Ali Vali

"Julius?" The name sounded almost foreign to Kendall after all the years that had passed without anyone mentioning it. "That’s impossible, love."

"If it’s the guy you told me about, well I guess it would seem impossible, but that’s not what he told me," she pointed to the old man in the painting. "I saw you back in time with him," Piper explained, going on to tell Kendal what her latest vision had been.

"I believe you, it’s just that now we have two views of two very different enemies." Kendal still held Piper, but her mind was working feverishly to think how she could find the truth. "Why Julius would even register as a part of this at all is what’s confusing me."

The blonde cocked her head to the side, searching for the right words. "Where did you put the…pieces as it were?" It was the best Piper could come up with considering the question.

"The body was Rolla’s responsibility, the head mine. Though I did have to tell him where I put it. If he was smart, he never wrote that down anywhere." She looked up at the ceiling as if the answer to their problems was written on the white surface. "Only one way to find out."

"How’s that?"

"I know this won’t make you happy, but I have to go back and see Rolla. Only this time I have to go alone, Piper." She pressed a couple of fingers to the blonde’s lips to keep the protest from leaking out. "I’m not doing this because of any trust issue, my love."

"What if my first vision was wrong and this is really the trap?"

Kendal pressed her palm to Piper’s cheek and tried to reason with her. "We have a week and I’m not about to put myself, or more importantly, you in danger. I have a long history with Rolla and I think he’ll talk to me if I go alone."

"I guess I don’t have a choice do I?" The green eyes turned away and Piper sounded almost angry.

"Of course you do. You tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it." From the look on Kendal’s face Piper could tell she was being serious, and meant every word of the offer.

Her chest expanded from the deep breath Piper took, letting it out slowly. "I think that you’ve lived long enough to know the best way to handle all the people involved in this. Letting you go alone isn’t something I’m thrilled with, but I guess I don’t have a choice here."

"Piper…honey, you have to learn that there are always choices. I’ve made quite a few over the years but you also have to know that I never have and I never will make a decision that hurts those I care about. The one thing to keep in mind here is that if Julius has somehow managed to escape his punishment, he’ll come at me with all the anger and hatred, everything he has pent up inside him."

"That’s what I’ve been trying to explain to you. Knowing someone wants to hurt you that much terrifies me." Piper put her arms around Kendal’s waist as if to reassure herself. "Never in my life have I ever felt like this about another person. I love you with all that I am and all that I ever hope to be, so I can’t lose you. What would an everlasting life mean to me if I didn’t have you to share it?" When the thought took root ears filled the green eyes spilling over pale lashes. "For me that would define my greatest living nightmare."

While holding Piper close, Kendal fished her phone from her jacket pocket and looked at the number pad for a minute trying to think of what number she needed to dial. When she couldn’t remember it, she dialed the house and asked Ming for a favor. After a few minutes the little device rang and Kendal spent time speaking in Russian to the person on the other end. It didn’t matter now if someone found Julius’ head where she had hidden it, she just needed confirmation it was still resting where she’d left it. An old friend Kendal trusted was off to look for the box Rolla had asked her to bury almost two thousand years before.

"It should take a couple of days for him to call back. Just depends on the weather and how fast he can make the trip." The explanation, and why Kendal had made the call, eased Piper’s anxiety a little and they finished their tour of the museum. If the Duponts noticed anything bothering their granddaughter they never mentioned it as they made their way to dinner.

Once they had ordered their drinks, Kendal excused herself and went to meet the man sitting alone at almost the center of the restaurant. When Piper noticed who it was she had to smile at her lover’s thoughtfulness. The meeting might have been just between Rolla and Kendal but it was taking place within her sight.

"Tell me, Rolla, I deserve that much."

He cut into the lamb chop the waiters had brought out for him, popping a piece into his mouth before he answered. "Why do you think you deserve anything?"

"Because I’m about to pay for following your orders to carry out a punishment." She never raised her voice but he could hear the menace in it.

"I rather like thinking back to those days, those days when you followed orders that is. These past few decades have brought about a change in how you view all the authority figures in your life, Asra. So I ask again, why you think you deserve anything from me?"

A long finger slowly circled the top of the drink glass she had sitting in front of her producing a clear note from the crystal. "Since you think I disregard the rules as you put it, let me explain something to you." The finger stopped suddenly and Kendal put both her hands flat on the table. "If it is true that Julius has found a way out of his punishment, I won’t be his only target. Once he takes care of me, and ensures that he has destroyed everyone I hold dear, do you think he’ll leave you to your puttering across the continents? Talk to me now or I’ll walk out of here tonight and turn my back on you and the Order, but take your time and think carefully, Rolla. Do you honestly imagine that someone like you, combined with your little minions like Travis, have a chance against Julius’ vengeance and hate?"

She started to rise from the table and the Elder knew she meant every word of her promise. Whatever Asra had done to upset the Order, it wasn’t worth it to him to lose her as an ally. "Wait."

"Tell me or I’m walking."

Rolla inhaled deeply before answering as if trying to put off the inevitable. "The body is gone from where we put it, and I’m waiting on word about his head. If the body and head have been made whole once again, then rest assured…Julius is back among us."

Piper didn’t care for the way Kendal slumped back into her chair as if someone had punched her on the jaw. "How long do you think before he’s back to full strength?"

"I don’t know." His hand shot out and grabbed her by the wrist when she went to stand. "I’m not withholding information, I really don’t know. The elixir has never been tested for this length of time. It could very well be that he can’t be brought back after so long being separated at the head."

"How would someone have known where to look?" She pulled her hand free and finished the Glenlivet scotch she’d been drinking. The smoky flavor washed away the bitter taste the conversation had left in her mouth. "We were the only ones who knew the locations. You didn’t write a scroll about it, did you?"

"It didn’t give the exact location," he defended. "I thought it was important for the others to know his story so they would never meddle in the lives of mankind like that again. The scroll only gave clues as to where he could be found."

"And someone close to you followed them right to the hidden treasure." Kendal had to relax her hand from the fist it had been clenched into. "I have my own man checking to see if the box I buried is still there, but I expect to hear from you if you find out anything. Are we clear?"

"I understand, if you promise the same thing."

"Don’t worry about me, Rolla. What you need to do is start thinking of who it was that betrayed us."

This time she stood without him trying to stop her. Rolla stood as well and they clasped arms like warriors of old. "You must tell me of the girl when this is all over," he said looking toward Piper.

"That’s a promise I’m more than willing to make to you, old friend. Remember to be careful until then."

They finished dinner with no other interruptions; all of them enjoying the ride home in silence. Ming was waiting at the front door when they walked in informing Kendal that there had been no calls while they were out. Looking a little tired from the long day, Mac and Molly excused themselves and retired for the night. By one in the morning the house was quiet. Even the immortals were settled in with a slew of ancient texts in search of clues to the various mysteries that had come to dominate their lives.

"Do you really think this guy’s walking around?" Piper was lying next to Kendal enjoying the heat of her naked chest. The immortal, dressed only in a pair of boxers, had faired much better than the old book in her hand that was actually a lot younger. It was a book of weapons and from the detailed sketches on every page, it looked like a catalog to Piper. "Why did you keep this?" She pointed to the fragile looking book.

"I picked up stuff along the way, and I guess and like everyone has a tendency to do, I just put it on a shelf and forgot about it."

"Remind me to go through all my catalogs soon. I doubt we’ll be needing anything from Pottery Barn or Victoria’s Secret two thousand years from now." She laughed as she slowly ran her hand down Kendal’s abdomen enjoying the way the muscles contracted as she went.

"Speak for yourself, pipsqueak. I rather enjoy buying you things from the Victoria’s Secret catalog."

Piper snorted as she pinched the skin above Kendal’s navel. "Sure you do, but I’m talking about some more educational keepsakes. We can read stuff like…" Piper stopped talking when Kendal cocked her head to the side and held her hand up for silence. Without a word, the tall woman sprung from the bed and ran out of the room wearing just her boxers. "Where are you going?"

The blonde stopped to put on a robe before following, having to hang onto the banister to keep from falling down the stairs once she saw the sight before her. There were at least ten of them, Piper wasn’t going to stop to get an accurate count, and one of them had her grandfather kneeling on the landing. Two others were holding Molly at the bottom, but looked to be taking their cues from the one standing behind Mac.

"Asra, how nice of you to join the party," said Artus as she cocked Mac’s head back further exposing his jugular vein. From where she was standing Kendal could see how rapid the old man’s pulse was beating.

"What do you want?" asked Kendal.

"Honey, please…" Piper’s voice died away again when her lover raised her hand for silence.

"Do you really see yourself in any position to ask questions, and before you think about them, demands?" The red head made Mac whimper when she ran her tongue along his cheek. From the corner of his eye he could see the elongated incisors. The shocking sight was competing with a nearly naked Kendal now walking down a few steps like she knew what she was doing.

"You’re in my house bothering my guests, Miss…" she cocked her head to the side not being able to finish the sentence.

"My name is Artus and I’m the new queen."

There was something about her speech pattern that tickled Kendal’s memory. "Tell me why you’re here? I thought it might be of interest before I rip your heart out and nail it to my door to greet the sun."

The vampire leaned in and nipped Mac’s neck just hard enough with her fangs to draw blood, Artus then pulled back and laughed. It wasn’t often she ran across someone who spoke the ancient language of the gypsies. "I was told you were a worthy adversary, but I specifically chose this time of night for a reason."

"Why’s that?" Kendal moved down closer to them stopping when the woman ran her tongue over the trickles of blood that had dripped from Mac’s wound. Now wasn’t a good time to make her thirsty.

"From the way you’re almost dressed and your lack of weapons, I can see you weren’t expecting company, especially not us," she pointed to the shorts and nothing else. "And you can save the spiel of how you don’t care for these people and I can do with them whatever I want. I’ve watched you and I know better."

Kendal inched one step closer and looked down at Molly to reassure her with a smile. Behind them all Lenore, Indigo and Charlie moved into the room undetected. "Then you should have watched me a little closer, witch." Kendal’s hand shot out and pressed on one of the wood panels opening a secret compartment on the staircase wall. One dagger flew up the stairs and embedded itself in the fledgling who had moved close to Piper. All of the Duponts gasped when he dissolved to dust. Five more of the fledglings fell instantly at the end of the other immortals’ swords, leaving Molly free and only five other underlings and Artus still to be dealt with.

Kendal’s next move was to jump head first down the last of the steps separating her from Artus, flying past Mac and knocking the shocked woman down the bottom flight of stairs. Anything Artus’ minions were thinking of doing to help her, thought again when they saw the naked blade pressed to their mistress’ neck. "I’m thinking you brought them with you because they are the best of your legions," Kendal had Artus’ red hair wrapped firmly around her free hand, the other hand was pressing the knife into the delicate looking flesh at her throat. "And if that’s so, I’m thinking you’re screwed."

"What do you want?" Kendal’s earlier question echoed out of Artus’ mouth.

"I want the dust of your dead body dirtying up my carpet, but we’ll get to that eventually." She pulled harder on the red hair and turned the woman’s body to face the fledglings she had left. "Tell them to stand down right now or I’ll gut you like the minnow you are."

Artus lifted her head as much as she could and looked at the young man closest to her. "Go back to the lair and wait for me," she commanded.

"We won’t leave you, mistress." His face contorted in an effort to scare Kendal into letting Artus go. In retaliation, the warrior pulled the dagger away from the woman’s throat and threw it so fast, the only recourse he had was to howl in outrage before it pierced his heart.

"Care to try again?" By the time Kendal asked the question, there was already another blade in her hand.

"Leave all of you, we are not welcome here." The witch turned vampire gave the order in her own language and this time the four remaining listened and obeyed, leaving her behind to her fate.

"Good, now you and I are going to have a talk." She issued the invitation quietly, more keenly aware of Mac and Molly now than ever. "Piper, are you all right?"

The blonde nodded not sure of what to do. So far this had been the most bizarre night of her life and she had lived through a very similar night at Oakgrove. How she was going to explain it to her grandparents was a mystery at the moment.

"Take your grandparents back to their room and I’ll be there in a minute." The sound of Kendal’s voice made her finally move but before Piper reached the landing, her lover and her captive disappeared into the compartment in the wall.

"Grand and Pops, come on," she waved to them hoping they would save their questions until morning.

"What in the Sam Hill is going on here?" Mac was the first one to find his voice as he put his arm around his wife. "What were those things?" There was a pile of dust near them where the guy who had spoken to the woman had been standing just moments before. His mind was still trying to wrap itself around what he’d seen.

"I promise we’ll sit and talk about all this, but tomorrow okay?" Piper maneuvered them up the stairs with Lenore and Charlie’s help.

"What if I don’t want to wait until morning?" asked Mac.

"I’m sorry, Pops, but this time you don’t have a choice. My place is beside Kendal right now and she needs me at the moment. Please try and understand that." They were standing outside the door of their room and the blonde turned and walked away confident Charlie would stand guard a few feet away for the rest of the night.

If there was any doubt in Mac’s mind about the commitment between the two young women after all the months he had spent in the house watching the relationship grow, they dissolved in that instant. He had witnessed Piper being strong in business and in the way she conducted her life, but he had never seen such a resolute look on her face as when she answered his question. No matter what he or Molly said now, they had lost her to the tall woman who had saved both their lives that night. Above all else, that he was completely sure of.

"Charlie," he called to the man before joining Molly inside.

"Yes, sir?"

"I don’t know what’s going on, but they’ll be fine won’t they?"

"Mr. Dupont, if there is one thing Kendal Mackey prides herself on it’s the safety of those she loves." He walked forward and put his hand on the old man’s shoulder in comfort. "I know what you saw tonight might make you think you’re a little crazy, but if you give her time, Kendal will come back and explain everything I promise."

"Just make sure they’re okay, and the rest can wait."

************************************************************************

The woman who had attacked her family looked calm as she sat strapped in a chair in the middle of a room with no windows. If Piper had to guess, they were somewhere in the bowels of the estate, and she would need as much help from Indigo getting out as she had needed getting there in the first place. Kendal sat across from the woman, only now she was wearing a robe and had the dagger in her hand lying across her lap.

"When my hunger becomes great enough these bindings won’t hold me," warned Artus.

"I wouldn’t worry about that if I were you." Kendal moved her eyes from the woman to the newcomers to the room. "Make yourself comfortable, I’ll be right back," she said in a sarcastic voice, rising to meet Piper before she came any closer.

The blonde flew into her arms, trying to be strong and not cry, but Kendal could see her lip was starting to tremble. Indigo nodded in understanding as to what needed to be done when the tall woman flicked her head in Artus’ direction. With that, Kendal led her partner out to the stairs and walked her back to their room where she sat Piper on the bed and knelt before her.

"Please don’t leave me in here alone. I don’t think I could be away from you right now," begged Piper.

"My darling, your days of being left behind are over, don’t you know that by now? I will never willingly leave you for anything in this world. We need to find out what happened here tonight and why, but we have a few more hours before our little friend downstairs feels motivated enough to talk and I thought we might be more comfortable getting dressed." She took Piper’s hands in hers and slowly kissed the backs then the palms. "I love you."

"Thank you for saying all that. I just feel that for most of my life other people have made decisions about my welfare without consulting with me about it. It hurts when you finally look up find yourself alone never having been a part of the decision making." The memories of the night faded a little as she looked into those bright blue eyes. "But you’re right. I know those days are over."

"Before we head back down, is that who you saw in your vision?"

"The thing I saw was already feeding on my grandfather, I never saw its face." It looked like a thought had crossed Piper’s mind when her face took on a pinched look and she started to squeeze the life out of Kendal’s hands. "Honey, do you think these visions I’m having are way off the mark?"

"Why do you think so?"

"I see things but they never turn out the way I see them. I don’t want to put anyone in danger because my sight is off."

"There are seers who look into the future, and for them is written in stone. No matter what we do, the outcomes never vary. Then there are those who see the possibilities, but our actions have the power to make better outcomes. If given a choice, I want your sight, love. I think whatever power has seen fit to give you this gift has also given you the ability to see the worst-case scenario when there is danger to be faced. Knowing that makes it easier to plan for everything, so I wouldn’t worry about it."

"Well there is one more thing to worry about," said Piper as she helped Kendal to her feet and pulled the belt of her robe open.

"I’m almost afraid to ask."

"I can’t even begin to imagine where I’m going to come up with a good explanation as to what you were doing in here with just your boxer shorts on. My grandfather would be in here right now teasing you about your fighting outfit if some spawn from hell hadn’t just tried to make a midnight snack out of him."

The deep laugh rumbling from Kendal’s chest was like a balm to Piper’s soul. "I don’t usually make it a habit to show this much skin in combat but sometimes you have to just jump into the action no matter what." Kendal squeezed Piper to her before steering them to the closet.

"For future reference, baby, you can show as much skin as you want when it’s just us. In fact I insist on it," teased Piper.

They dressed, Piper following Kendal’s lead by putting on a pair of jeans, a sweater and a pair of hiking boots. The boots she attributed to the tall woman’s aversion to bugs and where they had left the red headed bloodsucker. When they left the room it was well after three in the morning and the house had once again grown quiet.

"How do you get her to talk? Drive bamboo under her fingernails or something along those lines?" Piper sped up her steps to keep pace with her long legged lover as they headed down the stairs.

"Bamboo? My, Piper, I do believe there is something about you I don’t know. Some hidden talent for making people squirm perhaps?" She laughed and reached out for the young woman’s hand when they reached the hidden door, guiding her the rest of the way down and toward the back of the house. "They’re not in there any more."

"I do not make people squirm," she defended herself, as she followed not letting go of Kendal’s hand. "And where are they?"

"Ah, sweetheart, you make me squirm all the time. And to answer your question, if you want the truth out of someone like this woman who was kind enough to drop in, there’s only one foolproof way." One of the swords over the fireplace in the main sitting room came off the wall on their way through the room and Kendal held it away from Piper.

As the door to the study opened once they’d reached their final destination in the house, the petite blonde could feel the night air was heavy with a cold fog that was rolling in from the north. She held onto Kendal tightly, trusting her to guide her through the woods they were headed into. After thirty minutes or so of walking they came to another clearing like the one Kendal and the others used to train.

At its center the woman sat in the same chair, but more heavily bound in chain, not looking as smug as she had in the house. Her body was in tune with the time and the way her skin was prickling, the dawn wasn’t far off. If she was to die that night, Asra had picked the cruelest way to go about it.

"Why did you come into my house uninvited?" Artus pulled her head as far back from the tip of the sword pressed to her chin as her position would allow. She waited before giving an answer thinking that maybe Asra needed her alive for whatever reason. "I’m only going to ask these questions once just so we understand each other." The sword tip pressed harder against the milky white skin and this time Artus had no room left to move further back.

"I need no invitation to enter a place where I want to go," she answered, feeling the pressure let off as Kendal backed up a step.

"You were a witch as a mortal weren’t you?" It sounded more like a statement than a question.

"My family was known for their talents in Romania for centuries, so yes, I was no different until I was turned by Ora." There were others behind her, Artus could feel them but couldn’t see them no matter how hard she tried. "Why do you want to know?"

"What is your name?" Kendal asked as if she hadn’t heard the woman’s question.

"I am Artus Decebal, daughter of…."

"Inacu Decebal, or at least one of his descendants." Kendal finished for her. Her lineage explained how Artus had gotten into the house without an invitation. Combined with her immortality from Ora, she also had the gift of magic from her family. A deadly combination when you were able to practice both for as long as Artus had been able to.

"How do you know my family name?"

"Why the sudden interest in those close to me?" Again Artus’ question went unanswered but Kendal expected an answer to the one she posed.

Piper had been amazed the woman had done as much talking as she had but now as the silence stretched out, she waited to see what her lover was prepared to do. Up till then she figured they were as far away from the house as they were so no one would hear the vampire screaming.

"I asked you a question." Kendal’s voice cut through Piper’s musings but still Artus wouldn’t answer. "Fine," she started walking away motioning for the others to get going as well.

They got about thirty yards from the clearing when they heard the desperate, "Wait," Artus bellowed out into the night. She had lived close to four hundred years and she wasn’t ready to die. "What do you want to know?"

"Just answer my question, because we both know you weren’t ready to face a slayer with my skill just yet, even with Ora’s extra boost to your powers. Why were you here?" Kendal and the others listened to the explanation, the immortals knowing it was Julius from the woman’s description. However he had managed it, would be something to worry about later. Now their biggest concern was that he was back among the living.

"I told you what you wanted to know," Artus looked up at her and struggled with her bindings again. "Please release me before the sun comes up."

"Not yet, I want one more thing from you." The explanation was as short as Kendal could make it, knowing there wasn’t much time left before the dawn would break and they would lose their captive in a most horrific way. "What’s your answer?" she asked when she was finished.

"What’s in it for me?"

"Aside from living out the night you mean?" Kendal asked with an arched brow.

The immortal didn’t disappoint her with her wit making Artus laugh. "Yes aside from that?"

"I will grant you a century of peace if you leave my family alone." She put her hand up before the witch could answer. "Be forewarned though, if you enter my home again, any home, without an invitation I will kill you. If you touch someone under my protection again, I will kill you. There will be no negotiation and no signs of mercy from me ever again. Do we understand each other?"

"Perfectly and I’ll take you up on your offer." As swift as her answer came was as swift as Kendal’s sword came down on the bindings.

Piper watched in shock as the woman who had just tried to kill her family ran to what she assumed was the nearest dark hole. "You let her go?"

"I let her go," Kendal answered.

"Don’t you think we should have talked about this first? She would have killed Grand and Pops without one bit of remorse if you hadn’t been there to stop her." It was a good thing they were as far away from the house as they were or else Mac and Molly would have heard every word Piper had said she was talking so loud.

"You may not agree with me, but we need her alive for now."

"For now!" yelled Piper. "Try for the next hundred years. I know you, Kendal, your word is sacred to you."

"Piper, please," Kendal tried, seeing the feisty and passionate Piper from the first day they met. "We have exactly one week to figure out how some psycho from my past is going to get to us, so forgive me for trying to stack as many pluses on our side as possible. Like I said, you might not agree with me, but I’m trying my best to even the odds. Because the way I see it, Julius holds the element of surprise, which puts him in charge of our fate for now. I’m sure he’s close, but I haven’t got the first clue as to where to start looking for him."

The air directly in front of Piper’s mouth condensed showing her long exhale. "I’m sorry, I’m sure you know what you’re doing."

"If you start to shut me out now, we’ll never make it through this," Kendal’s response to the flat statement Piper had made prompted the other three to start back toward the house. The end of this talk didn’t need an audience. "If you shut me out now, the reality of eternity will become a nightmare for us both."

"I’m not shutting you out, I’m just not happy with you right at this particular moment. Is it that I’m never supposed to get upset with you?"

"You’re free to feel whatever you like." For once the phrase ‘I’m too old for this’ made perfect sense to her and Kendal started back toward the house. "Let’s get back, I’m sure your grandparents will be up soon and ready to talk."

"You promised me," her words stopped Kendal’s feet from going any further.

"Promised you what?" Kendal still hadn’t turned around.

"You said you would never leave me behind." Her voice had gotten smaller and Piper felt as if she’d really messed up with this woman again.

"Leave you behind?" Kendal had to stop and take a deep breath to control the anger coursing through her. It had very little to do with Piper and a lot to do with the helpless feeling the night had magnified within her heart. Artus had gotten close, too close for her comfort, and now it weighed heavily on her, waiting to see what else Julius had in store for them. "You may not want to see it, but I’m doing everything I can to keep my promises to you. I want more than anything to share a future with you, and some asshole I should’ve cut into so many little pieces it would’ve taken eternity to find, is trying his best to get in the way of that."

Piper ran to close the distance between them and she wrapped her arms around Kendal’s waist pressing herself against the taller woman’s back. "I know you’re doing your best. I’m sorry for questioning you on your motives. It’s just that I keep seeing those fangs so close to Pop’s neck and it’s making me crazy."

"You have to know that no matter what we face, I will never do anything to endanger you or those you love." Kendal turned around drove the sword into the ground so she could pick Piper up. When they were nose to nose, she spoke from the heart. "Your family is as sacred to me as you are, so rules I have for your safety applies to them as well."

"I love you so much." With a ferocity she didn’t know she possessed, Piper pressed their lips together and kissed Kendal as if it would be for the last time. "I’m sorry for doubting you."

"I love you too, and I’m sorry for not talking to you first. In this case though, Artus really was working against the clock." Kendal bent at the knees and retrieved her sword and started walking feeling Piper’s legs wrap around her waist.

"I can walk you know."

"So can I, even when I’m carrying a light load." Without looking Kendal moved through the trees without hitting anything. When they reached the house, the first light of dawn was coloring the sky and she wondered if Artus had found a place to sleep.

The Duponts were sitting close to the fire in the library sipping coffee when Piper and Kendal stepped in. They all stayed quiet as Kendal handed the sword to Ming accepting a tray in exchange. When Kendal sat down, Piper chose to come and sit on the arm of the chair again showing her grandparents she stood with Kendal. There was no mistaking the young couple’s devotion to each other.

"I don’t know where to begin asking questions," said Mac.

"I do, and I need you to pay very close attention," Kendal looked up to Piper and smiled, "All of you."

************************************************************************

"Find out where she’s going?" Julius watched through the chain link fence as Kendal boarded the private jet alone. Behind her, an Oriental man carried two urns, the kind that held cremated human remains. After he handed them up to the tall woman, the man went back to the car for one last urn. The look on Asra’s face was so solemn and so sad, Julius could see the pain clearly. It made him smile, but it wasn’t time to celebrate yet. He still owed her a lot more for what she had done to him.

Behind him Bailey talked softly into the phone in his hand as he too looked to the woman boarding the plane. Both men were so intent on staring at Kendal they paid no attention to the other items being placed into the back compartments. As the men with Ming finished their job, another car arrived with Lenore, Indigo and Charlie. When they were close enough both women took turns putting their arms around Kendal as if offering comfort.

"Do you know what Asra’s problem has always been?" This time Julius posed his question to Travis who had been able to get away from Rolla for the next couple of weeks without raising the Elder’s suspicions.

"I’m sure you’re going to tell me, so there’s no sense in my guessing." The night she had bested him so easily came back to him as Travis looked at the tall woman standing next to the plane talking to her friends. The links in the fence his fingers were threaded through bent under the pressure he exerted when he pressed down.

"She cares too deeply for those things in her life that are fragile. Why fall in love so easily if you will never be rewarded for those efforts." Julius looked back to Bailey and smiled, his fingers rubbing along the scarred line where Asra had separated his head from his shoulders. "To care about these idiots who die as easily as if swatting a fly has been her life’s ambition. She should’ve instead concentrated on how best to control them to do her bidding."

"She is headed back to New Orleans," interrupted Bailey. The smallish man was still in shock that Artus had been able to destroy the Duponts so easily while they were under Asra’s protection. "That’s all the man in the airport tower knew after reviewing their flight plan."

"And this thing they are loading, it will take her there?" Julius had slept for so long it was at times like this he found himself at a loss as to how much the world had changed. "Is it slow enough that we can follow?"

"Julius, I explained this before." Bailey though, explained it again wondering if chartering a plane wouldn’t be better for them as well in case his friend freaked out. "It flies so she and the others will be home by tonight."

"Then we must fly as well and finish this. We have a very short time before…" Julius caught himself and stopped talking before giving Travis too much information.

"Before what?" Travis asked.

"Before she aligns herself with enough good warriors that we won’t be able to get near her." He paused and turned back to watch the goings on down on the tarmac. "After all, from what I hear, you didn’t pose much of a threat to her," Julius couldn’t help the dig.

"She caught me off guard. We’ve been through this," Travis sounded like he was about to turn his anger on the man standing next to him. The jet’s engines roared to life, cutting off any other conversation.

Julius watched like a fascinated little boy as the plane taxied then streaked back and became airborne. Yes, there were many things he still had to learn about this new world he had awoken to, but there were enemies to defeat before the real fun began.

"We will see you soon, Asra." He whispered the promise under his breath as he followed the plane’s ascent until it was completely out of sight. "And then I will finish what I started with Attila so long ago."

************************************************************************

The plane landed at a private airstrip about fifty miles away to pick up the rest of their passengers who had arrived by helicopter. Kendal figured if Julius was watching, he would concentrate on her and not the house. Especially after Artus had told him she and her followers were able to get to Piper and her family. It was an interesting conversation she had shared with the vampire, who’d called to give her an update, since she had never entered into a working relationship with a child of the night. Considering they were creatures born of evil, Kendal could only hope the witch turned immortal was keeping her word and not playing both sides of the coin.

Their talk with Mac and Molly the night before had ended in a tenuous truce of sorts and they had both agreed to Kendal’s plan. If whatever it was that had attacked them had agreed to help them, and the people they worked for thought they were dead, that was all right with them for now. The one subject neither Kendal nor Piper had broached was the elixir of life and the fact the blonde had consumed a cup of it.

Over the Atlantic, Piper became quiet and her face took on a pensive look that made the others believe her mind had flown off in its own direction. She stayed that way for almost two hours closing her eyes as if trying to lock away whatever she was seeing in her mind. When she became aware of her surroundings again, Kendal looked at her in a way that questioned if she was all right, and the blonde only nodded in response. Now was not the time to go into it.

After stopping to refuel a couple of times, the first part of their journey ended in California. A car was waiting to drive them into the hills of an estate between Sonoma and Napa to another piece of Kendal’s history. They turned off a scenic highway and drove through a gate that was very similar to the one found at Farthington House in England. The drive up to the house wound around vineyards now bare of the fruit that had just been harvested for pressing.

An attractive older woman who looked to be of American Indian decent was waiting for them when they came to a stop. Beautiful black hair mixed with a little gray was pulled into a ponytail and she was dressed in jeans and a native print jacket.

"Sparrow, how are you?"

"Old and cold, but I’m feeling better now after looking at such a beautiful sight," she teased never taking her eyes off Kendal. "Come give an old woman a kiss."

For a second Piper thought to hold her lover back. This woman, no matter her age, didn’t look or talk to her lover like a servant or an employee. You could look into those dark eyes and see an intimate history between them. A history that was confirmed when Kendal moved forward and put her arms around the woman and briefly pressed their lips together.

"Behave," Kendal admonished in the Hopi language. Sparrow never got a chance to retaliate before two tall men joined them and took turns greeting and hugging Kendal. "Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Sparrow and her sons Josh and Jeremiah Brown Bear." After the introductions Sparrow waved her hand toward the house doing her best to make everyone feel welcome.

The staff served a wonderful meal that was for the most part eaten in silence by those sitting around the table. Mac and Molly ate methodically, still looking like they were in shock from what had happened less than twenty-four hours before. Sparrow and her children brought Kendal up to date on what was going on around the vineyard as well as in town. When the dishes were cleared the older Duponts retired to the room Sparrow had shown them earlier. It was to be their new home until all this mystery was over.

When Sparrow and her boys retired to their own home, also on the property, Kendal took Piper for a walk. The moon was almost full so they took advantage of the light to walk along the rows of grapevines. Some of the fruit that had been dropped during the harvest lay dried and shriveled waiting to be tilled back into the soil.

"Now I understand the comment you made about being a winemaker," said Piper. Their conversation from the night she discovered her gifts as a seerer came back to her making Piper smile.

"So you do."

The blonde pulled them toward a tree in the distance wanting to learn something new about her lover. When they were seated, she rested with her back against Kendal’s chest, Piper asked the question that had been hanging like a weight between them since they had arrived.

"Tell me about her?"

There was no need for the tall brunette to ask who Piper was talking about. "When she was about nineteen, Sparrow found herself married to a man who loved the bottle more than his two sons and his wife. In an effort to keep them off the streets she made jewelry to sell in town and tried to make the best of what the gods saw fit to give her. It was not enough to make her happy, but it was a bearable life from what she told me, until the beatings started."

Piper pinched the skin of Kendal’s forearm without realizing it. "Wait, she was going out and making money and he thanked her by beating her?"

"It was that she wanted to use the money for food for her boys and not whiskey that accounted for the beatings, love." Kendal laughed at Piper’s anger on Sparrow’s behalf. No matter how much the young woman had tried to hide it, Piper was a caring soul. With no effort, Kendal picked her up and turned her a little so that Piper was now sitting in her lap. She wanted more than anything to see that beautiful face in the moonlight.

"What are you doing?" asked Piper.

"I missed not seeing you." She ran a finger along Piper’s lips liking the way they turned up in a smile.

It was Piper’s turn to laugh. "Some big warrior you are. It’s all this mush that makes them fall in love with you and pine for you even after all these years. Finish your story, honey."

"I bought this place about a hundred years ago because I thought the area was beautiful and a good place where I could retreat every so often, not because I knew a lot about grapes and wine making. It’s about eighty acres and the wine made here is mostly for the cellars of places like Farthington. I was here for a visit close to forty-four years ago and a saw a truly pathetic sight."

Kendal took a deep breath and let it out slowly as the memory of that pretty face marred by a split lip and two black eyes came back to her. "He had really gone after her the night before, so she was out in the town trying to sell her jewelry with two little kids and as many possessions as she could bring with her. I went and got my truck and just opened the door and offered my help, but it was up to her to take it."

"I take it she did." Piper pressed her palm to Kendal’s cheek and turned her head enough so they could share a kiss.

"She came here with me and her boys and they never left. I couldn’t stay, so I asked the man I had running the vineyard to look out for them and teach Joshua and Jeremiah the business. Eventually they moved closer to a small lake on the property where I had a house built for them, since Sparrow liked the main house but it really wasn’t her style."

Piper kissed her again and turned so she was now straddling Kendal’s thighs and they were facing each other. "It wasn’t that she didn’t like the house, my love, she didn’t like that you weren’t there to share it with her. She fell in love with you didn’t she?"

"Two lonely people found comfort in each other, honey, I don’t know about love. I won’t lie and tell you I don’t care for Sparrow and her sons, because I do. They have been good to me and work hard to make this place successful."

"It’s all right, love, it’s the fact you care so much that I fell in love with you. I know there isn’t anyone alive that I have to worry about and I love you for cementing that fact in my mind." Piper pulled back a little and started to unbutton Kendal’s shirt. "Did her husband ever bother her again?"

Looking down at her chest and how much more of it she could see, Kendal smiled. "He came back once and tried to force her back. I convinced him what a bad idea it would be for him to try it again." Piper nodded her head at the answer and pulled the shirt free of Kendal’s pants.

"Do you have something in mind darlin’?" Kendal asked as she cocked her head in question.

The tree had surprised her when Piper saw it during their walk. There had been a new vision on the plane on the way here, and this time, she told no one about it, not wanting the outcome to change for anything in the world. All Hallows Eve or Halloween as everyone in the modern world knew it was only three days away and it was time to start to awaken a sleeping dragon.

"It seems like such a long time ago, but on an important afternoon of my life, someone very wise told me to only share myself with someone who ignited my passion and owned my heart." She took off her own shirt and pressed their bodies together enjoying the feel of Kendal’s skin against hers. "I found you and now I want you to show me your passion. Show me that your heart belongs to me as much as mine belongs to you."

"I will always belong to you, my love." Kendal held her hands as Piper stood to remove her pants and shoes, standing momentarily as well to do the same.

"Then show me," said Piper when they went back to the way they were seated. When they came together again the cold night air was forgotten and it felt like every inch of their bodies had come alive in a search for a way to become one.

"Do you belong to me?" asked Piper trying to remember everything from the vision. It was the first time she had been given a sort of guide to show her what needed to be done. The woman had been so helpful, and had explained to Piper why this night had to happen in a certain way. "Answer me," demanded Piper when Kendal took too long.

"Only you, Piper." Kendal willingly let Piper take control, leaning against the bark of the tree to see what the small woman wanted.

"In a tent a long time ago you were marked." She took hold of Kendal’s hand and entwined their fingers together, her voice sounded deep and commanding. "The woman who marked you did so because one day you would find someone who would claim you as their own and then the brand would come to life and the dragon would know that person as your mate." Piper hesitated before placing her hand on the spot that she knew from her vision held the hidden tattoo. If it didn’t appear after what she had to do, then it would break her heart because of what that would mean.

"Piper," said Kendal softly. "Please look at me," she requested when the green eyes stayed locked on their hands. When Piper looked up, Kendal’s eyes filled with tears for the uncertainty she saw facing her. "What did you see on that plane?"

"I saw this place." With her other hand she pointed to the tree they were sitting under and the rows of plants that surrounded them.

"Do you trust what we have?" The blonde head nodded. "Then trust that my heart knows who you are and what you mean to me." With that she took their hands and placed them on her chest where they could both feel the beating of her heart. "Trust yourself and claim that which belongs to you." When Piper nodded again, Kendal moved their hands until they were lying over the spot where the woman had run her finger all those years ago.

"In the name of the goddess I ask you to awaken from your watery sleep. Your time has come to stand and fight with the one true of heart." Piper repeated the chant three times in the strange language the woman had made her say over and over again until she had gotten it right. After the third time, their linked hands started to glow and Piper could feel the warmth move up her arm and across her chest.

When she finished her ritual they lifted their hands and there on Kendal’s skin was the dragon ready for battle. It was coiled like on the sword and its jaws were open ready to vanquish any enemy. The relief Piper felt almost made her forget the next part. With their hands still glowing she then placed them over her heart and finished the chant. "I am ready to stand by her side and accept the responsibility of keeping her whole." Saying it three times, the third time feeling something almost slam into her chest over her heart.

This time when they lifted their hands there was another tattoo of a dragon on Piper’s chest. Instead of looking as if were prepared for battle this one held what looked to be a orb in one claw, the other claw hovering over it as if to keep it safe.

"Where did you learn that language?" Kendal’s voice sounded like she was in awe at what had happened. "I’ve only heard it once before and I didn’t understand it then either."

The heated uncontrolled feeling was starting to grow, like it had the first time they had held the sword together, and Piper wasn’t in the mood to answer any more questions. Whatever the power of the dragon was, because it was made by Aphrodite, it centered on the connection they had together. It was as if the dragon had taken the love they shared and magnified it to the point it became all enveloping.

Kendal pulled her forward and crushed their mouths together needing to feel as much of Piper as she could. Any control she thought to have was gone as the need for the blonde pushed her forward. She went to lay the petite woman down on the ground when Piper put her hands on Kendal’s shoulders to stop her.

"Easy, baby." It was hard because she wanted to feel Kendal on top of her more than she wanted to breathe at the moment, but the picture in her mind made her take control. "I need to be close to you, but I need to see you." Piper moved her hand to Kendal’s face, leaning in to place soft brief kisses over her eyes and mouth. "I need you to make love to me while you hold me."

The kisses were driving her insane but Kendal sat back and tried to give Piper what she wanted. Her hands were clenched into fists at her side in an effort not to overwhelm her smaller partner with her strength. Kendal finally opened her eyes when she felt Piper’s hand reach for one of hers.

"That’s it, let me see you." The blue eyes stayed glued to her as she lifted her hips and maneuvered Kendal’s hand between them. Kendal let out a moan when, just before her fingers slipped inside of Piper, a bit of slick wet heat dripped down onto her hand. "Do you feel how much I need you inside me?"

The question was rhetorical since after asking it Piper lowered herself slowly, enjoying the way Kendal filled every part of her that was wanting. Just as slowly she started moving her hips feeling the overwhelming power of the orgasm that was beginning much too early for her taste. Before it robbed her of all awareness, Piper reached down and found Kendal wet, hard and throbbing. She squeezed two fingers together, confident the rocking of her hips would provide all the stimulation Kendal needed to join her.

At the same time, the walls of Piper’s sex clenched down on Kendal’s fingers, sending them off the abyss. It felt so good a roar was torn from Kendal’s chest scattering a few birds in the tree above them. Piper stayed quiet but she could feel the tremors running through her and Kendal’s arm wrapped around her back keeping her safe. It was all just like she had seen in her vision, but there was still one thing that would show her they were ready to move to the next phase of unleashing the sword’s power.

With one last kiss to Kendal’s chest, she sat up a little and looked first to the mark on her lover then to the new one on her chest. They were still there; not faded as the first time the dragon had been painted on Kendal’s skin.

"The goddess has chosen her champion, love," Piper moved so Kendal could ease her hand out of her slowly, making the blonde shiver as she did. "The mark is now a part of you."

Like an artist painting a canvas, Kendal ran her finger along the tattoo on Piper’s chest. "And what does this mark mean?"

"It means I belong to you. Every great warrior needs a mate, especially if they are fighting for love." The sentiment made Kendal laugh. "I don’t think in this case it means the candies and flowers kind of love, but the for the good in the world."

"I’m sorry, love, I promise I’m not making fun." Kendal reclined back against the tree again putting both her arms around Piper. "What else did you see in your vision."

"It was nice to have a spirit guide this time, but it would’ve been better if she had told me everything. How the sword fits into all this is still a mystery, but she did give me one warning."

"Take your time," offered Kendal.

"Like it says in the prophecy, the sword will awaken on Halloween, but it has the ability to serve two masters."

"What exactly does that mean?"

Piper blew out an exasperated breath and rested her head on a broad shoulder. "That’s what she wasn’t willing to give up. Showed me a scene of great sex, gave me a warning and then left me hanging." She felt the chest below her moving as Kendal tried to keep the laugh in. "Stop it, it was hard enough not to ravish you somewhere over the Atlantic with my grandparents on the plane. So what do you think it all means?" This time she could hear the laugh and the sound warmed her soul.

"Let’s just concentrate on what she gave us for now, Piper. Tomorrow will come soon enough."

************************************************************************

Indigo stood by the window, looking out and trying to find the source of the roar she had heard earlier. The moonlight painted her skin in an odd assortment of shadows from the trees outside making Lenore’s view that much more interesting.

"See anything?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," answered the blonde.

"Then come back over here." Lenore lifted the blanket in invitation. "You don’t regret what happened do you?"

They had been talking and going over some new passages Lenore had found in a few books from the Farthington library when something had happened to them. Whatever it was had landed them on the bed tearing off their clothes like the world would end if they hadn’t made love. Centuries of friendship had never brought out those kinds of feelings in each other.

"Not regret, no," Indigo started slowly. She wanted to find the right words since whatever had brought them together was still skittering around the room ready to make her lose her mind again. "Just interesting."

"I’ve been alive for a long time, and I’ve made love on more than one occasion. Interesting usually translates into regret." She dropped the blanket and tried hiding her disappointment of the blonde’s rejection. "If you want you can leave, go ahead. I’m sure you’ll feel better if you go out and look around."

All those centuries of knowing the chronicler, and Indigo had never seen it. Perhaps she had been occupied with other things, other interests that had turned out to be her own collection of rejection and failures. What had Lenore told her not that long ago? Love would find her the minute she stopped looking.

Earlier that night she had stopped looking and found someone who had stripped her bare of any pretense. Lenore had wanted her, and she in return found something she had found lacking even in Asra. She had stopped looking and found something sweet, beautiful and full of wisdom. A woman who fit with her so completely it made her want to weep at the pure joy of it.

"I don’t want to go outside," started Indigo as she moved closer to the bed. "The only thing I want is you." She slid into the bed and pressed up against her old friend. As slowly as Indigo could stand, she ran her hand down Lenore’s middle. The blonde wanted to ignite the fire again, but this time she was interested in a slow burn. From the way Lenore touched her in return, it was clear that she wanted the same thing.

In the morning, despite whatever danger they were about to face, everyone at the table was wearing a smile including Mac and Molly. They shared breakfast together knowing it would be their last meal together with the older couple for what would hopefully only be a couple of days. Afterward, Piper and Kendal took them for a walk following the same path they had taken the night before. As Molly held Piper’s hand and talked to her quietly, Kendal walked slowly at Mac’s side and waited to hear what the man had on his mind.

"I know back in England we exchanged promises, but I want you to make me another one."

She looked him in the eye and held her hand out for him to take. "I’ll promise you whatever you like."

"I know you’re leaving me and my wife here to keep us safe, and I know you tried to talk Piper into staying on with us," he started looked to where the two were walking ahead of them. "Just like her mama that one, stubborn as the day is long. It was what got my son all fired up about marrying her and what killed his spirit when she died."

"I don’t want you to think I’d put Piper in danger if I could avoid it."

"I know that, and this isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about. What I want you to promise me is you’ll go back to New Orleans and kick whatever ass you have to so you can come back here for us. Once you’ve done that, I want to take this walk with you again so you can tell me a story." He shook the hand she held out then slapped her on the shoulder. "Cause I have a feeling your story will be the most interesting I’m ever going to have the honor of hearing. You aren’t what you appear to be, Kendal Mackey, but goddamn if I don’t like you."

"Thank you, sir." She stepped into his embrace when he held his arms out and smiled at the affection the old man was still willing to give. Before they were ready to leave the older couple’s company, Piper and Kendal found themselves in the car to the airport. There was one day left to go and all four of them were ready for the end of whatever was coming.

When they drove through the gates of Oakgrove, the house and the grounds looked quiet and peaceful. What surprised them was that Charlie was nowhere to be found, even though his bags were sitting in the front room of his house, and there was no note explaining his absence. Kendal walked through all the rooms looking for anything out of the ordinary, but aside from the luggage, it looked as if Charlie had stepped out for a little while.

"Did you find him?" asked Piper when her lover returned from her walk.

"Something’s not right." She could feel it in her gut. The place was too quiet, too tidy. "He knew I was counting on him so there’s no way Charlie just decided to take a drive or something."

"He’ll be back, honey. I’m sure he’s fine." She was looking at the bowl of Halloween candy by the front door wondering why it was there.

"We get the occasional straggler trick or treater so the staff likes to be prepared. It’s the one time of year strangers can wander in from the road without the fear of being arrested for trespassing." Kendal answered the silent question for Piper.

"Ah, I missed my chance to get in here all these years huh?"

"I’m sure if you would’ve shown up in some sexy costume, I would’ve insisted on you coming in, no matter what day of the year it was."

"Flatterer."

"On my oath as a soldier of Ramses, I tell only the truth when it comes to you."

Piper blushed a little and her eyes cut back to the bowl that had started their talk. "Honey, don’t you think we should close the gates tomorrow night? I’m all for cute kids in costume, but I don’t want to put any of them in danger."

Pulling Piper into a hug, Kendal reached behind her and snagged a miniature Snickers bar. "I thought of that already and told Bart to take care of it. The bowl is still around because I happen to love chocolate." She placed the candy in her mouth and offered half to Piper.

After she licked the caramel that had stuck to Kendal’s chin, Piper looked down the hall to where the sword room was. "Is our little friend all locked up?"

"Down tight. I’d almost rather see it sleep for another two thousand years than let it awaken something we can’t fight."

"Let’s hope you’ll be up to fighting whatever it is we awaken," said Lenore. She had been sitting outside thinking, and finishing the books she’d brought with her, anything to get Indigo out of her mind for now. After the night they had shared in California, they couldn’t get enough of each other, but now was a time for clear heads. "I had my assistant drop off a few things for me," she held up Bruik’s writings. "He was really sure that this would be the year the dragon showed itself. So as they say, ‘ready or not’."

"But my visions have changed when we worked to change them," argued Piper.

"With training eventually you’ll hone your talent to the point Bruik has been able to. His visions are just that, what will happen. He had been able to sort through the possibilities to see the outcome, and I mean the absolute true outcome." She softened her tone before finishing. "It doesn’t mean your visions haven’t been important to us, Piper. Bruik may have given us the end, in the vaguest way possible I might add, but you have gotten us to this point unscathed."

"And that’s how we’ll cross the finish line, don’t you worry," added Kendal, shooting a look at the chronicler to make her stop talking. Piper didn’t need anything else to worry about.

************************************************************************

Kendal sat outside alone smoking a cigar and watching the sun go down, as well as watching the road. She wasn’t expecting Julius or anyone else to drive up and announce themselves but she wanted to face the oncoming battle like any other lord protecting their domain, showing no fear. The temperature had gotten a little cooler and she could feel it through the open collar of her shirt. Along with the boots and the soft buckskin pants, she looked very much like the ghost of Jacques St. Louis come to life once more.

"There is still no sign of him," said Indigo when she joined her taking the seat next to her. She had run the circuit of the plantation looking for Charlie with no luck.

"No, but if you look in the tree to my left you’ll find signs of someone else."

Indigo’s face never turned from Kendal’s but her eyes looked to where her friend had mentioned. The man was dressed in black, including the pommel of his sword, but she could still see the whiteness of his skin as he sat hidden in one of the high branches.

"And if you look to your right, you’ll see he brought a friend." Kendal was calm and not moving. In fact she closed her eyes and acted as if she didn’t have a care. When she did, she concentrated her hearing on what was going on around her. It was faint but she heard the whispering sounds of others climbing her walls and dropping into the grounds was unmistakable. "Make that friends."

"How many?"

"I’m thinking six added to the two in the tree." Leaving the Sea Serpent Sword locked in the house, Kendal had brought the katana she had used to fight Ora out with her, liking the way the weapon felt in her hand. At the moment it was lying across her lap. "Eight of them and two of us. We planned well don’t you think?"

The blonde at her side took the sarcastic remark in stride. Indigo had fought along side this warrior often enough to know this was Asra’s way of preparing. Other people had a tendency to pray to any god willing to listen to their pleas for victory, Asra though, turned to humor to get her through the fear of battle.

"I tried to up our numbers, but for stuff like this it’s hard to know who to trust. If some power comes to light tonight that has the capability to take over the world I’d rather not tempt someone who’s on the fence as far as honor is concerned."

"True, after all that’s what the Republicans are for."

Indigo couldn’t help but laugh. "Smart ass. You keep saying things like that and eventually you’re going to get audited."

"True again. That’s a scarier thought than facing off some evil force bent on trying to take over the world."

"Do you really think we need reinforcements?"

With as serious a face as she could muster, Kendal nodded her head. "Yes, next time I’m thinking you should buy Lenore the latest version of Sword Play for Dummies, just to even up the odds some," Kendal teased again.

"Hey now, leave my girl out of this. You’ll have to be happy with the fact you have me."

"I am happy, not about this, but the fact you finally realized Lenore is just that. Your girl, and more than worth fighting for." With one last smile and a wink for her friend, Kendal stood up, stubbed out her cigar and walked down the steps to the front yard.

Inside the house, Piper and Lenore looked on as the warrior unsheathed the sword and dragged the tip along the drive making a loud scraping noise that cut through the night as effectively as the sword cut through flesh.

"What’s she doing?" asked Piper.

"I’m not sure, but I believe it’s what’s referred to as calling someone out."

"Sometimes it’s best when you don’t get what you’re asking for." The voice sent a chill up Lenore’s spine and she tried to subtly place herself between Piper and their unexpected visitor. How he had gotten past both Asra and Indigo was baffling her. "Don’t look so surprised to see me, Lenore. It’s why I came early to take care of the yard dog," Julius said referring to Charlie. "She taught him well, but the poor man was terribly outnumbered."

"Julius, what do you want?"

"So, so many things, it’s hard to list them all, but I’ll start with a friendly conversation until the ruffians outside are finished with their childish games." He walked in and took a seat at the center of the sofa. "Sit, I insist."

He saw the book of Bruik’s writings and he lifted it off the coffee table. "In my time, I memorized all of his writings." A strange sounding laugh came out of him as he opened the book. "One never knows when a prophecy of the future will come in handy."

"You still have time to leave, Julius. She has had all the time in the world to become someone you can’t win against," warned Lenore. "I don’t care who you brought with you, you can’t win."

"He saw so long ago," he continued as if they were waiting to hear the rest of his story. Outside they started to hear the clang of metal hitting metal. "A sword fired by a god that would give its owner the world if that’s what he wanted. Bruik wrote so eloquently about it for Rolla’s library. Unfortunately it was a scroll he never saw." The book closed with a loud snap and he threw it to the ground in disgust. "I memorized every line and then I burned it. The ever faithful assistant to the head Elder who worried more about what was written on paper than what was going on around him. No one else was going to get their hands on that sword when the time came but me."

"There is no sword," said Piper, speaking for the first time since the man had come in. She had never seen his face, but his hands were those from her vision, the hands that held the sword when the eyes glowed red right before some evil thing was unleashed on the world. It was the slender fingers, almost delicate in their appearance, which made her realize who he was.

"Maybe you make a good bed warmer, my dear, but you make a horrible liar. Imagine my surprise when I saw it in Asra’s hands when you were at her little country house in England. It was Bruik’s vision down to the stones in the dragon’s eyes." He stood up and reached behind him. "I saw it and I want it. Now!"

"Piper, run," screamed Lenore. She pushed the blonde towards the front door stumbling forward when the dagger hit its mark and split her heart. "Please, Piper, go." If not for the elixir she’d be dead already, but Lenore was able to hang on to see if her friend made it out safely. She wanted to cry when Piper stopped and headed back to help her, unknowingly walking right into Julius’ trap.

When the front door opened, Kendal and Indigo were about to disarm Travis and Bailey of their weapons. It had been an easy fight, almost too easy. They both stopped cold when they saw him standing there with a knife at Piper’s throat.

"Just remember he can’t kill her," warned Indigo. "Remember that and keep your wits about you."

"So nice to see you again, Asra." The blade in Julius’ hand pressed deeper making a line of blood appear on Piper’s neck.

His timing had been as superb as his planning. Julius knew in hand to hand combat they would never win even though they were just two women, so like he had with Attila, he had a battle strategy to contend with every possibility. He pressed the knife deeper making Piper gasp in pain. When she did both Kendal and Indigo’s attention was riveted to the porch. It was then that Bailey moved forward a step and sliced through Indigo’s spine rendering her unable to remain standing. At the same time Travis drove his weapon through Kendal’s back.

If she thought sheer will would get her back on her feet, a second later Bailey’s sword joined Travis’ and Kendal felt herself grow weak. Against all hope it seemed Piper’s vision of doom was coming to pass.

"Where is it?" Julius yelled down, watching Asra fight an internal battle to stay upright and on her knees. "Tell me or I’ll gut her right here."

"You can’t kill me," taunted Piper. She realized her mistake when she saw the grimace on Kendal’s face.

Instantly the knife disappeared from her throat and he whipped her around to look at her face. Really it was her eyes he was interested in. "By the gods, this is better than I thought. Bruik saw you too, lovely girl."

He looked down to Kendal and laughed at his good fortune. "I may not be able to kill her but I’ll return the favor you bestowed on me when Rolla asked it of you. Only I’ll have a bit of fun before I her any mercy." The clock inside the house chimed once announcing they had thirty minutes before it would strike twelve. "Where is it?"

"Let her go and I’ll tell you."

"Kendal, no," Piper begged, but the man had already released her. The warrior’s word had been given and she knew Kendal wouldn’t back down from that.

"Inside the house," Kendal fought to get the words out feeling the strength slip slowly out of her. When she was finished telling him where he could find the sword, he grabbed Piper by the hair and pulled her into the house.

"Why does he want this sword so badly?" Travis asked Bailey.

"I don’t know." They looked at each other and started toward the house to see what Julius was looking for.

They left both women bleeding on the front lawn thinking there was no way for them to do anything until the sun brought its healing power. Before that happened, their plan was to have them in some dark hole so they could sleep forever.

Indigo was about to ask if Kendal had any ideas when someone came into her line of sight. The red hair was down and loose, and the woman wore an outfit that made her look like she was trying out for a new Cat Woman movie. It was a seductively attractive shell that hid the ugliness inside.

"Trick or treat," said Artus.

"Oh fuck me," replied the blonde. "This day just keeps on giving."

"Is the fuck offer one of my choices?" The vampire ran her finger down Kendal’s chest and licked it clean. "Ooh yummy. A rare vintage indeed, definitely worth coming out for."

"It’s nice to see you again," it took effort, but Kendal got it out.

"Thank you, warrior, but don’t show such enthusiasm yet. The night is young and I have yet to feed." She snapped her fingers and some of her followers picked up both women and started toward the house.

Inside, Julius had finally broken into the room Kendal had mentioned and was busy tearing the walls apart to find what he was after. He walked out with the sword in his hand when Piper noticed the eyes were starting to change. At the center of the green stones was the red glow that would forever change the essence of the weapon.

"What are you doing here?" Julius demanded when he saw Artus standing close to Piper, the two wounded women were lying on the floor at her feet.

"Collecting on your promises," her fangs were out and she moved closer to Piper.

"Anyone but her," he warned. How Piper fit into all this he didn’t know but he couldn’t afford to lose her just yet. "Or her," he pointed to Kendal next. In his hand he could feel the power of the sword coming to life. The time was upon them.

"Tsk," she admonished, "I want to have as much fun as you." At the first strike of the clock’s chime, Artus had moved so she was now standing right next to Julius. In a move so fast he was powerless to stop it, she grabbed him as her face contorted to its most hideous.

With a quickness she rarely used, usually liking to enjoy her feedings, she drained him of his blood almost instantly until he was as weak as Kendal. Piper gagged when the woman then used her own fangs to open the vein at her wrist with a savagery that made no sense. But like a mother with her baby, she brought her wrist to Julius’ mouth and pressed it to his lips.

"Drink," she commanded. The clock had reached its fourth chime when he had gotten his fill.

Julius had tasted the power of the elixir but it didn’t compare to the ambrosia like substance this woman had given him. He rose hyperaware of everything around him, especially the heat of the sword in his hand, the warm red glow working its way up his arm. With an evil glint in his now brown eyes, he lifted the sword to the heavens ready to proclaim it his.

"Come, Ares, show yourself. Give me what is rightfully mine."

Piper looked on as the dragon at the end of the pommel came to life and started to coil itself around Julius’ arm. They had lost, and she was helpless to stop what was happening. At the sixth chime, Julius was laughing at the pure power he felt becoming a part of him. He looked up and raised his other arm preparing to call to the god of war again. It was the reason he never saw his defeat coming.

From her position on the floor, Kendal used the last of her strength to lift the katana Artus had brought in with her and threw it like a javelin. The second it pierced Julius’ heart he exploded into dust and the dragon went back into the sword. As soon as it did, Bailey and Travis made a run for it as the clock struck its tenth chime. With quick thinking Artus kicked it to Piper who in turn ran to Kendal.

As the clock struck twelve, she picked up Kendal’s limp hand and placed it over the sword. The result made everyone in the room shield their eyes from the bright light. This time the dragon uncoiled and floated over them spreading it’s wings in an act of protection. When he opened his jaws, a stream of fire came out that encircled the lovers on the floor, both sets.

The heat didn’t burn though, but instead healed the wounds Kendal, Indigo and Lenore had suffered, allowing them to stand up and face the creature. When they did, the tattoo on both Kendal and Piper came to life as well. They felt the heat intensify, Piper on her chest and Kendal on her thigh, then just as quickly both flew from their places on their skin and met between the two women. The one from Kendal stopped, reared back and shot a ball of fire to the one that had come from Piper. Hers held up the orb in its claw as if accepting the gift of fire. When it started to glow, the orb split into two so the dragon was floating before her with one in each claw.

It waited until the orbs it was holding were the brightest thing in the room before throwing them both towards the ceiling where they disappeared. After that both of the dragons went back to their owners. Only this time Kendal’s mark was over her heart and Piper’s was now close to her groin.

Just as quickly as it began, it ended. For the longest time no one said anything, not knowing what to make of what had happened. The first one to move was Kendal who bent to pick up the now very plain Sea Serpent Sword, because the dragon decorating its handle had been released.

With one strike, Travis’ head bloodied up the floor and she then turned to Bailey. "Tell me what he did with Charlie or you will beg for me to do that to you."

"Julius put him in a box and sunk him in the lake out back." When she pressed him to the wall with the tip of the sword he cracked and started crying. "I swear it. He had Travis and me throw it in."

"Indigo, would you see to his comfort while I thank our savior," requested Kendal.

Artus cocked her head to the side and smiled when Kendal moved close enough to take her hand. The smile grew bigger when the warrior bowed over her hand and kissed the back of it. "Thank you for keeping your promises. I hope you know I intend to keep mine. If you so choose, we’ll see each other in a hundred years."

"I think we will see each other before that, Asra. Tonight has shown us there is a place in this world for both of us. Wouldn’t you agree?"

"Why didn’t you keep the sword for yourself when you saw the potential it held?" asked Piper, stepping up and taking her place at Kendal’s side.

"Because, Lady Mackey, in life, even a life like mine, there must be balance. If power like we saw tonight is to be released, it’s better off with you than with someone like Julius. The only thing I want from life is the same thing you do, and that’s to simply live it." She snapped her fingers again so the fledglings would be on their way. "I am not your enemy, Piper. Nor yours, Asra, so may you enjoy whatever you have gained tonight and may our fragile truce hold for longer than a hundred years."

"Is it over?" asked Piper when they were alone with just Lenore in the room.

Kendal picked her up and held her close before answering. "I find that because of who we are and what we do, it’s never completely over. But for tonight, and as far as Julius is concerned, it’s over, love." She kissed Piper’s forehead and looked down to see the cut Julius had made was cured by the dragon’s fire just like the wounds on her chest. "Are you all right?"

"I’m fine, honey. Now would be a good time to promise me though, that you’ll stop making getting stabbed in the heart on these grounds a habit. I realize it can’t kill you but it’s a little disconcerting to watch." Slowly she ran her hand over the place on Kendal’s chest that was still stained with blood in an act of assurance that her lover was fine.

"I promise I’ll do my best," answered Asra with a laugh.

"And what happened with the sword?" Piper looked to the weapon lying on the floor next to them as if she was expecting it to do something else.

"That can wait until tomorrow. Since I don’t feel any differently, and you don’t feel any differently, I think we diffused whatever it was supposed to do. Right now I think we need to get Charlie out of the lake." Kendal put her down and started in the direction Indigo had headed. "If you want, you two can stay here and we’ll be right back." Before she got to the door she snapped her fingers and turned back toward the fireplace. "I almost forgot about you," she said to Travis.

"You bitch." His head was a good four feet from his body but it was still functioning like some incredible magician’s trick. "The sun will be up before too long and I’ll have my revenge."

"The sun is something you won’t have to worry about ever again, no neck. If anyone bothers to look for you they’ll be looking for a very long time trying to put the very small pieces together." She grabbed him by the hair to heft his head and by the front of his shirt to pick up the body. "Ladies, if you would excuse us," said Kendal with a slight bow.

"Do you agree with that assessment?" asked Piper when they were alone.

Lenore looked at Piper and shook her head. "I feel very different, but I don’t know why. How do you feel?"

"I don’t think different begins to cover it."

The book lying on the coffee table with the picture of the sword on its cover floated to the chair closest to it. Just as Piper was about to rub her eyes, the woman from her vision on the plane materialized. She opened the book and flipped to the end where magically more pages appeared. They filled with writing when the woman ran her finger down each one.

"I see that I have chosen my champions well." She looked at Piper and laughed at the shocked expression the blonde wore. "And because I did, I think that very nice trick your lover pulled off deserves a treat."

"Who are you?" asked Piper.

"I am many things to those in need of me, but because of you and the strength you have given me, I too will live forever."

"That sounds like a riddle," added Lenore.

"Not a riddle, Lenore. I am what you find when you look up from your books to see what is in store for you. I am what you hope to find when you close your eyes and imagine what your life could be when there is someone to share it with you." The woman laughed again as if enjoying her time with the two. "But if you need the comfort of what you know best, I leave you this as a gift." She handed over the book then kissed each woman on the cheek.

"Remember well your promise, Piper." The woman’s image was starting to grow faint but she left behind a feeling of peace.

"What promise?"

"I am ready to stand by her side and accept the responsibility of keeping her whole." The language sounded strange but Piper understood every word. "You started tonight, but the job is far from over."

"I will never disappoint you, or her," vowed Piper.

"I know, little one, and it’s why I have left you with a gift. One that will allow me to fulfill a promise I made so long ago."

The woman was gone, and Piper ran the conversation over again in her head trying to figure out what the woman meant. Behind her, Lenore sat on the sofa and flipped through the book the woman had handed her.

"Holy shit," the comment was so out of character, Piper turned and looked at her like Lenore had gone mad.

"What?"

"She left the answer to the mystery of the Sea Serpent Sword and what power it held."

"So?" Piper held her hands up waiting. "What’s the answer?"

"You."

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