak again.  Jason closed her eyes and looked like he was savoring the taste of her pain.  Harley blocked out the ache that she felt—she refused to let the Ignis inside Jason feed on her suffering.  “Why are you following that dick’s orders?” she switched directions.

Jason looked at her with eyes that could have cut her skin.  “When Miriam brings Helion into our world I want to make sure that I am on the right team.  I plan on staying on her, and Helion’s good side.”

“You think she is going to be able to control the monster she brings over here?”

Jason shrugged.  “Probably.  She makes a pretty compelling argument.  Besides…Alice doesn’t do low key any more.  And she doesn’t exactly play well with others.  The Lux would know what she did if we didn’t stay hidden here.  In order to stay here—we have to listen to Sol.  For now.”

Since Jason seemed to be in a sharing mood, Harley kept the questions flowing.  “What was the deal with the dorm?  That was you guys, right?”

Jason rolled his eyes.  “That was Alice’s first feeding.  She got a little carried away.”

The nonchalance with which he spoke sickened Harley.  “And you?  Whose idea were you?”

“Oh, Alice promised to bring me into the Lux before everything happened.”

“And the Ignis part?”

Jason hesitated before answering.  “Alice brought me into the Vigilum before she bonded with the Nocte.  When your boys broke in, Shane—another Lux that kept close to Alice—and I got her out of there.  We came here to recover.  Albert knocked me out and when I came to—I was like this.”

“Just another experiment?”  Some tiny part of Harley, that refused to die, wanted to feel sorry for Jason.

Jason shrugged again.  “I’m not complaining.  I feel like I have living, breathing fire inside me.  It’s incredible.”

Harley shook her head at Jason’s words.  “What about Alice?  Who’s decision was that?”

“To bond her with a Nocte?”

“Yeah.”

Jason snorted humorlessly.  “That was all Alice.”

Things were becoming clearer.  Alice wanted her own power.  That was why she went away from Randall’s plans.  That’s why she wanted Harley dead.  Her and Jason must be the Sol link to the Ignis.  Harley wondered if the Sol knew Alice wanted Harley dead.  Against her better judgment, Harley had to ask.  “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why did you agree to go along with Alice?”

“Why did you leave?  Do you have any idea what that was like?  My two best friends gone.  One dead, and the other probably dead.”  Harley wanted to interrupt and defend herself, but her words were stuck in her throat.  Jason continued and his words twisted the blade in her heart.  “Alice found me and told me what you did.”

“What did she tell you?”  Harley’s voice was dry and rough.

“That you had become a Nocte.  That you sacrificed Jamie to do it.”

Harley’s heart cracked and she felt bile in her throat.  “Would it do any good to tell you that she lied?”

“What does it matter really?  At this point?  Alice gave me what you wouldn’t.  I asked you to make me a Nocte.  You refused.”

Harley closed her eyes and tried to breathe through the pain that scorched her lungs and heart.

“This is your—” Jason stopped talking when they both heard footsteps approached the holding cells.  Jason looked up and seeing who was coming before he slipped away from Harley’s door and scurried from her line of sight.  A moment later Albert stepped into view and spoke to Nya and Harley at the same time.  “Good, you are both up.”  He almost smiled.  “It will save me the trouble of trying to wake you.”

Harley scowled at him.  “What do you need Nya for?”

Albert glared at her as if he wasn’t sure if he was going to answer yet.  “For the bond?”

“What?”

“For the bond,” he said as if she was stupid.

“Why do you need Nya for the bond?”  Instead of answering her, Albert turned and walked away.  “What did that mean?”  Harley looked at Nya who looked as confused as Harley was.

“I don’t know.  I have a feeling it’s something bad,” she answered.

Harley’s stomach began to hurt worse.  She wanted to curl up on the floor but she held onto the barred window instead.  Nya, for now, continued to stand as well.  “Do you think I made the wrong decision?” Harley asked her.

“What decision?  Coming here willingly?”

“Yeah.”

Nya lifted a brow lazily.  “I don’t think you had many options at the time.  You know that—you don’t need me to tell you.”  Harley didn’t respond.  She liked Nya backing her up even if she hated having to ask for it.  “I hope this plan of yours works,” Nya sighed.

“Me too.”

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

Several hours later Harley heard Albert approaching the cells again.  Nya had managed to stay awake, but neither of them was standing.  They sat against the doors and talked through the handcuff slots.  When Albert reappeared at the barred window, Harley stood.  “You know what to do,” he motioned towards the open slot.  On the other side the young, sandy-haired, human was doing the same to Nya.

Harley swallowed.  Well, here goes.  She put her clenched fists through the door slot and waited.  When Albert fastened the cuffs around her wrists she flexed her hand and forearm muscles as much possible without being obvious.  She then backed away and lay face down on the floor.  He came into the cell and hesitated at the fact that she had taken her boots off but he seemed to dismiss it because he continued shackling her without questions.

Albert pulled Harley to her feet and pushed her towards the door.  Nya was taken from her cell at the same time.  Harley hesitated when she saw how emaciated and gaunt her friend looked.  Her filthy clothes were covered in dried blood.  Harley looked into Nya’s face and tried to reassure her with a smile that she couldn’t quite form properly.  Nya, in a show of bravery, winked at her before Albert pushed Harley ahead.  The very real feeling that they were being lead to the electric chair caused her heart to shudder in dread.

Harley stepped into the main room with Nya right behind her.  She assessed their current condition.  They were surrounded by guards, it was daylight, and they were both starved and wounded.  Harley wished the Sol would let their guard down and ease up on the security.  But, no such luck of course.  Miriam stood in the middle of the room waiting for their arrival.  Instead of taking them directly to the tables the men guided them both towards a bare part of the room.  Albert stopped both women in the corner farthest from the machines near a drain in the floor.  Harley stood as defiant as she could while Nya slumped against the wall next to her.

Miriam welcomed them with her sick smile.  “Good afternoon.”

“Fuck you,” Harley mumbled.

Miriam continued with barely a wrinkle of her perfect brow.  “You are to cleanse yourself for the bonding.”  She motioned towards a hose that stretched across the room and lay like a coiled snake.

“What do you need Nya for?” Harley asked eying the hose warily.

“Miriam tilted her head.  “She will be given to Helion.  Her body will be His.”

Harley’s blood turned to ice and her stomach dropped to her feet.  “What?”

“Nya will be Helion’s first victory.  He will cleanse her body of the evil that resides in it and claim it as His own.”

Harley’s breaths came out in shallow gasps.  “That won’t work!  She could die, or turn out like that,” Harley nodded towards Alice who sat in the lounge area.

“She will only die if the process is not completed.  Once we open her up to receive Helion, if you don’t open the doorway, she will die.  We thought you might need a little extra motivation to cooperate.  We knew that if we had her or one of your men you would be much more cooperative.”

Harley looked at Nya.  Her heart slammed in her chest and she felt light headed. She had assumed that Miriam planned on using her own body to host Helion. She had been sent into such a tailspin that Harley was still trying to mentally catch up with this new shock.  No wonder they had put a tracking device inside her—they had been counting on getting to the people she cared the most about.  She turned to Nya and her throat tightened with fear.  The other Nocte looked worried enough to confirm Harley’s fear that Miriam’s plan would actually work.

Chapter 49

Miriam gave the orders to clean both Nya and Harley and turned to leave, declaring she would be back by noon.  Jason and Alice sat watching as Albert began to cut the clothes off both women.  Neither tried to fight him—Nya because she didn’t have the energy to fight and Harley because she was still stunned.  She met Jason’s gaze and he giggled.  He was apparently enjoying the show.  She didn’t know which he was enjoying more, seeing them both stripped or seeing them powerless.

With the panicked jumble of thoughts swirling through her head, Harley didn’t have time to care about being naked in front of a room full of strange men.  None of them seemed to view either her or Nya as sexual objects anyway.  She wasn’t worried about being raped or molested.  The men seemed to keep with their “devout” ways and their eyes didn’t linger anywhere inappropriate and no one touched them any more than they had to.

When Harley and Nya were both naked Albert picked up the hose.  It wasn’t a fire house, but it was larger than a normal garden hose.  When the water first slammed into Harley she stumbled backwards.  Nya was knocked off her feet and she didn’t try to get back up.  The water was scalding hot and at first Harley actually welcomed the sting of the water against her skin.  It brought her back to reality and forced her to focus on what was happening.  But, it wasn’t long before the combination of the water and the slippery floor caused Harley to lose her footing and fall next to Nya.  She shielded her eyes and let the water wash over her.

Albert shut off the water and tossed two rags and two bars of soap at them.  “Wash yourselves.  Or we will do it for you.”  He nodded towards a long-handled brush that looked like it should be used to clean cars.

Silently, Harley picked up a rag and a bar of soap and began washing herself.  Nya did the same next to her.  The Nocte general leaned close and spoke in a barely audible whisper.  “You need to kill me.”

“Not going to happen,” Harley whispered back through clenched teeth.  “My plan will work.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

Harley considered the possibility.  If the bond was allowed to happen—if Helion possessed Nya—Harley would eventually have to kill her friend anyway.  Hopefully, because the other option is that she will kill me along with as many people as she can.  If killing Nya would stop everything it would have to be a sacrifice they would both have to make.  Harley swallowed the need to throw up and nodded.  “If my plan doesn’t work, if it doesn’t look like there are any other options, I’ll kill you.

Albert and another human jerked Harley and Nya to their feet after they rinsed the soap from their bodies.  They threw towels at them that they used to dry themselves.  Afterwards, the men descended upon them with tunic style dresses that looked homemade from a coarse fabric.  The one that was put on Harley was black while the one for Nya was white.  Since both dresses laced up the side and went on in the style of an apron, their shackles and handcuffs didn’t need to be removed—unfortunately.

“Aw, see.  I always told you that you should wear more dresses,” Jason jeered from the side.

Harley looked up and saw that they had shifted even closer to the table where Alice and Jason sat.  He looked highly amused but Alice stared off into space looking as edgy and tense as Harley had seen her as a hybrid.  She was less than ten feet from Alice and she decided if she was going to make a move this was going to be her best chance.  She knew that she would only have a matter of minutes at the most and she needed to make them count.  She bit down on her tongue as hard as she could and sucked until her mouth was full of blood.  She was so hungry that her own blood almost tasted good.   When she had enough she took a deep breath and let it fly.

The mouthful of blood arched through the air and Harley held her breath.  When the red glob splashed against Alice’s lap, everyone froze for a second.  Harley couldn’t keep the smile from spreading across her face as Alice’s eyes came alive.  The Light Hybrid looked up and locked her sight on Harley.  As she snarled and jumped to her feet, so did Jason.  But Alice, in her own partially starved—extra supernatural state—still moved much too fast for Jason to catch her.  She was on her before Harley had time to react.  They both hit the floor with bone crunching force and Harley’s head smacked the concrete hard enough to make her eyes blur.

Nya joined the melee just a fraction of a second later.  Harley had managed to stop Alice from sinking her teeth into her neck by blocking her with a forearm.  By wedging her arm between her and Alice’s faces she was able to block the bite without have to use strength she really didn’t have.  The woman’s teeth scraped and tore at her skin and Harley felt like she was being attacked by some kind of wild animal.

Nya may have been moving slowly, but she was still moving faster than the shocked Jason and the dumbfounded humans.  She managed to wrap an arm around Alice’s throat and used her own weight to roll her off Harley while Harley rolled in the opposite direction.  Jason finally broke free from his stunned stupor and lunged forward to pull Alice away from Nya.  The humans regained their senses as well and joined in the effort.  Once they had Alice away from Nya it was still taking all their efforts to restrain her. She may have needed to feed, but she hadn’t been tortured for days and she had fed much more recently than either Nya or Harley.  She was definitely the supernatural creature in the room that fared the best.

While Alice fought furiously with the humans and with Jason, Nya crawled away out of range.  Harley, lying on her back, raised her arms and legs and braced the chain between the cuffs against her feet.  She pushed as hard as she could, clamping her teeth to stop from screaming out loud.  At first she didn’t think it would work and prepared to make a run for it with her hands cuffed too.  But finally, with a wet crunch, the bones in her thumbs and hands shifted and moved.  The mangled bones combined with blood and the dampness left over from the bathing allowed the cuffs to slip over her hands and she was free except for her feet.  She climbed to her knees with a groan.

A thin layer of skin has been sheared from the sides of her hands and both of her thumbs bent unnaturally.  She lurched to her feet as Nya stumbled towards her.  She held out her hands and Nya, without hesitation, popped the dislocated bones back into place and Harley growled against the pain.  She knew that some of the bones in her hand were probably broken, but she was, at least, able move her thumbs again.

“Do it,” Nya growled at her.

Harley only hesitated a fraction of a second before spinning Nya by the shoulder.  She reached up while Nya bent her knees to help.  Gripping her friend’s chin from behind she twisted her head and as her neck bones snapped, Harley’s cracked heart finally broke.  Nya’s body dropped heavily to the floor and Harley stepped around, biting back the horror of what she had done.  She took one step before she remembered that she was still shackled and fell face first.  Lifting herself to her hands and feet she bolted for the stairs the best that she could—running in a way that she imagined a caveman would scurry.  With her feet bound together she hopped-crawled towards the stairs.

By the time she reached the first step, Harley heard a shout behind her.  She clamored up the stairs silently begging her feet and hands to make the trip without falling.  Without her hands cuffed she was able to achieve more leverage and make better time up the stairs.  She ran from the shouts and bangs with every last bit of energy that she had.  She heard footsteps following her up the stairwell and she began trying to contact Castor before she even made it through the doorway.  She opened the portal in her mind and as she fell through the door she screamed silently.  “Castor! Shire Street.”  The psychic emergency flare exploded from her head.  She put so much energy behind it that as the words left her brain she collapsed stunned—hot on her heels Sandy-hair burst through the door behind her.  Another man held the door open as Sandy picked a good time to finally get over his aversion to her.  He scooped her off the floor like a sack of potatoes and darted back through the door before half running down the stairs.

As the man stumbled back into the basement he tossed Harley to the floor like discarded trash.  Harley looked at the destruction around her.  Two humans were slumped on the floor and looked like they were dead.  Jason sat rocking on the floor with Alice in his lap staring into space.  Her eyes were void of the rabid fire that had consumed them and two bullet holes had torn through her head and face.  Gore and brains spread out behind her head and a twinge of regret pulled at Harley.  Especially seeing Jason’s reaction to Alice’s death—as the voice that wouldn’t let her forget that she had once cared about him reminded her that he had obviously loved Alice.

Albert stalked towards Harley and bent low to snarl in her face.  “Two of my men are dead because of you.  Where did you think you were going?”

“For a walk?” Harley mustered enough energy for the retort.  Albert backhanded her in response.  He wrapped his arm around her throat as if he was going to put her in a chokehold.  Instead, he lifted her from the floor and dragged her to the table.  Harley was too weak to fight him even when, after tossing her on the padded surface, he fastened the cuffs back on tighter than before.  The sight of Nya’s body crumpled on the floor tore her heart out.  She didn’t even care that the men were strapping her to the table again.  She couldn’t tear her eyes from her friend.  She knew that if Nya had been healthy and whole a broken neck wouldn’t take long to recover from at all.   But she had been incredibly weak and starved and it was daylight.  She hoped with every fiber of her being that Nya would heal even as logic told her that it wasn’t possible.

Finished securing her to the table, Albert pulled a phone from his pocket.  I guess they get reception down here after all.  He pushed a couple of buttons and after a moment Harley heard Miriam on the other end of the line.  “We have a problem,” he said simply and Harley chuckled at his understatement.

Chapter 50

Harley laughed as Miriam surveyed the damage done.  The leader of the Sol Invictus looked as close to being mad as Harley had seen her so far.  She fully expected the woman to give the order to kill her now and be done with her.  Harley was prepared to die—especially, if it meant that Miriam wouldn’t be able to open the door way.  Alice was dead.  Nya was, at the very least, out of commission for a good while so the only one left capable of fulfilling the Sol’s mission was Harley.  Though, Harley knew it was possible that Miriam would try to hold Harley and Nya—if she lived—until the next full moon.  If she wasn’t tied to the table Harley would have already found a way to kill herself now to stop the Sol.  She wasn’t even sure her message had gotten to Castor.

Miriam turned to Harley with stony eyes and lips that were bloodless.  When she spoke her words were hard and brittle.  “You think you have stopped the resurrection?”

Harley laughed harder.  “I really hope so.”

Miriam shook with barely contained rage.  “Evil will not triumph over good.”  Miriam paused as if a wonderful idea was being born to her at that very moment.  “You have simply opened me up to the true wish of the Lord.”  Harley stopped laughing.  “Without the Nocte vessel to contain Helion, we will need a worthy replacement.  I will receive the gift.”

“What?” Harley asked, no longer filled with gleeful mania.

“Your actions have shown me the way.  I believed I was meant to guide the Christ.  To give myself to him to use as he needed.  I just did not realize how he would need me.  It is my duty, my pleasure, my sacrifice to offer my body for the Christ’s mission.”  Miriam swelled with the importance of her words.

“Ah, fuck,” Harley let her head flop back on the table.

The humans in the room turned from despondency to rapture.  Albert’s face split into a glorious smile.  “This is a beautiful sacrifice.”

Miriam looked at him as if he were an adoring child.  “I will need you to help guide the bond.”

“Of course.”

“Quickly, it’s almost noon.”  Miriam lay on the table next to Harley and smoothed her dress.

Harley’s insides turned to stone.  She briefly considered trying to swallow her tongue but she dismissed the idea.  She doubted it would work even if she were able to accomplish it.  Her Nocte writhed inside her and she even Lux energy quickened.  Together the Lux and Nocte spun with anxiety.  She struggled against the straps hard enough to break the skin on her ankles and arms and blood dripped from under the strip across her throat.

After Albert lovingly applied the electrodes to Miriam’s head and chest he turned to Harley.  Jenna began readying the machines as he stuck the platinum to her temples.  By the time he finished Jenna was rolling out two wooden stands from which hung a multi-colored glass circles and two large spotlights that looked like something from a movie set.  Apparently, these were what Harley saw covered with sheets.  Jenna placed one contraption in front of Harley and the other in front of Miriam.  Miriam continued to smile serenely and Harley wondered if this had been her plan all along.  Had she known that Harley would kill Nya in order to stop her from being used in the Sol’s plan?  Had she needed a good excuse to volunteer for the bond without the rest of her group suspecting her desire for the power?  She arrived at the conclusions so quickly that Harley believed she was right—that Miriam had planned on bonding with Helion herself from the beginning just like she had assumed to begin with.

Harley was choking on her failure.  She had done the best that could and she had sacrificed and stalled every way that she knew how.  She screamed in rage and the sound that came out of her mouth was terrifying-even to her ears.  The men in the room flinched and she heard their heartbeats quicken.  Jenna moved to the control panel and Harley looked to the stairway.  Come on Cas!  Levi?  Anybody!  If you are going to come to the rescue now is the time.  Nothing happened.  No one came rushing down the stairs at the last minute.  The machines connected to Harley’s heart beeped so fast that it was nearly one continuous electronic tone while Miriam’s beeped calmly.

When everything was in place Albert nodded to Jenna and she nodded back.  Harley’s world blinked out in an explosion of burning black pain.  She found herself in the cave again and she pushed herself up from the floor.  This time she moved easier and more gracefully.  She was growing comfortable with her Nocte’s strange body.  The cave wasn’t as dark as before and she realized it was because she was glowing.  “Well, look at that,” she mumbled looking down at her luminescent hands.  Her Nocte and Lux both were with her, just under her surface.  “I’m sorry,” a dry sob erupted from her throat.

We all failed, her Nocte growled in her head.  She couldn’t hear the Lux’s words but she felt his regret.  Every inch of her, inside and out, bled with remorse and sorrow.  She nearly collapsed upon herself—unable to continue standing.  A blinding white light burst through the darkness of the cave.  She knew it wasn’t Haddon.  It was foreign and painful on a level he had never inspired.  The light knocked her down, as solid as an iron fist.  Instinctually, she knew the light was Helion.  Apparently, the Sol needed have worried.  She hadn’t been able to stop him no matter how badly she wanted to.

Suddenly, Harley was being sucked back though the blackness and when she opened her eyes she was again in the basement, lying on the table.  She blinked against the vivid colors that were shining in her face.  The spotlight burned so brightly that she couldn’t tell which combination of colors was being shined upon either her or Miriam.   Her entire body was on fire and ached unbearably.  She could see all of the humans in the room but they weren’t looking at her.  They were looking to the table next to her.  Harley avoided turning to see what they saw.  Jason stood behind the cluster of Sol, also staring at the table.  He looked torn between fear and excitement—the spectacle before him managing to override his grief for the time being.

Finally, Harley wasn’t able to resist any longer.  She turned to her right and what she saw caused a tear to leak out of her eye.  Miriam was lying on the table.  Her eyes were closed but a bright white light seeped from underneath her lids and her entire body seemed to glow with an inner luminescence.  The humans saw Miriam shining with a divine light, but when Harley looked at her she saw the glow of an approaching atomic bomb.  Harley looked away, not able to stand the sight.

The sound of screaming tore Harley from her despair.  At first she thought it was coming from her.  But the world clicked into place and she realized the sound was coming from Miriam.  She turned towards her again and saw that she had thrown her head back in a soul tearing scream.  Her mouth was open wide, as were her eyes.  Her mouth gaped wider than humanly possible and an intense white light poured from deep inside her.  Her eyes were replaced by white suns that lit up the shadows up the basement.  The Sol cringed away from the sound, their faces twisted in pain and worry and they raised their arms to block the light.  As sudden as it began, the scream ended and Miriam’s body went slack again.

Albert, Jenna and the rest of the Sol gathered around their leader.  Before her line of sight was blocked, Harley saw Miriam’s chest rising and falling.  She had hoped that the bond would kill Miriam, but she should have known better.  That hope didn’t save us from the abomination that was Alice—why would it work this time?  Harley let her own body go limp as she stopped fighting and struggling.  She didn’t have the will to fight anymore.  She didn’t have the energy to cry or scream or curse.  She stared up at the ceiling in dismay and waited.  She didn’t know what she was waiting for, but she knew that it would be awful—worse than what she had already experienced.  She didn’t have the ability to imagine how bad it would be—so she didn’t even try.  She just waited.

Harley’s whole body jerked in surprise when she heard an explosion and for a minute Harley thought—hoped—it was Miriam’s body exploding from being unable to contain the energy of Helion.  But when she turned towards the crowd of Sol she saw that they were as surprised as she was.  Harley realized that the explosion came from above them—from the top of the stairs and she began to laugh again as renewed hope woke up every nerve in her body.  Better late than never.

Chapter 51

Harley’s heart soared as Castor burst into the basement.  He was followed by a small group of Lux that she had never seen before.  His sword was drawn as he turned towards Harley and she saw him sag momentarily with relief over finding her alive.  The relief was short lived, however, as the Sol recovered from their shock and scrambled for cover and their guns.  Jason also took shelter and Harley’s own relief turned to frustration as she had to watch the action instead of taking part in it.  She looked towards Miriam and saw that the woman was still unconscious.  Harley watched Cas duck, dodge and dart around the room avoiding shot after shot from the Sol.

Castor fought like a dancer moved.  He was fast, graceful and powerful and in just moments he was at Harley’s side.  He was too distracted to do much more than cut the straps that held her to the table.  He moved away again before the Sol could turn from the rest of the Lux and fire upon them both.  She rolled from the table—using it for cover as Castor darted back into the fighting.  Harley started to make her way towards Miriam.  She didn’t exactly what know she was going to do when she reached her, but she knew that her goal was to kill the creature while she was able.

Before she made it to the other table, Harley felt a hand clasp her foot.  She looked back and saw Jason with a wicked gleam in his eye.  He pulled her to him and Harley was too weak to fight it.  He pulled her, hand over hand, until he was on top of her.  She rolled underneath him and cringed seeing that they were face to face.  He snapped and snarled as he tried to bite her face, but she managed to dodge his teeth.  They wrestled on the floor and Harley fought as hard as she could but still sustained several bites to her arms and face.  They were both going for each other throats but neither was able to get past the other’s flailing and blocking.

Finally, Harley was able to get in a head-butt that snapped Jason’s head back enough for her to latch onto his throat.  As her fangs tore into his flesh Harley was overwhelmed by the rush of memories.  Nothing made the changes that she went through more apparent than slowly draining the life out of the last reminder of her humanity.  Jason whimpered above her but he wasn’t able to move as her bite paralyzed him.  Blood dripped from around her mouth and over her chest.  She nearly choked before she realized she was crying and sobbing as she fed.  With every swallow her body repaired itself, but the blood turned cold long before she was full.

Harley pushed Jason off her and sat up.  The first thing that she saw was that Miriam was gone and the shock nearly overrode the satisfaction of feeding.  Harley looked towards the melee and was relieved to see that Castor was still standing and still fighting.  Albert, apparently having run out of bullets, was heading for the stairs.  Harley stumbled to her feet and ignored the shooting that was still going on around her and hobbled after Albert.  Her body was still healing but she had recovered some of her speed and strength.  The clumsy, caveman stride—worse with her hands still bound—became a predator’s lope and she made it up the stairs seconds after Albert.

On the ground floor of the dilapidated building Harley found Albert, a group of Sol reinforcements and Miriam.  The woman was standing in the midst of her human supporters and Albert was behind her.  She looked as if she wasn’t sure what to make of the people surrounding her—she stood motionless and silent.  Suddenly, the black clad figures fell to their knees in worship of the creature before them.  Miriam tilted her head and turned to face Albert and Harley behind her.  Her eyes weren’t just solid white.  They glowed white.  Not as intensely as before, but Harley found that she couldn’t look directly into them and she knew without a doubt that Miriam was gone.  This was Helion.

Albert started to kneel in rapture in front of Helion but she reached out and caught him by the throat.  She raised him off his feet and he began kicking and clawing at her hand.  Helion opened her mouth and sucked Albert’s life from his body in one prolonged gulp.  Harley watched what she could only describe as his life force flowing from his mouth to Helion’s and the sight froze her in stunned fear.  It was over quickly—a matter of seconds—and when Helion dropped him he was dead.  She looked up, meeting Harley’s eyes, and she smiled as if she had found her main course.  The humans behind Helion began rising in alarm, terror and shock.  They had not expected this.

Helion’s glowing eyes were locked onto hers and the burning intensity caused tears to leak out of Harley’s eyes.  Helion took two steps towards Harley before she stumbled forward and fell to her knees.  She looked up at Harley in anger and confusion but her eyes never lost their strength.  A large blade protruded from the woman’s stomach and behind Helion stood Levi.  Harley nearly cried with relief at seeing him alive and well.  Well, I would prefer that he wasn’t here in the middle of a fight while weak in the sun.  But I’ll take what I can get.  She stepped away from the stunned Helion and nearly reached out to touch Levi to make sure he was real.  But she stopped when the sounds of gun shots rang out behind them.  He grabbed her wrist and turned pulling her farther away from Helion who was beginning to climb to her feet with the blade still protruding from her stomach.  She barely seemed fazed by the damage done to her body.  She continued to advance on them in her slow and almost robotic movements.

Levi used the fact that Helion was focused on Harley to circle around her cautiously to yank the blade from her back.  Helion, barley missing a beat, turned towards him with blazing eyes.  Levi sidestepped back to Harley with Helion following his every move like a cobra tracking its prey.  Risking taking his eyes off Helion for a moment, he motioned towards her hands.  Barely comprehending what he wanted, Harley held her hands up.  With one mighty swing, Levi cleaved the chain between her wrists in two and continued the swing down to shatter the links between her ankles with sparks flying.  He spun the weapon so that the hilt faced her. Harley grinned just realizing it was her machete he was handing her.  She took it from him and examined the blade.  She could see the platinum had been added to the edge of the blade as she had asked.  It was a different tone and was thicker near the point curling back artistically; making the machete look like its blade was on fire.  Harley stepped back as Helion edged closer to her and Levi.  She pushed Levi back and away from Helion and he reluctantly turned from her towards the Sol who were finally beginning to fight back after recovering from their shock.

Harley heard shouts behind her and recognized the voice as Evie’s.  She knew that the rest of her friends had joined the battle.  Worry about them fighting in the sunlight coursed through her, but she didn’t have time to be distracted by it.  Instead, she raised her machete as Helion stepped closer towards her.  She was still weak and her body still hurt, one feeding wasn’t going to restore her completely but she would give the fight everything that she had.  She wasn’t afraid for herself.  She was afraid for her friends and for the Vigilum and Praesidio and the humans they protected.

Harley swung the blade towards Helion but she might have well as been moving in slow motion.  Helion easily caught her hand that held the weapon and squeezed.  The creature’s grip was like iron and it burned with an internal heat.  Harley felt the bones in her hand break, and against her will she had to release the machete.  Helion grabbed her by the throat and lifted her from her feet.  As she opened her mouth in front of her face Harley realized what was happening.  Her energy was being be sucked away as Helion began pulling from her.  She kicked and fought as hard as she could, but it was useless, the creature’s grip didn’t waiver.  Harley felt her strength and power flowing out of her and into Helion.  She couldn’t breathe and she was growing weaker by the second.  Relief surged through her when Helion’s feeding was interrupted by Kai who stabbed her twice in the back before kicking her hard enough to make her stumble forward and drop Harley.

Harley rolled away from Helion and lurched drunkenly to her feet.  Her machete had been knocked across the concrete floor and came to a rest too far away for her to get to it in time.  Kai made a move towards the glowing creature again.  “No!” Harley shouted.  Unwillingly to let Kai fight her alone, Harley dove towards Helion again but she drove an elbow into Harley’s face that sent her sliding across the ground.  Harley watched as Helion caught Kai by the throat and lifted her off her feet.  Not ready to give up, Harley stumbled to her feet again.  One of the Sol’s guns lay nearby and Harley picked it up, desperation calling for her to try anything.  The gun cracked and recoiled against her shoulder.  It took all the strength she had to hold the gun steady and not hit Kai as she fired at Helion.  Harley got off five rounds before the creature finally dropped the Nocte and turned towards her.  Five more rounds and Helion went down.  Harley had no illusions that she was dead, but at least she had been put on pause.

Levi, Evie and Rafe fighting to hold off the Sol who were continuing to fight with guns.  The Nocte were hiding behind an over turned, rusting machine and bullets pinged off the metal in a macabre rhythm.  Levi leaned around the edge and flicked his wrist, sending a shining dagger spinning towards the man closest to him.  The dagger struck the man in the chest at the same time that his last bullet knocked Levi back and off his feet.  Harley started towards the shoot out in front of her.  The humans were in between her and her friends with their backs to her and for a moment she hesitated between concentrating on Helion or helping her friends.  But before she could make the decision, Helion made it for her.

Helion had climbed to her feet again and was moving closer towards her but Harley held her ground.  Behind Helion, Harley saw Rafe creeping silently nearer.  He had slipped from behind their cover and was coming for the Sun creature.  The shooting had stopped and Harley wanted look to see if Levi and Evie were safe, but she kept her attention focused on Helion hoping to keep the creature’s attention on her.  As Harley watched, Rafe raised his knife and drove it into Helion’s chest from behind.  Harley was sure that he hit her heart.  But if he did, it still didn’t stop her.  Helion reached behind her and pulled the knife free from her back before she grabbed Rafe and plunged the blade into his own chest.  Harley heard Evie scream as she used the distraction to sprint for her machete.  She turned back to Helion but was too slow.  The creature had followed her and, catching her arm, she lifted Harley off her feet and spun her.  Her arm was yanked from its socket before Helion released her and she flew across the decaying building and slammed into the wall on the other side of the factory. Her ribs cracked and she crashed to the floor breathlessly.

Levi was rushing towards her as she rolled to a sitting position trying to get her breath back.  Castor and his group of Lux burst from the basement and he held his sword ready to fight.  Helion stood ready to take them all on.  Harley, still unable to regain her breath, was screaming inside for them all to stop.  There was no way they were going to beat Helion like this.  She had already watched the creature kill one of her friends and multiple humans she didn’t want to see any more.  Castor must have heard her mental plea because he stopped and looked for her.  When he found her he nodded slightly with a look of deep regret and cautiously backed away from Helion.

The Sun creature surveyed everyone around her—their weapons held high.  Harley didn’t know what made Helion stop fighting, but she did.  She relaxed and turned away the humans, the Lux and the Nocte that stood before her.  She turned towards the door of the factory and began walking.  She walked slowly and calmly out of the building and no one followed her.  When she left she seemed to take the fear and the danger with her.  In its place she left regret, pain and horror.

Harley looked at the people in the room with her.  The humans were just as horrified as she and her friends were.  They looked at the Vigilum and the Praesidio and slowly, cautiously backed away making their way towards the same door that Helion had exited through.  No one stopped them from leaving.  The Vigilum remained wary even as they lowered their weapons.  Harley could hear sirens growing closer and she groaned.  Levi and Harley slowly helped each other to their feet.

“Everybody move out,” Castor commanded.

The Lux and the Nocte reacted in a flurry of movement.  They gathered weapons and the wounded and someone began dousing the place in gasoline.  Harley started to tell someone to check on Nya and Kai.  She didn’t know if the Nya survived the broken neck, but she wouldn’t leave without making sure.  Castor must have read her mind because he emerged from the stairs carrying the Nocte general.  Harley nearly collapsed with relief.  If she had died her body would have burned by now.  Harley looked at Rafe and saw that his body was already beginning to smoke and she quickly looked away.  Evie was kneeling over Rafe’s remains sobbing hysterically and the sight was more than she could bear.  Kai lay near them in one peace and Harley could only hope that it meant she wasn’t dead.

Harley felt Levi pulling on her arm and she turned away from the gut wrenching scene.  Levi wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her out of the building behind Castor.  She climbed in the truck and helped Cas lay Nya gently in the cargo space of the SUV.  Levi climbed in beside her holding his arm.  He had been shot in the shoulder and Harley could tell that he was in pain.  Castor quickly started the truck as Evie folded herself into the passenger seat.  She seemed small and devastated and Harley wanted to reach out and help her but she was barely able to move herself.  Drained, she was just as broken as everyone else around her.  Harley looked up as the building burst into flames.  Burn it to the ground, she thought.

Chapter 52

Back at the Den, Harley sat next to Nya’s bed.  It had been twenty-four hours since their escape and the Nocte finally looked like she was going to make it.  Harley had forced some of her own blood down Nya’s throat and afterwards, her body had begun to heal.  Harley put her feet up on the edge of the bed and winced.  She had been having horrible stomach pains since yesterday.  She was pretty sure it was from where Jason bit her.  Apparently, it didn’t matter that he was part Lux; the Ignis in him had still poisoned her.  A day later Harley was still weak and sick the poison coursed throughout her system.

Harley groaned and Nya opened her eyes.  Relief washed through her strong enough to make her forget how nauseous she felt.  Nya slowly looked around the room before her dull, gold eyes finally settled on Harley.  “You still look like shit,” Nya croaked.

“Yeah, well, at least I’m not the one laid up in bed and recovering this time,” Harley smirked back at her.

“Damn.  I don’t have a Lux in me do I?”

“Hah!  No,” Harley groaned.

“What the hell happened?” Nya asked.

“The good guys won.  Kind of.”

“Well, of course,” Nya chuckled weakly.  “But how did we pull it off?”

Harley told Nya the whole story.  When she finished Nya didn’t say anything for a few moments.  Harley watched the Nocte work over everything that she told her.  Nya still looked fragile and skeletal.  Her wounds were healing, but it would be a while before she was whole again.

“Castor was able to convince the Vigilum to help stop Alice and the Sol?”

“Yeah, more or less.  He reached out to James again and the evidence was piling up.  James believed him and was able to convince some other Lux that Castor was telling the truth.  Apparently, James and the Lux were with him when I finally managed to call for him.  Seeing him nearly pass out from the force of the psychic call helped convince them,” Harley snorted.

“So, why do you think Helion left?” Nya asked.

Harley sighed and rubbed a hand over her forehead.  “I don’t really know.  Logically, I don’t think she was ready to fight a small army.  I don’t think she left because she had any qualms about killing us.  She had just killed her right hand man, other Sol and a Nocte.”  At that Harley paused.  She had her issues with Rafe, but he had been her friend nonetheless.  He had fought with, and for, her and his loss was brutally painful.

“Which of the scenarios do you think Helion fits into?”

Nya was referring to the scenarios that Levi had outlined previously.  “I don’t think Helion is on any side except for her own.  As for what the agenda of that ‘side’ is?  I have no idea.  Maybe she only killed Albert and…the others…because she was defending herself.”  Harley shrugged. She wanted to believe that so badly she almost convinced herself it was true.  Almost, Harley thought to herself, regretfully.  Clearly, we haven’t heard the last of Helion.

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Soon after, Harley left Nya so that the woman could get some sleep.  She couldn’t get used to seeing Nya not look like the formidable mentor that she had always been and it left her unsettled and insecure.  The pains in her stomach, and the nervous tension that woke up at the mention of Helion drove Harley to seek out the comfort of her men.  Harley knew that Castor was asleep since it was late at night, so she wandered the large house until she found Levi.  He was sitting on the porch that Harley always gravitated to—but he wasn’t alone.  Kai sat on the stone bench with him.

Harley couldn’t stop herself from narrowing her eyes as she slipped through the door.  She hadn’t heard any of their conversation but both of them looked up sharply as she joined them.  Do they both look guilty?  What the hell did I walk into?  A hardness overrode her illness as she surveyed the both of them.  As she watched the two of them it occurred to her that Kai could give Levi what she couldn’t.  Kai wasn’t one to argue.  She wouldn’t force Levi to share her with another man.  Her insides turned cold and she struggled to find something to say to the both of them.  Worry about Helion was replaced with worry about Levi and Kai.

Whatever look came over their features at seeing Harley passed quickly and Levi and Kai both smiled at her.  “Good evening,” Kai chirped at her.  Harley swallowed and struggled to stop herself from snatching the little Nocte off the bench.  She may have fought with Harley and had her back, but if she thought Harley would just let go of Levi without a fight she was going to be surprised.

When Harley didn’t answer Kai looked nervously to Levi before standing and bidding them both a good night.  She slipped past Harley and through the door.  Harley watched her go then turned back to Levi.  He was shaking his head at her with a smirk.  She realized that her eyes had shifted and she blinked the Nocte away while taking a deep breath.  “What was that?” she demanded trying not to sound as furious as she felt.

“I’m not going to dignify that with an answer.”

“I walked in on something.”

“And it’s not what you think.”  Levi’s voice was even and didn’t leave any room to argue.

Harley could feel her nostrils flare.  What am I doing?  I can trust Levi, right?  Of course.  Even if Kai came on to him he wouldn’t go for it.  Harley didn’t like how hard she had to work at convincing herself.  Kai was their friend and teammate.  Harley didn’t know what they had been discussing but if it was important Levi would tell her.

“Are you calm now?” Levi asked her.

Instead of answering, Harley changed the subject.  “How’s Evie?” she asked, sitting in front of him.  Harley didn’t have the energy or motivation to argue with Levi tonight.  They both straddled the stone bench and Levi pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.  She could feel the tension melting from her shoulders.  She didn’t know why the little Nocte threatened her so badly, but she wanted—needed—to get her jealously in check.

“She will be OK, eventually,” he assured her softly.

“I feel like I failed.”

Levi leaned back and looked at her sharply.  “Why?”

“Rafe is dead.  I killed Jason.  I almost killed Nya.  And it was all for nothing.  Helion is here and we don’t know what she is going to do.”

“I know that you have gone over every single thing that happened in minute detail.  Is there anything that you could have done differently than you did?”

“I could have made us leave the hotel when I knew we were being watched.”

“So you knew the bad feeling you had was going to turn out like it did?”  Harley didn’t respond.  “Unless you have actually become psychic without telling anyone, how were you supposed to predict what was going to happen?”

Harley shrugged and Levi pulled her closer to him.  He lifted her legs and laid them over his so that she was nearly sitting in his lap.  “I know you think that it is your duty to save everyone.  You take too much responsibility for what happens.  You are not the only one in this fight.  You have me, and Cas, and Nya and Evie.  Unfortunately, this life comes with the possibility of death.  We all accept that.  Rafe knew the risks.  He wouldn’t have chosen any differently.”  Levi cupped her face in his hands.  “Now.  I want you to stop feeling guilty.  I won’t have it.”

Harley smiled at him.  She knew he was right but it didn’t really make it any easier to believe.  The specter of Helion and her intensions still hung over her like a piano on a fraying wire.  She knew that it could drop at any moment.  But, she reassured herself, at least we are working with the Vigilum this time.  Harley could hear the Lux sleeping in their bedrooms if she listened hard enough.  She hadn’t told Nya about their guests yet.  She had made the decision that it was time for the two groups to stop working separately as they all fought towards the same goal.  She invited the Vigilum who had helped Castor to recoup at the Den.  She figured that Nya would get over it if she had a problem with it.

Levi saw her wince as another wave of pain shot through her stomach.  “Still feeling bad?”

“Yeah.  Even healing as fast as I do, Cas thinks it will be a couple of days before the poison is out of my system.  He was sick for a couple of weeks when it happened to him.  It feels like a horrible hangover.”

“Well let’s see what we can do to help that healing along.”

Harley laughed as Levi pulled her into his lap and stood.  He carried her into the house and to their bedroom.  Despite the anxiety and guilt that she still felt, she knew that for now she needed to relax and heal and enjoy the time she had with her loved ones.  She didn’t know what Kai and Levi had been discussing when she walked in on them, but she forced it to the side for the time being.  Even if a traitorous voice was whispering differently in her ear, she knew she could trust Levi.  They all needed to focus on the big picture.  Working together she knew that they could face Helion and whatever she might have planned.

Table of Contents

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

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