Krystina walked up the drive to Talera's house full of apprehension. She had never been to her house before, and under normal circumstances would not have dreamed of going there. It wasn't that she disliked Talera, it was just that when she and Sapphira were together she felt as though they shared something she wasn't a part of. It was not jealousy she felt towards Talera, but a knowledge that Talera held a place in Sapphira's life that she could never have, for whatever reason. Only the depth of worry she felt now at the disappearance of Sapphira made her walk this path to the front door.
     She was just about to ring the bell when she heard someone call, "Over here Krystina, round to the side door." The voice belonged to Talera and Krysia walked to the side door to see Talera run over and pull her away into the woods that were directly at the side of Talera's house.
     "What was that for?" Krys asked puzzled by what had just occurred.
     "I need to talk to you away from my parents. Look, I want to know what has happened to Sapphira. Tell me everything and quickly."
     Talera listened as Krystina related exactly what she had told Ebony. "Hmm." she said thinking. This was very serious and she had to get to Circle Daybreak, they would help her rescue Sapphira from Hunter and what ever he was planning to do. "I'll get Sapphira back and I don't need your help to do it. Thanks for the information. She'll be glad you helped me.
     "I want to help her. I am coming wherever you are going."
     Talera sighed. Krystina was going to be trouble. She would have to work out what to do with her later. "Okay, but only if you understand that there will be some things that happen which you will not understand. Whatever happens, DO NOT ASK WHAT IS GOING ON! Curiosity could cost you your life, so just bite your tongue."
     "But, I don't understand..."
     "That's my point exactly. Look, do you want to help Sapphira or not? If so, just come with me, tell your parents that you are going to Las Vegas for a week or two with Sapphira. I have told my parents and hers that so we will be okay for now. I can drop you round at your house so you can pick up a few things, but please hurry up as we have very little time."
     "Okay, I'll do as you say, but I won't pretend that I like this."
     "You don't have to, just do as I tell you and you'll be fine."
     "Anything you say, O' master!"
     "Don't be sarcastic, and get a move on!"

     Ebony drove his car to the airport. He had to hurry. From the list he had seen with the Daybreakers names on it, he knew that Thierry was one of them. Thierry was the oldest made Vampire and he kept a massive mansion in Las Vegas where, rumour had it, some Circle Daybreak meetings were held. Only Thierry had enough influence to help Sapphira now, without him, she was dead, and a large part of Ebony would die also. There was so little time left, he had to hurry. He only hoped that Hunter planned to do whatever he was planning at the meeting after Samhain, rather than hold one sooner, if he did then she could already be lost. He could not allow himself to think that way. They had known each other so little time, but he loved her so much it was tearing his heart in two. Thierry had to help him or he would die trying to save her!
     The plane to Las Vegas was just about to depart. Ebony rushed through all the appropriate channels and finally boarded the plane. He knew this journey would be the worst one of his life, but there was nothing else he could do but wait, and pray she would be okay. A part of him knew that when, or if she died, he would feel it. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, a very unusual occurrence for a Vampire. The waiting was the worst part, but he had no choice, Hunter held the trump card and unless he got to Thierry in time, nothing in his life would ever matter again.

     It was late and three people sat in the cell. Sapphira sighed. They had talked for hours, going over anything they could use to help them escape or at least to send word to Circle Daybreak, but there was nothing. It had been a few hours since the last member of the trio had awoken. His name was John Redwing and he was a sixteen year old Lamia Vampire. He had a human soulmate and was a fairly new member of Circle Daybreak, but not too new. Sapphira had told the others about finding her soulmate. They had been telling each other their life stories as well as just stories to pass the time. The escape topic had completely died down which was depressing all three of them and John was doing his best to keep their minds of it by telling them jokes, "What's green and dangerous and goes up and down?"
     "A gooseberry with a machine gun in a lift. I've heard that one too many times. Hunter is trying to wear us down, to stop us being ready for whatever he throws at us, at this rate we will be brain-dead before anything happens." Sapphira said with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
     "Hey, my jokes aren't that bad, and besides what else are we supposed to do for hours upon end? Stare at the walls? Think up ways in which you want to kill Hunter Redfern?"
     "I'm already on one thousand, seven hundred and twelve for that last one, and I'm not counting any which involves wood as yet." Sapphira was not being sarcastic this time, but deadly serious, not that she would ever kill Hunter even if she had the chance, she just liked to think that she would.
     "How about we talk about books, or television programmes, or even music? It would help us find things we have in common and take our minds off being stuck in this place." Cassie said, intervening between the other two before they came to blows. She might be the youngest at only 15 years of age, but she was a very mature girl who always patched up disputes.
     "I'm all for that. What about you John?"
     "Fine by me. Now does anyone like Babylon 5?"

     It was the next day when the commotion began at Thierry's house. A lot of Circle Daybreak had come early for the Samhain festival celebrations and the house was full. Even Mary-Lynette was here, having come especially to be with Ash, and all her friends here. Thierry had been happy, almost everyone was here, except for Sapphira and Talera, but they weren't due for another day or so, so he wasn't worried. Hannah was being a wonderful hostess and Thierry was proud of the way she coped with it all. Quinn and Rashel had been play-fighting all over the lawn earlier, like little children and Poppy and James watched them laughing until their sides split. The mood was very festive and Thierry felt that the happiest times were those since he had found Hannah again. It had all seemed perfect, but it turned out to be quite the opposite.
     The first signs of trouble were brought to his attention by Quinn and Rashel who said they has seen Ebony Blackthorn around and it looked as though he was trying to find a way into the mansion. Everyone knew he was a pawn of Hunter Redfern so it was battle stations at the mansion. He watched as Ebony walked up the path to the mansion. He seemed to be upset about something, but it could just have been an act. Thierry reached out with his mind and tried to read Ebony's thoughts, this was tricky since he was also a Vampire, but surprisingly Ebony didn't appear to be shielding. 'I must get him to help her. He'll kill her if I don't. He'll never believe I'm sincere. I have to do this, for Sapphira's sake if nothing else!'
     Sapphira! He had spoken her name. Was he to be trusted though, he might have just been sending those thoughts on purpose. It did not seem that way to Thierry however, and he called to Quinn to let Ebony in and bring him to see them all, under close observation of course.
     Thierry was seated when a very annoyed Quinn showed Ebony in. This place was almost palatial, both in size, and luxury. Thierry was a lord of the Night World and the oldest made Vampire so it really didn't surprise him too much.
     "You seem to have wanted to come here for some reason. I must say that I take exception to Hunter's spies bothering me at my own house, this near to Samhain. Please do not think I am trying to be rude, but for what reason are you here?" Thierry was calm in tone, but his voice held a hard edge to it, which made Ebony look up.
     "I am very sorry to bother you, and I know you will probably not believe me, I wouldn't believe me, but I need your help right now, or she will die!" Ebony's voice had an edge of desperation and despair and his eyes seemed to stare wildly at Thierry. To Thierry, he almost seemed to be on the verge of madness.
     "Why should you ask me for help? Wouldn't Hunter be a more logical choice, he is your boss after all?"
     "You don't understand, Hunter is going to kill her! You run Circle Daybreak, you're the only one who can help me! If you don't then I've lost her forever! You have to help me please, if not for my sake, then for hers! She is supposed to be a member of your group!"
     "Who are you talking about? Please try to calm down and explain what is going on."
     "Sapphira's in danger, Hunter has taken her and other members of Circle Daybreak and he is going to kill them as a demonstration of power at the Samhain Night World meeting. Please you have to save her!"
     "Why should the death of one Witch affect you so badly and why do you believe that I can and would help you?"
     "She's my soulmate! Sapphira's my soulmate, and I will be torn apart if she dies! I know you can help me, you always help people in need. Look, I know you have no reason to trust or like me, but without your help, Hunter's won, and everything Sapphira has taught me is in vain!"
     "I will discuss this with the rest of the group. You will wait here. Quinn! See that he doesn't go anywhere. If you let him out of your sight, there will be serious trouble!"
     Thierry left the room, leaving Ebony slumped in a red velvet chair and Quinn watching him from the doorway with a wary expression on his face.

     "So, what do you think? Can we trust him or not? Is he even telling the truth?" Thierry asked the circle of faces around him. He had explained the situation and everything he had gleaned from Ebony's mind. Everyone had erupted into a very heated argument and Thierry was trying to hold it all together.
     "How can we trust him? He is just Hunter's pawn and I do not think he is any friend of this group. He probably has access to files on Circle Daybreak and is using that information to trip us up and let Hunter destroy us all!" Ash was almost shouting with fury and rage and Mary-Lynette linked her arm through his to try and calm her soulmate down.
     "I remember a time when we would have said as much of you and Quinn, but now you are both a part of Circle Daybreak. If Ebony is Sapphira's soulmate then it is possible that he has reconsidered his feelings towards Daybreakers. If this is the case then we must help him and accept him as one of us." James pointed this out to his irate cousin.
     "I think we should at least find out if his story is true. Contact Talera and ask her where Sapphira is, or find out if any other Circle Daybreak members are missing. Perhaps Ebony can supply us with names and we can work out if they are also missing." It was Gillian, a newly discovered lost Witch of the Harman family who made this suggestion, it was the most sensible one Thierry had heard so far.
     "I agree with Gillian. We should try and find out if what he says is true, and if it is, then we must take immediate action. I know that most of us have never met Sapphira in person, but she is a willing member of Circle Daybreak and we must help her if she is in trouble."
     There was no time for anyone to comment as Talera and Krystina burst in the door at that moment. "I must speak to Thierry immediately, it's very important!" Talera exclaimed much to the astonishment of the others.
     "May I ask who you are? And why you have burst in on us like this?" Thierry asked, the whole group were on their feet by this time, soulmates clinging to each other in surprise. Thierry gently disentangled Hannah from his arms, and turned to face the two girls. Krystina was staring at everything with an expression of unabashed awe on her face, at the sight of the palatial style of the mansion.
     "I am Talera, and I am afraid my human friend here must not hear what I have to say to the group. I apologise, Thierry, for the interruption."
     "Of course Talera. I will see the young lady to another room."
He gently led Krystina to another room. She shot Talera a worried look, but Talera gave her a comforting nod, and she went along with Thierry staring at everything around her. When he returned he sat with the others who had sat down when he left with Krystina, he spoke to Talera, "Now I believe you had something to tell us, Talera, please proceed."
     "I'm sure you are all aware that I was supposed to come for Samhain with my friend Sapphira. She has been kidnapped by Hunter Redfern to be killed at the meeting after the celebrations. You must help me get her back, or she will die, along with two other members of circle Daybreak as a demonstration of Hunter's power."
     Ash stared at her in astonishment, "You mean what Ebony told Thierry was true?"
     "Ebony? What has he got to do with this? Look will you help me or not?"
     "We will explain about Ebony later, or maybe he will. Rashel, please go and fetch both him and Quinn from the other room, we have a lot of work to do. Now, Talera, what are we supposed to do with your human friend back there? Who is she anyway?"
     "She is Sapphira's best friend and I had no choice but to bring her here. Can't we just drug her so she won't see anything that is going on? We don't need any human interference in this, apart from those who already know about the Night World."
     "I agree. Will you and Thea deal with that? I will see everyone in the main office in ten minutes for a briefing." Rashel entered at that moment, supporting a dazed looking Quinn.
     "Ebony's gone, he knocked Quinn out and escaped through the window. Do you want me to pursue?"
     "Let him go, Rashel. We have more important things to worry about than a rogue Vampire. Come on folks, we have work to do."

to be continued!!

Part 4b

Stories Inspired by

My Fan Fiction

Index