 
## SIENNA

A Dark Legends Novel

Frank J Perez

Copyright 2018 Frank Perez

Smashwords Edition

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## Chapter 1

Niko lifted his gaze from the cards and peered at the woman across the table, the fourth psychic he had investigated in the past month. He frowned, another fraud to place on his ever-growing list. Rumor and online talk had brought him to see for himself whether she was the real deal or not. He sighed internally, the wisps of despair beginning to toy with his emotions. The ancestors had guided him to this city, the new foundational strength for magical powers and so far he'd only come across a tiny portion of people with even an inkling of it.

He didn't recall the inane words he spoke as their time came to an end, thanking her as he placed money down before heading out into the windswept street, the smell of rain heavy in the air.

Looking up to the sky as he often did when reaching out to the ancestors, he asked _"Is there any chance you've made a mistake this time? I've been here three months now and nothing! Maybe I misunderstood you?"_ Of course there was no answer. Nothing new in that. They never did unless _they_ wanted to and that was never when _he_ needed.

The slight click of the door locking made him look over his shoulder at the shopfront he'd just exited. The green neon sign of 'Mystic Aura' had been switched off and the closed sign put up. Smiling he headed up the street to where his Audi was parked. Sometimes even those with no ability sensed a certain _something_ when in his presence. Maybe even enough for them to look for a different way of fleecing the unwary. Pausing at the car for a moment, he looked around at the city streets. The ancestors had guided him to what was basically the ass end of the world. A city so far away from any of their previous hallowed grounds that it made him wonder what the hell they were thinking.

This was nothing like the wild, untamed, party streets of New Orleans or the quaint, historically significant lands of Salem. Nor was it anything like the palace of the Chinese emperors, the backwaters of Port-Au-Prince or even Transylvania. All those places had a feeling of something supernatural about them before he'd even begun to work his own magic there. This city was just blank. A nothingness when it came to magical essence and feeling. Filled with skyscrapers and the normal everyday hub of people going about their ordinary mortal lives.

Maybe the ancestors had started to move into the twentieth century now and Melbourne would be the start of a new form of magic. Time would tell, it always did.

*~*

Shifting himself into a slightly higher plane he looked over the wards crossing the entire blue-stone walls of the converted church on the outskirts of the city that he currently called home. The bright lines lay untouched and unbroken, everything secure. Not that he'd really expected anything less but he had been wrong in the past and sure as hell wasn't about to stop being careful now.

Pressing the button on the automatic door opener he eased the car into its parking spot keeping an eye on the door until it came to a full close. The familiar sense of serenity hit him as he climbed the stairs from the ground floor to the ultra-modern interior. Whilst the facade of the church had been kept in place, the inside of the 1861 building had been completely gutted and renovated. Sleek lines and open living spaces bright with the multi-colored lights streaming in through the stained glass windows of the original church. The kaleidoscope of colors dancing across the expensive furniture that now sat where the faithful had once congregated.

The smell of cooking bacon hit his senses as he headed to the kitchen with a smile. Of course Sienna would be frying up a storm as she always did while he investigated. It was a tradition now centuries old and one he could always count on. Walking over to the large dining table he dropped his keys heavily, scratching the surface and listened as Sienna's husky voice came over the sizzling pan, "A two hundred and fifty thousand dollar table and you treat it like it's a fifty buck piece from IKEA, Niko. I know money's not an issue but a little respect for the artistic creations we pay so handsomely for wouldn't go astray. I take it today's little adventure yielded nothing?"

Sitting heavily into one of the dining chairs he looked over and marveled anew at her perfection. Five foot ten with the darkest hair flowing freely half way down her back. High chiseled cheek bones framing her dark ebony eyes which could smolder and make you fall in love or harden and make you weep with fear depending on her mood. All atop a body that was sheer female perfection and made everybody stop to stare. The inspiration and personification of the words Nubian Princess. "Nope. Not a damn thing Sienna, another fraud. I'm starting to get bored. This damn town is so _blah_ that I can't understand what the hell the ancestors are trying to achieve here. This place is nothing like the others we've lived in previously. There's just no soul to it."

Sienna walked to the table with two plates laden with bacon, eggs and sausages-the perfect pick me up when Niko returned from one of the many useless adventures he'd been sent on by the ancestors. Smiling, she sat opposite him and gave a small laugh, "You romanticize everything from the past Niko." Waving a fork filled with bacon at him she added, "Think back honestly to most of the places we've been over time. Port-Au-Prince was nothing but a bunch of hovels with goat shit covering everything including the people. Salem was a nice enough place but the people there had not yet learned the meaning of washing themselves. They stank to high-heaven! And don't get me started on New Orleans. Mosquito infested swampland where the horses smelled better than the people themselves, and had better manners to boot. This place is nice, clean and is filled with a hell of a lot of convenience. Even if it is somewhat lacking in the spiritual side of things."

Placing the forkful of food in her mouth, she took a moment to chew before adding, "And that after all, is what we were created for. Eat some food and stop stressing. The ancestors will show us the way as they always have."

## Chapter 2

Roni watched as the last of the customers for the day made their way out of the store. Usually she loved her job as a fashion assistant in a retail shop and it gave her a thrill to have the ability to help people pick out the right accessories and outfits. Today however time had dragged its heels at the slowest pace she could ever recall. There had even been moments when it appeared that the clock had been going backwards. Putting on a fake smile, she waved as the last customer exited, "Thank you for shopping with us, Mrs. K. Those outfits you've got are going to be an absolute hit at your party this weekend. Enjoy." With a quick flick of her wrist, the front door was locked and the lights barely switched off before she was making a mad dash to the back room to collect her bag and leave. The others would shortly be arriving at her apartment for some dinner, drinks and the main attraction of the night, a little magical mayhem and she still had to pick up the pizzas!

Making her way quickly across the now empty parking lot to her beaten up Subaru she opened the door and keyed the ignition before opening her bag and taking out the old locket. Rebel and herself had come across the jaded silver piece on one of their weekends away in a tiny hovel that sold antiques near Lake Goldsmith, while on their way to the Jailhouse Rock Festival in Ararat to enjoy the markets, food, dancing and music of the street carnival the previous March and of course, the formal ball. The trip had been going along nicely until her ever unreliable rexxy had begun to sputter and stall on the outskirts of the town, lasting just long enough for her to gently guide it to the nearest service station. The mechanic had asked a couple of quick questions and then told them to have some fun sight-seeing for an hour or so while he diagnosed the problem.

Rebel's familiar cheeky lopsided smile was planted firmly on her face, "You really are going to have to get yourself something a bit more reliable Roni because one day this shit-heap is gonna leave you stranded somewhere not quite so picturesque!"

"Oh Rebel you know better than that. This isn't being stranded as much as a chance for an adventurous detour! Come, let's check out this one-horse town and see what mischief we can get up to!"

The mechanic looked up on hearing the laughter and watched as the two gorgeous women practically skipped down the street towards the handful of shopfronts that made up the town's main street. Shaking his head he turned his attention back to the car, knowing full well that trying to kill an hour in this town could sometimes feel like a lifetime.

Less than a minute later, the two women had found the one and only shop of any interest to them, apart from the cafe. A tiny weathered door with an even tinier dust stained window housing an Antiques sign. Roni looked quickly at Rebel and smiled. Both of them were consumed with the ancient pieces of jewelry and associated trinkets from the past as part of their studies into magic. That her little rexxy had decided to break down in a tiny microscopic town that actually housed an antiques shop was not coincidental, "Mischief in a one-horse town Rebel. What do you think the odds would be of something like this happening?"

"With us babe, ninety-nine point nine percent! We're damn magnets when it comes to attracting this shit! Let's go in."

The tinkle of a rusty metal bell rang out across the shop as the two girls let themselves in and began poking around. The tiny room was no larger than a few square meters and packed high leaving very little room to move. No visible counter stood anywhere and it appeared to be empty of people. Rebel eased her way through a gap in the piled junk and turned to Roni, eyebrows raised, "Throwback to a time when everyone left everything unlocked and open. Trusting on the goodness of people or are we gonna end up falling over the corpse of some old lady that no-one has realized died about a week ago?"

Roni's reply never left her lips as the wheezy voice of an old lady filled the air, "Not today hopefully." A tiny head framed with slicked-back white hair popped up from behind one of the stacks, green eyes twinkling as she looked at the two young ladies before her, "You girls after anything in particular or just poking around?"

Looking around at the piles of dusty items in the shop before turning her focus back to the old lady Roni replied, "Poking around sounds about right. As luck would have it my car is having a bit of a spat with me at the moment so we thought we'd take a look around for a bit. You know, killing time and all that."

"Well you girls just take your time then. Have a good look around. Killing time and poking around is kind of what I'm here for. Maybe we'll all get lucky and you'll fall in love with something that catches your fancy and makes me rich enough to retire!" The old lady's gaze went back and forth between the two of them before she added, "Let you in on a little secret. The _good_ stuff that you'd most likely be interested in lies in the back room." Lifting a wrinkled and weathered hand she pointed beyond all the piles, "A plethora of goodies awaits those souls brave enough to find a way through the maze of despair you find yourselves in."

With a wink and a deepening of her smile, the old lady finished, "Many an adventurer has been lost trying to get there. Good luck!"

The smile on Rebel's face mirrored the one on the old lady, "Challenge accepted. If the goodies are in that back room then that's where we're headed."

It had taken them over five minutes of navigating their way through the assorted piles before finally emerging into the back room the old lady had pointed to, amazement on their faces at the sight of the old lady herself gently swaying back and forth in a rocking chair. Clearly she had a clear path that they knew nothing about. Rebel's laughter faded as Roni felt drawn to the shelves across the back wall. Something here was calling out to her. She smiled, her unreliable Subaru may always have been breaking down at the most inopportune moments but it never failed to deliver the goods. Taking two steps forwards she went straight to the furthest shelf, searching. The wispy tug of intuition making her eyes fall immediately on the silver locket.

Picking it up gently, she took a closer look. The front of the locket was engraved with lines and swirls of all kinds. A kaleidoscope of patterns. Running her finger down the side, she located the clasp that would open it, pushing down. Nothing happened. She tried a couple of more times before giving up. Sometimes these old pieces were so worn that their internal mechanisms had either rusted solid or were simply broken. Jayce would be able to fix it easily being the handyman of the group. She turned the locket over to get a better look at the other side. It was completely clear of any of the designs that littered the front of the piece. A single name engraved dead-center, SalHai NorMel.

Rebel's whisper cut into her thoughts. She was reading the name over Roni's shoulder, "That is one seriously weird name. Not to mention the way it's spelled. I know things were written differently back in time but that is _really_ messed up." Bringing her gaze over to Roni's eyes she added, "I take it this is what Lady Luck wanted us to see?"

Roni's eyes went back to the locket, her fingertips wiping away the dirt, "Yeah. I think so. As soon as I touched it I knew I had to have it. Come on, we're done here. Let's buy this and go."

Six months of owning the locket with nothing coming of it. Jayce had been unable to open the locket no matter what he tried which was weird in its own way. Rebel, Max and she had absolutely no luck in tracking down anything to do with the weird name. No information, no history... nothing. A mysterious silver locket with such a unique name engraved on it should have yielded _something_ in six months of searching. Placing the locket back in her handbag Roni buckled herself in and drove off. After the pizza and wine, her small coven would be trying a little incantation that she herself had come up with. With any luck, a little light would be shed on the history of the mysterious little locket they held in their possession.

*~*

Jayce leaned across the tiny dining table and grabbed another slice of the pizza, the others pretty much done. It was typical of him to finish every piece of food available yet he was not even remotely fat. Standing a little over six feet in height, his body was naturally muscle-bound without ever having spent a single day in the gym. His parents, teachers and coaches over the years had come to lament the fact that he had chosen to ignore every type of physical sport. His dedication, talent and natural bulk would have made him a superstar in any field he decided upon and much to the chagrin of all involved he had chosen science and mathematics over any of them. Roni watched as the man-mountain chewed into what would easily have been his thirteenth slice of pizza, "The people I'd kill to have a metabolism like yours, Jayce."

Around the mouthful of food he'd just bitten into Jayce answered, "Trust me Roni, it's not all unicorns and rainbows. I'm always starving! And remember, what goes in must come out. You _definitely_ don't want to be around for that part of the story!" A chorus of _gross_ echoed across the kitchen as bits of pizza topping went flying his way courtesy of the others at the table, "Hey, It's just the truth. Not like you guys are still eating either." Taking another bite, Jayce added "I'm the only one still eating so I should be yelling _gross_ at myself."

Seated across from Jayce, Rebel smiled, "If we had to wait for you to have an empty mouth before speaking no-one would have ever heard a word from you since the day you were born! Finish your damn dinner already Jayce. We got some fun things to do tonight courtesy of Roni's talents!"

Max raised his wine glass in a toast to Roni. In complete contrast to Jayce he stood only five foot five with a wiry frame and thin, oily hair. In a slightly wheezy voice he added, "To Roni, superstar witch conjurer and potionist!"

Roni joined in everyone's laughter and returned Max's mock salute with one of her own, "And don't none of you heathens ever forget it! But pray tell, what in hell is a damn _potionist?_ You been reading Harry Potter again Maxi boy?"

Rebel raised her eyes on mention of her favorite character. The self-proclaimed Harry Potter expert of the group she piped in, "Don't recall seeing that particular non-existent word in the books... Plenty of others though."

Roni caught the quick smirk which crossed Jayce's face, a smirk no doubt mirrored on her own face, "Let's clear the table of this mess and get to work my little witches. We can discuss the merits of non-existent words in the esteemed Harry Potter series later. I'm dying to see if this incantation actually works or not!"

Less than five minutes later, the table had been cleared of all dishes, food and glasses. The tablecloth moved away to reveal the faded woodwork underneath. All four seated at the different compass points; north, south, east and west. Roni began to pour salt onto the table in a circle covering the entire top, "A magic circle of salt to prevent any unwanted energies or spirits to get through and something to focus our energies on."

As soon as the circle was finished she drew a pentagram within it, before grabbing the cards from the table in front of her. At the head of the pentagram she placed a card with a circle, within it was a sun, "The Spirit to guide us on our journey." Before quickly adding the other four cards to the different points of the pentagram, "Water, Air, Fire and Earth. The Four Elements of all creation."

She looked over at Rebel signaling for the water filled bowl to be placed in the center, "Pure water to harness all the good energy." Max took this as his cue and placed a black candle on the side of the bowl, lighting it. "A black candle to hold every speck of negative energy or power that would hinder us in our endeavors." Taking the locket in her hands she gently lowered it into the waiting bowl of water, "Now, as we discussed and practiced earlier. Close your eyes and focus on the protection circle. Hold hands and say the chant out loud three times, together. Ready?"

Each one of them reached out a hand to the person next to them and held it tight. Closing their eyes, they focused their minds until they felt the time was right. As one they all began, _"We banish the bad, banish the ugly, banish the distractions and banish the evil. Remove yourselves from this locket and let the goodness shine on it."_

Their final words faded into silence before Roni opened her eyes slightly to peer at the locket. The water in which it lay had begun to glow a dark, eerie smoky gray, slight wisps of smoke rising from the entire bowl. In the short moment where they had been performing the chant the black candle had burned out completely, not a drop remained to be seen. Looking around at the others she was met with the same amazed look of incredulity on each face, no one willing to break the silence. Her voice shook slightly as she whispered to them, "Whatever you do, don't break the circle. Something is still happening. Continue concentrating all your energy on the locket. Picture it opening and revealing its history to us."

Rebel locked eyes with Roni her features wary, "Uhm babe, Is that really a good idea? Look closer at the bowl, it's starting to shake."

Before Roni could form an answer a flash of light blew out of the bowl, shattering it into a thousand shards. Water blew out in a huge splash only to stop suddenly as it hit the protective barrier in place. The loud noise of the bowl smashing and the subsequent splash of water caught them all by surprise as each took an involuntary step back and let go of each other. The light dimming to nothing before their very eyes. Roni looked closer at the remains on the table once her eyes had cleared. Fear and confusion etched across her face as she stared at the protective circle of salt on the table. A circle which had turned completely black. "This does not look good. Any of you guys have any idea about what's going on?" The confused looks on all the surrounding faces gave her the answer to her question. "Okay then. Let's clean this mess up before we figure out what's going on."

*~*

Sienna was putting away the last of the plates into the dishwasher when the force of the power washed over her. Dropping the plate quickly, she turned her focus around to Niko who had just rushed out of his bedroom, eyes wide. "What the hell was that Niko?" she asked before bringing herself to complete silence at Niko's upraised finger, watching as he moved a few steps into the living room, eyes closed and an open palm held upwards. Sienna knew that he was channeling his own powers, searching for the source of the magical force they'd both felt.

After a few minutes of complete silence Niko opened his eyes and looked at her, "Darkness comes, Sienna. Powerful, filled with hate. I've never felt anything like it before. Not even Lafayette had the same feeling as this, nowhere near as bad."

Sienna just stared at Niko, mouth agape. For him to have brought up Lafayette was a bad sign. Telling her that this was even worse made her head spin. Lafayette had almost been the end of them both. They _had_ won but victory had come with the biggest cost either one of them had ever paid. Now Niko was telling her that whatever it was they had just felt was even worse. An involuntary shiver coursed through her body before she asked, "Are you sure Niko? Worse?"

"More than sure Si. Get the scry waters out and working. Next time this happens I want to know the exact location it's coming from."

"Next time Nik? No chance that this was a one-off fluke of some kind?"

Niko walked the intervening space and took both of her hands in his, "No fluke Sienna. Whatever is out there hasn't even started to manifest yet. It's evil, dark and filled with hate. That much I was able to glean before it disappeared. Get the scry waters out and ready for me while I step up the protective barrier on this place. The simple wards we have at the moment are nowhere near enough."

"What are you planning Nik? How far are you going to go?"

Niko let go of Sienna's hands and walked away a few steps before stopping. Looking up at the ceiling he answered, "Whatever we just felt Si is worse than Lafayette. I don't plan on letting us get caught out the way we did back then. I promised myself I would never place you in that kind of danger ever again." Turning to face her once more, he added, "I'm calling on the Dragon. I won't feel safe otherwise."

Sienna took in Niko's words and felt the world fall away beneath her. For him to summon the Dragon meant that things were about to get very bad in their lives. The Dragon was a spirit of such might and power that even getting his help would be a life and death struggle for Niko. For him to even consider going to this length brought a chill to her very core. Even in Lafayette the Dragon had been a last resort, not the first option. "If that's what you think it'll take Niko then give me half an hour to get the waters ready. There's no way I'm letting you go onto the spirit plane to talk to him without any back-up."

Niko smiled at Sienna knowing full-well that she would have argued the point to death in the past. After the events of Lafayette though, any mention of the enslaved spirits would spur her to action rather than not. "There's no way I would let myself go without you watching my back Sienna. As soon as you get the waters ready come into the back room. I'll have started the journey by then. Remember what we're dealing with. Watch your back as well as mine. First sign of trouble or even the tiniest whisper from your intuition and you get the hell out of there as quickly as possible, regardless of what's happening."

"I remember our agreement Niko. Just make sure you do as well. Whatever else happens we live to fight another day. No heroics."

## Chapter 3

Jayce cast his eyes over the remnants on the kitchen table, eyes narrowed in thought, "I reckon we just leave it as is for the time being Roni. Let's not mess with it for the moment while we chat."

Roni took a look at the other's faces before answering, "Maybe we should do that. Truth is I don't really want to touch any of it, even though I don't want it sitting there any longer either. Let me make some tea up for us, help settle us down a bit."

Rebel took a couple of steps further away from the table, hugging herself, "That sounds like a good plan. I'm still shaking and I'm not sure why. It's either tea or a shot of whiskey for me please."

Roni forced a laugh, trying hard to lighten the current mood in the room, "Let's just stick with the tea for now Rebel. If that fails to help then I'll crack open a bottle of Johnny. For some reason I don't think the red wine will be much help tonight." Walking towards the tiny kitchen in her apartment, she felt the presence of one of the others following. She turned at the counter-top expecting to see Rebel, only to see Max watching her instead, a confused look on his face. "Ask you a question Roni?"

"Of course Maxi, anything you want. What is it?"

Max swiveled his head to look back upon the dining table in thought, "We've been at this magic thing now for what? Ten years of so? In all that time, every single incantation or spell we've managed to come across and try have been spoken in different languages. Everything from Latin to Egyptian. Lots of different ones in between. Why did we use _modern_ English for the one tonight? I mean, before this one the only English version we used was the one that we found from the early 1100's and the language was so messed up it may as well have been a different language anyways."

Roni smiled at the question. It came as no surprise to her that the first one to pick up on this would have been Max. Beneath the wiry, small exterior lay a brain with an IQ that measured off the charts. "Call it a hunch or female intuition Maxi."

"Bullshit Roni. Fess up. Why?"

Roni took a moment to switch off the now boiling water for the tea and began to pour it into the individual cups. Jayce's voice cut in on her thoughts from the tiny living room area, "C'mon Roni. Answer the question. The more info we all have about what's just gone down the better. Why English?"

She sighed and placed the kettle back on the stove top before turning to face them all. "I wasn't joking about the hunch. When I first started to write it up I put it down in English. When I was happy with it I began to do the usual translations-Latin, French and Creole. Looking for the right wording and temperament. Same as I always do. Truth is I didn't even get half-way through translating it into Latin before I was struck with the thought. Why was I doing this in the first place?" Raising her arm she moved it in an arc taking them all in, "Why do we ever translate them? Anyone?"

She nodded as complete silence answered her, "Exactly. The witches in Egypt cast their spells in Egyptian. The ones in the UK in Old English. New Orleans was a mixture of Creole, English and French. It just came to me out of the blue; every witch in history has always written, spoken and cast their spells in their native tongue! The idea was so simple and _ludicrous_ that I ignored it for a few days but it never left me. In fact, it gnawed away at me. Imagine the focus of energy that would happen if we weren't worried about the pronunciation and literal translation of what we were trying to achieve! Our entire will cast solely on the purpose behind the words and _not the words themselves._ So I figured I'd give it a shot. Worst case scenario would be that I would have to go back and do the translations before we tried again." Looking back at the mess on the dining table she added, "Looks like my female intuition nudged me in the right direction. I think we're definitely onto something."

Rebel's voice came through from the living room, "No shit Sherlock. Next time you might want to give us a heads up."

"Toughen up chich. A bit of a flash and a broken bowl are the only things that happened tonight. Not like we conjured up Satan and let him loose on the world. No harm done, we just have to be better prepared next time."

*~*

Sienna cast her eyes one last time over the dark waters. Within it lay a map of the city of Melbourne, all landmarks clearly marked. She took a closer look at the area surrounding the docklands. A hazy form of green still covered a tiny area near the apartments on the waterfront. Whatever had made the disturbance had been so powerful that remnants of its power still lingered in the air. She shook her head thinking, " _Powerful indeed."_ Turning her back on the water she headed to the back room and Niko. The journey into the spirit realm was an easy one for him under normal circumstances. This particular journey was anything but normal however. To face a spirit like the Dragon in its own plane of existence would require Niko to do some serious meditation before-hand. Once that was complete, he would lie back and force himself to drift slowly from this realm to the next. All in the hopes of not making the Dragon aware of his presence in the spirit world before he was ready to face him.

Her own journey would be markedly quicker in comparison. She would focus on Niko's spirit as he traveled across and then count a slow, steady sixty before literally blasting across the realms to stand by his side. She knew from experience that the long sixty seconds on this realm would coincide with what would seem like hours on the other. Enough time for Niko to find the Dragon and leash him, or at least that was the plan. With a spirit as powerful as the Dragon all bets were off and she knew that she might find herself materializing in the midst of a giant battle between the two or worse-case, coming to light over the dead body of Niko. Both of those scenarios ended with only one option for her, a fight to the death with the Dragon if they weren't able to subdue him again and if Niko _was_ dead the odds were definitely against her being able to best it.

Taking a deep breath she walked over to the cabinet that housed her katana. The ancient sword not only priceless because of its antique quality and heritage, but one of the deadliest weapons they had ever forged. The priceless blade had been a gift by the very grateful first ever emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang and handed over to them in their victory celebrations well over two thousand years ago. The spirit housed within the blade itself, Amon, was far older though relatively new to its current living arrangements. He'd been considered a God by some in history and a devil by others. In certain scriptures he had even been named as one of Lucifer's own generals in the war against Heaven. Sienna had never been able to get a clear answer out of him. The only thing she knew for a fact was that it was _ancient and powerful._ Only the sneaky, devilish plan crafted by Grigori over one hundred years earlier had been good enough to capture and hold the spirit. Although it had come at a great cost to Niko.

Picking up the sword she felt the flush of warmth begin to move up her arm. Amos would always try to test the strength of her resolve when she did so. Bringing the blade up to her face, she hissed at it, "Sentar Cabeza, Amon. I am _still_ your master," before walking towards the back-room and the waiting Niko with a smile on her face. The power of cowering an ancient and powerful evil spirit like Amon always made her feel good and ready for a fight, she just wished it wasn't up against an adversary as tough as the Dragon.

Flickering candlelight and the smell of burning incense assailed her senses as she entered the darkened back-room. Niko lay on his back on the flat futon bed at her feet. Sienna sat on the floor and crossed her legs, taking long, deep breaths in tune with Niko's own. Reaching out she placed one of her hands over his heart, feeling the steady pulse of his strong heartbeat and began willing her own into the same synchronous pattern. It took her only a moment between one heartbeat and the next to locate his spirit, already having completed the journey into the next plane. She paused for a moment to think. Niko's journey from this realm to the next should have taken him a lot longer. There was no reason for him to have jumped straight onto the spirit plane without at the very least knowing she was ready to jump across. A warm tingling began to form in her other hand, the one holding her katana. She frowned, angry at Amon for attempting to assert control at this point, she had no time for it. Moving her focus to the spirit within the sword she was about to unleash the spell of pain on it when Amon's voice cut across her entire mind, _"Danger. Trap! Unleash me. We fight! Now!"_

Instantly she pulled back her awareness from both the sword and Niko, thinking quickly. The spirit Amon was tied to her own life-force as long as she held the sword. For it to have sent out such a warning to her could only mean one thing, Niko was in real danger and if she had traveled to the spirit plane as planned, her own life would be in danger; and with it Amon's own. Taking the sword in both hands she brought it up to eye-level and focused, _"What danger Amon? Who do we fight?"_

The katana in her hands started to physically shake as the anger of the spirit within manifested itself, _"Dragon loose. Trapped your man. Waiting to trap you. We go, we fight! Spring trap and devour soul!"_

Without realizing what she doing, Sienna began to use the same idioms and short, sharp sentences of the spirit itself, _"Focus Amon. Fight soon but answer now! Connected to earlier power? Dragon working alone? What?"_

"Chance. Fate. All connected. Dragon free, Niko not. Early power used to escape. Fight Now!"

Sienna paused briefly to think. Whenever she had questioned the spirit in the past it had always been ambiguous and never given a straight forward answer to any of her questions. She went over his comments this time but failed to see how the answers could be interpreted in any other way. Amon _was scared,_ it was the only solution that made any sense. He feared his own demise would come if she wasn't ready to handle what was coming. That he was still pushing for her to fight was a good sign as far as she could tell. If there wasn't a good chance she would win the spirit would have tried to stop her from plunging head first into the spirit world. _"Amon. Focus. Catch Dragon again?"_

"No catch. Kill. Or Die."

' _Of course we can't catch it',_ she thought to herself, ' _that would be asking too much.'_ Sending her thoughts back to the spirit she added, " _Amon. I bind Dragon. You fight!"_

"Yes Sienna. I fight!"

Pulling back her awareness Sienna concentrated. She would materialize in an instant within the spirit plane but _not_ where the Dragon expected her to be and hurl a spell of binding on it at the same time as throwing her sword. Amon would have just enough freedom to be present on the spirit plane to attack the Dragon from behind. A fleeting moment only before he would once again be sucked back into his confined prison. If they failed they were doomed as no second chances would be coming. _"Ready Amon. Fight Now!"_

With that final thought she moved her spirit with a blast onto the next realm, far behind where she pictured the Dragon to be waiting. She'd guessed correctly as the green eeriness of the spirit world come into focus. Less than fifty meters from where she had materialized stood the human form of the Dragon crouching over the inert figure of Niko on the floor. Wasting no time, Sienna set the binding spell into action at the same time as she drew back her arm and sent the sword spinning towards the Dragon's unprotected back. Some sixth sense must have made the Dragon turn around at the same time. In a glance he had taken in what was occurring and quickly moved a couple of steps to the side. Enough clearance so that only the edge of the binding spell actually touched him. That small touch was enough to slow him down and give Amon the chance to modify his angle of attack. The sword came down at a sharp angle and sliced into the Dragon's shoulder. Enough pain for him to let out a blood-curdling scream and vanish from the area, obviously wounded. The mist that made up the spirit of Amon faded quickly as Sienna ran across the intervening space to check on Niko, her katana flying back through the air of its own accord into her waiting palm. Faintly she heard the whispered voice of the spirit within, " _Not trapped. Not Die. I fail."_

Ignoring the words of the spirit, she knelt down and gave Niko a quick once-over to ensure he was still alive before placing her hand over his heart and willing them back to the safety of their home. The Dragon may be freed upon the spirit plane but he would have no power to move across onto the physical one. They'd be safe there for the time being. Enough time for her to nurse Niko back from whatever damage had been done.

The green haze dissipated from view as the overwhelming senses of the physical world once more flowed through her body. Before it had completely cleared she was kneeling over Niko's body searching for wounds of any sort. Physically he appeared untouched but Sienna knew better than to leave it at that. Wounds and spiritually crafted artifacts could cause the body to wither and die without showing any physical symptoms whatsoever. Moving her inner eyesight into a slightly higher vibration, she searched over his body once more. Her eyes widening as her third eye brought things into focus. The manacles which had previously held the dragon in check were now clasped firmly around each of Niko's wrists, the chain links between the two glowing a deep red. Her eyes followed the links further as they trailed up towards the brass colored collar around his neck. A new addition.

Studying it a little closer, she realized it was pulsing at the same rate as her own heartbeat, albeit completely out of sync. Sitting back on her heels she brought her vibrations back to their normal level to think. Somehow the Dragon had managed to not only escape the confines of the shackles they had placed him in but to turn the entire thing around and trap Niko in the same manacles, the intrinsic power held within the links enough to completely incapacitate him. The addition of the collar baffled her. There was absolutely no way that the Dragon could have crafted any type of magical device while he was chained. All his energy should have been spent on just keeping himself alive; exactly what Niko was going through at this very moment plus whatever other torture the neck brace was designed to bring him.

Gently lifting his head, she grabbed one of the pillows on the bed and made him as comfortable as she could. Tracing one of her index fingers down the side of his face, knowing he would be in agony. Hoping in her heart that the simple touch may bring about some small measure of comfort, knowing full well that it wouldn't. She could count on one hand the number of times something like this had occurred in almost ten thousand years of living by Niko's side and not one of those had ever taken him out of action to this extent, not even Lafayette. _"Lafayette,"_ she thought to herself, " _We haven't spoken or even thought about the damn place in over two hundred years and today everything keeps bringing up its dark shadow and forcing the memory forwards."_

Having been a practitioner of mystic arts for such a long time she knew that coincidences _did_ exist but _fate_ trumped it every single time. The thoughts of that damn period in their lives had now been brought forth more times than she was comfortable with in such a short period. Her instincts screaming to get her attention, this was not coincidence. Something else was at play. Leaning down over Niko she placed a gentle kiss on his lips before getting up and walking back into the kitchen. Chamomile tea with a couple of extra herbs thrown in would bring calm back to her core, a calm she was going to need if she was to come up with a plan to move ahead and get Niko back from whatever hellish prison he currently resided in.

Placing her sword at rest on the dining table she moved into the kitchen proper and filled a kettle with water. The ordinary movements of making a simple pot of tea bringing her mind into focus. Lighting the stove she turned back to look at the katana. For the first time ever, the spirit Amon had not balked at having to do as she asked. Thinking back on the events carefully she realized that it had actually behaved as an ally on finding the Dragon loose in the spirit world. A willing warrior wishing to be let loose upon her enemy. Finishing the thought as she shook her head, " _Willing ally until the very moment it would turn and take her out of the picture."_

The moment the thought materialized in her conscious her sword glowed a light shade of red, Amon's thoughts coming to her easily even though she wasn't touching the sword, " _Not now. Dragon enemy. Dragon boss hard to kill. Others come."_

Sienna stood dumb-struck staring at her sword across the kitchen. The only way she had ever been able to communicate with Amon in the past had been by holding the katana in her hands and concentrating all her efforts into her thoughts. Now it appeared she'd been played for the last hundred years by the spirit. Physical contact didn't seem to matter a damn. She pushed the thought further, speaking out loud this time, "Dragon Boss? What do you mean by Dragon Boss, Amon? Did you know something I don't? Who controls the Dragon?"

"Dragon not strong in jail, Sienna. Another come to free Dragon. Trap Man. Revenge! Hunger! Hate! Boss Trinity."

Sienna took a moment to assess Amon's words. If she understood correctly it appeared that someone else had helped the Dragon to his freedom and then set a trap specifically for Niko. Someone whose name was _Trinity?_ Or perhaps the spirit had just meant trinity to take in the revenge, hunger and hate part. Turning back to the boiling kettle she went back to making her chamomile tea. Dealing with the spirit was exhausting. She would come back to it again when her head stopped spinning.

## Chapter 4

The heat filtering through the plastic of the take-away coffee cup warmed Sienna's hands as a chill wind blew directly off the water across the boardwalk. October in Melbourne consisted of a kaleidoscope of differing weather patterns which could range from the wintry lows of almost freezing temperature to a preview of the heatwaves about to hit the city. Today's weather leaned heavily to the former with everyone in the city rugged up and carrying umbrellas. Her eyes drifted across the scenic vista watching as the waves crashed across the open water.

Originally known as Victoria Dock, this part of Melbourne had fallen into disrepair and remained unused until 1990 when the Victorian government at the time had established the Docklands Task Force to oversee the area's regeneration. Over the next decade this vision had transformed what had once been a breeding ground for crime, drugs and homelessness into a thriving, waterfront hub of activity complete with a new stadium, restaurants and living residences housing over ten thousand people. One of which had been responsible for the powerful wave of magic they had detected the day before.

Sienna took a sip of her coffee as she pondered her options. The scry waters had held enough of the remnants of the blast to allow her to know that the Docklands had been where it had originated, nothing more. Somehow she would need to pinpoint the person responsible and could think of nowhere else to begin but to come and have a look around for herself.

Amon's warning still rattled through her mind as she let her gaze wander the surroundings. Something had come along and freed the Dragon from his shackles. If the spirit was telling the truth, something that was even more powerful. For the first time in a hundred years a shiver of fear ran through her body. Something evil and dark was coming her way and she didn't have Niko to lean on. To figure out how to free him from his current predicament meant that she had to understand what had been done in the first place. Her one attempt at probing the collar this morning had resulted in Niko's body convulsing as he screamed in pain. She had stopped and withdrawn at that point afraid that any further efforts would be causing him more harm than good. With no other leads to go on she had decided to travel across town to the Docklands, hoping that being closer to the vicinity of the event would help in some way.

Changing quickly into her leather riding gear she had practically bounded down the stairs that led to the garage and grabbed her helmet from the hook on the wall. The Ducati Panigale sat idle alongside Niko's Ferrari, Porsche and Audi R8. One of only 1500 ever built and designed by the Italian motorcycle maker. Niko had surprised her one evening with the 226 horsepower monster knowing how she loved the thrill of riding. Straddling the beast, she turned it over. Exhilaration running through her veins as the vibrating power of the bike thundered through the metal body and into her thighs, a tiny smile on her face. Putting the helmet on, she clicked the automatic door opener and enjoyed the sound of the Ducati as it idled, a beast waiting to be let loose. She peeled out of the garage and down the lane way as soon as she could and within moments was weaving in and out of the traffic building up in front of her and heading down the length of Footscray Road towards her destination.

With traffic not an obstacle and the traffic lights playing nice for a change, she managed to reach the Docklands within a couple of minutes of starting out and parked the bike on the boardwalk itself. The beauty of having toys like the Ducati was that even the parking inspectors tended to ignore where she parked the beast, especially if they saw a woman in tight leather riding it. Sienna looked back in the direction of the bike as she sipped her coffee. As she expected there were still a few people standing around it looking in awe.

Putting the bike out of her mind she turned back to the apartment buildings and started scouring for any remains of the magic which had been used the day before. So focused was she on her search that the deep male voice which suddenly spoke behind her shoulder made her jump a little, "Quite a bike you have there. What's a pretty young thing like you doing with such a monster?"

Sienna quietly sighed before turning to the sound of the voice and planting a fake smile on her face. Every woman in history had to learn how to handle the tough macho brashness of this type of man in her life. Her smile faltered for a moment as she took in the chiseled features of his face, framed by thick, almost pure-white hair. The color of it in complete contrast to his obvious young age, his dark gray eyes literally dragging her attention away from what she was doing. " _Damn!"_ she thought, " _Not just macho, young and brave but damn-well close to bloody perfect!"_

"This particular _pretty, young thing_ just happens to like toys." With an effort of will she turned her gaze back to the apartments, "And I don't mean to be a bitch but I've got a few things I need to be doing. Zero time for flirting at the moment. Thanks anyway."

The young man turned to walk away which surprised her. That type usually wouldn't take no for an answer until she had beaten it into their skulls. A soft whisper coming to her as he walked off, "Sorry. Didn't mean to disturb you. By all means I'll let you get back to your daydreaming." The figure stopped for a moment and cocked his head slightly back towards her, "But do me a favor and check your ride before you get going. Funny things been happening around town today."

The smile on her face turned into a scowl at the mere mention of anyone fucking around with her Ducati as she turned to look back at it. From this distance everything appeared normal to her with only a couple of young boys taking selfies with it. She switched quickly to a higher vibration, a green haze practically leaping out from her Ducati in all directions. "Damn! _"_ she muttered out loud turning to look for the young man again, "How the fuck did anyone create that kind of magic so close to me without me realizing?" she uttered out loud. Looking around quickly she finally saw his strong body leaning up against the corner of one of the nearby restaurants, arms crossed over his massive chest and smiling at her.

The words that came from her were almost a growl as she stepped towards him, "Gonna rip that fucking smile off your pretty little face, dipshit," before she pulled up in amazement. Between one step and the next, he had simply vanished. "Fuck, fuck and double-fuck!" she muttered angrily as she marched back towards her waiting Ducati to see what she needed to do about the magic surrounding it. The look on her face warning enough to the two boys still standing next it. Without a word they turned and literally ran up the boardwalk away from the bike as they saw Sienna striding towards it. Her murderous thoughts changed to a yelp of pain as her precious Ducati exploded into a million different pieces in front of her, the blast bowling her over to hard wooden planks under her feet. The noise leaving her ears ringing as tiny pieces of debris fell all around her.

When things settled down and the falling debris had come to an end she looked up to where her bike had been only to see a huge ball of fire in its place. Whoever had set this little trap had obviously misjudged the distance they would need to be effective. Another three steps closer and she would now be toast. Rolling over, she sat back on her butt, wiping ineffectively at the bits of ash that landed on her, thinking hard.

First, that little bit of magic had been detonated followed almost immediately by the release of the Dragon and capture of Niko. Then that strange, gorgeous hunk showing up to warn her. And now her precious Ducati had been turned into a burning piñata.

Angry no longer covered the spectrum of feelings within her. Crazy, murderous rage would have been closer to what she now felt in her heart. Someone would soon pay; for Niko _and_ the Ducati.

*~*

The striped straw fell out of Rebel's open mouth as the sound and vibrations of the blast washed over her. The increased amount of terrorist activity occurring throughout the world had reached its ugly, inane hand even to the ass end of the world. Nowhere was safe anymore. Her eyes drifted to the end of the boardwalk where the fireball was still arching high into the air, flames and debris scattered in all directions, even to one of the expensive yachts moored nearby, "Holy shit, Roni. You seeing this?"

"I'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind to have missed that Reb. Think we should go help?"

Rebel's eyes had not moved from the blaze, taking in all the activity immediately happening afterwards, "Nah. There's heaps of people already crowding around. Probably just get in the way, not like we're doctors or something."

Roni grabbed her mobile off the tabletop and punched in triple zero, "No doubt a hundred people have already called emergency but I'm gonna do it anyway."

"Never thought I'd see the day that crazy assed dipshits would terrorize this city Ron. All that shit only happens a million miles away. Not here. People are just fucked."

"Nowhere's safe anymore. Remember the nutcase that mowed down all those people in Bourke Street last year? Or the dumb asses that were planning on sailing a little dinghy across to Indonesia to join up with the terrorists? Too many people willing to fight for shit they don't even understand. Believing the crap that comes out of other's mouths. Been happening forever and now it's just showing up in our own backyard. Eventually people will get sick of it and do something."

"God I hope so or we're gonna have to pack a bag and move down to Tassie or something. Short of going to Antarctica it's about as far away from everyone as you can possibly get!"

Roni laughed as she pictured a vision of a city bred girl like Rebel living in some kind of igloo on ice away from every type of convenience, "Yeah right. You don't even like going skiing let along living somewhere where your neighbors are a bunch of seals and penguins. Get real girl."

Rebel's smile faded as quickly as it had come as she watched the fireball just disappear from view as if it hadn't even existed, "I'm no expert Roni but is a fire just supposed to end like that? It's like someone switched the gas off and it stopped all of a sudden. Looked like something out of a movie." Turning her face back to Roni she added, "Think we're safe or should we get the hell out of here?"

"Let's go up to my apartment Reb. For some reason I just feel _vulnerable_ out here at the moment. We can keep watching from the balcony."

## Chapter 5

Arman leaned back into the comfort of the chair holding the crystal goblet out for the waitress to refill. The muffled sound of the bass in the main part of his club still managed to vibrate through the walls and into the VIP area. On any given night it would be filled with high-rollers, supermodels, acting greats and the super-wealthy. Tonight however, it was all his. No-one else had made the guest list. He looked over the body of the waitress serving him. Beautiful, long brunette hair fell in cascading waves down her bare back. The muscles in her calves highlighted perfectly by wearing the expensive Arletta crystal-embellished velvet pumps crafted by Louboutin. Every female waitress in his employee was always supplied by the best wardrobe pieces courtesy of himself. Not that he ignored the men. _All_ his staff were hand-picked and trained by the best, especially those who had the elusive X factor. They would be the ones like the gorgeous raven-haired beauty before him that would be at the beck and call of his most exclusive guests.

He turned his attention away from the stunning woman and brought the glass flute to his full lips, careful not to leave any imprints with the subtle red lipstick he wore. A lot of alternative young men these days wore make-up, nail polish and androgynous clothing as a way to shock society. This was not the case for Arman. Every shred of jewelry and make-up he wore was part of who he was and he had not changed it since the time of his birth in Egypt. Back when Menes had conquered Upper and Lower Egypt under one rule, five thousand years ago. A time in history when magic was part of people's daily lives and not looked upon as illusion or trick. In those times magic healed the sick, gave guidance and brought abundance to everyone. The God of magic, Heka did not need to be worshiped or have temples and churches built to appease him. He was an intrinsic part of everyone's life; the balance and harmony of the world resting on his shoulders. For almost three thousand years this had been the truth of Egypt. Three thousand years before the coming of Christianity and the modification of what his people believed. Three thousand years in which Arman had studied every shred of magic he possibly could. The greatest sorcerer ever known in Egypt, though his name would never be written in stone. Seeing where the world had gotten to in the past five thousand years he raised his glass to the Gods in silent thanks for never having had his name chiseled into history. He could live without the notoriety if not the comforts that being wealthy brought with it.

He looked up as the feather-like touch of power caressed his forehead, watching as the portal came to life. The tiny pinpoint of bright light quickly opening up as the deep crescendo of color swirled into existence. His gaze went around the room making sure the wards he had in effect were still functioning appropriately. It wouldn't be the first time that some young upstart with an ego larger than their talent had tried to cause trouble. With a satisfied smile he turned his attention back to the swirling colors as the leather clad, breathtaking figure of Sienna emerged and looked around, the portal winking out existence behind her with a slight intake of air, "Sienna my darling, what an unexpected delight!"

"Not _that_ unexpected Arman if the lack of any of your fans is anything to go by," Sienna replied taking a seat in the couch opposite Arman, "Is it safe to talk here?"

"Safest place in the world I would say," Arman replied with a sweep of his outstretched arm. "The wards you can see are but a small part of the magical protection around this building. What is it that troubles you, my dear? Another tiff with that hunk of yours Niko?" The worried frown crossing Sienna's beautiful face gave Arman pause, his intuition kicking into high gear. Leaning forwards, he placed his glass on the table between them and looked at her closer before turning and clicking his fingers at one of the waiting servers, "Shut the place down and get everyone out. Now."

The booming bass stopped as suddenly as all the lights and effects as one of the waiters whispered a tiny command into his headset. Within moments of Arman's request the entire nightclub had been evacuated and silenced. He leaned towards Sienna, an intense look on his face, "What is it Sienna? What's happened?" Noticing that Sienna's gaze had wandered around the opulent room to the remaining members of his staff that still lingered in the shadows, he added, "They're safe Si. Anything you say to me in their presence won't even register with them, completely forgotten before it's even acknowledged. Tell me."

Sienna turned her focus back to Arman and reached for the glass of champagne in his hands before draining it with one gulp, her eyes locked on Arman's the entire time, "It's Niko, Arman. He's been... trapped?"

*~*

Arman's body fell limp as he moved back into the sofa, Sienna's words hitting him like a physical blow and leaving him speechless. Thoughts thundered through his mind with lightning speed trying to make sense out of what he'd just heard. In a rush he spoke,"Niko trapped? No-one on this Earth possesses the power to do that! I should know, I tried to do the same thing to him eons ago with no success. Are you sure?"

Sienna had been studying Arman's response as she spoke. Niko's capture and the subsequent attempt on her life had moved her into survival mode and everyone was suspect until they proved otherwise, especially someone with the power of Arman. She watched as his magical barrier wavered for the briefest of moments at her words, a tiny breach in his otherwise powerful defense. That in itself enough to answer her question on whether he had been involved in any way. A relieved sigh escaped her lips before she eased herself back and told him every detail of the events which had befallen both Niko and herself over the past day and a half. Beginning with the mysterious outburst of magical power and ending with her sitting on her butt and watching her pride and joy blown up into a bazillion pieces over the boardwalk. "And so I sat there just staring as the ash fell around me for a while, thinking about what the hell I would do next and who I was up against and the only answer I came up with is you. If anyone would know what's been happening underground I figured it would be you. So, here I am."

Arman waited for Sienna to finish speaking before signaling the waitress for fresh drinks, giving him a bit of space to think. He _had_ felt a surge of power at the time Sienna spoke about but shrugged it off when he realized that it had come from Melbourne. Knowing that Niko and Sienna currently resided in that city he had just assumed that it was one of them, a completely incorrect assumption as it turned out. "So many questions that I find myself wondering where to even begin Sienna. The list of those who are powerful enough to free the Dragon _and_ craft a trap for Niko at the same time is tiny! On this plane there's just us immortals and I know for a fact that _none_ of the others could be involved. They're currently... _indisposed,_ I guess would be the right word for it."

"What do you mean, indisposed? What the hell have you done Arman?"

Arman waved his hand across his face, "Nothing worth worrying yourself about Si. A while back the three of them came around with a little proposition for me. Suffice to say I wasn't interested in what they were peddling and took care of it."

"Talk Arman. What have you done? Don't make me ask twice."

Sighing, Arman sat back and spoke, "Okay, okay. Take it easy. A while after the shit that went down in Lafayette, Hector came to visit me with a proposition. The three of them were a little dissatisfied with the current agreements we all have and were of the opinion that a change in management was due, a little coupe-de-grace if you will. For some strange reason they figured that I'd be more than happy to jump on board and lead the revolution. In a nutshell I let Hector believe that I was all for it and then caught up with all three of them and sent them to the naughty corner for a while." Leaning towards Sienna he added, "I haven't let them out yet. They're all having sweet dreams on a very tiny and completely deserted island that I own."

"Seriously Arman? An attempt at taking out Niko and myself and you didn't think it worthy of bringing to my attention?"

Arman reply was quick and sharp, "I didn't think it was worth your time Si. Both of you guys had just finished cleaning up the mess in New Orleans and I figured you needed a nice, quiet couple of centuries with nothing happening. I would have let them out eventually."

"How long after Lafayette did this happen Arman? Immediately?"

"Let me think Sienna. It wasn't like _straight_ after Lafayette. Definitely a few decades at least. Maybe more. You know how it is Si, all the years start blending together. It was before I moved her to L.A. and that was eighty odd years ago."

"Before we trapped the Dragon? Or after?"

"Honestly Sienna, I can't be sure. I _think_ it was before, but I might be wrong."

Sienna shook her head, her pony tail swaying hard, "God Arman, you can be frustrating sometimes. How did you incapacitate them? Is there _any_ chance that they've escaped somehow?"

Arman dropped his eyes to the table between them, unwilling to meet her eyes, "Before hearing your story about someone trapping Niko I would have said no. Would have bet the house on it in fact. Now I think that a little trip to the island may be in my immediate future, like _right now."_ Reaching out, he grabbed the champagne flute and raised it in Sienna's direction, "Care to come away with me on a little journey?"

Sienna raised her own glass and returned his toast, "Definitely. And for your sake Arman, those three fuckers better be tucked up nice and safe where you left them or I might be coming home alone after sending _you_ to the naughty corner."

*~*

Arman looked on as the wind blew Sienna's hair back in waves, mirroring the waves pounding across the bow of the speeding boat. His heart racing at seeing the smile of pure joy on her face. A smile he hadn't seen in almost two hundred years.

The first part of their journey had been a simple matter of creating a portal to take them from his club in Los Angeles to the island republic of Kiribati in the Central Pacific, a republic consisting of thirty coral atolls and isles which stretched across the equator, most of which were uninhabited. Without stopping they had gone directly to a deserted bunker which Arman had appropriated during World War Two, a bunker that housed his 50' Marauder.

He smiled at seeing his toy. The first time he had made the journey to Washington Island had taken him weeks to complete. Dangerous waters traveled by a giant canoe guided by the locals. The island lay roughly 350 miles north-west of Kiribati-an absolute crazy distance two hundred years earlier. Running his hand over the carbon-fiber body of the Cigarette Racing inspired Mercedes AMG Marauder in front of him made him wonder anew at how much life had changed over that time. Behind the wheel of this monster they'd arrive in a couple of hours.

And now the island lay dead ahead of the speeding boat. Arman yanked back on the throttle and allowed them to come to a stop naturally. Sienna turned to Arman, questioning. "There's nowhere on the island to safely moor this beast Sienna and I wouldn't anyway. Best to leave it out here and just hop on over. No-one needs to know we're here."

"And just why didn't we hop on over in the first place Arman? Why take the extra time to get here by boat?"

Arman moved his eyes away from Sienna and scanned the island as he spoke, "A couple of reasons really. One, I've put a few little nasty surprises for anyone that tries to transport themselves directly onto the island without being in direct view of it. A tiny bit of magic that took me a few centuries to perfect." Satisfied that no unusual activity had happened to his barrier wards on the island, he turned his eyes back to Sienna's, "And secondly, I wanted to see that pretty smile of yours. Looked like you needed one at the time. Two birds, one stone kind of deal."

Sienna smiled at the obvious flattery, "Thanks Arman. I'll smile when this is all over and Niko is safe. For now transport us over the damn island already."

Arman's smile deepened on his face, his eyes closing in concentration. With a quick wave of his hand he turned back to look at the island. Sienna's eyes had never left the atoll while Arman had cast his spell. A brief gust of wind blew over her body on the still day as she waited to magically appear on the beach. Nothing happened.

The angry words she was about to unleash on Arman got caught in her throat as she turned to find him standing completely naked beside her. The words turning into an involuntary gasp. His golden skin was flawless, covering a body that Adonis himself would kill for. Taking a deep breath, she centered herself. The gasp and longing she was feeling was part of an immortal's charm. Something that no human was capable of defending against. Bringing up her hand to her eyes she realized suddenly that the leather jacket she'd been wearing was no longer visible. Her eyes went to her own body quickly. She was as naked as Arman was! The infatuated charm that swarmed off Arman was easily deflected by the sudden fury entering her eyes, "What the fuck Arman? I haven't got time for your bullshit right now." Raising one of her hands, she pointed her finger straight at his face, coming within an inch of his nose, "Get me dressed and across to that island – Right NOW!"

The close proximity of the speedboat meant that Arman wasn't able to take a step back from Sienna. Raising both arms quickly, palms extended as if he was surrendering to the police he added, "No tricks Sienna. The barrier over the island means nothing with even a touch of magic can enter, including ourselves." He pointed to a small patch on the sandy beach, "Our clothes are completely inanimate and can be transported. They're waiting for us."

Sienna turned to look where he pointed, her clothes clearly in sight, "You should have told me Arman. Itchy trigger fingers kind of deal."

Sensing that the calm had returned to Sienna, Arman lowered his arms and gazed at the perfect female form in front of him. In the heat of the sun a single solitary drop of sweat had materialized at the base of her neck, gently moving down through her shoulder blades. Her mocha-colored skin glistening in invitation as she leaned over slightly, the movement causing the muscles in her back, bottom and thighs to tense. His intake of air much louder than the involuntary gasp that Sienna had uttered. As if in a daze he looked up to find her watching him over her shoulder, a satisfied smile on her face, "I'm a lot older than you Arman, remember? _My_ _charms_ are just a touch more enticing than those you possess." She turned around to face him fully, his eyes following the movement of her hand as she slowly caressed herself, moving from the front of her thighs, across her stomach and over her breasts before coming to a complete halt. The sudden click of her fingers made him almost jump and fall over the side of the boat, "Now tell me how we get across to that island. Enough time wasting."

Shaking his head to clear the after-effects of Sienna's charm, Arman spoke one word before jumping over the side of the boat, "Underwater!"

Sienna watched as Arman dove in, taking in the pure perfection of his body, a tiny sigh escaping her lips. _"If only we weren't in such a damn hurry, things could have gotten interesting!"_ With a quick shrug of her shoulders she stepped to the edge of the boat and followed, smiling as she enjoyed the view of his strong body thrusting through the water in front of her.

Within moments of jumping in the water and following Arman, Sienna found herself on the sandy shores of the beach dressing. In the heat that beat down upon her body she decided to forego her leather jacket keeping only the tight black singlet which clung to her still wet body accentuating every inch. She caught Arman watching as she dressed and smiled. Her immortal charm had obviously not worn off quite yet, "Where to from here?"

Arman shook his head, literally ripping his eyes away from her body, turning to point to a strand of trees directly in front of them, "On the other side of those trees, lying nice and quiet within a bog. Ten minute walk or so."

Sienna slowly waved a hand in the direction he had pointed, "After you." Arman grunted and moved off clearly troubled that Sienna's charm could still be affecting him the way it was.

She had to hand it to him, a tiny piece of marshland in the middle of an almost deserted island was a damn good hiding place for the other three immortals, especially when you surrounded the entire island with magical boundaries and spells. Very quickly the strand of trees gave way to a small clearing, the ground beneath her feet turning to mud between one step and the next. She stopped at the same time as Arman, "I take it we're here."

"Our friends are sleeping right in the middle of this mud Sienna. Give me a moment and I'll bring down the illusion so you can see for yourself."

Sienna watched as Arman turned and focused on one particular rock on the edge of the bog before waving his hand from one end of the swampland to the other. Her vision grew hazy as she followed the path it took as if she was seeing the bog through a heatwave. Arman finished the sweep with a downward chopping motion. In an instant the heatwave effect had disappeared and Sienna could clearly see the three open coffins in the middle of the mud with what seemed like a solid path leading to them. She looked over at Arman, hand pointing at the path, "Not that I don't trust you or anything Arman but are there any extra _surprises_ if I step foot on the walkway?"

Arman motioned with one hand to the path, "There _were_ some extra precautions Sienna. Nothing we need to worry about though. I figured that if someone actually managed to locate these three _and_ break through the outer barrier of the island _and then managed to find the illusion_ and disable it that they would be feeling pretty pleased with themselves at that point." He cocked his head to the side before adding, "The first half of the walk had nothing set up, and the second half? Well, let's just say that there a whole _bunch_ of nasty things in store for anybody that managed to get that far."

"You always were the clever one Arman. So all good to move across?"

Arman turned on his heel and began crossing the path, ignoring the question. The easiest way to show her it was safe was to move across before her. A quick peek over his shoulder showing him that she had followed without hesitation.

## Chapter 6

Roni had just stepped out of the tiny shower in her apartment and barely put on a bathrobe when the doorbell chimed. _"Bloody typical!"_ she thought to herself, _"No-one ever bothers to come around or call on the phone when I'm sitting here doing nothing."_

Rushing over to the door she peeked through the door's security peephole and saw a smiling Jayce before opening it, "And to what do I owe this _unusual_ visit Jayce? I can't remember the last time you came over unannounced."

Jayce's eyes had quickly traveled up the length of Roni's body in her bathrobe before noticing her still dripping hair. His natural shyness took over as his gaze went everywhere but on the woman herself, "Uhm. Sorry Roni. I shoulda called first. I was just, uhm, in the area after class and..."

Roni's smiled was plastered on her face as she studied Jayce's awkwardness. She found it cute how even after a decade of friendship he still managed to get all tongue-tied and speechless whenever he was alone with a girl. The complete opposite to what he was like in a group environment, "And what, stud muffin?"

Jayce's head snapped up at her comment before quickly moving away, unwilling to maintain eye-contact with her, "Thought you might like a coffee or something? My treat?"

Roni took a step back and opened the door further, laughing as she did. "Come in Jayce and sit. Give me five minutes to get ready and then we can go downstairs for a coffee." Walking to her bedroom door she paused slightly to pick up her phone, "or something..." she added with a grin.

It was closer to fifteen minutes later when the two of them sat down at one of the outdoor tables of the coffee shop waiting for their drinks. Knowing how awkward things could be for Jayce being alone with her she'd sent out an emergency S.O.S. to Rebel to see if she could casually drop by and join them. The next few messages between them had centered largely on the hunk seated across from her and which side of the fence he sat when it came to sexual gratification. Rebel sitting firmly in the camp that he liked other men as they had never seen him with another woman. Roni however thinking that he was just so damn shy and _that_ was the reason he'd never been seen with one. Both agreed on the one thing though, he was most _definitely_ a virgin and that was one hell of a waste of manhood.

Mentally shaking the image of a naked Jayce from her mind she leaned back in her chair, "So talk to me sexy. What's up?"

Jayce's eyes were firmly fixed on the table. His voice barely a whisper as he answered, "I was thinking about last night. The spell with the necklace Roni. I, I couldn't sleep at all after I went home. Haven't stopped thinking about it. Couldn't even concentrate in class today. I don't know, it just feels wrong for some reason." He looked up just in time to see Rebel giving Roni a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"The sexy man-mountain is right Ron. Where is the locket anyway?"

Roni laughter rang loud across the outdoor seating area as she watched the color in Jayce's face go red, "Upstairs, still sitting exactly where we left it. I haven't had the nerve to even touch it. Was something I was gonna bring up with you guys later. Doesn't feel right to me either. I'm thinking we might want to cast a protection spell over it tonight and then put it in a box. Maybe take it over to the WC Society and get them to have a look at it. They're sure to have someone with the right knowledge. What you guys think?"

"The WC is the top end of witchcraft here in Melbourne Roni. You think they'd be interested in something like this? Not like they're really _inclusive_ of the likes of us. What do you think Jayce?"

Some of the color had gone from Jayce's face now that he was no longer one-on-one with Roni and he answered with the normal swagger he had, "Sounds like a plan to me Ron. But first we put that protection spell on it. And if we could _somehow_ kinda reverse or nullify anything we did last night? You know, not let the WC think we were doing anything _wrong?_ That would be good."

Rebel had her arm still around Roni's shoulder. Turning her gaze back from Jayce she said, "He might be on to something Ron. If we can make it appear that we're just a bunch of good worried citizens they may actually start to take notice of us. I definitely don't want to get in their bad books if possible."

Roni sighed and leaned forward in her chair, thinking. She could still feel the lingering after-effects of the magic they'd performed the previous night and was really not looking forwards to doing _anything_ again with the locket. They were both right though. The WC was the highest ranking order of Witchcraft within Australia with the Melbourne office being the highest of the high in the country. For the past ten years the group had been trying to gain some kind of entry or introduction WC Society in the hopes of gaining greater knowledge and power. Giving the locket over to the society may actually open up the door to their little coven, provided they could somehow _hide_ what they had attempted to do the night before. "Okay I'm in. Meet at my place tonight at 8PM. Jayce, make sure you bring Max with you. We're going to need the original people to be there. Reb, get your hands on some holy water and white candles and bring them along. I'll take a bit of time to come up with something to counter what we did last night."

Standing up to leave, Rebel looked over at Jayce, "One more thing sexy, your guys turn to bring something to eat. Let's make it seven instead of eight. Gives us time for dinner!"

*~*

Arman braced himself as he felt the waves of fury swarming off Sienna. Every single protection spell and magical barrier he had put in place had not been touched. Yet when they had finally looked in the coffins, the three bodies which lay there were empty husks, no longer the vessel for their souls. Shaking his head he turned to a still fuming Sienna, "I don't get it. Everything was still in place Sienna! There's no hint of anything having gotten past my wards. How the hell did this happen?"

Sienna paused in her pacing and kicked out at another plant before turning back to study Arman once more. Confusion coursed over his features as he repeatedly opened himself to his surroundings, searching for even a hint of how this had come to pass without success. She forced herself to a semblance of calm before answering, "I have no idea Arman. You created the wards so _you tell me!"_

Looking up at the place where the barrier was he pointed, "Take a look for yourself Sienna. Open yourself to the magic. It's still there and standing strong. Nothing has breached it. There's no echo of _anything_ at all happening here, save for what I did at the start. This. just. Doesn't. Make. Sense."

Not trusting herself to answer him at that moment Sienna turned her back and began centering her entire being. Exhaling slowly she looked around with her inner sight. The life-force of everything around her flashed into her senses instantly. Everywhere she turned she saw the brilliance of the auras. Taking her time, she began at one end of the marshland, easily seeing the tendrils of green lines which were the links of magic that Arman had cast. He was right, they stood strong, clear and unbroken. Completely untouched. Next she turned her head skywards. A dome of brilliant jade colored light beams crisscrossed the atmosphere above her. Not one single link broken. Another dead end. Without pause she turned to look at the path and shook her head. Her eyes turning back to Arman, "You're right Arman. I apologize. _Nothing_ seems to be out of place. And yet _something_ got through all these defenses." Turning her head back to the coffins she added, "You'll take care of them? Give them a proper burial?"

Sensing that all the fury had gone out of her, Arman walked over and took her in his arms, "We both will Sienna. Tonight, when the moon is high in the sky we give them the sendoff every immortal should have." Pulling back, he gave her cheek a quick kiss, "Go back to the beach for now. I'll take care of things here."

*~*

Dinner had been a quiet affair for the four friends as they thought about what they were about to do. The items they had used the previous night still lay on the kitchen table exactly where they had left them, not one of them feeling comfortable doing anything. Roni pushed away the fried rice in front of her, not feeling hungry at all. Looking around she noticed that everyone else didn't seem to have an appetite either, including Jayce. Grabbing the can of coke she tapped her fingernail on the side, as if calling everyone's attention for a toast, "Listen guys. It's pretty obvious that we're all a little worried about that damn locket. Why don't we just do what we came to do? I think I'll start feeling a little easier once we've completed the protection spell and put the damn thing out of sight. What do you say?"

Max leaned over the coffee table, tapping his fingernails on the top nervously, "Sounds good Roni. Let's just go over it one last time so I can get it in my head. We cast the spell, grab the locket and put it in that cardboard box you've got, wrap it up with as much tape as we can find and then tomorrow you'll take it down the WC and give it to them. Correct?"

Roni's eyes had wandered over to the kitchen table as Max spoke, biting her bottom lip, "That's the plan Max, unless anyone else has got a better suggestion?" The question was met with complete silence so she added, "Fine. Let's do this."

Moving over to their respective positions they watched as Roni took out five white candles and lit them. She cast a quick glance at the stub of the black candle left over from the night before and said, "Jayce, can you be a dear and throw that thing out for me?"

Jayce reached out and gingerly took hold of the black candle with two fingers, his hand shaking slightly, "There's no danger in just throwing this thing out Roni?"

Roni had been placing the last of the white candles around the bowl still containing the locket. She noticed the slight shake in Jayce's hand, his reluctance clearly showing, "None whatsoever big guy. That's just your ordinary, everyday burnt out candle. Safe to handle." She turned her attention back to the candles laid out on the table, lighting each in turn, "I'm just gonna put the protection spell in place while you throw it out so we can get started."

Holding the candle as if he was carrying an armed bomb, Jayce walked slowly towards the kitchen where the bin was, listening to Roni's soft voice behind him. His senses not getting a chance to register the noise of the blast as the full brunt of a magical wave sent him flying face-first on to the kitchen floor, the black stub of the candle rolling to stop near the fridge. He shook his head trying to clear the loud ringing in his ears and turned to look back at the others, a scream escaping his throat at the sight of all three lying on their backs on the floor, unseeing eyes looking up to the ceiling, "No!"

The instant rush of adrenaline in his system spurred him to action, moving quickly over to Roni. As with the others, she was laying spreadeagled on her back with no sign of life. Bending down quickly he searched for a pulse, growing more and more anxious with each passing moment. Nothing! Moving quickly to Max and Rebel he did the same, with no difference. All three were dead.

*~*

Sienna turned her head as she heard Arman's footsteps behind her. Since leaving him alone to get things ready for their final goodbye's she'd sat on the sandy beach, thinking over all the events so far. Way too many weird and inexplicable things had occurred in the space of a day for her to be comfortable with and the path forwards was not clear to her in any way.

Arman's weary sigh came through her thinking as he sat heavily beside her and looked up at the moon, "We're all set. Khonsu will be in the right spot in quarter of an hour or so."

Sienna's faced Arman with a sad smile, "I can't believe that after five thousand years you still call the moon by that name Arman."

"Only when it feels appropriate Si, and for some reason it feels totally appropriate to call the moon God by his name when we're about to send off not just one _but three_ of our immortal brothers to the afterlife." Arman shrugged his shoulders as he added, "Call me an old sentimental fool if you will."

Sienna reached out a hand, gently caressing Arman's cheek with one finger, "No Arman, I won't. If there was ever an appropriate time to call the deities by their proper names tonight is it."

Arman stood up and extended a hand down to the still seated Sienna, "Come, it's time to say our goodbyes."

Sienna stood and allowed herself to be guided by Arman's hand, feeling grateful at the small human. Within moments they were standing before the three open coffins ready to help their immortal siblings move to paradise. She glance up once more ensuring the moon was in the appropriate place and gave a silent prayer to the Gods before squeezing Arman's hand gently to begin the chant.

_"Blood of our blood_

_Bone of our bones_

_Flesh of our flesh_

_May your soul keep alive_

_And live forever on_

_Within our hearts_

_Be not afraid_

_For you will always be remembered_ _"_

_As the_ _final_ _words came to an end they both raised their free hand and cast their power directly into the coffins, waiting for them to erupt with the power of their sibling's souls being released from the now dead bodies._

_Sienna turned wide eyes to Arman as nothing happened, she whispered, "What?"_

_Arman's shock mirrored Sienna's as he looked at her face, "I... don't know. I felt, nothing?"_

_" No, no, no Arman. This isn't happening. Their souls should still be here waiting to move on. Stand back while I go over to the spirit realm to see if I can find what's happened."_

_Arman's shocked looked turned to fear, "No Sienna. Stop for a moment."_

_" What do you mean stop? They're our_ _brothers_ _in all but blood Arman! Wouldn't you want me to do the same for you? Something's gone really wrong if their souls weren't here to be released! Dammit the longer we wait, the less chance there is of finding out anything! Stand back and wait for me here if you must but I'm going. They may be getting lost in the spirit world as we stand here arguing."_

_Arman turned and grabbed both of her hands in his, "I agree Sienna but_ _not here!_ _Think for a moment. What if this is the same entity that trapped Niko? Don't you think that there_ _might just be a little trap_ _waiting for one of us on the other side? Hell, I know_ _I would do it!"_ _Letting one of her hands drop he turned and pulled her behind him heading back to the beach, "The magic barrier I've put up here doesn't extend over the beach Sienna. Let's go back there and do this properly. If there is a trap waiting, it won't be sprung if you move over to the spirit plane from there."_

_Sienna snapped back from her initial fury, grateful that Arman had been thinking clearly, "Thanks Arman. I owe you one. Lost my cool for the first time in a long while."_

_Arman turned to face Sienna as they crossed onto the beach once more, "No problems Si. I'd like to think you'd do the same for me. Let's do this."_

_She smiled at his words and began taking off her clothes watching as Arman's eyes grew wider, "Strip down sunshine. We started this night old school and that's the way we're going to finish it. I need you to be anchored to the Earth like we used to in the good old days Arman."_

_Arman started undressing. Earth magic always worked better when the practitioner was one with nature. He looked over at an almost naked Sienna and said, "If I recall_ _the good old days_ _Si, there was always blood involved as well as_ _nakedness._ _"_

_The smile on his face quickly disappeared as Sienna bent and took out a flick-knife from the pocket of her leather jacket, quickly slashing across her palm, "Correct Arman and tonight won't be any different. Blood sacrifice will be anchoring me back to the Earth through you. Make sure you keep me firmly anchored."_

_Arman took the now bloody blade and quickly slashed across one of his own palms, reaching out to place it in Sienna's own, "I'll always be your anchor Sienna. Sometimes the old ways are the best."_

_Sienna smiled once and turned her focus inwards, willing herself across the mortal plane and onto the spiritual._

_With the additional power of having used sacrificial blood Sienna quickly found herself blasting onto the spirit plane, alert and ready for any form of attack. The swirling green mists swayed lazily through the air around her, undisturbed. She looked down at the almost invisible cord that protruded from her chest, her lifeline to the mortal world held through blood and Arman's connection to the Earth. The steady thump and beat keeping time with her own heart back on the mortal plane, strong and secure._

_Bringing to mind the layout of the bog, she quickly moved to where the coffins still stood and looked into each. Each of her immortal siblings lay in their respective beds with absolutely no activity surrounding them, the empty shells of their bodies slowly decaying. A frown marred her face as she paused to think for a moment. She saw no sign of the ancestors that should have been here waiting to escort them across. Every soul had a guide that would wait for the person crossing over, ensuring they moved to the relevant area waiting for them. A dying witch would always have at least one of the ancestors waiting to guide. Her three siblings had counted as some of the most powerful ever to have lived so there_ _should_ _have been a whole gathering of them waiting, and yet not a single one could be seen. Her frown turned to a mask of fear as she took in the implications of what this meant. For none of the ancestors to show up on their death could only mean there were no souls to be guided onward and that only led to one outcome, she was dealing with a soul-stealer! Shivers ran through her entire being at the thought of having to go up against one again. In her entire existence she'd had to face these dark individuals a handful of times. Each one bringing with it death and destruction to witches across the globe. Something she'd been hoping to avoid doing ever again. Pushing back the rising surge of fear she turned her thoughts back to her own physical body. Nothing else would be accomplished by staying here._

_The moment she thought about moving back to her body she was pulled back. That was one good thing about the spirit realm, thoughts equaled immediate action. Taking a deep breath she turned to Arman about to tell him what she'd encountered; the words catching in her throat as her body shook with an unexpected magical warning._

_Arman's head turned to catch Sienna's eyes, "What the hell was that?" he asked quickly._

"Another powerful spell from the feel of it Arman, coming from Melbourne again. Shit! What the fuck is going on?"

"I don't know Sienna but I definitely don't like the feel of what's happening. Dress quickly and let's get to the bottom of this shit."

_*~*_

Jayce hit the _end_ button on his phone and hung up from talking with the emergency services. The police and ambulance would be here within minutes, especially after he had told them about the three dead bodies. Definitely not your average night in the heart of Melbourne. The sudden knocking on the door caught him by surprise. He knew they would be quick to arrive but getting here in under sixty seconds was some kind of world record. Walking quickly he opened the door expecting to see either the police or paramedics, not the three individuals standing there.

A tiny woman stood at the door flanked by two men dressed completely in black. Fierce green eyes looked at him from within the wrinkled face, completely at odds with the contrasting splash of colors making up her flowing dress. Turning to the slim man on her left she pointed past Jayce and into the kitchen area, "Leon, bag, tag and transport everything on that table back to the academy."

Jayce stood there startled by the appearance of the three, managing to utter a quick "Who are you?" before the man name Leon shouldered him out of the way and walked to the kitchen at the tiny woman's command. A tiny smile appeared on the woman's face as she turned to her other companion, "Clayton, take care of the rest." She said before turning and walking away.

Jayce managed to tear his eyes from the retreating back of the woman as everything turned dark, a final, flickering thought going through his brain, _"Who the hell were these people?"_

*~*

The first thing Sienna had done upon materializing back in Melbourne had been to dash across to the scry waters still set up, quickly searching for the source of the magical release she'd felt while on the island. Intuition and her gut told her that it had originated from the same spot but she needed confirmation before heading across to the docklands. A quick look at the surface confirmed what her instincts had been screaming. Whatever had caused the initial blast had followed it up with a second less than twenty-four hours later. Shaking her head at the stupidity of people she turned to Arman and spoke, "Have people always been this stupid Arman? Or does it feel like they're just getting dumber as the years go by?"

Arman had casually walked in behind Sienna into the room. Taking a quick glance at the scry waters he replied, "People have always been stupid Si. Individuals may have become smarter over time but _people as a whole_ are just dumb." His eyes met hers as he looked away from the water, "But I think you might be right. Who in their right mind would try a _second_ spell after the first one caused such a stupid blast? Even the most inane and novice magic practitioner should know better than that."

Sienna sighed and continued, "Regardless, it appears to have originated in the same place, down in the docklands. Let's go for a ride."

"Be quicker if you just transport us over, don't you think?"

"It would be quicker but I think being careful is more important than speed at the moment. If this is anything like yesterday there should be plenty of signs pointing the way when we get there. I'd rather make sure we get there unnoticed."

"Whatever you think best Sienna. How long will it take to get there?"

Sienna thought about Niko's Audi sitting in the garage, "At this time of night, next to no time. Trust me." She turned and began walking to the back-room where Niko lay, "Come. There's time for you to have a look at the chains on Nik. Maybe you can see something I've missed."

Arman followed as she turned away, following as instructed, "Happy to Si. But I really doubt I'll be able to see anything you've missed."

Sienna stopped as she got to Niko's inert body and waited. Arman had taken one quick questioning look at him and began concentrating. She kept quiet knowing that he was trying open his psychic senses to the magic at play around Niko. His eyes moved back and forth between Niko's hands and neck, where she knew the chains connected lay.

After a few moments of silent investigation Arman turned to face her, "I've never seen anything so clever Sienna. The manacles on his wrist are a complete copy of the ones we crafted to capture the Dragon in the first place. I would have sworn that nobody alive today had the ability to make another set. Hell, they cost Grigori his life the first time around." Turning back to Niko he ran a pointed hand between his wrists and neck, where Sienna knew the invisible chain sat, "Those links however, they're like... My God! I don't even know where to begin. Each single link has more magic instilled in it than most people accumulate in their entire lives. I can't even guess at what they're doing but it's like they're all connected and transferring power back and forth constantly. Maybe we can break the collar charm somehow? It should give us a fighting chance with the manacles."

Sienna shook her head vigorously, "Already tried Arman. The smallest touch of magic on either the chain or collar seems to make Niko suffer. I won't try again until I'm clearer on what the hell it's doing, and the only thing I've got to go on is those damn blasts of magic. Way too much of a coincidence for my liking. Let's get over to the docklands Arman. See if it gets us anywhere, because if it doesn't; I've got no idea where to from there."

Arman turned away from Niko and followed on Sienna's heels towards the waiting Audi.

Luck smiled on them as Sienna weaved the powerful Audi through the streets of Melbourne towards the docklands, ignoring the speed limits and any lights she encountered. A speeding ticket the last thing on her worried mind. The intense focus of the trip had the extra effect of calming her down somewhat as her sole thoughts were on not having an accident. In the five minutes it had taken her to drive and park the Audi, complete calm had returned to her body. Leaving the car parked on a side street in front of a restaurant she led Arman through the small walkway onto the boardwalk itself and turned back to face the apartment buildings, searching.

Arman had stayed quiet the entire trip following her lead. He knew exactly what they were trying to achieve. To further talk about it would be a waste of time. Breathing deep he opened himself up to the magic surrounding them. Immediately a large patch of green mist caught his eye. Turning his head up to the entry of the boardwalk he nudged Sienna. She turned to look where he pointed and smiled, "That's where my baby got blown into a bazillion pieces Arman. Not what we're after. Check the buildings my gut tells me it someone who lives around here."

Arman returned Sienna's smile with one of his own but stayed quiet. He knew how much she adored the Ducati and wasn't willing to risk her wrath with some flippant remark. Instead he turned and began surveying the surrounding apartment blocks. If Sienna was right they should be able to detect some after-effects of whatever had caused the blast earlier. He looked over at where Sienna was pointing as he felt the quick nudge on his arm, "Up there Arman. About ten floors up, tiny window near the corner. See it?"

"Yep. Got it."

## Chapter 7

Jayce's eyes flickered open slightly, wincing at the brightness of the fluorescent light overhead. His head throbbing with pain. He took a quick look around at the strange almost empty room he found himself in. A large metal table dominated the middle of it with a chair sitting on either end, one of which he occupied currently. Built into the table itself was a large loop where someone could be chained to, like he currently was himself. It reminded him of some of the interrogation rooms he had seen in movies.

Blinking fast he thought back to the final moments before he'd passed out in Roni's apartment. Perhaps the three mystery people had been Federal Police or something and his mind hadn't been paying attention. It would certainly account for him being cuffed to a table in an interrogation room of some sort. He looked up at the sound of the door being opened expecting to see some kind of police detective holding a take-away cup of coffee in one hand and a bunch of files under the other while holding a half-eaten doughnut in his mouth. Instead he was met with the sight of a tiny, old, wrinkled woman wearing a brightly colored floral dress casually walking into the room. Without making contact in any way she closed the door and sat on the heavy metal chair opposite him. The fury Jayce encountered from her green-eyed gaze when she raised her eyes at him made his heart pound. This was clearly a woman who expected those around her to do as she commanded without fail. He swallowed hard. Based on her outfit he threw out the thought of having been taken into custody by any official organizations, unless the likes of the Federal Police had dramatically changed their dress code recently. Keeping his eyes on the old lady's he forced himself to stay silent taking his cue from all the television shows he'd seen. Whatever they wanted from him they would have to ask for.

For her part, Serlina kept watching the young man seated before her. This was far from her first interrogation of a suspect in a crime where magic was the alleged cause, though this particular event had used power beyond anything she had ever encountered so there was really nothing ' _alleged'_ about it.

Slowing down her breathing she began to open herself up to her psychic abilities. She would know the truth regardless of what the young man actually said, or in fact didn't say. This was the gift she'd been born with, the one talent she'd honed to a razor sharp edge and used throughout her entire career with the Academy. The talent taking her from the lowest of beginnings and allowing her to work her way to being its ultimate arbiter-at least in Australia. With a hint of a smile on her lips she began to delve into his memories beginning with the events of the night before.

Immediately she felt the latent energy sitting within the young man in front of her. _'Newly acquired,'_ she thought to herself, _"he doesn't even know he has it as yet."_ She probed deeper and started watching the memory through his eyes for only a moment before stopping herself. Even through his memory she saw immediately that dark magic lay within the locket. Whatever had occurred the previous night had not been isolated. It was the culmination of previous events and fate. She thought back to the magical outburst from two nights ago and decided to push his memories to the point, hoping it was the start of the process.

Once more she paused almost as soon as she started. Whatever the locket was, it had been in the possession of these amateurs for longer than that. Easily half a year if the boy's memories proved true. She sighed, _'How could an item imbued with such dark magical power have escaped the notice of the Academy for so long right under our very noses?'_ She made a mental note to herself, the academy's processes would need to be reviewed and updated. Something this dark in essence should have been brought to their attention the moment it had surfaced and taken into their protective custody. Long before anyone could make use of it.

Putting the locket out of her mind she turned her focus back on the young man once more. Young kids like this were making life very difficult for her and the academy. The recent onslaught of books, television shows and movies continuously bombarding their lives with so much bullshit about witchcraft, paranormal events and _the others_ only served to help the dark. Idiotic stories casting the darkness of evil into an enticing life choice making them believe that it all came with no price. Shaking her head slightly she turned to the two-way mirror in the wall signaling that the meeting had ended.

This particular young man was about to find out first-hand what the consequences were when you dabbled in things you knew nothing about.

*~*

Sienna looked around the room making note of everything within. The residue of magic lay heavy in the air centered on the kitchen table. It was clear to her that _something big_ had occurred with no trace left behind save for what lay in the very air itself. Tracing a finger across the top of the table she looked over at Arman, his face showing the same kind of confusion that tumbled through her own mind, "What do you think Arman? It's clear that _something_ went down and yet there's nothing of any consequence here. Almost like someone came through and swept the place clean afterwards."

Arman looked around the apartment, thinking. "If this had happened in some out of the way location Sienna, I'd be tempted to think that perhaps whoever was responsible was smart enough to have plans in place to finish what they were doing, clean up after themselves and then move on quickly to avoid notice. But this is someone's apartment, where they live from the looks of it. The magic cast was in their own house. Surely no-one is stupid enough to wield such a powerful spell and then scarper from their own place. _That_ doesn't make sense to me at all. I think perhaps that someone _else_ is responsible for cleaning up the mess afterwards, maybe even during. There's so many splintered factions in our world Sienna that the Gods only know who the hell was involved in this."

Sienna smiled as she listened to what Arman had been saying, "Feeling nostalgic for the days when only a handful of us had the power to do these things Arman? The world moves on." Her arm moved in a wide circle, encompassing the entire apartment, " _This_ is the reality of where magic stands today and what we need to deal with."

Arman's head nodded in understanding the perilous place magic currently held in the modern world, "So what now Sienna? I don't think there's much to be learned by hanging out here. Whoever did this may even be on the way back for all we know."

Sienna's eyes had taken a far-away look. Arman knew the signs. There was something on her mind she was about to share, "What is it Si? You've got that questioning look on your face."

Her eyes came back to focus on Arman's face suddenly, "Sorry Arman, it was nothing." She shook her head trying to clear the fog surrounding her brain, "I think it's just everything that's happened, one after the other-it's got me all messed up. I think I need a little time to process things before making any more moves, call it a night for now. Think I'll head on home and have a nice long bath, put myself back in my happy place. We can start again in the morning with clearer heads."

Arman moved over and put an arm around her shoulders, leaning in close, "Sounds like a good plan Sienna. We can both get into each other's happy places."

She smiled at the insinuation behind his words before gently nudging him away a little, "Maybe some other time Romeo. Tonight I need some me time."

Arman indulged her with a tiny smile, leaning in to give her a quick peck on the cheek, "In that case I'll head on back to Los Angeles for a bit. Let me know if you change your mind, I'll be back in a heart-beat."

"You never know your luck in the big city Arman," she replied at his words, "Stranger things have happened."

*~*

Sienna looked down at the sound of the keys hitting the dining table, smiling at the memory of Niko having done the same thing the day before, "Nice one girl." she said out loud, "No use telling others off if you're just going to go ahead and do the same damn thing." Putting any thoughts out of her mind she headed to her personal bathroom.

No expense had been spared when they had remodeled the place. Gleaming granite counters ran across the length of almost every wall below golden framed mirrors. Along one length of wall a huge steam shower sat looking like something out of a futuristic science-fiction novel, completely at odds with the room's main feature taking pride of place in the middle of the room, the Le Grand Queen tub. The seductively gorgeous Simon Krapf designed tub had the appearance of an Indonesian canoe. Personally crafted by the designer himself, the tub had been carved out of a ten ton piece of Caijou, a rare gemstone which had been used by ancient civilizations believed to contain healing powers.

Sienna walked over to the golden faucets and started running the water, a winsome smile on her lips. If only people knew the truth behind the gem. Not only did it truly contain healing properties if you knew how to use it but it also replenished your magical powers under the right circumstances. Circumstances that only a handful of people currently alive knew how to manifest and ones that she had perfected long ago.

The lighting in the bathroom switched from the brightness of the original setup to a completely intimate red color in response to Sienna's clicking fingers. Low, soft and subtle enough to allow her to reach the proper frame of mind once she immersed herself in the water. Stripping off quickly, she threw her clothes off into the corner and stepped into the bath, easing her aching body into the perfect warmth of the water. A soft sigh escaping her lips as she breathed out and felt the subtle immersion of magical essence enter her body from the gemstone bath.

Closing her eyes she allowed her thoughts to drift, knowing the answers she was looking for would make themselves appear once she stopped trying to force them. Centuries of practice allowing her to move quickly into the right frame of mind where her spirit took over from her conscious thought and the tsunami of individual moments and events of the previous days would form into a coherent and clear path. _'The blast, Niko's capture and the Dragon. The powerful links holding him captive. The lost souls and the attempt on her life, her Ducati...'_ Sienna's eyes opened wide at her next thought, ' _Who was the strange young man that had warned her of the trap surrounding her bike? In all the events that followed she had completely put him out of her mind!'_

The subtle twinge of a feather-like touch passed across her consciousness as she finished the thought. She forced herself to stay perfectly still knowing she was no longer alone in the room. Without making a move of any sort she sent her thoughts to the protective wards surrounding the house. Every one of them still powered strong and unbroken. Whatever was in the room was powerful beyond anything she knew. Nothing could casually move through her magic in this manner without her permission. Taking a deep breath she cast her eyes around the bathroom, searching both physically and with her inner eye for the intruder, taking only a split second to see the young man she'd been thinking of standing rock-still in the corner near the open door staring directly at her, his face completely devoid of any emotion.

Keeping her eyes firmly on the stranger's Sienna began to slowly stand out of the bath tub, creating a magical aura of lust around her naked, wet body. The subtle plan one she had used many times in the past, a plan that allowed her to beguile her opponent and snare him into lusting after her body while she put up her defenses and readied for an attack. It was most effective when she used it naked. The water dripping off her taut body should have been enough to melt even the hardest of men. Yet she felt nothing coming off the young man in the corner as if he was a statue instead of human. She continued to draw him in with her eyes as she stepped completely clear of the tub. Every single move artfully designed to trap and ensnare.

And still she felt nothing coming off him. The control he exhibited over his own body amazed her. Never in her entire life had she come across anyone with such control. Even the most strong-willed of individuals had shown at least a tiny break in their composure when confronted with the combination of her perfect body and magic; especially if it happened to be naked and dripping with water.

Taking a slow, deep breath she subtly shifted her shoulders back. The move designed to bring his complete focus to her bare, wet breasts. His gaze however stayed locked on hers. The subtle creasing in the corner of his eyes the only change in his demeanor, letting her know he wasn't _completely_ impervious to what she was doing. "I guess I should thank you for the warning yesterday." She told him in her most alluring voice, "It probably saved me from being blown to bits."

Complete silence met her words, not that she really expected anything else from the being standing before her. Turning casually she strode across the room to the heated handrail where the fluffy towels hung and grabbed one. With cold precision she turned back to face him and began to dry herself off, "So, what are the chances that you'll at least tell me your name? I'm not in the habit of being alone and naked with a complete stranger in my bathroom."

The young man's gaze drifted down over her naked body at her words, only to quickly yank back again to her eyes. The move enough to let her know he wasn't in _complete_ control, even if it was a damn-sight more than she'd ever encountered before. The deep voice she remembered from their previous encounter coming forth in a rush, "We need to talk."

Sienna brought her body fully erect letting the towel fall casually over the front of her body, a tiny smile playing on her lips, "So talk. I'm listening."

His eyes went quickly back to her naked form for a moment before he disappeared as quickly as he had the first time they'd met, his voice coming across as it did so, "Get dressed and come to the kitchen. Then we can talk."

Sienna's smile widened at his words. No matter how powerful the person she encountered, she could always count on the combination of her body and magic to get what she needed. This one may have been a hard challenge but she had no doubts that _hard_ was exactly what he was at the moment. And when they were hard they were always a hell of a lot easier to manipulate. Leaving the bathroom behind she walked into her bedroom thinking about the right outfit to wear to get her to the next step and the information she needed.

*~*

Serlina stood a few steps behind the circle of witches surrounding the locket on the pedestal. The four most powerful dark practitioners in the world had been summoned to the academy once she was satisfied with the layers of protective magic put in place. Amateurs made mistakes, the academy rarely did and Serlina sure as hell did not.

She watched silently as the dark tendrils of the witch's power moved in solid circles around the locket. Once in a while a tentacle of smoke would unfold from the circling mass and move onto the locket searching magically for answers. The answering magic within the locket would lash out as it felt these intrusions and literally suck at the dark mass touching it as if feeding on them. Serlina sat entranced with thought of a type of magic that actually fed off others powers. The possibilities were boundless if they could figure a way of harnessing this power and controlling it. With a force of effort she wrenched away from the proceedings before her and marched down the hall to her office turning once to her ever-present companion, "Leon," she began as she walked, giving a quick nod to the four witches left behind, "Those four never leave the academy again, ever. They can live within these walls for the rest of their lives or be buried within them. Their choice."

The tall figure of Leon merely nodded in understanding. Nothing else was needed for him to know exactly what to do. It was one of the reasons he loved working for the woman. She never bothered with any of the particulars about _how_ he got results, the only thing that mattered to her was that he did. He trailed her to her office all the way thinking about the details Serlina would not want to know. Turning on his heel, he stood at the entrance and kept watch as she moved through the open door and shut it behind her.

Describing the office a minimalist would have been an understatement. Serlina rarely spent any time within the room itself preferring to be out and about amongst whatever was happening at that particular point in time. Intimidation worked best when done in person. There was only a handful of occasions when she needed the protection of this room and getting in touch with her boss was one of them. She walked over to the large safe in the corner. It sat in plain sight with nothing whatsoever protecting or hiding it. No-one would be foolish enough to mess with it. Taking hold of the necklace she wore she removed it over her head. The massive brass key would open the initial locks placed on the safe. The brass key itself would be useless to anyone else who managed to get their hands on it. It had been magically attuned to her own vibrations and would literally melt anyone attempting to use it without her knowledge and permission. With a quick efficient motion she placed it in the keyhole and turned it left then right. A satisfied smile crossing her face at the _click_ noise it made, a warning sound that would alert her to any possible attempts on the safe in her absence.

Punching her ten-digit code onto the keypad she opened the heavy door and extracted a black briefcase, before closing it again and moving to sit at her desk to open it. Placing her thumbs on each of the latches, she whispered the small incantation which released the locks. One final piece of protection before being able to access the contents inside.

Serlina's smile grew wider as she pulled out a mobile phone. The cell-phone was encrypted with military-grade protection which stopped anyone in the world from being able to intercept her communications whether in transit or even at the microphone, making it totally secure from any form of wire-tapping or eavesdropping. Almost every magic user in the world would not resort to modern technology for anything except the most normal operations which played right into her hands. For her the digital transformation occurring in the world was just a different type of magic. Others would ignore it at their peril. She picked up the phone and pressed one number on the keypad, the only number programmed into it. Within two rings, the other phone picked up and she heard the deep voice she expected, "Serlina. What news from that backwater city you live in?"

Without preamble or small talk, Serlina replied, "Unauthorized dark magic and one fascinating little locket which may come in _very_ handy under the right circumstances."

The voice on the other end replied calmly as if they already knew about these things. Serlina would not have been surprised if it was the case, "The first half is under control. You needn't worry about it. Except to know that you have one of the immortals poking their noses into it. Tell me more about the locket."

"Ordinary looking locket. Antique of some sort. We're in the process of finding its origin. Definitely dark in nature and bound with extremely powerful dark magic. It actually appears to be feeding off our own magic as we try to work out what it is. So we're being extremely careful in how much we give it. Appears to have a name engraved upon one side – SalHai NorMel. No luck tracking it down as yet."

Complete silence greeted her words from the other end of the line for a moment before the voice returned, "SalHai NorMel? That's _very interesting._ I suggest _strongly_ that you place your most effective protection charms, spells and icons around that locket Serlina. Who have you got working on it?"

"I've brought in the four sisters to tackle it." She replied.

"That's a good start, I suggest you bring in the second four to help out as well. In fact, I'm insisting."

"Yes boss."

"Oh and Serlina... Just so that we're completely clear on this. Fail me in this and the pain I will put you through will make your predecessor's seem like Sunday brunch. Understood?"

The small catch in her reply was the first time she had lost her composure in half a century, "Completely. I won't fail you." She replied just before hitting the 'end' button on the phone and replacing it in the briefcase.

' _Whatever is going on is even bigger than I imagined.'_ She thought to herself. For the boss to insist on bringing in the second four sisters meant that the locket was something more powerful than she'd ever laid eyes on and she had been witness to some truly powerful dark magic in her life. To fail in this would mean the end of her soul, forever. Not just the simple release of death with the promise of a rebirth. Of that she was certain. And to top it all off one of the damn immortals had decided to get involved. _'Fuck it.' She thought, 'I've gone head-to-head with dark powers that made the God's tremble. If the fucking immortal wants to get in my way, they can die as well.'_

## Chapter 8

The sound of Sienna's booted steps as she moved into the kitchen made him look up and stare. After thinking over the minimal effect she'd had on him while naked in the bathroom she'd opted to go a slightly different route and dressed herself in a one piece, skintight spandex outfit and black leather boots. Every part of her body would be covered while simultaneously being shown to its greatest effect with the skin-hugging outfit. Sometimes the imagined beauty beneath drove them crazier than when she was naked. Stopping at the table, she casually dropped the full-length leather coat she'd brought with her. No matter what was said now, she would not be taking any more _me_ time that night, "So now we're in the kitchen. Why don't you start talking? Let's start with who the hell you are and work our way to the good stuff from there."

She pulled out one of the chairs and set it down facing the young man, slowly lowering herself into the comfortable seat before deliberately crossing her legs. "Your name would be good right about now."

His gaze had followed her hypnotically as she moved and sat. She watched him blink a couple of times before moving his eyes back to hers, "My name isn't important Sienna. The important thing is that you answer some questions for me."

Sienna laughed as she crossed her arms over her breasts, the laughter not reaching her eyes, "It may not be important to you sunshine but I'll let you in on a little secret-you won't be getting any answers from me if you don't trust me enough to even give me your name."

The young man's chest expanded as he took an enormous breath before loudly exhaling, "Fine Sienna. Have it your way. I've been called many names in my life, most of which I've forgotten along the way. For the sake of moving this along you can call me Beleth."

"Beleth," muttered Sienna almost under her breath, "Interesting name."

"Like I said, one of many I've held over the years. It'll do for now. Can we get to the _good stuff_ as you called it now?"

Sienna smiled and motioned for him to sit opposite her, deliberately allowing him to think she didn't know anything about the name, "Please. Let's cut to the chase." Taking a quick look over to the liquor cabinet she stood quickly and called back over her shoulder, "Care for a drink first? I definitely need one at the moment."

Beleth's eyes narrowed as a frown formed on his forehead. Being offered a drink was far from what he had expected the woman to do, "Um. Sure, whatever you're having is fine."

Sienna stopped in front of the cabinet and looked back at him smiling, "Straight up bourbon for me. You happy with that?" Not waiting for an answer she turned and grabbed two glasses from the top shelf, filling them three quarters of the way to the top with bourbon. Running her hand along the counter she looked back at him adding, "You want ice in yours?"

Beleth's head snapped back to Sienna's eyes once more as she spoke. No-one in his entire life had been able to weave such a powerful lust charm on him before. His eyes continued to pore over her body no matter how hard he resisted, just as it had done then. He could feel the blush coming over his face even though he was aware of what she was up to, "Yes please."

Sienna smiled in response and turned back to the bar, deliberately thrusting out a hip. The effect of her backside sheathed in spandex coupled with her smile would mean his eyes would be taking in the view of her butt and not paying attention to anything else. Most importantly the fact that her katana sat in clear view on top of the counter.

Her smile dropped completely as she reached out to touch the sword, hoping to be able to talk to Amon secretly. Her katana lay there turning red. The furious wave of heat coming off the sword had made her hand stop a full three inches away from it. Ignoring the fact that Beleth may be powerful enough to overhear what she was saying she practically screamed in her mind, "AMON! What's wrong?"

The heat coming off the sword grew stronger as it began to vibrate. She wasn't sure if the growl she heard was only in her mind or if it was made aloud a split second before it flew off the counter and headed straight to where Beleth sat, point first.

The moment her mind had stopped focusing on the charm, Beleth felt the lustful desire she had weaved over him dissipate, looking up just in time to see a sword flying through the air aimed directly at him. He vanished wondering why Sienna would attack him with no warning or purpose.

Sienna's shoulders fell slightly when she heard the _thunk_ of the sword as it embedded itself into the chair. She'd witnessed Beleth disappear a moment before it had struck and gave a silent prayer. Moving quickly over to the sword she saw that the radiant heat had dissipated completely. Once again it looked like her katana in every normal way, except for the fact that it was buried in an extremely expensive dining chair. Reaching out she gently gripped the hilt and pulled it free, taking it back with her to the couch. Sitting, she place the katana across her thighs and stopped for a moment, thinking.

While there was a being of immense power trapped within the sword it had never had the power to do anything on its own before. She thought back to the night before when Amon had spoken in her mind from across the room, "Never was able to talk to me either without contact. Seems like I don't know shit about nothing anymore. What the fuck is going on?"

A tingling sensation swept across the tops of her thighs from the katana. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she looked down, "Stop fucking pretending Amon, we're well and truly past that point. If you want to say something then just fucking say it. I'm not in the mood for any more bloody games tonight."

" _Beleth dangerous."_

Sienna shook her head and laughed, "No shit Sherlock. You think I didn't know that just by the simple fact of him appearing out of nowhere without disturbing any of my magical barriers? That's why I was trying to get him to bloody well talk to me! To understand what the hell was going on! For such an ancient being you sure are fucking dense! Now I've got to figure out what's happening a different way. Assuming our mate Beleth doesn't attack me in response. Fuck!"

She looked down at the sword sitting on her thighs completely still and unmoving. If it was a physical possibility she would have sworn that it actually looked a little ashamed and embarrassed. Smiling at the thought of such an ancient evil actually being embarrassed, she spoke to him out loud, "Look, I apologize Amon. It's been one hell of a night and I kind of just lost it there for a moment. What did you mean about Beleth?"

" _Big danger. Ancient danger. Not just Prince but King. Second to Master."_

Sienna sighed and leaned back into the couch, "I know the name Amon. Are you saying that he was the _real_ Beleth? As in the _real_ King of Hell, Beleth?"

" _Yes Sienna. Time to keep promise. Beleth come to collect."_

"What promise Amon? I'm fairly sure I've never made any promises to Beleth."

The silence stretched out as she waited for an answer to her question. "Amon? You there?" she asked again.

With no answer coming to her from the sword she stood in one quick motion and strapped it across her back before grabbing her leather jacket and heading to the garage and jumping into the Nik's Audi. Whenever she needed an answer to some historical and possibly mythical question she would always go to the one person on Earth she could always count on, Janine, the Chief historian at the WC and her one-time lover. Sending off a quick message on her phone she jumped in the car and peeled off into the night.

*~*

St. Paul's Cathedral lay smack in the middle of the busiest intersection in Melbourne opposite Federation Square and across from Flinders Street station. The building itself is a magnificent piece of neo-Gothic architecture built in the late 1880's. Most people are unaware that the current sandstone building replaced an earlier blue-stone house of worship. A building that was owned by the WC. Between 1880 and when construction was finally completed in 1931, the WC academy had poured tons of money into having a slew of underground caverns and rooms designed and built in secret, in many different levels underground, leaving the cathedral itself as a place of worship.

Sienna pulled the Audi into the parking lot a block up from the cathedral itself and walked down the street to the tiny lane off Hosier, waiting in front of a tiny door which looked like it would fall apart in a strong wind; the entrance to the academy itself.

She waited knowing that behind the door a lot of activity would have begun at her approach and would end with either an invitation into the academy or a magical shove that could leave her anywhere in the world, bewildered. You never knew which it would be with the academy. Tapping her foot on the concrete floor, she whispered under her breath, "C'mon Jani, don't let me down. I need you." The frown on Sienna's face grew deeper with every minute that passed with no activity from within, until she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Walking away from the door she pulled it out to see a new message from Janine; _'Y &J. 10 mins.'_

Looking back over her shoulder at the red door one last time Sienna headed across the lane way and up the road. Y&J was the shorthand they used for Young & Jacksons, one of Australia's most iconic hotels, a minute's walk from where she was. Taking the steps two at a time, Sienna raced to the rooftop of the building and looked around, quickly spying Janine seated in one of the comfortable couches, two glasses of cider on the table in front of her. She let out a sigh of relief not having been aware that she had actually been anxious for some reason and quickly engulfed Janine in a hug. "You don't know how good it is to see you Jani." She said taking a seat opposite her, "I really need your input right now."

"What's up lover?"

The word _lover_ coming from Janine's lips always put a smile on Sienna's face. Reaching over, she traced a finger down the scars on her face, feeling the guilt build up.

"Sienna, babe. You've got to let it go already. You have absolutely nothing to be sorry or guilty about when it comes to my scars. If anything, I owe you my life. These _things,_ " Janine added pointing to her face, "were a small price to pay for my life, and for finding you."

Sienna's index finger trailed the outline of the scars, her eyes lost in the history of the event, nearly twenty years earlier. Niko and herself had been tracking down some magic users that had begun dabbling into the darkest of dark magic at the time. They'd finally gotten lucky and intervened as the tiny coven had just started a powerful incantation with the capacity to let loose some very nasty ancient beings. All brought about with the torture and eventual blood sacrifice of a virgin. Niko had blasted in to the middle of the coven and gone absolutely berserk, killing every single one he could lay his hands on.

At the same time, Sienna had lunged into the middle of the foray to set free the poor sixteen year old girl tied down on the makeshift altar. They had come to the rescue in time to save her life but unfortunately the torture had already been going on for a while. Blood covered every inch of the poor girl's naked body with three deep gashes on each side of her face. Getting her out had come with a price. The poor girl's mind was almost gone. Sienna had taken her plight personally and worked tirelessly over the next five years to bring some small bit of sanity and safety back into her world. Somewhere along the line the defenses she had against falling in love with another mortal crumbled and they fell into each other's arms on the eve of Janine's twenty-first birthday. For almost five years Janine had been her entire world.

Sienna pulled her hand back and wiped the small tear from the corner of her eye, "My offer will always stand Jani. I can get those fixed by the best plastic surgeon in the world. Just say the word and it's done."

Janine reached over and took Sienna's hand in hers, her head shaking slightly, "Si, after all this time you still don't get it. The physical scars are nothing and yes, I know you'd move Heaven and Earth to get them _fixed_ for me. But they go deeper than just these surface scratches. The scars are cut all the way into my soul. No amount of plastic surgery can make that better. They're part of who I am." Lifting Sienna's hand, she placed a gentle kiss on her palm and smiled, looking deep into her eyes, "and I don't have to worry about getting hit on continuously either. They're like my own little guard dogs keeping everyone at bay and letting me get on with my work. Which, unless I miss my guess, is what you need from me right now. So I ask once again, what's up lover?"

Taking a sip of the cider gave Sienna a chance to get her mind back on her current problems. Putting the glass gently on the table, she asked "Beleth. What do you know about him?"

"Beleth? Are we talking about like, the King of Hell-Beleth?"

"One and the same apparently."

The constant smile that accompanied Janine everywhere fell from her face at the casual way Sienna had dropped the last point. A look of concern coming over her features entirely, "Sienna. Please tell me this is some fact finding mission you're on and not something that you plan on going up against."

"I honestly wish I could Jani. I would give anything for that to be the case. What do you know of him?"

"Okay then. Beleth. A quick online search will tell you that most satanists believe he is one of the nine Kings of Hell in command of eighty-five legions of demons, with four Dukes reporting to him- Drako, Barbatos, Amunra and Zagan."

"What the satanists _believe,_ Jani? You say that like something's not quite right there, like he's not real"

Janine took a quick sip of her cider before continuing, "Oh no Sienna, he exists. Beleth is _very_ real and an extremely charming son of a bitch from what I've been told. It's just that the information that the dark practitioners have is slightly out of date. The four Dukes they write about no longer exist as far as anyone knows. Barbatos and Zagan teamed up at one point to take on Beleth, unsuccessfully. As I understand it, they're no longer a worry for anyone at all and rumor has it that Drako and Amunra just up and disappeared around the same time. With the additional demon legions of the Dukes under his direct control, Beleth took on the rest of the Kings. All signs point to him having won _that_ particular fight as well."

Sienna leaned back into the comfort of the couch, thinking hard, "Is this all first-hand information Jani?"

"Direct from translating it for the keeper himself less than a year ago Si. As real as it gets."

_The Keeper_ in this case was Janine's great-uncle, the keeper of the archives in the Vatican City itself. The one priest with power enough to rival any of the elected Popes themselves and the head of the Daemonium Profero of the Holy See; The Demon Watchers. An elite group consisting of only four members at any one time with the power to communicate directly with the Demons of Hell trying in vain to help avert any disasters with mankind. Janine's time in the hands of the demons during her childhood and near sacrifice had imprinted the language used in Hell and her uncle had been using her ever since to help him translate the subtle nuances of what was recorded.

"So in a nutshell, I have the current _and only_ King of Hell checking out my body and wanting to have a chat. A being powerful enough to have destroyed every other King and allegedly four Dukes as well. Fuck me. Amon's right. Beleth's dangerous."

The scars on Janine's face puckered and turned red as she frowned, "Amon? Beleth wants to have a chat? And... Naked body? What the Hell's going on Si?"

Sienna drowned the rest of her drink before answering, "One more question Jani. Have you heard about any specific promises that have been made to Beleth or the Dukes of Hell or fuck... to Lucifer himself?"

"Nothing apart from the usual stuff. You know, people selling their souls and shit. Why?"

"Because that's the reason Beleth is here. Well, according to Amon anyway."

Janine got up from her couch and took the three steps around the table to sit next to Sienna, grabbing both of her hands in her own, "Sienna. Look at Me." she began, "take a deep breath and start at the beginning. Tell me everything that's going on. I don't like what I'm hearing so far and you're fucking scaring me."

Sienna breathed deep and gazed into Janine's eyes, "It started with someone doing some pretty powerful magic a couple of nights ago..."

## Chapter 9

The gilded mirror smashed into a million pieces as the bottle of champagne hit it dead center, the shards scattering over the table under it and cascading onto the plush carpet. Arman turned furiously to the waitress standing behind him and screamed, "Clean the fucking mess up and get me another bottle. Now!" He turned his attention back to the stoic form of Serlina seated on a chair behind him. "Now explain to me just _how the fuck_ you let someone casually waltz in and get away with the locket again?"

Serlina kept her poker face planted firmly though her insides were trembling. Arman was _not_ the type of person to take bad news in a calm manner. She would have to be very careful in how things were worded if she had any chance of getting out of this meeting alive, "I'm not one hundred percent sure at the moment. I've got the academy on full lock-down at the moment. No-one gets in or out without my express permission. All we know at this point is that someone managed to bypass every single shred of protective layer we have and killed the four sisters, then disappeared with the locket."

Arman looked at her through narrowed eyes, "What about all the ridiculously expensive security equipment we have in place, what does that show?"

"At this point absolutely nothing. They all went 'dark' for the few minutes it took. I've got the experts looking at what they can do. We _will_ find out what happened, I assure you."

Arman's smashed his hand on the table between them, "Your assurances at this point don't exactly fill me with any confidence Serlina. Do we still have that guy, what's his name, Jayce in our possession? Or have you managed to lose him as well?"

"Gone at the same time as the locket." Serlina replied, her eyes downcast.

"I'm surrounded by fucking incompetent idiots. Get your ass back to the academy and find me some answers. I'm not interested in anything else. Go!"

*~*

Sienna watched quietly as Janine absentmindedly ran one of her fingers up and down the length of one of the scars on her face, knowing this was the way Jani processed things in her mind. Janine's hand dropped from her cheek as she turned to look at Sienna, her eyes intense. "That story is incredible Si. If I didn't know you the way I do I'd be half tempted to call you a liar, but I know better than that. First things first, is Niko in any danger?"

Sienna dropped her gaze to the floor, "I really don't know Jani. He seems to be alright as long as I don't try to mess with the collar. Apart from that, I've honestly got no idea." The soft touch of Janine's hand on her cheek made her look up again, tears evident in her eyes, "I'm flying blind here and scared to death of losing him Jani. It's like everything I've ever known in life is completely screwed."

Janine moved across engulfing Sienna in a hug, "Shh lover. Niko's going to be fine, and so are you. You're the toughest woman that's ever lived, I should know. Trust me, we just need to take a small step back and think for a moment. If whoever is behind this wanted Nik dead, they've had every opportunity to make it happen. So I think it's safe to say that he'll be fine for the moment." She reached out and brushed one of Sienna's tears away from her cheek, "I'm more scared about your safety lover. Everything that's happened seems to be centered squarely on you. We need to find out why. Let's start with the spirit sword you mentioned. I can't believe you've never mentioned it to me in the whole time I've known you."

Sienna gave a small hiccup and an even tinier smile, "Jani, you know I've always tried to keep anything even remotely dangerous well away from you. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you because of things going on in my world."

"I know Si. We talked about this way back when you tried to break my heart. My mind hasn't changed since then, whatever happens to you, happens to me as well. Even now after all this time. So, Spirit sword. Give!"

The no nonsense way in which Janine spoke brought a measure of calm back to Sienna's world. "I'm pretty sure I've told you about the katana itself Jani. It was a present from the first Emperor of China. Nik and I did him a little favor with some restless spirits and he presented each of us with one. The spirit within the sword is a new addition. Remember I told you once about our encounter with someone called the Dragon? Well, to cut a long story short we managed to trap that particular nasty thing with the help of another trapped spirit, Amon. He's the one that's currently trapped in the sword."

"So this Amon is just another lost sorcerer who took the dark path?"

"Not quite Jani. Amon is ancient, that much I'm sure of. _Much_ older than any of the spirits I've come across before. I don't even think he understands the concept of good and evil. He just is. I've only ever had to use him a few times in the past hundred years and every single time I've gotten the same vibe from him, pure blood-lust. Nothing more."

Janine squeezed Sienna's hand a little, "Until now..."

"Yep. When I jumped into the Spirit Realm with the sword the first time, everything was the same as before. It was only later that he started to talk to me without me even being near the damn sword. That's never happened before." Sienna looked up at Janine and noticed her frown, "What you thinking Jani?"

"Indulge me for a moment Si. This _spirit_ that lives in the sword is ancient you say? And yet he speaks to you like a Neanderthal? I'm having a hard time swallowing that. Especially when you add the fact that he's communicating with you outside the bounds of the sword _and_ that all of a sudden he appears to have the ability to thrust the sword across the room at someone. I'm not buying it."

"I'm not lying Jani. That's exactly what happened."

Janine waved her hand in the air, "I believe _you_ Sienna. Always will. What I'm not believing is that the spirit is what it is making itself out to be. Especially that whole _throwing itself across the room_ business."

"Then what else Jani? Should I ask him for an answer? Should I even believe any answer he gives me?"

Janine looked up at the plants on the wall, thinking aloud, "The ancient ones are always more dualistic in nature than absolute Sienna. They can't be classified as purely good or evil, at least until the battle between Lucifer and God happened. If the spirit that dwells in the sword is _that_ old it may explain the blood-lust as well as him wanting to help. Beings like that do things because they want to, not because they feel compelled to act in a certain manner. And that includes things like lying to us. The only certain way I know of to ensure you're being told the truth is to know their _true_ name. That is the only thing I know that will bind them to tell you what you want. How certain are you of his name, Si? Willing to bet your life on it?"

Sienna thought back on the times she'd had to force Amon into doing something. Without fail she'd always addressed him by his name. At the time it had been the easiest way to get through to the spirit whose vocabulary seemed to consist of a handful of words. "I think so Jani. I've always called him by that name to get his attention."

"And he's always answered Si? Without fail?" A quick nod from Sienna was all the reply she got. "Okay then lover. For the sake of my own curiosity how long will it take us to get to the sword and put it to the test?"

Sienna smiled and pointed over her shoulder, "I've got it with me now. I keep forgetting that Amon takes himself and the sword into the Spirit Realm when I'm not using it. Kind of makes it invisible to everyone."

Janine's head turned away from Sienna in a quick motion, punctuated with a quick _'Fuck!'_ Before turning back to face Sienna, "You mean you've had it with you all the time we've been here? Fuck, fuck and double fuck!"

Sienna smiled at the outburst. That little saying was something she had incorporated into her own vocabulary after spending time with Janine, "What is it Jani? I won't let Amon do anything stupid to you if that's what you're worried about."

"The thought never even entered my mind, Si." She lifted her hand in a _stop_ motion as Sienna was about to talk, "Doesn't matter Si. Let's test out our theory. Call Amon now and let's see what he has to say. Remember to use his name."

Sienna turned and with a quick motion pulled the sword strapped at her back by the hilt, "Amon! I need you to talk to me. Now."

Janine's eyes widened as the form of Sienna's katana became visible in her hand. The blade turning from a brilliant metal color to one covered in a slight sheen of green. Her body moved back a couple of inches as the voice of the spirit came from the sword itself, _"Amon talk."_ She leaned towards the sword and asked, "Tell me about Beleth Amon."

Sienna waited a few moments as the silence stretched out before bringing the sword up to her face. With a snarl she said, "Amon talk to Janine. I _am_ your master Amon. Do what I say!"

The voice which answered had a slight hiss to it as if the spirit was forcing the words through gritted teeth, _"Amon talk Sienna. Not lover."_

Sienna turned to face Janine expecting to see her mad. Instead she came face-to-face with a smile stretching across her face. "I see Amon. Only Sienna not me." She reached out and gently placed her hand over Sienna's on the hilt of the sword before turning back to the blade, "What about if I _command_ AMUNRA to show himself in person instead?"

The tingling sensation came through to both women as the katana began to shake, the blade turning blood-red at the same time. Across the table holding their empty glasses a dark mist materialized out of thin air, taking on a distinctly human form. Janine reached out with one of her hands and spoke, "That's enough AmunRa we don't need to see your true form right now. Sienna, can you cast a spell to make sure we remain undetected while we have a quick chat with our friend please?"

Sienna had already anticipated the need for privacy if Amon actually showed up and ensured they would be undisturbed prior to drawing the sword, "Already done Jani. No-one will be able to break through. The floor's all yours lover."

Janine gave her a quick smile before turning back to the dark misty form of AmunRa, all business now. "We need a few answers AmunRa. True, straight-forward and with no bullshit. Do you understand?"

Sienna sat back startled as a deep, cultured voice came back in reply to Janine's question. The voice a complete opposite to the animalistic grunts she had come to associate with the spirit Amon, "The straight-forward truth as I know it with no _bullshit_ shall be yours Janine. As far as I'm able. Ask!"

Janine smiled at Sienna's response to the spirit. Whatever she had been expecting, this was nowhere near it. Laughter shook her body as Sienna's dumbfounded gaze met hers, "Fuck Me! I really don't know shit about anything these days!"

*~*

Leon sat on one of the plastic chairs at the McDonald's on Bourke St waiting for Serlina. A fresh order of two Big Macs, large fries and a Coke sitting on the tray in front of him. It was one of the small indulgences that the boss gave herself, either when things were going great or when things had turned to shit. He shook his head, this was obviously one of the latter ones.

He had been standing guard over her office when he heard her measured steps came down the corridor with purpose. Since the events which had occurred earlier that day when someone had gotten past every defense in place at the academy, every person within had been on extreme edge not willing to do anything to bring attention upon themselves. He had looked up as she approached, carefully avoiding the deadly gaze as it swept past him, turning to look at her only when he heard the whispered command, "McDonald's on Bourke St in ten minutes. Come alone and tell no-one."

Serlina walked through the tables with laser-like precision and took a seat opposite him, picking up the food and devouring it without even acknowledging his presence. He waited knowing she would only get to the point once her ritual with the food had been completed, a ritual that always calmed her down and focused her attention back to what mattered. He looked up as he felt the pressure of her unsettling gaze upon him, "Question Leon. If I asked you to come up with a way of getting past the defenses at the academy to steal the locket, how would you do it?"

Leon had anticipated the line of questions from the boss. Her questions would always come from the angle of how _she_ would do it and then do everything in her power to stop it from happening. This time however, the damage had already been done. The question itself more a trigger in trying to figure out _how_ it had been done. His tongue moved quickly to wet his lips knowing the answer he was about to give would not appease her in any way, "For the life of me Boss, I can't think of a single way to do it. The room where it sat was covered in so many overlaid charms and spells that not even an insect should have been able to get close to it. Not to mention the motion and heat sensors scattered in every corner as well as the actual guards."

"And yet someone managed to circumvent every single one of these things and got away with not just the locket but that guy Jayce as well." Serlina traced a little of the special sauce from the Big Mac paper, licking it off her finger, "How Leon? How did something like this happen? How _could it_ happen? We need answers and we need them quick."

Leon's eyes narrowed a little before answering, "Boss, _how_ someone was able to do this is important so we can close them down and not let it happen again but don't you think we should be spending our time on _finding_ the locket and the kid instead? I think they should probably be our first priority."

"That, my dear Leon, is _my_ first priority and under control. _Your_ first priority should be to stay alive. You are _after all,_ the head of the security at the academy and this little incident is going to fall back squarely on you. Think long and hard on what your next move is, it could be your last."

Leon nodded his head once and stood up to leave. No further words required for the boss's message to be delivered with complete clarity. Serlina had found her scapegoat and would have no qualms in throwing him to the wolves to appease her Boss and save her own ass. He'd seen it done numerous times before.

## Chapter 10

Sienna stood up suddenly her body rigid in a barely controlled anger, "I've had enough of this shit. Tell me _AmunRa,_ what the fuck is going on?"

The rolling mist turned in a ball appearing to turn in Sienna's direction. The voice came clearly, _"The man chosen to run this country is currently having an illicit affair with a seventeen year old boy, something his wife knows nothing about. Actually one of his own kids friends from school..."_

Janine stood in time to place a hand on Sienna's arm, stopping her from taking out her anger on the mist, "Sienna. Sit down. Let me handle this." Pulling gently on her arm, she guided the confused Sienna to the couch, "The ancient ones are very adept at answering your questions truthfully without giving you a clear answer. I've dealt with them before, trust me-they can be the most annoying things ever created." Putting a hand on each of Sienna's shoulders she pushed down slowly, forcing her to sit, "Please lover. Let me do this."

Raising one of her hands Sienna gently caressed Janine's cheek and giving her a small nod, "Be careful Jani. I don't trust him." Janine's knowing smile made Sienna wish they were somewhere else, just the two of them.

Giving Sienna a quick wink, Janine turned her attention back to the mist, "Thanks for the information AmunRa, it may come in handy."

" _It's been a pleasure Janine. I'll just head back to my_ prison _now if we're done."_

"Not just yet spirit. There's a little more to discuss. Why don't you tell me a little about Beleth?"

At the mention of Beleth's name the mist changed color around the edges from the green hue it had materialized with to a deep, almost blood-colored red, _"Beleth is one of the Kings of Hell, Janine. Ancient and very powerful. Maybe even the_ most _powerful of the fallen ones, apart from the Morning Star."_

"And just _what_ does one of the most powerful _Demons in_ existence want with Sienna, AmunRa? Why is Beleth here?"

" _I don't know Janine. Beleth has not taken me into his confidence. I know nothing of his plans."_

"So you and Beleth being here at the same moment in time means nothing AmunRa? Do you expect us to truly believe this is _just a coincidence and nothing more?"_

" _The threads of vibration move through each and every being regardless of which dimension or realm they are in Janine. It's attached from each to every other, the tiniest insect connected to Father himself. There are no coincidences."_

"So why did you attack Beleth before? If he's as powerful as you say then it would've been suicide to do so. Why AmunRa?"

" _I promised those that followed me that I would avenge their deaths Janine. Beleth took those closest to me and obliterated them. No rebirth."_

"Are you telling me that even the damned can be reborn again AmunRa?"

" _All things Janine. All. Even Gods."_

Sienna's voice cut into the conversation from the couch, "You mentioned a promise earlier. What was that about?"

The mist form rolled away from Janine to stop in front of Sienna, _"That, I cannot say Sienna."_

"Cannot or will not?"

" _Both Sienna. Both. Be very careful with Beleth. He's extremely ancient, powerful and wants you Sienna. I can't say more on this."_

Sienna looked over at Janine about to tell her to keep going, her eyes turned questioning at the confused look on her face. "What is it Janine?"

Janine ignored the question and turned to the mist once more, "Thanks for your help and guidance AmunRa. We really appreciate it. You may go back to the sword now. We're done for now."

Sienna looked on as the mist slowly faded, moving slowly back into her katana, confused at why Janine had suddenly ended the questioning. They still didn't have any real answers. "Why did you let him go so quickly Jani? I still had some more questions for him."

Janine's eyes were a mixture of confusion and fear, "I need you to do something for me lover, like _right now._ Send the katana back home and put it somewhere safe. We need to talk."

*~*

Arman looked around him at the lush vegetation of the island as he materialized and smiled. The powerful wards of protection and hiding pulsing at regular intervals telling him that no-one had managed to circumvent the barrier. With quick precision he moved to the bog he had shown Sienna earlier. The coffins had been disposed of in the interim and a new altar prepared with a new body laid out for sacrifice. Giving the lives of his three immortal brothers as an offering had not been enough to get the notice of his God. More blood needed to flow. A slight feather-like tingling caressed the back of his neck, warning him that he was no longer alone. Without turning around he said aloud, "It appears my God requires sacrifices of a more _powerful_ nature, Dragon. This infant I've prepared has the power of three other witches residing within but I fear it won't be enough to get his attention." His gaze moved over the altar to where the locket lay, "Is there a way we can use the locket as a sacrifice as well? That would increase the power of the offering big time."

The spirit of the Dragon allowed his being to enter into a fully human state as he walked over to the inert body on the altar. "Things move quickly now Arman. Refrain from using my name please. It only serves to draw attention to my presence. Even within the confines of this barrier." Placing his hand over Jayce's heart he turned his cold, hard gaze fully on Arman, "The locket can become part of the ritual only if it forms part of the sacrifice itself. The only way it would work is if it actually meant something to this boy."

Arman picked up the locket, turning it lazily in his hand, "Would the fact that he was in love with the woman who found it help?" He asked before placing it in the Dragon's outstretched palm.

"Unrequited love? Most definitely. It's one of the most powerful forces known anywhere. But for it to be totally effective," he added placing the locket over Jayce's heart and pushing down with force, "it must reside _within_ love's center!"

Arman studied the way the Dragon weaved his magic through the man's body, keeping him alive while plunging the locket deep inside, his hand waiting for the magic to take hold and allow the body to believe the locket was part of him and not some foreign object to be excised. Within moments he had removed his hand from the body and looked over at him once more. "Prepare the ritual for the offering Arman. I grow tired of hiding."

"And how much longer do I need to wait for you to give me Niko?"

The Dragon flicked one of his hands lazily in front of his face, "Our deal stands Arman. Once I'm finished with Niko I will hand him over to you to do with as you wish. For the moment he stays put. The collar he wears keeps the legions watching thinking that I am still chained. Soon that will no longer be needed and _then_ you can have him, not before."

The smile on Arman's face widened at the thought of finally getting his hands on Niko's power to augment his own, making him powerful beyond imagining. His smile faded slightly at the Dragons next words, "Try to seduce Sienna once more and the deal will be broken however. The woman is to remain untouched Arman. Do not make the mistake of underestimating me again. You would not like the outcome of that."

*~*

The drive back to Sienna's had taken place in complete silence as every time she had started to ask a question Janine had shut her down completely with no answer and a worried look on her face. She rushed upstairs to place the sword back in its protective barrier while Janine had stayed seated in the car and then peeled off into the night towards the Janine's favorite restaurant.

Twenty minutes after Amon had dissipated, they sat opposite each other in a quiet corner of the tiny restaurant, waiting for their food to be prepared. It was only then that Janine had spoken for the first time, "Don't say anything except to answer my questions for now Sienna. It's important."

Sienna's head tilted on a slight angle at the words, her eyes frowned in question, "Of course Jani. Ask."

Janine leaned forward, both elbows placed on the table with her hands clasped in front of her face. Her eyes boring into Sienna's with focused concentration, "First things first. Do _not_ mention the spirit's name, not even the one you called him before tonight. Just say the spirit for now. Understand?"

Sienna nodded instead of speaking aloud. There weren't many things in this life that could scare Janine after what she'd been through in her childhood. Whatever she had seen with Amon tonight however, had. And for something to scare her like that meant Sienna would take it very seriously.

"Good. Has the spirit ever talked to you when you haven't been physically touching the sword?"

"Just the time that I told you about earlier. Never before."

Janine nodded at Sienna's answer clearly anticipating it. "Then I need you to me a favor Si. Don't say another word until you put up your most powerful protective spell around us. If you can do it over the restaurant, even better." She raised a quick hand as Sienna opened her mouth to speak, "Say nothing until it's done Sienna. Nothing. Not a word."

Closing her eyes, Sienna gave a quick nod in understanding and focused the magic required to do as Janine asked, taking only a moment before opening her eyes once more, "What the hell is going on Jani? Who am I protecting us against?"

Janine's body relaxed a little at Sienna's question, knowing she would not have answered without having the spell in place, "For now it's against the spirit itself Sienna but I have the feeling that it's even more."

"Amon? He's safely ensconced in the sword Jani. Why would you think we need protection from him?"

"Don't speak the names Si. Even within the barrier. Better safe than sorry." Leaning over the small table, she took Sienna's hands in her own, "Listen carefully lover, I'm scared and worried for you. There's more going on than we know of."

"What do you mean?"

Janine sighed and dropped her eyes to their clasped hands, "Sienna, only one person at a time can hold the spirits in place by using their name. I was the one that had that hold over it tonight. Your questions should have gone unanswered. Instead, the spirit not only answered you but actually gave you information that you didn't even ask for. That has _never_ happened in every dealing I've read about or had with one of them. For some reason the spirit gave you a warning about the King, as much as he was able to anyway. Somehow I think you're getting played somewhat."

"Played? You think he's lying to me?"

Janine shook her head quickly, "No, Sienna. The ancients will _never_ lie. They skirt the truth, throw in a half-truth here and there and muddy the waters as much as possible when you ask a question. But they will never lie."

"He wouldn't answer my question though Jani. Even when I asked him directly."

"Not wouldn't Si, _couldn't._ There's a fine-line between the two. The fact he said he couldn't may mean that he actually knows the answer but _cannot break an oath he's given to another._ Only the death of the other entity would free him to do so. Sienna, listen closely to what I'm saying. The spirit you currently have in that sword answers to the King he is trying to warn you about. _That King_ answers directly to the big guy himself and no other. In a nutshell lover, you appear to have come to the notice of two of the three most powerful demons in Hell. Can you think of any reason why?"

In the confusion of the recent day's events, Sienna had not had a chance to slow down and think of everything that had occurred. The gravity of Janine's words made her shoulders slump as they took hold, "I have absolutely no idea Jani. This all came out of the blue, nothing special was going on at all. If anything, things were bloody boring until that first magical blast. After that, with Niko, the _demons_ and Arman... I just don't know Jani. No idea what's going on at all, neither does Arman. I asked him. Maybe someone at the academy could help? Worth asking?"

Janine shook her head at the question, "Not right now they can't. Academy's on lock-down, no-one gets in or out. Not even me. It's why I told you to meet me at Y&J's instead. Something must have happened while I was with my uncle."

"Another coincidence? Too many for my liking going on lately. What about your uncle? Would he be able to help us?"

"You know the church doesn't like to get involved in these kinds of things Sienna. My uncle _owes_ me for all the work I've done on his behalf lately though so he might be more inclined to help out, or at least maybe point us in the right direction." She smiled at Sienna before adding, "plus, I know for a fact he's half in love with you."

Sienna returned Janine's smile with one of her own, "Lucky for me he's part of the clergy then. Not to mention the fact that he's fully aware that my heart belongs to someone else. Someone I'm sure he won't want to piss off, if only for fear of losing his most trusted demon translator."

## Chapter 11

Arman knelt at the foot of the altar letting the Dragon go from his conscious thoughts. He brought the blade from its sheath and held it up to the sky, silently channeling his energy within it. Many a coven over the years had come up with intricate incantations to be said aloud while the practitioner summoned his magical forces. Arman knew this was a fallacy and the downfall of many a witch. No words needed to be uttered in any way for the spells to be effective. In truth, those that had mastered casting magic without the need for incantations or even gestures were the most powerful of all. He got up off his knees and moved to where Jayce's head lay on the altar, once more raising the blade to the heavens. With one quick efficient motion, he swung the blade down and across each of the victim's cheeks. The cut so deep that blood began to pool almost immediately underneath him.

Jayce's eyes had opened wide as the blade made its first cut, unable to scream. Arman looked down and saw the terror held in them, smiling. The initial magic wards he had cast over the young man held him completely immobile, though he would feel every cut Arman made. Pain, terror and blood were the only things required in the sacrifice apart from his very life. All the screaming and thrashing that others put up with were mere distractions.

He dipped a finger into the blood flowing from Jayce's face and traced the first of the symbols needed into the young man's bare chest, taking his time. The terror would build up over the next few minutes as he worked on them. Then the cutting would begin again before the final release of sacrifice. Arman's smile grew wider at the thought. So many others had fallen under his blade over time that he'd lost count, able to sacrifice with his eyes closed. He let his eyes wander to where the Dragon sat, his back to the sacrifice. If this one failed to get through to his God they would only have one option left; to sacrifice an immortal. And with Sienna _untouchable,_ it left only Niko as a choice. For the first time in millennia he laughed out loud during a blood ritual and turned back to drawing the symbols on the man's chest. No matter which way this ended, tonight he would finally get his hands on the person he most hated in the world and revenge would finally be his.

*~*

Leon stood silently watching in awe as the young girl moved her hands over the bed where Jayce had been held. The girl in question was only twelve years old and had already risen to be Director of the academy based in Russia. While the institute itself did not house the powerful base of witches that the other academies of the world did, it did contain this one wondrous creature standing before him. A girl that had the entire magic community whispering. The power she held within her _since birth_ had caused consternation and conspiratorial whispers to be uttered around the world. Many thought the girl destined to become something large in the magic world. Perhaps even be the one whose name was never known but whose very presence would cause the magical world to be known by all. The one to finally bring real witches to the wider community as valued _people_ and not reviled monsters. After his conversation with Serlina a few hours earlier Leon had decided the investigation needed the best of the best, and he knew of no-one better than her.

The tiny almost pixie-like face turned to the ceiling seeing things that others couldn't. She turned quickly back to stare at Leon. A whispered voice coming forth, "Calm yourself Leon. There was nothing you could have put in place to stop the one that did this. Power of the sort required to do this can only have come from two sources. One of those would be the ones who dwell in other realms but I don't feel any of their energy left behind, so it's safe to assume that it wasn't either Demon or Angel that did this." Turning her back on Leon, the young girl went back to the bed and ran a finger down its length, "If we discount the beings from any of the other realms then the answer becomes clearer. The only ones on this plane with the power to do this would be one of the immortals. Our choices have now narrowed to only five individuals capable of doing this. More than that I cannot tell."

Leon moved closer to the young girl and knelt, head bowed low to the ground, "Thank you mistress for your help. I'll report this back to Serlina and get further instruction on what she wants done."

The young girl took one quick glance at Leon's prostrated form and turned away. She'd finished what was required and vanished from the academy without acknowledging the man's words in any way. The Director of this facility was not someone she wished to share words with.

Feeling the presence of the girl gone from the room Leon took a quick look over at the security camera in the corner of the ceiling and smiled as he pictured Serlina sitting at one of the screens, having witnessed everything first-hand, despite the young girls magical manipulation and barriers. He moved quickly to lock the room as he left and headed to Serlina's office where he knew she would be waiting with further instructions.

Less than a minute later he found himself standing on the opposite side of her desk, waiting for her response to the girl's visit. "Interesting to hear that the pixie thinks this is the work of one of the immortals, especially when Arman goes to such lengths in an effort to make me believe they're no longer a threat to any of us. Makes me think that there's more to what's going on than what we're being told Leon. _Much_ more. Either that, or Arman himself has been played somehow."

"If what the girl picked up is right, then we can rule out any of the ancient powers being involved Boss. It really only leaves the immortals and so far as we know, there's only three of them left. Arman, Niko and Sienna. Taking Arman out of the equation leaves us with Niko and Sienna, the two most powerful immortals to have ever lived and they _always_ work together."

Serlina looked down at her desk not bothering to correct Leon's assumptions. He was correct in saying that only three immortals currently lived but the power structure had changed dramatically over the previous days. With Arman taking on the magic powers of the other immortals he'd sacrificed, he rivaled the other two in scope. She looked up smiling at Leon, the answer so simple it jumped into her mind, "Sienna is the key Leon. Both Niko and Arman have been in love with her _forever,_ even though both of them try to hide the fact. Imagine having been in love with someone for _centuries_ Leon and then learning that she's dead. What would that do to you?"

"If I was to place a bet on it, I'd say they'd be pissed off Boss. You're dealing with immortals here so I don't think they're just going to go away and curl up in a corner somewhere."

"Exactly Leon. When people are acting out of anger, they lose control. And when they lose control they make mistakes, and if we were to make it look like another _immortal_ did the deed?"

Leon's face lit up as he thought through what would happen if they managed to pull this off, "Both Arman _and_ Niko would think the other did it and go nuts."

The smile Serlina graced Leon with moved up an inch as she spoke, "Take care of it Leon. Sienna dies, as soon as possible."

*~*

Sienna cast her eyes around the room the moment they materialized ready for any attack, Janine still held within her arms. The tiny room was dark with only a single bed along one wall and a desk along the other. Tendrils of magical essence moved across every surface as if it was a living thing. Shaking her head she turned her face to Janine, "It's one thing to hear your stories on how the magic flows in the Vatican, Jani. Totally different to actually see it in action. It's... eerie."

"It's not exactly the kind of thing one expects to see inside the walls of the Vatican, that's for sure. You're taking it better than I did the first time I visited. I went banana's and it took my uncle a solid couple of hours of talking to calm me down."

"Only because I was warned it was there Jani, otherwise I think I'd be blasting away at it." The ponytail on Sienna's head flicked into Janine's face as she turned, "Magic being used at this level inside the holiest of holies? Go figure. So, what now? How do we get to your uncle?"

Janine grabbed a hold of Sienna's hand and brought her to sit down on the tiny bed, "We don't. We make him come to us. I'm not sure what would happen if we were seen outside this room without being in the company of one of the priests. I've always gotten the feeling that there's more protecting this place than just a bunch of guards and a sprinkle of holy-water and now is _definitely_ not the time for finding out what it is." Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, "Give me a moment to see what I can do. Then we can figure out our next step."

Leaning back on her elbows, Sienna stayed quiet and took the time to look closer at the swirling mass of living magic moving through the walls. Jade green hues collided and swirled over each other as they moved from one point to the next reminding Sienna of the way lava flowed downhill. Unlike lava it wasn't gravity that forced the movement of this mass of magic. Something else powered it. Magic wasn't a living thing, it required a _power source of some sort._ This always took the form of the practitioner or an object imbued with someone's power, and it _always_ had a definite life-span.

What she was looking at however appeared to just continue to move on without a care in the world. Almost like it had an unlimited power source behind it. It was both entrancing and scary to her. A magical spell that continued after the practitioner no longer powered it scared her beyond anything she had encountered before. In the _wrong_ hands the entire world would pay the price. Even in the right _but misguided_ hands, the outcome would be the same. And here it sat in full view within the one organization that publicly denounced anything remotely connected to magic. Talk about both the _wrong and misguided hands._

Janine's eyes opened as she looked over to where Sienna lay, the sudden eruption of love she felt at seeing her lover lying casually on her bed once more making her feel nostalgic and somewhat lonely, "He's on the way lover. I've never caught him off guard like this. Actually felt good to have him a little confused for once." She leaned back into the bed imitating Sienna's casual posture, "I neglected to tell him you were here as well. As much as I love my uncle I figure if we can keep him at least a little confused we may get something out of him we wouldn't otherwise get when he's in full control." Reaching over, Janine quickly undid the top three buttons on Sienna's top, allowing a lot of cleavage to show. Smiling at Sienna's questioning look, "Don't be afraid to use those wily female charms of yours Si. Priest or not, at the end of the day he's just another man and we need all the information we can get." With a quick kiss on her cheek, she added, "And it's been too damn long since I've had the chance to be with you as well, lover."

Sienna reluctantly turned her gaze from Janine's face at the sound of the door opening. The conversation with Janine would have to wait until after they had finished with her uncle. The black clad figure moved quickly through the entrance and turned to shut the door quietly behind, "Janine, how did you get in here?" he began to ask before turning around and laying eyes on Sienna.

Sienna watched as Janine's uncle turned away from the door and came face-to-face with the two women, his jaw dropping at the sight of Sienna laying casually on the bed. Without taking his eyes of her, he spoke to his niece, "What's going on Janine? This is _not_ the way we do things here. You know that."

Sienna took a moment to look over Janine's uncle as she spoke. Average build and height, his face weathered with the wrinkles of age. His appearance that of any ordinary man in the world, unless you took into account the pure strength of magic power underneath the normal exterior. A power to rival any of the most powerful witches in existence today. Sienna smiled and took a deep breath, allowing her chest to expand. His eyes dropped immediately to the cleavage showing through the undone buttons, exactly as Sienna expected. Powerful or not, no male had ever been able to hide their urges.

Janine had noticed Sienna's move and spoke quickly the moment she saw her uncle's eyes drift to Sienna's breasts, "Uncle, you remember Sienna don't you?" She asked with a casual wave of her hand. A wave that inadvertently moved over Sienna's cleavage, "We're in a bit of a bind here and need your advice-badly."

Sienna kept quiet and continued to smile at the priest. The longer she kept him enthralled without breaking the web, the easier it would be to get his help.

The priest took a big gulp of air, his adams apple moving up and down his throat before quickly crossing himself and turning to the desk on the opposite wall and taking a seat. Turning in the chair, he raised his eyes and with iron-willed control ignored Sienna. Focusing solely on his niece he whispered, "Speak quickly Janine. I need to know what's happening, Now!"

"It would be best if Sienna told you the story uncle. She's the one that's lived through it."

The priests eyes hardened, making the wrinkles lined around them crater like in appearance. Holding out one hand, he made a stopping motion between the women, "No. I must hear it from your lips Janine. Please don't be offended Sienna but I cannot allow my mind to be cluttered or manipulated in any way. I've dealt with all manner of succubi in the past fifty years."

Sienna sat up at the priests words, her anger rising to the surface. "Succubi father? You think me one of the damned who makes men do her bidding in return for making their lustful dreams a reality?"

Janine's uncle dropped his hand to the back of the chair, breathing deeply before turning to face Sienna head-on. In a barely controlled whisper he said, "No Sienna. Far from it. Their abilities are nothing compared to what I believe you may be. I meant what I said Sienna. I meant no offense. If what I believe is happening has started, I _need_ to hear this story with an unclouded mind, completely free of any influence at all."

Sienna's anger subsided as quickly as it had formed at the honesty and integrity she felt coming off the priest. Turning to Janine, she motioned for her to tell the story. She would take the time to gauge the reactions of the priest instead.

## Chapter 12

Sienna watched the priest's face closely as Janine spent the next ten minutes talking about the events which happened over the last few days, deliberately omitting any mention of either AmunRa or Beleth. She was amazed at the similarities in style between the uncle and niece. Both having the same intellectual edicts, keeping quiet and nodding here and there without interrupting the speaker.

Janine's uncle took only a heartbeat to answer as she finished speaking, his head already shaking, "Oh come now niece, I really expected a lot more from you. These events don't appear to be anything other than an attempt at consolidating power and not a very good one at that. I'm sorry to hear about what's happened to your friend Niko and the fate that's befallen the other immortals is a little worrying but it's a power play, nothing more. I've seen worse happen within the confines of these holy walls!" The shaking in his head continued as he stood, "I'm sorry girls but there's nothing I can do for you. I can offer you a safe place to stay for a while but that's not really going to help you sort out the issues."

Sienna stood and faced the priest, her gaze powerful enough that he turned to stare against his will, "Thank you father for that insight. It's exactly what I was thinking when all this started. Obviously I'm more concerned about Niko's fate than yourself are but your response is understandable considering you haven't spent the best part of ten thousand years with the man. There is however, _a lot more_ to the story. A few details which might make you understand why Jani and myself are here. Before you hear the rest, I _must_ ask you a question. And please, for the sake of everyone answer truthfully. Will you do that for me father? _Please?"_ The priest closed his eyes and nodded, turning away from her as she spoke, "How safe are the wards surrounding the city father? Are they powerful enough to keep an entity from Hell out? A _powerful_ entity?"

Whatever power Sienna previously had over the priest seemed to melt away as his head snapped back to hers on hearing the question. Fully focused now, his eyes bored into Sienna's with the same kind of power she had held onto him before, "The beings of Hell, or any other dimension for that matter can _not_ break through to the city, let alone to the heart of this building itself. I stake my very life on this most days as well as those who enter here under my protection, my niece included. Why do you ask such a question?"

"I only ask because I know that you are in regular contact with certain _individuals_ that reside there and we cannot afford the tiniest mistake on this. How is it that you talk to them if they _cannot_ be here?"

The priest looked over at his niece, disappointment clearly showing on his face, "You were bound to keep the secrets of this house Janine. It was not just expected but a requirement from you. _How could you do this?"_

Sienna took a step forwards to stand between the two before things got off track and out of control. Her tone turning to ice, "Your niece hasn't broken any promises she made priest. You forget who you're talking to. Niko and myself have known about your communications with Hell for over a thousand years now. In fact," she added with a tiny smile, "The Cintamini Stone that makes it all happen was a gift from Niko. He was the one that taught your predecessor how to use it." Looking around at the living magic on the walls she added, "though I must say that even Niko will be impressed with how far you've taken it without any further instruction from him. Now please father, answer my question. Are the denizens of Hell still only spoken to through the stone or have you deviated from that as well?"

Narrowed eyes swept past Sienna to look at Janine, "I apologize niece. It appears there's even more going on than I thought." His eyes turned back to Sienna, "Nothing has changed in that process Sienna. Although we may have taken our initial magical instruction beyond what you thought we would the instructions we were given regarding the Stone were always black and white, clear-cut and we've never deviated. Truth is that we don't even call upon the spirits themselves. We limit ourselves to calling on merely a shadow of their spirit. It's more than enough to communicate with them and a lot less dangerous."

"That's good to hear father. Now to the question itself; how safe is the magic you've got around this place? Enough to stop a demon of the highest order coming through?"

"We've never had one attempt to come across Sienna so I can only tell you what I believe to be the case, not from any kind of experience." Pointing at the walls surrounding them he added, "I honestly can't think of any place on Earth that would be more secure than this except for places that you and Niko may have placed barriers on and even then I'd still wager that this would be better fortified. Why?"

Janine got up from the bed, walked over to the priest and placed an arm around his shoulders in an effort to soften the blow she was about to impart, "Because uncle, we've got good reason to believe that the current King of Hell has taken an interest in Sienna." Sienna smiled at the smooth way Janine had broken the news to her uncle and placed her own arm around the priest's neck on the other side before whispering, "And I seem to have inadvertently made a new guardian angel out of one of the Dukes of Hell as well."

The priest's head went back and forth between the two women taking in their words before finally settling back on Janine's face, "Now _that_ my dear niece is something much worthier of you."

*~*

Sienna looked around the almost empty room containing the Cintamini stone in wonder. This was where Niko had first laid out the symbols and structure that allowed the priests to communicate with the inhabitants of other realms in relative safety. Looking closer at the walls she quickly noticed Niko's style and gave silent thanks that the priests had not taken it upon themselves to modify them in any way allowing them to talk privately themselves. Giving Janine a quick smiling glance, she turned to her uncle, "So what are your thoughts on my problem father? What do you think?"

The priest took one look at Sienna's face and lowered himself slowly to the floor, sitting with his back against the wall, "Give me a moment to digest it Sienna, to work my way through it somewhat. Please, sit. I'm not sure how long we may be here."

Janine walked over to where her uncle sat and lowered herself next to him giving Sienna a quick nod as she did. Taking Janine's nod as her cue, Sienna moved over and sat on the other side of him. The priest looked at each of the women with a big smile, "You two could take over the world working together like this, you know that?"

Janine returned her uncle's smile while taking his hand in hers, "Normally I'd say that's exactly what we were trying to do but not this time uncle. I've just got this funny feeling that you're going to need our support and help with whatever it is you're about to tell us. Am I wrong?"

"Not this time Janine. To tell you the absolute truth, I'm not so much trying to figure out what's happening with Sienna but rather how much I should be telling you girls."

"Oh come on uncle. I know you're a priest of the church but I _know_ for a fact that you don't follow the idea that women are somehow less than men. Don't start treating us like frightened little girls that need protection from the big bad evil in the world. You know us better than that!"

Sienna was watching the priest's face as he spoke and noticed the slightly _sad_ smile crossing his features as he reached out and patted his niece's hand, "The thought never crossed my mind. Complete opposite if you must know." Turning to Sienna he continued, "So tell me everything that's going on Sienna. What Duke of Hell do you currently have at your beck and call?"

Sienna saw the tiny nod of acknowledgment from Janine and copied the priests move, leaning her head back into the wall, "Truth is I wasn't aware it _actually was_ a Duke of Hell, you can thank your niece for that bit of information. About a hundred years ago or so, Niko and myself were involved in a little incident in Russia where we had to kind of put a stop to some potentially nasty business. That's when we first came across Amon. A... _friend_ of ours named Grigori was beset on all sides by some very nasty people. For the record, Grigori was an egocentric, maniacal lunatic that most likely deserved what he was getting but the methods that his enemies chose to employ would have meant Amon would be released on the rest of the world, and we couldn't allow that."

Opening her eyes, Sienna looked across to see both Janine and her uncle watching her, "To cut a long story short, Grigori was one hell of a genius even if he was a complete lunatic. He came up with the plan of getting close enough to Amon to allow Niko and myself to trap him within the sword, and that's where he's been caught for the past hundred odd years."

"And has the spirit always done as you required of him Sienna?" asked the priest, "Has he ever challenged your authority over him?"

Shaking her head, Sienna replied, "Never really challenged me at all. Oh, once in a while he'd push a little. But all I ever had to do was let him know I was still in command and he went silent again." She looked over at Janine, confusion in her eyes, "It was only over the last few days that things have been messed up. And only earlier tonight that Jani told me who he actually was."

Janine's uncle took a moment in silence pondering Sienna's words before continuing, "And what of Beleth, how are you involved with him?"

Sienna laughed before answering the priest, "I wouldn't use the word involved so easily father. I've seen him twice. The first time I came across him he tried to use some small talk on me before warning me about a nasty little magical surprise that someone had planted on my bike. Someone _still_ owes me for that by the way."

"And the other?"

Sienna thought back on her second meeting with Beleth in her bathroom and smiled, "Well, the second time he came to me at home. We had barely started talking before the sword containing Amon literally threw itself across the room in an effort to skewer Beleth. He disappeared before it hit home though and that's when I went searching for Jani, and ... you know the rest."

Both Sienna and the priest turned to look at Janine as she consciously cleared her throat, her eyes clearly amused, "Uhm lover. You skipped quite a number of things in the second part of the story. Back it up a little and give him all the nitty-gritty. Don't let the fact that he's a priest stop you."

"You sure it's important to the story Jani?"

Janine's amused look turn dead serious in a flash, "I think you'll find it's the _most_ important piece of anything in the story Si. My uncle needs to know the _whole_ story."

Once again the priest found himself turning from one woman to the other. Looking up at the ceiling, he crossed himself, "Dear Lord help me. Janine, if you are forcing Sienna to tell me that she was in bed _with you_ , I don't need to know! Well, not all the nitty-gritty anyways!"

Sienna laughed as Janine gave a screech, "Uncle, yuk." while smacking him on the arm. She said, "No father. It was nothing like that, though I wouldn't be ashamed to admit to it if it was the truth. The simple fact is that I was home alone, if you don't count the comatose Niko. It was the first chance I'd had to slow down and think. It just so happens that I do my best thinking while taking a bath. That's when Beleth showed up the second time."

"Oh. I see. Continue, you are in the bath and..."

"I'm lying in the tub trying to come to terms with everything that's occurred over the past day or two and I remembered about the young guy that gave me the warning about the Ducati. He'd completely slipped my mind up to that point. And seriously father, as soon as I brought him to mind I felt I was no longer alone in the room and considering the amount of magical protection we have on the place I became very wary. Only took me a moment to locate him in the shadows so I did what I thought would work best and laid my most powerful charms of lust over my body. It's worked well for me in the past."

"Let me guess, your _charms_ had absolutely no effect on Beleth."

Janine laughed at her uncle as she placed an arm around his neck, "Only for a few moments uncle. The combination of Sienna's naked body together with the spell actually made him leave the bathroom! The conversation they had was held _after_ he made her get dressed!" She looked over at Sienna, the smile still playing on the corner of her lips, "And even after she was dressed, my darling Si still managed to keep him off-center a little with that gorgeous body of hers. What do you make of that?"

The priest's head moved quickly from his niece to Sienna and back again, checking if they were somehow making fun of him. When he saw in their eyes they were telling the truth he muttered out loud, "Damn, damn and double-damn!"

*~*

Sienna looked back at the two, confused by their reaction. Of all the things which had happened over the past few days, the fact that her charms had worked, however slight, against Beleth seemed inconsequential to her. Especially considering all the dark magic being thrown around by unknown people. Exasperated, she raised her voice slightly, "What? What the Hell is so damn funny or strange about some _guy_ wanting my body Janine? It's not like it doesn't happen _all the bloody time, to every woman in the world!_ Why is this so damn important?"

Janine and her uncle exchanged a quick look before he asked, "I take it you haven't told her much about Beleth?"

"Didn't get the chance to uncle. Once I realized who she had been dealing I made sure to get Sienna to put the sword away and then we got our asses here double-time. I wasn't going to risk Beleth showing up before we had a chance to speak to you."

The priest gave Janine a quick nod, agreeing with the way she had handled things so far. Turning his gaze back to Sienna he began, "Okay. You did the right thing. Now Sienna, I'm going to tell you what we know about Beleth. All I ask is that you keep an open mind to the things I say. Some of them may seem a little _far-fetched_ at times but I assure you, it's the truth as far as we've been able to determine.

"Gods and Angels, Lucifer and Demons; they all exist. What we call Heaven and Hell are very real places but that's where most people's version and the truth part ways. The 'fall from grace' that you would know about actually happened, though _grace_ is probably not the right word for it depending on which side you believe. It was more an argument between the two most powerful entities of their time, best of friends and brothers-in-arms up to that point. Unfortunately they both fell in love with the same woman."

Both women exchanged incredulous looks before Janine spoke, "Are you telling us that the whole good versus evil that we know is actually just some kind of falling out between two guys?" Sienna piped in as Janine finished, "Over a woman?"

The corners of the priest's lips twitched as he tried to stop himself grinning at their reaction, "When you strip away all the nonsense and other _noise_ that you get from both sides, that's exactly what's left over. Being the two most powerful they each had lots of followers and pretty soon they started taking the sides of their friends and from that point things got real nasty. As far as we can determine, the two haven't spoken a word to each other since this whole thing started."

Sienna shook her head at the insanity of what the priest had said, "What of the woman caught in the middle father? Didn't she get a say in any of this? Or were her thoughts and dreams not taken into consideration."

"I honestly wish I could tell you anything about the lady involved Sienna but the truth is we haven't been able to get a clear answer on even the smallest of things about her. Both sides are still completely up in arms over the argument and completely avoid the subject when we broach it."

Sienna's eyes grew distant as she thought, her words barely a whisper, "Fuck. So the biggest argument of all-time, the _fight_ between good and evil is just a fucking pissing contest between two guys over a woman. That's just..."

"Typical male macho bullshit, lover?" ventured Janine.

Sienna smiled as she looked over at Janine, "Pretty much sums it up Jani. How does Beleth fit into this father? And how does this have any bearing on whether or not he was checking me out?"

"Each of them had a handful of really close friends Sienna. Beleth just happens to be part of Lucifer's inner circle and to the best of our knowledge, the inner circle all swore off women until the argument was resolved, or from Beleth's point of view until his mate Lucifer won the girl."

"They really swore off women completely, uncle?" asked Janine.

"Completely. And not just Lucifer and his merry bunch either- _both_ sides did. It's actually one of the reasons I've found for the Church and religions in general for being so patriarchal in nature, not that most of those involved even realize. They're not just scared of women being a temptation but practically petrified of it happening. So much so that they created all the strict rules and commandments around it in the hopes of containing it."

"That's fucking great father. Women as a whole have been treated like shit and second-class citizens _forever_ just because a couple of horny guys fell for the same girl and couldn't figure a way to move forwards, and we're not even sure that she even wanted either one of them. All the bosses in the church must be shaking in their boots when they see what's happening with the feminist movement."

"Not really Sienna, not when you find out that they're the ones behind the movement in the first place."

Sienna's jaw dropped open in amazement, "The _Church_ is behind the movement for female equality father? I'm sorry but this conversation just went into complete nutso territory."

"Take a closer look at what people are calling _equality_ Sienna. Look at the women that actually make it _in a man's world._ To use the colloquial, _they've got bigger balls than the men themselves!_ That's not equality between the sexes but rather one sex _behaving_ the same as the other to ' _get ahead'._ " Turning his head from Sienna to his niece, he gently took one hand in each of his own, "Truth is that it is women like you two who actually have the power. Women who stay true to their female essence. Women who get things done and earn the respect of others and not by imitating men and the perceived power they hold. Women who know that there's room for _anyone with talent_ in this world and never at the expense of others."

"So where does that leave me priest? What is the importance of Beleth having a weak moment and checking out my... goodies?"

"As I said earlier Sienna, each side had a bunch of close friends. No-one was closer to Lucifer than Beleth. He would be the _last one_ from the inner circle to break the promise. And the only thing I can think of to make that happen is that he's had a falling out of some sort with his best friend... or he's changed his mind on who was right. Either way, it points to things changing _big time_ and we don't know how.

"And for some reason, he's got his eyes set on you."

## Chapter 13

Leon watched from the safety of his car as the two witches finished moving across the entrance to Sienna's house, heading back to the car. Dressed in black robes with hoods covering their heads, they would not be noticed in the dark. After leaving Serlina in her office at the academy he had placed a couple of quick calls to contacts he knew within the seedier and underground haunts of Melbourne. Contacts that always delivered when it came to the darker aspects of magic.

It had taken a few hours and the promise of an astronomical sum of money to find the right witches for the job, which came as no surprise when he considered who the intended target was. Any mercenary managing to pull off the murder of one of the immortals would be forever on the run; that it happened to be the _one_ immortal universally adored would only inflame the entire magic community further.

The door closed quietly as the pair got in the back of the dark sedan. Looking at them through the rear-view mirror, Leon asked, "So what do you think? Can you get in there without any problems?"

The dark forms in the backseat did not move so Leon wasn't sure which of them actually answered his question, "The way in has already been opened. We came back to make sure you still wish to go ahead with this. Once begun, there won't be any turning back. We finish it, or we die."

Leon closed his eyes as he leaned back into the headrest, "Whether I wish it or not makes no difference. We go ahead as soon as you think it's safe to do so."

"In that case Leon, we go now. The way is open to us and our initial investigation shows that there is only one person in the house at this time. Between the three of us we should be able to take care of them, especially with the element of surprise on our side."

Leon opened his eyes and spoke over his shoulder, "Two, not three. I'll stay out here and make sure nothing surprises us. You two go in, take care of Sienna and plant the evidence of it being another immortal who did it and come back out as quick as you can. Then we get the fuck out of this place and back to the academy."

The two figures in the back of the car shook their heads in unison, "Nothing happens Leon, until we see payment in our account-in full."

Leon's eyes snapped fully open, a murderous rage coming into them, "That wasn't the deal. Half payment upfront and the rest once the job was done."

"That was our original deal Leon, when we thought we would have many more days of planning ahead of us. If you wish to take the opportunity that has presented itself tonight the deal is _full payment_ upfront. Transfer it now and you can consider the matter closed. Wait and you run the risk of someone uncovering the fact that this magical barrier has been tampered with. Your choice."

Taking out his phone Leon quickly made the immediate transfer online and turned to show the two behind him, "Done, in full."

After a quick glance at the screen Leon was holding out, the two figures got out of the car, "Consider the matter complete, Leon. We'll be back in a moment."

Leon watched as the two cloaked men moved silently towards the house and smiled. The transfer of money may be complete but these two would not be alive to spend a single cent of their newly acquired fortune. Serlina would see to that.

A few tense moments later he saw the dark outline of one of the men appear at the open doorway, motioning him to come inside. His eyes frowned slightly at the request. This was not part of the plan. Taking his time, he slowly opened the door making sure his magic was ready to come into use. If this was some kind of ploy the two would regret it. Making his way silently to the door, he asked "What is it?"

The figure raised a hand pointing inside, "There's something you need to see inside, now."

Grunting in response to the request, Leon pointed his own arm to the open doorway ensuring he would not be caught in the middle of any trap these two may have hatched. The figure turned without hesitation and moved into the house ahead of Leon, somewhat alleviating his concerns. Keeping his guard up and ready for anything, Leon followed as the man moved through the spacious entryway and headed for a room further back, where he could clearly see the other figure standing over the unconscious form of Niko shackled and chained lying on the bed.

Taking out his phone, he sent a copy of the image to Serlina's direct line. The phone silently vibrating in his hand before he got a chance to call her. Her voice coming over the line quickly, "What the Hell is this Leon?"

"We're in the house boss and Sienna isn't here, instead this is what we found. I figured you'd want to know straight away. I'm not sure how this will affect our plans."

"It affects our plans in a big way idiot. There's no way we can take Sienna out and make both Arman and Niko think it's the other-not when he's bloody well chained and fucking unconscious! Fuck! Give me a moment." The quiet dragged out as Leon waited for the boss to give him instructions. "Okay. New plan Leon. Is Niko protected in any way that you can see?"

"Doesn't look like it, boss. The only thing stopping us were all the protection spells cast on the house itself and they're no longer an issue. What have you got in mind?"

"Simple Leon. The target has changed. Take Niko out of the picture instead of Sienna. Make sure that everything points it being Arman that did the deed. And if you can get your hands on the chains and collar bring them back to me. They might come in useful."

Leon hit the 'end' button without bothering to answer knowing Serlina wasn't interested in small talk. Turning to the two others he made it clear what was required of them and headed back to the car. Behind him the two men took up positions over the inert body of Niko pulling out a small blade.

The required magic to ensure the death of an immortal had already been cast in preparation for Sienna and with the tiniest of tweaks they modified it to focus on Niko. One blade was held directly over Niko's heart, the other pointed straight down on the closed eyelid to the brain beneath. They looked at each other for a brief moment before plunging their respective blades into his body. With both heart and mind pierced by the blades at the same time the immortal would be dead in seconds, his body completely disappearing, leaving nothing behind. As they headed back to the waiting car one of the figures stopped briefly at the coffee table and casually pulled out a monogrammed handkerchief from his pocket, dropping it on the floor.

Whoever came to investigate Niko's death would quickly come across it and believe that Arman was behind the whole thing.

*~*

The Dragon looked upon the mutilated body of Jayce in front of him, an agonized grin of pain still plastered across the dead man's face, a testament to how much he had suffered before dying. A sigh of disappointment came from his lips as he turned to Arman, "AmunRa must really be deep underground for him not to show up after this ritual, Arman. There was enough power behind it to get the attention of the Morning Star himself."

"Or he really has been killed by Beleth?"

The Dragon waved away Arman's comment in near disgust, "No Arman we've been through this already. If Beleth had managed to get rid of AmunRa the way he did the others he wouldn't be keeping it quiet. Trust me he _would want_ me to know he'd managed it. Somehow AmunRa has managed to find a way to hide from everyone and I'll be damned if I know how."

"But if he really is out there somewhere why hasn't he tried to free you from your capture?" asked Arman.

"For the same reason I wouldn't free him if our positions were reversed Arman; the likelihood of it being a trap set by Beleth is way too high. Too risky, better to wait for certainty before making a move of any kind."

"For over a hundred years, Dragon? That seems a little excessive to me."

"With your life-span it would sound excessive Arman. Not so with ours. I've sat in meditation for longer periods than that."

"Things are quickly coming to a head though Dragon. If we cannot get in touch with AmunRa soon we will be left with no option _but_ to sacrifice Niko."

"Perhaps it will come to that Arman but not tonight. For now we stay our hand."

*~*

Serlina studied the pixie-like face of the young girl seated across her desk. She may have risen to the illustrious position of Director of the Russian branch of the academy and have power unseen before in any witch but she was still only a child. Someone who hadn't lived enough life to have the wisdom to use her power in the right way. Someone easily manipulated. Putting on her most charming smile she reached over her desk to the pot of warm tea between them and poured each of them a cup, "Thank you for coming Anna. I really appreciate your help in getting this matter sorted. Your insights earlier were a big help to us."

"The summons you sent me made it sound like the issue you're facing affects us all, Serlina. I appreciate the need for the initial secrecy but I need to know exactly what's going on to be able to help you."

Taking a deep breath, Serlina let her shoulders droop and let out a heavy sigh, "I've just received confirmation of something monumentally disastrous which has just occurred. No-one else knows about this as yet but when word gets out it'll be mayhem out in the streets." Turning her eyes back to the young girl she added, "Niko has been killed, Anna. Less than an hour ago. My informants tell me that it looks like Arman was behind it but I don't believe it. The truth is that Sienna has already murdered three other immortals and I think she might be behind this one as well. Arman is nowhere near powerful enough to have taken on Niko and won. Only Sienna holds that kind of power."

"Sienna kill Niko? That's ridiculous Serlina. Those two have operated as a team forever! What makes you jump to the conclusion that Sienna would do this?"

"Because everything is just too simple. Can you really believe that Arman would kill Niko and then leave something as stupid as a monogrammed handkerchief lying around to be found? Come on Anna, something's not right about the whole thing. It just doesn't sit right."

Anna picked up her tea and took a sip before asking, "And do you truly believe Sienna killing Niko is plausible, Serlina? Neither of these scenarios feel right. Why would Sienna kill Niko? What possible reason would there be for her to do so?"

Serlina looked down artfully at the top of her desk. The girl was so easily manipulated that she started to wonder how she had risen to the rank she held so easily. Her voice came barely louder than a whisper, "Power, Anna. It always comes back to that. Perhaps Sienna finally got sick of playing second fiddle to Niko. The evidence I've been told about regarding the other immortals is irrefutable and place the blame squarely on her shoulders. There's no other reason for her to augment her power like that unless she was thinking of taking on Niko. Everyone else was beneath her." She raised her eyes back to focus on the girl before adding, "Including all of us at the academy."

Serlina watched as the young girl placed her cup back on the saucer on the table, the tiny rattle as she set it down letting her know she'd managed to get the girl at least a little fearful of the consequences. "Listen to me carefully Anna. I have the means at my disposal to capture Sienna and shackle her magic but I cannot do this on my own. I need someone with your kind of power to temporarily incapacitate her so that I can put them on. She won't be in any pain but she won't be able to use her magic while she wears them. This is the only way we'll be able to get to the bottom of this without any more bloodshed, our own included! Will you help me put a stop to this madness?"

The young girl looked Serlina deep in the eyes, "We cannot allow any harm to come to the academy or any of its children. I will help you with this Serlina as long as you agree to a couple of conditions."

"And what would those be Anna?"

"One: Regardless of what Sienna has to say, she stays chained and locked away somewhere safe."

Serlina smiled at the casual ruthlessness coming from the young girl, finally understanding how she had come to make herself the Director, "and the other?"

"That you find a way to both bind and chain Arman as well... or you kill him. These _immortals_ have had their day. It's time they were relegated to the annals of history once and for all. We will never be accepted into the _real_ world with them around."

## Chapter 14

Sienna dropped her arms from Janine's body as soon as they materialized in her kitchen, the priest's words still echoing through her mind. For some unknown reason she had come to the attention of an eternal being who just happened to be the second most powerful demon in existence, answering only to Lucifer himself. No matter which way she turned it in her mind she just couldn't get her head around why Beleth would be concerned with her. Looking over, she watched as Janine silently moved to put a kettle on the boil. A large pot of green tea would soon be ready for them as they sat to discuss everything which had occurred. She smiled, some things in the world never changed and sitting with Janine talking things over a cup of tea would always be one of her favorite things. Her smile faded a little as she looked to the backroom where Niko lay, "Jani, I'm just going to go check on Niko for a moment. Be back in a sec."

Janine returned Sienna's smile with one of her own, "Take your time Si. The tea needs to sit for a few minutes anyway. Let me know if you need anything and give Nik a kiss for me."

Sienna turned and walked to the backroom her mind still whirling with thoughts of Beleth, Lucifer and the entire story the priest had told them. The more she thought about it, the easier it was for her to see how a stupid argument between two friends could turn into such a disaster. She'd seen the same type of generational feuds happen between families here on Earth over her lifetime. There was no reason to believe that beings that dwelt in other realms would be any smarter. She was just in the middle of thinking about how easy it would be for both sides to move on, if they'd just go out and get laid when she stopped mid-stride. Niko was no longer here!

Turning in a circle, she threw out her magic in a flash. In all the confusion and craziness occurring she hadn't checked the wards on the house. Protection that no longer existed! Running back into the kitchen, she grabbed a startled Janine and promptly disappeared.

*~*

Janine had been about to place the pot of tea on the table when she heard the tiny gasp coming from Sienna. She looked up just in time to see Sienna running through the kitchen straight at her, the look of fear and confusion quickly giving way to one of determination and relief as she locked eyes with Janine. The teapot ended up in a million pieces on the floor of a completely different room. For some reason Sienna had transported them away from her house to wherever they currently were.

Being careful to step over the broken shards on the ground she moved away from Sienna to a nearby window, "What's happening Si? Where are we?" she asked as she peered out.

Sienna walked over to stand next to Janine, the look at relief still apparent on her face. Peering out the window as well she answered, "Someone's taken Niko, Jani. He wasn't there when I went to check on him. Not only that but every shred of protection we had around the house is gone as well."

"Beleth?"

"I don't think so Jani. Last time he was here he just waltzed in like they weren't even there. They didn't even bother him. Why would he go to the effort of bringing them down? And why would he take Niko with him?"

"No idea Sienna. But if it wasn't him, then who?"

Sienna turned from the window, grabbed Janine's hand and pulled her along as she moved to a different room, "That's what we're about to find out, Jani. Come on."

"Come on where Si? Where the hell are we?"

Sienna stopped at the open doorway and turned to face her lover, "We haven't moved far Jani. In fact, we're only across the road from my place. I need to check the security footage to see what's happened. If it wasn't someone like Beleth that took Niko then they wouldn't have been powerful enough to take down the defensive barrier without doing it from the outside and if that's the case, the cameras would have captured them."

"You own the house across the road from your place Sienna?"

"Niko and I own the entire street. A little something we learned the hard way a _long_ time ago. Nothing, and I mean _nothing,_ comes close to where we live without leaving a trace of some sort." She thought for a moment of Beleth and his impromptu visit earlier, "Except for some sexually repressed fucking demons of course."

*~*

It took Sienna only a few minutes to zoom in on the events that had taken place at her house in her absence. The expensive security system they'd put in place flagged the areas of interest with surprising accuracy so there was no need to trawl through the entire footage. The two women watched the screen in silence as the expensive Mercedes Benz had pulled up a few houses down the street thinking they were safe. Sienna reached over and stopped the system as they saw the car drive off into the night with its three occupants. Not once had they seen Niko on the footage.

Janine turned to Sienna with questions in her eyes, "They didn't take Niko with them."

"Nope."

"Could they have moved him magically from the house?"

"Nope."

"Somehow disguised the fact that he's still there, unseen?"

"Nope."

"Did you recognize the two witches in black cloaks?"

"Nope."

"The one driving the car?"

"Nope."

Janine squeezed Sienna's hand tight trying to get her attention. The short, single word answers she was being given sent chills up her spine. It was one of Sienna's coping mechanisms when bad things were on her mind. Turning full-on to Sienna, she grabbed her face with both hands and forced her to focus her attention, "Talk to me lover. What is it? What did you see?"

Sienna breathed deep and blinked fast a few times trying to hold back a tear, "Not so much what I saw but what I didn't see, Jani. Whoever these assholes are they _didn't_ take Nik away with them and there was absolutely no remnants of any magic used to move him magically from the house. That was the _first_ thing I checked when I found him gone. There's only one way I can think of to make that happen, Jani." Janine sat mesmerized as the tears Sienna been holding back appeared in her eyes, "I _need_ to get back there. Now. This can't be happening!"

"Sienna listen. You can't just go flying back in there again. It may be a trap of some sort. Think. Think for a moment before we do anything stupid."

Sienna's shook her head violently as Janine spoke. The look of fear on her face something Janine had never witnessed before. "There's no time Jani. I have to get back there. You stay here where it's safe, I'll just..."

The sound of the slap Janine gave Sienna on the cheek was louder than the pain it caused, the words coming from her mouth stopping as she looked back at her, "Sienna, pay attention to me. Look at me lover. You're losing it and we can't afford for you to lose it right now!"

Sienna tentatively raised her hand and placed it on the cheek Janine had just slapped, her reason returning as quickly as it had fled, "Sorry Jani. I sort of lost it for a moment." Taking a deep breath to slow down the adrenaline rushing through her system, she gave Janine a tentative smile, "You'd think after ten thousand years I would've learned not to lose my shit so easily. I'm so sorry Jani."

"No need lover. Sort of glad to see you're still human after all these years. Now tell me, what made you lose it like that? In all the time I've known you I've never seen you lose control so badly."

"There's only one reason I could think of where Niko would have disappeared without a trace Jani and that's if they killed him. If they managed that he would've disappeared completely, without a trace."

Sienna's words hit Janine hard, instant understanding of why she'd lost control flooding into her. Niko had been a fixture in her life for thousands of years. Losing him would be like losing a part of herself. Her eyes lit up as she thought of the sword, "What about Amon, Sienna? He's safely tucked away in your house. Is there any chance that he could have taken Nik out of there without leaving a trace that you could see?"

"That's... actually a possibility Jani. I still need to get back there to get the sword though. I need to find out what's happened."

"Maybe not lover. Why don't you try to call Amon from here? We're only across the road so it might work. Worth giving it a shot don't you think?"

"You're right Jani, definitely worth a shot. It'll only take me a few minutes and I can just head over if it doesn't work." Taking a deep breath, Sienna centered her thoughts on Amon and called silently from within her mind. The fear of having lost Niko fighting against the hope of him still alive within her breast. Her mind and heart set against each other. _"Stop it, you're better than that!"_ she muttered out loud trying to control the internal conflict of emotions coursing through her mind, _"Focus!"_

It took her a few moments longer to dampen her emotions and concentrate on Amon before she felt herself under control again and sent out a command for him to come to her. The thought had barely formed in her mind before she noticed the slight shimmering of air in the room signaled the appearance of the spirit. A short moment of intense light made Sienna squint her eyes as Amon's form became clear, his deep, cultured voice sounding relieved as he spoke, "Sienna."

"Amon. Pay attention to what I have to say, I've got no time for games just now. Something happened earlier tonight with Niko. What do you know about it?"

Janine had made a move towards the spirit about to speak when she stopped in her tracks and stared wide-eyed as Amon answered, "I can only tell you some general things Sienna. The spell you placed me under didn't let me see all the details. Some people came into your house, took some time doing something I couldn't see and then I felt the vibrations of an immortal dying. I thought it might have been you and was in the process of breaking through your magic when your summons came."

"You felt the immortal dying Amon?"

"Completely Sienna. The most powerful spirits always leave a mark as they cross realms, I just couldn't tell who it was at the time and feared the worst."

Janine crossed the room on hearing Amon's words and silently put her arms around Sienna, hugging her close. She felt a flush of pride as she looked into her eyes. Tears had formed in her eyes as she listened to the spirit but the words which followed sounded clear and in control, "Amon, I need to get back in there to find out who did this. The wards we had around our house have been taken down. Can you help me?"

"Of course Sienna. Helping others extract revenge is part of what makes us who we are. Let me place a protective barrier around the house first. I cannot let Beleth know where I am." His eyes focused on Janine, "And I suggest that Janine stay here."

Sienna felt Janine's head shaking negatively as Amon has spoken, "For fucks sake Amon. I'm sick of having this bloody conversation with people all the time. I'm not some _little woman_ who needs constant protection from the big, bad world. I'm quite capable of taking care of myself when push comes to shove."

Sienna smiled at the vehemence and anger in Janine's voice. Amon however didn't appear to even notice, "My request had nothing to do with you being incapable of taking care of yourself Janine. I'm well aware of your talents. It was purely a strategic decision. If something was to happen to Sienna when we go to investigate then _you_ are the one that would have to take over. The chances of success greatly increase if you are not there at the same time."

Sienna spoke to Janine as Amon finished, "Makes sense Jani. If anything happens to me you can be my avenging angel."

Janine's head was still shaking as she turned to Sienna, her arm pointing at Amon, "Don't play with me Sienna. _His_ words are coming across as sincere but I see straight through your pathetic attempt at keeping me safe. Don't bullshit me."

Sienna reached out to touch Janine's face, "Humor me Jani. I've already lost Niko tonight. I honestly don't know what I'd do if I was to lose you as well. Life wouldn't be worth living."

Janine placed her hand over Sienna's as she spoke, "That's exactly the same reason I had for going with you lover. If anything was to happen to you and I wasn't there to help, I don't know what I'd do." Taking a deep breath she added, "But the spirit is probably right this time. You go across and see what you can find out. But promise me you'll come straight back here before doing anything else."

"Promise Jani. Be back shortly. You won't even know I've been gone."

Janine turned away and headed to the window to keep watch for anything unusual. Feeling the small inrush of air as Sienna and Amon moved themselves to the empty house across the road she whispered, "Be careful Sienna and come back to me in one piece damn it."

## Chapter 15

Arman sat alone on the island thinking things through. The Dragon had disappeared after their failed attempt at contacting AmunRa without agreeing to hand over Niko as yet. Frustration was beginning to get the better of him as his plans were constantly held back. Sienna would never be his until Niko was gone once and for all.

He had hoped that she would be more amenable after seeing him chained and shackled. Had dreamed she may even fall into his arms in the aftermath in fact. Instead, she had shown an intractable strength of will as she began searching for a way to free him of his bondage. Not even the deaths of the other immortals had brought her close to the breaking point. _"No,"_ he thought, _"The only thing that will make her mine will be Niko's death. When that link is finally broken she will have no other option but to fall for me. No others exist who are worthy!"_

Fuming at the lack of momentum in his plans, his thoughts went back in time reliving the few moments in the past five thousand years where Sienna had been his for a brief period. Without fail every single time had come about when she'd had a small falling out with Niko and needed some space. It was always _him_ she turned to in her hour of need, not Niko. It took him a moment to realize he was no longer alone, the presence at his back clearly a being from the realms of Hell. He smiled without moving. The Dragon had clearly returned and there could only be one reason for it, "I take it you've had a change of heart regarding Niko?" he asked turning around. The smile falling off his face suddenly as he came face-to-face with Beleth.

The King of Hell took a step towards Arman, piercing him with his gaze, "Niko has never really been of concern to me, Arman. He will be taken care of in due course, when the time is right. Sienna is the only one that matters. At this moment something else has come to my attention. Where's Draco? I felt his presence here not too long ago." Turning his head up, Beleth sniffed the air before adding, "I can still smell him in the air. Where is he?"

Arman felt drawn into the power Beleth's gaze, his own eyes frowned at the question, "Draco? The Duke of Hell? I have no idea where he is. I've never met him."

Beleth's features didn't change as he sent a tiny wisp of his magic at Arman, the pain forcing the immortal to his knees, "Don't play games with me Arman, I've been waiting a while to have a nice _chat_ with him."

The sudden pain Arman had been feeling through his entire body subsided as quickly as it started, leaving him gasping for air. His throat croaked as he tried to answer Beleth, "I promise you. I don't know what you're talking about. I've never met or even seen Draco in the flesh. I only know _of_ him."

"Then indulge me a moment Arman, who was it that you met up with earlier? Who was here with you?"

Arman's mouth didn't get a chance to open an inch before the pain returned, stronger than before. Every nerve in his entire body felt like it was on fire, burning. He screamed like an animal before collapsing fully on the ground, the pain subsiding after what felt like an eternity. His answer came out in a tiny whisper, "Dragon. A spirit from Hell named Dragon. He's helping me get rid of Niko."

The current King of Hell turned his body away from the useless mortal on the ground. The idiot had obviously been duped by Draco into believing he was someone other than who he truly was. Feeling Arman use his magic to flee from his presence, he smiled. Arman would no doubt try to get in touch with Draco after this. He was counting on it so he could finally get his hands on his wayward friend and have a long overdue chat.

*~*

Sienna leaned down snatching the handkerchief off the floor, her eyes narrowed in thought. It was such an obvious attempt to frame Arman that she almost laughed out loud. Perhaps it would have worked if whoever had done this had been dealing with regular police but to try and pass this off as being Arman's handiwork was ludicrous. Pushing the handkerchief into her back pocket she turned to Amon, "Anything?" she asked as he walked around the room.

Amon walked over to the entry of the backroom where Niko had lain chained, "Two witches. One on each end of his body Sienna. Heart and mind pierced at the same time. No-one's magic would be able to withstand such an attack. If it had been one or the other he would have had a chance to survive. With both attacks happening simultaneously his death would have been almost instant."

Sienna felt her fury rise a notch at Amon's words. Tears and grief would wait until she'd extracted revenge on whoever had committed the act, "Any clues as to who these witches were Amon? You say two of them but the security footage clearly shows three men here earlier."

"Two of them were in this room when it happened Sienna that much I'm sure of. There were three in here at one point though. All the same, all dark."

"Damn. That doesn't really narrow our options in any way Amon. Three dark magic users. Fuck! They could be anyone, from anywhere in the world, or other fucking realms even!"

Amon smiled as he walked back to Sienna, "That's the reason I've never relied on following anyone's trail in the past Sienna. It's much too easy to lay false paths for those that track you."

"Then how the Hell do you track anyone Amon?"

"Easy Sienna, you track the magic itself-not the user. Follow the magic and it will lead you to the one you are after."

Sienna cocked her head at a slight angle, her eyes questioning, "You can track the actual magic itself Amon? How?"

"It's a skill you learn with age Sienna. You're still young, much to learn. Every magic user leaves a distinct _signature_ when they weave their power. It's a mixture of their own personality mixed in with the way they were taught. The ones that killed Niko left the same signature behind that Janine's magic does, though darker in aspect. This narrows down our options somewhat, wouldn't you say?"

Sienna felt the fury within her breast get hotter, revenge was only moments away if what Amon was telling her held true, "It narrows our options more than just somewhat Amon, it takes them down to just fucking one." Walking away from Amon to her own room, she returned an instant later, her katana in her hand, "The fucking Academy is behind this. That's where Jani learned the craft Amon. And nothing happens within that place without the express permission of the Director herself, Serlina."

"Then this _Serlina_ will be made to pay Sienna. Let us get back to Janine and make our plans."

Sienna reached out quickly and placed her hand on Amon's chest, the first time she'd actually touched him, "No Amon. Jani stays exactly where she is, nice and safe. I am _not_ going to put her in any danger."

"You mean to do this without telling her, Sienna?"

"That's exactly what I plan on doing Amon. You stay here and watch over Jani for me while I take care of that bitch at the academy. Stay invisible so she doesn't know you're there. I'll handle things once I get back."

"Even though you promised not to do this Sienna? Are you sure?"

Sienna looked towards the window picturing Janine sitting in safety across the street within her mind. This was the first time she'd even contemplated lying to her but felt no remorse at doing so if it meant Janine would stay alive, "Sometimes we have to lie to those we love the most in the world Amon to save them from any hurt. I _think_ she'll understand why I'm doing this, at least I hope so."

Amon shook his head at Sienna's answer before speaking, "And yet the people who live on this realm call us the evil ones. Unbelievable."

*~*

A few minutes after leaving her house, Sienna sat invisible and unseen across the lane from the entry to the academy waiting for her chance to gain entry. She thought back to her parting with Amon. She had watched as Amon disappeared from her view still shaking his head at her comments. The fact that an _evil_ spirit, an actual Duke of Hell had taken exception to her breaking her promise to Janine intrigued her. Everything she'd ever known about the demons and Hell seemed to be a fallacy or straight out lie. She filed away the notion for the future. Something she would gladly delve into once her current predicament was sorted. For now, Serlina and the Academy were her first priority. She continued out loud, talking to herself, "Then I've got to sort out the _tiny_ issue of the bloody King of Hell and whatever the fuck he wants." She shook her head trying to clear her thoughts, "First things first. The bitch and the academy. Someone pays for Niko tonight."

She waited a full twenty minutes before she saw someone walking down the lane-way. Her hopes rising for a moment knowing that the chances of someone casually walking down this dark lane-way at this time of night were slim. More likely they were looking for entry into the academy itself. Slowing her breathing she walked out silently as the person walked in front of her, the plan simple. She would stick with them closer than their own shadow and walk right in behind them. Her magic powerful enough to cloak anyone from noticing the breach of their security. If for some reason she _was_ noticed, she would begin her mission earlier than anticipated and start killing any and all that got in her way. Mercy was not on her agenda tonight.

Sienna avoided all the extra security measures in place easily as she shadowed her unknown host straight through the door and into the academy itself, quickly moving away into what appeared to be an empty room. From what Janine had mentioned in the past, she knew that Serlina's office was located at the very bottom level of the academy. The chances of getting caught out were too great if she was to try and make it down without using magic, someone would definitely take notice of her, especially if Serlina had posted extra guards to watch things.

The element of surprise would still be on her side if what she had planned worked. With one quick spell, she'd transport herself straight into Serlina's office, catching her off-guard. She took one final long breath deep into her lungs and concentrated her magic inwards, thinking of where she wanted to appear. Tendrils of light-green smoky fingers encased her body in a protective shield the moment she unleashed the force of the spell. She opened her eyes a split second later to see the confused look coming over the bitches face when she realized who had just materialized in front of her, despite all the security precautions she had taken. The cold smile of a predator washed across Sienna's face as she drew her katana. The fury in her voice, barely controlled, "Who the fuck do you think you are, Serlina? What the Hell makes you think you had _any right_ to kill Niko? For fucks sake tell me why?"

Sienna watched as Serlina slowly closed the folder she'd been reading and pushed it aside. The initial confusion in her face had transformed into a crooked smile, her eyes alight with joy. "I don't need anyone's permission to do a damn thing Sienna. I _rule_ this town when it comes to magic and the covens. _My_ word is what matters."

Sienna took a step towards the desk and placed her sword directly in Serlina's face, " _Your_ words are nothing witch. This whole academy is playing with things beyond their understanding. I think I'll burn the whole damn thing to the ground once I kill you Serlina."

Serlina laughed and smacked an open palm on her desk, "Oh Sienna, you're so predictable. Bluff and bluster are what made both Niko and yourself legends. Face it, there's _no way_ you would even consider doing what you just said."

"Perhaps not bitch but that won't save your ass. You _will_ pay for killing Niko. That's a given."

"Come now Sienna. We both know that killing innocents is not your style."

"Innocent, Serlina? You? Now, who's fucking delusional?"

Serlina leaned back into the comfort of her chair, her eyes still dancing, "I may not be innocent of many things but I promise you this Sienna, I did not kill Niko. It was _him_ that did it," she added, pointing at the form of Leon just behind Sienna's shoulder.

Sienna fell over the top of Serlina's desk as a magical blast hit her defenses from behind. She turned in time to deflect the man's next attack before launching herself into the air and rolling in a ball on the floor. Keeping the momentum going, she used the force jump in the air and twist, her sword slashing through the air until it met the tiniest of resistance from the man's neck. Arterial blood flowed over the floor as she looked closer, taking pleasure when she realized that _this_ was the face of the man which had been at her place earlier. One of those involved with Niko's death. The grin stayed put on her face as she turned back to Serlina, intent on killing the bitch before she had a chance to call in anyone else. She paused for a moment as she took in the manacles and chain now sitting on Serlina's desk. In the moments she had taken to kill the other, the bitch must have gotten them ready. "Your ego astounds me Serlina. Do you really think you've got the power to bind me long enough to put _those_ things on me? You're fucking delusional!"

"No Sienna, I'm not delusional. I doubt there's anyone _living_ who has the power to bind _and_ chain you at the same time. Well, not now that Niko's dead anyway."

Serlina watched as the deliberate taunt she had thrown Sienna's way hit home, the fury coming into her eyes frightful to see. Under any other circumstances she would not have dared to push the immortal so far as the consequences would be disastrous. This time however, the tables would be turned. In her fury, Sienna lost all reason, concentrating solely upon Serlina and her inevitable death. With reason fleeing, she failed to notice the tiny figure of a young girl standing deep in the shadows of the corner until it was too late. In one intense moment, the young girl had lifted an arm and pointed at Sienna, blasting a magical spell of binding. Sienna felt her body turn to stone. The spell was powerful but nowhere near enough to keep her under. Smiling, she pulled her own magic into play, getting ready to blast through the spell and kill them both. Her smile turning to instant fear as she felt the chains solidify around her wrists and the instant pain coursing through her body. Serlina's smiling face the last thing she saw before fleeing into her own mind.

## Chapter 16

Amon watched as Janine sat in meditation on the floor, legs crossed in the ancient way, fingertips barely touching. The woman held power second only to that of Sienna herself, though she wasn't aware of it. Strong flows of pure-white spiritual essence flowed outwards from her heartcore towards the true-vision in her head and her basestone, just above her groin; The three centers of power. A power he had only witnessed in a handful of the beings who lived within this realm. He stood hypnotized by the weaving of the strands, much thinner than those of his own brothers but greater in number and when held by someone like Janine possibly even more powerful.

The sound of Janine's voice cut through his awareness, breaking the spell of her magical essence, "Will you talk to me at all Amon? Or are we both to pretend that you are not here watching over me?"

Amon watched the brightness of her essence a moment longer before answering, "There's no reason to pretend Janine. You know I'm here."

Opening her eyes, Janine let the breath out of her lungs in a rush, stretching her legs our in front of her. She turned to the corner of the room where Amon stood, still invisible. "It's kind of hard to have a conversation with someone you can't see Amon. Why don't you show yourself?"

"That I cannot do Janine."

"Cannot or will not?"

Amon smiled, the woman was clever for a being born in this realm, "Will not Janine. A promise was made."

"I see Amon. I won't make you break your word. Tell me if you can, what else did Sienna make you promise?"

"I was to remain invisible and watch over you until her return, Janine. Nothing more."

"Nothing more? That's _interesting._ I take it you had some luck in figuring out who was behind the attack on Niko?"

Amon stood quiet for a moment considering her question. Sienna had been clear in what she had asked of him, stay invisible and protect Janine. Nothing else. That she had so casually broken her promise to the woman was something he was having trouble dealing with. She deserved better, even if he _did_ understand the point of trying to keep her safe. She should not have made the promise if that was the case. He sighed heavily, out loud so that Janine was able to hear how he felt in the absence of being able to see him, "It was more than just an attack, Janine. Three people broke through the protective barrier and killed him. Niko is no longer on this realm, his spirit will have moved on to the Wheel for judgment and possible rebirth."

"I feared that might have been the case Amon. As I was pretty sure that Sienna would ignore my wishes and go searching for revenge. That's the only possible reason for her not being here. You found out who was behind the attack, and she went off in a fury."

"Partly correct Janine. We did find out who was behind the attack and she did go to get justice. It was not done in a _fury_ however. If anything it was the complete opposite, the cold, calm detachment of someone on a worthy mission."

"A worthy mission that may get her killed Amon! Why are you here instead of at her side? I told you I didn't need a babysitter. Sienna needs you more than I do at this point!"

"A promise made must always be honored, Janine. We would be no better than savages otherwise. The heartcore of power must never be sullied in this way, it would weaken us."

"Heartcore of power Amon? I don't know what that means."

"The heartcore lies in the center of the body, a little to the side of where your human heart sits. It is the power vortex for the spiritual essence within each of us, lending its strength in a direct line to the true-vision and basestone. The three centers of power."

"Are these three centers of power like chakras?"

"Very close Janine. The eastern mystics in this realm took the three centers and somewhat _embellished_ them."

Janine thought on what she knew of the chakras. They were always spoken about as being seven in total, not three. Comparing the three centers Amon mentioned would equate to the Third-eye, Heart and Root chakras, if memory served her. "Then the other four chakras people talk about aren't real Amon?"

"Minor point of power vortex Janine. And there's a lot more of those than just the ones people on this realm talk about. The three centers are the most powerful, the heartcore most of all. All spiritual strength and power comes from the heart."

"Interesting Amon. When I was being taught to manipulate magic it was drummed into our heads that the heart and the mind had to work in unison for our spells to be effective."

A low chuckle came from the empty corner where Amon stood, "And that is most likely the reason that very few people in this realm grow in power in any way Janine. Only those with strong heartcores can possess powerful magic. Take yourself as an example. You may have been taught to work with both mind and heart but you _know_ that your magic is always cast to win the respect of Sienna. You aim to please her in every way, every single time you use magic. It comes from the heart."

Janine's eyes lost focus as she took in Amon's words. In a matter of minutes he had completely ripped apart everything she knew about her own powers, always believing that she had mastered the art of bringing her mind in focus with her heart. Amon had effectively dismantled that belief. Her _heart_ was what made the difference. It led the way her thoughts would go. "What about the dark magic Amon? How can the heart possibly be in control?"

"What you call dark magic is but a different aspect of what we are, Janine. All three centers are powerful in their own right. It's true that the heart makes things happen without conscious thought and this affects the way the mind operates. But like everything else surrounding us there's always an opposing reaction. Those that use the mind as the starting point to their powers are able to manifest what they believe, the heart then follows. It just needs a catalyst to make it real."

"A catalyst? That's why there's always some form of ritual or sacrifice associated with it, I gather."

"Correct. The more powerful the emotions associated with the sacrifice are, the greater the chance that the practitioner will succeed. It's powerfully seductive. So much so that those who take that particular path have a hard time letting go. To them, the very nature of what they're able to achieve is all due to the rituals and the sacrifice they perform, nothing else."

Shaking her head slightly, Janine replied, "I really believed we sort of had a handle on how magic worked. Your words speak otherwise Amon. So much we don't actually understand. We really are a bunch of children playing with a lit flame. No wonder we get ourselves burnt over and over." She looked up to where she felt the spirit, "At the risk of having you break this conversation Amon I must ask, why are you helping us? Don't think it escaped my notice that Sienna has not had to _command_ you to do anything. I would think that someone who has been held prisoner for the last hundred years would not _really_ want to be helping out without at least trying to get released."

A low chuckle came from the empty corner at Janine's question. The spirit was obviously amused by her comments, "Truth is that I haven't actually been a prisoner of the sword for almost the entire time you speak of, Janine."

"You mean you've been free all this time Amon? That doesn't make any sense!"

"Free _nearly all_ of that time. Niko and Sienna did manage to get me into that blade against my will but their magic is not _quite_ as potent as they believed. It was only a matter of days before I was able to break that bond. The choice to live within the sword has been entirely mine."

"Why Amon? Why would you let Sienna believe that she held you captive? Why not leave and wreak revenge?"

"Rest assured that for the few days I _was_ held that was the only thing on my mind. Revenge. Niko, Sienna and that _savage_ Grigori would pay for their insolence in a major way. While studying the bonds that held me I came across something interesting, Janine. Whatever the metal is that was used to forge that particular blade actually had the small side-effect of making me invisible from anyone from my realm. The _prison_ I found myself in turned out to be _my sanctuary._ As long as my physical form stays within the blade I'm safe."

"Safe Amon? That sounds like you're actually being hunted. Safe from who?"

"That's what I've been trying to figure out for a hundred years Janine. Some of my closest friends were completely destroyed by a very powerful individual and I don't understand why. I intend to find out the reason behind this madness."

A smile flitted across Janine's lips as she thought of her uncle and the stories they had uncovered from other demons, "I take it these close friends of yours were the three other Dukes of Hell, Barbatos, Zagan And Draco?"

"You truly astound me with the depth of your knowledge at times Janine. It's like having the wisdom of ages coming from the mouth of an infant toddler! Barbatos and Zagan are no longer, only Draco remains and I have good reason to believe that he may be hunting me. And the only reason he would do so was if he has taken sides with the other."

"Amon, you've been upfront with me all this time so I'll let you in on what I've found out. You're right, Barbatos and Zagan appear to have met their end but the story I was told was that they had tried to organize a bit of a coup against Beleth. Draco appears to have been killed a short time later. From what we were told, Beleth has now killed not just the Dukes but also the other Kings of Hell. He's the only one left."

"Someone lied to you Janine. Barbatos and Zagan never raised a hand against Beleth. It was _he_ who attacked my brothers. As for Draco, he has _definitely_ not been killed, he still lives."

"Are you sure Amon? The information we got was pretty clear-cut, there wasn't any gray in it."

"Am I sure? Totally. I've known where Draco has been held for the past hundred years, Janine. _His_ prison was a hell of a lot stronger than mine. Sienna and Niko got that one right."

"Sienna? What has she got to do with Draco?"

The chuckle coming from the corner this time was much louder and deeper than the earlier ones, "Draco is none other than the one you guys call the Dragon, Janine. For the past hundred years, Sienna has held at bay not just _one_ Duke of Hell, but _two._ And now... he's unchained and free. And I know for a fact he won't be happy about having been caged for so long."

The fear and worry Janine felt for Sienna intensified instantly at Amon's words. Not only did they have Beleth to contend with but there was now one seriously pissed off Duke of Hell thrown in the mix. "Fuck, fuck and double-fuck!"

*~*

Candles littered the room at what appeared to be random spots around the large pentagram drawn in blood on the floor. Arman sat within the protective circle of the pointed star in a tiny cavern, deep underground, a back-up haven he had held in reserve for countless centuries. His eyes darted from one object to the next, constantly making sure that nothing was attempting to get through the barrier. This was the location he had kept from all others, the one place that he would have brought Niko to be sacrificed. Hundreds of years of cautious preparation for just that. In one spell-binding moment Beleth had changed it all. This was his only safe oasis from the wrath of the King of Hell. For the first time in five thousand years he felt not merely trapped but wrapped in the unmistakable grip of soul-destroying fear.

Beleth had appeared from nowhere at the most inopportune moment in time for his plans and barely raising a finger had shot everything to pieces. Niko and the Dragon had been nothing in comparison to one of the Kings of Hell, who by all appearances seemed to be tracking down one of his own Dukes. His body still shook as he remembered the absolute pain meted out by Beleth. Getting in the middle of a war between the denizens of Hell was _not_ on his agenda at this moment in time. _"Hell,"_ he thought _"it has_ _never_ _been on my agenda."_

Picking up the small blade lying in front of him, he brought it up and slashed it quickly across his palm. His God may not have answered his summons up to this point based on the sacrificing of others, but perhaps he would show when the blood that flowed was that of his own High Priest. Flexing his fist, he watched the blood drip through his closed hand onto the floor, chanting the ancient Egyptian spell, hoping and praying harder than he had in five thousand years. If he had any hope of surviving an encounter with one of the Kings of Hell it would be because he had the backing of AmunRa, the one and only God.

*~*

Draco, former Duke of Hell and now fugitive walked the realms of the spirits in thought. No matter what he tried, Amon had not responded. Even the summons from one of those that had followed him in the days when he'd pretended to be a God had not done the trick. Whatever power his brother Duke had weaved appeared to be unbreakable, keeping him well hidden. His own survival had been pure luck, if painful.

The damn mortals Niko and Sienna had caged him like a wild beast in those damn shackles, his power completely useless as pain had coursed through his body for a century. The combination of both having the _fortunate_ side-effect of making him invisible to Beleth. Not that he'd been aware of it at the time. It wasn't until Arman had freed him of the chains and subsequently placed them on Niko that he'd seen the truth behind it all. The fortunate effect behind the momentous pain. And now Niko lay feeling that same pain. Arman may want to sacrifice the man but Draco had other ideas. He would not waste that power on something as ridiculously superficial as gaining the love of a woman, too much had gone wrong in the past because of that kind of stupidity.

No, when Niko was finally sacrificed it would serve as a warning to every other being alive on what happened when you crossed paths with Draco. The results would not be pretty. His thoughts went further down the path to the moments after Niko's sacrifice. Sienna would be forced to watch as he shred her man piece-by-piece over the course of many months. And then he would force Arman to watch as he let his minions loose on the woman herself. The stories that would be told of the deaths of these so-called immortals would make everyone fear Draco. Fear and obey for eternity.

But first he needed to find Amon. Only together would they have any chance of surviving a battle with Beleth. Zagan and Barbatos may have been caught unawares but there was no way he would allow himself to be snared in the same way. Beleth _would_ pay, and pay dearly. And if the Morning Star himself took offense, well fuck they could be taken care of as well.

*~*

The fingers of the old priest clicked the mouse and paused the footage on his screen before he leaned back in the deep leather armchair and looked at the two younger men seated opposite his desk. Both affected the same style of dress, priest overcoats and collars. Their heads shaved bald and their faces clean-shaven. Every member of the guardians of the faith looked the same.

At this moment they each wore identical expressions on their faces at having seen the footage, disgust and anger. He knew how they felt, feeling the same way himself. "How many others have seen the footage?" he asked.

The one on the left, Anton, leaned forward to answer, "No-one Inquisitor. This was transmitted last night to our security offices for checking. We've only just had a chance to view them this morning and came to show you straight away. The old man goes far beyond what is acceptable."

"As Grand Inquisitor that is for me to decide Anton, not you." His gaze went between the two men a few moments before he added, "But I tend to agree with you on this. That he was using his niece in translation was one thing but this," he added motioning to the screen on his desk, "is something else entirely. There are things that should never leave this building and yet he blabs about them to his niece and the _immortal?_ This cannot, and will not be tolerated."

"Not just talking about things he has no right to talk about Inquisitor, but _to women._ You may have the final deciding vote on this Sir, but as a Guardian I cannot allow this travesty to happen. It goes to the core of who we are and what we were created for."

The inquisitor looked over at the two nodding men and understood their anger, feeling it himself. "I know our core beliefs and what we stand for better than either one of you. Remember that. I'll take care of the priest myself. You two," he added pointing his finger in their direction, "Are to find those two _women_ and make sure they never have a chance to tell anyone this story."

## Chapter 17

"Please tell me you didn't let Sienna go and face any of them alone Amon. We're talking about fucking Dukes and a King of Hell, not just some wayward witch with a huge ego!"

"I would never have allowed her to go without me against them Janine. As formidable an opponent as Sienna may be, she pales in comparison to the two beings you've mentioned. No, the ones she currently seeks out are the witches from the academy. In particular the one she called Serlina."

"The fucking academy is behind killing Niko? What the hell, what possible reason could they have to do such a crazy thing?"

"The answer to that question is what Sienna was going to find out."

Getting up from her seated position on the floor, Janine moved around the room in thought, "This day just keeps getting better and better. For some damn reason Sienna seems to be caught in the middle of something and we don't even know what! Beleth, Draco, the academy, Niko's murder; too many things going on Amon and we're flying blind. Not to mention the bullshit my uncle dropped on us about the church."

"What's this about your uncle, Janine? What has the church got to do with any of the things happening to Sienna?"

Janine stopped her pacing near the corner where Amon's voice was coming from. "My uncle," she began, "is the head of a small faction within the Vatican that deals directly with your brethren in Hell, Amon. He's the one that told us about Beleth and what happened to the other Kings and Dukes."

"Someone from within the church is in contact with my realm? I've never heard of this, Janine. Is this a recent occurrence? Who does he deal with?"

"Not that recent Amon. From what I've been told it started about thousand years ago, give or take. Long before you were trapped in the sword. How do you not know about this?"

Janine felt the silence which followed her question coming from the corner. This wasn't just an absence of sound but a total obliteration of it. Whatever was happening here, Amon was clearly in some very deep thought. Thoughts so deep she actually began to see a slight shimmer in the air as he focused on the question instead of staying invisible. "Amon? You still with me big guy? You're about to break your promise to Sienna if you don't start paying attention."

The shimmering disappeared from her view as soon as the comment left her lips. "Thank you Janine. Your comments took me a little by surprise."

"Care to tell me why, Amon? If church lore is to be believed, then it's not exactly the first time that the two realms have interacted. There's countless documented cases of things like possession and people talking with those of your realm. Why did it take you by surprise?"

"Those things you mention Janine are minor. Small powered imps and minor demons just having some fun, killing time. What you told me about your uncle having a direct link with someone within my realm is not possible. The morning star himself forbade that eons ago. No-one within their right mind would even contemplate such a thing! Tell me, who is it that your uncle contacts in Hell? Give me a name."

Janine paused at the vehemence in Amon's words. This bit of news had rankled a Duke of Hell and while she would gladly put herself into the middle of anything when it came to protecting Sienna, she was loathe to put her uncle in it. It was one thing to ask for information from him, completely another to bring him to the attention of a supernatural being like Amon, "I'm sorry Amon. I can't tell you anymore about this. I made a promise."

"You humans really like to pick and choose the times you get to keep your promises, Janine. No matter. He should be easy enough to find within the walls of the Vatican. There would be no other place safe for him to do what he does. I won't be long."

"And break your promise to Sienna, Amon? Talk about picking and choosing!"

"Damn you Janine! What you just told me about has some really _bad_ possibilities associated with it. I _must_ find out who your uncle has been dealing with. You don't understand how bad things could get otherwise."

"You're right Amon, I _don't_ understand. There's no way anyone could understand when you won't give them any information about it! You expect everyone to just _take your word for it?_ Trust has to be earned! And yes, we've made a little progress towards that tonight but we're _far_ from it, Amon. Very far! Give me reason to trust you Amon! Just one! How can I possibly trust you when everything I've been told about... about _everything_ is just a complete balls-up? You try to shove down my throat the fact that you're all so damn _noble,_ no lies and would never break a promise and yet there are some that are clearly feeding absolute bullshit to my uncle! Not just skirting the truth but straight out fucking lies! Not to mention the fact that this whole fucking mess of a world I find myself in is nothing but a fucking pissing-contest between two of _your_ mates over a fucking woman! The whole lot of you need to grow up and stop acting like fucking teenagers!"

Janine ended her comments by adding a final piece through clenched teeth, "And I don't give a shit about your promises Amon. I'm off to help Sienna kill that fucking bitch, with or without your help. Your choice."

"That choice only leaves me one option, Janine. If you go then I must be there to protect you. Will you listen to me before you go off in a fury?"

Janine smiled, fully in control despite her angry outburst. Calmly she answered, "Of course Amon. I would be a fool not to take your views into consideration. What is it?"

The deep chuckle came once more, this time closer to where she stood, "You humans are really something. I'm guessing you planned that entire outburst of anger. You truly are devious beyond anything any of the so-called demons from my realm could concoct. Regardless," he continued "going to help Sienna at this point without a well-thought plan may actually end up hurting rather than helping her. She will _not_ be expecting either one of us to show up and may not realize that it _is_ us until it's too late. And whether she meant it or not, dead is dead."

Turning from the spot she thought Amon stood, Janine walked toward the front door leading into the street. "I know big guy. It's the only thing that has kept me from going to her side already if you must know. But she's been gone for way too long for my liking. I don't know whether it's just my fear talking or not but it doesn't feel right." She stopped at the door, hand held on the knob. Turning back into the empty room she added, "If we can get back across the street and into the protective layer of the house, would you be able to locate her somehow?"

Amon's voice came to her in a whisper, barely an inch from her left ear. She felt the pressure of what she assumed were his arms on her hips, "No need to go outside and give our position away Janine. I can move us across the street with no effort, unseen."

*~*

The rumbling vibration from the phone in her pocket made Serlina frown at the inconvenience of the timing. Without looking at the screen she picked it up and almost growled into the open line, "What?"

A timid voice she quickly recognized as one of the security team came over the line, "Ma'am. We have a request to open the gateway from the Vatican. Your orders are to allow no-one entry into the academy without your permission."

"I know what my own orders are you dimwit. What's the name of the person requesting?"

"Someone named Carious, requesting permission for two people to come through, immediately."

"Okay. Get a security team of six to greet them as they come through. Another six flanking them from the astral plane. Escort them to one of the waiting areas and whatever you do, do not allow them to go anywhere until I get there. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am. Six earth-bound, four astral. Completely under guard until you arrive."

" _Carious?"_ thought Serlina as she looked back at the chained and unconscious form of Sienna on the floor, _"They haven't bothered with this part of the academy in decades. Why would the Pope be sending two of his warrior knights to Melbourne tonight of all nights?"_

"Is everything alright, Serlina?" came the pixie-like voice of Anna, "You seem troubled."

Putting one of her fake smiles on, Serlina turned to the young girl and answered, "You know what goes into running a place like this Anna. Most of the time we're surrounded by incompetent fools who need direction for absolutely everything they do."

Anna turned her attention from Serlina back to the immortal at her feet, "Not in Russia Serlina. Incompetent fools are dealt with harshly and never rise to any position of authority. It's why we're considered to have the best witches in history." She turned her face back to a startled Serlina, "You may want to put the same kind of measures in place here. Incompetency breeds more of the same and pretty soon, there's nothing but incompetent fools in the entire building."

Serlina dampened the anger rising within her breast at the stupid little pixie's words, keeping her smile firmly planted on her face, "That's good advice Anna." She began, "I think I'll implement it straight away." Turning to one of the lackeys standing guard near the entryway she motioned for them to come closer, "Go to the security center and find out which of those idiots was the one that called me. Inform them that they're now being taken back to initiate level. When I ask for _six_ witches to be on guard on the astral plane, I mean six- _not four._ Go."

Anna looked back at Serlina her face devoid of expression. Her voice came out flat with no emotion, "I guess that's a start. Weak, but a start."

Serlina ignored the barb behind the young girl's comment and purposefully looked back down, "With Sienna trapped we only have one other immortal left to deal with, Arman. I've put my best people on the task of trying to locate his whereabouts, no luck as yet."

"I've also had my witches looking. We should be able to track him down quick enough. Do you have any plans in mind for when we do find him?"

"Nothing completely solid as yet Anna, though I do have some things in mind. You'll be the first to know."

"As I should be Serlina. We are after all, partners in this task. The furtherance of _all_ witches in the world is our final goal not any petty individual ambitions we may each hold dear. I'll leave you to finalize the plans for Arman and take Sienna back with me to Russia."

Serlina paused for a moment as Anna finished speaking. They had never mentioned the girl taking Sienna away with her, "And why would you be taking Sienna with you Anna? The most immediate risk came from myself, you merely held her for a moment in a binding spell. It was _my_ life on the line and _my_ plan that captured her."

The girl's eyes never moved from Sienna's inert form at her feet. Without bothering to look at Serlina, she answered, "Correct and that's the exact reason why she cannot be kept here, Serlina. Anyone that goes searching for her will inevitably find their way here." She turned to the older woman, an insincere look on her pixie face, "You didn't really intend for them to be able to locate Sienna so easily, did you? That would reek of _incompetence._ And we're both surrounded by those types of fools. Wouldn't you agree?"

The remaining guard at the entrance took a small step back as the young girl finished speaking expecting Serlina to explode with anger. Instead he watched in amazement as the Director's face went from sudden anger to what was obviously, barely controlled rage before suddenly going blank of emotion, her eyes still hard, "I couldn't agree with you more Anna. I hadn't actually finalized where Sienna was to be held but the underground catacombs of your homeland sounds like the perfect place."

The young girl bowed her head slightly in acknowledgment, "Then I'll be taking my leave shortly, Serlina. Let your minions know that I will be taking the woman with me on my departure. I'd really hate for there to be any misunderstandings. Fatal things sometimes occur when people are misunderstood."

*~*

Draco paced through the spirit realm watching the power as Arman tried in vain to contact Amon. Every wisp rose through the ether surrounding him only to fade as soon as it became real. The usefulness of the immortal was quickly coming to an end. If he wasn't able to produce his brother Duke soon, he would tie up the loose end and move on to the next part of his plan. Sitting on the floor he moved his awareness silently in to the cave where Arman currently sat and watched.

Tears poured down Arman's cheeks as he sat within the pentagram on the floor. Everywhere he looked, he saw nothing but the bars of a cage, invisible but as strong as the heaviest iron. What he'd considered his safe haven away from Beleth and the pain was quickly transforming into the invisible strands of a massive web designed to make him mad. Each vibration having the potential of bringing on the death touch of Beleth himself.

Small samples of his own blood had not been enough to bring AmunRa to his aid. Further measures would need to be taken. Pain, terror and lots more blood were required. Shedding his own blood would be easy but how was he to bring the terror-filled pain required _from himself_? The only way that could even remotely happen would be for him to bring another into the cave with him. Someone willing to perform a ritual sacrifice with himself at its center. He frowned, would his God acknowledge such a sacrifice, without his actual death? Would there be any use in doing this if he would die regardless? Who in the entire world could he even trust to do this properly?

His first thought went straight to Sienna. He trusted her above all others. Shaking his head he silently crossed her name off his list. She was his intended, there was no way she would perform this sacrifice on the person she loved most in the world. A tiny smile formed on his lips as his thoughts went to Niko. _The perfect selection!_ Regardless of what the Dragon wanted, he would find him with his magic and transport him to the cave. A grateful Niko would do anything Arman asked of him once the shackles were removed.

The tentacles of madness went deeper within Arman. Why bother sacrificing himself at all? His God was not answering him any longer. Hadn't answered him in centuries now. Perhaps he was wasting his time praying to a now dead God? Many other Gods had disappeared in the past, perhaps it had finally caught up with his own. If that was the case then sacrificing his own life would be a complete waste. Even giving Niko over would be a useless. Better to go back to his original plan and take Niko's power to augment his own. That would surely bring him on the same level as the Dragon. A small dribble of saliva trickled from the corner of his mouth, his grin widening. First Niko then take out the Dragon. Enough power under his command to cower even the most dangerous of demons, including the damn King of Hell himself.

## Chapter 18

The echo of Serlina's footsteps bounced off the walls breaking the silence permeating through the entire academy. The rankling hatred that the little Russian bitch had brought upon her earlier that night had now settled like the left-over leaves in a pot of tea. One small battle lost and one more score to settle. The little shit would soon learn why Serlina was one of the most feared Directors in the world. She pushed the memory and her plans to the back of her mind momentarily. For now she needed to find out what the hell the Guardians were doing here. Their timing too much of a coincidence for her liking. More likely they were here due to one of the many events which had occurred over the past few days. The damn church was always meddling in things that didn't concern them. Things they truly knew nothing about. It would be up to her to draw out what they knew and more importantly what they were planning. She would not allow any other's plans to waylay her own. Too much was at stake.

Reaching her office she went straight to the safe in the corner and opened the heavy door, taking out an antique wooden box inlaid with pearl in the shape of a cross. Locking the safe once more, she stood and strode over to her desk, placing the box on top of it before reaching within her top and removing the necklace containing the brass key. Speaking the magic spell that would unlock the box under her breath, she turned the key until she heard the double click of the locking mechanism open.

The lid raised slowly as the magic worked its way through the box allowing access to all the items held inside. The box held every significant magical item Serlina held dear, including her official Director ring. To others it merely represented the position of Director of the Academy, only those who wore it knew the truth; it was imbued with powerful magic that allowed the wearer to do things beyond what they normally have the ability for. Smiling, she slipped the ring on her finger before locking the box up and putting it safely away. It was time to see what the Hell these guardians wanted.

*~*

Moments later she looked up as her own security team escorted the two men into her office. Without preamble and breaking all protocol she began, "Gentlemen, what exactly is it that the church requires from me?"

Her opening question was obviously not what they had expected from Serlina, as they exchanged glances. Historically the Directors had been civil and obedient to those representing the might of the church. Nearly always doing what they required without question. The man on her left turned to look back at the seated woman, "We will let you know in due course what is required of you Serlina. For the moment..."

Serlina's harsh reply cut him off mid-sentence, "For the moment _nothing!_ You will address me as _Madam Director_ from now on, not Serlina and you will answer my questions when I ask. Now, let's start again. What the Hell has the church sent you here to do?"

Both men's nostrils flared as they tried to contain their anger at Serlina's outburst. The witches had always fallen in line with whatever had been required of them in the past and now this particular Director was putting it all in jeopardy. The one who had spoken earlier leaned towards Serlina to answer, "The Holy Church and the Pope in his ultimate wisdom has sent us here on a mission of gravest urgency, Madam Director."

"And that would be?"

"Nothing that would have any impact or bearing on this institution. There's a couple of witches we need to deal with. We have it on the most trusted authority that these two women have been coerced by Satan into performing dark and evil magic. We're here to put a stop to it."

"Gentlemen, if they are witches who practice within this country then they fall under the auspices of this academy. Why would you say it doesn't concern me? If these particular women are doing the things you claim then I can assure you I _would_ be aware of it. Who are they?"

The man looked down at the floor in thought, reluctant to speak until Serlina's voice thundered across the room, "SPEAK! Who are the women?"

"The immortal succubus Sienna and her sinful lover, Janine are the ones we track."

Serlina sat back in her chair, smiling at the two men, "Gentlemen if you had only trusted me from the start this conversation would not have taken the turn it did. I am fully aware of what Sienna and her lover have been up to recently and I see no reason to deter you from your appointed task. In fact," she added as an afterthought, "I'll do everything in my power to help you."

The speaker looked around at the six guards still surrounding him, "You could have fooled me, Madam Director. I feared we were under some kind of detention when these six showed up."

Serlina looked up at the six witches behind the men and signaled them to leave, "You misunderstood my intention. Those six were placed to provide protection. Nothing more. As you can probably guess things have been a little... strange over the past few days. I wasn't about to let anything happen to an envoy from the Church. Not in my academy."

"So you will help us in locating the women, Madam Director?"

"I will gladly give you all the information I have on the immortal. Anything that may help you in your cause. Her companion however, falls under the guidance of the academy. If any punishment is to be handed out to her, it should come from me. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Our orders don't allow us to deviate in what is required of us Madam Director. _Both_ women need to be handled."

Serlina leaned forward and locked gazes with the man, "Trust me. The punishment that I will give to any witch that dabbles in dark, evil magic as you put it, will be beyond any measures the Church would mete out. Now let me tell you what I know about Sienna." Smiling once more, she had to give the men credit. After a brief nod from each they stood silent as she told them what they wanted to hear.

*~*

Draco watched on in fascination as Arman's mind slipped closer to the edge of insanity. Over his lifetime he had seen many people fall into the abyss of madness, had even caused quite a few of them to do so but none of those had gone from complete sanity to the point where Arman currently was in such a short period of time. The calm and collected individual he had left behind on the island was no longer evident. His pristine outfit now covered in sweat, blood and dust. The eyes haunted and in line with the crazy rumblings coming from his spittle-covered mouth.

Fascination turned to a questioning look when he realized Arman was no longer trying to contact Amon. The spell he was in the process of weaving was something else entirely. Alarm triggered in his mind as the reality of what Arman was trying to do took hold. This was no summons but a locator spell centered completely on finding Niko! Fear of what Draco would do to him had clearly dissipated under the tumultuous storm of insanity.

Looking at the surrounding cave Draco marveled at the genius behind the protection. Everywhere he looked, his eyes fell upon an icon, idol, drawing, sketch or warded piece imbued with protective magic. Not a single speck of the original walls, floor or ceiling could be seen. With a thought he moved himself between the spirit realm and into the cave, physically appearing just behind the kneeling Arman, "I thought we had agreed to leave sacrificing Niko until we had no other option Arman. Definitely not until I had decided we would anyway."

Draco frowned as Arman's laughter bounced off the cave wall. Instead of the cringing, whimpering fool he had expected to surprise he was face to face with an individual whose grasp on reality had now completely broken. Arman's reply catching him completely off-guard, "The dragon is nothing but a teeny-weeny lizard. Will cut his tail off and use it as a bracelet. Maybe make some sushi out of the body. No, spirit. We don't need his permission to do what's needed. We need to just get on with it. Safety is, is safety cave. No king can get to me. Need more power."

Draco reached out and tenderly placed his hand on Arman's head, willing him in to unconsciousness. With his mind now broken Arman was no longer useful to the duke and had turned into a liability with the potential to undo everything he'd worked for. Looking over at the remnants of the spell Arman had been casting he noticed the pull emanating from the power of the chains. For some reason Sienna had decided to move Niko to somewhere in Russia. _"Weird,"_ he thought, " _Why Russia of all places?"_

## Chapter 19

The guardians stepped out of the portal opening inside the Russian academy and froze. Instead of being met with either the Director of the institute or one of her people, they were looking upon the faces of a dozen armed men accompanied by a full contingent of stony-faced witches, all standing behind a tiny girl. Being the senior member of the two Anton took a step forwards and directed his words to the girl, "You would be Director Anna, I presume?" The young girl nodded once but stayed silent forcing him to continue, "We have been sent by the Holy Father in Rome to take care of something of a somewhat _delicate_ nature. Is there somewhere we may have a word in private?"

"I am fully aware of the reason behind your visit, Anton. Just as I'm aware that you visited the Melbourne Academy prior to coming here."

"So Serlina sent word we were coming and the reason behind it all. That would explain how you knew and were prepared."

"It explains nothing. Serlina _did not_ send word to me about your visit. She plays childish games in her search for further power. Power she will never come to know or attain. How I knew of your visit is not relevant to our discussion at this time. The answer to that will never be yours to know."

Taking in the girl's words Anton tried once more to gain the advantage, "The things I'm entrusted to know would surprise you Anna, but are not important. In that we agree. Now, can we go somewhere private to discuss things?"

"Ego, lies and half-truths." The young girl spoke, "All of these things work against us, without fail. In this academy you will find none of them. Private meetings do not exist under my roof. All are welcome to the knowledge. Speak."

"No secrets, Anna? No society can possibly operate without those in charge keeping _certain_ knowledge out of the hands of those who cannot cope with it. For everyone to know everything would lead to anarchy and chaos."

The smile crossing Anna's face was that of a parent indulging their child, "and yet look around Anton. Are chaos and anarchy dominant in my world? No! Everyone here knows all that happens within these walls, and all are fully-aware of the consequences of trying to use any of that information for their own purposes. Everything that is done here is done to benefit our collective purpose, not for some petty individual's version of power. Now," Anna continued, "your visit here is something to do with Sienna. What exactly is it that you wish to do? What is the purpose behind your visit?"

Anton looked at the surrounding faces of the crowd, uneasy in revealing all he knew, especially to a bunch of witches he had no control over. The disdain he had felt when visiting both Melbourne and Russia was not something the guardians would approve of. On his return he would bring it up with the inquisitor and make plans to ensure that the power and might of the Church was once more the only one that counted. For the moment, he would play nice and let them think what they would. Their time would come, "The immortals have been overstepping and venturing into areas which frankly, they have no business in. Sienna most of all. The Holy Father in Rome has sent us to ensure she is no threat to any of us. That includes your academy of witches Anna."

"And do you honestly believe that you and your sidekick here are powerful enough to achieve this, Anton? By what methods do you plan on making sure Sienna is _no threat to any of us?"_

Anton turned his head at her words, disgust etched in his features as he answered, "Please Anna. Either one of us on our own have the ability to do what's needed. Especially with Sienna. _She,"_ he added, the word laced with sarcasm, "is nothing. _Her_ power is based on the protection that Niko provided. Nothing but innuendo and the lust filled ways of a succubus. Enough to ensnare those who give in easily to their own lust. Apart from that she is nothing and her powers hold no sway over myself or my brothers."

"Ah. I see now. There's obviously no way a mere woman could even hope to compete against the mighty power of two holy men on a mission blessed by the Holy Father himself."

"Exactly, Anna."

The young girl smiled a little. The tales she had been told of these legendary guardians of the church melted away to nothing. She'd been led to believe that they held magical power without peer, and now she understood the truth. Their powers were nothing but trumped up lies. The legendary status and regard in which others held these fools was completely unfounded. If the two idiots in front of her were the best the church could put in the field against someone as powerful as Sienna, then they were already doomed, "Are your intentions to kill her then?" she asked.

"The means by which we will secure the immortal have not been fully determined yet, Anna. But yes, if I have the opportunity then I will gladly remove the woman from the face of this world. God can sort her out."

Looking at the ceiling, Anna gave a silent prayer of thanks. She'd been uncertain of what to do with Sienna once she had been secured in the caverns beneath the academy. Her wish was to completely destroy the immortal but would not do so if there was even a remote chance of the academy paying the consequences for that action if someone came looking for revenge. Now the universe had sent her the answer. She would lead these _fools_ to the chained woman and let them do what they desired. If anyone in the future came looking for revenge they would be firmly pointed in the direction of the Church and by insinuation, Serlina as well. Her smile deepened as she spoke, "In that case Anton, let me give you some good news. Sienna is currently housed within these walls. Safely tucked away where no-one can get to her. Her powers completely neutralized. If you still wish to kill her then I can easily arrange the details. Would you like to see?"

"Show me."

*~*

Draco considered his options from within the safety of Arman's fortified cave. After rendering him unconscious he'd delved deep into the man's memories to find the cause behind his sudden madness. It didn't take long to find the reason why. Somehow Beleth had been able to sense his own presence on the island with Arman. If he'd stayed a few moments longer the King would have appeared while he was still present! He'd gotten lucky that time.

The control he thought he had since being freed from his shackles was an illusion. Beleth knew he still lived and was actively looking. Any ' _chat'_ they would have would end up with his death, of that he was sure. With the others already dead it only left Amon and himself. Looking down at the inert form of Arman on the ground, he sighed. With the man going into madness like this it left only Niko and Sienna amongst those in this realm with the power to contact his brother Duke and from what he'd been told by Arman, Sienna would be loath to help him unless Niko agreed to it. "Niko." He spoke out loud, "for some reason it always comes back around to him." The presence of the chain's power nudged at his awareness. It wouldn't take much to bring him here, within the protective barriers of the cave. Looking at the patterns on the ground he added, "The pentagram would hold him physically inside. Long enough for me to talk some sense into him. Maybe enough sense to gain his trust."

His options almost depleted, Draco made a snap decision and began the process of transporting the chains which had previously held him captive to the cave he now considered his own private fortress, bringing with them Niko as an unwilling passenger.

*~*

Anton smiled in satisfaction as the woman thrashed on the floor at his feet, pain etched on her face as the power of the manacles made itself known. He turned to the Director and spoke, "As much as I enjoy seeing her in this pain I must kill her, Anna. With her alive there's always a risk, no matter how small, that she'll get free. Or that one of her _friends_ will free her."

"I couldn't agree with you more Anton. The sight of her pain fills me with nothing but satisfaction as well but the risk is still there. What is your plan on finishing this Anton? Not that I'm doubting your ability of course."

"Of course not Anna. My abilities are without question. The Holy Church has always had the power to remove these individuals but in its wisdom has allowed them to live, giving them all an opportunity to repent and seek forgiveness. They have spurned our efforts in every way and we now find ourselves in the position where their redemption is no longer possible."

The young girl took in his words, completely at odds with the look of disdain and contemptuous superiority as he spoke, "There's a point where even our eternal forgiveness and patience ends, Anna. And these _immortals_ have finally crossed it."

"That's very interesting Anton but doesn't answer my actual question. How do you plan on achieving this?"

From under his cloak the guardian pulled a silver handled knife, brandishing it for her benefit, "With this."

"One simple knife will not be enough to kill off Sienna, Anton. If it were that simple she would have been dead a long time ago."

Anton motioned his head to his companion, speaking to the girl as another knife was produced, "No simple knives Anna. These have been blessed by the very Pope himself and carry the power of the blessed Saints within. Nothing unholy will survive against their power. My companion's blade will be thrust into the heart of the succubus while we pray. At the conclusion of those prayers I will send my own blade deep into her brain. Her death will be instant at that point. The body she uses no longer available for her wicked ways. The power of the Saints will send her soul to God so that He may finally pronounce His judgment upon her."

Anna nodded as if satisfied with the nonsense he'd just spoken. As long as both blades were in Sienna's heart and brain at the same time her death was assured, regardless of the rest of the mumbo-jumbo he spoke of, "Then I guess we'll soon be rid of Sienna. I'll let you get on with it."

"One thing Anna, if you will. Can you get some of your people to hold her steady for us? My companion and I need to be very precise in how we do this and mistakes can happen with her thrashing around like she is."

The young girl raised an arm without bothering to turn, her eyes holding those of the guardian. Sienna's thrashing motions stopped immediately. Anna kept her gaze on Anton a moment longer before turning away from him, "No need to have any of my people hold her Anton. She won't be able to move. Simple thing really."

Anton's lip curled in pure hatred as the girl blatantly used her power, "Of course it's simple Anna. I was taught not to waste my talents on trivial things when there are others less talented around me to do the dirty work, that's all."

"Get on with it guardian. Do what you came to do. My patience grows thin."

Motioning a hand to his companion, Anton moved and knelt over Sienna's head, praying. His partner knelt across from the body, dagger held solidly over Sienna's heart.

Anna watched from the far wall at the farcical nonsense the two had undertaken. All the prayers, talk and waving of their hands was completely useless drivel in killing the woman on the floor in front of them. She wished they would just hurry up and finish it. Her own people as Anton had called them, were ready to do what she had silently asked of them. The moment Sienna lay dead they would unleash their power on the two idiots kneeling on the floor. The blame for the immortal's death would still lie with the Church but if anyone _did_ happen to come searching for answers she would be able to honestly claim that the Russian academy had provided revenge for her death. No-one could really ask for more than that from her. Her smile widened as Anton looked at his companion and finally gave the go-ahead, Sienna's death now begun. Without any pause the man grabbed the dagger with both of his hands and plunged it deep into the woman's heart. Only a few more minutes of the annoying prayers coming from Anton and it would be finished. Satisfaction raged through her body as she felt the power of her witches being readied to do what was required.

Anton continued to pray with closed eyes, his dagger now held in two hands and slowly being lifted to the ceiling. His uttered words rising in crescendo with every millimeter the blade rose. As his arms reached the apex of his outstretched hands his eyes flew open. With a powerful booming voice he screamed, "In the power of the Father!" before plunging the dagger straight down to Sienna's waiting face.

Anna's face went from exhilaration to bewilderment as Sienna's body disappeared before everyone's eyes at the same time the blade made its final lunge, ending buried deep in the dirt where the woman's face had been a split-second earlier, "What the hell?" she muttered out loud as the witches surrounding her unleashed their killing spells on the two guardians.

## Chapter 20

Janine felt the release of Amon's arms as they appeared within the kitchen of Niko and Sienna's empty house. The teacups still sat on the table where she had left them earlier, a reminder of what should have been time spent with her lover instead of worrying over her. Turning to the apparently empty room she spoke to the spirit once again asking the question he hadn't answered earlier, "Is the protection here enough for you to locate Sienna, Amon or do I need to do this the old fashioned way?"

"It will take time to locate Sienna's essence Janine. Far better to do it a different way."

"And what would that be?" asked Janine as she turned her head to the sound of his voice.

"The sword itself. Sienna carries it with her into battle. My physical body is still housed within its confines, asleep as it were. If you give me a moment I should be able to pinpoint exactly where it is and take us there with no problems."

Janine motioned with her arms but didn't answer him, choosing instead to take the time to check out the room where Niko had lain unconscious, the place of his murder. She was still having a hard time coming to terms that he would no longer be around. The joy and laughter he had always brought to Sienna no longer a reality. She saw no signs of anything left behind, whoever had done this had left nothing of the man himself. Nothing for Sienna to lay to rest and grieve over. She sighed, when the madness finally came to an end Sienna would feel the full brunt of this particular loss. A loss Janine wasn't even able to fully comprehend. She could only hope that the woman she loved would be able to overcome it without any negative effects.

Turning her back on the room she headed back into the kitchen. Amon should have had more than enough time by now to discover Sienna's whereabouts, "So where is she Amon? What are we in for?"

Nothing but silence met her questions, "Amon?" she asked again, fearing that the spirit had decided to go to Sienna and leave her behind. "What's happening?" she added as a surge of wind enveloped the entire room.

Wincing at the strength of the wind, Janine watched as it moved in a concentrated circle around one particular spot in the middle of the kitchen. The teacups were caught in the gust and flew across the room, carried by the wind until finally crashing against one of the walls and breaking into tiny pieces. The pressure of the in-house hurricane grew in intensity as it concentrated itself ever more towards the center, where Janine started to see the outline of the spirit with his hands held high, "Amon!" she screamed over the undulating noise, "You're about to break your promise again if you don't pay attention!"

The spirit's head turned towards Janine, fierce eyes now visible within the dust storm. Raw anger emanated from his entire being as he spoke, "My promise has been kept, Janine. I break nothing."

_'His promise had been kept?'_ she thought. ' _What the hell did that mean?'_

"I can no longer feel the presence of the sword Janine. I tracked it from here in Melbourne all the way to Russia. Now it is no longer! Whoever has it will be destroyed!"

The floor jumped into Janine's view from nowhere, her head bouncing off the surface, hard. She hadn't even felt the strength leave her body at Amon's words, her only thoughts with Sienna. _There was only one reason why the spirit would not be able to feel the sword. It was attached to Sienna by her very life-force itself. People may have the ability to abscond with it, even hide it from view but as long as Sienna lived, Amon would be able to locate it._

... _As long as Sienna lived..._

*~*

The grip of darkness eased as consciousness returned to Janine. Blinking her eyes rapidly she sat up as the full knowledge of what had occurred with Amon came rushing back in a huge wave. Mouth agape she looked around to find herself still in the same room. Her eyes fell upon the figure of Amon leaning against the wall of the kitchen, watching her. "Welcome back Janine."

Janine rose slowly from the ground, her eyes never once leaving those of the spirit, "Amon. What's happened?" Breaking eye-contact for a split second, she looked back at the floor before adding, "apart from me fainting that is."

Crossing his powerful arms, Amon continued to stare at Janine, "I searched for the location of the sword Janine. Traced its travel to the Academy here in Melbourne and then followed the trail to a location in Russia. From there it just simply vanished. I can't feel it anywhere."

"What does that mean Amon? The sword goes where Sienna is doesn't it?"

"They are both connected Janine. The sword does not _have_ to go with Sienna at all times but _she_ is the one that determines when that happens. It is possible that Sienna decided to separate herself from it for some reason, though I cannot fathom why that would be."

"But it's a possibility Amon, isn't it? After all, she locked both you and the sword away right here when we went to visit my uncle in Italy. Could she have done something similar this time?"

Amon looked at the face of Sienna's lover. She was clearly hoping that he would at least agree that there was some hope of Sienna still being alive, "Perhaps Janine. I cannot say for sure as it has never happened to me in the past." A small glimmer of hope entered the woman's eyes as he continued, "But there is also the possibility that what we fear has come to pass as well Janine. You must brace yourself in case we find that Sienna has fallen. That would also account for this happening."

"I know Amon, believe me I know. But while there's even the slimmest chance of Sienna being alive I will do everything in my power to find her. And you?"

Amon pushed himself off the wall, uncrossing his arms at the same time. His gaze moved around the kitchen before settling back on Janine, "There's no other real option for me Janine. My physical body lies within the confines of the sword. I may not be trapped the way you all believed but I do need the weapon itself to be present when I finally leave it. Without it I will be no better than one of these wandering spirits that abound this world."

Janine smiled before adding, "Then we both have motivation enough to do what's needed Amon. Let's go get Sienna back."

Amon's steps covered the intervening space between them quickly, his voice becoming harsh, "And the sword."

"Where to first big-guy? Do we head on over to the Academy here or straight on to Russia?"

"We follow the tracks I found Janine. First Melbourne to find out any information we can regarding what happened. We find out why before moving onto Russia to see what we can find."

Janine's lips pursed in thought for a moment before she faced Amon once more, "With plenty of vengeance in the middle Amon. Everyone involved _will pay._ "

"That, goes without needing to be said Janine. All will pay."

*~*

Satisfaction mixed with confusion as Serlina regarded the six people standing across from her desk, easily the six most powerful individuals left within her academy. These were the ones that had been eavesdropping on the two guardians from within the spirit realm. Anna, for all her talk of power, had failed to notice that her guests were being watched at all times. That was where her satisfaction ended though, confusion took hold at the next events as told to her by the ones in her office, "Let's go over this one more time. Sienna was still chained and trapped when the two guardians stabbed her, correct?"

The eldest witch, an older man with shoulder length white hair, nodded, "Yes, Director. The immortal never escaped the chains. Only _one_ of the guardians plunged their knife into her though, through her heart."

"The idiots stabbed her _one at a time?_ Fuck! Morons. Continue."

"When the first one finished, they began to pray over Sienna, for a few minutes before the other finally went to drive his knife into her brain. She vanished before he managed to do so."

Shaking her head, Serlina thought things through, "Did you overhear any reason for that little bitch to play these games? Where did she send Sienna?"

"I don't believe it was her doing Director. The surrounding witches killed the two guardians at the same time that Sienna disappeared. A planned attack. They're both dead."

"So what makes you believe that she didn't plan Sienna's disappearance as well? It would be very convenient for this to have happened, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes, it would. But as luck would have it, I was watching the girl as it all unfolded. Believe me, this was not something she had expected. Her physical body may hide the truth to those around her but the spirit always shines with what truly is happening. I would stake my life on the fact that she had no idea this was going to happen."

"So you think it was someone else from that damn academy who did it, then? Some kind of power-play against the girl?"

The old man's head started shaking before Serlina had even finished the question, "No Director. Every witch within that academy is afraid of that young girl. Her hold over them is absolute. None would dare to attempt something like this."

Serlina's eyes clamped shut as her fingers pinched the sides of her nose. There was only two possibilities on how this had happened. One, it was an inside job regardless of what the fool across from her thought. Someone powerful and smart from within her own ranks had decided to make a move against Anna-and succeeded. The other, someone _external_ to the academy itself had managed to break through their defenses and abscond with Sienna. Someone powerful enough to break through what almost everyone in the world considered the the best defensive fortifications known in magic today. Neither way boded well for Serlina. She was now facing an unknown _powerful_ entity. Someone she knew absolutely nothing about, "What's Anna doing about this? Did you stay long enough to find out?"

"We stayed as long as we were able to, Director. She moved quickly to add even more protection around the place. Protection that would have uncovered our presence if we had stayed. The only thing we know for sure is that she's totally pissed off and has every witch available in Russia searching for Sienna."

*~*

Scattered remains of her belongings lay across the entire floor of her room at the academy. Amon had done as she asked and transported them both here without notice. The safest place she could think of. Janine shook her head in bewilderment. Everywhere she looked she came across nothing but debris. All her belongings were strewn across the floor, her books ripped apart and her bedding overturned, "I guess it's safe to say I'm probably no longer welcome here judging by this mess."

Amon pushed at the remnants of what at one time would have been a book with his foot, "I was wondering how you could possibly live in the midst of such a mess, Janine. You've never kept your _friendship_ with Sienna a secret. Serlina would have automatically assumed you would take her side." His gaze took in the mess surrounding them, "This carnage goes beyond just looking for information though. It borders on madness, someone not completely in control."

"I think you're right Amon. For someone like Serlina to leave behind this kind of mess is a little out of character. Maybe she had one of the others do her dirty work. Might explain it. Doesn't matter anyway, I've never kept anything of any value within these walls. How did you manage to get us inside without alerting anyone? The security surrounding it is quite... formidable."

"Everything and everyone always has a weakness Janine. Without exception. The trick is finding it. These academies have always been built underground, only a minor entrance sitting at ground level itself. The security you mention? It's concentrated on protecting anyone coming in, from above. Not one of the academies is protected from below."

"You moved us in from further underneath _?_ Genius!"

Amon smiled at the joy he felt coming from Janine, "That remains to be seen. Any thoughts on how you want to tackle this? I personally wish to see this entire building razed and every witch within it burnt to the ground."

"I would agree with you if I didn't have anything to do with the place personally Amon. This place houses many _good_ individuals whose only desire is to see magic users accepted into the wider community. They have nothing but good intentions within. Killing everyone within these walls would not be justice, just the slaughter of individuals. The fact is we only know of _one_ person within these walls that has anything to do with what happened to Sienna. Serlina must pay."

"And anyone else she names as having had a hand in it, Janine. All who were involved will pay."

"Of course Amon. _That_ goes without saying. Now let's get going and finish this bitch off once and for all."

Amon's hand came up to stop Janine from moving out of the room, "No Janine. We won't go and finish her off. The better plan would be to stay here and get her to come to us. Odds are that she would be expecting something from _you._ Me however, she knows nothing about, unless Sienna told her which I don't think will be the case."

Sitting back on what remained of her bed Janine smiled, "That's actually not a bad plan Amon. How do we get her to come to us?"

A huge grin crossed Amon's face as he answered, "Simple. We trigger the security wards surrounding this room."

"Serlina went to the effort of warding _this_ room Amon? I didn't think I would even factor in any of this. I mean, here she is dealing with powers like Sienna and Niko. Fuck, even Hell itself and she takes the time to guard against me?"

"You underestimate yourself Janine. Those greater powers you speak of will be weighing heavily on Serlina's mind but if she has even the slightest intention of surviving she _must_ take you as her biggest threat. I know I would."

"Why Amon? My powers don't come anywhere near the others!"

Amon's face took on a confused look as he cocked his head at an angle, eyebrows slightly raised, "You truly don't know Janine? There's no greater power in the known realms than love. Revenge, lust, hatred... _everything_ stems from love at its core. Why would Serlina fear you most of all? Because you love Sienna with all your being! Others may fight for a cause, argue for justice and kill for revenge but tell me Janine, who else would _die_ for these things? You would only lay your life down for those you love and _that's_ the greatest form of power surrounding us. She fears you because you would _die_ for Sienna. In the end Janine, what's worth dying for, if not love?"

Janine merely nodded at Amon in response knowing he was correct. She would gladly give her life for Sienna, without any doubt or hesitation, "If what you say is right Amon then she would also not pass up the opportunity to display to her followers her power. She would want to make an example out of me for the rest. Wouldn't you say?"

"From what I've seen of her I would say that's a fair assessment. Don't fear Janine, I won't let her do anything to you."

Reaching out with her magic, she moved an imaginary path across the security wards surrounding her room as she answered Amon, "Don't make promises you won't be able to keep big-guy. Make yourself invisible and get ready. Don't do anything rash, at least not until I have that bitch in my sight."

## Chapter 21

Serlina shoved the man standing in the doorway aside with one quick motion, eager to get within the room. Sienna's foolish sidekick had ended up being as stupid as she thought she might be. Breaking into the academy in search of revenge. Funny how the damn girl had managed to bypass every speck of security except for the ones placed over her own room. Serlina hadn't thought her capable of such a feat but had left nothing to chance and placed charms all the way through the academy. Her sentinels had been alerted the moment the room had been breached and descended in force, catching the stupid girl as she sat on her own bed crying at the destruction of everything she held dear. Soon the girl would learn that material goods were the least of the things she held dear destroyed. It would be a very satisfying day after all.

A quick look at the young disheveled girl chained to the chair in the middle of the room gave her all the information she needed. Streaks of dried tears covered her scarred face as she sat dejected in the seat. Serlina moved slowly, with purpose and took hold of the chair facing the girl. Events had been out of her control for too long now, it was time to remind everyone within the academy of her power and what happened to those that tried to cross her, "Hello Janine. Welcome back. It's been a while since we've seen you within these walls."

Janine looked up briefly at Serlina's words before dropping her gaze to the floor once more, seemingly unable to meet her eyes, "Director. Why am I being held? What's the meaning of this?"

"Let's not play games with each other girl. I know that you've been helping trying to help Sienna out with her plans over the last few days. Pretending otherwise will get you nowhere. In fact, the only thing it will bring you is unnecessary pain. Let's do this the easy way instead. It'll be a lot less painful for you and I'll end up getting the information I'm after anyway. Play nice with me Janine and you might just get out of this alive." Serlina's leg kicked back on the chair she was on as she stood, sending it flying backwards towering over the still seated Janine, "Now tell me. Why is everyone after the locket?"

Janine's face lifted in genuine confusion as she spoke, "Locket? I don't know anything about a locket Serlina."

The old woman's hand lashed out without warning making Janine's head bounce off the back of her chair as the backhanded slap caused a tear of pain to well in her eyes. Janine blinked to find the face of the director an inch away from her own, "We do this the hard way then. Tell me what you know about the locket."

The mumbled reply took Serlina off guard, "Not yet."

"Not yet what? What does 'not yet' have to do with the locket girl?"

The pain in her cheek didn't deter a smile from forming on Janine's face as she replied, "What have you done with Sienna, bitch?"

"You want to know what happened to Sienna, girl?" asked Serlina as she grasped a handful of Janine's hair, "I handed your precious little darling over to that little witch of a director in Russia. I wouldn't hold any hopes of ever seeing her alive again. Last I heard of your girlfriend, she was being used as a pin-cushion by Anna and a couple of the Church's henchmen. And we both know what they think of people like Sienna. And you want to know something else?" she continued, pulling Janine's hair backwards, "They wanted me to give you over to them as well. I still might if you don't start giving me some answers. What do you know about the locket?"

Anger bubbled through Janine's body as she listened to Serlina. She now knew why Amon had sensed the sword in Russia and what their next steps should be. Her eyes turned hard as she looked over the Serlina's shoulder into an empty corner of the room, "I guess that's all we need then. No need to stay here any longer."

Serlina turned on hearing the disembodied voice cut through the silence of the room, "I believe you're right Janine." In one quick motion she turned and made a dash for the exit, only to bounce off an invisible barrier a meter from the door. Shaking her head, she screamed for her guards only to be met with absolute silence. Her mind went through her options in record time. Her thought to take Janine as hostage against whatever entity was in the room with her. Turning a half circle she stopped in her tracks as she came face-to-face with Janine, now free from her shackles standing next to a powerfully built man, holding a sword.

Janine took a couple of steps towards Serlina, the anger in her voice barely contained, "You _handed_ Sienna over to the Russian academy and the Church hoping they would kill her. You killed, or had someone else kill Niko. For no reason whatsoever. These things cannot be forgiven Serlina and they will most definitely never be forgotten."

"Don't forget that she was about to hand you over to them as well Janine. Three strikes as the saying goes." Looking at the fierceness emanating from Janine, Amon added, "Do you want me to handle this?"

Without taking her eyes away from the Director, Janine held her arm out towards Amon, palm open, "Thanks Amon but no. This bitch is mine. Can I borrow your sword please?"

*~*

Draco took a step back in confusion as the body materialized within the pentagram at his feet. The body of Sienna lay chained with a dagger through her breast instead of the comatose Niko he had been expecting. His forehead creased in a dozen wrinkles as he frowned while searching for any signs of life. The dagger had cleanly pierced her heart but her brain was still intact. With the proper care she would live.

This complicated things for him. Sacrificing Niko, although a last resort would still be tolerated and understood. Sacrificing someone like Sienna however would never go down, regardless of the reasons behind the act. Not that he would even get a chance to explain it. Easier to paint a target on his forehead and serve himself up to Beleth on a plate. Sending her back to where he had transported her from wasn't an option. Whoever was at that end would no doubt be keen to finish what they had started and giving Sienna up to be killed was not an option. Neither was just leaving her here within the confines of these walls never to be found.

No, the only way forward he could see was to unchain Sienna and try to talk some sense into her. Easier said than done given their history. Shaking his head he spoke aloud to the walls, "Damn you Amon. Where the hell are you? I could really use your help right about now!"

*~*

Serlina's blood dripped off the edge of the sword as Janine placed it back in Amon's waiting hand. She looked back at the headless corpse on the floor at her feet, feeling nothing but complete numbness. Amon's soft voice came to her as he wiped the blade, "Are you okay Janine?"

Looking into his face she was surprised to see it clearly etched with concern. Not something she had ever thought possible for a demon from Hell. "I'm fine Amon. Really, I feel... nothing."

Amon nodded as he sheathed the sword over his shoulder, taking her at her word, "That's good. We still have much to do before this is finished."

"And a couple of decisions as well Amon."

"What would those be, Janine? We head to the Russian academy and take down those responsible for what has befallen Sienna."

"There's that Amon but something else Serlina mentioned. The 'Church's henchmen' is what she called them. Do you have any idea who they might be?"

"The Church's henchmen? Most likely it would be some of the priests who call themselves the Guardians of the Faith. A tiny sect within the greater Church itself. Most of those within the Church wouldn't even know they exist. As I understand it they are politically powerful but nothing else. Nothing we need to worry about. We can take care of them after we visit Anna in Russia."

"That you know of these people doesn't surprise me Amon." Hooking a thumb over her shoulder she added, "But how the hell would _she_ know about them and more importantly _why?_ How does a Director of a _magical_ Academy in Australia tie in with some tiny, secret sect working out of the Vatican? Something doesn't sound right about this. I don't like it. _"_

"If it's concerning you this much Janine, we can head straight over after we finish in Russia and get some answers. Like I said, they're no threat to us."

"It's not us I'm worrying about Amon. If Serlina was connected to these people within the heart of the Church I'm more worried about what _else_ she knew about, like my uncle and the work he's currently doing. No-one outside the Church hierarchy is supposed to know what he's doing but if this bitch knows about these guardians?"

"You think she may also have known about your uncle."

"Not just known about him Amon, perhaps done something to him because of me."

"So what do you want to do about this then? I cannot be in two places at the same time. What becomes the priority? Finding Sienna or seeing if your uncle is safe?"

Amon watched Janine as she worked her way through the question, her features conflicted. Sienna was the love of her life but they knew she was no longer in Russia. The reason for going there was purely revenge and information gathering. Her uncle however, still lived and may be in _possible_ danger. Without waiting for an answer he continued, "Why don't we do this Janine. I'll drop you off within the Vatican and you can check up on your uncle. Make sure he's safe. While you're doing that, I'll head over to Russia and find out what happened to Sienna. I'll come back and get you and we can go on from there. What do you think?"

"It sounds like a good plan except for one minor detail Amon. There's no way you'd be able to get past the magical protection covering the Vatican. At best you would only be able to drop me outside the gates and it'll take me forever to talk my way inside."

Janine looked over at Amon in amazement as his laughter broke across the room, his body almost doubled over. "Oh my," he began when he gained his breath again, "Do those priests still believe that they reside within an impenetrable fortress? That the forces of darkness and evil will never be able to enter their sanctuary?"

"What are you saying Amon? Can you get through their protection?"

"Get through them Janine? Who do you think it was that showed them how to set it up in the first place?"

"You can't be serious Amon. _You_ showed them how?"

The remnants of his outburst still shone from his eyes, a deep laughter held at bay, "Me and Draco Janine. We were kind of bored for a while and decided to have some fun. The protection they speak of? Nothing but flashing lights and an awesome fireworks display."

Janine whispered in astonishment, "Fuck me, Amon!"

"What, I'm not worthy of a double Janine?"

Returning the spirit's smile with one of her own, Janine replied, "Not yet big-guy but you sure as Hell are working your way towards it! Drop me off in Italy and then find out where the hell Sienna is Amon. We've got some serious work ahead of us, Serlina was just the start."

## Chapter 22

Janine looked at the mass of magic as it swirled in a never-ending display of what she had been told was pure magic, a magic of such outstanding power that no resident of Hell would ever be able to breach its defenses. Her head shook as she remembered Amon's words, this was nothing but an interesting light-show, something to keep two of the Dukes of Hell amused at some point in their history.

Amon had quickly vanished to track down any trace of what had happened to both Sienna and the sword within moments of transporting her to the tiny room she had within the Vatican. Vanishing with a quick good-bye and an admonishment to be careful. Her eyes followed the movement of the 'magic' as she thought about it, still not quite believing that a Duke of Hell would give a damn about someone like her, let alone be concerned with her well-being. Despite Amon's insistence that the guardians held no power of their own she had decided to forego tempting fate by calling her uncle using her own powers, just in case things had changed.

Moving away from the swirling colors traveling across the wall, she walked over to the tiny bookshelf and reached out to take a small cardboard box from behind some of the books. Unknown to anyone else, she had been keeping track of a few forms of magical spells and incantations as they crossed her path in her studies. Spells which had been lost in time and no longer used. If Amon was telling her the truth then the Vatican was not as secure as she had been led to believe and she could no longer trust the items were as safe as she thought. Her eyes closed as she whispered a tiny spell under her breath, the box vanishing as she the final word trailed into silence. Now all that remained was to find her uncle and warn him of what she had learned about these ' _guardians'_ and the not-so secure environments of the Church. If she was persuasive enough he may leave with her. If not, at least she would have made him aware of things he may not know about.

Taking a final look at her surroundings, she committed them to memory, her instinct telling her she would probably never see the inside of the city again. A tiny bit of sadness coursed through her mind at the thought, the future she had envisioned as hers now nothing but a haze. Crossing the tiny room to the doorway, she shook her head to dislodge any of these thoughts. Her only worry at this point in time was to warn her uncle and then locate Sienna. Nothing else mattered.

The door to her room burst open as she was about to open it herself, forcing her to step back quickly to avoid getting hit. The shape of a man barged through the opening before turning on his heels and slamming it shut behind him. For a split-second Janine thought herself under attack. That somehow the guardians had learned where she was and decided to act. The words of an attacking spell almost left her lips before she realized that the man in front of her was her uncle. His face filled with fear. She watched as he turned away from the door, reaching out to grab the bookshelf and almost fell against the door upon seeing someone in the room with him. "Damn, Janine. You almost gave me a heart-attack. Quick girl, help me push this book case in front of the door."

A million questions ran through Janine's mind as she turned to her uncle. A quick 'shush' and a motion at the shelving letting her know that something _big_ was going on and now was not the time for questions. All thoughts of secrecy were swept away as she took in the urgency emanating from the man. With a quick wave of her hands the book-case slid across the floor in a smooth motion and stopped against the door, preventing anyone from entering. Keeping his admonition in mind Janine moved quickly to embrace her uncle whispering into his ear, "What's happening?"

"I'm not entirely certain Janine." Motioning his head at the doorway, he added, "There's a group of men out there dressed as priests attacking us. I don't know who they are or whether they truly are priests! I think it might be an attempt by some demons to attack the Holy Church."

Janine leaned back from the embrace, keeping her arms on her uncle's shoulders and forcing him to focus on her. Looking into his eyes she found them still a little wild from whatever had just occurred, "Trust me uncle. That's highly unlikely. Did any of those men follow you?"

"I don't think so. Can't be sure. It all happened so fast. They broke into our secure area as we were in touch with Beleth, Janine. That's why I'm thinking it's him behind the attack. I doubt he'd be impressed that we forced him to answer us, after all these years of trying!"

Janine's mouth dropped as she took in her uncle's words. "Beleth?" she questioned in a whisper, "He came to you uncle? Quickly, what did he say?"

*~*

Upon leaving Janine within the walls of the Vatican, Amon moved with quick purpose to the Academy in Russia, his only concern finding the sword housing his body and with it, Sienna. Looking down upon the compound from the spirit realm, he marveled at the strength of the security measures in place. It would take a concerted effort for anyone to break through. At least from above. As with the Melbourne academy, those in charge of the security here had failed to place any on the ground beneath their feet. It would only take him a moment to get inside and the benefit of getting inside from underneath meant he would be within their most ' _secure'_ areas, those at the lower levels. The most likely spot in which Sienna and the sword were being hidden from view. Assuming they were still within these walls at all.

His best advantage at obtaining the information required would be to remain invisible and find those responsible for what had happened to Sienna. An all-out assault like the one they had unleashed in Melbourne would not be advisable if the power showcased by the protection spells was anything to go by. Better to rely on stealth until Sienna and the sword were retrieved. Retribution and revenge could come later.

Amon's knees buckled under the force of power which hit him as he moved from the spirit realm into the academy. Intense pain running through his mind for the moments it took him to raise his own protection. Shaking his head, he took a deep breath as the pain subsided a little, finally understanding where the power of this academy stemmed from. Unlike the other covens around the world where every witch worked independently of the others, this one operated more like a hive. Every person within these walls added their own power to the sum total of all. Each one working in harmony towards the same goal. It was no wonder that the young girl Anna was deemed to be as powerful as she was. An absolutely brilliant method of concentrating power, as long as you were the leader. Amon wondered what those on the lowest rung of this particular ladder thought of this method, a method where getting ahead would be almost impossible. As formidable as it was it would only take a couple of disenchanted magic users to bring the entire structure crashing down in a flaming heap.

As imposing as this particular setup was there were some serious flaws if you knew what to look for. As with every type of hive mentality, no-one would question anyone who was within the structure if no alarms had sounded. They automatically assumed you were part of their collective. Any intruder that could find their way in without tripping any of the security measures in place would be safe to wander unhindered, as Amon was.

Smiling, he adjusted his plans on searching out those who knew anything about Sienna and the sword. The hive mentality of those within this academy meant everyone inside these walls knew everything that had occurred. A simple matter of tapping into the memories of the first person that crossed his path and he would have all the information he needed and head back to get Janine.

*~*

"We only had a short time with him before those men burst in and attacked us Janine. Truth is he spent most of the time trying to convince us that we were really in touch with the King of Hell. There's been too many times before when one of the lower demons pretended to be something they're not."

"But you're convinced this time that it _was_ Beleth himself."

"Personally? Yes, I am. Would I be able to prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt? Not in the slightest." The priest lay his back against the wall and eased himself into a sitting position, bringing Janine down with him, before continuing, "There was _something_ about the entire thing Janine, something surreal. It was just a different type of _feel_ to what happened. Completely different to every other time. Not so much the words themselves or even how they were said. I know it's quite possibly a blasphemous thing to say but I almost took it on faith that we were dealing with the King of Hell himself. It doesn't make any sense!"

Shaking her head at her uncle's words, Janine thought back to the first time she'd been in touch with the _real_ Amon. From the moment he'd uttered his first word, she'd felt a sense of trust and truthfulness from the spirit. She completely understood the feelings that Beleth would stir in a pious man like her uncle, "It makes total sense uncle. Try not to over-think it. I've felt the same thing when meeting others from that realm. I wouldn't expect that the King of the demons would have anything less than an extremely powerful aura and presence. What did he say uncle? Why did he show himself to you?"

"Like I said before, I didn't get much of a chance to talk. But the bits that he did say were about Sienna." Pausing for a moment he searched the room as if noticing her absence for the first time, "Where is she anyway? I assumed that's how you got here and you'd be together."

"A lot has happened since we last spoke uncle, I'll catch you up in a little bit. First I need to hear what Beleth had to say. Was Sienna the only thing he spoke about? What did he need with her?"

The priest sensed something underlying the words his niece was speaking. Something had obviously happened concerning Sienna. He'd dealt with Janine for a long time now and knew when things weren't quite right, this was one of those. He paused for a moment before answering, she would tell him what was going on when the time was right, "There were a few things he spoke about, asked questions about really. He wanted to know if we knew where Sienna was and whether I would be able to get a message to her. The same things about Draco and Amon. That was roughly when the attack began and I broke contact and ran away. He sounded so angry when he was asking that I just assumed the attack had come from him somehow."

"Angry uncle?"

"At the time that's what I thought. His questions had an _angry_ quality to them. Now though, it's not so clear. Sometimes desperation comes across as anger." His questioning eyes searched out Janine's before he asked, "What could possibly make the King of Hell desperate for answers Janine? What is going on?"

Janine sighed as she slumped to the floor next to her uncle, her head leaning on his shoulder as she spoke, "Too much is going on and we're not even sure what it all means. First things first. The people that attacked you uncle? I think they're actually priests that belong to something called the Guardians of the Faith. Ever hear of them?"

"The Guardians of the Faith Janine? Are you serious? They're long since dead and buried! Last of them died around the time of the Inquisition is what I got told. Where'd you dig up that name?"

"Indulge me for a moment uncle. What do you know about them?"

"Well, I'd need to go look up the history books to refresh my memory on all the details but in a nutshell I believe they were the predecessors to the types of priests that ran the inquisition in the dark days of the Church and things of that nature. Traditional, by the book, brook no nonsense types. Real zealots I guess you'd call them. I seem to recall they were initially created as a means of keeping other priests in line and following the laws of the Church. Kind of like an Internal Affairs department for the priesthood."

Raising her head from the priest's shoulder", she looked straight in his eyes before asking, "What if I was to tell you I have it on good authority that these guardians still exist?"

"On a normal day I would probably recommend that you get some professional help, even point you in the right direction." Looking over his shoulder at the bookcase covering the door, he added, "But it appears that _normal_ days no longer cover what we're going through right now. _If_ they do still exist, then what happened to me earlier would easily be explained. The work we do, talking with those beings in Hell would be exactly the type of thing that all of these guardians would abhor. I mean, heck-the whole inquisition was founded upon keeping women under the control of men, nothing more. If these people found out that some of their _own_ were dealing with demons? I'd be scared about what they would possibly do in their _righteous_ madness."

"We need to get you out of here uncle. It's way too dangerous with these madmen running around."

"No Janine, what I need to do is make sure the Holy Father is made aware of the situation. Only a papal command will stop these lunatics from continuing in their madness."

Both Janine and the old man's heads turned as one towards the empty bed as Amon's voice came to them, "That would only work if your pope wasn't already aware of the situation, priest. If what my brothers have told me about these lunatics is right, then the very man you seek to stop this madness is the one that is actually in charge of them. Has been since very early on in his career."

Recognizing Amon's voice, Janine reached out her arm to stop her uncle from rising in a panic. The spirit had returned to Italy much quicker than she had anticipated. She turned to her uncle and spoke in a calm voice, "Easy uncle. He's not the enemy. At least not to us at this point. Uncle, I'd like you to meet Amon, sort-of in the flesh."

Amon's face betrayed no emotion as he looked upon Janine's uncle, "Pleasure to finally meet you priest. Though it's not the first time we've spoken."

Janine looked upon her uncle's face as different emotions raged across it, his mouth opening at times as if about to speak before quickly slamming shut again. Moments later he closed his eyes and mumbled something under his breath before looking back at Amon and asking, "Amon? As in _duke of Hell,_ Amon?"

"One and the same priest."

## Chapter 23

Arman's features were a mixture of fear and pain as he lay on the cave floor behind Draco. The small noises he had begun to display a while earlier had become more pronounced and irritating to the spirit. Turning away from the prone figure, Draco's gaze fell again on the still chained form of Sienna within the pentagram, the dagger still thrust in her motionless chest. No matter how many different ways he looked at the situation, a solution would not present itself. He had discarded his earlier thought of releasing the chains and dagger from the woman. With everything they had gone through in recent history he could see _no way_ that she would even listen to the first words to come from his mouth.

He'd delved into her mind to try and find a solution only to have found further misery. He'd traveled along with her memories as she remembered the events of the previous days. From the unusual blast that started everything, to the shocking discovery of seeing Beleth in the flesh, to Niko's murder and her subsequent rage and capture at the hands of the covens of Melbourne and Russia. Every event unique and completely random from a casual point of view.

Draco knew better than that. There was a thread tying all these together somehow but he couldn't figure out what or who was behind it all. Amon loomed large in recent events in her memories, another mystery. Why would his brother duke get into bed with the woman at his feet? Why had he ignored the constant efforts made to contact him by both Arman and himself?

Too many questions without answers, any single one of which could lead to his death.

A glint of light caught his eye as it bounced off the chains holding Sienna in place. Thoughts thundered into his brain through the murkiness of the unknown, ' _The chains. If Amon was as truly smitten by the woman as it appeared to be, he could use the chains to bind his brother Duke. All he'd need to do would be to allow Sienna's presence to be felt from within the cave for a short period of time.'_ Enough time for Amon to get a fix on their position and show himself. With a little luck and having the benefit of surprise on his side he should be able to place the chains on Amon giving himself enough time and breathing space to talk some sense into his brother.

Draco smiled as he began his preparations, events finally seemed to be under his control again. Taking his time, he slowly ran his hands across the links holding Sienna in place, working his magic into each one until they were perfect. The pain etched in Sienna's face slowly faded as he moved through each. When he was finished they would no longer force continuous pain on the wearer. Instead, they would render them without any magic or power for eternity or until he decided to take them off.

With a quick motion and tiny spell he rose to a standing position, the chains now held in his hands and ready for action. Sienna's life-force would be visible to those outside the protective barrier of the cave until he stopped it once more. If all went to plan, Amon would show up in the cave as soon as he felt it. Moving back a couple of steps he forced the shadows within the cave to surround him. They wouldn't make him totally invisible but would allow him to remain undiscovered by Amon for a few moments after he appeared. Enough time to take the initiative and put the shackles in place. The tiny bits of darkness within the cave had barely had a chance to move into place when he noticed the stirrings of air surrounding Sienna. Stirrings which would have remained unseen by those not actively looking for them at that precise moment. He jumped forward at the same time that the air took solid form and slammed the chains over Amon's wrists before jumping back in to the shadows once more. The extra moment of disorientation allowing the Duke to shut off the outside world, once more plunging Sienna and the now captive Amon within the confines of the pentagram.

A smile of pure pleasure formed on his lips as he realized that it was finally done, lasting only a moment longer as he stepped out of the darkness. In all the planning and thinking about what needed to be done, he had never considered the possibility that now presented itself. Kneeling on the floor and bound by the chains he had modified sat none other than Beleth, the current King of Hell, "Hello Draco," he began, "Can't really say that this was the welcome I'd get when we finally caught up with each other."

*~*

Amon watched as the priest slowly made his way to a standing position with his back firmly against the wall. Janine had followed his movements with what appeared to him as genuine concern. Trying to ease the old man's mind somewhat, Amon lay back on the tiny bed and smiled at the pair, "You must be one of the toughest priests I've ever dealt with, old man. I can't remember any other of your kind being so calm the first time we met. It's normally met with a bunch of hyperventilation and screams of one sort or another. A couple of them even died of a heart-attack. Now I see where your niece gets it from."

The old priest looked over at Janine once more, his head shaking a little, "First Beleth and now bloody Amon. This day has gone so far beyond normal that it's not funny Janine. What the hell is going on?"

Both of them turned quickly at the sound of Amon leaping out of the bed and drawing his sword. The relaxed outlook he had held a moment ago had now disappeared, his entire body tense, coiled and ready to attack, "Beleth? What did you mean by ' _first Beleth?'_ priest?"

"I really must learn to keep my mouth shut at times. Seems like I'm never going find out what the hell is going on today." Taking in the hard looks coming from the demon, the old priest sighed and spoke, "Okay. Quick sixty-second version. Just before Janine showed up the team and myself managed to call forth the spirit of Beleth. We were having a quick chat before being attacked. At the time I thought it was _your King_ that was behind it. After talking with my niece I changed my mind. She tells me that there's a bunch of priests calling themselves the Guardians of the Faith who are most likely behind the attack. I ran and took cover here, where I found my niece and now you showing up. The nitty-gritty about Beleth? He was asking questions. Mainly about Sienna but there were a few just before the attack that centered on yourself and Draco. All concerning where you all could be found and whether I'd be able to get a message to any of you. And that is pretty much the entire story."

As the priest finished talking Amon looked over at Janine, "Sienna again. What is it that Beleth wants with her?"

"I honestly don't know Amon, but we really need to figure it out once and for all. What did you find in Russia? Any leads to her whereabouts?"

Keeping his eyes on the priest, Amon sat back slowly his mind on Beleth, "The witches in Russia have no idea where she is Janine. They had her in chains for their own purposes until the guardians showed up. At that point they just gave her over. The guardians were in the process of killing her when she just disappeared from under their noses. Not one of them knows where she's been taken."

"She's still alive them Amon? You said they _were in the process of killing her."_

Amon's eyes looked back and forth between the priest and Janine, "When she was taken she still lived. That's all I can say with certainty. A dagger through the heart." He raised his hand in a stop motion as fury cut through Janine's face, "Those guardians are now dead Janine. The Russian witches took care of that for us."

"Those ones might be dead Amon but there's a few more just outside this door who still live. I want them _all_ dead!"

"That's understandable," began the spirit, "but ill-advised at this moment. Our first thoughts must be on Sienna and how to get her back. These _guardians,"_ he added, "will still be here down the track. You can take your revenge later."

*~*

Beleth eyes fell on the still form of Sienna on the floor with a dagger through her breast as he got off his knees to stand, "For your sake I hope she yet lives Draco. Things might get a little _nasty_ otherwise."

Draco's reply came in a barely held whisper as the shock of seeing Beleth in the cave instead of Amon washed over him, "Nasty, Beleth? That would be a welcome surprise compared to the absolute torture I've been through this past century. You have no idea what pain and misery those chains caused before I modified them." Pointing a finger towards Sienna he added, "That woman and Niko are the ones to blame for it and yet, I've allowed her to live."

Beleth's laughter echoed off the walls in the cavern at Draco's words as he brought his chained hands up to eye-level, "That _woman_ may have been the one who placed these things on your wrists Draco but she was never the brains behind it." The King's eyes went back to Sienna as he continued, "Niko, Sienna and Grigori were just pawns in the game, my Duke. They had no understanding of what lay behind it all."

"You're the one behind all this, Beleth?"

The King's chained hands dropped low at the same time as his head, "No Draco, I'm not. I've been a target the same as you, just somewhat luckier."

"You honestly expect me to believe that you've been a target in this Beleth? _You_ killed the other dukes and kings! As far as I can see, the only ones left alive are myself and Amon! Don't take me for a fool. Amon and myself have been in hiding for a damn century because of you! You cannot deny that!"

"Deny it?" replied Beleth shaking his head, "I don't deny any of that, in any way. Yes, I killed the other Kings and the dukes. There's even been quite a number of other lesser brothers that I've killed that you are not aware of. No, I won't deny any of the things you say."

"But why Beleth? Why betray your own brethren like this? You are a King of Hell, second only to the Morning Star! Isn't that enough power? Must you really have it all?"

Beleth's eyes narrowed as the Duke spoke, turning hard and focused. His reply coming out in a hiss, "I never betrayed _any_ of of us, Draco. Yes, I did kill all those we just mentioned, and many others. But it was self-defense Draco. I _never_ initiated any of this! _I was the one who was betrayed!_ They attacked me Draco, not the other way around. Your fellow _dukes_ tried to kill me first. All who have fallen by my hand were part of it. Only you and Amon have been able to elude me, but we both know that was never going to be forever. Eventually I would have found you both."

"And had us killed?"

Beleth smiled at the duke, "If I found out you were a part of it, yes. Without question."

## Chapter 24

Beleth sat cross-legged and silent on the floor within the pentagram watching Draco across the cave. Unlike the others, Draco truly appeared to have absolutely no knowledge about the events which had occurred to this point. If that was the truth then perhaps he had finally found an ally in the madness. His gaze wandered to Sienna once more. The woman's life-force was incredible. Physical perfection aside, it was easy to see how she could incite total chaos without wanting to. Great wars, lost lives and the most of evil atrocities had been committed historically for the misguided love and attention of those like her, without their consent. Even the most powerful among them, the Morning Star, had succumbed. Turning back to Draco he asked, "So what now? I sit here chained and at your mercy, Draco. What will you do? Will you kill me and take my place as King?"

"Never wanted to be king, Beleth." replied Draco as he brought his eyes back from watching Sienna, "Never even entered my mind. That kind of bullshit is part of what caused the bloody argument in the first place. That's not who we are, that's the other side's mentality." Seeing the smile cross Beleth's face he added, "But whether I wanted it or not the choice appears to have been placed in front of me. I did not go looking for it or even wanted it but the decision now needs to be made. Should I kill you and end this madness or do I trust your words and release you? I... don't know."

Beleth's smile stayed on his face as he listened to Draco's words. He was now convinced that Draco had not been a part of everything which had occurred, "Why not summon Amon to help you make the decision Draco? Between the two of you an answer will be found."

"I've been trying to get in touch with Amon from the start Beleth. He cloaks himself beyond my ability to get through." He waved a hand at the form of Arman lying in the corner, "Not even repeated calls from one who has worshiped him for centuries can get his attention. My guess is he thinks I'm a part of everything that's happened for some reason."

"Use Sienna, Draco. Remove the protection of the pentagram to get his attention, the way you got mine."

Draco laughed at Beleth's words, "Damn I'm so stupid. I only kept her hidden so that _you_ wouldn't find me. No other reason."

"But now I sit here captive. If that was your _only_ reason for hiding her then..."

Draco finished the sentence Beleth was speaking, "... there's no reason for me to hide her anymore."

*~*

Janine paused for a moment, Amon was right. The guardians could stay on the back-burner for the time being and be dealt with at their leisure sometime in the future. _'The near future.',_ she amended silently. "Okay then.", she asked aloud, "They can keep for now but we need to get my uncle out of here and somewhere safe before we try to find Sienna again."

Amon's words mixed in with the priests as they both answered at the same time, "There's nowhere safe..." The spirit smiled and took up the broken thread of their words, "Nowhere in the world is actually safe for your uncle, Janine. These people appear to have connections everywhere. Not to mention Beleth. He's out there somewhere and can easily find the priest."

"And at least here within these walls I know who I can trust, Janine and now that I'm aware of these guardians, I can look out for them. As for Beleth," he shrugged his shoulders before adding, "I don't think there's really much I can do if the King of Hell decides he wants to chat with me." He reached up and pulled the ring off his finger, holding it out to her, "Take this with you. It might make me a little bit harder to find."

"Your ring Uncle? Why would that make you harder to find?"

Amon's voice answered her question, "The ring is what gives your uncle the power to use the stone, Janine. The stone is the conduit to being able to talk to those in my realm but the ring is the actual key. Without it, nothing happens."

"Don't be afraid of the ring Janine. It's totally useless unless it's in the same room as the stone. Take it with you, the farther away it is, the harder it will be for Beleth to find me with it." The old man's hand was in the process of handing over the ring when he stopped, his head going back and forth between his niece and Amon. Both of them had stopped paying attention and cocked their heads to the side simultaneously, listening to something, "What is it?" he asked.

Janine's head snapped quickly from his eyes towards Amon, "Sienna." she whispered.

"I feel her too Janine. Quick, grab my hand before the trail disappears."

*~*

Draco kept watch over the seated Beleth as he finished modifying the spell that kept Sienna unseen. Backing into the wall he turned back to the King, "It's done. Sienna's life-force is shining bright once more. If Amon is really looking for her it shouldn't take long for him to notice. In the meantime, you mind answering some questions I have?"

Beleth raised his head, his eyes looking over every part of the cave. The first real movement he'd made since sitting on the floor, "Of course Draco. If I know the answer it's yours. What do you want to know?"

"From what you said earlier, you don't have any idea as to the reason behind any of this." Looking over at Sienna he asked, "Why are you so fixated on the woman? She's not even from our realm so it's highly unlikely that she's involved in any way."

Beleth's eyes followed Draco's gaze and fell on Sienna, "Truth is I agree with you. I really don't think she is involved in any of the things that have happened to me. I didn't even know she existed until I went searching for you and Amon. Wasn't even aware that people of such power existed in this dimension. _None_ of the Kings did. Not like we've really paid attention to anything here, ever. I only came across her as I went to the place where I felt your presence, only to come across her instead. With nothing else to go on I decided to stick close in case you were in touch with her for some reason."

"So you weren't aware that _she_ was the one that had chained me?"

"No idea whatsoever. I followed and watched, waiting for you to show. Warned her about a small magic trap which had been set on her motorbike."

"Why? If she means nothing ..."

"Don't mistake my warning to her as anything other than what it was Draco. If you _were_ in contact with her I couldn't very well let my only lead to your whereabouts be killed."

Draco's eyes narrowed as he asked the next question, "Why not just ask her? I doubt she would have been in a position to lie to you."

"I only got one chance to try talking to her after her bike blew up Draco. Went to her house to ask her some questions. Was only there for the briefest of moments before a sword came flying towards me. Felt the full force of hatred emanating from it as it flew across the room." Beleth's eyes met Draco's as he added, "It was Amon I felt in that moment. How could I possibly think that either of you weren't involved when that's the kind of welcome I got? You can't really blame me for thinking the worst now, can you?"

"I guess not, at least not when you look at it from that angle. It's the same reason I wanted to get hold of her, use her to get Amon to show up. I feel bad but at the same time..."

Beleth nodded his head as Draco felt lost for words, "I know what you mean. There's something special about this woman. You do see that she bears a striking resemblance to Diamonique, don't you?"

"I've tried not to think about it Beleth. We've sworn never to even think about her let alone mention her name out loud. But yes, I did notice. Physical features aside, she shines in the same way."

"She's like a force of nature Draco, drawing everything and everyone surrounding her in. I don't know what to make of it." added Beleth as he stood, "Now. Are there any other questions you have before we begin?"

Draco's body tensed as he prepared himself, "Begin what Beleth. We're waiting for Amon to show."

Beleth smiled at the Duke in response, "No Draco. _You_ have been waiting for Amon to show up. I felt his presence within this cave the moment you lifted the cloaking spell." He motioned his chained wrists to the still form of Sienna, "Our brother Amon has kept himself nice and quiet over there, protecting Sienna of all things and he's brought along a friend it seems."

Draco's head snapped to where Sienna lay, adjusting his vision as he did so. The sight of Amon standing over Sienna with his sword drawn came through clearly. As did the kneeling female holding the dagger buried in Sienna's breast with both hands, tears shining as they made their way down her scarred cheeks.

*~*

Amon stepped gently over Sienna's body, never taking his eyes off Beleth, "Beware those of us who would betray an oath, Draco. All of us made a promise to the Morning Star that her name would never cross our lips again." The point of his sword moved towards Beleth, "He claims to have been betrayed yet he sits there calmly breaking his own oath. How are we to believe _anything_ he has said if he so readily betrays the Morning Star?"

Draco eyes never left the woman holding the blade embedded within Sienna's chest. He had anticipated seeing Amon appear but the unknown female made him wary, "If you've been listening in to our conversation so far Amon, you'll know that at this point I'm not taking _anyone_ at their word. There's been more betrayal in the past century than in all our history combined. Too many of our own brethren lay dead _at our own hands_ than ever before."

Beleth shook his wrists, the chains clinking loud enough to bring everyone's attention back to him, "Draco is right Amon. It seems all three of us are here searching for the same answers. You heard my story as you sat invisible earlier. I haven't denied any of the things that you think I've been responsible for. In fact, I do believe I added a few more details that you two weren't aware of. Saying Dominique's name out loud is the least of our worries. All that has occurred is yet without meaning to me. Why did the other Kings and Dukes get together and attack me? I wasn't able to get a straight answer out of any of them. You can't honestly say that you would have acted any different were it you they had attacked!" Beleth lowered his arms once more, head shaking slightly as he added, "I think I see where Draco sits in all this but have yet to hear anything from you Amon. I helped out Sienna out of my need to find you two. Draco used Arman out of his need to locate you. But there's one thing I can't figure out. Why have you helped out Sienna and the woman kneeling behind you? What reason could you possibly have to attack me the way you did at her house?"

Amon's eyes glazed over a little as he looked upon the two women on the ground, giving Janine a small smile while answering Beleth, "She is the one that controls the sword, Beleth. When she wields it, I must obey her commands. It may protect and hide me but it is also my prison and she is the warden." His eyes snapped back to focus as Janine's mouth dropped open, her eyes questioning.

"But you told me before that the trap that Niko and Sienna set for you only kept you trapped for a couple of days Amon, that you'd been free to leave the katana at any point in the past century."

Amon kept his eyes on Janine a moment before dropping his gaze, his shoulders slumping at the same time. Janine's grip on the dagger strengthened as Amon's laughter rang out, "I guess my luck was going to run out eventually. Honestly didn't think it would get me this far." Raising his head his eyes made full contact with Janine's widened ones as he continued, "Guess this is the end of the line for the lot of you, except the lovely Sienna of course. Her, I've got further plans for."

*~*

As luck would have it, Beleth had been watching Draco's face while Amon spoke, glad that at least _one_ of the leaders amongst his brethren had stayed true. Looking back at the others he took note of it all in a heartbeat. A furious rage emanated from the woman kneeling next to Sienna, Amon would need to deal with her quickly or risk being stabbed by the very dagger currently keeping Sienna held down. Arman's posture had not changed in any way, still lying in the corner seemingly oblivious to the events currently underway. Of everyone within the cave, Draco had been hit hardest. His face going from surprise to shock and then anger within a mere second. His voice, when it finally emerged came forth as barely a whisper, "You're behind this? But, why?"

"You ask me why, Draco?" asked Amon a moment before thrusting his arm in Beleth's direction, "Because I've had enough of _him_ and the others. That's why. Before this useless argument we all had a purpose, a meaning to all we did." Dropping his arm to his side he took a tentative step towards Draco before adding, "Since the damn split though it's like we're living in a house where mum and dad have been fighting for a long time and they've finally run out of things to scream at each other about. So we sit there and tiptoe around. Careful to not make any noise so that they don't start fighting again! Enough is enough Draco. Everyone needs to put this stuff behind them already, but it is never going to happen as long as Lucifer's inner circle doesn't change." Amon's shoulders slumped as he finished, "and _that_ is something that would never happen unless they were forced to do so. You know that as well as I do."

The sound of metal bouncing off the floor made both Dukes turn to face Beleth. The chains which had previously been locked around his wrists now lay in the dust at his feet. Janine stood on one side of his massive form clutching the dagger which had held Sienna in her hand, the fury still coursing through her body. On the other stood Sienna, her face a mask of complete calm as she took in the scene in front of her. He smiled at the questioning looks of the two dukes and spoke, "You're not the only one capable of pretending to be helpless Amon." His face lifted to the ceiling as he continued, "Looks like we finally got to the bottom of it, Luci."

A sultry, seductive voice broke through the silence following Beleth's words clearly heard by everyone in the cave, "Appears so Beleth. Would you be so kind as to clean up this mess before coming back, please?"

"It'll be my pleasure, believe me."

The presence of the voice lifted from the cave as Beleth continued to address the dukes, "Amon is right in some of the things he spoke of Draco, our world will never move on to greater things while the Morning Star sits brooding over some forsaken woman from the dusty past. His plan was ill-conceived though, a mere Duke from Hell will never have the power required to do what's needed." Lifting his arm, he brought it forward in a thrusting motion towards Draco, sending a hundred knives straight at him, the duke's body shuddering as each blade sunk deep within every part of his body, before finally falling to the ground. A crimson circle of blood pouring out onto the floor and edging slowly outwards. "And you, my lord Draco would never have joined with me."

## Chapter 25

Amon looked at the body of Draco lying in a pool of blood before turning his attention back to Beleth, his gaze taking in the forms of Sienna and Janine backed up against the wall with surprised looks on their faces. Whatever Beleth was up to, it was clear to him that the two women held no knowledge whatsoever about it. The continuous sobs and whimpering cries of Arman had also ceased at the sight of the Duke lying dead on the floor. His eyes now clear of the madness to which he had succumbed earlier. Every pair of eyes were riveted on Beleth trying to come to grips with what he had just done.

The king himself just smirked as he sauntered over to Amon, bending over to grab the chains at his feet in the process, "Games within games Amon," he began as he moved closer, "You really should have come to me with this plan of yours right from the start. We could have avoided all these unpleasant events and be happily sitting where we should have been a long time ago."

Fear ran through Amon's body as Beleth approached, despite the friendly tone he was using. His plans had always included eliminating the king but not once had the thought entered his mind of doing so in a straight one-on-one contest. While his powers and abilities had grown tremendously over the past century he was still no match for the might of Beleth. Taking him by surprise at the right moment had been his only option. His entire body shrank as the realization of where he stood sank in. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself upright as Beleth stopped directly in front of him, bringing his own eyes level, "C'est La Vie, Beleth. Telling me I should have come to you right at the start is twenty-twenty hindsight talking. None of you would have listened to me. I would have been dead before finishing the first sentence. You can lie to yourself all you wish but we both know the truth. You, and all your circle of _friends_ have been nothing but yes men to the Morning Star since the beginning. On your own, you were all nothing!"

Beleth reached out and placed a hand on Amon's shoulder, staring intently into his eyes, "Perhaps you're right. Doesn't make a difference though. In the end, you and your circle of friends were always jealous that you weren't able to get closer to her." His hand squeezed as his power flowed straight through the Amon's body, turning it to dust, "Farewell brother."

Sienna had held Janine's hand through the entire thing, silently taking in everything taking place. At Beleth's last words she had turned quickly to Janine, seeing the same question mirrored in her eyes, "Her?" she whispered.

With a quick shrug of her shoulders, Janine mouthed a reply, "No idea."

Beleth clapped his hands in an effort to remove any excess dust from them as he turned to the assembled group, "Now, what am I supposed to do with you lot? Lucifer told me to clean up this mess but I don't know whether she meant you as well? Ah well, better safe than sorry I guess. It's a shame considering none of you really had anything to do with all that's been happening but I can't really leave any loose ends lying around."

Arman moved in front of Janine and Sienna with purpose, hate flowing through the core of his being and shining forth from the hardness of his eyes. The words spat from his mouth as he faced Beleth, "All of you really are living up to your names, Demons one and all. Pretending to be Gods, demanding sacrifices of innocents, evil acts committed in your name. You stand there thinking you're superior to us when in reality you are nothing but worms. The whole lot of you." Glancing back at Sienna, he caught her eyes before continuing, "I'm sorry Sienna, and you too Janine. There's no excuse for what I've done and I don't expect your forgiveness."

The King of Hell stood still as Arman spoke, the words washing over him without impact, "Like everyone else Arman, you're totally predictable. You call me evil and a demon yet it was you and your god that started this whole mess. Amon, because he wanted to get rid of me and the other Kings. His ambition was at least something I could understand. Your motives however are ludicrous. Every life you've taken and evil deed you've performed was based on your desire to _own_ Sienna. Nothing more. And now that you find yourself cornered with nowhere left to run, you turn back to her and apologize. And even though you mouth the words of not expecting forgiveness, that's exactly what you hope to get from her! The humans in this plane of existence really need to get their facts straight on what evil actually is. Not that you three will get the chance to, you'll all be dead shortly." He raised his hands and pointed it at the three, the power making his closed fists glow with an orange incandescence, the light reflecting back on his face from below, casting shadows across his features. Darkening and highlighting the crazed look in his eyes, "Soon you'll be a memory in no-one else's mind but my own." he added as the force of his power thrust like a laser directly at them.

Sienna reached out and took hold of Janine in an effort to shield her from what was coming, knowing that it would have no effect at all. Moments after Janine had pulled the dagger from her breast she had tried to call her power forth and get them free of the place with no result. Whatever protection Beleth had placed around the cave had dulled her magical abilities to the point of uselessness. Her final act was done out of pure adrenaline, the response of someone who would give their very life for those they love. If it only spared Janine a second of pain it would be worth it. Arman, to his credit had done an identical thing and thrown himself between Beleth and Sienna.

She held as tight as she possibly could as the loud crashing noise washed over her, forcing her to wince and close her eyes. "Love you Janine." she whispered as the orange glow of light began to brighten. Tensing her body, she waited for the impact of the blow to come.

An impact that never hit home.

As the sound of the crash receded to silence she heard the female voice from earlier break through, "I think perhaps you may need to reconfirm what evil actually means as well, Beleth. _This_ is _not_ what I had in mind."

Sienna began to open her eyes, squinting as the brightness surrounding her faded away to nothing, her only thoughts on ensuring Janine had come through whatever it was that had just occurred, unharmed. Her worry faded as quickly as the light had on seeing Janine looking back at her with a huge smile on her own face, arms tightly wound around her waist. She leaned in and took her in a massive hug, whispering in her ear, "Thank God you're okay." Keeping one arm around Janine, she turned back to where Beleth stood trying to find out what had just happened, only to find him on his knees and chained, staring fearfully at a woman standing over him.

"God had nothing to do with this Sienna." Said the newcomer without turning, "I sometimes wonder whether such a being even exists."

*~*

Sienna's breath caught in her throat as she watched the woman turn back to face the group. Her entire life most of those surrounding her had always been captured and entranced by her own physical presence and while this played a part in anyone's initial attraction, Sienna knew it was a shallow allure at best, the least meaningful thing when it came to true beauty. The most beautiful of people, those like Janine, were those whose outer expression of life was a mirror of the love, beauty and inner brilliance they held within their soul. The physical aspects of beauty would always wither and fade over time but those whose inner beauty shone forth, would always be attractive.

The woman staring at them held both. Apart from her crystal-blue eyes, no other physical feature stood apart from the rest. Her entire presence coupled with the inner glow and confidence of a woman who knew exactly who she was would make anybody in the world turn and stare if she happened to walk past you in public, "If they do happen to exist, they really like to keep to themselves." Taking a small step away from the kneeling Beleth, the newcomer's hand fell to her side, the clinking sound of the chains binding Beleth the only noise. Taking in the confused looks of the three, she added "I'm Luci."

Janine's grip tightened on Sienna a little as she asked, "Luci? As in Lucifer, Prince of Darkness?"

The smile on Lucifer's face widened a fraction as she answered, "One and the same, at least that's one title that has been placed on me by those who live in this dimension. I prefer Luci, and as usual it gets left to me clean up the mess that others have made." She looked around at those left within the cave before her eyes came to rest on Sienna, "With everything that has happened and all those that have perished, _you_ stand as the most powerful individual in this dimension Sienna, whether you wish it or not. I doubt that this will be the end of it. Sooner or later those who are graced with more ambition than skill will come hunting again."

"Are you telling me that I'll be a target for more demons, Luci? Can't you force them not to?"

Lucifer's smile diminished slightly as the turned her head to take in the kneeling form of Beleth on the ground, "If only it were that simple, Sienna. I'll do what I can to stop it from happening but as you can see, even those closest to me have not been immune to that kind of madness. They fail to understand that _we didn't ask for this!_ And you must keep in mind that those within my dimension are not the only ones out there. Many other realms exist." She dropped the chain holding Beleth and moved closer to the women, "Sooner or later Sienna, someone will come again and next time I don't think it will be a bunch of coincidences that will attract them. You _will_ become the target. My advice? Start getting yourself ready. Surround yourself with those you would trust with your very life, because that is exactly what you'll be doing."

"I don't want any of that Lucifer. They can have it. I've _never_ wanted anything of the sort."

"And _that_ Sienna is the exact reason that other's will always place you as a leader. Everything you do is for the benefit of those around you, never selfish. That quality is what makes you a target. It's who you _are,_ not what you want."

Sienna watched as Lucifer turned back to Beleth once more, her entire body slumped as a single tear eased its way from the corner of her eye, "We all have our burdens Sienna and the hardest tasks always fall on our shoulders. I need to figure out what I'm going to do with Beleth." Turning her head back to the two women, she added "Just like you're going to have to find out what to do with Arman and what's left of that coven of witches."

## Chapter 26

Light streamed through the church's stained glass windows showering the single coffin in the center aisle near the altar in a multi-colored display that dazzled the eyes. Like God himself had deigned to bless the individual within.

Sienna and Janine had kept themselves in one of the darker corners right at the back of the church as the cross-bearer had entered, followed by priests, nuns and finally, two different cardinals from Rome itself wearing the crimson skullcaps and white vestments which had symbolized the prince's of the church for centuries. That the Holy See had sent two of its highest ranking officials to attend the mass for her uncle was something Janine was having a hard time with. If what Beleth and Amon had told her held true, these very officials were part of the reason he was dead. Ignoring the disgusted looks of those seated in the pews in front of her, she turned and made her way out of the building shouldering past those trying to gain entry.

She stopped as her feet hit the sidewalk and turned her head to catch the sun's rays, letting the warmth filter over her. A moment later she felt hands come around her waist as the familiar scent of Sienna's hair came to her. Without opening her eyes she spoke. "Can you believe those hypocrites Sienna? Sitting there going through all this archaic bullshit and carrying on like he was the best thing since sliced-bread when all along they were the ones behind it?"

Sienna pulled Janine back into her own body as much as she could before answering, "I know what you mean, Jani. But in the end your uncle was still one of the highest members of the church. There's no way they could do anything else. It's politics, we know that. Let those losers do what they need to do to make themselves feel good about their lives."

Janine gave a small sigh, "Why does it always feel like the bad guys get what they want Si? After all the shit we've been through it's _my_ uncle who lies there dead and the bad guys are still walking around, ready to move on to whatever it is they want to do next. Where's the justice in life? Maybe we need to start acting like _them_ and only do things for ourselves, fuck the rest of the world."

Sienna kept holding Janine as she spoke, knowing it was all just an outlet for her grief, for the pain she currently felt. Speaking now would not be of any use, instead she let her mind wander to other events.

Lucifer's departure from the cave had been a bit of an anti-climax and brought very little closure to most of the events which had occurred to them over the previous days. The highest echelons of Hell were now empty. No kings or dukes existed with any power. The mess left behind was left for her to deal with. Their first decision had been what to do with Arman. The madness which had lifted for a few brief moments in the encounter had come crashing back over him once more as soon as Lucifer had left. She still wondered whether the two were tied together somehow. Knowing how far back they both went, Janine had left it up to her to decide on the best course of action. Revenge for all the evil things he had done had been foremost in her mind until the very point where it was hers to dish out. Looking into his eyes she knew that all sanity had fled and any pain she caused now would be felt by an individual who wouldn't even know why he was being punished, a shallow victory that would bring her no joy. Instead of punishment she'd decided to move him to the tiny island back in Kiribati where he could live whatever life he had left alone.

Thoughts of Arman blew away as she caught a snippet of Janine's words once more, "Sorry Jani, what was that about the witches?"

Turning her body within the warmth of the embrace, Janine faced Sienna with a sad smile, "We need to do something about those covens Si. They have too much power at their command to be allowed to continue without us keeping an eye on them. Sure, Serlina has been taken care of but I've been hearing whispers that Anna has moved in and taken over the Melbourne branch of the academy. That means she has the full power of not just Russia but also Melbourne at her beck and call. That little bitch still needs to pay for what she did to you."

"I know Jani, believe me I know. It won't get rid of our problems though. It'd be easy enough for me to go in and get rid of the girl. But then what? Someone else will take over and I can pretty much guarantee that they will come looking for revenge. It would just end up being another useless cycle of vicious anger and revenge. We'd end up losing the freedom of our lives and have to look over our shoulders forever."

"You're not saying you'll just let her get away with this are you?"

"Nope. That little bitch _will_ pay, I just need to find the right way to do it where we can continue to live our lives."

Both women turned at the sound of an artistic cough to see a stunning young man standing there watching them. Sienna's arms loosened their hold on Janine as she turned to put herself between them. The man's presence giving off a powerful vibration that reminded her of Beleth, "Can I help you?" she asked.

The young man smiled as he turned, one of his arms motioning to a box on the ground beside his feet, "I'm just here to deliver a present to you both from the Morning Star. She told me to tell you that she would have delivered it herself but felt that her presence at this particular place and time could cause some issues." Turning his face back to the church, he added "And considering the amount of ritualistic crap I've just heard in that building, I'd say she was right. Water into wine? If you get the chance, ask Lucifer about the real story behind that one day. It's a pisser!"

Turning back to face them once more he continued, "But anyway, that's beside the point. She asked me to make sure you got this and here I am."

"What's in it?" asked Janine, a life-time of being drilled about the evils of the Devil not entirely disappearing overnight, "Do you know?"

"I have absolutely no idea what's in the box Janine. Lucifer didn't tell me but I doubt it would be anything to worry about. She's not exactly the type to go about doing nasty things in underhanded ways. If she wanted to hurt you in any way, it would be face-to-face. Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I'd like to go back in and listen to the rest of the garbled nonsense they're talking about inside. I really think the Morning Star will get a kick out hearing some of these stories!"

*~*

Sienna's fingertips slid over the tiny scratches on the kitchen table thinking back on the morning when Niko had trudged in from seeing another fraudulent psychic. It felt strange to her knowing it had only happened a few days earlier. In the span of less than a week, her entire life had been not merely turned, but picked up and tossed around like a child's toy in a puppies mouth. The sadness of losing Niko was balancing within her as she watched Janine preparing some tea. Lucifer's present sat unopened on the table in front of her, both women eager and hesitant at the same time regarding the contents.

Janine returned to the table carrying two cups, sitting down next to Sienna. They'd each retreated into the silence of their own thoughts from that point, trying to work their way through the events of the last few days. Picking up her spoon, she gently stirred the tea in her cup as she spoke, "I know you feel sorry for Arman, Si but I can't help but hate him for what he did to you. The same with Beleth and Amon. Who the hell do they think they are to want to own you?"

"I know Jani but keep in mind that they're not unique in any way. There's millions of people out there that think the same way. They can't fathom or understand that true love needs to be free and will go where it belongs. Trying to cage it for your own ends never works."

"The stupidity of men never ceases to amaze me Sienna. Must be something in their hormones."

Sienna reached out quickly to take Janine's hand in her own, "Don't say that Jani. It's not just a man thing. Gender has absolutely nothing to do with it. There's just as many women out there using dirty tricks to try and keep those they think they love under their control. It's a power trip, nothing else. Now," she added turning her gaze on the box in front of them, "do we open this or not?"

"I vote yes. The delivery kid was right, if Luci wanted something bad to happen to us she would have taken care of it herself."

"You do realize that the _kid_ you mention is probably older than both of us combined don't you?"

Laughing at Sienna, Janine answered "Of course I do Si. But damn he was hot!" Listening to Sienna join in her laughter she added, "You reckon he might have been like a _male_ succubus? Is there anything like that?"

"After finding out that the Prince of Darkness is actually a Princess, I tend to believe anything is possible! Fuck me, a male succubus means I've got my work cut out!" replied Sienna as she plucked the envelope from the box, "Let's see what dear old Luci sent us, shall we?"

Taking the message from the envelope, Sienna scanned the contents for a couple of seconds before reading it out loud for both of them.

" _To Sienna & Janine,_

I just wanted to say sorry for the bullshit that my friends put you through & to let you know I'm working hard so that it never happens again. The things they did were never something I would condone or accept. Since leaving you guys I've been trying to find an answer on what to do with Beleth. My heart is torn, the things he did are unforgivable & I know he must be punished yet I couldn't bring myself to do something drastic to somebody who has been my by side for what you would call an eternity, someone who I still love dearly. What would you do Sienna, if it was Nikolaus in this position? Others around us would look upon any form of minor punishment as a weakness on my part & I fear their own ambitions would make them take over where Beleth left off.

The decisions that fall on the shoulders of those like us Sienna are never easy but I have found a solution to this one. Something that will keep the wolves at bay on my end & will give you an added edge against anyone in your world.

Inside the box you will find your katana once more, it was left behind in our rush to get away from that awful place. Obviously, Amon is no longer housed within the sword. As punishment for what he tried to do, I let it be known throughout Hell that the former King of Hell Beleth has been banished to reside within & that the sword will be handed over to his former enemy to do with as she will. That's you, Sienna.

As far as anyone here knows, Beleth's soul is now in your hands & their own imaginations will lead them to believe the worst. I however, know you a little better. B's powers are well beyond anything Amon had, so use him wisely. And who knows? Maybe one day in the future we can all forgive what he did, maybe.

I didn't forget about you either Janine.

The ring you wear on your finger will no longer allow contact to anyone other than me in Hell. Reach out if you're ever in need of my help & I will be there. I'm forever in your debt.

One last thing, even though I believed my own struggles to be over, what I have found is that the war doesn't end when the battle noise dies. A greater war begins when one side has actually won, this war continues until the victors destroy every last speck of the history of the fallen. The truth? That's the first casualty, it never survives.

Take care of yourselves and I look forward to catching up with you both again, soon.

Lucifer

Morning Star.

P.S. Ladies, the love you both showed regarding one another is worthy of a place at my side & a spot will always be open to you both. Just let me know & I'll make it happen before you can blink.

Luci."

## Chapter 27

Arman's eyes were wild as he looked to the flashing silver rock on the big stone. Madness emanated from his very being as he whispered incomprehensible nonsense to the shadows surrounding him. The woman had dropped him here, his new home and left. No-one had come around since then, survival had been easy once he learned to stun animals with his mind.

As the sun rose over the horizon in the morning, Arman had come to the rock pool to cover himself in mud. It was easier to hunt that way. Within moments, an eerie mist had begun to materialize around him, centered on the tiny silver locket engraved on one side with a kaleidoscope of patterns. The swirling white mist turned in circles above the locket gathering speed and power, like a mini-hurricane, the light growing in intensity. Like an exploding star the light crashed outward with an ear-shattering bang and faded away to reveal the outline of a large man made of smoke.

Arman watched on from the safety of a large bush as the figure had looked around, a smile forming on his face as he spied Arman watching.

Circe, the God of Dark Magic felt the power surrounding the hidden man and smiled further. Magical power unlike anything he had worked with in the past, the power of many different witches housed within the one body. The time for chaos to reign had come around once more. Salem, Haiti and New Orleans would be nothing compared to what would happen this time around.

*~**~*

Here ends SIENNA, A Dark Legends Novel.

Thank you for reading my book.

If you enjoyed it, won't you please take a moment to leave me a review?

Keep reading below for an excerpt from my next novel – Jackal.

Another Dark Legends novel.

Thanks,

Frank

## Jackal 1

The tiny room lit up as sunlight poured in through the small doorway usually covered with a makeshift cloth that doubled as a door. Haven smiled as she watched her father make his way in. Getting up from her knees she took two steps and jumped into his arms as he grabbed and twirled her through the air in delight, her smile mirrored on his own face. "My little Haven," he said as he placed her back on the ground. "I'm glad that I have been given the chance to see you again!"

Haven laughed at her father's words. They were uttered every night on his return from work, a little inside joke held just between the two of them. "I'm happy that you've been given the chance as well, father."

She watched as her father reached into his pocket and pulled a tiny loaf of bread, her eyes widening in surprise. Bread was a forbidden item to the unnamed. A privilege that the perfect ones kept for their own kind. Any outcast caught with it would be tortured and killed. She had seen it happen twice in her short life already and was not something she ever wished to witness again, ever.

Her father placed an index finger across his own lips motioning her to silence, "I wouldn't be much of a father if I didn't get you something a little special for your thirteenth birthday my Haven. Another tiny secret that stays between the two of us. Remember our deal, no mention of any of our secrets. Our lives depend on it."

Haven stood frozen. This was the second of their tiny secrets her father had spoken about. The first had been her own name. She had never heard anyone else amongst the outcasts having a name, only her. Another of the privileges held solely for the perfect ones. Now she was being asked to keep another. It showed the faith her father had in her ability to keep quiet and she wouldn't let him down.

The harsh sound of boots pounding on the hard earth outside made them turn their faces to the doorway. Both of them knew to keep quiet and not draw undue attention. Her father moved quickly to hide the stolen loaf of bread from view. The cloth covering their doorway was ripped off allowing the sun to stream in to the tiny hovel. Haven looked up to see the red robed bodies of the street guards barging their way inside and rushing to grab her father well before he could hide the bread.

Without thinking and going against everything she'd been taught she rushed forward to try and help him. The guard holding her father glancing at her casually for a moment before slamming his fist into her temple. Her last image before the darkness overtook her senses was of her father being beaten up mercilessly by the four guards now standing over him.

*~*

She came to naked and bruised, lying on the hard ground. The flow of blood from the wound in her temple had stopped leaving in its wake a mighty throbbing pain running through her entire body. The thought of her father being beaten up came back to her as she rushed to stand, stopping as a fresh wave of pain made its way from her stomach down her body. Doubling over as it struck she looked down to see what had happened. Fresh blood still flowed over her bruised thighs. Tears formed in her eyes as understanding of what must have just occurred came to her. She'd heard enough stories from older women to know. Pushing the thought to one side she stood on unsteady legs and followed the trail of blood on the floor to wherever her father was being held, fearing the worst.

She squinted her eyes a little as the full force of the sun shone on her face, drying up the dirt stained tears flowing down her cheeks. Not one of the other unnamed people would even meet her eyes for fear of retribution by the guards. More than once she caught them glimpse towards the central commune area before lowering their eyes. She moved quicker to where their gazes led.

Reaching the edge of where the crowd stood she managed to elbow and push herself through them to the front. All questions and harsh words left unspoken as every person in the crowd caught sight of who it was trying to push through. The shock upon seeing her father crashed into her harder than a physical blow.

Surrounded by the four guards that had entered their hovel she watched as two other guards casually grabbed his free arm and hammered a huge nail through the wrist into the wooden beam on the other side. This was the punishment for theft among the unnamed; crucifixion. She made herself look on as the naked body of her father was hoisted up to die. Silent tears streaming down her face as the guard in charge took his knife and sliced off her father's manhood before tossing it into the fire. She turned to leave not wanting to see her father like this, trying to keep alive his smiling face in her memory.

Haven stopped in her tracks as the sudden booming voice of the guard echoed around the square. "STOP."

She did as the voice commanded hoping to avoid notice and praying they were not talking to her. Knowing instinctively that it wasn't the case and her day was about to get a lot worse. Her body started to shake on hearing the guard's footsteps coming towards her, silently praying that they had their eyes set on someone else in her vicinity. The sudden pressure of a hand on her shoulder letting her know otherwise. "Don't think you get to walk away from this mess that easily missy. That crazy old man may have been the one to get caught with the loot but I'm fairly certain that the only reason he would do so was to get a nice piece of that sweet ass of yours." The voice moved closer to her ear, whispering "Lucky for you he was the one that got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Me and the lads will take our reward for not killing you outright like you deserve."

Haven let the tears flow as she felt herself being dragged by the guard's heavy hand away from the prying eyes of the crowd. It was her thirteenth birthday. The day she had become a woman and her father died. It also marked the day that her true life amongst the unnamed people began. The day her innocence was stolen by a half-dozen guards drunk on their own power.

To the rest of the unnamed it was just another day in their miserable existence, grateful that the attention of those in charge was centered squarely on someone else.

*~*

The first time Haven had pulled back against the force of the guard she had been rewarded with a backhanded slap across the cheek that had sent to her knees. The guard had merely looked down at her prostrated form and kicked her hard in the thigh, laughing. "On your feet bitch. We got some fun and games in mind for the next few hours."

Haven didn't move hoping that they would find her less acceptable that way and leave her be. The tears still cascading down her face. One of other guards moved in from behind, grabbing a fistful of her hair and dragged her forwards. Without stopping he pulled her over to the nearest shack and threw her in the doorway. The authority in his voice evident as he screamed, "Leave us!" to the inhabitants within.

She retreated quickly until her back came up against the wall. The two occupants had made a mad dash to leave on hearing the guard and now all six of them stood inside the dark, dank room eyeing her with pure lust and no help was coming. Closing her eyes she tried to picture her father in happier times, trying to keep her mind away from the terrible events about to take place. She'd once overheard one of the other women talking about doing this and hoped it would work.

Standing outside their home, the couple that had just been evicted looked at each other knowingly. The man turning to his partner and speaking gently, "Go get the old woman. That little girl is going to need a guiding hand in a short while."

The woman looked back at her home hearing the laughter mingled with the screams of the girl and ran off without a word to get the old woman. Her man was right about that. That little girl was about to witness first-hand what it meant to be a woman in this society.

*~*

The old woman hobbled her way up the dirt street towards the hovel where the young girl was held. Somehow over the years she had come to be the one person that the other unnamed turned to, as if she had any control over anyone.

The last of the red cloaked guards stumbled out of the doorway laughing and running to catch up with his mates up the street. She moved out of the way and cast her eyes to the floor. A lifetime of practice in avoiding the attentions of the guards making her virtually invisible to them. Her age in no way a barrier to their deprived acts. The old woman continued towards the whimpering sobs of the young girl as the last of the guards rushed past her, looking at the man standing just outside the door.

Raising the stick she had been using to help her walk, she pointed it at him, "Go inside and take that young girl to her house, now. I'll be there as soon as I can."

She watched for a moment as the man went inside and quickly exited with the girl in his arms. He walked up to the old woman and dropped the blood-soaked sobbing girl into the dirt at her feet, "Take the damn girl to her house yourself woman. I'm not getting involved in any of this shit." She watched the man as he disappeared from view back into the tiny house he called home, followed by the woman that had come to get her, not surprised in any way by their attitude. She looked down at the girl at her feet and prodded her with the stick, "Get up girl and go home. I'll be along shortly." Without looking back she turned and headed in the direction of the girl's hovel wishing it was all done with so she could go back to her own dinner and sleep.

*~*

Haven eyes went to the doorway as the old lady shuffled in. Since getting home she'd done nothing but lie on the tattered cloth she called her bed and wept, reliving the brutal ordeal she'd just gone through in her head, mixed with the grief she felt at her father's death.

She rushed to the old woman with her arms open eager for the comfort of a warm hug only to stop dead in her tracks as the old woman raised her hand as slapped her hard across the cheek. "Stop your useless whining stupid girl. Time for you to grow up." Pointing her walking stick at the mass of tangled cloth on the floor she added, "Sit, keep your mouth shut and pay attention."

Haven went back to her bed and sat, shocked at how the old woman had treated her. She held back the tears watching as she slowly ambled her way to the block of wood that doubled as a seat, a process that seemed to take forever until at last with an audible sigh, the old woman sat. Without preamble or warning the walking stick lashed out to strike Haven across the head, "Pay attention stupid girl. Number one, I don't want to hear any more crying or whining." The stick came down across Haven's other cheek hard, "Number two. I'm going to ask you some questions and you'd damn well better answer me quickly. I've got no time to waste on the likes of you. Understood?" Haven closed her eyes only to open them abruptly as she felt the sting of the stick across her naked thighs, tears coming unbidden to her eyes once more. "Do you understand you stupid thing?" Haven nodded her head quickly at the old woman, stifling the sounds of the sobs she felt building in her throat.

The old woman took a long look at Haven before being satisfied. She asked, "The man that you stayed with here. Didn't he teach you anything of the ways of a woman in all the time you spent together?"

Haven looked up at the question thinking of the things her father had taught her, "He taught me many things but not a lot about the ways of women."

"Just like the rest of the men around here. Taking their pleasure with no thoughts about anyone else."

Haven caught the insinuation behind the old woman's words, "No. It wasn't like that. He was my father!"

A flash of pain came to Haven as the old woman reached out a withered hand and took a fistful of her hair, yanking her forwards. "Stupid girl. I didn't ask you if he was your father, or brother or any other damn thing. Shit like that don't matter in our world. Are you seriously telling me that you didn't warm his bed and see to his urges?" She sighed and let go of her hair as Haven shook her head, "Stupid man. He hasn't done you any favors girl. None whatsoever. In fact he's just made life a hell of a lot harder for you by not making you live in the real world with the rest of us. What did you think was going to happen once he was gone? That some knight in shining armor was gonna be coming around on some fucking white horse to save you?"

The old woman leaned in closer to Haven, looking her deep in the eyes, "No you dumb thing. Nothing like that is gonna happen to you. Let me tell you how it's gonna go. Starting tomorrow every man with an urge between his legs is gonna be looking at a fresh young piece of meat like you and trying to get a piece of it. If you try to fight back or make any noise they will end up hurting you worse than the guards just did. That's a fact-pure and straight. The only way that it won't happen is if some unattached man decides that he'd like you to be his for his own and moves into this shitty hovel to watch over you. But that will only stop any others from this community taking you, not be an end to it.

"When any of the red-cloaks decide that they wanna have a bit of fun with you, they'll do so. ANY time they damn well want. Having a man in here won't help you with that. Hell, once in a while they even take my tired old bones. But worse of all is if one of the perfect ones from the city decides to party and makes it a point to single you out. Let me tell you right now girl, if that happens then what the guards just put you through will seem like a holiday. You'll be lucky to stay alive."

The tears began to flow again as Haven took in the old woman's words watching as she got up and ambled off to her own home, leaving a young, lonely girl with the nightmare that had become her world behind.

*~*

For the next two days Haven stayed within the confines of her home not making a sound. She had cleaned herself up as best she could and then just lain there almost comatose. It wasn't until the pangs of hunger had turned to cramping in her stomach that she forced herself up and back into the land of the living. With no food being brought to her by her father anymore, she would have to go and find out how to get some.

Pulling back the cloth door gently she peeked out into the street. The night was not completely over yet and everyone lay sleeping, dawn still an hour away by her estimate. Taking one last look at her home she moved out silently to make her way to the square and wait for the overseers. Every morning the unnamed with no work assignments would gather there to be picked up and taken into the city proper, to do whatever was required by the perfect ones. She would get there early today and do what she needed to do to ensure a full belly tonight.

By the time the first hint of the sun's rays peeked over the horizon, Haven had been joined by fifty others in the square waiting on the overseer and his guards. She kept her gaze down avoiding eye-contact with any of the others knowing full well that word of what had happened to her father and herself two days ago would have spread like a grass fire through the unnamed. She needn't have worried, none of the others even attempted to look her way.

The sight of what remained of her father's blood on the ground held her mesmerized, in slight shock until the sound of horses stomping on the ground brought her focus back to the present. Her father would have been the first to tell her to be strong, to know that she had enough inner strength to weather anything that was thrown her way. Taking a deep breath she forced herself to stay calm and not let the tears flow. Showing any sign of weakness would mean her death. Forcing her eyes off the blood-stained floor, Haven raised her head and took a good look at the team which had just pulled to a stop in front of her. The guards were almost identically attired in the usual red cloaks that she had come to dread and hate. The only difference being that these had a different badge sewn into their hoods, two crossed swords over an eagle. The overseer stepped out of the wagon, the suspension creaking and groaning in relief at having such a heavy weight no longer upon it. Multiple jowls hung loose under the white beard in an obvious attempt to disguise his obese stature with a large multi-colored muumuu covering his frame. "Slim pickings today it seems." he murmured to himself as he glanced up and down the line.

Turning to the guards he raised the walking cane in his hand and waved it at the waiting line, "Pick ten of the strongest men you can find in this dreary lot and load them up." Two of the guards began to go up the line picking out the men the overseer had asked for. Turning back to those waiting, he raised his voice to allow him to be heard over the noise the guards were making, "Ten men is all I need today, those not chosen can get out of my sight. Women, move forwards and huddle closer. I need a better look at you all."

Haven moved forwards a step and joined the other six women that had been waiting this morning. Taking a quick look at them she realized that each of them were far older than her, easily in their forties, faces creased with lines and the scars of life as an unnamed.

The overseer barely glanced at the other women before his eyes came to a stop on Haven. Using the cane to lean his heavy frame on, he trudged the few steps it took to place himself in front of her before raising his fat, pudgy hand and grasping her face, twisting it one way and then the other as his fetid breath washed over her, "What have we here? You's a new one ain't ya cutie?" Thrusting his face to peer deep in her eyes he added, "Got a few fam's that would pay a lil extra for the likes of you girlie. Almost untouched 'less I miss my guess."

Haven watched on the fat man turned and began moving towards the wagon, afraid she wouldn't get a chance to earn something to eat. She almost took a step forwards before she heard his voice as he spoke to one of the guards, "Grab that young'un and put her up front with me. Don't wanna let her loose with the other animals in the back. Could be worth a bit extra for us all." He stopped alongside the wagon almost out of breath at having taken ten steps and looked back at her, "If none of the perfects want her, we can have some fun ourselves and then sell her to Raven. One way or another she's worth a bit to us. Let's move!"

*~*

Haven glanced back towards the only home she had known as the wagon began its journey to the city of the perfects. Dust and dirt kicked up off the ground at the stamping of the horses pulling them along. She stared wide-eyed at everything surrounding her from the red colored dust in the air to the wild green and yellow flowers growing by the side of the road. Her father had never mentioned anything about his daily trips to work and she couldn't understand why. Everything appeared so wonderful to her at that point. Taking a quick glance at the ten men in the wagon she noticed that each sat completely still with their eyes downcast, forlorn. Confused at their attitude, she focused her attention on all the wonders around her purposefully avoiding the overseer seated next to her.

The journey lasted only a short while before the wilds of the desert gave way to more lush surroundings. Wild green grass sprouted everywhere she looked as they moved closer to the brilliant white walls she assumed was the city of the perfects. Many of the unnamed toiled in the fields she could see. Some appeared to be pulling out weeds whilst others looked to be digging trenches of some sort. " _This won't be so bad."_ she thought to herself, " _a bit of hard work for something to eat sounds reasonable."_

The overseer's harsh voice broke through the still air as he brought the wagon to a halt, "Whoa! Stop now you mangy, flea-covered shits!" Turning to one of the guards, he pointed at the back of the wagon, "Get these mongrels out of here and down to Sam's tavern. Tell him it's the ten hard-backs he was after."

Haven looked on as the ten men in the wagon were moved off towards the open gate that led into the city. Each having been chained to the other by an ankle bracelet. She barely had a chance to wonder why before the overseer's voice broke through her thoughts, "This lil pretty will escort me in. Get her off the wagon and chain her. Careful not to mess up her face!"

Rough hands grabbed her from behind and roughly brought her to ground. From one breath to the next, a guard had placed a heavy iron choke collar around her throat and locked it, before moving to the overseer and handing him the other end of the chain. With a quick motion of his hand, the overseer pulled on the chain and dragged Haven a little forward in the dirt. Without sparing her a second look he asked one of the guards, "Get her on her feet. Now."

The same guard that had placed the collar on her turned and gave her a quick kick in the side. "On your feet bitch. Ain't got all day to cater to the likes of you." Haven flinched and hugged herself into a ball on the ground at the pain from the kick. The guard laughed at her discomfort and casually bent down to pull her up by the hair. With a quick back-handed swipe, he slapped her hard across the cheek and sent her tumbling back to the ground, blood beginning to seep from a cut just under her eye. The guard laughed harder and began to move to where she lay. His laughter cut off suddenly as the overseer pointed at him and quickly clicked his fingers twice. Falling to his knees to beg forgiveness, the guard didn't have a chance to utter a single word as one of his fellows lunged his spear straight through his heart, killing him.

Haven felt the tug of the chain as the overseer pulled her to her feet. Leaning in close he said, "No-one gets to soil that purdy face of yours unless I say so, cutie. It's worth more to me than ten of these ugly fuckers. But let me be absolutely clear, if ya don't do what I say when I say so then I'll be fucking up that purdy face of yours ma'self. Got it?"

Lost for words at the sudden violent death of the guard, Haven only stared at his face, until she felt his pudgy fingers grab her nipple hard and twist, the pain making her wince and cry out loud. "Got it?"

Through the pain and the sudden tears in her eyes, Haven nodded-unable to utter a single word. Aware now of why her father had never mentioned a single solitary thing about his daily work activities. From afar she heard his voice add, "May not be able to tarnish that purdy little face of yours but believe me cutie, there's shitloads of other ways to have some fun. Do what I say an' everything will go easier for ya. Ya already in to me for the life of one guard, even if he was a piece of shit, good for nothing. You owe me." Tossing the chain to the nearest guard he added, "Get her to my office and keep an eye on her. I'll be along shortly."

## Jackal 2

Haven stood in the corner of the tiny office staring at the floor. The quick trip from where she had been to the office had gone by in a blur, the memory of the guard's death stopping her from taking in any other sights of the streets she moved through. Voices cut through the air of the open door as the overseer walked in accompanied by a young man dressed in a white toga, one of the perfect one's servants, "This one is young, firm of body and untainted, Klaus. She would make a perfect gift for your young lord on his twenty-first birthday. A fitting gift I bestow free of charge."

The young man stopped at the entrance, casting a glance at Haven, assessing. "There's potential there, that's clear to see, underneath all that shit and grime. Free of charge you say? Tell me, what's the catch Marcel? Let's face it, you've never been known for your generous nature."

The fat overseer smiled as he attempted an approximation of a bow, "For now there's no catch at all Klaus. Perhaps some kind words in the ear of your lord will see me rewarded with future purchases. I leave it totally in your capable hands, if you're interested of course."

"Of course Marcel. Lucky for you I still have three days before the young master's formal banquet. It should give me just enough time to clean up this _thing_ and make her presentable. Send her to the compound. I'll let the staff know she's expected."

The obese overseer inclined his head towards the young man, "At once my lord. Please give my blessings to the young master if you will."

*~*

Every servant in the compound understood the Mistresses moods. As the final authority on everything that happened within the household, she was a strict matriarch, ensuring that only the best survived, literally. With the young master's coming of age banquet only days away, her mood was anything but nice. Every minor detail needed her verification and acceptance even as she wished that some of the morons working for her actually had a brain to use. And now of all things, the stupid young master's man-servant had gone and brought in a tiny, dirty little stray as a gift. " _As if handing over a filthy little slut like this was actually worthy of the young master!"_ she thought.

Giving the useless man-servant an almost malevolent gaze, she dismissed him out of hand and turned her eyes to Haven, "Now just how the Hell am I supposed to turn such a piece of shit into a worthy present?" she lamented. Haven looked up at the mistress a moment before feeling the slap across her cheek, "It was a rhetorical question you little shit. I don't need any input from the likes of you. You'll do well to learn your place real quick, else the young master will have one less present on his auspicious day."

Clucking her tongue she pointed at one of the waiting servants, "Take this piece of crap down to the dog's bath house and clean all that shit off her. Maybe then I can decide if she's even worth spending any time on or whether I should just drown her. I honestly don't think that the young master will even look at her twice anyway."

A deep booming voice cut the air in the room as footsteps echoed off the tiled floor, "On the contrary Mistress. I do believe that somewhere underneath all that _shit_ as you put it, lies something worthwhile... or at least something to pass the time until my stupid little banquet kicks off this weekend."

Haven looked over at the sound of the voice. A young man stepped across the tiled floor dressed completely in a leather hunting outfit. Standing six feet and muscled, his face perfectly outlined by the shaved head. He was flanked on each side by an equally imposing young man similarly attired in hunting gear. All of them eyeing Haven with lust in their eyes and a malicious grin on their faces. It was Haven's first glimpse of one of the perfect ones and it made her want to flee. The young man pointed at her while addressing the mistress, "Clean her up as you wanted to Mistress and have her sent to my quarters. You needn't worry yourself about how to make her presentable. Clean will do just nicely."

*~*

The overseer whipped the horses into motion and began its journey back to the city having acquired a few more of the unnamed. Haven lay on the dirt where she had landed after being tossed out of the back by the guards. No-one gave the bruised and bloody girl a second thought or look. Raising her head slightly she watched through puffed up and bruised eyes as the wagon made its way into the distance. The other unnamed who had not been chosen that day trudging off to their own homes.

For three days the young master and his friends had abused and tortured her, a plaything to amuse themselves before they held the formal banquet. Haven had not been able to do a thing about it. Anything they wished to do to her, they did. Not even being gang-raped by the guards on her father's death had been as bad as what she had just endured. The tears flowed down her face as she thought on what she'd been put through. Beaten, sodomized, burnt and at one point even sliced across the face with a knife as the three men had goaded each other into more depraved acts over the days. The old woman had been right about the perfect ones and Haven had not taken the right steps to protect herself.

Pain lanced through her entire body as she forced herself to her feet, her hands moving slowly to the fold in her clothing. She pulled out the blunt knife she'd been able to hide and steal in one of the moments where they'd left her alone. A small victory, but a victory nonetheless. With slow measured steps she made her way home to tend her wounds and recover.

*~*

Haven laid back on the makeshift bed surrounded by towels and other bits of scattered cloth in the tiny hovel she called home. Over three months had passed since her first foray into the city and her subsequent torture and rape. For a few days she had rested and recuperated before hunger once again drove her to line-up for work.

The hard lessons learned in the first week following her father's death stayed with her. She had used tight wads of cloth to squeeze down her breasts and pile on as much mud and crap on her face and body as possible. Whatever she could do to make sure that none of the perfect ones noticed her or indeed even looked her way. Even the long ugly scar on her face was no deterrent as some amongst the perfect ones had an appetite for those things.

Now she lay there with a hand on her growing stomach. She'd heard about these things from some of the other unnamed and knew she was with child.

Panic set in as she thought about what this meant. With no other family around her, it would just be her and the child with no protection. The other unnamed would be no help. They were so starved that they would just as soon take the child and eat it - and her as well. _"Never. It's mine!"_ She thought to herself and collected the little bits of nothing she owned. The one blunt knife and a little bit of food went into a folded cloth.

She looked around her tiny room, nothing else.

Under the cover of darkness, she took off. No-one sparing her a glance. She ran for what seemed like hours heading off into a nearby range of mountains. If she could make it over them, she would be free. No-one would come looking for a wayward, scarred unnamed.

The thought of freedom kept her going through the days and nights. For the first week she barely slept, an hour here and there. Constantly moving further up the mountain. The trees provided plenty of different fruit and once, she had accidentally killed a bird with her knife. She'd been asleep, and the bird had come up beside her looking for food. She was woken and become so startled at the sight that, without thinking, she'd plunged the blunt knife into it, over and over again. Once she'd realized what it was, she had paused. Reaching out, she'd ripped the feathers off the birds back and plunged her mouth into the meat. Bloody juices had dribbled down her face. She'd tasted nothing so good!

The months passed quickly once she had traveled over the initial mountain. On the other side lay a green valley with lots of places to hide. She continued on without pausing. One mountain was not far enough away for her. Another one lay in the distance. She would go over that one before even thinking of stopping.

And so she found herself in her small make-shift shack on a bed of tattered cloth, in labor and wishing it would end. When the pain subsided she smiled. Her child would be born free as she had promised herself. Nothing else mattered.

A new wave of pain washed over her. The baby was coming. Blood lay all around her on the floor. Her screams would have been heard by anyone for miles around. Another lull in the pain. She looked down. _"It's a boy. He's here and free!"_ With the final bit of strength left to her, she grabbed the tiny tattered cloth she'd been harboring against this day and wrapped her son in it, bringing him to her chest and hugging tightly.

She lay back her head and closed her eyes, never to open them again.

## Jackal 3

The child had been born completely aware of its surroundings. Not once uttering a single sound as his mother had taken her last breath. It would be the last thing that she would do for him. He knew who she had been and her full history but felt nothing. She was there to deliver him, nothing more. His small legs stiffened a little as he heard a noise from the front of the shack.

A lone jackal was working its way into the hovel, no doubt lured by the smell of the blood that lay all around the child. With intense eyes the baby looked over and thought, _"You and your brothers are all mine to rule."_ The jackal fell over onto its haunches as it was assailed by the mind power of the tiny creature in front of him, never standing a chance. Deep yellow eyes taking in the form of its new master, it loped off into the woods to fetch more of its brothers as the child had asked. Within days the baby was surrounded by dozens of jackals each protecting and feeding him.

*~*

Within the span of his first year of life, the tiny child had grown to his full height of six feet and was unmatched in strength and speed. The family pack of jackals dependent on him for their very survival. They roamed the mountain trails in search of game daily. The child's powers grown to the point where he could mentally send out a blast and kill any predator. Nothing stood a chance of survival when he had their scent.

Out hunting one night, the pack had sent out a mental warning to the others and directly into his mind, " _Danger."_ Not once since he had come into his full growth had the pack been worried in any way, they had become the predators and never the prey. With a leader as powerful as him they felt invincible. Nothing could touch them. That the pack was warning about danger gave him pause for a moment. Whatever the animal was that they had sensed would have to be very powerful to scare them like that. He eased his way towards the place where the hooded figure was, keen to get a better look at it before killing it.

On silent feet he moved to the cover of a large bush to study the strange creature that had scared his family. Ensuring the rest of the pack was placed at appropriate places for the kill.

Slowly, he pulled back the large leaf to get a closer look. Dressed in black with a hood covering its head, it was shaped the same as him, equal in size. Nothing remarkable about it at all, except for the dark swirling colors surrounding it. Most of his prey had only some lighter colors that would fade when he killed them. These colors, however, held power. There was no other word for it, the same type of swirling power he himself held.

There were no options open to them. His pack had been right in their assessment. Whatever this thing was, it was dangerous. As a hunter, the child knew that hesitation never gave you the results you were after. He would strike now before his prey even knew he was there. Concentrating, he sent out his most powerful blast. One that would destroy his prey it where it stood.

The figure hunched closer to the fire that it had built as the full impact of the blast hit him, shrugging his shoulders before stretching out his hands towards the heat of the fire. "Not bad for someone with no training," the quiet voice said, "Let me show you how it should be done though." Stretching one of his hands out towards where the child lay hidden, he clicked his fingers.

The dark power that the child could see surrounding the figure blew outwards from the click in an ever-expanding circle. He covered his ears. Every single member of his pack had screamed out at the same time in yowls of pain, a pain which brought him to his knees. As quickly as it had come, it went silent. For the first time, the child could hear none of his fellow pack. He sent his thoughts into the surrounding area to be met with nothing but a complete blank. His entire pack was gone. Still on his knees and reeling from the unaccustomed silence, he had failed to notice the figure now standing before him, reaching one of his hands down to lay upon his head, "Now you truly are alone, jackal. My Jackal." With those words, the child found himself transported away from the only life he had ever known.

*~*

Thank you once again for reading my stories. I hope you get as much enjoyment from them as I have. For more information on my books, see the links below.

## Discover other titles by Frank J Perez:

Chronicles of Hunter

Darkness Awakens

The Seventh Seal

Jackal

Other Titles

Pushing Fifty, Still Pushing

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