 
# Haedyn's Choice

### Book 1 of The Haedyn Chronicles

## Jennifer L. Oliver

#### Small Escapes Publishing, LLC

### Contents

Haedyn's Choice

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Preview: Demon Rising

Acknowledgments

Also by Jennifer L. Oliver

About the Author

# Haedyn's Choice

**A demon with a plan. A servant with her own destiny. There's always a choice.**

* * *

As the last Unnamed, Haedyn has one choice if she wants to survive — serve the demon Azazel. Now she's his personal assassin. And it's eating away at her soul.

When Haedyn is marked a traitor for mistakenly protecting Lex Carter, a human Azazel has marked for death, she knows she's been set up. Now they're both targets, and must learn to trust each other just to stay alive. But when Lex uncovers the truth of Haedyn's past, will she still choose to survive if it means risking the souls of those she loves?

Haedyn's Choice is Book 1 of The Haedyn Chronicles. If you like your urban fantasy filled with twists and turns, lots of magic and a touch of romance, then you'll love Haedyn's Choice!

Want to know when the next book is coming out?

Subscribe now to Jennifer L. Oliver's New Release Only Mailing list and be the first to know when a new book is available!

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# Chapter One

The concrete cell reeked with a mixture of rotten trash, burning flesh, and the sweet tanginess of blood. Haedyn twitched her nose. No matter how often she had to deal with it, she'd never get used to that smell. It was horrible.

Dirt crunched and rolled under the soles of her boots as she circled the silver chair in the middle of the room. Its occupant was furious, snapping and snarling at her. Not that she blamed him. Being captured by a demon's minion wouldn't rate high on her list of fun either.

The prisoner struggled against his restraints. "Bitch. My Alpha's gonna kill you. Just wait," he growled, pupils wide with the animosity of a trapped animal. "He'll come here and rip through that white skin of yours like it's a sheet of paper, then hang your head on the wall like a trophy."

She rolled her eyes, ignoring his aggression. Werewolves had the worst tempers, especially when they were wounded or trapped. This one was both. Plus, he'd been drugged and was unable to change to his more powerful wolf form. Yeah, he was beyond pissed.

She sighed and continued circling. He'd wear himself out eventually. The anger and vile comments were all part of the process. Then the next phase would begin, full of tears and begging. That's when she'd break him, make him tell her where to find the human. But for now, she'd play the game until he was ready.

"Where's the human?"

"I ain't telling you shit." He spat on the floor at her feet.

"Tell me where the human is and I'll set you free."

The werewolf narrowed his yellow eyes. "You won't set me free. You think I don't know who you are? You're that demon Azazel's little bitch. You don't set no one free. You kill 'em."

Haedyn clenched her jaw. The werewolf was right; he wasn't going to leave here alive. She needed that information and there was only one way he was going to tell her. Poor sap. He just forced her hand.

She circled the chair again. This was the part of the job she hated. Inflicting pain. Killing. Every time she heard them scream, made them bleed, she swore a piece of her insides turned to dust.

It was the price she paid for serving a demon. But she didn't have a choice. Either she did what was expected of her or she faced punishment from her master.

Demons didn't give second chances, and Azazel was no different. Disobeying his orders meant death. And even if she was stupid enough to go up against him, she had no one to turn to for help.

She was the last Unnamed. A mistake created by the demons and angels, which is why they killed off the rest of her kind. Humans mistakenly called her "albino" and kept their distance once they saw her deep red eyes. The supernatural world thought she was an abomination. If they weren't scared shitless of her, then they wanted to kill her.

She didn't fit in and she was all alone. Which is why she made the decision fourteen years ago to do whatever she had to in order to survive. Serving Azazel was the only choice she had.

Besides, what else would she do? She was evil, part demon. And like Azazel said the night he found her at the orphanage, she had a gift for death. One which he had honed. Now, she was his best interrogator, his best assassin.

Haedyn looked again at the werewolf. He shifted and squirmed, pulling at his shackles. Drops of blood beaded along his forehead. She smelled the panic and the fear mixed in with his sweat. Then she met his eyes. For a brief moment, a part of her screamed to let him go. She quickly pushed the impulse away.

Discipline. She had to maintain discipline. Compassion was a weakness. How many times had Azazel pounded that into her during their sessions? Fourteen years of intense training and still she had to remind herself.

She closed her eyes, burying the whispers of empathy deep inside. A stillness settled within her. Then she re-emerged as the cold-hearted, unemotional assassin Azazel had molded her into.

_This_ is what she was trained to be. _This_ is what she was trained to do. Save them. Deliver them. It's what kept her alive, and that's all that mattered.

She walked behind the prisoner. He bucked harder against his chains and handcuffs. She leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "The silver chair and all those silver chains, they're burning you. I can smell your skin roasting. And just as it heals, the silver sears it off again. Must be painful."

Haedyn paused, watching his shoulders and chest heave. Sweat dripped down his neck and back, mixing with the blood on the floor. He panted. It wouldn't be long now.

"I can see it, you know, the wolf within you," she continued. "Your beast wants to heal and protect you. It's raging to be released. It rolls under your skin like ripples on a pond and just before it breaks the surface, it crawls away like a scared, little puppy. You know the drug I gave you is still swirling in your system, keeping you from turning. Yet you keep trying to shift. Why do you torture your beast so?"

The prisoner's growl grew louder and he yanked again at his restraints.

"Tell me where to find the human. Tell me, and I'll end your suffering."

The werewolf stopped and leaned back in the chair. He took a ragged breath. "I'm dead whether I tell you or not."

Haedyn straightened and looked down at the back of her prisoner's head. So fierce and honorable. His pack leader, the Alpha Wolf, would be proud.

She ran her gloved hands through his short, brown hair. Then grabbed a handful and yanked his head back. Through her darkened glasses, she could see the anger and disgust in his eyes. He hated her, but soon she would be his savior. Like she was to all those who came before him. She delivered them, away from evil, just like they were meant to be.

She flipped a silver dagger out from its sheath around her waist and let the yellow glow from the dingy, fluorescent lights glare upon the blade. She pressed the tip along her prisoner's right cheek, puncturing the skin just enough to draw blood, and then slowly drew it down the length of his face.

It wasn't the actual cut that caused pain, not for a werewolf. They have a relatively high tolerance. It was the slicing with silver that caused the burn of agony.

Haedyn moved the blade down his body splitting the skin in different areas as she went. With each mark she made, the victim flinched and clenched his jaw. Then she stabbed the dagger straight through the bones in his wrist, pinning his arm to the chair and bringing a loud growl from his throat. She plunged more daggers into him, one in his other wrist and one in each foot. The silver seared the skin where it punctured and began eating away at his bones like acid. Ignoring the werewolf's tormented howls, she took a silver rod and slammed it through his kneecap. His screams reverberated off the walls of the small chamber.

She stood before him and stared. His veins darkened with the poison of silver seeping through his body. He cried and begged for death. It was almost over.

"Tell me," she said.

He sobbed and hung his head.

"Tell me," she demanded. "I'll take them out and put them all back in again, unless you tell me."

"No! No, please."

"Tell me. And I'll end your suffering."

The werewolf took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Medford. The last place we tracked him to was Medford, Massachusetts. It's... It's right outside Boston."

Haedyn looked at the surveillance camera in the upper corner of the cell and nodded. Her job was almost done. Save them. Deliver them.

The prisoner raised his head and looked at her. "Kill me," he said. "Please."

It was time, he was ready. She had broken him and now she would free him.

A tear dripped slowly from the corner of his yellow eyes. Her own eyes burned. She pulled out her .44 magnum, and shot him in the head.

Haedyn's ears still rang from the gunshot when she stepped into the hall from the interrogation room. It was done. She'd completed her assignment. Now, she just wanted to get the hell out of there and as far away as possible.

She kept her eyes forward and headed toward the closest exit. Her footsteps echoed along the empty corridor of the old prison. In its glory days, the place used to be an all-male, high security correctional facility right outside of Elizabeth City, NC. These days Azazel had the human world believing it was a privately owned rehabilitation center for "lost souls." Haedyn rolled her eyes. Humans were so gullible.

This was Azazel's main lair. If he wasn't off ruining lives and corrupting souls, then he was here, training his servants. It was here where he had honed Haedyn's deathly talents. Where she'd learned to torture and kill for her master. Like she'd done just a few moments ago.

Her chest tightened. Breathing through her nose, she refused to acknowledge the brick forming in her stomach. The stale air was thick and stuck in her throat. God, she hated this place. She felt dirty just being here.

Picking up her pace, she turned left down another corridor. A couple of guards stood chatting at the other end of the hall. Her skin tingled. Vampires.

For a demon who hated bloodsuckers, Azazel sure did keep enough of them in his employ. Then again, he tended to have a little of everything working for him. Witches, vamps, and all kinds of were-creatures swore an oath to him. He was like a collector of supernatural beings.

_He even had his very own one-of-a-kind Unnamed_. Haedyn snorted at her own sarcasm and then realized the vampires probably thought it was directed at them. Oh well. It's not like she was friends with any of them. All the ones she knew were filthy, gross creatures who really needed to see a dentist once in a while.

As she drew closer, both guards stole glances her way but neither of them spoke to her. Instead, their conversation turned to whispers.

For the most part, she was used to it. A few supernaturals wanted her dead and wouldn't mind doing the deed themselves. But most tended to ignore her existence completely or gossip about her like she was some kind of freak. With the way they were acting, she'd bet they were in the latter group.

Pieces of their conversation wafted to her ears as she passed by.

"...no soul..."

"...heard she was a demon..."

She sighed and kept walking. Yep, definitely gossip-mongrels.

"...gets off on making her victims suffer..."

"...just like Azazel when he kills..."

Her stomach turned at their words. She was nothing like Azazel. He was pure evil. She didn't enjoy inflicting pain on the innocent, but he relished in it. The more innocent the being, the more it turned him on. No, she was nothing like her master.

Faces of her former victims flashed before her eyes. She shook her head, blinking several times. But all she could see was the yellow eyes of a werewolf staring lifelessly out of a broken body.

A body she had tortured.

Like Azazel had trained her to do.

Like he would have done himself.

Perspiration beaded on her forehead. The walls were moving in on her. She needed air. Or a trash can.

The light above the door to interrogation room 4 was off showing that it was empty. She veered to the other side of the hall and entered the room. Letting the door close behind her, she fell to her knees over the black plastic bin in the corner of the room and heaved.

A few minutes later, her stomach finally stopped rebelling. She ran her arm across her mouth, wiping it with her sleeve, and then leaned back against the wall.

What the hell was wrong with her? She was acting like a pathetic human, letting her emotions rule her. If Azazel caught wind of her behaving like this...

Her cell phone vibrated. Without thinking, she reached down and pulled it out of her pocket. An email notification popped up on the screen. Probably Azazel wanting to know more about the human. Seven billion of them on the planet and he wanted that particular one. Out of all the ceremonies in the world, leave it to him to want to perform one that requires a human with a rare blood type. Picky ass demon.

She slid up the wall to stand and opened her email. It was marked urgent and titled, "New Assignment." She grimaced.

Usually there were at least a few days in between jobs. She hadn't even made it out of the building yet. Someone must have pissed off her master again.

She pushed off the wall and walked out of the room. Thankfully, the corridor was empty this time. Heading toward the exit, she continued reading the message.

Damn. She'd have to leave tonight in order to make this appointment. And not only that, she had to meet with a client. Great, just great.

She hated it when Azazel hired her "services" out to other supernatural beings. Most of the time that only happened when he was up to something. Then again, being a demon meant he was always up to something.

Pushing through the exit door, she walked outside. The fresh air felt good on her face and in her lungs, expelling any curiosity about what Azazel may be planning next.

It didn't matter anyway. She would perform her duties as was expected of her. Serving a demon was what her life consisted of now. At least it kept her alive.

# Chapter Two

Wind rushed through the doorway and down the foyer as Haedyn opened the back entrance to the abandoned apartment building. A wave of power rippled across her skin, making her stop mid-stride. Someone had cast some heavy-duty spells on this place.

She looked slowly down at the ring on her left hand. The color of the gem told her the intentions of magic and spells. Right now, the jewel glowed blue announcing only its distaste of the magic surrounding her, not a warning. She let out the breath she was holding and relaxed. So long as it stayed that way and didn't turn red, she wouldn't have to kick anyone's ass.

She stepped confidently over the threshold and moved up the flight of stairs without a sound. Stopping on the third floor, she looked around. The doors to each apartment were either missing or had been flung open. All except for one at the end of the hall on the left. That door was shut and marked with a huge red "X" across it.

Haedyn huffed. Of course that was where she needed to go. She could never meet a client in a normal setting, like a coffee shop or something. No, that was too mundane for the supernatural. There had to be some kind of dramatic flair, like a giant "X" to mark the spot.

She rolled her eyes and then walked to the apartment. Holding her hand above the knob, she listened for noise or movement, trying to sense the being she knew was inside. But there was too much magic in the air for her to discern anything. The door squealed its complaints as she pushed it inward.

The apartment smelled of mildew and decay. A small window provided little light through the layers of dust that adorned it. Cobwebs stretched along the walls and reached lazily to the floor, mixing with the trash and dirt scattered about. An old wooden table with a brick propping up one leg and a couple of chairs with missing rungs graced the area that used to be the breakfast nook. A discarded plate lay in pieces on the counter in the adjoining kitchenette. The remains of dead rats added to the withering decor. Death permeated the air and there was a stillness inside, like the apartment itself was holding its breath.

The floor creaked and groaned when she stepped into the dank room. She glanced around, taking in where the shadows fell. A small hallway held two rooms off to the right. The first door was partially open, an invitation to enter.

The client wanted her to think he was waiting for her in there but she knew better. He was hiding in the corner, watching her. She entered the room and he followed behind, as she knew he would.

"Why are you playing hide-and-seek when you're the one who summoned me here?" she asked, looking out the broken windows into the night sky. "You've gone well beyond ensuring this meeting is discreet, with all the magic you've used on this place."

"One can't be too careful with your kind. Take off your glasses, I don't want you seeing me," the client commanded.

Haedyn snorted her derision but complied with his demands, slipping the shades into a pocket of her cloak. "I know the rules. This isn't my first time, you know."

"I'm well aware of your success rate," he said. "It's why I chose you for this assignment."

"You mean why my Master chose me," she corrected. The creature didn't respond, so she turned to face it. She feigned blindness, going along with the misconception that she couldn't see without her glasses. They had been specially designed to give her human-like vision but only Haedyn held the secret of the sights she was shown through her own red eyes.

Limited to being able to discern shapes and some light or darkness, she was unable to get details or distinction of images from her naked eyes. Yet, she had a sight far beyond that of other beings. She could see heat signatures of the living, cold signatures of the dead, auras of the immortals, and even traces of magic left behind. The undead happened to be the only creature that didn't have a signature. But she was unique, even in that aspect, because she could see what wasn't there. The undead left a void in the energies and air around them, and she could see it. She knew exactly where the one who summoned her stood. "You can start any time now, I'm listening."

The client moved closer and walked in circles around her. She stood still, acting like she couldn't tell what he was doing. She knew there was a gross curiosity plastered all over his face, even though she couldn't see it. Every time she met with a client, she had to go through this. Her deep red eyes created a harsh contrast to her pale skin and silvery-white hair. She was sure she was a gruesome sight to behold.

But enough was enough. She was growing weary of being a spectacle. It wasn't like she was some alien he'd never seen before... oh, wait. She was the only one of her kind left, so he probably hadn't seen anything like her before. Regardless, she didn't have all day. They had business to take care of.

She prodded him again for the details of her latest task. "What is it you need from me?"

"I need you to find someone."

"So you need a tracker," she began. "I will need something that belonged to-"

"There's more."

Of course there was. She wasn't lucky enough to ever get a simple assignment. Vampires wouldn't need her tracking abilities; they could do that all on their own. Matter of fact, they usually dealt with everything on their own. "I thought your kind handled their own executions and punishments," she said.

"You're right, we do. I don't need your finely honed torturing skills." The vampire came to stand in front of her again. "I need just the opposite. I am hiring you permanently, to find and protect."

A sudden coldness hit at her core. Permanent assignments were the mark of death for Azazel's servants. She must have misunderstood. "You want me to find someone and protect them. For how long?"

"For as long as you can keep yourselves alive, thus my use of the word 'permanent.' Or did your Master not teach you that word?"

She literally bit her tongue to keep from reacting to the snide remark. Damn vampire. He was toying with her patience. "I am not a baby sitter. I am a tracker and an executioner. I inflict pain and death, not love and comfort. This is beyond my skill set."

"No, it's not. You are more than capable." The vampire stepped closer to her. "But don't forget your place in this world, you're expendable. It's amazing that you have survived this long. If you decline, I will make sure you are erased," he hissed in her ear.

Her first impulse was to kill this creature where he stood. Instead, she clenched her fists and stared straight ahead. If she had learned anything from being a demon's servant, it was to pick her battles wisely. Killing this vampire, as fun as it may be, wouldn't make her station in life any better, especially since she'd obviously pissed off Azazel somehow. Why else would he give her a permanent assignment? And killing one of his clients would just make things worse.

Swallowing her pride, she answered. "You leave me no choice. I will need something that belonged to the one you want found. And I will need an advance for travel expenses."

"I have brought several items, a shirt and a ring. They are on the floor in the duffel bag beside the door. There's money in the bag as well."

She nodded. "If this is a permanent assignment, what do I do about additional expenses or instructions? How do I get a message to you if I need to?"

"Your only instructions are to keep him alive. There will be no need to update me. I will know if you have failed."

Lovely. He'd be keeping tabs on her. Just what she needed, a watchdog. "As this is a unique situation, I need to know what I'm protecting him from. What am I up against?"

The vampire headed for the door. "Everyone and everything. Trust no one."

A vampire that touted clichés. Fabulous. Damn bloodsuckers. She didn't think it was possible to hate them any more than she did right then.

The door closed and she put her glasses back on. She grabbed the duffel bag and unzipped it. Inside were bundles of small bills and a plaid blue and white shirt with a ring in the pocket, just as the vamp had said. She zipped up the bag, slung it over her shoulder and then headed down the stairs towards the back exit.

_Permanent assignment._ The thought of it bounced around in her mind. She'd worked so hard to survive in this godforsaken world, just to end up in a no-win situation.

If she turned the assignment down, Azazel would kill her. If she failed to protect whomever it was she was supposed to find, the client would kill her. There wasn't much of a choice. She'd have to find a way to keep him, and herself, alive.

# Chapter Three

Haedyn walked swiftly down Main Street with the duffel bag over her shoulder. Horns honked and the engines of cars and trucks whirred as they fought for space in the crowded lanes. Advertisements along the tops of buildings flashed their brightly colored logos, while the people below yelled at each other to get out of the way. No wonder humans killed each other. Living in that kind of chaos would drive anyone mad.

The street lamps turned on hours ago, providing a yellow glow between posts. Keeping to the inside of the sidewalk, she pulled the hood of her cloak further down to cover her face and blend in as much as possible. The other pedestrians veered toward the lighted areas, as if it would keep them safe from the evils that hid in the dark.

Haedyn smirked. _Morons_. The dark wasn't the only thing they needed to fear. True evil, like Azazel, walked around in broad daylight. Hell, she was _right there_ and not one of them had any idea they were walking beside a demon's personal assassin.

She cut down an alley between two brick buildings and then turned right onto a smaller, much less frequented street. The lampposts were spaced further apart here, their glowing light unable to breech the shadows splaying out to the curbs. Darkness suited her just fine. She was one of many that hid within its realm. And as long as the rest left her alone, she did the same in return.

Slowing her pace, she turned into another alley. Half way down she stopped at a green metal door on the side of a building and pried it open. Even with her strength, the door was heavy and stubborn. She could barely get through the opening before it protested and snapped shut.

Inside, the empty hallway gave way to two sets of stairwells, one on the left and one on the right. Out of habit, she chose the left set and went up four floors, straight to the top.

Hers was the only occupied flat on the entire floor. Well, it wasn't really hers. She just maintained it in the permanent absence of the true occupant. It was one of few advantages of her particular job. She could take over the properties of those she terminated.

Throughout the years, she had retained several that she used as hideaways. Places she could go to rejuvenate and escape reality. Good thing she had them. They were now going to be safe havens for her and... whomever she was going to protect. Hopefully, it wasn't some junked out bloodsucker. If that's the case, she might kill them herself.

She entered her apartment and then closed and locked the door behind her. Not that locks would do much good against anything in her world, but it did keep the humans out. That was a plus.

Dropping the duffel bag on the futon in the living room, she headed for the lone bedroom. She placed her cloak in the closet and then plopped down on her cot. The mattress springs squeaked from her weight as she bent down to open a dark brown, antique trunk.

It was the one piece of furniture that actually belonged to her. The only thing of real value in the place. It was full of items she scavenged from those who had the misfortune of meeting her face-to-face.

In the top storage shelf were weapons of various nature: knives, swords, garrotes, guitar strings, brass knuckles, and the likes. Below she kept books on potions and powders, medicines and poisons. But at the bottom, in a small enclosed case, held the most valuable of her possessions. Here she kept her charms.

Like the ring she wore, each piece was disguised as jewelry and had a very specific use. They'd been created by some of the most powerful witches in the world and had helped keep her alive numerous times. Not all of her targets were easy to take down, especially when she was younger and less experienced. But now, her skills and abilities had grown along with the stash of items she had to aid her.

After placing her ring back in the case, she returned it to the bottom of the trunk and closed the lid. She held her hand over the ancient lock and said a quick protection spell. Leaning back on the bed, she yawned and wished for a nap. But there wasn't enough time. She could rest when she was dead. Right now, she had to find someone, or some _thing_ , before anyone else did.

She rolled off the bed and onto her feet, her mind mulling over what little she knew about the assignment. Something about it nagged at her. She had been a pristine servant to Azazel, doing everything he asked. Even killed for him. Yet, now she had permanent baby-sitting duty.

Her gut told her there was more to it than she had been told. Which wasn't unusual. Her master never gave full disclosure about her missions. But something about this was off. This just didn't _feel_ right.

She took in a deep breath and headed out of the room. If there was more to all this, then she'd have to figure it out on her own. There was only one way to do that. It was time to find out who she was going to protect.

She grabbed a carton of milk out of the fridge in the kitchen and then moved into the living room. Setting the beverage down on the crate table, she walked over to the futon and unzipped the duffel bag. Its contents glared back at her. This is all she had to go on.

Grabbing one of the handles, she dumped everything out on the floor. Bundles of money fell into a pile on top of the shirt. By the looks of it, there were several hundreds of thousands of dollars laying there.

Her stomach rolled and she clenched her teeth. This really was a permanent assignment. Staring at the money, she inhaled deeply and blew it out. There was no going back now.

She tossed the bag aside and picked up the shirt. It was a casual button up, dark blue wide check print, and extra-large in size. She checked the tag. Calvin Klein.

There were no rips, tears or stains. Overall, the item was in great condition. So whoever she was looking for was a little more than average size and not a derelict. Not to mention, they had pretty good taste in clothes.

Though, for a vampire, it was a really average looking shirt. Vamps dressed far more dramatic than drab. Then again, she wasn't sure the one she was looking for was a vampire. A lycan maybe? Or possibly another type of were-creature. She wouldn't know until she touched it with her bare hands.

She peeled off her elbow length gloves. They were a necessity. Without them, she would be overwhelmed by visions every time she touched something. She'd had this ability ever since she could remember, even when she lived at the orphanage. Her old roommate, Rachel, was the only one who ever knew about it. Everyone else, including Azazel, assumed the gloves were part of her fashion statement. No one asked, so she never told.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up the shirt and held it close to her. Immediately, she was thrust back into the futon. Images crowded her mind.

A man, maybe six-foot tall with dark hair and dark eyes, stood at the edge of a riverbank. He wore the shirt she held which meant he was her target. He'd spent time under the sun, too, considering the golden brown tone of his skin.

Things were looking up, he wasn't a vampire.

But it didn't rule out him being any number of were-critters. They loved the outdoors. However, she'd never met one that paid that much attention to clothing. She focused on the vision, hoping it would tell her more.

Her quarry was talking to someone else, another male whose back was facing her.

"Hey, I'm not the one getting married. I'm a bachelor for life, dude. There are too many crazies out there."

His friend gave a good-natured laugh and replied, "You're just scared Lex, just scared. I'm sure there's someone out there for you. You just haven't run into her yet. But when you do, she's gonna kick your ass!"

_Nice name. Maybe this baby-sitting gig wouldn't be too bad after all._

Suddenly, both men were grabbed from behind. Lex, the one who was now her charge, was forced against the railing along the river's edge. He struggled and fell into the choppy waters. His captor let go before he fell in as well and turned his attentions to the other man.

Lex attempted to swim to the bank towards his companion, but the waves splashed his face and held him back. He heard the other man screaming and looked to see his friend fighting the attackers, but they handled him as if he were a child. One of the assailants pulled the man's head back and leaned in towards his neck, while the second grabbed his thigh and tore off his jeans. They punctured and drank from the ripest areas until his screams tapered to moans and then to silence. Lex's face filled with horror as the river's current pulled him away.

Then the vision shifted and showed Lex sitting at table in a library. Books about vampires and the supernatural littered the area around him. He filled his laptop screen with notes about the preternatural creatures and theories on their existence.

Haedyn ended the vision session and put the shirt down. She sucked on her top lip and shook her head. A human. She had to protect a human. That, in itself, was torture enough but this one knew vampires existed. Just freaking great.

The supernatural world was supposed to remain hidden from his kind. Someone sure screwed that up. Not only that, but the laws of their world require that every human with knowledge of their kind either be claimed as a servant, turned, or eliminated. Keeping him safe was gonna be a real treat.

On the positive side, humans were easier to locate, especially now that she had a name and his features. She had already put his scent to memory when she pulled the shirt close. Tracking him would be simple.

Although that didn't ease her mind. The assignment still made no sense.

"This man... this, this _human_ shouldn't be permanently protected. He should be hunted. Why would a vampire, of all creatures, want to protect him? I can't believe Azazel went along with this," she said.

Her master despised humans almost as much as he hated vampires. This guy Lex had to be valuable in some other way. Otherwise, he'd be dead already. No, there was something more going on. She needed more information.

She reached into the pocket of the shirt to retrieve the ring, wondering what knowledge it would offer. As soon as her fingers closed around the silver band, she was thrust into another vision.

The man attacked by the vampires in her first vision was holding the ring and turning it around and around in his fingers. He was talking to Lex who stood before him, "I'm going to ask her, Lex. Leslie's the one. I know you haven't had a chance to meet her, and Mom doesn't like her. Something about her not being pure enough for me. But Lex, I love her. And I'm going to spend the rest of my life with her whether Mom approves or not."

Lex placed a hand on the shoulder of the other man. "I know. All I can say is it's your life and I'll stand by your decisions."

The man turned and Haedyn could see his face. She didn't recognize him but there was still something familiar about him. "You've always stood by me, Lex. You've been more than just a brother to me and one day, I promise, I'll repay your loyalty. Here, I want you to have this ring. This one is Uncle Tim's. I've got Dad's. They were passed down from Grandpa to Dad and Uncle Tim. When Dad died, it was his wish that they go to us. He said I would know when it was time to give it to you. I think it's time."

As Haedyn watched Lex take the ring from his brother, the vision changed again. This time it took her to the scene that had just transpired between herself and the vampire who'd given her the assignment. She could see the void that the vampire left in the energies around him. It stood out from the rest of the scene playing before her, imprinting a shadowy image in her mind. This was different. Why were her memories showing up in visions?

Changing again, the vision showed her the shadowy image of the vampire's void and Lex's brother side by side. Then, the images overlapped and became one. Haedyn gasped.

They were identical.

The world spun around her. Images and scenes flooded her mind at a dizzying pace. It was like a film on fast forward, nothing but garbled sounds and mangled shapes. This had happened to her once before, when she saw the future.

The scene focused again. She cradled Lex's head in her arms while the rest of him lay limp and lifeless upon her lap. Blood covered them both. It was on her face, her arms, and his entire chest was soaked with it. Even her hands were stained with the reddish, brown substance.

Then it all went dark, leaving Haedyn curled on the floor in a fetal position. Her hand burned where she clutched the ring. Sweat dripped off her clammy skin and her mouth was so dry it hurt to move her tongue.

Forcing herself to sit up, she grabbed the milk carton from the table and guzzled what was left. It wasn't nearly enough to quench the terrible thirst. She managed to stand up and go into the kitchen for more.

Drinking from the other carton, she shuffled back to the futon and plopped down on it. She'd never felt so drained. Using her ability always dehydrated her a little but not like this. It had to be from seeing both the past and the future in one session.

That never happened before. It meant her abilities were growing again. Not that she minded, but this time it took a lot out of her and made her extremely weak. It always took her a little while to figure out how to use her new skills without it eating up all her energy. She needed sleep and time to replenish her mojo. Not to mention, time to process what the visions showed her.

She had never had doubts about her abilities to complete an assignment before. But seeing her future failure had taken her off guard. She inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled through her mouth, slowing the thoughts racing through her mind.

There were too many unanswered questions. The first of many being, what had she gotten herself into? Her vampire client hired her to protect his human brother, Lex.

Wow. That alone threw up so many red flags of warning in her head she couldn't count them all. The vampire shouldn't have emotional connections to the human life he left behind. All of his humanity should have been erased when he was turned. So what other reason was there to protect the human?

If it was just because they were brothers, the need to protect him defied the definition of the change. And that crossed into a realm that Haedyn didn't want to deal with. The whole thing was beyond her understanding. And apparently beyond her capabilities since, according to her vision, she failed.

The future wasn't like the past, it wasn't permanent. Events could fluctuate depending on the choices made. And this was one event she was determined to change. The human's survival was paramount to her own. She'd survived this long, there was no way she was giving up now.

Though totally exhausted, she didn't have time to sleep off the side effects of her visions like she normally did. She had to find Lex before anyone else did. In the mean time she had to figure out what to do with him, how to protect him.

Right now though, she had the upper hand. Whoever hunted Lex, was only after a human. No one but her Master and the client knew she was involved. That gave her an element of surprise. But once she was on their radar, things would get much more dangerous. And not just for the human either.

Her mind was whirling with partial thoughts and ideas, but she couldn't seem to focus on just one. She got up and went to her trunk. Releasing the protection spell, she raised the lid and pulled out her Book of Shadows and a small satchel containing pre-made potions. The one she needed was filled with an orangish-red liquid. She took it out, shook it a few times, and then opened it. Scrunching her face up, she tossed it back like a shot of whiskey. Thankfully, it didn't taste as bad as it smelled.

She could already feel the effects of the healing potion. Her mind cleared and she realized the answers she needed lie with the human. First, she had to find him.

# Chapter Four

Haedyn placed several weapons in two neat rows on her mattress. She filled a backpack with those in the top row and then began arming herself with the rest. Propping her foot up on the edge of the cot, she grabbed a blade and secured it inside her knee-high boot and repeated the process for the other boot. She straightened, smoothing out the pants of her black cat suit, and then sheathed a sword along her back. Sharp objects were useful no matter who or what she was up against. It may not kill them but it would hurt like hell.

She looked at her .44 Magnum and her Glock. A sly smile spread on her face. _Those_ would stop almost anything, human or not. After checking that they were loaded with silver rounds, she holstered them at her waist.

She completed her preparations with spiral bangles on her upper arms and several rings. Each had its own protective power but the arm decor had other specialties. Made to look like simple metallic accessories, the bracelets could be unwoven and used as whips. It was just a matter of uttering the correct words to command the metal.

In several covens and circles, it was considered the fifth element and could be controlled just like earth, air, fire and water. She'd learned that little trick a few years ago during a nasty fight with an earth-worshiping witch. The bangles became a constant part of her arsenal after that one.

Her backpack was loaded and she was armed. She pulled her hair into a low ponytail. It was time to find Lex.

Slinging the pack over her shoulder, she walked into the living room. The human's ring glared at her from the crate table. Her hand still had a mark from where it burned her earlier. She grimaced at the idea of touching it again. Sighing in resignation, she peeled off a glove and picked up the ring. Placing it in the middle of her bare palm, she uttered one word, "Find."

Her dark red eyes glowed and at once she saw Lex. He was perched at a table covered in books, most lay open atop of one another. The room was decorated in warm brown and beige colors. Fluorescent lights pushed away shadows in a vast room overflowing with bookshelves.

She forced the view to pan wider, allowing her to see more of the surroundings. To the far left of his table, she could see a rack of newspapers hanging by their bindings. She zoomed in on the masthead. In bold black ink were the words, "The Salem News."

"Just my luck," she said. "He's in a city full of witches and werewolves. That's fantastic." Good thing she packed silver ammo. At least she wouldn't have to worry much about vampires. They hated Salem. Witches and vamps didn't get along too well. Then again, bloodsuckers didn't get along with anyone, even their own kind.

She sighed and blinked, ending her locating session. Her sightless eyes returned to their normal hue of red as she put her glove back on. She walked to the door, opened it and stepped out. Turning, she faced inside and quietly chanted:

_"Surround these walls and all within._

_Build a barrier, let no one in._

_Hide this haven from eyes that see._

_Protect this place from all but me."_

Then she blew a fine dust from a small bag she held in her other hand into the doorway. The particles multiplied, creating a fog that penetrated the entire apartment. Satisfied her spell was working, she closed the door and headed down the four flights of stairs.

In the lobby, she slipped an envelope full of cash into the manager's mail slot. It was enough to cover the rent for at least six months. She always paid ahead and always in cash. No paper trail, and no face-to-face meetings, ensured she couldn't be connected with this location. She had to remain unnoticed and hidden, a ghost. Safety was her primary concern now. The less that was known about her, the harder she was to track.

Soon she'd have to hide a human as well. She rolled her eyes. That should be interesting.

She pushed through the exit doors. The night was cool and quiet. Even the shadows seemed to be unusually still as she slipped away from her building.

Turning down the next alleyway, she picked up her pace until she came to three brown dumpsters. Pausing briefly to scan her surroundings, she moved between them and waited.

When she was sure no one had followed her, she took a piece of paper out of her pocket. It was a teleporting spell she had acquired years ago. She tested the spell once before, using it to port her from her apartment into the alley by her building. Hopefully, it would work just as effectively now when she had to travel a couple hundred miles. Even taking her a short distance would be okay, as long as it didn't land her in a river somewhere when it ran out of steam.

She memorized the incantation and shoved the paper back in her pocket. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and said the spell.

Haedyn tumbled to the ground like she had been dumped out of a box. "So much for graceful landings," she said and picked herself up.

The spell placed her in a secluded passageway between two buildings. At least it wasn't someone's front lawn, though that might have been softer on her butt when she landed.

She dusted herself off and pulled a black cloak out of her backpack. Humans tended to ignore someone wearing a hooded robe but they seemed obliged to stare when they saw her pale skin.

Donning the cloak, she walked out of the alley onto the bricked sidewalk to figure out exactly how far she had to go. Turning to her left, she read the bold white letters on the double glass doors of the grayish building in front of her: Salem City Hall.

"Huh. It actually worked," she said, only a little surprised that it took her to the right city. Now she had to find the library and hope Lex was still there.

She closed her eyes and concentrated, sniffing the air. She sifted through the various smells until she caught Lex's scent. It was faint but still strong enough for her to follow.

She hurried down several roads finally arriving at Essex Street where the library was located. The sky was darkening, which meant that few humans would be out. Even without the conscious knowledge of the evils awaiting them in the night, most had a sixth sense of self-preservation that motivated them to safe harbors.

Various smells wafted on the light breeze and her skin prickled. There were multiple supernatural creatures close by. They were probably hunting for food. Or Lex.

She quickened her step. There wasn't time to get caught along the streets of Salem by whatever roamed here after dark. She had to find the human.

A few minutes later, she saw the black, wrought iron fence edging the courtyard in front of the library. Like most city properties, the lawn was properly manicured and the hedges underneath the windows had been trimmed and tamed. Though the building itself was well over 150 years old, it had been maintained quite well throughout the years.

She darted down the walk and up the front steps, acting like any normal human on an errand to drop off a book. No one paid much attention to her when she entered, so she slipped out of sight. She moved through the stacks, pretending to look at the books until she located her new charge.

Lex sat at the same table she had seen in her vision. She watched as he flipped through a book in his hand, glanced at the one on the table in front of him, and then went back to searching through pages. The laptop sat to the right of him, its screen still bright from recent use. Haedyn moved directly across from him and stood between two bookshelves. From this vantage point, she could watch over him while she figured out what to do next.

She couldn't very well take him here. There were too many witnesses. Besides, he'd probably freak out as soon as he saw her. Of course, then she could just knock him out and... No, that probably wasn't the best idea. She was supposed to protect him, not give him a concussion.

A woman's voice came over the speaker, "The library will be closing in 5 minutes." Lex glanced at his watch and looked at the books strewn across the table. He began straightening up his things and preparing to leave.

This was her chance. She took a step forward and almost ran into a lady with her arms full. "Oh, sorry," the customer said and continued on her way.

Haedyn glanced at Lex. His back was turned and he was packing his laptop in its case. Good, he hadn't seen her yet. Still there were too many people around. She'd have to catch him outside.

She slipped out of the building and down the steps. A tingling sensation rolled over her as she moved down the sidewalk. She passed the big oak tree at the outside edge of the courtyard and then doubled back to hide in its shadows. Taking off her glasses, she looked back at the building. There he was on the balcony above the entrance, a vampire.

There was only one reason he'd be here right now. He was hunting her human.

Just then, Lex stepped out of the front door. He hesitated, looked around and then sprinted down the walk to the gate. Haedyn half expected the vampire to jump him right then, but he didn't. He just watched from his perch.

She moved around the edge of the tree, pulling her cloak around her body as camouflage in the dark shadows. As Lex stepped out and shut the gate, the vampire jumped from the balcony. It landed silently in the library's courtyard and followed its target.

Haedyn let Lex walk past her, never taking her sight from the void made by the vampire. It should have sensed her presence by now but it seemed fixated only on the human. She took advantage of the vampire's lack of observation and made her move. In one quick motion, she snatched it behind the tree, severed its head and dropped the body to the ground. She watched as it disintegrated at her feet.

Stupid bloodsuckers. That one had been young, explaining why it hadn't noticed her. But young vampires didn't travel alone. She looked around once more without her glasses, checking for other voids. Nothing stood out to her. Matter of fact, she didn't even hear the crickets. Damn, that can't be good.

She put her glasses back on and went after Lex. He wasn't in sight but she could still follow his scent. That meant others could as well. She jogged down the street until she almost caught up but maintained a small distance behind him. The sweat of fear mixed with his scent. Something in him must sense the danger.

Being a vamp, it was probably lurking in the shadows someplace. Just because she couldn't see it, didn't mean it hadn't spotted her yet. Better to take Lex now, before it attacked.

She jogged up closer to him and reached out to grab his arm. A tingling sensation ran over her skin just before she touched him. Too late. The vampire was too close. She took off her glasses, slipping them into a hidden pocket in her suit.

Her red eyes glowed as she looked around the deserted street for Lex's assassin. A street lamp was out a few yards ahead, allowing the shadows to roam freely.

"There you are," she whispered. It leaned on the light post, waiting for Lex to walk right to him.

Haedyn ran to Lex. Just as the creature's clawed fingers swiped out, she grabbed Lex and forced him to the ground. They landed hard but she didn't stop. Leaving her backpack on the ground by the human, she rolled over Lex and back toward the vampire. She sprang to her feet in a crouch, facing her opponent. The bloodsucker was pissed. She could hear it seething through its teeth, but at least she'd taken it off guard.

The vampire zigzagged like he couldn't decide which way he was going to attack her. The hesitation gave her time to assess him. It had superior speed over her. They always do. She was fast but nowhere near that of a vampire.

She might best him in strength if he wasn't too old. Though, she wasn't about to take him on in hand-to-hand combat to find out. The more distance between them the better.

Reaching up to her arm, she pulled off her bracelet. Looking at the vampire, she smirked. Time to play.

"Vivo vixi victum," she commanded. The metal accessory took on a slight glow, unraveled and grew in length.

Her use of magic prodded the vampire into action. He leaped at her, claws outstretched. She moved to the left and flipped her wrist, ripping the air in half with her newly made weapon. The end of her whip followed the vampire through the air until it made contact. The creature hissed and growled. It didn't hit the hot spot she had hoped for but at least it had wounded him.

She held her weapon close, watching her opponent with her red glowing eyes. His void was all she could see but it was enough. He charged her. She tried to dodge but wasn't fast enough. He rammed into her, knocking her on her backside. She rolled as soon as she hit the ground, knowing that the vampire would be on her in seconds. He grabbed at her arm as she moved away, catching her cloak instead. Pulling on the indestructible material, he snatched her back towards him. She pushed herself in the same direction as he pulled, allowing more momentum to build. As soon as she was close enough, she ran into her assailant's legs wiping them out from under him.

They jumped to their feet at almost the same time but the vampire swung out before Haedyn had her full balance. The impact of his blow knocked her back several feet. Before she hit the ground, the vampire was in the air, leaping at her again. She flicked her wrist and the whip came to life. The pointed silver tip drove through the heart of the creature and its body fell to the ground with a thump.

She stood up and put her glasses back on, then uttered the command for the whip to go back to its former shape. The commotion was sure to attract other supernaturals in the area. She needed to get the human and leave before anyone else saw them together.

She put the bracelet back on her arm and turned to face Lex. He stared at the pile of dust that used to be the vampire.

"That was... it was going to... Who are you?" he stammered, finally looking at her. She took a couple of steps toward him and he scurried backwards like a crab. "What do you want? Are you one of them?"

Haedyn stopped short. The human's eyes were so wide she could see white all the way around the pupils. Her chest tightened. He was scared of her. She put her hands on her hips and sighed.

Wait, what the hell was wrong with her? She shook her head and blinked, trying to clear the confusion from her mind. This was not the time to get all mushy and compassionate. Any minute now, the street would be filled with all sorts of supernatural beings. None of which would be happy to see her on their turf. She needed to get them somewhere safe.

"We need to leave. More will come," she snapped. Crap. She didn't mean to sound so harsh, but she didn't know how to be soothing. It's not like Azazel had trained his servants to be all cuddly and warm. She grabbed up her pack, fastening it upon her back once again.

"What do you mean more will come?" Lex said, getting to his feet. He picked his laptop case off the ground where it had landed and hugged it close to his body. "Aren't you one of them?"

Haedyn rolled her eyes and huffed. "No. I'm here to protect you. We have to leave." Pulling her hood on her head, she looked up and down the street. They needed to get out of the street and into the shadows before others came looking for Lex.

"Protect me?" Lex tilted his chin to the side and narrowed his eyes. "What are you, like my guardian angel or something?"

Haedyn looked at him, her eyebrows raised in disbelief. Really? She'd been called a lot of things but never _that_. "There's no such thing as angels."

There was a more disclosed spot beside the building. She could say the teleportation spell there without anyone witnessing it. Before he could say another word, she grabbed his arm and pulled him along with her.

He struggled and resisted the whole way, mumbling something about her being bossy. Part of her wanted to pick him up and throw him over her shoulder, but that would be more trouble than she had the time for at the moment. Ignoring his protests, she wrapped her arms around him in a bear hug and quickly said the spell.

# Chapter Five

Azazel folded his arms across his chest and looked down from the office window to the courtyard below. The newest of his servant recruits hustled into formation. Today was the day they weeded out the weak. Today was test day.

A smirk slid across his lips. This was his favorite part of their training. Each individual would prove themselves in one-on-one combat with their peers. The strongest and the smartest would have no trouble overcoming those less fortunate. Half might survive, and out of those there would probably be only four that weren't permanently maimed. But that's how he found his warriors. He couldn't afford to have inept beings under his reign. He needed them strong, smart, and loyal.

He needed more like Haedyn.

She was the perfect specimen, the perfect servant. There wasn't an ounce of mercy or compassion in her blood. He'd made sure of that.

Unfortunately, she was also one of a kind. Literally. She was the last of her species. He'd made sure of that, too. The last thing he needed was more Unnamed abominations ruining his plans like they did before. Not this time, though. This time he was ready.

He had waited centuries to create an army of evil souls; a legion grown straight from birth. The full moon was less than a week away. Preparations for the power-gaining ceremony were in place and everything was going according to schedule. Soon, the angels wouldn't stand a chance and Lucifer would finally have his revenge.

All because of Haedyn. She was the key. Well, her powers anyway. Abilities she didn't even know she possessed. All he had to do was push her to her full potential and then finally he'd be able to have his army. Yes, she was the key to it all. And she didn't have a clue.

He chuckled and turned away from the window. The ticking of the black-rimmed wall clock interrupted the silence of the room making him all too aware of the time. His retrieval team should have returned with his package by now. What was taking them so long?

Irresponsible vampires. Not one of them was punctual, acting as if they had their entire immortal lives to perform one simple task. It didn't take all day for three overgrown mosquitoes to bring in one human male.

"If they tasted my human, I'm going to-"

A soft knock sounded at the door interrupting his tirade. "Enter," he said.

The door pushed open slowly and a young male walked in.

"Ah, finally. It's taken you long enough. What cell is he in? The human?" Azazel questioned, walking from around his desk to greet his visitor.

The boy cleared his throat and bent his head. He fidgeted with the zipper on his jacket and shifted his weight from foot to foot. There was definitely something wrong here. Even for a vampire, the boy's skin looked ashen.

Azazel narrowed his eyes. "What aren't you telling me?"

"We didn't retrieve the human, sir."

Azazel's eyes blazed red at the same moment his hand shot out to grab the vampire by the throat.

"No wait." The young servant held out his hands and stumbled backwards several feet. "She was waiting for us. She killed Drake and Mitchel, then took off with the human."

"Imbeciles! There were three of you. Three vampires against one lousy human and you couldn't bring it back to me. Who got in your way?"

"It... uh... it was..."

Azazel snatched him by the neck and held him up against the wall, snarling in his face. Spittle dripped from young vamp's mouth as he tried to speak. "Haedyn," he choked out. "It was Haedyn."

Azazel dropped him on the floor. "What did you say?"

"I... I tried to follow her. But she used some sort of transportation spell."

"Are you sure it was Haedyn and not some witch using glamour?"

The vampire stood, rubbing his throat. "I'm sure. It was definitely her. I saw her eyes and heard her speak to the human. It was Haedyn, sir."

Azazel turned around and walked back to his desk. "She's never met Drake or Mitchel. She may not have known they were mine, but she knows you. Did you identify yourself?"

"Uh, no sir. I didn't have a chance, sir. But I did hear her tell the human she was there to protect him."

Quiet rage boiled inside of Azazel. He'd given that low-life bitch a purpose, saved her from being slaughtered. And she repaid him by killing his servants and stealing his human. No one betrayed him.

He turned back to the young vampire. "Get the Crone to give you a witch. Trace the spell. Find them. Retrieve my human."

"Yes sir." The servant nodded and turned to leave.

"And Malick."

"Sir?"

"Bring Haedyn to me. Alive."

# Chapter Six

Haedyn and Lex plummeted to the ground in the alley beside her apartment building. Once again, she landed hard on her butt. Damn. The witches she took the spell from made it look so easy when they had done it. She stood, dusted herself off and glanced over at her new companion.

Lex grunted and emptied the contents of his stomach. She raised her eyebrows. Apparently, teleporting didn't sit too well with humans.

She turned away to release the spell she'd placed earlier on her apartment. When she was done, she looked over her shoulder at him. He was wobbly, even on all fours, and he looked really pale. Great. She snorted and put her hands on her hips. Not only did she have to play bodyguard, now she had to be his nurse, too.

She let out a heavy sigh. Maybe it would give her an opportunity to find out what he knew about this assignment. While he recuperated, she could figure out what to do next.

Fortunately, she had killed the vamps that had attacked them so they couldn't tell anyone else about her involvement. But she had no idea how much the other preternatural species were involved. She'd need a profile on each of them, just in case. All of this would be a helluva lot easier if she knew who was after him and why.

Lex coughed a few times, slowly regained his composure and tried to stand. He clutched his laptop case close to his chest. "I feel like I've been in a flight simulator, but ten times worse," he said as he swayed from side to side.

Haedyn shook her head. She threw her arm around his waist and walked him to the green door to her building. He moaned when she propped him on the wall for support. Using both hands, she pulled at the door. It creaked more than usual as she attempted to open it wider to accommodate Lex's size. She grabbed his arm and shoved him through the opening, barely slipping through herself before the door slammed shut.

She looked at Lex. He leaned on the stairwell railing, taking in deep breaths. Sweat beaded on his forehead. _Oh no, he better not puke on me. I will be so pissed_.

She looked up at the flight of stairs and back to him again. He wasn't going to make it to the top. She was going to have to carry him. This was turning in to a royal pain in the ass. Baby-sitting humans sucked.

She reached over and pinched his shoulder, hitting a nerve that knocked him out cold. Catching him, she lifted his dead weight up and over her shoulder. Then she slung the laptop case over her other shoulder and began the ascent to her flat.

As she reached the second floor, a door shut down the hall and the sound of keys clinking together grew louder. Crap, one of the other tenants was coming their way. She slid Lex off her shoulder and propped him up on the wall. Pulling her hood closer around her face, she leaned Lex in toward her and wrapped her arms around him to keep him up.

She'd seen plenty of humans being affectionate in the dimly lit halls. Though Haedyn didn't have that kind of experience personally, she was good at imitating others. Another skill she'd learned from those harsh years of training with Azazel.

The tenant, an older woman with bleached blonde hair and bright blue eye shadow, snorted as she passed by. "Go get a room," she barked, and continued down the stairs.

Haedyn let out a deep breath and grumbled. "Stupid humans. They make everything more complicated." Then she slung Lex back over her shoulder and continued up to her apartment.

Once inside her place, she dumped Lex's limp body on the futon. Now what?

He needed the rest considering how his body was affected by teleporting, but she didn't have a clue as to how long it would take him to really recuperate. She didn't want to use a healing potion. There were only a few vials left and they needed to save them for more extreme situations. She shrugged. He would just have to sleep it off.

She left him on the futon and went into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, she gazed inside the appliance. Aside from two cartons of milk, a jar of grape jelly, and a package of hamburger meat, the shelves and drawers were empty. She'd have to get food and drink for the human, too. And clothes. Ugh. She shut the door with a thud.

She was not a baby sitter for humans. Care taking was not what she had been trained to do. This was ridiculous. It'd taken her years to figure out how to take care of herself much less anyone or thing else.

She looked back at Lex who was snoring. There was so much she didn't know about humans. She wasn't used to their ways. Even though she had lived among them when she was young, she wasn't that little child anymore.

She had been treated as an outsider at the orphanage because she wasn't like the other children. The Sisters had been nice enough but they had acted strange around her, trying not to look at her and whispering amongst themselves when she left the room. She supposed she was lucky Azazel took her from there, instead of leaving her with the humans. Who knows what would have happened if the police had found her that horrible night.

She learned to rely only on herself after that. No one else cared if she survived or not. She preferred her solitary existence; it was much less complicated. But she no longer had that option. The human that slept upon her futon was an integral part of her survival. She was going to have to get used to his presence and figure out how to keep him alive.

"It's a good damn thing I can adapt well," she remarked, opening the refrigerator again. Its sparse contents glared at her. She had a lot of adapting to do.

Several hours later, Haedyn sat in the middle of the floor with sheets of paper lying in a circle around her. Each one filled with information about the creature scrawled at the top of the page. They were all potential threats.

Lex stirred on the futon. She glanced at him just as his eyes blinked open. He scanned his surroundings. His body tensed and she figured he was remembering what happened. He sat up, ran a hand through his short, dark hair and looked around the apartment.

She remained silent and still. Watching him, wondering if he was one of those really emotional humans. If so, she might just have to knock him out again.

His gaze finally landed on her and they stared at each other for a moment.

"Where are we?" His voice came out hoarse and scratchy.

Okay, not one of those crazy emotional types. Good. Now she could get back to her profiles. The sooner she finished with them the better prepared she would be if they were attacked. She filled another page and ripped it out, placing it on a pile to her left.

"I hope those aren't ransom notes. I doubt anyone would pay to keep me alive these days," Lex commented.

She paused from writing on the next page but didn't respond. _Please don't let him be a talker. Let him just be quiet and sit like a nice boy on the futon._

"That is what this is all about, isn't it? The reason you kidnapped me. Because I know too much?"

Haedyn gave him a quick, squirrely look. Did he really think that? She saved his life and he thought she kidnapped him. Rolling her eyes, she went back to writing in her notebook. That didn't even deserve a response.

Besides, she didn't know what to say to him and technically, she didn't have to say anything. Her orders weren't to make friends, just keep him alive.

"If that's not it, then why kidnap me? What do you want with me?" Lex asked. "And why are you wearing sunglasses?"

Haedyn sighed. He was a talker all right. Hadn't even been awake five freaking minutes and already there were a zillion questions spewing out of his mouth.

She blew out a breath of air. He wasn't going to stop and she really needed to finish this. Without looking up she replied, "I'm protecting you. It's my job." She wished he would just go back to sleep so she could concentrate. "And I like the glasses. They help me see."

She went back to reading over the last few notes she'd jotted down. Protection spells might work to help keep them safe for a little while. There were several in her Book of Shadows. She rose and started towards her bedroom.

She hadn't taken two steps and Lex was hot on her tail. "Your _job_ is to protect me. Why do I need protecting, and who hired you? It's because of what I saw, with my brother. Monsters really do exist, don't they?"

Haedyn rolled her eyes again and remained quiet while she went to get her book. This was going to get old fast. Honestly, she didn't know why he was being protected so she felt no obligation to answer him. But if he didn't shut up soon, she really was going to knock his ass out again.

Nowhere in her orders did it say she had to answer his questions or talk with him. So, if she didn't have to, she wasn't going to. Maybe if she kept ignoring him, he'd get the point and go back to being quiet. Oh, or maybe there was a spell to make him mute.

She closed her trunk and flipped through the pages of her Book of Shadows, looking for spells that might work against supernatural creatures. And possibly Lex.

"That... that... _thing_ that tried to attack me earlier, the one you killed, that was a vampire, right? Is that what you are protecting me from? You're some kind of vampire slayer, or something."

She raised her eyebrows and glanced at him. There has to be a spell in here for him. Please let there be one.

She flipped the page. It wasn't a spell for Lex, but it was a decent protection spell. That might work on some of the supernaturals.

She turned to walk out of the room, but Lex grabbed her arm before she hit the doorway. She froze in place. His touch was hot, even through her clothing. The warm sensation traveled from her arm up her neck, making her face flush. She tilted her head slightly, looking at his hand upon her arm and then up at him.

Lex let go. "Uh, sorry. It's just that I need answers. I don't understand what is happening. I don't know who you are or why I'm here. And you seem to know more than I do."

Dark, dreamy eyes searched her face. His earthy scent suddenly overwhelmed her and she couldn't think. She blinked behind her shades and stared back. His pupils were slightly more dilated than before. Oh no. He must have seen her reaction to his touch.

He pleaded with her then, his tone a notch lower, "Please, tell me what you know."

Her shoulders dropped and her heart felt heavy. He had a point. She had taken him off the street with no explanation. But she didn't have any idea of what to say to him and she wasn't sure if she should tell him the truth.

Humans were notorious for overreacting. She didn't have time to console him. Not that she would even know how. She didn't have much experience dealing with humans to begin with and for some reason whenever Lex looked at her, she couldn't remember how to talk. It was like her motor functions shut down.

Looking back at her Book of Shadows so she didn't keep staring at him like she was stupid, she marked the page and closed it. Then she walked to her dresser and opened the top drawer. She pulled out the blue and white plaid shirt and handed to him as she walked past him and out of the room.

Lex followed her back into the living area. "This is my shirt. Why do you have my shirt?"

"It's how I tracked your scent," Haedyn replied. She cringed as soon as the words left her mouth. That sounded weird even to her. But her mouth seemed to be spouting out answers whether she wanted to speak or not.

"It's how you what? You know, never mind. I don't think I want to know the answer. Matter of fact, it only makes for more questions." He rubbed the back of his neck. "This is crazy."

That was a much better reaction than she'd anticipated. Humans were so volatile and unpredictable at times. She could never tell when they might go all crazy. So far, this one seemed to be handling things pretty well. For now, anyway.

She watched him sit on the futon again, his brow furrowed, frustration obvious. Not knowing what to do, and being that it was less embarrassing if she remained quiet, she decided to focus on the profiles again. She sat down where she was before, in the middle of her papers, and began making notes on the top sheet of each pile.

"What are you doing?" Lex asked, walking over to join her.

"Profiling," Haedyn answered. What was wrong with her? Now he was going to talk to her. Crap. The closer he got, the less she could think. She liked it better when he rested. At least then, she could be productive. Nothing would get done if he kept pestering her. He sat down and picked up a few of the pages strewn about the floor.

"Vampires. Weres. Witches. You're profiling the preternatural species. Why?" he asked, placing each back where she had them.

"So I know the most efficient ways to kill them."

"Why would you need to know... wait. You're protecting me, from all of these? They _all_ want to kill me?"

"I wasn't told exactly who, or what, is after you, just that I should be prepared for all of them."

"Oh," Lex commented in a small voice and reached for yet another pile of papers. "Faeries. Faeries? You've got to be kidding me! Really? Even the faeries want me dead? I didn't even research them!"

Haedyn looked up at his outburst. "Yes, faeries can be quite dangerous. I'd rather be up against a vamp or a lycan any day. The Fae are unpredictable and powerful. They usually tend to stay out of the way though, but I must be prepared for anything."

"Great, I've got Tinkerbell the Assassin Faery after me." Lex stood and paced again.

"Actually, Tinkerbell is a Pixie Faery. They aren't after you. At least, not that I'm aware of," Haedyn said and flipped to a clean page in her notebook.

"There's a difference in faeries?"

"Well, yes and no. They are all in the same species, but like all beings there are subspecies-"

"Save the science lesson." Lex held up his hand. "I don't even want to know."

Haedyn shrugged, thankful that Lex seemed sated for the moment, and returned to writing in her notebook.

"So because I learned the existence of these... these... things, they want me dead? All of them?"

Haedyn closed her eyes. That didn't last long. She hoped he wasn't this curious about everything. "I've only been told to protect you. Not the reasons why. I would think you would know what you have or have not done."

Lex stopped pacing and looked at her. "But I haven't done anything, at least that I know of. I mean, other than research the existence of monsters and I don't even have solid proof. Yet, anyway."

Haedyn raised her eyebrows. "But you are looking for proof, correct? And you won't stop. That very well could be the reason you are being hunted. Knowing the existence of the supernatural world or 'monsters' as you called us, makes you a threat. Even though most of the human population would consider you delusional, the potential that even one human might believe you is enough to label you a menace to our society. The law clearly states that any human threat must be turned or eliminated."

Lex's mouth fell open. "Turned or eliminated? But you said you were protecting me."

"I am."

"Why protect me if the laws say to do otherwise? And that's another thing, there are laws?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Yes, of course there are laws. Every civilization has laws." Sometimes it amazed her that humans had advanced as far as they had all on their own. She got up and went into the kitchen, grabbing a carton of milk from the fridge. Mostly she just wanted to get out of the same room as him. He seemed to enjoy invading her space.

"Civilization? That thing, that vampire that attacked me wasn't civilized. It was a monster. Monsters don't live in civilizations. They don't live by laws. This is crazy." He plunked back down on the futon. "You have anything stronger than milk in there? I think I need a drink."

She looked at him, and then back inside the fridge. She pulled out a plastic bottle and a deli sandwich she had bought earlier and placed the milk back in. While he had been sleeping, she had gone for supplies and had gotten just enough for a couple of days. Maybe by then she'd have more answers to this mess.

She handed Lex the bottle and the sandwich, then sat down in the middle of her papers. Lex looked at the plastic container. "Orange juice?"

"It is stronger than milk. It will help your blood sugar. Your vomiting made you weak. You will need to be at your highest level of strength."

Lex raised his eyebrows at her explanation. "Gotcha. Orange juice it is."

Haedyn picked up her notebook again. She felt him watching her and her heart skipped a beat. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she tried to tune out his presence. It didn't work. She looked over at him. "What?"

"That's a Book of Shadows, right? So, you're a witch."

"No," she clipped and went back to her note taking.

"But you said a spell. To get us here. That was a spell, right?" Lex sat forward.

Haedyn sighed again. "Yes."

"So that makes you a witch. Witches do spells." Lex sat back again, a look of triumph crossing his face.

"Do all humans use this simple method of deduction to form their conclusions, or do they just not understand the complexity of life around them?" she asked, the irritation obvious in her voice. She was used to controlling her emotions but this human was having strange effects on her.

Lex's brow furrowed. "We form conclusions based on the knowledge we have. Without full knowledge, our conclusions are limited and, at times, simple."

Haedyn thought about that for a moment. "Huh, that explains a lot actually." She gave her head a quick shake and then went back to her book.

She felt him staring at her again. He was analyzing her, studying her. She was used to this type of behavior, especially from humans. But this was different. It was uncomfortable. And weird. Please don't let him start talking again. She was having a hard enough time focusing as it was.

"You're an albino," Lex uttered. "You obviously aren't human, though. I've seen the way you move, the way you fight, your strength. And the way you spit out the word 'human,' as if it were disgusting or vile. That was pretty much a dead giveaway."

Haedyn's breath hitched in her throat. She didn't move. She just kept looking down at her notebook, waiting for him to ask the inevitable question.

"If you aren't a witch, what are you?"

There it was.

"I'm your protector. That's all you need to know." She snapped and got up to go into her bedroom. Space. She needed space. His scent, his unending questions and those freaking dark eyes. They were all clouding her head.

Pacing, she tried to get her emotions under control. Not since she was young had she allowed a human to rile her up this way. She couldn't allow this to distract her further. There was a job to do. She stopped and took a deep breath, calming her mind and her body.

Then she felt him behind her. Why did he have to keep invading her space?

"I didn't mean to offend you. I'm a reporter; I'm curious by nature. And considering the situation I have found myself in, it is natural for me to want to know who I have protecting me. I don't really understand what is going on. I've just found out that I'm on the hit list of every monster I can think of. You saved my life earlier, and I don't even know your name."

Haedyn turned around and looked at the human before her. He stood several inches taller than her and his square chin held a day's worth of stubble. She had the oddest urge to reach up and touch it, but held back knowing it would probably freak him out. Hell, it freaked her out. Instead, she looked at his eyes and saw the sincerity of his words.

Things would go smoother if he trusted her abilities. She needed to be in control of this situation, and if he kept questioning her and distracting her, it would make them vulnerable.

"My name is Haedyn. I've been hired to protect you and I've been successful at every assignment I've had. I do not plan to fail at this one."

Lex nodded his approval. "Okay. Now, we're getting somewhere." He smiled. She liked how it changed the features of his face, making them softer, more inviting. His smile reached his eyes. For some reason, it reminded her of the only other human being she had been close to. But that was a long time ago and she had been responsible for that human's death. She wasn't about to allow the same thing to happen again.

"So, who hired you to protect me?" His question brought her back to the present.

"I'm sworn by oath to keep my dealings confidential and anonymous," she said.

"If the laws say I'm to be 'turned or eliminated,' then why were you hired to protect me? Or are you to just bringing me in for my reckoning?"

She looked away and walked back out into the living area. Those were the very same questions she had. Her gut told her something was very off about this assignment. She hoped he would have the answers but it was obvious he knew less than she did.

"I was told to protect you. Until I receive further instructions, that's what I plan to do."

She reached into the pocket of her suit and pulled out the silver-banded ring that belonged to him.

"Where did you get that?" Lex demanded as he snatched the ring out of Haedyn's gloved hands. She gave him a hard look but only saw a turbulence of emotions crossing his face.

"It's how I located you."

"Who gave this to you?" he demanded again, this time stepping closer to her.

She lifted her chin higher and looked him in the eye. "The one who hired me. In order to find my target, I must have something that belonged to them. The shirt and the ring were the items I was given to perform that task."

Lex paced away from her. He ran a hand through his hair again and turned back to face her. "This doesn't make sense. None of this makes any damn sense." He sat back down on the futon, turning the ring in his fingers the same way she had seen his brother do in her visions.

"The last time I saw this ring was when my brother was giving it to me. It was knocked out of his hands when we were attacked. I went back there, afterwards," Lex continued. Haedyn knew his eyes were seeing only the memories.

"The police had released the scene. They didn't even find a drop of blood. I saw my brother get attacked. I watched them rip into his skin. I heard his screams, it haunted me for months. But there wasn't a body. There was nothing. Not a trace. He just disappeared. I looked for this ring. I looked for hours, crawling on my hands and knees in the grass, scraping up leaves and twigs in piles to search through each one. It had disappeared, just like my brother."

Haedyn watched Lex mentally relive the attack on his brother. She knew what was being replayed in his mind; she had seen it all in her vision.

"I always wondered what happened to him, to his body. Did they dump him in the river? Did they bury him somewhere? Eat him maybe? Hell, I don't know, maybe they turned him. That's what the books say happens. But I needed proof. That was why I quit my job at the newspaper. There were too many questions and I had to find the answers. I started researching. I looked everywhere, occult shops, libraries, book stores. I couldn't find any answers, though. Just some stupid theories about good versus evil. Like I didn't already know that monsters were evil." He let out an empty laugh. "No matter where I looked, I couldn't find out what happened to the bodies after a vampire attacks. I couldn't find out what happened to my brother."

He looked up Haedyn then. His eyes seemed to penetrate her dark glasses and she swallowed.

"But you know, don't you? You know what happened to my brother."

# Chapter Seven

Haedyn stood speechless. Lex had just called her out. But she couldn't tell him the truth, he'd never believe her. Or he'd want her to take him to his brother, and that would get them both killed.

Lex's eyes seemed to bore into her but she refused to look away. So many emotions played across his face — anger, fear, desperation. She wasn't sure which emotion would control him if she spoke.

Just then, she saw a glowing light out of the corner of her eye. She looked down at the ring on her left hand. It was bright red.

"What is it?" Lex stood, looking at the glowing jewel.

"Go into the bedroom, now. Stay there."

"Why?"

"Or you could just sit out here and, you know, die." She pointed towards the bedroom and he ran that direction.

She grabbed her Book of Shadows from the ground and flipped through its pages. The ring glowed even brighter. There wasn't much time. She would have to fight magic with magic and hoped it worked. Finding the page she was looking for, she held the book in front of her and chanted:

" _Earth and Air, Fire and Water_ ,

_Hear this call from your daughter!_

_Protection is what I seek to gain,_

_Our safety here shall remain._

_Craft this spell within your fire,_

_Spread it now and make it higher!_

_Weave it now of shining flame,_

_So none can enter to hurt or maim._

_No foe shall break this fiery wall,_

_Bring them down; end them all!_

_Stones and Winds, Flames and Rivers,_

_Your power through me this spell delivers!_ "

A whoosh of wind sounded and flames burst into sight around the inside perimeter of the apartment. Haedyn dropped the book and ran to the bedroom. Lex was standing on her bed trying to put out the flames with a blanket. She reached up and yanked him down. "It's a spell. They're protection flames. They will only retreat by using magic or when the spell has worn off."

Before Lex could respond, a scream pierced the night. Haedyn looked down at her ring. The red glow was fading. The flames would provide about an hour's worth of protection unless another witch was able to break through the spell before then.

"It worked. But we don't have much time. They found us. We will need to pack and get out of here. You have a change of clothes in the backpack beside my trunk." She pointed to the items. "Grab your shirt, and your ring. And anything else you might have here. We will need to travel light."

Lex nodded and ran into the living room. She turned and grabbed the duffel bag with the money and packed in a few articles of her own clothing. Next she went to the trunk. She threw all the potions she had into the bag. They'd have to make more as they needed them.

How the hell had they found her so soon? She shook her head. No time for that now.

She took her case of jewelry and stashed it in the bag with a couple of hand guns, a few boxes of specialized ammo for the preternatural creatures she may have to shoot, and some blades.

Grabbing her own backpack from the small closet, she shoved in a few more weapons and ammo. Then she took her sword from its place on the wall and sheathed it along her back again. She donned her cloak and walked into the living area with both bags. She picked up her Book of Shadows and the profiles she had written, and then slid them safely into her pack. Lex had already raided her kitchen for supplies and was zipping up his own pack.

"Follow me. Be quiet and be quick," she commanded and led him into the small hallway in front of her bathroom. She opened the linen closet and pushed past the towels. Leaning heavily on the back wall of the closet, she heard the creak of the wood as the shelving unit gave way and allowed entry to the small hidden room. She stepped back to allow Lex to go inside, but he didn't move.

"Go," she said.

"There is no way I will be able to fit through that opening."

She looked at the linen closet again and then back at Lex. Then she grabbed him, shoved his head down and turned his body sideways while forcing him into the small space. She pushed from behind as he wriggled his head and upper body into the opening. He grunted his complaints but finally fell into the cramped room on his hands and knees.

"Remind me never to tell you I can't do something," he grumbled as he stood. She tossed the bags in, closed the closet door and slipped through behind him. After pushing the shelves back into place, she faced Lex and immediately wished she hadn't.

They were only a few inches separating them and Lex was looking down at her with those dark eyes that made her stomach flip. She had never been this close to another being before. At least not one she wasn't trying to kill. Her face flushed and she looked at his lips.

What the hell was wrong with her? Geez, they were being hunted by who knows what and she was thinking about his lips. A human's lips. She shook herself, grabbed the bags and inched around Lex to reach the ladder.

"This leads to a closet in the apartment above us," she explained and started climbing. "We'll get out from there."

"What, no teleporting this time?" Lex challenged and slipped his own bag over his shoulders.

"It would be a faster means of escape. But unfortunately, your human body is too weak to handle its effects," she retorted.

They climbed to the next landing and then tiptoed out of the apartment. She motioned for Lex to follow her and then stopped with one foot on the top stair. The smell of wild animal wafted to her nose. There were a lot of them and they were close. She pushed Lex back up against the wall.

"They are on the lower level. We can't get past them," she whispered.

"Them? How many are there?"

"Ten, maybe twelve. Werewolves." She sniffed at the air again. "Lions too, I think. They must be working with the witch. We are going to have to teleport after all."

Then one scent in particular caught her attention. It belonged to a werewolf who was one of Azazel's servants. Something wasn't right. Why would he be there?

She sniffed again. His was the only scent she recognized. He must be working with the witch. If so, he had guts betraying Azazel. That was one demon she never wanted to face off against.

Part of her wanted to confront the servant, but there wasn't time to deal with that now. She had a human to babysit. Footsteps echoed from the stairwell.

Lex's eyes grew large and he stopped looking over her shoulder. She reached in her backpack to retrieve the small black satchel.

"What's that for?"

"It's to fix you when we land," Haedyn said. Then she grabbed Lex and said the teleportation spell.

# Chapter Eight

Haedyn landed on her feet this time, catching her balance just before she fell. Not the most graceful landing but so much better than being on her butt.

She looked over just in time to see Lex fall on all fours and face-plant in the cushy grass. Stifling a laugh, she walked over to him and nudged him with her foot. "You alright?"

He grunted but didn't move.

"Oh, come on now. You're the one who wanted to teleport," she said.

He grunted again. And still didn't move.

She bit back a smile and hauled him to his feet. He was wobbly and leaned all his weight on her petite frame for support. "Umph. God, you're heavy for a human," she complained.

She walked him to the front porch of a small cottage and set him down on the steps. This place wasn't her first choice for an extended stay but it would do for a few nights.

With a smug grin, she poured the vial of orange liquid in Lex's mouth. At once his face screwed up from the taste of the healing potion.

He coughed and sputtered. "What the hell did you put in that? It tasted like dirt mixed with cough syrup."

"You're feeling better, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but can't you add some sugar or something to that crap?"

Haedyn stood and unlocked the door to the cottage. "Get inside."

Lex grumbled but followed her directions. She paused before following him in and scanned the area. Though she couldn't sense any beings watching them, she wasn't going to let her guard down. The knowledge that she was helping the human would spread quickly to those hunting him, especially if another of Azazel's servants was working against her. She no longer had the surprise advantage. That meant the level of danger just increased tenfold.

She walked inside and locked the door. Lex stood in the den, one hand rubbing the stubble on his chin and the other on his hip. "How did they find us?"

She shrugged. "They must have sent a scout to look for the vampires that I killed earlier, then traced the magic back to the apartment."

Lex's eyes grew round. "They can do that? Then they'll just do it again. I mean we used the same spell."

"Well, yeah," she said. "But they'll be searching the apartment, not the floor above. By the time they look through the whole building, hopefully the traces of magic left behind by the spell will have dispersed."

"Oh." Lex nodded and dropped his hands by his side.

"A strong witch will be able to locate it though. So don't get too comfy here."

"Is it always going to be like this? Running from place to place."

"You're being hunted by supernatural beings. Unless you know of some place where they'll never find us, then we're on the run. Better get used to it." She walked past him, shaking her head. This was just the beginning and he was already complaining. He had no clue how bad things were going to get.

"Where are we going from here?" Lex followed her around the cottage as she checked the window locks and shut curtains and blinds. "Do you have a plan?"

Turning from a bedroom window, she bumped into him and lost her balance. He caught her by the arms and steadied her. She didn't move a muscle. Partially because he was in her way, but also because she didn't want him to let go. His touch felt like a nice warm blanket on a cold winter night. It was soothing and... What in the hell was wrong with her?

She quickly stepped out of his hold, moved around him and out of the room. Her arms were cold where his hands had held her and his smell was stuck in her nose. She shook her head. Every time she got too close to this man, she lost her mind. She couldn't afford that kind of distraction right now. She needed space. And once again he was right on her heels.

"Stop following me," she said over her shoulder.

"If I don't follow you, you'll never answer my questions."

She stopped right inside the main bedroom doorway and looked at him. "What do you mean? I've answered plenty of your questions."

"No you haven't."

"Yes, I have."

"No, you've chosen to answer a few of them but not all of them."

Haedyn rolled her eyes and started to turn away.

"See, that's what you do. You walk away. So, I figure if I annoy you long enough, you will give in to my charm and irresistible ways," Lex replied with a lopsided grin.

She looked at him from under the hood of her cloak and raised one eyebrow in response. Opening the door of the closet, she pulled out a sword. She glanced at him as her gloved hand caressed the blade.

"You know, I think I need something in the other room. I'm gonna... go in there," he said, pointing out of the room.

"Good idea," she said and brushed past him, a smirk on her lips. "Actually, let's empty out your pack. We need to take stock of what we have, so I know what supplies we need."

They sorted their weapons, potions and other items on the kitchen table. Other than the small amount of food and drink they had managed to bring with them, they counted several blades, two swords, three pistols, six boxes of specialized ammo, ten vials of various potions, the Book of Shadows and Haedyn's box of charms.

"What's this?" Lex asked, leaned over to pick up the box.

Haedyn grabbed his arm. "Don't. It is protected. It could kill you if you touched it without my permission."

"Oh, nice. Anything else booby-trapped?" Lex eyed the box precariously.

"If you don't touch things that don't belong to you, then you won't have to worry about it, now will you?"

Lex crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. Fine, let him pout. She had work to do.

"We need more potions. Especially healing potion," she stated as she looked over their small arsenal.

"Isn't there some place we can hide for a few days?" Lex asked. "Just long enough to get our heads in the game, and maybe prepare a little more."

Something in his voice made her look over at him. He was slouching and his eyes were bloodshot. Even though she had given him the healing potion less than 30 minutes ago, the events of the last day had taken their toll. He would need to eat and rest before they could run again.

She picked up her Book of Shadows and began skimming through the table of contents. "There's a spell for cloaking our whereabouts in here. That might buy us a little more time."

"Cool, let's get to it. I'd like to get a shower and I'd rather not worry about getting shot while I'm in there."

"You wouldn't get shot."

"Because you're protecting me, right?" Lex asked, his tone hinting of sarcasm.

"No. Most preternatural beings don't use human weapons. Not when they have so many other ways to eliminate you." Haedyn looked up in time to see a quick glimpse of panic cross Lex's face.

A twinge of guilt tugged at her for stressing him out more so than he already was, but she wasn't going to lie to him. He needed to know what he was up against. Years of training had shown her that even the most bitter of truths was more valuable than the weight of compassion when fighting for your life. And Lex didn't seem to get how important the stakes were right now. This wasn't a game. His life was at risk. And so was hers.

She took a deep breath and went back to flipping through pages. "Here it is. Let's see, I have the candles and the salt. I have rosemary and lotus root but I need bloodroot and Solomon's Seal. I also need some Low John Root and some Anise Seed." She looked up at Lex. "I can't perform this spell without those ingredients. I'm going to have to go shopping."

"Where at? I mean, is there a place around here that sells that stuff?"

"We'll find out. Pass me that phone book on the counter over there."

Lex did as she asked while she pulled her notebook out of her backpack. The profiles she'd stuffed there earlier slid out and fell to the floor.

"You know, I could add your profile information to the files I have on my laptop. Then we could share resources," Lex said as he helped her pick up the papers from the floor.

"You already have far too much information on our world," she answered with a stern look.

"Our world? You act like you're one of these monsters." He pointed to several pages in his hand before handing them to her. "In all of my research, I didn't see anything that even remotely comes close to a Super Albino chick. Which says to me that you are something altogether different."

Haedyn stiffened but kept putting the pages in her pack. Maybe he wouldn't ask. Maybe, if she just stayed quiet, he'd talk himself right into another topic.

"So, what are you exactly?"

Damn. Why did he have to be so freaking curious? She didn't want to get into this with him right now. They needed supplies and he needed rest. She grabbed the phone book and flipped it open. "Maybe there's a store nearby."

"You're not going to answer me?"

"So you can add what I say to your research?"

"No," Lex scoffed."You kidnapped me-"

"I saved you. I did not kidnap you."

"Fine, whatever you want to call it. But like I said, I've done quite a bit of research and there is no mention of you, or anyone like you, in any book I've read." He crossed his arms in front of his chest.

He was so stubborn. What was his fascination with her anyway? Just like a freaking human to be so easily distracted. They had higher priorities than to discuss her origins. "Who and what I am are not important. Right now, we need to find supplies. We're being hunted, remember? It's my job to make sure they don't find us."

"I remember alright. How can I forget when you constantly remind me."

"Good, then let's-"

Lex threw his hands up. "Did it ever occur to you that I'd like to think and talk about something other than my potential death? It would be nice to know a little something about the person who is keeping me alive."

Haedyn gave him a curious look. His clenched jaw and tired eyes showed the strain he was feeling. He needed reassurance and she hadn't provided it. She couldn't protect him if he didn't trust her enough to not question her every move.

She took a deep breath. "You won't find anything about me in any of your books. I'm an Unnamed, an abomination to the supernatural world. And I'm the only one of my kind."

"An Unnamed. Wait, did you just say you're the only one?" His brow furrowed and he took a step closer to her.

"Yes."

"So, your parents...?"

"I don't know my parents. They left me at a human orphanage when I was born."

Lex took a seat in one of the kitchen table chairs. "And you never thought to try to find them?"

Haedyn shook her head and looked out to the adjoining living area. "No. I was only provided limited information about my origins. I was left at the orphanage because I was unwanted. There was no need to know anything more."

"Who would tell you something like that? That's horrible. What about medical conditions or... or... other powers or how long you live? I would think that would be pertinent information, don't you?" Lex asked.

She glanced back at him, meeting his eyes. Huge mistake. His eyes pulled her right in. They were dark and inviting, as warm as his touch had been. And she saw something else there. Concern. The last time a human cared about her she got it killed.

She walked out of the dining room to the front living room window. Pulling up her hood and then taking off her glasses, she looked through the blinds into the early morning darkness.

Lex walked up behind her and turned her so they were facing each other. She expected him to flinch when he saw her red eyes but he didn't. Instead, he pushed the hood of her cloak off her head and searched her face. "I didn't mean to upset you."

She shook her head. "Y... you didn't." Her heart was fluttering like a butterfly on crack. Then she saw his body heat increase ever so slightly. Oh hell.

She definitely hadn't expected that reaction. Her chest tightened and she swallowed hard. He was too close. She needed to put some distance between them before she did anything stupid.

Slipping her glasses back on, she cleared her throat and walked to the middle of the room. Okay, that was better. She could think again. Taking in a deep breath, she turned to face him. "I didn't care about finding out all that stuff. I did what I was told, what I had to in order to survive. I don't belong in your human world. And I'm an abomination in mine. My master saved me. He taught me the tools I needed to survive. "

"Your master?"

"Yes, he found me at the orphanage. The vampires were going to kill me but he saw I had a... gift. He saved me and in return, I serve him."

Lex put his hands on his hips and cocked his head to the side. "I'm confused. You had vampires at your orphanage?"

"No, they attacked the orphanage." The memories of that night flooded her mind. The sound of windows shattering, the screams from the Sisters who took care of them, it was all so vivid. "I tried to protect the other children. I hid them away and faced the vampires myself. That's when my master arrived. He saved me. He took me and trained me. All of my assignments come from him. Occasionally, he hires my services out to others. The clients are always anonymous to me. I just get the details of the job and perform my duties. It's all I know. And it's kept me alive this far."

Lex crossed his arms and stared at her, a sad smile on his face. Her eyes flared with frustration and anger. She didn't need his sympathy. She had survived. No pathetic human would have lived through a vampire attack as a child or a demon's extreme training. Screw him and his smug human ways.

She took a step forward, holding her chin a notch higher. "You want to know what I am? I am a tracker, a hunter, an executioner. I am a harbinger of death."

Lex was silent. Good. Maybe she'd scared him. Maybe now he'd stop asking questions and just do as she said. She had a job to do, and she was tired of baby-sitting him.

She turned to walk away, but he stopped her.

"Did you save them? The other children?"

She paused, steeling herself against the guilt that had haunted her since that night. It had been her one and only failure. "No. They were delivered, as was their fate. My master told me as much."

"Seems to me he tells you a lot of things, mostly crap. You're not an abomination. Every single being has a purpose for their existence. I'm not sure what yours is yet, but I'm going to find out. There's more to you than just some killing machine run by the monsters," Lex stated.

"How do you know that's not exactly what I am?"

"Because you would have killed me already," Lex countered.

"If I'm ordered to kill you, I will. I have no qualm putting my life over yours. I will kill you," Haedyn declared. "For now, my duty is to protect you, and that is what I will do."

"Are you always so loyal to your mentor?"

"He's not my mentor, he's my master."

"If he's not your mentor, and he's not your father, then why did he take you from the orphanage? If you're an abomination, such a huge mistake, then why bother training you? For what purpose?" Lex challenged.

She clinched her jaw. He'd given life to the questions hiding in her own mind. Battling her own curiosity had been hard enough, but to fend off constant queries from a human was even more disconcerting. She didn't need this type of chaos in her mind right now. They needed to concentrate on the mission. It was the only way either of them was going to live.

"We need to find supplies," she said and walked into the kitchen. She was determined to keep some distance between her and this exasperating human. If only to maintain her sanity.

She picked up the phone book and flipped through the pages until she found the listings of local shops.

"Here's one. Small Escapes. It's not far."

Lex joined her in the kitchen. "Great. When do we leave?"

"You need to eat something while I'll make a list of things for you to gather while you're in the shop. You'll need to hurry while you're there, though. We will take everything with us and go somewhere else from the store. Once we're safely tucked away again, I'll use the cloaking spell. That should allow plenty of time for you to rest." Haedyn began repacking the box of charms and other weapons from the table.

"What do you mean you'll make a list for me? Aren't you going, too?"

Haedyn looked over her shoulder at Lex. "Yes, but I'll be outside, making sure nothing follows you in."

# Chapter Nine

The small shop was tucked into a little cranny between two larger buildings. The bricks and mortar showed their age with missing chunks and crumbling pieces. Ivy grew along the walls like a rope wrapped around to hold it all together. A freshly painted sign with "Small Escapes" printed in swirly letters hung from an iron bar above the wood-framed door. Soft light glowed from the single covered window facing the street, letting those who passed by know the store was open for business.

Lex walked up to the shop's entrance. "Where's that list?" he mumbled, digging in his pants' pockets until he pulled out a crumpled piece of notebook paper. He straightened it out so it was legible.

He didn't want to spend much time inside. These places tended to give him the creeps with all their dark lights and skulls. Besides, if he took too long his non-human assassin-turned-bodyguard might bust in there looking for him and scare all the employees to death. He groaned just thinking about it. Yeah, the simple and quiet way was much better for everyone. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

As soon as he stepped inside, the outside world seemed far away. The sense of urgency was replaced with a welcoming invitation to browse. It was as if his favorite grandmother wrapped him up in a giant, protective hug.

The soft glow seen from the window now surrounded Lex with warmth and comfort. There were candles placed throughout the store to permeate the air with a light relaxing scent. A Celtic flute softly played its solo from speakers attached in the corners of the ceiling. Shelves offered books on various subjects from crystals to herbs, self-healing techniques to spirituality. The glass exhibits displayed amulets and crystals of all sizes and colors. The customers in line at the checkout counter chatted quietly with each other like old friends.

This was nothing like the occult shops Lex had been in before. This might not be as bad as he thought it would be. The brunette clerk helping a customer bag her treasures offered a quick smile and a "Welcome. Please feel free to look around. I'll be with you in a moment."

Lex nodded and headed for a bookshelf in the far corner. Might as well read until the line at the counter dispersed. He knew he would need help with this list Haedyn gave him. And the clerk was kind of cute. Being around a normal human, even for just a few minutes, would be refreshing. He glanced back to see her looking at him with a slight grin. Very refreshing indeed.

He smiled back and turned to face the shelf in front of him. The first book he saw was The Modern Kama Sutra: The Ultimate Guide to the Secrets of Erotic Pleasure. His eyes widened and immediately he felt his cheeks warm. Clearing his throat, he quickly took a few steps to the left and grabbed an herbal remedies magazine. Much better.

A few magazines later, Lex looked up as the soft chimes above the door echoed faintly. The other customers had left and it was time for the store to close. Haedyn was probably having a conniption fit waiting for him. He wouldn't be surprised if she barged in the store any minute now. Digging out the list from his pocket again, he walked up to the counter to speak with the clerk.

"Find everything you needed?" the young lady asked.

"Actually," Lex said. "I have this list of herbs my, uh, wife needs. And I don't have a clue what they are." He handed her the crumpled piece of paper.

The clerk took the list from him, tilting her head to look at the ring on his hand. "Interesting. Looks kind of old. Is that a family crest or something?"

Lex looked at the intricate design on the silver band decorating his finger. "Uh, yeah, I guess. I don't know too much about it really. It's a family heirloom of sorts, been in my family for years, passed down from generation to generation. You know how it goes," he said and shrugged his shoulders. He plastered his best smile on his face. The clerk was a lot cuter up close.

She smiled in return, glanced at the list he'd given her and said. "These are no problem. Give me just a sec and I'll get them for you."

"Sure, great," he nodded as she turned around and starting pulling small containers from the shelves behind her.

"You are being hunted," a hoarse voice came from behind Lex. He jumped and turned around, startled from hearing the voice as much as what it said. There was no one else in the room. "What the..." He must have been hearing things. Lack of sleep could do that to a person. Or, maybe he was finally losing his mind. After everything he'd been through lately, he wouldn't doubt it.

"Please, my grandmother wants to speak to you. Wait until I lock up and I will show you to her." The young clerk touched his arm.

"So you heard that, too? Oh, good... wait, who wants to talk to me? There's no one else here."

She let out a quick chuckle and smiled. Lex stood where he was and watched as she placed crystals by the door and window and in each corner of the shop. Then she manually locked the door and turned off the overhead light, leaving on only a small lamp behind the counter. The cute brunette waved at him to follow as she passed through a beaded curtain that covered the entrance to a hallway off to the right. A sign above the entrance stated "The future lies within." Lex walked quickly to catch up to her, filled with a mixture of confusion and wariness.

She spoke over her shoulder as she led him down the hallway. "My name is Leslie. My grandmother sometimes does readings for people back here. It's by appointment only these days and she is very cautious about those she chooses to read for. Apparently, she feels you need some guidance," she explained as she came to a stop by a white wooden door. "I'll round up the herbs you need while you speak to her. Please go in," she smiled.

Lex gave her a tentative smile as she walked back the other way, and then started to open the door but paused. Vampires, werewolves and faeries were chasing him. Nothing behind this door could be any weirder than that, right? What's a little chat with a grandmother who pretends to be a psychic? He straightened his shoulders and walked in.

The room was lit only by candles. The incense was stronger here, making him feel even more relaxed. Overstocked bookshelves adorned the walls, and a small counter displayed several potions and amulets. A half-filled water cooler stood beside the counter. There were two chairs and a small table in the center of the room. In one of the chairs sat an old woman. She was small and frail looking with a patchwork quilt over her lap. Her silver hair was pulled away from her face and hung gracefully behind her in long braids. If her skin wasn't so pale, Lex would have thought her to be of Native American descent.

"I am Moira Wales and I own this store. Please, come in, Mr. Carter."

Lex tensed. "How do you know my name?" Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea. Then he remembered that he had super-albino, ninja girl outside protecting him. All he had to do was yell and she'd be in there tearing up the place.

"Here, sit. You have questions. But not all of those can I answer for you. I will do what I am able, but you haven't much time. Those that seek you are hunting as we speak."

Lex's eyes narrowed at her statement. "How do you know I'm being hunted?"

Moira smiled. "I know many things, Edward Lexington Carter, son of Evonne Alexis Smith Carter and the late Devon Michael Carter. And, brother of Alix Mitchell Carter, for whom you are searching."

"Okay, so you know who I am. But, I'm not searching for my brother. He's dead. I saw him... ripped apart by monsters. I'm looking for answers as to why."

"You've done much research, yet ended up with more questions and no answers."

"Yes, exactly," he said and took a step forward, placing his left hand on the back of the empty chair. His ring caught the light of the candle and flashed a reflection across the table.

The old woman stared at the ring and then back up to him. She motioned to the empty chair. "There are things you need to know, Mr. Carter."

Lex sat obediently across from the unique woman. Her last statement piqued his curiosity, but the tone of her voice didn't ease his mind at all. He'd never visited a psychic before, but this one seemed to be pretty good at whatever it was psychics do. Still he worried. What if there was another attack?

"No need for concern, they cannot sense you in this building. It is protected. But you can't stay here forever. Eventually they would find you, even here," she said. She reached out a small, pale hand and touched his arm. "Quiet. Relax. Ease the tension from your body so that you can truly listen."

Lex immediately felt the tension drain from his muscles from the old woman's touch. He inhaled an incense-filled breath. Nothing else mattered but this old woman and her voice.

Moira leaned back in her chair and began her tale. "There are many beliefs in this world and many theories. All of which are correct in some form or fashion. But the truth of it lies in that there are many gods of many dimensions and universes. Our God created the heavens and the earth, and all that dwell upon these planes."

Lex nodded. The sound of her voice mesmerized him. He didn't want her to stop talking so he nodded again for her to continue.

"He created angels who served him without question. But he wanted more. He wanted to know that he was worthy of being worshiped and not just because he had conceived them to be loyal. So, he created humans and gave them something that the angels didn't have, a soul. This very thing is what allows humans to have a choice, or freewill. God was quite intrigued at his creation. He became immersed in their development and evolution and in doing so he all but forgot about his loyal servants, the angels. Many were upset by God's action and felt he had forsaken them." Moira sighed.

"Okay, go on," Lex said. He wasn't really sure why any of this was important but he'd give her a few more minutes. Just as long as he could hear her voice again.

She gave him a grin. "They became jealous and infused with anger and rage. But one in particular seemed to instigate the rest, his name was Lucifer. There was in-fighting between the angels at this point, and so much unrest in the heavens that it finally came to God's attention. He thrust Lucifer and his followers from heaven, but not to earth. He sent them to an alternate plane, what humans call Hell. Just like heaven is in an alternate plane, Earth is the playing field between the two.

"Lucifer swore that he would turn every human against God and deny God from having their souls. God told him he would be foolish to try, that humans had freewill and would soon see the power and strength of his ways and would never turn away from him, as he was the Almighty. Lucifer laughed at God's arrogance and so the war began.

"Their hate of God and of humans changed Lucifer and his followers. They became what we know as demons. And they battled constantly for the souls of humans."

Lex leaned toward her on the table. "Look, I appreciate the religious lesson and all, but I know all this already. I used to be a pretty devout Christian, before my brother was murdered. I know all about Lucifer and why he was thrown out of heaven. Though I admit, your tale has a few more twists than what I learned. But I don't get how this is helpful to me."

Moira smiled, "Be patient, Lex."

"I don't think you understand. See, I saw my brother get killed by... this is gonna sound crazy, but you're supposedly a psychic so you should be used to this by now. I saw my brother get killed by vampires. And I need to know everything I can about them, and all the other creepy-crawly things out there. I need to know why they killed my brother and not me."

"Please, pour me a cup of tea and one for yourself, and I'll explain what I can," Moira said.

Lex got up and found the teapot sitting the on the counter beside two mugs. The mundane task gave him a moment to get his emotions in check and calm his nerves. He was finally going to get some information. He placed a cup in front of Moira and sat with his in hand. "Ok, let's get started. Where did they come from? How many are there? Is there a way we can defeat them?"

"All humans are frightened by things they don't understand. The supernatural beings live outside of human knowledge, part of their strategy for survival in the beginning." Moira turned her head as if she were listening to someone speak in her ear.

Lex looked around but saw no one else in the room. "What is it?"

"There is much I am unable to tell you, Lex. I am bound by the laws. Forbidden to say too much."

Lex snorted. "Here we go again with the laws. Who made up the _laws_ concerning these creatures? The same monsters that are hunting me down? They have laws, and what you're saying is we have to abide by them. What about our laws, like the one that says murder is illegal?"

"Remember, they live outside of human knowledge, therefore outside human law. But they all live by a stringent code. One that is greatly enforced."

"Yeah, right. By who, the monster police?" Lex shook his head. "So, who's running the show for all these monsters out there? Who is this Big Bad Boogie Man who is sending all his minions after me?"

"That, I cannot say. But I've always felt that knowing how one got to where one is," Moira paused and leaned towards Lex before she continued, "helps one find where they are going."

Lex looked at the old woman in front of him. It occurred to him that she was trying to provide him all the help she could and was probably breaking some of the laws she had just mentioned. He reeled in his impatience and tried to show more respect for her efforts. "Loopholes. Gotcha. Please continue."

Moira smiled and sipped from her mug then picked up where she left off. "Lucifer knew he would have to work hard to win over the humans' souls. He knew that if either he or his followers appeared to them in their present state, it would only force the humans back to God. He had to be more sinister. There were too many souls for him to deal with alone. So he put his second in command, Azazel, in charge.

"It was Azazel's idea to mettle in the lives of humans, creating situations that bred anger and rage. He used their desires against them. He took many souls, but it wasn't enough. It was never enough.

"God retaliated and recruited Angels, inserting them into the lives of humans to provide balance and give them the chance to choose for themselves. The Angels were able to sway even more back to God, just as quickly as Azazel could turn them."

Lex leaned his elbows on the table, intrigued now as much by the tale this woman spun as he was her voice. "Go on."

Moira took a sip of tea and nodded. "Some of the angels began to get too involved with their humans, and they fell in love. Many chose to live as mortal beings so that they could remain on earth with their human mates. At first, God was angered by the loss of his angels. But then he realized that the love the angels shared with their humans was different than that which they had for him. And having his angels with the humans only increased his chances of winning their souls. So, he allowed it.

"Then the angels and humans bred. They bore children that had the form of humans and the powers of angels. When the demons saw this, they thought that God was trying to win souls by having his angels procreate with the humans. Azazel told his demons to do the same. Of course with angels, there was love; with demons, it was rape and torture. But the same result happened.

"Not only were there children of angels and humans, now there were children of demons and humans. These beings were defined by whatever demon spawned them, they held the powers and sometimes the physical attributes of the demon."

Lex felt like he'd been slapped in the face. "Vampires and werewolves. They're the products of demons and humans. But what about the rest? I mean faeries and witches? Are they the children of angels and humans?"

Moira smiled at him. "Witches are the descendants of Children, either demon or angel, depending on how they use their gifts. The bloodlines have weakened but this is the true origin of a natural witch.

"The Fae are one of the many types of children of angels and humans. Just like human genetics, some things pass from the mother and some from the father, but each child is different. The original Fae children were immortal and had powers similar to which angels possess, though there are very few of those left now. In order to survive, they had to dilute their abilities by procreating with humans. There are only two direct descendants of the originals alive now. One of them sits as their leader and the other has been well-hidden, for his own protection."

"His own protection? From whom?" Lex asked.

"Only direct descendants, the purest of the bloodlines, can take the throne of the Fae. When one family dies out, the next purest bloodline takes over. There are many who want the seat of power and will do anything in their means to take it, even if they aren't pure bloods," she answered.

"Are there many species that are still pure? I mean like close to the originals?" Lex wished he had brought his notebook or recorder with him. It was fascinating information, more than he expected to hear.

"There are still creatures out there that maintain the bloodline, mating only within their species, keeping their lines strong. Werewolves tend to do this more so than the others. But most species tend to keep to themselves now, occasionally hiding among the world of humans. But I digress and we haven't much time. Where was I? Oh yes," she continued. "The Fae decided to opt out of this battle for human souls. They watch from the sidelines and do not interfere."

"Let me get this straight. You're saying that there's this war going on. And that vampires, werewolves, witches, and everything else out there are involved. That they're all vying for human souls?" Lex gave her an incredulous look. "No way. That doesn't make sense. Humans would have noticed it if it were that widespread," Lex countered.

"They have noticed, dear boy. Why do you think there are so many churches and branches of religion out there? But it's a bit more complicated than just fighting for souls.

"Each species chooses their side. Just like humans, the Children have a choice. They have a soul. Call it a contribution from their human parent, if you will. The demon-human children, though more predisposed to evil than angel-human children, still have the ability to choose their sides. Most lycans are not evil, just different. Though there are some of each species that have decided to follow the ways of Lucifer and his demons. Azazel has been very busy on that end."

Moira paused to sip her tea. Lex could tell that she was holding something back, but waited for her to decide to tell him. She sighed, and then continued. "I grow old and there will be a time when I will no longer be in this world. My knowledge needs to be passed down before it is lost completely."

Lex sat up straight. "Isn't Leslie your granddaughter? Surely, you have been teaching her."

Moira looked up at him. "She is my son's daughter and only has a touch of the gifts I have. Most of what I offer, she could not accept. Which is why I..." She paused and looked away again if she was listening to someone else speak.

Lex looked around the cozy room again, but he still didn't see anyone. "You what, Moira?"

She looked towards him again. "Some things are better left unsaid for now."

Lex looked anew at the old woman sitting across from him. Processing all that she had told him, he asked, "You are one of them aren't you? A child of an angel and a human?"

Moira smiled at him. "You are far too wise for your own good, Lex. Yes, and no. I am the child of an angel child. I am Fae."

Lex leaned back. He was in complete awe. "Wow. I don't know what to say. Are there more of you? I mean, are there more Children living?"

Moira sighed heavily, her age showing on her wrinkled face. "Maybe one or two in each species, but they are like me, children of Children. Though the blood of the angels and demons allow us longer life spans, most of the Children were hunted and killed off. Only a very few remain. Several were able to have their own children and pass some of the blood down, but it weakens through generations. We stay in the shadows now as well."

Lex's curiosity got the best of him again. "Why were you hunted down? Did the demons hunt you?"

Moira looked past Lex, staring off into her memories. "The war was all consuming for Lucifer. But more so for Azazel. It wasn't enough to spawn more demons; he had to have the will of the angel children as well. He ordered his demon-human children to breed with the angel children, in hopes of tainting the angel's blood within. The demons hunted down the Children of Angels and their children as well, and raped them until they were impregnated. Sometimes, the wounds of their bonding were so severe that they died. Others were slaughtered because they could not conceive. In the end, the demons were successful with their breeding. But the result was far worse than either side could imagine."

"How? What do you mean?" Lex asked.

"Again, just like human genetics, each parent brings a gene to the merging. For instance, one parent has blue eyes and one has brown. The recessive gene is hidden but carried, and the dominant gene wins out. But if enough children are born through the pairing, there is a small probability that one will have both eye colors. Do you understand?"

Lex sat quiet for a moment. Theories and concepts from the science classes he took in college raced through his mind. "You mean that a union of a demon-human child and an angel-human child created a half-demon, half-angel child?"

"Yes," Moira said in a small voice. "The result was a being with the blood of an angel and a demon, the form of a human, and the powers and ability of both. They were said to have no conscience, just a hollow shell holding a power close to that of the gods."

Lex's eyes widened. "Which side did they pick? Where there many of them?"

"They were feared for that very reason. One like that could sway the entire balance of the war, or demolish them all. They were hunted by both sides. Almost an entire species was annihilated.

"Those who had no stake in the war saw through the lies about these beings and were able to save less than a handful, children mostly. They kept them in secret and raised them to be protectors of those who saved them. Eventually they became so powerful that it was impossible to hide them from the demons and the angels. The hunters, led by Azazel himself, came in masses. They slaughtered every one of the creatures they could find, and then punished the ones who hid them." Moira sighed.

Then she looked at Lex, a sparkle in her green eyes. "Very rarely, there are whispers of a child born of that kind, though the blood is weakened and its power nowhere near what it once was. There is speculation that one day the genes will cross enough times that another will be born, with all the power of its ancestors. But so far, it has not happened."

Lex leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. "Why haven't I heard of this before? I mean there are stories and fairy tales of all the other species. Obviously this was information passed down, now seen as myth and fiction. Why aren't there stories about this creature?"

"Because very few still remain from those days to tell of it. And, it is forbidden to speak of this creature. The existence was an abomination to both sides, neither wanted to take the blame for its creation."

Lex breathed in this information. It all made more sense to him now, though it didn't make his brother's death any easier to handle.

"You are close to realizing your path and finding the answers you seek, Lexington. You just need to keep looking and piece it all together. Know that what you remember as your brother may no longer be. Sometimes true death doesn't take so well. What you need to be concerned with is Alix's soul. Don't let them take his soul."

Lex blinked several times. He pushed back from the table. "Are you saying my brother's alive? How is that possible?" He stood, leaning over the table. "I... I saw him... they ripped into him. Drained him. Why didn't they take me?"

Moira motioned for Lex to sit. "Deep down, you know the truth. Let your instincts guide you. That special knowledge from within that wants to push its way to your conscious mind."

Lex sat back down in his chair and reached for his tea. "All this information, knowing those things are out there, it reinforces my belief that the human population should be told what they are up against. They should know that there is threat out there, just waiting to get their hands on them."

The old woman reached across the table, grabbing Lex's hand and running her thumb over his ring. "If this information got into mainstream human society, no one would survive. Humans would wage war upon themselves, more so than they do now. They would kill themselves off. Neither side will allow that to happen."

Lex leaned in again. "But what about us? What about humans? Don't we get a say in any of this?"

Moira sighed. "Not everything is what it seems. Trust your instincts, Lex. You have the means to turn the balance, to save us all. Believe in your heart. You will find your answers there." She looked towards the single window in the room. "You must go now. I've told you all I can. Your path is before you. How you travel it is up to you."

Leslie opened the door to the room and ushered Lex out. "My grandmother is tired. She needs her rest. She can only handle visitors for short spurts, because it wears her out so easily."

He walked down the hallway towards the front door. "But I must have been in there for a couple of hours."

Leslie smiled. "Not at all, it was only 20 minutes. Now, here's your herbs. And she left word for me to give you these as a gift. You must have made quite an impression. She doesn't give gifts often." She handed him a brown paper bag with the store logo written on the side. Walking him to the front of the store, she removed the crystal in front of the door and then opened it wide.

"Wait, when did she tell you to give me a gift? She never left the room," Lex questioned.

"Blessed be, Lex. May you find your way safely," Leslie said. She shoved a piece of paper in Lex's hand as he stepped outside and then she closed the door.

Lex looked at what she'd given him. It was a short note warning him to be careful with his next beverage. He had no idea what it meant, so he stuffed it in his pocket. He stood staring out at the night, his mind full of all he had just heard. He needed time to think and figure out Moira's riddles. How did he have the means to save them all? It made no sense. There had to be something he was missing.

Haedyn's hand appeared on his shoulder out of nowhere and he let out a small cry.

"It took you long enough. Did you get everything?" she asked.

Lex turned to look at his companion full on. Wearing her black cloak and with the hood covering her head, the night practically enveloped her. The only things he could clearly see were her red, glowing eyes. A shiver ran down his spine. He'd just been told the story of Haedyn's true origins.

# Chapter Ten

"Huh? Yeah, everything's in here," Lex mumbled.

Haedyn raised her eyebrows. He was acting odd. Well, more so than usual anyway. Taking hold of his arm, she led him around to the back of the small store away from any onlookers. "What's wrong with you? Your heart rate is elevated."

"What? Nothing. You, um, you just startled me that's all." He swallowed and looked away.

She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. He was lying to her. Or at the very least keeping something from her. Gritting her teeth, she let it drop. Once they got to a safer location, she'd ask him about it. But for now, they needed to get going. She looked around again just to make sure the area was clear.

Ever since they had arrived to this little shop, she'd had a weird feeling. Like there was something close by, but she didn't know what it was or where it was hiding. The only thing she could figure was that she was picking up on the Were-critter party in the next building. Regardless, she wasn't going to let her guard down.

Looking again at Lex, she noticed the bag he was carrying. "That's a pretty big bag for just herbs."

He looked down and then shrugged his shoulders. "The clerk gave me some parting gifts. Some type of promotional thing, I guess."

His pulse fluttered under her fingers where she still held his arm. It was a small fluctuation but it was enough. That was twice he'd lied to her since he'd come out of that store. Something had happened in there, she was sure of it. That's okay, she'd find out later. She had ways of making people talk.

"We need to leave. It's not safe here," she said, the feeling of an unknown presence still nagging at her.

A partygoer from the building next door came stumbling from the alley. "Hey, yous guys know whure my car isth?"

Haedyn lowered her head and pulled the hood of her cloak closer to hide her features. She didn't need to be spotted by a were-lion, even if it was intoxicated. She tugged on Lex to get him to go back to the street but he pulled out of her grip.

"Dude, you don't look like you should be driving. Here, let me help you." He reached out to him. The were-lion straightened and smelled the air. He grabbed Lex and pushed him up against the building, knocking a grunt out of him. Lex's toes barely touched the ground.

"No one tells me what to do. Especially a human," the creature snarled, his face pressed up against Lex's throat. "Hmmm, you're that human everyone's been searching for. The one with the special blood. There's a reward for bringing you in."

Haedyn huffed. _Dammit._ She couldn't go anywhere without a fight these days. Haedyn cleared her throat.

The were-lion glimpsed over its shoulder. "Don't make me turn you into dessert, bitch. Get the hell out of here while I'm still feeling generous."

She rolled her eyes. They were always so arrogant. Grabbing its arm, she slung him backwards and stepped between him and Lex.

"Aw, hell no. I found him, I'm taking him in. You're not getting that reward, bitch." It growled and cracked its neck from side to side, preparing to change.

Turning to face Lex she said, "I told you we weren't safe and what do you do? You go try to make friends with a drunk were-lion. Do you have a death wish?" She pulled a Shuriken from her cloak pocket and threw it behind her, hitting the partially changed lion in the heart. He grabbed at his wound and fell to his knees.

Haedyn discarded her cloak on the ground and walked over to him. "Who is looking for this human and why?"

The were-lion spit blood on the ground by her boots. "Fuck you."

"In your dreams. Now tell me what you know before I pull that out and put five more in."

He coughed and looked at Lex. "He's the human Azazel's been looking for. Needs him for a ceremony."

"Did he say Azazel?" Lex asked, still rubbing his throat.

Haedyn whipped her head around and looked at him. "You've got to be kidding me. You've got a rare blood type?"

"Yeah, why?"

Her shoulders dropped. No. It wasn't true. He couldn't be... there was no way... Dammit. Why would Azazel give her an assignment to keep a human he planned on sacrificing alive? She shook her head. None of this made any sense.

Just then, the were-lion's voice came from behind her. "And you must be the servant who stole him from Azazel."

"Wha-" She turned back just as the lion's paw smacked her upside the head, knocking her down on one knee.

"Too bad Azazel wants to deal with you himself. I'd thoroughly enjoy tearing you apart," he purred.

Blood dripped from her face and neck where the claws made contact with her skin. Her thoughts narrowed and her mind centered solely on one objective: kill the lion.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw it rearing back for another slash at her. She pulled her sword from its sheath and sliced through the were-lion's paw in one swift motion. He roared and charged her. She ducked and rolled, ending up behind her attacker. Standing, she waited for him to turn and face her.

"Never call an assassin a bitch," she said and stabbed him straight through the heart. He fell and she pulled her sword out of his body. After wiping the blood off on the were-lion's clothes, she grabbed his chin and held his head still.

"What are you doing?" Lex walked up behind her. "He's dead, what are you carving on him? Is that some ritual you do or something?"

"I'm cleaning up your mess."

"My mess? I wasn't the one who killed him. I was trying to help him. What the hell, are you robbing him? Geez!"

Haedyn's anger seeped out. "Yes, _your_ mess. You're being hunted by every possible supernatural species I know of and I am the only one trying to protect you. But you insist on not listening to me. You almost got us both killed."

She walked past him looking down the alley where the were-lion came from, then stalked back to Lex. "I do not have rituals. But there are some that do. They leave a signature so that others are warned. I marked him as a 'kill' so that his pride will think he was taken out by some other group. It will buy us a little time."

"And taking his money, is that part of it, too?"

"No, but obviously he can't use it anymore. And we may need it later."

"So you're gonna kill him and rob him. Nice, real class act."

"Excuse me?" She couldn't believe he just said that. He was just as arrogant as that lion. "I realize you are only human, but I thought you were a bit more intelligent than that. I'm the one trying to keep you alive. I've been doing this a whole lot longer than you and I've learned a thing or two along the way. Salvaging money, weapons, hell, even charms from those who won't be needing them anymore, has helped me survive as long as I have. So pardon me if my survival techniques aren't up to your standards, _human_. But I guarantee that you'll be thanking me for my unsightly habits when they help keep you alive." She looked back down the alley and up along the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. Then looked back towards Lex, who was now standing over the body.

"Now if you don't mind, we need to leave. Immediately."

Lex didn't answer. He stood staring at the dead were-creature on the ground.

"We'll go to my cabin. We will have to hike part of the way. Are you able or is the death of a were-lion who wanted to kill you too much of a shock to your system?" she asked.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I'm able." Lex scoffed. He joined her and they started back toward the street in silence.

"Did you say cabin? Like log cabin in the middle of nowhere, kind of thing?"

Haedyn gave him a sideways glance and nodded. At least he wasn't bitching any more. She needed silence in order to process everything that were-lion had told her.

"Huh. I didn't picture you as a rough and tumble kind of gal. You strike me as more of an urban-underground scene."

Haedyn raised her eyebrows in response. Why couldn't he stay quiet for more than five minutes? She realized that when he got nervous, he chatted. It helped him compose himself but she didn't have the patience for his odd conversations right now. And she also knew if she didn't answer, he'd keep pestering her. She sighed.

"I have acquired many places where I can stay. The cabin is more remote." She pushed him to the edge of the street. "Hail a taxi. We will ride first, to give you time to rest."

"What, no teleporting? Thought that was your preferred method," he sniped as he waved to a taxi coming down the street. It pulled over and Lex opened the door for her.

"Taxis don't leave a magic trail," she said and climbed in.

"No, they leave witnesses."

She gave him a snide smirk and leaned up to the front seat. Opening her hand, she blew a glittery substance from her hand into the driver's face and then whispered in his ear.

"No problem, ladies. I'll get you there in a jiff." The driver smiled at them in his rear-view mirror and pulled the taxi away from the curb.

Lex looked at Haedyn, "Ladies? Is his vision clear enough to drive us?"

"Of course. He is just responding to my commands."

"Commands? What, did you brainwash him or something?"

"No. I used faery dust to change his memories. I told him we were a couple of women in love and very eager to get back to the privacy of our own home." She smiled, fluttering her eye lashes at him.

"Nice," he replied. "That lion swiped you pretty hard back there. How's your neck?"

Sitting so close, she inhaled his familiar earthy scent. The dim light from the outside street lamps featured his jawline, showing off several days' worth of stubble. His eyes seemed darker than she remembered. And they were looking right at her lips.

Without thinking, she wet them with the tip of her tongue and his pupils dilated. Her stomach did a few flips. Then she remembered this was the human her master was after, the one she was ordered to keep alive. And the one who had lied to her just moments ago.

She sat back and looked out the window on her side. "I'm fine. I heal quickly. You should sleep while you can. We will have to cover a lot of ground when we stop."

# Chapter Eleven

The small log cabin sat back from the dirt road, surrounded by 20 acres of undeveloped land filled with tall, robust pine trees. Out of all the safe houses Haedyn had acquired this is the one she considered home. Cocooned by the raw nature of the Rocky Mountains, she felt safe here. It was the perfect place to rejuvenate. Even Lex seemed more relaxed in this environment.

Once they had gotten settled in, she had tricked him into drinking a bottle of orange juice laced with sleeping powder. It gave her time to perform the cloaking spell without distractions, and he needed the rest. The ten-mile hike to the cabin had taken its toll. Within a few short minutes of finishing the juice, he was laid out on the bed in one of the rooms, snoring.

She flopped down on the couch and leaned her head back on the cushions. Finally, a little solitude. She stilled her mind from the constant swirl of thoughts and concentrated only on breathing. In... and then out. In... and then out. But the were-lion's words kept popping into her head.

Azazel wanted to deal with her himself. What the hell did that mean? Then she remembered that the were-lion also said she'd stolen the human from her master.

But that wasn't true. He'd given her this assignment. Except... technically Azazel didn't give her this order, the client did.

She sat straight up. The vampire. Plenty of supernatural creatures wanted her dead because she was an Unnamed. Maybe he was one of them and decided to set her up.

He did lie to her about the job, about Lex. Or... The pieces started clicking in her mind.

Oh shit. The vampire lied to Azazel. No way he told Azazel the truth about this mission. That he just so happened to be the brother of the very human her master was going to sacrifice.

She jumped up from the couch. The damned bloodsucker had tricked her. She _had_ stolen Lex from Azazel. Albeit unintentionally, but her master wouldn't see it that way. Demons weren't the forgiving type. She was so screwed.

"Ugggghhhh," she growled. "I should've killed that vampire when I had the chance."

She fell back down on the couch. Now what the hell was she supposed to do? Azazel would be sending every servant he had after her to retrieve the human. And her.

Turning Lex over might spare her life. Of course, then she'd spend the rest of her existence being tortured as an example to the rest of his minions. There had to be another option. She just needed to find it.

Her gaze fell upon the bag from Small Escapes sitting on the coffee table. She'd tossed it there earlier, too busy with the cloaking spell to pay attention to the other items inside. Opening the bag, she peered in. There were a few more herbs and... oh look, books. Maybe there were stronger spells in one of them. Right now, she'd try just about anything to keep her master and his minions at bay.

Reaching in, she pulled out the top book. The front and back cover were blank and the text along the cracked binding worn away. Someone used this book quite often. Flipping through it, she noticed some of the corners of the yellowed pages were bent down. Intrigued, she checked those first. If it was important enough to mark the spot, it could very well be helpful to her as well.

She turned the pages with care. The font was small and hard to read in places, but nothing useful popped out at her. She leafed to the last earmarked page and a slip of paper floated to the floor. Tilting her head to the side, she reached down and picked it up.

It was a piece of stationary from the store. Small cursive lettering adorned one side and typed text was on the other. Lowering her brows, she read the hand-written portion.

_Lex,_

_When you need my help, call for me._

_Say the words aloud and I'll come for you._

_Moira_

Haedyn's gut clenched. That's why it had taken him so long in the store. He'd been blabbing off to this Moira person. She could only imagine the shit he'd told her.

What was he thinking? She stood and paced in the small living room of the cabin. The more people he spoke with, the easier it was to track him. Geez, humans were so stupid. It wasn't only his life on the line anymore. Every person he told became a target for Azazel and his crew. He was leaving a trail of breadcrumbs straight to their door.

Time was running out. Azazel needed Lex for his full-moon ceremony, which was in three days. Her master wouldn't stop until he got his hands on the human. She needed to figure a way out of all this.

She blew out a huff of air and sat back down on the couch. With nothing better to do, she reached back into the bag for the other book. It was smaller than the first, with a black leather binding protecting thin parchment paper inside.

A prickle ran over her scalp. The book hummed with energy. She swallowed and let it fall open in her hands. Symbols and glyphs covered the pages. This was not a human book. It was a journal written in the Language of the Birds — angel language.

Haedyn's eyes grew large. How the hell had Lex gotten his hands on this? He couldn't read it. No human could read the divine language. So it was useless to him.

She leafed through the pages, stopping occasionally to read over the entries. Near the end of the journal, she glimpsed a sketch and turned back to look at it more closely. It was a crude drawing of a woman, hair wild and flowing, arms stretched to the heavens with lightning bolts streaming from her hands. But it was the eyes that made Haedyn catch her breath. They were blood red.

She stood from the couch. Her heart pounded in her chest. That looked... no. It couldn't be. But the eyes, their color... was that an Unnamed?

She read the entry scrawled below the picture.

" _We knew not what would result from the demons' vengeful couplings. Even in the womb, this monster held knowledge. They look like humans, but they are not. They are born able to speak, but their eyes show the evil of their creation. Their power is immeasurable and uncontrollable. The demon was correct in his assessment. They are abominations. We cannot allow them to live, or they will kill us all._ "

Lex's voice sounded from behind her. "Haedyn, why are you glowing?"

She spun around, startled by his presence. She looked down at the book in her shaking hands and then back to him.

"Huh?" She didn't try to form a more coherent reply. Her thoughts were tied up in so many knots she couldn't see straight, much less talk.

Lex took a tentative step towards her. "Is the glowing thing a new trick or do you just do that for fun?"

She cleared her throat and blinked her eyes, trying to compose herself. The passage in the book was the first time she'd run across information about her ancestors. Her master had told her she was a mistake, that she was the last. He wouldn't allow further questions, and she never pushed it.

But here, in the language of the angels, was the truth of her heritage. She was an abomination.

"Haedyn?" Lex's voice brought her attention back to him.

She shook her head. "I don't glow."

"Yeah, you do. And if you don't tone it down, you're gonna blind me." He held up a hand to shade his eyes.

Haedyn looked at her hands again. The shaking had stopped but Lex was right. Even through her glasses, she could see the eerie, white aura surrounding her.

"I... I don't know. I've never done it before."

Lex took another step closer. "So, you're not doing this on purpose then?"

"No. It's not normal."

"That figures. Normal things don't exist in my life anymore. Okay, let's start with what you were doing when it happened. Do you know?"

Haedyn furrowed her brow. "I didn't know I was doing it until you told me."

"Oh. Well, what were you doing when I came in then?" Lex asked.

Haedyn didn't want to tell him about the journal or what she'd found about her kind. He'd probably run off to that Moira lady first chance he got. And she couldn't let that happen. She still needed him as a bargaining tool.

She tried to clear her mind. Closing her eyes, she visualized shoving all her thoughts and emotions in a room. She slammed the imaginary door shut and opened her eyes. The aura was gone and Lex stood directly in front of her.

"Why are you awake? You should be sleeping."

Lex raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Let's just say your potion didn't work so well. And you changed the subject. What's up with the glowing?"

Haedyn straightened her shoulders. "My potion works just fine. How did you know I used one?"

"A little birdie told me."

"Birds don't talk. At least to humans, they don't."

Lex squinted his eyes and shook his head at her. "It was a figure of speech, Haedyn. Or I thought it was. Anyway, obviously someone told me. And you still didn't answer my question. Mind explaining the glowing thing?"

"Who told you I was going to use a potion on you?" Haedyn countered.

"It's not that hard to figure out. Small Escapes has a psychic. So you know, I guess she _saw_ it. She slipped me a note telling me my next drink would be laced." He stepped back and held is hands out to the side. "What's it matter?"

Haedyn huffed and then tossed the journal on the couch. "What did you tell those people in the store to make them get involved in this? Talking to them could get them killed. You trust them enough to talk to them, yet I was hired to-"

"Yeah about that," Lex interrupted. "Who hired you, Haedyn? It doesn't make sense for them to want me protected, you know, me being a human and all. And that half-lion guy you killed at the store, he said Azazel wanted me because of my blood. What's that about? I'm betting you understand, don't you? Matter of fact, I'm thinking you know a helluva lot more than you are claiming. So, when you start telling me the truth, maybe I'll start trusting you."

She glared at the human in front of her. Things were so much easier before she'd taken this damned assignment. "You seem to forget that you are being hunted by every single supernatural creature on this planet. And still you insist on leaving a trail-"

"How could I forget? You only remind me every freaking second of the day. Has it occurred to you that I just want to know what happened to my brother? Or is the concept of caring about someone else too foreign for you to comprehend?" Lex walked away from her.

His last words stung. She had cared for others before, and it was her fault they had been killed. Guilt threatened to overwhelm her but she forced it back. It wasn't like her to let her emotions get the best of her. Yet lately, it was happening more and more.

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Lex was right. By normal standards, it didn't make sense for him to be protected. But what was she supposed to say?

It's not like she could blurt out 'Oh, by the way, your brother's a vampire. And even though the change should have erased his humanity, he wants to save you from being a human-sacrifice for a very powerful demon so he tricked me into protecting you and now we're both at the top of every supernatural creature's most wanted list.'

Yeah. That would go over well. She blew out a breath.

What didn't make sense was that the vampire put himself in grave danger by going against Azazel. Even if part of his humanity was still intact, the risk was too high. There had to be another reason he wanted Lex safe.

But was that reason worth risking her own life by betraying her master?

Lex turned back to face her. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. I'm just tired. Maybe I should have let you put me to sleep."

Haedyn raised an eyebrow. Apologies from a human, huh. Wonders never cease.

He paced in front of her, rubbing the back of his neck. When he looked at her again, his eyes were guarded. His jaw tightened and then he looked to the couch where she had flung the book.

"How about we do a little truth swapping? I'll tell you what I found in my latest research and you let me see that book?" Lex offered.

"No."

"Just like that? You aren't even going to think about it?"

Haedyn crossed her arms in front of her chest and shook her head.

"You don't want to know what I found out? Even if it has to do with you and the orphanage?"

Haedyn felt her blood pressure rise again. She dropped her arms to her side and raised her head a notch. "You researched the orphanage?"

"I was just looking at what happened that night, that's all."

"I already told you what happened."

"Not everything. Besides, I found out you were lied to," Lex said. "Which didn't surprise me, might I add."

"Lied to? What are you talking about, I wasn't lied to."

"I'm talking about the fact that your master told you the other children died, and they didn't. They survived."

Haedyn's breath caught in her throat. Goosebumps covered her skin. "No. That's not true. He said they were delivered, like they were meant to be."

"He lied to you, Haedyn. They all lived. The police found them that morning by the river, heading toward the town. You saved them."

She backed away from Lex, pressing the palms of her hands to her temples. Memories of that night flood her mind. Her chest tightened and she struggled to inhale. "No. No, it's not true. You're the one who is lying. That's what humans do, they lie and manipulate."

"The hell I do. Here, I'll prove it." Lex ran out of the room and returned with his laptop open. The screen portrayed a newspaper article with pictures of the orphanage. Haedyn snatched the computer from him and started reading.

_"Police and rescue workers found all seven children later that morning approximately five miles from the orphanage, walking along the river bank in the direction of the town. No major injuries had been sustained. The oldest of children claimed they were saved by another orphan, who chose to stay behind. There were no records of an eighth child being raised by the Sisters, and a search of the building came up empty._ "

Haedyn's legs trembled as a wave of dizziness washed over her. This couldn't be true. There had to be an explanation. Her mind reeled. "It's all lies. Some story that humans made up to explain what happened. Nothing more."

She shoved the computer back into Lex's hands and stormed out of the room. She needed air. Too many thoughts whipped through her mind; too many emotions to deal with all at once.

"Haedyn, wait." Lex tried to catch up to her. "I know this has to be a shock but I thought you should know the truth about that night."

"I know the truth, I was there," she spat. She slung open the door and marched out on the porch. The cold night air felt good on her skin. She filled her lungs, letting the chill engulf her. Lex followed her out.

"Go back inside."

"Why? You're out here. And you did a cloaking spell, we're safe for a while."

Haedyn closed her eyes and yanked off her glasses. She spun around and stepped up to Lex so that they were only inches apart. She stared at him with her deep red eyes until he swallowed.

"My master needs your blood for a ceremony. I was tricked into protecting you and now he thinks I've betrayed him. We are nowhere near being safe."

# Chapter Twelve

Lex stared at Haedyn, her words echoing in his head. A cold sweat beaded on his skin. "He needs my... my... my blood for a ceremony. That means, he's going to use me as..."

"A human sacrifice," she finished the sentence for him.

For a split second, his heart stopped. He covered his mouth with his hand, running it down over his chin, and then moved back to lean on the porch railing. All this time, he thought he was being hunted because he knew too much.

He turned away, leaning his elbows on the rail and holding his head in his hands. "Why me? Can't he find someone else? It's not like humans are scarce. He could have his choice of-"

"You have a rare blood type. It's the only one he can use."

"So because I'm missing some antigen thing in my blood, that makes me a special prize. Great." He straightened and looked out into the mass of trees and underbrush. There had to be a way to fix this. Some spell or something. Then something else registered with him.

When they were at Small Escapes, the were-lion claimed Azazel was after him. And just now, Haedyn said her master was too. He didn't believe in coincidences.

His stomach dropped and bile rose in his throat. Azazel and Haedyn's master were one in the same. Dear God. Things just got so much more dangerous.

He figured he'd just talk his way out of it, like he always did when he got in trouble. This time his charm wasn't going to work. A demon was after him. And not just any demon, Lucifer's second in command. Haedyn's master, who lied to her about everything. She just might be his only hope of surviving all this.

Turning back around, he faced Haedyn. Her silver-white hair and pale skin contrasted with her all-black outfit, giving off an ethereal glow. She was beautiful, though he was positive she didn't know it.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see her as one of the monsters. Whether she believed it or not, she wasn't like those things that killed his brother. Even if she did work for a demon. But he had to know how deep her loyalty to her master ran.

He cleared his throat. "So, I guess you'll be turning me over then."

She blinked. It wasn't much of a reaction, but it was something. He may still have a chance, if he could make her see she wasn't like the others. That she wasn't evil. And that she didn't betray her master, Azazel had betrayed her.

He walked up to her, standing only a few inches away. "You don't have to, you know. We could run, hide."

Her chest heaved ever so close to his. He was tempted to just pull her to him and kiss her, but he wasn't sure how she'd react. Although, if they made contact right now he may have to find out.

"No one can hide from him. He'd find us," she said softly, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Then why haven't you given me up yet?"

"How do you know I haven't?"

Lex sighed. "Because, like me, you know something's not right. And you've got enough blood on your hands; you don't want mine as well."

She tightened her lips and lifted her head a notch higher, then gave him a hard look. He raised both eyebrows, silently daring her to prove him wrong.

"Right now, my job is to protect you but my patience is growing thin. If you continue to do as you will and not listen to me, I will happily let them find you. The choice is yours." She put her glasses back on and walked off the porch.

Lex grinned and nodded his head as he walked back into the cabin. He'd taken a risk pushing her that way, but it had worked. For now, at least. She could change her mind at any moment.

It was obvious she was conflicted about what to do. Azazel must have really done a number on her. The guy lied to her every chance he had. Okay, well, demons do that. But still. Why Haedyn remained loyal to such a prick was beyond him.

He flopped down on the couch and stared at his laptop on the coffee table. He had to find a way to break the hold her master had on her. But how? She carried a major mistrust of humans. Hell, she didn't even believe him when he told her she'd saved the orphans. He'd shown her proof and it wasn't enough to convince her.

He leaned back, resting his head on the back of the couch and blew out a big puff of air. She was the most stubborn female he'd ever met. And beautiful, too. There was something about her. Something that made him trust her, made him want to save her. He lifted his head up, trying to think of ways to win her trust. But nothing came to him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the book she threw on the couch earlier. He reached down and picked it up, inspecting the leather binding. It was the oldest book he had ever seen.

He opened it and flipped carefully through the pages. What kind of writing was this? Back in college, he'd studied different languages and cultures and he'd never come across this before. The only comparison was Egyptian hieroglyphics, but this wasn't even close.

He flipped through more pages, finally stopping at a sketch near the back of the book. It was a woman with her arms raised and lightening shooting from her hands. But it was the red eyes that caught his attention.

"Haedyn must have seen this picture," he mumbled. "That's why she was upset earlier." He studied the drawing a bit longer and then remembered something Moira had said at during their session. The Unnameds' powers were immeasurable. Was this what Haedyn was destined to become?

He looked at the caption beside the picture, wishing he could translate the odd writing. Maybe she hadn't been able to read it, either. She might not know about her ancestors, her potential. He'd bet his ass Azazel knew, though, and there was no way the demon would have told her. But someone should. She had a right to know the truth.

He stood to go find Haedyn and do just that, but stopped. She wasn't going to believe him. It would just end up in another argument.

Putting his hands on his hips, he let his head hang while he thought about what to do. He had to gain her trust. It was the only way she'd listen to him.

Then it hit him.

He sat back down and booted up his laptop again. He was going to let Haedyn see the truth for herself.

Several hours later, Lex sat with his elbows on the table, head cradled in his hands. He was beat. He'd spent 45 minutes trying to figure out how to log on to the Internet satellite service Haedyn had set up. Then he'd spent hours calling in favors from just about every contact he knew from his journalist days. So far, he hadn't gotten anywhere. How hard was it to find someone?

He was ready to give up when his computer signaled an incoming email. Sitting up straight, he opened the message.

"Yes," he said, fist pumping the air. If he got out of this alive, then he was going to have to do something really nice for Marcy at the clerk of court's office and her detective husband. He was lucky he still had a few friends left in the real world.

He stood up and went to the window, pulling the blind flap down to look for Haedyn. She wasn't in sight, so he walked out on the porch. Crickets chirped and he could hear an owl out in the distance. The mountain air was brisk, his breath coming from his mouth in wispy puffs.

"Haedyn?"

She appeared out of the darkness near the far end of the cabin, wrapped in her hooded cloak. He would have never seen her if she hadn't stepped into the yellow glow of the porch light.

He shoved his hands into his jean pockets, keeping his arms tucked close. "I was just checking to see if you were hungry. It's late and I-"

"I'm fine."

"Oh, okay. Well, then I'm just going to head to bed then." Lex started to go back in and stuck his head out again. "You coming?"

"No. I'm going to patrol the perimeter again. I want to make sure the cloaking spell is holding." She stepped back into the shadows and disappeared into the dark night.

"Okay then. Well, good night," he called after her retreating form. He shivered and closed the door behind him, shutting out the cold air once again.

He had to admit, the little cabin was cozy. The large fireplace in the den was meant to be the room's centerpiece. Each of the bedrooms offered comfortable double beds and private bath. It was the perfect, romantic getaway spot. Or could have been, under different circumstances.

He sighed and headed to the bedroom he'd claimed earlier. Grabbing his backpack, he stuffed his only change of clothes inside and a flashlight. He turned out the light and walked back into the kitchen.

"She is going to be so pissed off," he said as he took a healing potion from the counter and secured it in the small pocket of his bag. Then he went back to his computer and scribbled down an address from Google Maps.

He prayed he was right about Haedyn. He knew it was just her job to protect him, but for some reason he felt there was more between them than obligation. He just hoped she would allow herself to care for him enough to follow him. If not, he was completely screwed.

"Okay, time to do this before I change my mind." Silently, he ran through the chant in his head. He'd memorized it the last time Haedyn has used it on them. It sounded about right. Guess he'd find out soon enough. He inhaled deeply, and then said the teleportation spell.

Moments later, Lex fell to the ground with enough force to knock the breath out of him. He lay on the pavement in a dead-end alley gasping for air. Struggling, he managed to pull himself up to a sitting position. The world around him shifted and spun and he put his head down on his knees.

He reached into his bag and grabbed the healing potion. He grimaced from the thought of how it tasted but he knew he didn't have a choice. For his plan to work, he had to get to the cafe before the next shift ended. There was no way he could get there in time if he was dizzy and fatigued.

He sucked down the potion, scrunching up his face and shaking his head from the dry but sour taste. "Ugh. There has to be a way to make that crap taste better."

Standing, he snagged his pack from the ground and pulled out his cell phone. The GPS application showed the spell had landed him less than a block away.

"Perfect," he said and looked at the time on his cell before turning it off. He had two minutes. If he ran, he could make it there before she left. He hoped that's how it would work, anyway.

A couple of minutes later, he strolled up to the door of the quaint cafe. A young woman with a blond pixie cut and big blue eyes was exiting and held the door open for him.

"Oh, thanks," he said.

She answered with a smile. Just that one gesture brightened her whole face and made her eyes shine. The woman exuded a warmth that was inviting and soothing. She was also wearing an employee shirt.

"You wouldn't by chance be Rachel would you?" Lex asked.

The young woman tilted her head and smiled wider. "Yeah, I am."

# Chapter Thirteen

The underground floor wasn't part of the old prison's original design. Located several feet below the upper foundation, it was sturdier than a bomb shelter. There was only one way down there and it happened to be through a secret entrance in Azazel's office.

No one knew about it but him. And that's how he liked it. Especially since he had the whole thing built specifically to house the Crone. He had to keep an eye on her somehow. He didn't trust that old witch.

Anyone with that kind of knowledge and power needed to be kept under lock and key. Which is why he magically bound her to the entire lower level the moment she first stepped foot there. Now she couldn't leave and his hidden security cameras watched her every move.

It was the only way he knew to ensure she wasn't plotting against him. One rogue servant was more than enough to deal with.

"She killed your witch," Azazel announced as he entered the altar room in the lower chambers.

The Crone stopped grinding the herbs on the table and lifted her head, her sightless eyes directed at him. "Aye, she has."

"Obviously, your ability to foresee the future isn't quite as accurate as you claim."

"The future promises no guarantees, demon. What I saw was accurate at the time I saw it. Something must have triggered a change."

Azazel snarled. "Or maybe you're just getting too old, witch."

"If you have found one more powerful than I to do your bidding, then be done with me," the Crone replied and turned her attention back to the herbs in front of her.

"Don't tempt me. I'm not in the mood to deal with your pathetic arrogance."

She lifted her eyebrow and nodded in his direction. "Mhm, then you won't much like what you're about to hear."

Azazel's cell phone rang precisely at that moment. Lifting an eyebrow at the Crone, he snagged it out of his pocket and answered. "This better be good."

He listened to the voice on the other line and felt his blood pressure rising. "No, I did not authorize a hit on one of your pride. Where did it happen and how?"

Tipping his head up, he took a deep breath. "What was one of your lions doing in that part of town to begin with, Alfred? And at an occult shop at that? You know that's Dominic's territory."

The Crone dropped her grinding stick on the table. "What shop?"

Azazel glared at her, waving off her question and continuing his conversation. "Well if he says he didn't do it, then it's true. Dominic is quite proud of his kills, he claims every one-"

He paused as the voice on the other end interrupted him. Rubbing his forehead with his hand, he listened impatiently. These stupid lions did nothing but complain.

"Yes, yes, you and your pride are still under my protection," he said, rolling his eyes. "Matter of fact, I'll send you the information on the assassin responsible. Then you and your pride can take part in bringing her in."

He disconnected the call and glared at the Crone. "Do not interrupt me when-"

"What shop?" she demanded.

Azazel narrowed his eyes. He didn't tolerate backtalk from his servants but something about the witch's tone made him answer. "Small Escapes. Why does it matter?"

"Because there's a new player in the game, demon. One you need to be wary of, especially if she's helping Haedyn."

"Stop talking in riddles and tell me what you know."

"That store is protected by the strongest of Fae magic. Because it's owned by the Queen."

He stared at the Crone, every muscle tensing up. "Haedyn and the human were at a store owned by the Faery Queen? It doesn't make sense, why..." He let his words drift off while he paced. The Fae were neutral. Haedyn and her human pet should have been ushered off the territory immediately. Unless... he didn't even want to think about it. But there was no other explanation. The Fae were helping Haedyn.

His nostrils flared and he tightened his jaw. It was time he activated his spies within the faery realm. Retaliation for their actions was imminent, but he'd have to deal with it later. First, he needed to reign in his miscreant servant before she caused any more trouble.

"What else do you know, Crone?" he asked while texting one of his squad commanders instructions to hunt and capture the human. Multitasking seemed to be his forte as of late. Especially with Haedyn causing havoc everywhere she went.

"Only that she still protects the human."

That caught his attention. "Are you saying that Haedyn killed the lion to protect the human? Bloody hell, the little bitch is showing compassion." Azazel smiled. "Finally, a weakness I can exploit."

"You have less than two days until the full moon. You must have both the human and her here or the ceremony won't work," the Crone reminded him. "Her powers must be at full potential. And they both must be alive."

"I'm aware of the deadline and the requirements, Hag. Any possibility you could actually produce information I don't already have?"

The Crone looked at him with her white glazed eyes and shrugged. "The human your hunting is expendable."

"What? You said I had to have a sacrifice with that particular blood type. He's the only one we've found in a hundred years or more. Now you claim he's expendable?" Azazel was tired of these games. He had half a mind to end this witch where she stood.

The Crone smiled, showing off her decaying teeth. "There is another."

# Chapter Fourteen

Haedyn stood by an old pine tree along the edge of her land. The light wind whispered through the leaves, surrounding her with earthy flavors of nature. Nocturnal creatures rustled through the underbrush as they scurried about looking for food. An owl swooped down from a limb and snatched a mouse from the forest floor. While a deer in the field on the other side of the ditch observed her with wide eyes before twitching its tail and continuing on its way.

The animals sensed no danger, nor did she. Moving quietly away from the tree, she headed back toward the cabin. Three walks along the perimeter turned up no sign of anyone tracking them. They were safe for the time being. Now, maybe she could get a little rest. That is, if she could turn her brain off long enough.

She was still a little shocked by what she read in the journal. Her master had told her that she was the last, that her kind were mistakes. She'd never really taken him too seriously. He's a demon, they lie. At the very least, they manipulate the truth to fit their agenda. Yet, there it was in black and white, written in the divine language. The Unnamed were evil abominations.

She slowly shook her head. She didn't want to be evil but it's not like she had a choice. It was in her blood, a part of her. It didn't help that her only means of survival was to kill for a demon.

A demon who thought she'd betrayed him.

There were less than two days to the full moon, which meant Azazel had his entire army looking for them by now. The easy option would be to turn Lex over immediately. But he was right, she didn't want his death on her conscience. She had a lifetime of guilt on her shoulders already. No need to add more.

But was she willing to sacrifice her own life for him? She sighed. The last time she'd done something like that was for the orphans. They were children, unable to fight and protect themselves. And she'd unknowingly sent them straight to the slaughter... or so she'd been told.

She still had her doubts about that article Lex showed her. Humans were notorious for offering half-truths as cover-ups. But what if this time...

She rubbed her forehead with the heel of her palm. The whole thing was giving her a headache. There were far too many questions and very few answers.

Maybe she should do a truth swap with Lex. He might have some valuable information. Even if he didn't, he seemed to have the uncanny ability to find things out.

The thought of facing him again made her stomach flop. She was still angry with him for digging up information on the orphanage. But she was kind of curious to see what else he knew.

She opened the door to the cabin and walked inside. The light to his room was off but the kitchen light was on. Good, he's still asleep. The talk could wait until morning, when she, too, was rested.

She went to the fridge and pulled out a small bottle of milk. As she drank, she fanned out her senses and scanned the area. Mostly she did it out of habit, but also because it was quiet. Almost too quiet.

She put down her milk and listened. The silence unnerved her. There was definitely something wrong. Taking off her glasses, she let her red eyes look for things normally unseen.

In the middle of the room, an aura of magic swirled in the air. Reds, blues and greens danced together in a collage of colors. Haedyn scoured the rest of the room but saw nothing more.

She sniffed the area, but all she picked up was Lex's scent. She walked down the hall to his room and listened at the door. Nothing. No snoring, not even a rhythm of normal breathing. And she couldn't sense his presence either.

She flung the door open. The bed was empty and so was the private bath. A search of the rest of the cabin confirmed her suspicions. Lex was gone.

Dammit! How in the hell had they gotten in here past all the safeguards she'd put in place? There also was no trace of what took him. The only clue she had was the trail of magic left behind from whatever spell was used.

She went to the kitchen and studied the residue of magic. A Fae didn't create it. They left behind a much different aura, usually full of sparks and glitter. This was the remains of spell magic.

Crap. The only ones who could track that kind were witches. She'd have to use her own powers to find him.

She picked up her milk and finished it, throwing the empty container in the trash. As she did so, she noticed the potions on the counter. One was missing. She tilted her head and walked around the other side to look at them. A healing potion was gone. Why would whomever took Lex need a healing potion?

She put her glasses back on and took a closer look around to see if anything else was missing. Lex's laptop sat open in the adjoining living room on the coffee table. The journal was sitting beside the computer, face down but open to a particular page. She picked it up. It was the sketch she had found earlier.

As she moved back, her knee bumped the laptop and the monitor started to glow. It had been left open to a Google Maps page with directions to a particular address.

Haedyn pursed her lips. Lex wasn't taken, he left. She looked at the fading aura and it all made sense. He used the transportation spell.

"When will this human learn?" Haedyn huffed. She marched back to Lex's room. "I should let him get caught. I should. He's far too much trouble. He's stubborn and irresponsible. He doesn't care that he's being hunted. So why should I?" She looked around his room for an article of clothing or something she could use to locate him. He had taken everything. Except for a pair of blue and green plaid boxers on the floor by his dresser.

Haedyn stood in the middle of the room staring down at Lex's underwear. "There has got to be something else I can use," she mumbled.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tilted her head back and tried to think of another item that might work. Instead, images of Lex floated through her mind. He was bare-chested, tight curls inviting her fingers to explore their texture. She followed the well-defined lines of his body downward. The blue and green plaid boxers hung loosely around his hips, barely clinging to the muscles of his abdomen.

Haedyn shook her head and opened her eyes. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment at where her thoughts had taken her. Good grief. It was bad enough she was having trouble with her abilities, but to lose control of her hormones, too?

She took a step back from the boxers on the floor. Just seeing them had her mind conjuring titillating images of their owner. Touching them was out of the question. Although, they would have his scent on them which helped with her location powers. But she was quite positive using them would cause more complication than she wanted to deal with right now. She had to find something else.

She searched the entire cabin. The only things Lex left behind were the boxers and his laptop. Yes, his computer. Lex was always using it, and it was never too far away from him.

She sat down on the couch in front of Lex's computer and took a deep breath. Closing her eyes, she placed a hand on each side of the laptop. "Find," she said.

Her red eyes glowed behind her dark glasses and a vision of Lex appeared. He was sitting at a table outside of a cafe. There was a woman with him, petite and blonde. She was facing the opposite direction, but Lex was extremely focused on her. Haedyn felt a pang in her chest.

Hmph, maybe she should let him get caught. Him and the blonde. Then her vision zoomed in to a figure standing in an alcove across the street. He had a cap pulled down to hide his face, but he was definitely watching Lex.

A person on the sidewalk walked passed him and the figure shifted his weight, looking down. The flash of energy in his eyes was brief, but Haedyn saw it.

A shape-shifter. Their eyes gave them away every time. There was no doubt in Haedyn's mind that this one intended to go after Lex as soon as it had the chance.

She still didn't have a clue where Lex was since her vision hadn't shown her yet. The shifter was going to make his move any minute. She had to get there. Now.

Suddenly, she felt light, almost weightless, like she was floating in the clouds. Her skin grew hot and drops of perspiration beaded on her face. Her chest tightened and stomach tensed. She gasped and tried to suck in as much air as possible, but it didn't seem to be enough. She needed more.

A searing pain shot through her skull. The vision disappeared and was replaced with streaks of color flashing before her eyes. She let go of the laptop and reached for her glasses. Then everything went dark.

The rumbling of a truck engine pulled Haedyn back to consciousness. Her eyelids were heavy and it took her a few tries before she could blink. She was on her back, looking straight into the sky. Even though the sun was sinking, the day was bright and the light hurt her eyes.

Where were her glasses? Oh, yeah that's right. They were in her hand. She slid them into place and pushed up to a sitting position. Broken shells and gravel poked her legs and butt as she shifted her weight.

She looked around, trying to gain her bearings. A building sat to her left and an unpaved parking area to her right. She had no clue where she was, much less how she'd gotten there. The last thing she remembered was using Lex's laptop as a connection to locate him.

"Hey you! You can't squat back here. This is a business. There's a homeless shelter down on Fifth. Go stay there," a man's gravelly voice sounded from behind her.

Haedyn looked over her shoulder. The man walked from the idling truck into the store. Standing, she wiped off the dust and dirt from her pants and pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. She didn't like being noticed, even if he did think she was a vagrant.

She followed a small walkway alongside the building out to the street. Cars were lined up along the street and people milled about from store to store. She looked to her right and immediately stepped back into the shadows beside the building. Lex and his little, blonde friend were sitting at an outside cafe table only a few feet away from her.

She put her hands on her hips and looked down. _How in the hell did I get here? I know I didn't say the teleportation spell._

She closed her eyes and tried to remember what happened. She was using her powers to find Lex and she saw...

"Oh shit," she said and peered around the corner. Lex and his friend hadn't noticed her. But the shape-shifter wasn't across the street anymore.

She took a small step from between the buildings, trying to see down the street past the cafe. He wasn't there either. It had probably changed forms already. She moved back into the alley.

There was no telling who or what he looked like now. It could be any one of the customers on the street, or even one of the ones sitting at a nearby table. Either way, she couldn't protect Lex from where she stood.

She started to walk toward Lex and then froze. The light breeze carried the familiar scent of a child she knew long ago. One who used to be her only friend. One who she thought was dead.

Taking her glasses off, she stared at the unmistakable aura of her childhood roommate at the orphanage, Rachel.

# Chapter Fifteen

The young blonde woman stood from her chair, her hand covering her mouth. "Oh my God."

Haedyn didn't move. She didn't even blink, scared that her eyes were playing tricks on her. Heart racing, she forced herself to put her glasses back on. But there was no denying it. The aura and the scent were the same. Rachel was alive.

"It's you isn't it, Haedyn? I knew you were real. They kept telling me I'd made you up, a way for my mind to deal with what happened. But I knew better," Rachel said and moved around the table.

Haedyn felt her eyes burn. The last time she heard Rachel's voice was when she sent the orphans into the tunnel to escape. The memories of that night flooded her mind. The screams from the nuns, baby Nicky crying, her sending a group of unarmed, innocent children into a dark underground passageway in hopes they'd escape the horrors happening in the rooms above.

"Why don't we all sit down and talk for a while? I'm sure the two of you have some catching up to do," Lex suggested, breaking Haedyn from her reverie.

She didn't take her eyes off Rachel. Her mind screamed with confusion. Her master told her the children had been delivered to their death at the river. That she caused it to happen. Tears escaped and fell to her cheeks.

All these years, she held the guilt of that night in her soul, dooming herself to a life of servitude as penance. But Lex had been right. It was all lies.

Rachel leaned over and took Haedyn's hand, guiding her to the table as she had done so many times when they were young. She pulled up an extra chair and started to help Haedyn into it.

"She can see now, Rachel. You don't have to help her," Lex explained. "Those glasses, they give her sight."

Haedyn watched Rachel's face glow with amazement. "Really? You're not blind anymore? That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you."

The joy on her former roommate's face was sincere, as were her words. Just like they'd always been. Rachel was the only friend she had ever known. They had been each other's only family. Until Azazel tore them apart and made them orphans all over again.

Just then, Haedyn saw movement from the corner of her eye. An elderly-looking man with a cane hobbled toward them. Senses heightened from her emotions, she knew something wasn't right. She stared at the old man's eyes until she saw it — the quick glimmer of shape-shifter.

"Move. Now," she commanded.

Lex didn't hesitate to follow her orders. He came around to her side of the table and grabbed Rachel's arm. They moved behind Haedyn and started walking the opposite direction. The shifter stopped and looked at them. He straightened and then entered the cafe.

Dammit. There had to be at least a dozen people in the store. The shifter could become any one of them. Best thing to do now was to get back to the cabin. Haedyn turned on her heel and caught up with Lex and Rachel.

"Someone want to tell me what's going on?" The petite blonde looked to Haedyn and then to Lex.

"It's kind of a long story and we really don't have the tim-"

Haedyn interrupted Lex. "He's being hunted."

"Ok. Maybe it's not so long of a story." He shrugged, giving Rachel a half smile.

"Hunted. By who and why?"

Lex grimaced. "That's a bit more complicated."

Haedyn raised an eyebrow and smirked. "He's being hunted by a whole lot of ugly and I've been hired to protect him."

Rachel stopped walking. "Wait. You're protecting him, like you're his bodyguard or something?"

Lex stopped and turned towards Rachel. "Yeah, something like that. But, we really have to keep moving." He reached out towards the girl again.

She held her hands out and stepped back. "Oh, no. I'm not going anywhere until one of you tells me what the hell is going on."

Haedyn laughed. Fourteen years may have passed but Rachel really hadn't changed much. She was still a little spitfire. And she had Lex fumbling for answers. Served him right for running off like he had.

"He's wanted by... some very dangerous types. And I'm _trying_ ," she paused to look at Lex, "to protect him."

Rachel narrowed her eyes, looking between. "You're talking about monsters, aren't you? And you're his supernatural bodyguard."

Haedyn blinked and tilted her head. "You always were a quick study. Yeah, that's what's going on."

"How do you know about all that?" Lex asked.

"Ever since the night at the orphanage, I've known monsters were real. When I was in college, I was approached by this underground organization that hunts them. I joined immediately."

Haedyn narrowed her eyes. "You're a hunter?"

"Yeah. But don't worry, we only hunt those that attack humans. We know they're not all evil." Rachel gave her a wink before continuing. "So what are we up against?"

"A shifter."

Rachel nodded. "Ugh. Nasty little bastards."

"A what?" Lex asked.

"A shape-shifter. He knows we saw him and ducked into the cafe. Now, he could be anyone. We need to find a secluded spot before he finds us." Haedyn felt a tingle along her spine and looked up to the top of the buildings. The sun was starting its descent and she could feel eyes upon them. There were vampires waiting to attack as soon as the darkness settled in.

"We need to move. Rachel, is there a more private location near here?" Haedyn looked back down the street. There were several people walking their direction but they were too far away to see their eyes.

"There's an empty lot up the street about a block."

"Let's go. Do you have weapons with you to fight?"

"Always," Rachel replied.

"Whoa, what?" Lex was practically running to keep up with them. "We're gonna fight them?"

"We don't have a choice. You came here unprotected and did nothing to try to hide your identity. You made it easy for them to find you," Haedyn scolded.

"I was leaving _you_ a trail to find me. You wouldn't believe me so you needed to see the truth for yourself," Lex remarked and followed Haedyn into the empty lot. She turned and he was standing directly in front of her. He grabbed her hand and squeezed. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Her stomach did a flip. She swallowed the lump that suddenly appeared in her throat and inhaled to calm her nerves. Instead, his scent filled her lungs making her pulse race and the images of him in his boxers filled her head.

Oh, holy hell. This was not the time for thoughts like that. She pulled her hand away and shook her head several times.

"Here, take this dagger. Stay between me and Rachel. If something gets close, cut them." She shoved the weapon in his hand, making sure not to touch him again, and then turned to Rachel. "You ready?"

The blonde smiled, wiggling her eyebrows. Each hand held a pointed, dagger-shaped baton with two prongs projecting from the handle. Oddly enough, the ancient Japanese weapons suited her.

The Sai had once been Haedyn's favorite tool for fighting. But that was before she was introduced to her Italian Longsword. Now she never went anywhere without it sheathed safely along her back.

Lex nodded towards Rachel. "So you always knew that Haedyn was, well, different?"

"Sure. I mean, look at her. Are you gonna tell me you thought she was human? I knew from the first time I saw her she wasn't just some albino kid. She had this way about her. I don't know, I can't explain it. But every time I was near her I felt this warmth, this peace. When I was little I used to think she was my guardian angel." Rachel smiled at Haedyn.

Lex chuckled. "I thought the same thing when I first met her."

Haedyn looked at both of them and frowned. "There are no such things as angels. Or at least not anymore."

Lex and Rachel laughed.

"How did you end up as his bodyguard?" Rachel asked.

"She was hired," Lex answered.

"Really? By who?"

"I've been asking her that myself but she won't tell me," Lex complained.

"The last bit of light is leaving the sky. They are watching us from above and yet, you two persist in discussing things that are of no importance." Haedyn turned in a circle as she looked up to the rooftops of the buildings beside them.

"I've already called for help," Rachel said. "My cell has a number programmed with speed dial for emergencies and the GPS is always activated. My team should be here any minute now. I'll distract them and you two make a run for it."

The comment caught Haedyn by surprise. She hadn't expected Rachel to call in her hunter friends. Hell, she hadn't expected Rachel period.

She had to admit, it was a good plan. But there was no way she was leaving her friend behind. This time, they stayed together. "There's too many of them. If your team doesn't make it-"

Rachel stopped her. "Really, Haedyn. I can do this. My team will be here any second now. I promise, I won't be in any danger."

Lex grabbed Haedyn's arm and pulled her aside. "You can't seriously be thinking about doing this? We should run. All of us."

Haedyn pressed her lips together and looked around uneasily. "There's nowhere to run. They've surrounded us. The only other option is to teleport." No sooner than she'd said the words, the world slipped out from under her. It was the same weightless feeling she had before, and same white-hot pain in her head. She grabbed at her temples and felt Lex's grip tighten on her arm. Then the darkness sucked her in.

# Chapter Sixteen

Haedyn awoke, sprawled in the middle of her cabin floor. Every muscle in her body ached. She opened her eyes and immediately shut them. Her vision was pulsing in time with the blood pounding through the veins in her head.

She rolled to her side and pushed herself up on her hands and knees. Bile rose in the back of her throat but she held it back. Crawling to the kitchen counter, she snatched a healing potion down and then leaned back on the wall.

It took four tries before she could open the little container. The smell almost made her gag. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she drank it down. The effects took hold within seconds.

Standing, she rolled her shoulders and stretched. Then she saw Lex. He was curled up in a fetal position not far from where she had been. Dried blood left a trail from his nose to the floor.

Haedyn grabbed another vial of potion and ran over to him. She took off her glasses so she could see him with her true vision. His body temperature barely registered a heat signature.

She uncapped the potion and turned his head, pouring the liquid into his mouth. It dribbled out between his lips. His body wasn't responding, he wouldn't swallow it. That wasn't a good sign. Shit.

She ran over and grabbed another vial. This had to work. She propped his head and shoulders on her legs so the potion would run to the back of his throat this time. Tipping his head back, she stuck the little container all the way in his mouth and then massaged the front of his neck to aid in swallowing.

Moments later, his body temperature rose and he stirred. She slipped on her glasses and looked down at the human in her lap. His eyelids fluttered open and he smiled up at her. "That was a close one," she said.

He coughed and sat up. "Do you think you could just use the normal teleportation spell next time? It doesn't hurt as bad as this one did."

Haedyn raised her eyebrows. "I didn't use a spell. I thought you did."

"No, it wasn't me. It had to be you. You did that glowing thing and fell to your knees. I tried to help you up and then there was this bright light," he shrugged. "And that's all I remember. So, it was definitely you."

Haedyn turned away from Lex. She stood and walked toward the window. That was twice she had appeared in places without using magic. But how? She didn't have those kinds of powers, or she never used to anyway.

She wished she knew what was going on with her. The powers she did have were out of whack, she glowed when she got upset, and now she was teleporting with the slightest thought. Not to mention how crazy her hormones were behaving.

She sighed. Nothing seemed to fit properly. It was like a giant puzzle with missing pieces and no picture to go by. She was tired of trying to find logic in chaos. She needed answers, and one way or another, she was going to find them.

"You said that you had to show me the truth because otherwise, I wouldn't believe you if you told me." She turned to face Lex. "I'll believe you now. Please, tell me what you know."

"Okay. I'm warning you though, I'm pretty sure it's going to go against a lot of what you were told to believe. But I'll tell you everything I know. Come sit down beside me. This could take a while." Lex sat on the couch and patted the cushion beside him.

"I'm not sure what to believe anymore," Haedyn admitted and curled up in the corner of the couch, facing him.

He reached over and grabbed her hand. "I hate to say it, but I think what I'm about to tell you is going to make it worse."

Warmth spread from their clasped fingers up her arm and all the way to her cheeks. Her pulse quickened and her stomach did that little flip-flop thing. There was something about this human that was different than the rest. It was a curiosity she'd love to explore, if they survived that long.

She gently moved her hand back into her own lap. "Tell me."

"I know what you are."

"Yes, I'm an Unnamed, an evil abomination that should have been eliminated as soon as I was born."

"Exactly. What? No." Lex shook his head. "I mean, yeah, that's what they thought at first. But it's not true. Let me guess, that's all your master told though, right?"

"The book confirmed his allegations." Haedyn nodded to the journal that still sat on the table in front of them.

"Ah, I thought you might be able to read that script," Lex said. "Your ancestors, you, carry the blood of angels and demons. You're basically a mixed breed of sorts." She listened quietly as Lex relayed the information he'd been told by Moira about how her kind came into existence.

"Not only was Azazel responsible for your species creation, but for their annihilation as well. Haedyn, he led the attack on the survivors."

Her mouth fell open and she just stared at him. Shaking her head, she leaned back on the arm of the couch, away from him. No, he was wrong. He had to be. There was no way she'd spent her life in servitude to the same demon who destroyed her ancestors.

"I know it's a lot to process, Haedyn. But I believe her," Lex said.

"Why? She's just some Seer in a human occult store. What does she know?" Haedyn got up and walked to the window again. A squirrel ran across the yard and scaled part way up a tree. If only her life was as simple as that squirrel's. She let out a puff of air.

"Because she wasn't human. She's part angel," Lex answered.

"Then she lied to you again. The angels don't exist anymore. They either died out or just went away. Regardless, they're not on earth any longer."

"That's not true at all. Let me guess, another one of Azazel's clever tales?"

Haedyn turned and crossed her arms over her chest. "It's hard to prove that he lied when I've never once run into an angel. Ever. And I've been to a lot of places, seen a lot of things."

"You really think that vampires, faeries, witches, shape-shifters, even demons, still roam the earth but not angels? There can't be one without the other, can there? I mean without the good guys, evil would take over and God wouldn't let that happen without a fight," Lex replied.

Haedyn sniffed. "God turned his back long ago. He took his angels and left."

"Is that what you really think? Or is it just something else Azazel branded in your head?" Lex scoffed.

She dropped her arms to her side and stepped forward. "No. That's the truth. Take a look around, Lex. The population of supernaturals is growing, there's a demon hunting you down, your own brother was murdered by vampires, and don't even get me started on what humans do to each other. Evil took over a long time ago."

Lex slumped back on the couch and sighed. He looked at her and shook his head.

"Seriously, your scientist, Charles Darwin, nailed it. It's all about survival now. The weak will be overcome by the strong and the smart. It's natural selection at its best.

"Besides, if God were still around why would he allow so much pain and sorrow? Certainly, he could eradicate it. And, why allow innocents to be taken by evil? Why does he allow them to be left alone in this world without guardians?" She turned away again, trying to hold back the tears burning her eyes. "Why would he allow someone like me to be created, only to have me do horrible things, to be so evil?"

Lex came up behind her. "You have to understand that humans have free will, Haedyn. God hasn't turned his back on us, he's just given us a choice. Albeit that many of the decisions humans have made haven't been the best, but that's part of their lessons in life. Not yours. You have a purpose in this world, and it isn't to serve your master. It's far more important."

"Oh yes, that's right. I was created to protect the innocents of this world. Because I'm so virtuous, being an assassin and all." She lowered her head. Lex was so full of blind faith. He truly believed that she was meant for something more than bringing death. She wished that were true, but she knew better. He had no idea about the terrible things she had done. If he did, he'd realize she was as evil as they come.

"Obviously we are not going to agree on this. But the fact is, Moira told me she is Fae. She's the one who gave me that journal. She knew I was human with no possible way of understanding the language it was written in, so she must have wanted you to read it. Why else would she include it?"

Haedyn turned to face him. Lex had a point. Why did Moira send that journal with him? Fae were neutral. They weren't supposed to get involved in things like this. And why would Azazel have kept her alive if he killed off all her ancestors? What was so special about her that he kept her as a pet?

Her shoulders sagged. This was all so confusing. Once upon a time ago life seemed simple. Follow orders, live to see another day. Now Lex shows up and everything turns upside down.

She looked up to his face searching for something she didn't understand. The way he smelled, the way he looked at her, the way her heart fluttered at his touch, all of these excited and terrified her at the same time.

No one had ever elicited reactions like this before. What was it about him that made-

Lex reached over and slid her glasses off, breaking her concentration. His body temperature rose making his unique scent stronger. It enveloped her mind and made it impossible for her to think. Part of her screamed to run away, to escape this chaotic attack on her senses. But she didn't, or couldn't. She swallowed, feeling vulnerable and giddy. Why did she have to act like this around him? She was a fool for letting her emotions override sensibility. She was...

He stepped closer and raised his hand to caress her cheek. A tingling heat rushed her face and sent chills down her back. What was left of her sense of self-preservation melted.

His lips brushed hers and she was sure her legs were going to collapse right out from under her. One of Lex's hands reached into her hair, fingers weaving through her silver-white strands. The other wrapped around her waist and pulled her body up against his.

She finally let go and lost herself in the sensory overload. Responding from instinct, she leaned further into him. Her hands embraced his waist and neck as she deepened their kiss.

Taking a few deep breaths, he moved his hands so that he held her head between his hands. Then he kissed both eyelids and leaned his forehead on hers.

"Haedyn," he said. "Can you please put us down?"

The question took her off guard and she opened her eyes. Even without her glasses, she could see the unique aura pulsing in waves from her own body. She was glowing again.

Lex handed over her glasses. "Here, I stuffed them in my pocket earlier, so I could use both hands." Haedyn slipped them on in time to see the arrogant smile plastered on his face. Then they both tumbled the few feet to the ground.

She sat with her head in her hands. Not only was she just kissing a human and acting like an animal in heat, her powers were running amok, too. She seemed to be losing control of everything in her life. For the first time that she could remember, she felt helpless.

Lex laughed from where he lay on the ground a couple of feet away from her. "You know, I can honestly say that was the first time I've kissed someone and it swept me off my feet. Literally."

She gave him a hurt look and pouted.

"That's a good thing, Haedyn. Trust me," he said as he moved to sit beside her. "It's a very good thing."

He put his arm around her and she leaned into him. Her brain tried to rationalize what had just happened but she pushed the thoughts aside. Right now, she didn't care. She was tired of all the running, all the fighting, and all the killing. The comfort of his touch felt good. Even if it was just for one moment, this feeling of peace was worth it.

Then Lex tilted her chin up to him and moved a strand of hair out of her face. His eyes were watching her mouth. He was going to kiss her again, she just knew it. But she couldn't handle another tidal wave of emotions. Instead she blurted out, "I know what happened to your brother."

# Chapter Seventeen

The soft smile on Lex's face turned slowly to a frown. He scooted back, removing his arm from around her shoulders, and shifted to face her. "Did you just say you know what happened to Alix?" he finally asked.

Haedyn nodded. Probably not the best timing to say something like that, but at least he didn't kiss her again. She took a deep breath and offered a small smile in apology. It didn't work.

Lex stood and flopped down on the couch. "I knew it. You've known all along what happened to Alix. If you had just told me soon-"

"I couldn't. I was under contract, Lex. It would have meant my death." Haedyn took a step closer to where he sat. "This is how it works, or used to anyway. I received assignments. Sometimes they were from my master, and other times he hired my services to others. When that happens, messengers provide me with details. Sometimes, the messengers are the clients themselves. This case, finding and protecting you, came directly from who I thought was the client."

Lex huffed. "Okay, so, what does that have to do with my brother?"

"Just hear me out, okay? I'm only given just enough information to get the job done. That's it. Nothing else. So, I never know the motivations or reasons behind the assignment."

"Fine," Lex snapped at her. "So you don't know why you were hired to protect me. I got that. And?"

"And, so it wasn't until after I had found you that I learned you were the one my master was after. Which didn't make any sense because even when he hires me out, he is aware of the details of each assignment. So why would he want me to find and protect you if he was looking for you? It didn't fit."

"We've established this already, Haedyn. Get to the part about my brother."

"Okay, okay." She took a deep breath, hoping that telling him this wasn't a mistake. "So this time the client was a vampire."

He sat forward, brows furrowed. "According to Moira, vampires are demons or at least the descendants of demons. Which makes even less sense for one of them to want me protected."

"Exactly. But it does make sense if Azazel didn't approve this assignment."

Lex tilted his head. "What? I don't follow."

"I think the vampire came to me under the guise that he was a client of my master. But he wasn't. I believe he used me to promote his own cause."

"That still doesn't make any sense. What cause would a vampire have that included protecting me?"

"Because he's your brother."

Lex let out a harsh breath and blinked. He sat there not saying a word, only shaking his head and avoiding eye contact. Finally, he leaned back on the couch and toyed with the ring his brother had given him. Haedyn didn't know what to say to him. Everything in her wanted to reach out to him, but she knew he had to deal with this news on his own.

"They made my brother a vampire?" Lex said after a long silence.

Haedyn nodded, clasping her hands in front of her.

"How did you find out?"

"When I was trying to find you, I saw him. In a vision. He was giving you that ring. Then I realized he was the client who hired me. Just, now he's a vampire."

She hadn't been sure what his reaction would be. She expected anger or frustration, grief even. But not this quiet acceptance. "You knew, didn't you?"

He nodded, sorrow filling his eyes. "Yeah, I guess deep down I did. I just needed proof."

Haedyn sat down on the edge of the couch beside him. Tentatively, she reached out and put her hand on his leg. He glanced up at her, giving her a brief smile, then looked away.

"You know what I just don't get?" he asked. "Why didn't they take me instead? It was like they just wanted Alix."

Haedyn stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"When we were attacked, that... that monster came at me. He was aiming for my throat, for sure. I was trying to fight him off and then he just stopped. Just like that." Lex snapped his fingers and looked at her. "It was like touching me burned it or something. Then he pushed me in the river. That's when I lost my ring."

He looked back down and fiddled with the band on his finger. Haedyn watched him, her mind reeling with this new information. "So, you think your brother was a target?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. It doesn't make sense, though. Why him and not me?"

Haedyn sighed. "I'm not sure. I mean it could just be that the vampire who attacked you was young and didn't know what he was doing. They tend not to have the best skills. Or it could have been an accident."

"I don't know. Maybe," he said. "You said you saw my brother in a vision. Is that one of your gifts or something?"

"I'm not sure I'd call it a gift," she said wryly. "But yeah, it's something I do."

"So that's why you needed my shirt to find me. For a telepathic link or something?"

"Something like that," she smirked.

"So your master uses you for your powers, then?"

Haedyn wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "No. He's not aware of most of my... um, powers."

"So, he doesn't know that you can, you know..." Lex motioned with his hands, "Glow and all of that other stuff?"

"Definitely not. I kept my abilities to myself. Call it survival instinct. You know part of natural selection and all of that." She winked at him and was rewarded with a smile.

"Good to know," he chuckled but the smile faded. He ran his hands through his hair and down his face, gestures Haedyn was becoming familiar with. Signs that he was tired and frustrated. She waited him out, knowing he'd talk to her when he was ready.

"Moira told me that death doesn't always take too well. She said that I needed to be concerned with Alix's soul. Maybe..." Lex turned to face Haedyn. "Maybe he's not evil. Maybe he's trying to fight it."

She sighed. He'd been through so much lately. Yet his optimism wouldn't die. He was still trying to hold on to the only brother he knew. But Alix wasn't that person anymore and he needed to face that fact. The sooner the better, too, because she had a feeling they'd run into him again.

"Vampires don't have souls, Lex. The change takes away all humanity and creates a shell that looks like the human, but isn't. Souls are for humans. Not for supernatural creatures like vampires or werewolves. Or me." She lowered her gaze.

"Sorry, I don't buy that. You are not evil, Haedyn. And I don't think my brother is either. Even Rachel said her group knows that not all the monsters are evil. They only hunt the bad ones. Moira said they have a choice. That means you have a choice, too. You are not evil, no matter what Azazel conditioned you to think. You're not." He shrugged, his voice definitive.

"I've done a lot of bad things, Lex. Things you would consider evil. I've hunted supernatural creatures and humans alike. I've tortured them, killed them." She faced him, looking directly in his eyes. He needed to see the truth about her as well. Even if he didn't like what he saw.

"Rachel's group would hunt me for the things I've done," she said, standing. She gave him one last look and then went into the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of orange juice and a cheese stick and took them to Lex. "You need to eat. We've had a long night and we are both weary. For now, the cloak still holds. I'm sure it won't last much longer. The full moon is tomorrow night. Azazel will be hunting us at full force. We will have to leave soon. Rest and I will take watch." She turned and headed for the front door.

"An evil being wouldn't care if I was hungry or not," Lex shouted after her.

Haedyn stopped halfway down the hall and turned back, peeking around the corner at him. "They would be if they were only keeping you alive to save their own ass," she replied.

A loud creak sounded from the front porch. So much for the cloaking spell. Haedyn signaled to Lex to drop to the floor and crawl to her since she was hidden in the hallway. He did as she said but before he reached her, glass flew from the front windows and the front door was kicked in. Two vampires and three werewolves rushed inside.

"Don't they ever stop coming?" Lex said as Haedyn pulled him behind her into the den. She handed Lex a dagger from her belt and then stuffed her glasses in a pocket of her outfit. She needed her own vision for this fight. They stood back to back in the middle of the room and faced the creatures that entered the cabin. Slowly, she unsheathed her sword and stood ready to defend her home, and her human.

"They're just surrounding us. Why aren't they attacking?" Lex whispered over his shoulder.

"They must have a 'no kill' order. Which means they are here to apprehend only." She felt Lex's stature relax. "That doesn't mean they won't torture us. It just means they have to keep us alive while they make us bleed."

Her words brought about low growls from the wolves.

"Just so you know, Haedyn, you suck at finding words of comfort in situations like this."

"I don't do false reassurances."

"Yeah, I noticed. So, who are they waiting on?" Lex asked.

"That would be me," replied a thick voice from the hallway.

Haedyn glanced over to see a familiar-shaped void enter the room. She knew more vampires would come, but she hadn't expected this one. At least not so soon.

She turned her attention back to the creatures surrounding them. Up until now, escape had still been an option. But the situation just became more complicated. Especially since she didn't know if this particular vampire was friend, or foe.

# Chapter Eighteen

The vampire walked further into the den and Lex gasped, dropping his dagger to the floor. "Oh my God. Alix?"

Haedyn lowered her sword but remained wary. Alix's unexpected arrival couldn't be a good thing. She didn't trust bloodsuckers in general, this one even less.

She put her glasses back on and turned to watch the surprise reunion between brothers. The physical resemblance was obvious, same build, same skin tone. Alix's hair was a shade lighter and his eyes were bright blue, unlike Lex's dark brown ones. They both had the same structure for cheekbones and nose. But the similarities ended there.

Cockiness for one. She hadn't met a single supernatural being that embraced humility. Alix definitely didn't. So far, he hadn't impressed her.

She imagined the brothers were probably more alike before Alix grew fangs. Unfortunately, the arrogance of the supernatural species was evident in the way he carried himself. His tone of voice and demeanor held no emotion, no compassion. Whereas, Lex oozed of humanity, especially now, with so many emotions running amok in him.

"Nice to see you've kept him alive so far," Alix said to Haedyn. She glared at him but didn't reply.

Lex stepped forward. "I watched you die. I couldn't sleep for months without reliving that night and hearing your screams."

Alix ignored him. He didn't even acknowledge his own brother. Haedyn could only guess the hurt that was causing Lex. He'd never given up on his sibling and now he meant nothing to the vampire standing in front of him.

She wanted to shield him from it, to protect him. But if she showed the smallest concern for him now, Alix would surely use it against them both. She had to remain aloof and detached. Her chest ached from knowing that Lex would be just as hurt by her actions in his time of need. It was the only way to protect him. And right now, the most important thing was to get answers.

"I've done as you requested. I've kept the human alive. So why are you and your minions invading my territory?"

Alix snorted. " _Your_ territory? Since when does your kind have the right to lay claim over anything?" He leaned closer to Haedyn. "You forget yourself, servant. Your master is nowhere in sight and unable to defend you. I would think twice before speaking to me like that again."

Haedyn lifted her chin in defiance but held her tongue. She had only met Lex's brother twice, but both times she had been tempted to kill him where he stood. She gripped the handle of her sword tighter as he walked in circles around her.

"I see you haven't changed much," Lex snarked. "Still as pompous as ever."

The comment drew a sideward glance from Alix, but nothing more. Haedyn raised an eyebrow. Maybe the human Alix wasn't so different than the bloodsucking one after all. Either way, things were safer if Alix was focused on her.

"Are you here to collect your human?" Haedyn asked trying to distract attention away from Lex. She could handle the vampire's arrogance and rage. However if Lex kept baiting his sibling, she was worried Alix would retaliate. Then she'd have to kill him and Lex would be pissed at her. Not a great way to end the day.

Alix laughed. "No, Haedyn, you have it all wrong." He walked over and patted his brother's back. "Our orders have nothing to do with Lexie boy here. On the contrary, we're here to kill you."

The werewolves edged forward growling and drooling, but Haedyn didn't flinch.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Lex shoved his brother's hand away and stepped up to him.

Alix laughed even louder this time. "Oh, my dear brother, have you finally found yourself smitten? It was that lovely pale skin that did it for you, right? Or maybe it was those demon-red eyes?"

Haedyn wet her lips and breathed in through her nose. Her patience was growing very thin. If they wanted to kill her then they needed to get on with it already. She was getting antsy.

Not to mention, she desperately wanted to slay the foul dog huffing and puffing on the back of her legs. It was annoying and he needed to move. She flipped the tip of her sword backwards at him, taunting it. He snapped but moved away.

Alix smirked at his brother, then placed his hands on Lex's shoulders and gave a quick squeeze. Lex grimaced before shrugging them off. "I warned you that the girl of your dreams would be someone who could kick your ass. But I never thought you'd be the type to go for street trash." He curled his lip and threw a look of disdain over his shoulder. "Alas, but it still pains me to think you will never get to see the fruits of your infatuation. You see, your little lady here has made her master very, very angry."

"Why?" Lex asked and looked over his brother's shoulder, meeting her eyes. She had to admit, he didn't look scared. Actually, he looked kind of angry. She just hoped he realized this wasn't going to be one of those brotherly spats. It was far more dangerous now that Alix had fangs, and smelly guard dogs leaving drool on her rug.

"Oh you see, brother," Alix answered. "She's gone rogue. And now she's protecting a human. One that her master has claimed for his own purposes. Yet, Haedyn seems to think you need to live." He walked around Lex with his hands behind his back and head bent down. "Though why she would think that a human has any value in this world is quite beyond my comprehension. She kills humans for a living, you do know that, don't you?" Alix stopped in front of Lex again.

"But you were the one who gave her that assignment. You were the one who wanted her to protect me," Lex accused.

"Me? Now why on earth would a vampire want to suffer a human to live?"

"She saw you, Alix. She knows it was you."

"Did she now? The blind servant _saw_ me." Alix chuckled. "Really, Lex. Think about it. Maybe she just told you it was me to further her own agenda? Or maybe she's delusional. Either way, she disobeyed her Master and that means she dies."

Haedyn saw the fear in Lex's eyes. She hated that his brother was the one responsible for it. Vamps were notorious for toying with humans. They liked evoking those extreme emotional responses, probably because they had little left of their own.

But this time, Alix was pushing it too far. She needed to get Lex out of there before his brother provoked a nasty battle. Although, she had a sinking feeling it was going to happen regardless.

Tightening her jaw, she gauged her opponents. The wolf behind her was no problem. She could take him in seconds and as soon as the second one leaped at her, she'd send it to doggy hell, too. The problem was the vampire to her right. He looked like he was jonesing for his next fix of blood. Which meant he'd be aggressive and fast. There's no way she'd escape him.

Plus, Alix was staying in arm's length of Lex, keeping his prey in easy reach. Bastard. This was not going to be a pretty fight.

Then she saw Alix slip a dagger into his brother's hand.

"You know how I feel about love, don't you Lex?" Alix said, giving a nod. "It's worth fighting for." He lunged at the closest vampire.

At once, Haedyn swung her longsword around and sliced through the neck of the werewolf behind her. The second one leaped at her as expected and she pivoted, moving her sword up and through its gut. The wolf howled in pain and landed on the floor with a thud.

To her right, Alix had his hands full with the other two vampires. She moved to help him but an angry snarl stopped her. The third werewolf had Lex cornered. The vampires could wait.

She pulled a silver, five-pointed star from the strap of her boot. Throwing it as hard as she could, it hit the beast directly in the base of its skull. It yelped and collapsed, the silver toxin killing it immediately. She glanced back at Alix. He was down to one vamp now, the other just a pile of dust under his feet. Since he no longer needed her help, she went to Lex.

"Are you hurt?"

"No. No, I'm fine. I was right, Haedyn. He's not evil. Alix had a choice, and he chose us." She could see the excitement and brotherly love in Lex's eyes. She just hoped he was right. Lex's smile grew as Alix joined them.

He nodded to Haedyn and then turned to his brother. "Lex, I'm sorry for all that. I had to make it look like I was following orders until I could find the right moment to overtake them. It's good to see you, brother." He held out his hand.

Ignoring the gesture, Lex wrapped both arms around his brother in a tight hug. "God, I've missed you."

Haedyn stifled a laugh. The look on Alix' face was a mixture of surprise and disgust. Vampires weren't the touchy-feely types unless it dealt with sex.

"Uh, I missed you, too," Alix replied, pulling himself free of Lex's hold and looking at Haedyn. "But right now, you need to leave. It's not safe here. Azazel has sent quite a few of his people after you and he'll keep sending more until-"

"Yeah, thanks to you and your fake assignment," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "Now Azazel is after me for betraying him."

Alix shook his head. "No, Haedyn, you've got that all wrong. Azazel isn't after you because you took Lex, although that did piss him off royally. But my brother isn't the only one he needs for that ceremony."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't know?" Alix asked. "You really are blind, in more ways than one. Azazel plans on creating his own army of evil-born souls."

"Souls that are born evil?" Lex gasped. "Is that even possible?"

Alix nodded. "Apparently. The theory is that he needs more power to pull it off. Which is why he's performing a power-gaining ceremony. Whose power do you think he's planning to take?"

Both men looked at Haedyn. "I don't know. It's not like he and I were buds, confiding our every secret."

Haedyn watched Alix's lips move but his voice had faded away. A static-like buzzing grew louder and louder in her mind until she was unable to hear anything else. Stepping away, she bent her head and covered her ears with her hands. Then it stopped.

"Haedyn? You okay?" Lex questioned. She blinked a few times and nodded. That was so weird. She hadn't had anything like that happen since... that night at the orphanage.

She looked up as the realization dawned on her. Evil was here. Her master had arrived.

# Chapter Nineteen

Loud clapping came from outside the broken window of the cabin. Haedyn inhaled sharply and moved in front of Lex. Alix slid over to stand beside her.

Through the broken panes of glass stepped a man resembling a Roman gladiator. His light hair and sharp, chiseled features lent to his facade of an ironclad warrior. But Haedyn would have recognized him anywhere. No matter what form he took, the vast emptiness in his dark eyes never changed. Azazel had arrived.

He eyed them all in turn, a smug smirk planted on his face. "You deserve a standing ovation for that performance, Alix."

Her master's unique stench of sulfur clogged Haedyn's nostrils making her cough. The newcomer flicked his hand and she went flying through the air. She hit the wall with such force that it crumpled and fell to the ground with her, burying her under the rubble.

Alix ran to her and helped push the debris out of the way. She rose, nostrils flaring and hands fisted at her sides. That fucking hurt. Azazel was going to die. Even it if was her last act on this earth, she was going to kill that damn demon with her bare hands.

Grabbing both her arms, Alix got right in her face. "No matter what happens, Haedyn, don't let my brother die. He is the last and you must protect him no matter the cost. Do you understand? Promise me!"

The vampire's concern eased away some of her anger. His cryptic message left a lot to be desired but she nodded her agreement. Protecting Lex was her priority. At least until she had the chance to kill Azazel.

Before she could stop him, Alix rushed the demon warrior. Dammit. Vampires were so impulsive. She ran over to Lex and held him back from trying to join his brother.

Azazel caught Alix by the neck and threw him aside like a piece of lint, but it didn't stop him. He got up and attacked the demon again, just to be slammed down on the floor. Azazel kicked him over and over.

Haedyn's stomach tightened. This wasn't going to end well. She needed to get Lex out of there. Now.

While Azazel was distracted, she tried to herd Lex out of the room. "Alix," he called out, struggling against her to reach his brother. Alix's body lie twisted and broken. His vampire abilities weren't healing him fast enough to escape.

Azazel bared his teeth. "I've always said vampires weren't worth the trouble they cause." He snapped his fingers and Alix's body dispersed into dust.

"No!" Lex yelled. Haedyn used her strength to force him down the hall and away from Azazel. They had to get out of there before they were next.

She shoved him through the front door and stopped cold. Azazel hadn't come alone. Dozens of werewolves and were-lions surrounded the porch.

Lex slouched in her arms. He was in shock from watching his brother's death, again. Mentally and physically, he was shutting down. All her potions were back in the house. Teleporting while he was this weak would kill him. She had to find another way.

She stepped forward, holding Lex up with one arm and wielding her sword in her other hand. The animal minions growled and snapped. There were too many for her to fight. They were trapped.

Azazel stepped onto the porch behind her. She swung around, pointing her sword at him.

He knocked it out of his way. "You are nothing but a worthless mistake. I let you live. I gave you a purpose. And you repay me by defying my orders and protecting this... this... _human_?" He roared his disgust and snatched Lex by the throat, bringing him to his knees.

Haedyn's heart seized like it was being squeezed in a vise. It took all of her will power to keep from trying to free Lex. If she showed an ounce of compassion or fear, they'd both die. Azazel thrived on evoking strong emotions from his opponents. He used it to torture them. She had to shut off all her feelings and rely solely on instinct.

She breathed in through her nose and cleared her mind. Azazel had trained her himself. She knew all his techniques, his strategies. After all, he made her to be just like him. And now she was.

Coldness settled in her core. The rest of the world faded away as she focused completely on the demon in front of her. She lifted her chin and stared straight into his soulless eyes.

Azazel moved so quick his hand was nothing but a blur as he swung out and knocked her off the porch. She landed on her back but swiftly compensated and rolled to her feet. The wolves barked and the lions roared but she ignored them. The demon warrior looked at her and smirked, and then slowly tightened his grip on Lex's throat. He rasped for air, his windpipes crushing under the pressure.

A small tear trickled down Haedyn's cheek.

Azazel let out a hollow, sarcastic laugh. "You had such potential. But now, you are worthless. Take her," he commanded to his minions.

Snapping and barring their teeth, the werewolves began circling her while the were-lions crouched down, ready to spring the first chance they got. She shifted her stance, bringing her sword up in front of her. Her Glock would be handy about now. Unfortunately, it was... in her holster. It wasn't there a minute ago, but there was no denying the weight against her hip. She reached down, the cool grip fitting perfectly in her palm.

An outcry from the porch grabbed her attention. She glanced over in time to see Azazel yank back his hand, releasing Lex who fell to his knees and gasped for air.

"Damn Fae magic." The demon looked at the burn mark on his hand and sneered. "I see your ring has been returned to you. Too bad it won't help you now."

He motioned with his hand and Lex flew spiraling through the air. Haedyn heard the distinctive snap and crack of his bones as he slammed into a tree, breaking it in two.

# Chapter Twenty

"No!" Haedyn screamed as Lex's limp body fell to the ground.

Azazel's empty laughter echoed in the forest around her. She fell to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her former master walked in front of her, pushing her over as he passed.

"Take care of the trash, would you fellas?" he called out to his servants and then disappeared.

Pain exuded from every pore on Haedyn's body. A deep, rolling anger welled up from the depths of her soul. Her skin glowed so bright it burned. But she felt nothing as rage took over her. The air around her burst into white-hot flames, and she rose into the air. Her silver white hair fanned out full of static from the energy swirling around her. Sparks and lightning shot out in all directions from her hands and her blood-red eyes flared.

She looked down at the cowering beasts below and with a flick of her wrist, each one exploded into tiny pieces. She let out a bloodcurdling screech to the heavens, as lightning shot from her fingers and ignited the trees around her. Finally with her fury spent, she fell to the ground landing hard on the scorched earth.

Tears streamed freely from her eyes and she stumbled around until she found Lex. His body lay mangled and blood ran from his mouth, nose and ears. A gaping wound on his side stained the ground around him in crimson.

Haedyn fell down beside him and pulled him into her lap, cradling him to her chest.

"Please wake up. Please, please, wake up," she cried and rocked with him in her arms. Sobs choked her as she remembered the visions she'd had just days before.

This was it. This was what she saw and she couldn't keep it from happening. Now, he was dead and it was her fault. She had failed.

She slumped over Lex and rested her face cheek to cheek. Blood from the scrapes on her face mixed with his. A burning sensation forced her to lean up and something crinkled in her pocket.

She pulled out a balled up piece of paper. It was the note that had fallen out of that book from Small Escapes. The spell to call Moira.

It was meant for Lex to use but she didn't care. She needed help. If Moira really was an angel like she claimed, then she could save him.

Haedyn read the words aloud and within moments, the old Seer appeared before her.

"Help him. You must help him," she begged.

"What have you done?" Moira gasped. "You were supposed to protect him."

"Just help him. He's bleeding and I can't find life in him. You must help him, please," she pleaded. "He told me what you are. You're an angel, you can fix him."

"I... I'm sorry, but I can't. I am a descendant of Angels, yes, but I do not having healing powers. _You_ were the one that was supposed to keep him safe, that's why we chose you. Because we cannot get involved in these things."

"You sent him those books and this spell!" Haedyn yelled at her, tossing the note to the ground. "You're already involved, dammit. Do something, anything. Please!"

"I only sent him the spell so he could contact me when he learned his true path. To show him the ring, to teach him. I'm sorry," Moira said. "There is nothing I can do."

"No, you must help me. I can't fix him and I need him to live." Haedyn leaned her face on Lex's cheek. The burning sensation returned but she ignored it. Her body hummed with energy and a white aura surrounded her again. She didn't care if she was glowing. What good were her powers if she couldn't fix Lex?

Moira's sharp intake of breath made her look up. The old woman squatted beside her.

"He is still alive, though very weak. You have the power inside you, Haedyn. You must give of yourself." Moira reached out and picked up Haedyn's hand revealing a gash through the gloves and into her palm.

A small drop of blood dripped from her hand and landed on the wound in Lex's side. The damaged tissue began to regenerate in that spot. Haedyn eyes widened.

"Listen to your heart, Haedyn. It will help you choose the right path when the time comes," Moira said and faded away.

Haedyn looked down at Lex and then at her palm. Her blood was healing him but the cut on her hand was already clotting. She needed more. A few drops weren't enough.

Her heart raced as her mind searched frantically for answers. Maybe if she cut both hands. She snagged a small knife from inside her boot. Without hesitation, she dug the tip of the blade deep into one palm and then the other.

She dropped the knife and squeezed her hands into fists. The vital fluid flowed between her fingers and she held it over Lex's side. Her skin felt hot again, as if she was touching smoldering coals. Gritting her teeth, she pushed away the discomfort.

The trickle of blood decreased to a few drips. No, she needed more. Dammit. Her supernatural abilities made her heal too quickly. Simple cuts weren't going to work.

She picked up the blade again and stabbed it deep into her left arm a few inches above her elbow. Biting back a scream, she clenched her jaw and tilted her head back. Then she pulled the knife down, severing the brachial artery. Blood spurted out and she draped herself across Lex.

An excruciating heat overwhelmed her. Sweat beaded on her brow and mixed with the blood splattered on her face, dripping into her eyes. Her skin felt like it was being scorched from her bones but she didn't move.

Her vision blurred and her chest tightened. A red glow surrounded her and she screamed from the agony. Convulsions spasmed through her body and she couldn't suck in enough air. Unable to hold on to consciousness any longer, she succumbed to the pain.

# Chapter Twenty-One

Pressure. A heaviness weighed on him, across his chest and stomach, making it hard to breathe. Lex shifted just a little and immediately regretted it. His entire body ached.

He tried to swallow, but his tongue felt like a dry, brittle sponge glued to the top of his mouth. Blinking slowly, he opened his eyes and squinted in the bright afternoon sun. The light made his head throb harder. Why was he outside?

He brought his arm up to shade his eyes and saw Haedyn draped across him.

"Hey," he said and nudged her, hoping she'd move off him so he could breathe easier. She was heavier than she looked. But she didn't respond.

He shook her. "Haedyn, are you ok? Haedyn!"

He rolled out from under her, muscles screaming with stiffness. Sitting up, he reached out to shake her again. She was covered in blood.

"No, no, no..." he said, rolling her to her back. Raw marks and blisters splotched her pale skin. Bruises and scrapes covered her arms and hands and a bone showed through a deep gash in her arm. There were singe marks on her hair and clothing. She smelled like ash and smoke.

"Oh, God. Please don't be dead," Lex murmured, feeling her neck for a pulse. It wasn't there. He tried the other side and finally felt a faint beat. It was unsteady but at least she had one.

He scrambled to his feet and then ran for the cabin. His mind reeled with blurry memories of what had happened. The monsters had come. Azazel. Alex... Lex pushed down his grief. He didn't have time to mourn. Right now he had to save Haedyn. Heading straight into the kitchen, he rushed to the counter where they kept the potions. They were scattered around, some broken and empty.

He grabbed at the remaining few, frantically searching through them. Strength, no. Speed, no. Psychic connection, no. Dammit! He tossed them to the side. There had to be one left. Just one, that's all he needed.

He bent down and looked on the floor. Maybe some of the vials had fallen off during the fight. Then he saw it. One had rolled all the way under the kitchenette table.

He scurried over, shoving a chair out of his way, and picked it up. Yes, a healing potion. Crawling out from underneath the table, he rushed back to Haedyn.

He sat on his knees and pulled her onto his lap. Cradling her head in the crook of his arm, he poured the liquid in her mouth. He waited a few moments but she didn't wake.

It had to be in her system by now. He checked her pulse again. It was stronger this time but her arm didn't look any better, nor did the raw splotches on her skin.

His stomach rolled. Her injuries must be too extensive for a single bottle of potion to help. But that was the last one.

He sighed and looked at her beaten body. He had to think positive. She was a supernatural being. They could withstand more than humans. She just needed a little rest and in an hour or so, she'd be barking orders at him like always. He hoped.

Scooping her up in his arms, he took her to the cabin and laid her in her bed. He pulled the cover up over her chest and then kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"You sleep now and get better. I'll be here when you wake," he whispered. All he could do now was let her rest, and pray that she didn't die.

Lex walked back toward the kitchen but stopped at the end of the hallway. The cabin had taken extensive damage during the fight. It looked like a small bomb exploded.

The curtains blew inward from the light breeze, snagging on the few glass fragments still left in the windowpanes. The couch was knocked over and the coffee table smashed. Part of the wall looked like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it.

Then Lex noticed a pile of ash in the middle of the floor. Tears stung his eyes as he walked over to it. This was all that remained of his brother. Ashes and dust.

He went to the kitchen and grabbed an empty bottle of orange juice from the trashcan. It wasn't perfect, but at least it would do until he could find something better. Leaning down he scooped as much of the ash into the bottle as possible.

He wiped his wet eyes with the back of his hand and stood. Grabbing the back of the couch, he lifted it to its upright position and then sat down. He held the bottle between his hands. His brother was dead.

Memories of his sibling swamped his mind. He smiled and chuckled at a few of them while tears found a path down his cheeks. He swallowed and nodded, staring at the bottle. At least now, he had answers.

Alix had been turned into a vampire, not made into a monster. Moira had warned him that he needed to be concerned about his brother's soul. Lex had no doubt Alix's soul was safe. He'd given his life to save others. There wasn't a higher sacrifice to be made.

Setting the bottle beside him on the couch, Lex leaned his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands. He had no idea what to do next. His brother was dead and Haedyn was fighting for her life. Hell, he didn't even know if they were still being hunted or not. The last thing he remembered was being flung in the air by that demon.

He rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. Looking down, he noticed something sticking out from underneath the carnage of the coffee table. He kicked the wood pieces away and found his laptop.

He wondered if it still worked. Placing it on his lap, he opened it and pressed the power button. It dinged and after a few seconds, a screen appeared. It was the directions he'd left for Haedyn so she would follow him to that cafe.

He blinked. It felt like days since they'd seen Rachel. He should call and make sure she got out of that alley okay.

He reached for his phone but it was no longer in his pocket. Great, it could be anywhere. He leaned his head back on the couch. Most likely, it had fallen out of his pocket when Azazel sent him flying. Sighing, he stood and walked outside.

He stepped onto the broken porch and stopped mid-stride. His mouth fell open as he stared at his surroundings. He'd been so consumed with helping Haedyn, he hadn't notice it earlier.

The once green grass that enveloped the yard closest to the cabin had withered. Not far from the porch steps was a huge area that was nothing but blackened earth. Of the trees that were left standing, some were split in two and others were still smoldering as if a forest fire had ravaged them. Little pieces of skin and bone colored the dead ground.

The reality of what happened crept in. It hadn't been just a fight; it had been a full out war. The level of destruction made him uneasy. No wonder Haedyn was injured. She had been the only one fighting on their side.

Chills ran across his skin as he realized how powerful she must be to have survived. Something that Moira told him about the Unnamed nagged at him. She had said there was a possibility of one being born with all the power of their ancestors.

"Close to that of the gods," Lex whispered and stared at the scene in front of him. Haedyn was that one. That's why Azazel didn't kill her when he found her at the orphanage. He was using her. Control the vessel, control the power.

He shook his head and looked up to the sky through the remaining treetops. The sun had begun its descent and the moon's pale sphere waited eagerly to take its spot. The full moon.

He shivered. Azazel had planned on spilling his blood tonight. Then it occurred to him that if Haedyn survived, her master might have as well. Crap. They may still be on the run.

They needed help. That meant he had to find his phone and fast. He looked around the porch and then moved on to search the yard. Finally, he saw it where he had been lying under Haedyn.

As he picked it up, he noticed a balled up piece of paper. He grabbed that as well and straightened it out. It was a piece of stationary from Small Escapes with a note on one side and a spell on the other.

"Moira," Lex stated and jogged back into the house. She told him the Fae didn't get involved, but obviously she was doing just that. Why else tell him about the Unnamed, give him all those books, and now this spell? He no longer cared if she broke the laws of her kind. He wanted answers. This time he wasn't going to settle for half-truths and riddles.

After checking in on Haedyn, Lex sat on the couch and leaned his head back. God, he was tired. When this was over, he was going to take a long vacation. Preferably somewhere with white sandy beaches and excellent beer.

He sighed and pulled out his cell phone. First, he'd call Rachel. They had exchanged numbers at the cafe before all hell broke loose. He scrolled through his phone, looking for her contact information.

Now that he thought about it, he was kind of surprised she hadn't called him yet. After all, he and Haedyn disappeared in a ball of white light. It probably wasn't something most people saw on a daily basis. Of course, Rachel was a hunter so she had probably seen her fair share of odd things.

He pushed the call button and waited. It didn't ring but instead went straight to voice mail. He left a quick message with instructions for her to call, and then hung up. With all that had happened lately, he started to worry.

Even if it was unintentional, they had left Rachel alone in that alley. Who knows how many monsters attacked her. But she did say her team would be there any moment. Yeah, he was just being paranoid. She was probably at work and cut her phone off.

He straightened and stretched. Ever since he'd woken up outside under Haedyn, his back had been a little sore. No time to complain. He had a Fae to call on. It was time he got that old woman to give him some answers.

He pulled the note from his pocket and said the spell. Within seconds, Moira appeared before him. "You're looking much better than the last time I saw you," she said.

Lex glanced down at himself. His shirt was torn and stained with blood, dirt ground into his jeans, and he hadn't taken a shower in forever. "If you say so. I found your note."

She nodded and smiled, encouraging him to continue.

"I need your help."

"Yes, I imagine you have quite a few questions."

"That's the understatement of the year," he remarked and stood from the couch. "But before we get into that, I need you to look at Haedyn. She's hurt, unconscious. I tried giving her a healing potion but it didn't help. I was hoping there was something you could do?"

He moved passed her and started down the hallway toward the bedroom. But she wasn't following. He went back into the living room. Moira was standing there, hands clasped in front of her.

"She's this way," he said, waving her to come along.

"I'm sorry, Lexington, but there's nothing I can do. I can't help her."

He held his hands out and gave a slight shake of his head. "What? Why not? And don't give me that line about the Fae not getting involved. That's bullshit and you know it."

"I've already done everything I can-"

"But Moira," he began and stepped closer. "She's the one you were talking about. She's the Unnamed with all the power of her ancestors. Look at what happened in here and outside. She fought a small army of monsters and a demon by herself. The least you could do here is give me a healing potion or... or tell me how to make one for her."

"Potions don't work on her kind, Lex."

"Yes they do. I've seen them work."

Moira shook her head. "No, it was her body healing itself. She believed the potion helped, so it did. But it was just the power of her mind."

Lex's brows furrowed. "So she has the power to heal herself but doesn't know it?"

"Yes, but I'm sure she knows now. She used her blood to save you-"

"She did what?"

Moira tilted her head and looked at him. "She didn't tell you?"

"Obviously not," he said. "So why don't you do me the honor, without the riddles and half-truths this time."

The old Fae took a breath and nodded. "Haedyn called on me earlier, using the same spell you did. You were very close to death but she saved you. She used her own blood to heal you, Lex."

He swallowed and ran his hands over his face and head. "Is that why she's so weak, why she's not healing herself?"

Just then, they heard Haedyn cough. Lex ran down the hall and into her room. Moira followed close behind him.

Lex sat on the bed and Haedyn gave him a small smile. He moved strands of hair out her face and smiled back. "Hey there."

"Hi," she said and then started coughing again. Lex reached over and grabbed the glass of water he placed on the nightstand earlier. He helped her take a few sips and then put it back.

"Moira here tells me you had quite a day," he said.

She looked over to the Fae standing in the doorway. "Take him with you. Now. Before-" Another coughing spell took the rest of her words.

"Take me? Haedyn, Moira's not here to take me. She's here to help you."

Haedyn shook her head. "No. Azazel thinks you're dead. You will be safe if you go with her."

"But you dealt with Azazel. It's over now."

"No, he got away. He'll be back for me." Haedyn looked to Moira. "Please take him. Hide him."

Moira stepped up. "The full moon is tonight, Lex. If Azazel comes here and sees you, he'll take you, or kill you both this time. You must come with me. For your own safety."

Lex stood up and backed away from the old Seer. "No. No way. I'm not leaving her here alone."

"He's stubborn. Just take him. He'll get over it," Haedyn said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Moira clasped her hands in front of her again. "I can't. I am unable to take him unless he goes willingly."

"I'm not leaving her here. Not in this condition," Lex insisted. He looked at Haedyn, who had passed out again. "She's so weak. Isn't there anything you can do?"

"She let her power consume her. That's why she's so weak. She must learn to control her abilities, to use them wisely without it taking from her own energy. If she can't, it will kill her," Moira explained. "The only cure is to let her body heal, to rest and rejuvenate what she used."

Lex rubbed a hand down his mouth and chin. Then he looked at Moira. "Take us both. You can do that I know you can. Somewhere safe, just until she heals."

Moira sighed. "As you wish. I can take you to a camp on hallowed ground. You can both rest there."

# Chapter Twenty-Two

Haedyn was free falling. The world was spinning like a tornado and she was in its center. Streaks of color, objects and faces flashed in front of her and then disappeared back into the vortex.

She reached into the gray mass of the whirlwind surrounding her, hoping to grasp something solid. Her fingers sliced through the air and came back empty. She closed her eyes as downward draft pulled and tugged at her, sucking her further into the cyclone's depths.

Suddenly, her feet touched something solid. She opened her eyes and found herself on a tall pillar of limestone. A thick fog swirled around the pillar's base before blending into the darkness below and obscuring her view of the ground.

The sky around her was a giant thunderhead. Lightening streaked through the haze, jumping from one cloud to the next. A fine mist fell and the tiny hairs on her skin stood at attention from the electrically charged air.

She didn't know where she was or why. This place was so surreal, like something out of a movie. It definitely wasn't heaven, and it didn't seem terrifying enough for hell. Could it be limbo? Oh, crap. That would be just her luck to be stuck in between the planes of eternity.

A distant sound of flapping wings drew her attention to the higher clouds. At least a hundred creatures with wings of silver and gold swooped in a downward angle aiming right for her. Their silver swords reflected light from the flashes of electricity zipping through the air around them. Angels.

Haedyn knew they were coming for her. She reached for her sword but it wasn't there. Neither were her guns or her blades. No weapons meant she had to run. The only way she had to go was down.

She squatted, looking for a foothold. Turning, she lowered herself until her foot reached an outcropping. As she reached the next one, it crumbled under her toes.

She scrambled back up to the top and watched the falling stones bounce off the pillar. Then she saw them in the darkness below. Creatures far worse and more gruesome than those coming from the heavens were clawing their way up to her.

She had no escape. Both sets of adversaries greatly outnumbered her. Without weapons, there was no hope of survival. She sat cross-legged on the pillar. There was no choice other than to accept that death was her destiny.

At that moment, a bevy of ghostly forms gathered in a circle around her. Each had hair of silver and white, eyes that glowed as red as blood. These were her ancestors. The ones who were hunted and tortured before she even existed. Out of fear of their potential, they had simply been slaughtered. Ignorance stereotyped them as evil and the very ones who created them cast them down.

They must have come to watch her fate at the hands of the angels and demons. She looked to the sky and watched as the winged beings drew closer. The demons below crawled their way up the pillar, swiping at her with their claws and talons. She swallowed back her fear and resigned herself to the belief that she would soon join the others of her kind in the afterlife.

Then, one by one, the ghostly figures shot bolts of lightning at her. Each strike lifted her higher from the limestone platform and held her in the air. She waited for inexplicable pain to ravage her, but it never came. Instead, pure energy sung through the fibers of her body and mind. She could hear the voices of her people, but she couldn't understand what they were saying.

A beautiful young female with long silver locks hanging past her waist reached out to her. A name appeared in Haedyn's mind. Keres; the first Unnamed.

Keres spoke in a sultry voice, "It is up to you, the last. You must stop him."

Haedyn tried to respond, to ask what she meant, but the streams of lightning kept her frozen in place.

Keres floated closer, taking Haedyn's face into her soft hands. "Remember, we will be with you always."

Then she kissed her. The first joining with the last in an embrace of love and power, of revenge and destiny.

Humming vibrations reverberated throughout Haedyn's body as the bolts of lightning released her. A calming peace overwhelmed her and she drifted back to earth.

# Chapter Twenty-Three

Haedyn stretched and opened her eyes. Darkness filled her sight but she knew instantly she wasn't at the cabin. New scents fully awakened her senses.

The bed was narrow and the blanket covering her was soft and plush. Crickets chirped nearby and wind rustled through leaves. There was a heavy smell of bamboo, fresh foliage and light rain in the air. It seemed relatively quiet. Until someone started snoring.

Turning her head in the direction of the disruptive breathing, she saw a heat signature in the form of a human. Lex's unique scent wafted to her nose. He must have been keeping tabs on her and dozed off.

She reached out looking for a bedside table and her glasses. Finding them, she slipped her shades into place. They were in a small hut made of bamboo and mud. Lex sat across from her, chin on his chest, sound asleep in a wooden sling back chair. She grinned. That man could sleep anywhere.

She looked around some more but nothing seemed familiar. The last thing she remembered was asking Moira to take Lex somewhere safe. The old Fae must have taken them both.

She slipped quietly out the door. There were several other huts, all of varying sizes and shapes. Each nestled next to a tall tree and surrounded with dark green, leafy plants and bright flowers. A soft glow came from behind a few of the windows. But there was no one in sight.

Following a well-worn path between two of the huts, she found a stream. She stepped to the edge and watched the water flow over the rocks. The moon shined down, reflecting off the ripples.

This was one of the most peaceful places she'd ever been. A harmony of existence that awed and soothed any being in its midst. They were safe here. Protected by Faery magic, very few could enter this realm. Yet, she had a strong urge to leave.

She'd awoken with a restlessness she didn't understand. Bits of a dream with no meaning. And lips tingling from a kiss that never happened.

Moira's soft voice came from behind her. "They came to you, didn't they?"

"Who?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Your people."

Haedyn lifted her head and looked up to the night sky. Apparently, even dreams weren't private when you were in the keep of a Faery. She shrugged and faced the old seer.

"I had a dream, yes. But dreams don't always mean anything."

Moira nodded. "And sometimes they do. They told you, didn't they? That you had to stop him."

Haedyn sighed and nodded, turning back to watch the ripples in the stream. "Yeah. Lucky me. My master wants to create an army of evil-born souls and I get to stop him." She shook her head and gave an empty laugh. "I'm not even sure I can. He's a demon, an original fallen Angel. How do you fight that?"

Moira moved up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "With the blood of Angels and the heart of a human."

"I also have the blood of demons running through my veins. I've fed its hunger in the past. What if the evil in me takes over?"

"You must have faith in yourself. You were born for this. You exist because of it."

Haedyn puffed her cheeks and let the air out slowly. "I can't even control my own abilities. I almost got Lex killed because of it. I don't think I'm the one you think I am."

They stood in silence, listening to the trickle of the stream and the whispers of the wind. Her mind rolling over all that had happened. All of this because of a human.

"At the cabin, you said you chose me to protect Lex," she said, turning to face Moira. "What's so special about this human that the Fae want him protected?"

Moira lowered her gaze to the stream, and then looked off into the distance. "His family has long been under our protection."

Haedyn narrowed her eyes and bit the inside of her lip. There was more to that story, she was sure of it. Although, convincing Moira to tell her was futile. The Fae kept a very tight lid on all their dealings.

She rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck from side to side, fighting the urge to cross the stream into unprotected land. The call of the demons echoed in her veins. Azazel was hunting her.

"He's coming."

Moira nodded.

"You aren't safe if I'm here. He'll find us."

"We are safe. This is hallowed ground," Moira said. "Which is why you are so restless."

Haedyn huffed. No wonder she was feeling bipolar. Her demon side was freaking out and her angel side never wanted to leave. She leaned her head back and sighed. "The full moon is tonight. If Azazel finds Lex is still alive-"

"Why do you think he tried to kill Lex?"

She straightened. "I'm not sure. I never thought about it until now."

Moira raised her eyebrows. "I just find it odd that he tried to kill the one human he needs for his ceremony."

"The only reason he'd kill Lex is if he didn't need him." Haedyn felt her blood still. "Oh shit. He's found someone else. He has another human with that type of blood. That means he can create his army."

Moira took a step back, clasping her hands behind her. "No. Not yet he can't."

"What do you mean?" Haedyn gave her a sideways look.

"Azazel tried this once before. He was actually successful."

"What?! I don't understand. Who stopped him?"

Moira gave her a pointed look. "Keres stopped him. At least momentarily. You see, Azazel created the first Unnamed, your ancestos. They were the ones to stop him then. Keres, the first, led her kind in an attack on all of the demon's territories. It was then that he turned to the Angels and filled their heads with lies about the Unnamed."

"Azazel created and killed my kind. And then sought me out and forced me to serve as his servant? That makes no sense." Haedyn shook her head.

"The only way Azazel can continue his goal to create evil souls, is if he can control the powers of the Unnamed. And if he can't control them, he'll steal them." Moira placed a hand on Haedyn's arm. "He needs you there to complete the ceremony, Haedyn. He needs your powers."

She just stared at Moira. "You have got to be kidding me." The look on the faery's face told her it was the truth. She paced, rubbing the palms of her hands together and letting the information sink in.

"So big bad wants to steal my abilities because I'm the only one who can stop him," she said. "No problem. I just won't leave here. Ever."

Moira didn't respond.

"It would work. I mean he can't come here, and if I don't leave he can get to me, right?"

"He'll stop at nothing to draw you out," Moira said.

"What can he use? I have no family, no friends. I mean Lex is here and he's the only one I care about. Besides Rachel that is, but, I mean, I just found out... Oh God." Haedyn felt like someone had just punched her in the gut. "I remember. When we were living at the orphanage, she always had to get her blood drawn because she has a rare blood type. He's got Rachel."

Moira grabbed her arm as she turned to go back to the hut. "This is exactly what Azazel wants. For you to go to him. He needs you for the ceremony too. You're playing right into his hands. If he takes your powers, all is lost."

Haedyn tightened her jaw and yanked her arm out of the faery's grasp. "And if I don't, he'll kill Rachel anyway. That's not happening."

# Chapter Twenty-Four

Haedyn materialized on the sidewalk in front of the old prison's main double doors. The two guards posted at that station immediately trained their weapons on her. "Don't move," one of them yelled.

"I'm unarmed," she said and slowly held her hands up. "I'm here to turn myself in to my master." The word tasted foul on her tongue. But she bit back the urge to spit. She'd save that for Azazel's face.

"On your knees," the guard demanded. He nodded to his partner, a young shape-shifter. "Check her for weapons. Be thorough with this one, she's dangerous."

Rolling her eyes, she assumed the position and got down on her knees with her hands behind her head. The young guard moved just out of arm's reach and stopped. She ventured a glance at him. He just stood there, pointing his gun at her.

"What are you doing? Check her," the other guard snapped.

The shape-shifter looked at his partner. "But that means I have to touch her. I don't think that's a good idea. She's an assassin. Her whole body is a weapon."

Haedyn raised her eyebrows. Azazel actually recruited a servant with some brains for once. Too bad his enlistment was about to end. She didn't have time to play with these fools tonight.

She slipped two five-pointed stars out of a hidden pocket of her hood tucked around her neck and tossed them at the guards. The first one landed in the old guard's throat, the silver poisoning the were-creature's veins. But the young shifter was quick. He ducked and the second star caught him in the forehead, making him stagger backwards.

She jumped up and rushed him before he could regain his composure. Grabbing the gun, she kicked his knee and then slammed the weapon into his face. He dropped to the ground, trying to crawl away. She kicked him over onto his back and stabbed a dagger straight through the heart.

Normally, she would clean up the mess but she was running out of time. There was less than an hour before the full moon hit its peak. Azazel would have started the ceremony by now. She needed to find Rachel before he sacrificed her. Grabbing one of the guns from the guards, she hurried inside the building.

The corridors were empty as usual. More minions were sure to be on their way. Let them come. She'd been trained by the demon himself; forced to survive by his hand alone. There wasn't a single servant under him that she couldn't take. Smiling up at the security camera on the ceiling, she flicked her middle finger at it and kept moving.

She entered the stairwell and placed her sword back in the sheath along her back. The Glock was better suited for such a narrow area. Keeping her back toward the wall, she took to the stairs.

She reached the next level without complication. Squatting down with her weapon ready, she opened the door a crack and peeked out. There wasn't a soul in sight. She swung the door wide and reversed sides. The corridor was empty.

That was odd. She totally expected someone to be waiting for her. It was a prime spot to intercept an intruder. Either Azazel's new guards really sucked or something was up.

She stood and moved into the hallway, keeping her gun ready and senses on alert. Her skin tingled. Ah, there they are. It figured Azazel would send vamps after her. He considered them disposable, so losing a few wouldn't bother him.

She holstered her Glock and took off her glasses. It was close; she could feel it. She pulled her sword and swung it as she turned the corner. The vampire gurgled and dropped to the ground, its head rolling across the floor.

Now, where was the other one? They always traveled in pairs. She scanned the area, trying to see the creature's void but there was nothing. She inched forward and waited. There was still no sign of the second one.

It had to be close because her skin practically vibrated from sensing its presence. If it was a ghost, it would be on top of her.

Oh, shit.

She glanced upward just as a vampire fell from the ceiling. Raising her sword, she caught him in the stomach as they fell to the floor. She let go of her sword and rolled out from under him, grabbing a blade in the process. Sharp teeth bit into her forearm and the bloodsucker started to feed. Instead of pulling back from the bite, she pushed forward slamming him into the wall.

She swung back to stake him with the blade but the vamp released her arm. He pushed away from her, choking as he grabbed his throat. Falling to the floor on his hands and knees, it disintegrated before her eyes.

What the hell? It was like he swallowed holy water or something. No, he swallowed her blood. He couldn't handle her celestial DNA. Awesome. If she ever met an angel, she'd be sure to ask them about that neat little trick.

She checked her watch. Less than thirty minutes before the moon would be at its peak. She ran down the hall toward the altar room. It was empty. Dammit, where could he be?

She concentrated and tried to sense him. He was somewhere in the building but she couldn't tell where. Her mind felt like it was bouncing off a brick wall. The only other time that had happened was when she first started training. Back then, he'd been shielding from her, hiding in a protected room.

The basement.

She ran to the back of the office to the bookshelf. There was a lever on there somewhere that opened a hidden door. Azazel thought no one was aware of his secret rooms. He always underestimated her.

Pulling every book off the shelf, she looked at the wall behind it. A discolored brick stood out against the rest. She pushed it and the shelf slid sideways, revealing the passage to the underground level.

As soon as her foot hit the first step going down, the bookshelf clicked back in place behind her. Darkness closed around her like she'd been submerged in a pool filled with tar. She took off her glasses. Human sight could do nothing for her now. Her own senses were more valuable in this environment.

She continued down the stairs until she came to the basement door. The power of the magic encasing the underground level thrummed against her skin. She looked at the ring on her left hand. The gem glowed blue, so she opened the door.

Candlelight breached the darkened doorway. She put her shades back on and stepped over the threshold. Directly in front of her was a wooden door secured with a large, rusted padlock. To her right, surrounded by candelabras, was an altar displaying a body wrapped in red velvet shrouds.

Rachel.

Haedyn rushed toward her friend. Halfway there, she slammed into an invisible wall and was thrown backwards. She landed on the concrete floor and slid a few feet. Pushing herself up, she saw the sulfur sprinkled on the floor around the altar.

"Haedyn, how nice of you to return. Here to beg for forgiveness?" Azazel emerged from a dark corner behind the altar. He walked to the line, rubbing oil on his athame and sneering at her.

She stood, eying the black substance at his feet. Apparently, he'd been studying ritual magic while she was away. The bastard had shielded himself with a protective circle.

Well, she had a few tricks of her own. She stood and focused on the sulfur circle. Raising her hands slowly, she called forth the element of air. A wind came from behind her and blew against the invisible barrier, taking grains of the black dust with it. The circle was broken.

Azazel stared at her with narrowed eyes. He laid the athame down and stepped forward, a Katana Sword appearing in his hands. "You always were my best student, so bright and quick. Quite a bit like myself."

"I am nothing like you." Haedyn unsheathed her own Longsword and waited for his assault.

"But of course you are," he said, circling her. "You're half demon. It runs in your veins."

He swung and she blocked. Azazel laughed. "Ah, how I've missed our sparring, little one."

They moved around each other, dancing in the way of warriors.

"And don't forget your deathly talents. How many have you tortured? How many lives have you taken? You're more like me than you know." Azazel swung at her again.

She jumped back as the tip barely missed her mid-drift. "No. You forced me to do those things. I never wanted to hurt the innocent. I never wanted to shed their blood."

She swiped at him and he met her blade with his, pushing her back as he went.

"But you did, Haedyn. Not me. You. I never held a gun to your head. Okay, well, that once I did. But that was part of your training." He shoved her away.

Then with a flick of his fingers, she slammed into the wall behind her. Before she could react, he sent her flying face first into the opposite wall. Dropping her sword, she tried to block the impact with her arms but it still knocked the breath out of her. She fell to her knees and reached for her weapon. He got to it first and tossed it to the side.

"You lied to me. Manipulated me," she said, pushing to her feet.

Azazel raised his hand and she lifted into the air, unable to move. He walked to up to her.

"Oh, poor little half-breed, she got lied to by a mean old demon. Even you have to realize how foolish that sounds."

"I would never have done those things without-"

"Without what? Temptation?" Azazel chuckled and dropped her to the floor. "I didn't force you to do anything you didn't want to do. I gave you an opportunity, Haedyn. I gave you a purpose. You were nothing. An abomination, a mistake. All it took was a little nudge and you were more than willing to let your inner demon out to play."

"No, that's not true."

He threw her into the wall again, holding her there with an invisible force.

"Oh, yes it is. I saw the look in your eyes when you took their last breath. It was a high like you'd never had before, it felt good." He leaned in close to her face. "You enjoyed it. You begged for more, going further and further every time."

"No! I am nothing like you. I delivered them."

He laughed, spittle hitting her in the face. "You delivered them _to_ me. Like a good little servant, you brought me their souls."

"No... no, that can't be. I saved them. I delivered them _from_ you," she said.

He let her drop to the floor and kicked her repeatedly.

"And now you want redemption. To confess your sins to God and have eternal peace?" Azazel spit on her. "God doesn't even know you exist. And if he did, he would have slain you himself."

Blood pooled in her mouth, the copper taste heavy on her tongue. The fight with the vampire in the hall flashed in her mind. Her blood was poison to demons.

"No, that was your issue with God," she taunted. "He didn't know you existed. You were nothing to him. He preferred humans over you."

Azazel clenched his jaw. He leaned down and grabbed a handful of silver-white hair, yanking her head back so she faced him. Just as he pulled back to punch her, she spit blood in his eyes.

He dropped her and clawed at his face. "You bitch. You filthy bitch!"

She scrambled to her sword. Using the tip, she drew a circle in the cement around her and chanted a protection spell. He was beating her to a pulp. She just needed a few minutes to heal.

Her glasses were cracked so she took them off. Every few seconds, her sight flickered as if she had a short circuit in her head. During those moments, she could see Rachel's body heat and where the candlelight glowed. But she couldn't see Azazel.

Suddenly, she heard him rush her and bounce off her protective energy shield. He growled in rage. She could hear his footfalls but she couldn't see anything in the thick darkness. Then he started chanting.

The cracked vision of her glasses was better than whatever was going on with her eyes. She slid her shades back into place just in time to see Azazel lift his athame above Rachel's body.

"No!" Haedyn screamed as the ritual dagger pierced the human's heart. She pounded the floor with her hands, tears streaming down her cheeks. Chills raced over her skin and her breathing grew shallow. Pain and rage meshed inside of her. Numbness blossomed in her core and spread throughout her body.

She tossed her glasses to the ground. Her deep red eyes burned and her vision was restored. A white aura of flames surrounded her and she levitated. Lightning sparked off from her fingertips and filled the air with currents.

"Look at you, the half-breed with power," Azazel provoked. "You're finally embracing your full potential. Right where I want you. Took you long enough. I had to provoke it out of you. I knew my guards couldn't take you at the cabin, but killing Lex... well, that worked wonderfully. But it took the sacrifice of your little friend here for you to truly accept your power. And look at you now. You think you can take me? You're part of me. You exist because I let you. And now I'm taking what I deserve." He raised his hands and flicked his wrists. Nothing happened. He tried again with the same result.

Haedyn lowered herself to the floor and stared at him. "You were warned." Her voice came out as if a thousand souls were speaking at once. Azazel's eyes widened and he backed up to the wall. He said the rest of the power-gaining spell and tightened his hold on the athame.

Haedyn walked toward him. She looked at the dagger in his hand and it melted. He tried to run but she zapped him with a lightning bolt, pinning him to the wall. She stood in front of him, face-to-face and gave an empty smile. "I have a message for you."

"From whom?"

She leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "Keres says hi." Then she punched her hand into his chest, grabbing his heart.

# Chapter Twenty-Five

Lex and Moira appeared in Azazel's office at the old prison. Papers from his desk were scattered and books covered the floor.

"Where is she? I told you to take me to her." Lex looked pointedly at the old Fae.

"I had nothing to do with this trip," she said with one eyebrow raised. "That was all you."

"What? Look, we don't have time for riddles," he said and started for the office door. "Haedyn doesn't know her powers are connected to her emotions. We've got to tell her, to help her or Azazel could kill her. So where is she?"

"She is here somewhere. But there's a barrier some kind, shielding her location from me." Moira looked around the room. "There, the shelf."

Lex went over to it and found the discolored brick. He pushed it and the passageway opened. "Let's go."

They hurried down the steps to the basement and stopped at the doorway. Haedyn was glowing so bright the entire room looked like it was filled with floodlights. She had her hand in Azazel's chest and a green and blue vapor was flowing into her mouth.

Lex ran into the room. Oh, God. No. Rachel lay on the altar, one arm hanging down and blood flowing from her fingers onto the floor. He swallowed. That should have been him.

Moira came up beside him. "We need to leave, Lex. It's happening. You can't save her."

"What do you mean?"

"The ceremony has started. But Azazel's not the one taking in power." She nodded toward Haedyn.

Lex looked at the vapor coming from Azazel's chest. "What is that?"

"She's ingesting his evil. You can't save her, Lex. We must leave, now."

He pulled out of the Fae's grasp and stepped closer. "Haedyn, don't do this. Please."

She turned her head and deep red eyes focused on him. Chills ran down his spine but he shook them off.

"Haedyn, it's me. Don't do this. Please."

A disembodied voice replied, "He was warned. He must die."

Moira tugged on his arm again, "Lex, she's gone. They've taken over her, using her as a tool, a weapon. We need to leave."

"No," he said. "I won't leave without her."

He took a few more steps toward Haedyn. "Do you hear me? I won't leave without you. You saved me, now I'm going to save you."

She held up a palm and a wave of energy pulsed out at him. He braced for impact, holding up both hands to cover his face. But the wave went around him instead.

What the hell? Not quite knowing how he managed to divert it, he kept his hands up and took another step. It felt like he was walking through water. There was some resistance but not enough to stop him.

"Do you see this, Haedyn? It's not working. You can't keep me away. I'm not leaving you."

"Leave," the voices came through her.

There was no way he was going to let this happen to her. The thought of losing her made his chest hurt. He'd only just met her and he didn't believe in love at first sight. But he couldn't deny their connection. He had fallen for her, just like Alix had said. Now, he needed to save her. If he could just reach her somehow. She needed to believe, to understand that she wasn't evil, that she had a choice.

"No, I won't leave. I'm not giving up on you." He inhaled, it was now or never. "I love you, Haedyn."

The energy wave faltered and a single tear fell from Haedyn's eye. Yes, he was reaching her. He took another step.

"I love you," he said.

"I... I can't stop. I don't have a choice. This is what I was meant to do." This time the voice was her own. The wave of energy dissipated and Lex took in a deep breath.

"You do have a choice, Haedyn. There's always a choice."

She shook her head but the vapors coming from Azazel had stopped flowing.

"Come to me, Haedyn. Let me save you." Lex reached his hand out to her, silently praying that she would take it.

She dropped Azazel's body to the floor and fell to her knees beside it. Lex ran to her and sat down. He wrapped her in his arms and held her against him. Sobs wracked her body. "Shhh... it's okay," he murmured.

Azazel moaned and tried to sit up. Haedyn lifted her head and stared at him. He choked out a bitter laugh and held the wound on his chest. "This won't stop me."

Moira stepped up. "Maybe not, but you're weak enough now that I can."

The demon sneered. "I'm an original demo-"

"Oh stuff it," the Fae said. She said a quick spell and blew faery dust on his chest.

"Ow, son of a bitch! What the hell was that?"

"I bound your powers. You can't hurt anyone anymore."

Azazel shook his head and started squirming. "No... no... you can't. No! Damn you, Faery. You'll regret this." Then his body twitched and convulsed, then faded into his true form.

Moira smiled at Lex and Haedyn. "He's stuck in the realm of spirits now. I bound his powers, which means he can't hold a human form and he can't do anything to harm another living being. Thank you, Haedyn. Without you, he would have created his army and destroyed free will. The world owes you."

Lex sighed and hugged her. "We won. It's over."

But she didn't hug him back. Instead, she shook her head. "No. It's not over. It will never be over."

Lex leaned back and looked at her. He took her face in his hands. "What? No. You heard Moira. Azazel's gone. You did it. You stopped him."

She stood and walked over to Rachel's body. She brushed the blond hair away from her face and kissed her forehead.

"I know you wanted to save her, Haedyn. I'm sorry. But she knows you loved her. She knows you fought for her," Lex said and stood up. He didn't go to her but instead let her have a moment with her friend.

"Lex," she said. "I want you to know that you did save me. It was you, your love that brought me back. That gave me the strength to fight, to make a choice."

He smiled at her and started to speak but she held up a hand.

"But I will always be hunted for who and what I am. If you are with me, you'll always be in danger. I can't have that."

He straightened and furrowed his brow. "What are you saying? I'm not leaving you, Haedyn. I love you."

Tears fell down her cheeks and she smiled. "And I love you."

Then she took a dagger from her belt and slit her own throat. Her vital fluid gushed out, falling over Rachel's body.

Lex screamed and tried to go to her, but Moira held him back.

A bright white aura emanated from Haedyn's body. Blisters and burns appeared on her skin and she burst into white-hot flames.

# Chapter Twenty-Six

For a moment, there was peace.

Haedyn felt like she was floating on a cloud. Free from the weight of humanity and the soullessness of the supernatural world. No worries, no stress, no pain.

Then she opened her eyes. Storm clouds rolled in the sky, and lightning flashed all around. She stood on a limestone pillar. Its base surrounded by a thick fog obscuring the ground below.

Her shoulders drooped. She'd been here before, and not that long ago. Back then she thought it was a dream. Now she knew better. This was Keres' territory. This was Limbo.

Haedyn sucked air through her teeth. Her ancestors almost killed her by using her as a conduit for their revenge against Azazel. They had some guts bringing her here again.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I know it's you, Keres. What do you want?"

Thunder boomed in the clouds above. She glanced upward, then rolled her eyes. More theatrics. Well, it wouldn't work to scare her this time.

She put her hands on her hips and clenched her jaw. Okay, that was it. She was tired of waiting. Two could play this game.

Closing her eyes, she imagined she was standing in a field full of wild flowers. Some deep purple, some yellow, some pink and blue. Soft white clouds floated in a bright blue sky, and a light warm breeze caressed her skin. She opened her eyes and the scene before her was exactly as she'd imagined. Yes, this was much better. She smiled. This was her space now.

"Keres." She simply stated the name and her ancestor appeared before her.

Confusion furrowed Keres' brow as she studied Haedyn through narrowed eyes. "Seems you've gain a bit of a power boost."

Haedyn smirked. "Jealousy doesn't look good on you, Keres. But let's skip the game playing, and get down to it. What do you want? Why did you call me to Limbo?"

The first Unnamed lifted her chin a notch. "I summoned you because your place is with your own kind. Here in _Limbo_ , as you call it. You belong here, with us, waiting until the next of our kind is brought into the world. Then we can all emerge together and cleanse the world, like our destinies demand."

Haedyn tilted her head and squinted at the being before her. "Do what? You can't be serious."

"It is your destiny. You will remain with us until another is born to the human world."

"No."

"Yes, you will."

Haedyn raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "No. I won't."

Keres blinked. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she finally spoke. "Enough of this nonsense, Haedyn. It is your destiny. You will remain here with the rest of us. You have no choice."

Haedyn dropped her arms to her side. "What do you mean 'no choice'? I'm stuck here? Is that what you're saying?"

"It is your destiny. Your sole purpose. The reason we all exist. This is how it is meant to be. Accept that, and join the rest of us."

Tears burned Haedyn's eyes. She shook her head and took a step back. After all she'd done, all she'd suffered through...

"You can't control your destiny, Haedyn. You have no say in this. There is no choice." Keres stepped forward and held out a pale hand.

Haedyn stared at it. The last time a supernatural being held a hand out to her was when she was at the orphanage. A demon said he could give her a place in the world, a purpose. A reason to exist. Now, another supernatural being, just as powerful and just as deadly, was telling her she couldn't fight her destiny. That this was her purpose, her reason to exist.

An emptiness spread throughout her body. Just like it had when she followed Azazel so many years ago. She sighed, her shoulders slumping. Again, she had no choice.

Just as she started to step forward, she thought she heard someone call her name. It wasn't loud. More like a whisper along the wind. Soft enough to tickle her but not strong enough to understand. She glanced up at Keres' face in time to see her eyes widen for a quick second. She'd heard it too.

"Come, Haedyn. Let's go." Keres gave a small smile and reached for her, but Haedyn shrugged her ancestor off.

The whisper came again, louder this time. Closer. She stepped back and turned around. The fields of flowers were fading into a soft white light. The voice came again but this time she recognized it. Moira. The Faery Queen was calling out to her, calling her back to the human world. But if she couldn't leave....

Haedyn clenched her jaw. Keres had been lying to her, manipulating her. Again.

_Destiny my ass._

She glared over her shoulder at the first Unnamed. "You and your games. I'm done being used by you. If you dare summon me again, I will end you." Flames burst to life around Keres, trapping her so she couldn't escape Limbo. "By the way, Keres, there's always a choice."

And then Haedyn turned and walked into the white light.

A heaviness settled over Haedyn as if someone had covered her with a bunch of wool blankets. Her chest tightened and ached like she'd been holding her breath for too long. All at once, her eyes popped open and she gasped for breath, her body arching as it drew in air to fill her lungs.

"Oh, thank the gods." Hands clasped her arms and Moira hovered over her. "I was worried I was too late."

She attempted a smile but the slight movement split her chapped lips. Excruciating pain flooded her nervous system sending tears out of the corners of her eyes. There wasn't a single place on her body that didn't hurt. Her skin seemed stretched too tight, her bones cracked and broken. She tried to speak but her throat was so raw all she could manage was a whimper.

"No, don't speak. It's okay," Moira said and rubbed a piece of ice over Haedyn's lips. "I'm... I'm sure you're hurting. Give me just a moment, and I'll get you something for the pain."

She blinked back tears. This was all wrong. Why did she feel this way? She'd been fine when she left Keres in Limbo. Something must have happened.

Moira returned with a steaming mug. One of her magic concoctions, Haedyn was sure. She looked at the Fae with furrowed brows, pleading silently with her for answers.

Moira took in a deep breath. "When you sacrificed yourself to save Rachel, you burst into flames. You were dead, Haedyn, your body ravaged by the fire. I brought you back to life. I was able to save you before you crossed over completely, but.... But, unfortunately, I wasn't strong enough to heal you in the process. I'm sorry."

Haedyn blinked and swallowed. It felt like a thousand razors shredding their way down her throat. But at least she was alive. And not stuck in Limbo with her insane ancestors. She'd been brought back, given another chance, though she still wasn't sure why.

Moira held a spoon to her lips. "Here, try to get some of this into you. It will help with the pain."

She let the warm liquid slide over her tongue and down her throat. It wasn't much, but the pain started to ease some. Moira fed her more.

"I had to bring you back. For Lex's sake. We can't afford to lose him and when he thought you were gone... Well, I did what I thought was best. But no one can know you're alive, Haedyn. No one. Not just for your safety, but for Lex's as well. He must remain hidden and we must protect him. Once you're better, I'll do a memory spell on all of you. Hide you in the human world, together. As a family. You, Lex and Rachel."

Haedyn's eyes widened.

"Yes, dear. She's alive as well. You saved her." Moria smiled down at her, and then the Fae Queen's face turned serious. "I promise you, as long as I live, I'll make sure you're all safe."

* * *

The End... for now.

Thank you for reading **_HAEDYN'S CHOICE._** I really hope you enjoy it! If you haven't done so, would you mind leaving a review? I know it may not seem like it, but reviews are the most important thing a reader can do for an author. I'd really appreciate it!

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Read on for a preview of Demon Rising!

# Preview: Demon Rising

### CHAPTER ONE

_Six months later..._

* * *

The distant clinking of dishes roused Haedyn from her peaceful sleep. She opened one eye and then the other. Random designs and swirls stared down at her from a white, textured ceiling and pale yellow curtains glowed from the morning sun shining through the windows. She tensed. This was not her safe house. Where was she? Memories of the last few months flooded her mind.

Lex. Rachel's death.

The battle with Azazel. Her sacrifice.

Moira saving her and hiding them all with spells and magic in the human world.

They were safe for now.

She let out a huge breath. Her arms and legs moved involuntarily up and outward in a full-body stretch underneath the soft sheets and fluffy comforter. Never had she slept on a more comfortable bed in all her life. It was one of many things she cherished about being human. Or pretending to be human, in her case. She muffled a yawn with the back of her hand, then pushed herself half-way up and leaned back on her elbows.

A smile spread on her lips as she looked around the cheerfully decorated bedroom. The light greens and yellows played off each other and danced in the reflection of the full-length mirror in the corner. Of course the decor was all Moira's doing. Haedyn had no clue how to match colors and textures to make a house feel warm and inviting. Just one more thing among many she needed to learn to pull off being human.

She inhaled and sat up, straightening her shoulders and back. Time, Moira had told her. It would take time to break her old habits and learn new ones. At least now she had that time, thanks to the queen.

She'd been given her more than she imagined possible. A family, love. Tears burned behind her eyes. She blinked them back as she shook her head and gave a soft laugh. What would she do without that faery? She never wanted to find out.

Footsteps in the hallway grabbed her attention. She watched as the knob turned and the door swung slowly inward. Lex peeked his head in. "Aw, you're already awake. I was going to surprise you." He came into the room, carrying a breakfast tray with cereal, toast, orange juice, and a vase full of sunflowers.

"Oh, Lex. They're beautiful. You didn't have to do that," she said as she better positioned herself in the bed. He sat down by her knees and put the tray on the other side of her legs.

"Happy Anniversary, sweetheart," he said and gave her a quick kiss. She couldn't stop herself from smiling. It never failed. Every time he was near her, or touched her, or even just looked at her, her heart fluttered and a goofy grin appeared on her face.

"Oh, I almost forgot," she said. "I have something for you, too. Where are my glasses?" Out of habit, she brought her hands to her face and touched the top of her head to make sure she hadn't left them there.

"They're on the nightstand. Here," Lex replied and handed them to her.

She slid the lightweight, thin-framed reading glasses on and then winked at him. Opening the drawer of the table beside the bed, she stuck her hand in and rummaged around.

"Here it is." She pulled out a white envelope with "Lexington" printed neatly across it. After handing it to him, she pulled the tray atop her lap and held the vase up to her nose. Sunflowers had such a delightful scent. They were her favorite. Lex was always doing small considerate things for her.

It was unsettling at first, his kindness. She'd never been treated like that before and didn't know how to react. It wasn't like she'd had a whole lot of warm fuzzy being raised by a demon. But, again, Moira had stepped in and helped her.

Being human was a lot harder than she'd thought. So many emotions and expectations — it was exhausting. Without Moira's guidance, she would never be able to embrace her human side. And that was a must if she was to keep them all safe.

Placing the vase on the nightstand, she watched Lex's face for his reaction to her gift. Rachel had helped her choose what to get him. Apparently, she sucked at buying presents. Something else she needed to figure out how to do — shop. Rachel loved it, but she didn't see the point. Then again, she'd never had anyone to buy things for or a home to decorate. All of this was new to her. And she wouldn't give it up for anything.

"Oh wow, Haedyn. Tickets to the Braves home game? And the seats are 114 dugout section... that's right by third base! Are you kidding me? This is awesome! Thank you, sweetie."

She made a mental note to thank Rachel, again. Then Lex leaned over and kissed her. A soft, slow kiss that made her toes curl and took her breath away. All coherent thoughts left her brain. A sigh of contentment passed through her lips as he pulled away.

It took a minute to realize he was watching her, staring at her eyes.

Oh, God. Was the glamour spell wearing off? Were his memories returning? She was the only one who knew the truth. Rachel and Lex were under Moira's memory spells. It hadn't worked on her, something about her being part angel. But they had no idea this life wasn't real. That they weren't who they thought they were. That she wasn't even human.

She blinked at him. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I love your eyes. They're such a deep, warm brown, like mahogany or chestnut. I've never seen anyone with eyes like that, especially a blonde." He winked and pushed a few stray, white blonde strands away from her face.

She slowly let out the breath she was holding. _Thank you, faery magic._

"You really are a special person, Haedyn. I'm the luckiest man in the world."

Her cheeks grew hot and she knew Lex could see the redness on her face. He always knew what to say to make her feel loved. And to make her blush. Sometimes she wondered if he did it on purpose. She dipped her chin and looked down at her tray of food.

"You're only saying that because you're going to the Braves game," she joked and took a bite of her toast.

"Yeah, like you didn't like your present. A full day of treatment at the spa for you _and_ your sister, including a massage, and then shopping afterwards. I don't think I've ever seen Rachel jump up and down like that before." He laughed and stood from the bed. "Speaking of Rachel, she'll be here in less than an hour. You better hurry up and get ready. She's liable to leave you behind in order to make that spa appointment."

Haedyn's eyes widened as she gulped some orange juice. She'd never been to a spa. Had no idea what it was or what to expect. But Rachel? She acted like it was the best thing in the world. "She wouldn't do that, would she? Crap. You're right. That woman would do anything to shop. I've never seen anyone so in love with buying things."

Lex chuckled and headed out the door of the room. "I'll be downstairs in the study. Come find me before you leave. Oh, and don't forget about dinner tonight. You and Rachel have a tendency to forget about time when you guys are together."

"I won't forget," she said in between mouthfuls. It eased her nerves a bit to know her dearest friend would be with her at this spa thing. And it showed Lex's kind heart to have included Rachel in the gift. Sometimes she wondered if she deserved all this. The old version of her, her past self, surely didn't. But she was determined to be worthy this go around.

She scoffed down her breakfast and set the tray aside. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, she hurried out of bed and rushed into the adjoining bathroom to get ready.

Fresh out of the shower and wrapped in a soft bamboo towel, Haedyn stood in her walk-in closet shuffling through clothes. Six months of being "human" and she still didn't know how to pick out what to wear. It was much easier when all she had was three black catsuits. She sighed and shook her head.

"Haedyn, did you hear what I said?" Moira's voice broke into her thoughts. The queen had contacted her a few minutes ago and had been talking nonstop. "This is serious. I need to know you're listening."

She stopped searching through clothes and tilted her head. Was that impatience sprinkled in Moira's tone? Odd. Nothing ever flustered the queen. She was the calmest being Haedyn had ever known.

She peeked out around the closet door at the full-length mirror in the corner of her room. Instead of her own reflection, the oval glass showed the Faery Queen, hands clasped in front of her, lips in a thin line.

Haedyn narrowed her eyes. Something was definitely bugging the royal faery. Hmmm. Moira had mentioned there'd been reports of more infighting amongst the Fae as of late. Maybe she was just stressed about that.

"Yes, I heard you," Haedyn said. "Just because I'm multitasking doesn't mean I'm not listening. I do have to get dressed, you know."

She ducked back into the closet and pulled a random skirt and blouse off their hangers. This would have to do. She was running behind and Rachel would be there to pick her up for their spa appointment at any minute.

"I'd feel better if you'd repeat it back to me," Moira said.

Haedyn rolled her eyes. "Fine. Whatever. You said when the time comes I'm not allowed to do anything. That I must show no reaction whatsoever. I should continue as if I was completely oblivious to what is happening around me."

"It's imperative that you do exactly as I said. Please. Promise me."

Haedyn's forehead wrinkled. Her gut told her there was more going on than stress over Fae business. Moira never acted this way. Desperate and anxious. And she'd been very vague with this new request. Moira wasn't telling her everything. That wasn't a good sign.

"I promise. I'll do as you say. But Moira, you're really not giving me much to go on," she said, pausing as she pulled the shirt over her head. "I mean, I just don't understand. Why can't I react to what is going to happen? And how will I know when to not react? What if I mess up and react anyway? If you tell me what's going on, I can be better prepared."

She shimmied the skirt up over her hips and began fastening the buttons along the side as she walked out from the closet. She faced the mirror and took a good look at her friend.

Worry etched lines on Moira's face, and her knuckles were white from clasping her hands so tight. Haedyn raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay. What's really going on, Moira? What are you not telling me?"

The queen inhaled a long deep breath. Then tipped her chin up a notch. "I wish I had more time. There's so much I need to share with you. With Lex..."

Haedyn dropped her hands to her hips. "Okay. Then we'll talk. You can tell me everything that's on your mind. I'll contact you after I come back tonight. I won't be gone long — oh, that reminds me, I need a sweater." She walked back into her closet and sorted through her clothes again. "I promise, tonight you'll have my full attention. And then you can tell me what all this about. Okay?"

Moira didn't answer. Instead, a deep snarky male voice rang out. "Is this what you do with your days, then? Spy on the lives of humans through your vision mirror?"

Haedyn stilled. She didn't recognize the voice at all. Someone must have entered the Queen's chambers unannounced. Well that took some gall.

"Doran, I didn't hear you knock or I would have provided you my full attention when I permitted you entry," Moira replied.

Haedyn muffled a snicker. Sounded like this Doran fellow was about to be put in his place. She kind of wanted to see it. Wanted to see who this faery was who thought he could just waltz right into the queen's chambers and cop an attitude. Curiosity got the best of her. She emerged from the closet, a spring in her step, humming a little tune, and stood in front of the faux mirror.

"My mistake, your highness. I thought I heard you tell me to come in," the faery claimed and stood next to her. "What does the magic mirror have to say today? Wait, isn't that the Unnamed one, what's her name, Haedyn? I thought she died."

Moira pinned her with a look, which she pretended to ignore. Oops. Damn. She should have stayed hidden. No one was supposed to know she was alive. But wasn't the glamour spell supposed to disguise her? Apparently, it didn't work as good as they thought since Doran saw right through it. Oh, well. Too late now. They'd have to strengthen the spell later tonight. In the meantime, she'd just have to act like she didn't know Moira was watching her, like the mirror on her side was just that, a mirror. She could pull that off. No problem.

Moira sighed and answered the smug-looking Fae beside her. "We were able to save her but our magic only allowed us to bring her back as a human."

"A human? Then why bring her back at all," Doran scoffed.

What. A. Jerk. Haedyn wanted to punch him. But instead, she went along with her ruse and acted like she was fixing her skirt.

"It was a hard decision," Moira said. "But Lex's love for her ran deep and his loss of her even deeper. Even Fae magic can't break the ties of soul mates. We couldn't risk him remembering anything. We had to bring Haedyn back so that we could bind his memories. We molded new memories for the both of them and Rachel too, since Haedyn had already revived her before she sacrificed herself."

Haedyn swallowed. She hadn't realized how much Lex had been affected by her death... almost death... partial death? Whatever. It made sense, though, if she was really Lex's soul mate. Fae give their hearts only once. They may date, marry, reproduce, and all that other stuff, but if they are lucky enough to find their true soul mate, then that was it. They'd never truly love another.

She watched Doran out of the corner of her eyes. He swapped his weight from side to side, fidgeting with his pockets. Shifty little faery. Anxious even. He was most definitely up to something.

"She doesn't remember anything and she doesn't have any powers. What a waste. You're sure it worked?" he asked.

"There are very few in existence that could break Fae magic, Doran. You should know that by now with the way you wield your own abilities around. But of course, you were never that keen on learning the ways of our people," Moira's replied.

Haedyn noticed the Fae Queen never took her eyes from the mirror. Goosebumps rolled over her skin. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Doran snorted. "Must take an awful lot of power to keep all that glamour in place for those humans. Too bad you won't be around long enough to see how it all plays out."

Moira inhaled sharply and a cold chill ran down Haedyn's spine. That damn faery just threatened her friend. Hell, he just threatened his own queen.

"So, it is you, Doran, who will bring me full circle and into the light again." Moira's voice was cool yet peaceful. Haedyn's stomach dropped. There was no way those words meant what she thought they did. No possible way. Doran wouldn't kill the queen. Would he?

Her heart beat like a jackhammer in her chest. A numbing thought snaked into her mind. _This_ what Moira was warning her about. It all made sense. This is why the queen was impatient earlier. She'd seen what was to come in a vision.

Oh God. And she'd promised not to do anything.

There must be a reason Moira made her give her word. Something she needed her to do. There was no other explanation. Ugh. If she'd only paid more attention, or forced Moira to tell her more. Nothing she could do now but play this out. She leaned in close to the mirror, pretending to fix her hair. But in truth, it provided a better angle. She had to see, _needed_ to see what was going on.

Moira turned to face Doran. Then time seemed to slow as Haedyn watched him pull a cold iron knife from his pocket and stab the Fae Queen in her stomach.

The air fled from Haedyn's lungs. Her body tensed. It took all of her willpower, every ounce of discipline she had to not react. To not scream. To not help her friend. Just like Moira asked of her. Just like she'd promised.

Moira grabbed at the weapon, but Doran held it steady, shoving it further into the queen. He held her upright with his other hand so she could look directly at him as she died.

"No, my queen. You won't be going into any light. I just ended your circle."

Bile rose in Haedyn's throat. Every instinct told her to teleport to the castle, rescue Moira. Save her. But she couldn't. She had promised not to. Instead, she stood there twisting this way and that, pretending to look at her reflection. Pretending that her insides weren't tearing apart. That her eyes didn't burn from holding back tears. That her hands didn't want to wrap around the murderous faery's neck and squeeze with all her strength.

Doran lowered Moira's body to the ground and pulled out his knife. Retrieving a towel from his pocket, he wiped the blood off the blade and looked back up at the mirror.

"Worthless abomination." His upper lip curled as he let out a disgusted hiss.

Haedyn held her breath. Had he figured out the mirror was two-way? That she could see him? She spun one last time then walked to the door of her closet, testing his reaction.

Doran stood there, watching her like he was viewing a TV show. Good. He was only speaking _at_ her, not _to_ her. And more important, he didn't know she'd witnessed his crime.

He grimaced. "Don't you worry. Once I get rid of Lex and take back that ring, the throne will be mine. Then I'll put you out of your misery, you pathetic half-breed." He turned on his heel and walked away.

Half-breed. Only one being ever called her that. Azazel. Doran must have worked with the demon at some point. Damned dark Fae. It just made her hate him even more.

Haedyn bit the inside of her cheek until it bled. It was the only way to stay in her role until Doran left the faery queen's chambers. And it was the hardest duty she'd ever had to fulfill.

As soon as she heard the doors shut behind him, she ran to the mirror and grabbed the wooden frame.

"Moira! Moira!" The Fae Queen remained motionless on the floor of her private chambers. A dark pool of blood stained her clothing and spread out on the ground around her.

"No, no, no!" Tears filled Haedyn's eyes as she dropped to her knees. "I should've done something! I could have saved you. Why did you make me promise not to do anything? Why?"

She leaned her forehead on the cool surface of the magic mirror and let the tears flow down her face. Moira had been her friend, her ally. She'd died keeping Haedyn and Lex safe. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair!

Haedyn slammed her open palm down on the beige carpet. This was a senseless death. Her friend was killed because some power-hungry fool wanted to rule the Fae. No one deserved that kind of betrayal. Especially Moira.

She wiped the tears from her cheeks and glanced at her friend's body. Once full of life and love, now so still. She had to do something, tell someone. Doran murdered the queen. The heat of anger flushed her skin. That bastard must pay for his crimes. He must be punished!

But who would believe her? She was supposed to be dead. Moira had hidden her, Lex, and Rachel in the human world. Given them new lives, new memories. Well, except for her. The Fae Queen's memory magic hadn't worked on her. But she'd gone along with it all. Played the part and learned how to be human. Or as Moira put it, she'd learned how to access the human part of her soul.

Her lips curved into a small sad smile. Moira had been like a mother to her. And for six glorious months, she'd had everything she'd ever wanted. Family. Friends. Love. Acceptance.

Now she could lose it all. She'd already lost Moira. All because of one greedy, cowardice Fae. She fisted her hands, finger nails digging into her palm.

Once the news of Moira's death spread, the Fae would be in chaos. Not having a ruler made them vulnerable. It would be easy for Doran to step up and claim the crown.

But the Fae Elders didn't know about Lex. They didn't know the lost bloodline of Oidhre had been found, that there was a true pureblood heir to the throne.

But Doran knew.

That cowardly faery knew all about Lex. Just one more reason he needed to be caught. To be punished. The bastard.

The idea of strapping to him to a chair and torturing him swept into her mind. Taking his knife and plunging it into him. Over and over-

She blinked and shook her head. No, she couldn't go that far. That was her past, not who she was now.

How _did_ Doran find out about Lex? She and Moira were the only ones who knew and they'd kept that information close. Real close. They hadn't even told Lex yet.

She let out a slow puff of air as her shoulders dropped. Oh God, that's right. Lex had no idea he was Fae. He'd been hidden in the human world, his memories changed and his powers bound. Twice now. She and Moira hadn't figured out the best way to tell him.

Things like that had to be handled with care. To restore his memories took skill and patience. Haedyn didn't have the skill, nor the patience. But Moria did. She had so much she wanted to share with him, teach him. And because of Doran, she'd never get the chance. Now, it was up to Haedyn to not only protect Lex but tell him the truth.

"Great." She snorted, slumped on the carpet and fell back against her dresser. "It's up to me, the chick who's been play-pretending to be human for the last six months, to tell her husband he _isn't_ human. 'Honey, there's something I've been meaning to tell you - you're not human; you're Fae. And oh, by the way, you're their new king, too. Go you!' Yeah, that'll go over well."

Haedyn rubbed her temples. Doran had to have been spying on Moira. Or had someone else doing it. Could he have spies in the castle? Other Fae who would follow his lead? Moira had mentioned there'd been a lot of tension and infighting among them lately. A rebellious faction of sorts, causing a lot of trouble. And now, Doran just assassinated his own queen.

Then it hit her.

"Omg. It's a coup," she mumbled.

It made sense. Doran wanted to take over, but he couldn't do it by attacking his own people. The Fae didn't stand for the betrayal of their own kind. So he killed the queen, right under their noses with no witnesses, or so he thought. To come and go without being seen would require strong magic. Stronger than faery magic. Only a few being could do that. Angels and high-level demons... like Azazel. She'd bet almost anything that was how Doran knew her former master. They'd worked together before the demon was banished.

Once the news spread about Moira, there'd be total pandemonium. Infighting would increase and divide the faery world. Shit. That wouldn't be good. And if it wasn't contained, it would result in civil war.

Dammit! Haedyn slapped her thighs. _That's exactly what Doran wants. The threat of war to help put him on the throne._

With the Queen dead, there was no leader to unify the Fae. The Elders would do anything to keep a war from happening. They'd scramble to put someone on the throne as fast as possible. And Doran would be right there to take it. But first, he'd need to get rid of the heir so there'd be no one left to challenge him.

Haedyn clenched her teeth. "That murderous wimp isn't getting anywhere close to my husband."

She pushed away from the dresser, resolve settling in her mind. The queen's death must be avenged and Lex needed protection. She was the only one that could do both. And she'd be damned if she was going to sit around and wait for all hell to break loose.

Hands fisted at her side, she stood and caught a glimpse of herself in the small makeup mirror on her dresser. Oh, crap. The glamour was gone.

She no longer looked human. The white blond hair that once hung down her back now gave way to strands of silver and white. The chocolate brown eyes Lex loved so much now glowed deep red.

She touched her face. Moira's death must have ended the spell. But her eyes.... They had turned back to their natural color but her vision hadn't disappeared. She could still see like a human. Did that mean she'd been healed? Or maybe the spell had only been weakened by the queen's death. She wasn't sure how faery magic worked. Fae royalty were supposed to be far more powerful but was their magic strong enough to have permanent effects? Maybe the spell was just fading in phases.

"Oh, no! That means Lex and Rachel could be affected too."

All the memories the queen had implanted about their "normal human" lives were at risk. Poor Rachel would be devastated to know they weren't really sisters. And Lex, would they even be married now? Without thinking, she twisted the silver band on her left ring finger. She finally had a family, people who loved her. All of that could be gone.

But that wasn't her only concern.

Moira had also cast a spell to dampen her powers so she wouldn't reign havoc if she lost control again. They couldn't afford her being used as a conduit by her ancestors a second time. Plus, the unfortunate side-effect of Azazel losing the battle was she had ended up with most of his powers. There was no telling what she had inherited, only that it was all mixed in with her own vast abilities.

But she knew one thing, emotions amplified her powers. The death of her friend was hard enough to manage, but considering she'd been working to accept her human side — a side that embraced emotions.... She was so screwed.

"Shit damn hell! This is so not good." She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She needed to concentrate, focus. Letting all these things get to her now wouldn't help anyone. She needed to remain calm and stable. Because without Moira's magic to help, she was like a grenade with the pin pulled. Who knew what damage she could cause if she lost control.

She inhaled again and tried to clear her mind. But images of Doran stabbing Moira kept slithering in. Dammit. Being human sucked. She needed to shut it all off. Like she used to do, back when she worked for Azazel. She needed that kind of discipline now. It wouldn't be easy. She was seriously out of practice.

_Breathe. Relax. Focus._

_Breathe. Relax. Focus._

Her heart steadied to a normal pace. Yes, that was better. Calm minds worked more efficiently. Or at least hers did.

She opened her eyes, a plan formulating in her head. First, she needed to sever the connection to the queen's chambers before someone else found it. Doran knowing about it was bad enough. She didn't need any other faeries seeing she was still alive and coming after them.

She put her hands on her hips and looked at the two-way magical mirror. Moira had given it to her as a gift. It was how they stayed in contact. They'd had many conversations through the mirror. And now they'd never have another one.

Haedyn shook her head. She didn't have time to deal with these human feelings right now. She clenched her jaw and buried them deep inside herself. So far down she hoped they'd disappear.

Now, what to do with the mirror? She could break it, but it might come in handy later. Hm, maybe covering it would suffice for the time being. She flipped it over to face the wall and then ran out into the hall to the linen closet. Returning with an extra sheet, she covered it. There. That would have to do.

Next, she needed to eliminate the threat against Lex. Protecting him was a priority. He was the heir to the Fae throne. Of course, he didn't know that. Yet. Well, that would have to go on her "things to do later" list. There was no benefit of springing it on him while he was in immediate danger.

She paced the length of the room with her hands clasped behind her neck. The best way to get Lex out of danger was to find Doran. One problem with that. The only way she knew to locate someone was to touch something they'd used frequently or belonged to them. Moira's magic had dampened that ability. Haedyn didn't even wear her gloves anymore. Though if the glamour spell was fading, that one might be too.

Gah, so much she didn't know. She huffed and braced her hands on the dresser. No visions. Then again, the dresser was brand new and hers. So, not much to see.

But it could also mean she still had weakened powers. Problem number two: she needed something that belonged to Doran. She didn't have anything nor did she know where he lived or stayed. Ugh. There had to be something, some way to track this damned faery. She thumped the top of the dresser with the side of her fist.

Wait, Doran touched things while in the with the queen, right? Maybe that would be enough. The door handle... no, too many other hands had touched it. All those leftover energies would be so mixed up she wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

She replayed the scene in her mind. He touched the door to come in, kept his hands in his pockets or by his side until he grabbed the blade. Then he... that was it. He had touched Moira as he drained the life from her. That energy would still be there. But not for long. She needed to get to the queen's body before anyone else did.

Haedyn ran to the back of her walk-in closet. She shoved a few dresses and long coats out of the way, then felt along the wall. Her fingers found a crack and she pushed in on it. The other side of the large rectangle piece of wood paneling popped out from the wall. She removed it, revealing a hidden shelf holding a box and several folded garments. She retrieved them all and then reached back in. This time she grabbed her Italian long sword. She maneuvered it through the opening and placed it on the floor, then replaced the paneling and closed the section off again.

Grabbing all the items, she moved out of the closet and deposited everything on the bed. She smoothed her hand over the material of the cloak, remembering how often it had hidden her, shielded her from her enemies. It was like seeing an old friend again. And her sword — her weapon of choice.

She unsheathed it, carefully caressing the blade with her palm. The weight of it in her hands felt good, felt right. She turned, wielding it around her, slicing the air. A bubble of excitement moved through her and she realized she'd missed this part of her life. The thrill, the danger, the confidence — knowing she was a force to be reckoned with.

Pretending to be human had been tougher than she assumed it would be. There were unspoken expectations that needed to be met in order to blend in. From family, friends, even strangers expected a certain behavior. She had to react appropriately, show emotions without going to extremes. It was exhausting trying to keep it all balanced. But it was a small sacrifice, considering she finally had the one thing she'd always wanted — a family.

And now she risked losing it all. The spell was broken, memories would be restored, control of her powers was iffy at best, and, most important, Lex's life was in danger.

Her jaw tightened as anger swelled up inside her again. She wasn't going to allow anyone else to be taken from her. Not now, not ever. She'd eliminate the immediate threat — that low-life faery, Doran. He was going to pay. She would find him and punish him for his crimes. Then she'd figure out how to keep her family.

Resolve firmly clenched in her mind, she began changing into more appropriate clothes. Hunting wasn't something she could do in a skirt. At least she didn't have to go searching for the right outfit this time. The black catsuit had been tailored specifically for her, with flexible material that shaped to her body like a second skin. Sliding into it felt like an embrace from an old lover, warm and friendly, with more than a touch of excitement.

She picked up her long black gloves. Not having to use them had been wonderful. But the visions could come back at any time. Having one flare to life while she was at the Fae Castle would so not be a good thing. It was too risky not to wear them.

Old routines kicked in as she slipped on her gloves, zipped up her boots and armed herself with various blades and shuriken stars. Before she knew it, she was sliding into her cloak and pulling the hood over her head. She turned one last time to look in the mirror on her dresser.

Feral eyes stared back at her.

This was the Haedyn she remembered.

Strong.

Fast.

Dangerous.

She licked her lips in anticipation of the hunt. Images of torturing Doran flashed in her mind. The thought sent shivers across her skin.

It was time to find her target.
Published by Small Escapes Publishing, LLC

Copyright 2013 Jennifer L. Oliver

Cover design by Laird Sapir

Formatting by Sidekick Jenn

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any manner without the written permission from the author (Jennifer L. Oliver and Small Escapes Publishing, LLC) except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Created with Vellum

# Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my family for all their support and encouragement. It means so much to me to know you are cheering me on during this journey.

Most of all, I'd like to thank my readers. Without you, my dream of being an author would still be just a dream. Thank you for helping me make it come true!

# Also by Jennifer L. Oliver

The Unnamed

(Prequel to The Haedyn Chronicles)

Haedyn's Choice

(Book I)

Lenore's Secret

(Short Story)

Demon Rising

(Book II)

### ~ Coming Soon ~

Book III of The Haedyn Chronicles

Not Going to Die

(Book 1 of The Snow Pirates Series)

**Want to know when the next book is coming out?**

Subscribe now to Jennifer L. Oliver's New Release Only mailing list and be the first to know when a new book is published!

Click **HERE!**

# About the Author

Born and raised in northeastern North Carolina, Jennifer L. Oliver now lives on Florida's Gulf Coast with her husband and two crazy cats.

When she's not writing, you can find her trying to convince her husband she needs more dark chocolate in the house (never mind all those hidden stashes - you're not supposed to know about those!), playing with her chaotic kitties, or giggling with her granddaughter.

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_To connect with Jennifer, follow her on:_

www.jenniferloliver.com

Jennifer@Jenniferloliver.com

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