“Let her try,” Edan said, with soft arrogance. She shook her dark blond hair over her shoulder, a hint of a challenge kindling in her eyes. “If she’s too persistent with too many people, she’ll find herself fighting a battle on all fronts. She can’t win that kind of war, Mother, no matter what kind of fine power she has behind her.”

    Tristan smiled a sharp-edged smile, and didn’t respond.
    “Well, then, I’ll keep the food coming,” Anna replied, with a game smile. She frowned at his question. “Oh, a few people, I imagine. I couldn’t tell you off the top of my head, but I can call down and ask, if you like. Why?”
    The look on Adrian’s face was gentle but stern. “Don’t, C.J. Don’t make more of it than it is, and don’t panic. We’ll take care of it.” His expression darkened. “And if Jayden comes near you, I will fry him myself.”
    Really, he was walking the knife’s edge of panic himself, because… Terra. But it wouldn’t help to show C.J. that. She was frightened enough as it was.

    Darshan studied Jayden for a moment. Then his mouth curved upwards, and he laughed, quiet and low. “Mr. Sadi, did you ever pause to think that my attention is not something that you would wish to have?”

    Eyes sparked at the image. “Nah, not a tutu. Though the pink might work.” Randi looked at Koran. “Ain’t that right, cutie??”
    Koran cooed at her.

    Meloday nodded slowly, seeing the truth in her daughter’s words. “I believe you’re right. And if she gets knocked down by enough people, maybe she’ll see reason and won’t push it too hard.” Though it wasn’t likely, it was a possibility. Maybe.

    Jacob sighed, running his hand through his hair again. It was going to get pulled out by the time this ended.
    “If you could do that for me, I’d greatly appreciate it,” George said smoothly, not answering her own question in the process.
    C.J. gulped down the sobs threatening to erupt from her throat, reaching up a hand to swipe at her tears. “I’m sorry, Adrian. I know you don’t need me dumping on you again.” She opened her eyes wide and wider, to keep anymore tears from falling, and offered a shaky smile. “Hey, you offered to injure someone for me. That means you kinda like me, doesn’t it??”

    Smile widened just a bit more, starting to show the sharp edge of teeth. “Darshan, I could give a fuck about your attention. Terra’s the one who wants it. I just want to be the one who gets your tiger once she’s done with you.”

    “I was thinking something sparkly,” Sahar said wickedly. “Possibly in velour.”

    “She gets knocked down by enough people, and she won’t be able to push anymore,” Edan replied, her voice serene. “Come on. Let’s go get something to eat.”

    “Ass,” Anna said pleasantly, leaving no doubt to the fact that she had picked up on his omission. “I’ll check, though. Tell me if there’s anything else I can do.” She pushed the tray further into the room, and picked up the phone in order to call down to the front desk.
    “I’m here for you to dump upon. Don’t worry about it,” he replied. Her question made him smile, though.
    “It’s a mark of the highest favor,” he replied solemnly, but still with a little smile on his lips.

    Darshan had never been a man of many words, and he did not waste them now. Instead, he took a step back, and the air thickened almost perceptibly as he gathered his power. Surface power, a thin, strong whipcord which he flung at Jayden with an almost playful flick of his wrist. His face remained blank, but there was a sort of dark pleasure in his too-black eyes, buried beneath the all to evident fury.

    “Sparkly velour??” Randi asked, fascination in her eyes as she looked back at Sahar. “Honey, where the fuck do /you/ shop??”
    Queenie laughed and Wes did another eye roll. “We should stop this now, before they manage to bond anymore,” he told his mate, who shushed him.

    Meloday chuckled, then nodded in agreement. Now that the battle was done and won, food was sounding rather miraculous. “After you, dear.”

    George chuckled, then motioned at Nolan. The witch moved over to him, they spoke a few murmured words, then he began to scour the suite. He’d stop randomly, mutter a few words, then move on. Not so strange. The strange part was when he touched a few random things with just his fingertips.
    Jacob watched them grimly. He had a feeling he knew what it meant.
    “That’s not really fair,” C.J. said, voice sad on his behalf. “Everyone dumps on you, don’t they?? But at least you have Kersti. Kersti makes you happy, right??” She looked at the healer earnestly, because it was only fair he got to be happy too. Since he made everyone else so happy as well.
    A silly little smile cropped up on her lips when he agreed. “Oh good. Sometimes I worry that you don’t like me, just ‘cause I’m so much trouble for you. But I do like /you/.”

    A snarl erupted from Jayden when he felt the pain Darshan flicked out, shoving away from the wall. His light-colored eyes flared bright, like the sun when it delivered a final dose of skin cancer, and he reached his own fingers out. Words were muttered beneath his breath, fingers curling slightly into claws. It was hard to determine exactly what he was doing, and not to be found out.
    “Boys boys, can’t we play nice??” The silken voice ambled into view a second later, high heels cracking the thin ice as Terra moved towards them. “This isn’t the way to go about things. Plus, you’re starting to draw attention.”
    She clicked her tongue at them, nodding her red-gold head towards the building across the street. A Starbucks, no less, where a lithe young man was standing beside the front door, arms crossed as he watched the threesome. They couldn’t really see his face from that distance, but they didn’t have to guess that he was watching them

    “Well, you have to add the sparkle yourself,” Sahar said with a grin. “I have a skirt made entirely out of men’s ties,” she added, for no apparent reason, her dark eyes wide and happy.

    Blue eyes tracked Nolan for a moment, before Tristan turned to George. “Seems like our boy has things well under control. Should we start looking, boss?” He shifted from foot to foot, obviously impatient.
    “I don’t mind,” Adrian said honestly. He smiled “And yes, Kersti makes me happy.”
    He gave her an exasperated look. “You’re never a trouble, C.J. I wish that you’d get hurt less for your own sake, not mine. Now, let me see that arm.”

    There was a bare moment between when Terra spoke, when Darshan’s attention shifted to her, and when his hand lashed out to grip her throat, dragging her around in front of him and effectively placing her between him and Jayden. “Terra,” he said, the name hissed out so softly that it was almost a caress. “Why would I want to play nicely?”
    A woman separated from the wall of the Starbucks, her approach so silent and swift that she might as well have appeared out of thin air. She stopped behind the young man, before reaching out to place a cool hand on his shoulder. “You’re a little too young to get involved in this sort of play, boy,” Sonya said, tonelessly.

    “I’d like to see that skirt,” Wes pointed out with a smirk.
    “You just want to unravel them,” Randi observed, and Wes shrugged unabashedly.
    Koran’s eyes were all wide and eager as he looked at Sahar. Clearly he wanted to unravel too, but he apparently took the thought a little further.

    George looked around the room again, then nodded. “Let’s go.” He turned to Nona. “No one gets in that door.” Then he headed out, letting Tristan close the door after him.
    “And so we’re caged,” Jacob muttered, but he had only to look towards the bedroom C.J. had disappeared into not to mind it so much.
    “Good,” C.J. said again, a nice little smile appearing this time. Her eyes strayed towards her joint, but she made no move to pick it up.
    Dark eyes widened at Adrian’s words, and her lower lip trembled again. “I don’t…I don’t /mean/ to get into trouble. Sometimes I don’t even know how it happens.” Her gaze dropped, hiding tears starting to rim them again, and she looked at her arm. “I can’t move it. I’m sorry. Do you want me to move so it’ll be easier for you??”

    Terra didn’t seem distinctly worried about the hand around her throat. Her own dark eyes glittered briefly but her smile was its usual silky darkness. “Darshan, now, this is beneath you. I expected something from you, but not /this/. Look what you’ve let yourself become over a silly little female.”
    She flicked her fingers behind her, and Jayden bared his teeth in nothing really even resembling a smile, then ambled away. His trench coat flared like wings around him.
    Price watched his departure, face grim. His hand was already reaching into his pocket, digging for his cell phone, when the hand fell on his arm. His head tilted towards the woman’s voice, though his eyes didn’t leave the other pair. “I don’t think this is play, ma’am. This looks damn real to me, and I think it’s best if I tried to stop it before it gets out of control.”

    “They are very well sewn together,” Sahar said, her voice mock-prim. “Thank you. My clothing does not fall off… unless I want it to fall off.” She lowered her eyelashes coyly, a cheeky smile on her mouth.

    “C’mon,” Tala said, rising to her feet and hooking her arm through Jacob’s. “I’ll entertain you.”
    “How do you intend to do that?” Fang inquired, with a passable attempt at his usual leer.
    “Cards,” Tala said flatly, but she smiled instead of giving him her usual glare. “You’re welcome to join, puppy, if you promise to behave.”
    “Only if it’s strip poker,” was his muttered response.
    “You can’t help it if trouble finds you,” Adrian soothed. “No one blames you.” He ran light fingers over her shoulder and down to her elbow. “No, of course you shouldn’t move it, not if it pains you. Just close your eyes and relax, and I’ll be done before you know it.”
    He closed his own eyes without waiting for a response, and drove into the deep, cool wellspring of power that was his alone, coaxing it to do his bidding. He encouraged C.J.’s body to heal itself, and as he did so, he spun another healing spell, one to calm the mind and ease the heart. That was, after all, his specialty.

    “I am what I have always been,” Darshan said, his voice deadly soft, “and it is your own fault if you are too foolish to see it. Did you really think that I would overlook such a transgression?” His hand tightened, and he allowed some of his power to course down his arm and into her. “Did you really believe that I would let a stupid, weak little bitch like you manipulate me? I am not one of your pawns, Terra. You cannot control me, and you cannot interfere in my affairs without being made to suffer the consequences.” He smiled, sharp like the edge of a blade. “To allow you to do so would be… how did you put it? Beneath me.”
    Sonya reached around him, and very gently removed the phone from his hand. “Be that as it may, it would be unwise to get between those two. Do you worry for the woman? Don’t.” He lips pursed. “Although it might be best to evacuate the area.” She shrugged, as if it was really no concern of hers.

    “How promising,” Wes smirked, and this time it was Queenie who sulked.
    Randi chuckled. “This whole house is so much fun. How could Mace stand all this excitement for so many years??”

    Jacob chuckled at his bandmates. “Yeah, cards sound like fun.” He looked towards Nona. “We won’t be needed for anything, will we??”
    C.J. closed her eyes again, trying to take Adrian’s advice and let her body relax. Her throat was tight again, threatening more tears, and she felt weak and helpless and sad. She hadn’t had enough pot yet.
    But that was another thing about Adrian; under the right circumstances, he was better than pot. C.J. felt her muscles relaxing, and her heart stopped pounding so hard, and she just felt…better, overall. Not so tense and weary and sad. A shuddering sigh blew out of her mouth and she kind of sank into herself, suddenly tired beyond all reason.

    Terra made a little strangled sound when Darshan zinged her, something between a snarl and a hiss. Holes appeared in her dark eyes, sucking in the light as anger began to take its form on her face. “Darshan, you good-for-nothing pacifist. You have such potential, such /ability/, and you’re letting it ride you by. /Why/?? So Daybreak doesn’t come hunting for you, threatening to put you back to sleep?? Why should you let them control your life, instead of making your own rules??” Her slender fingers wrapped around his wrist and she sent her own power spiraling back into him. But whereas his had been a trickle, hers was a blast. She saw no reason to limit her power usage.
    Price did look away for a moment when his phone was removed. “No, I can’t say I’m overly worried about the woman,” he said slowly. Yes, he’d heard enough stories from his mother to have an inkling of who that was. He didn’t think he’d much care if Darshan removed her from the picture.   “But I am wondering if this is going to be good for the buildings around here.” At her prompt to evacuate the area, he did look around consideringly. It was a rather broad space, with a lot of people, and it might be hard to get them to evacuate considering why he was trying to. Maybe he could just yell a bomb threat??

    “They won’t be falling off in front of you,” Sahar informed Wes tartly. She smirked at Randi. “Ah, and you weren’t even here for the good old days of the exploding appliances.”

    “Naw, you’re pretty much useless right now,” Nona reassured Jacob.
    “Thanks,” Tala drawled under her breath.
    Adrian’s eyes remained closed as bones knit themselves back together and bruises faded. He let his spell of calm settle deep into C.J.’s mind, then pulled back slowly. “You should get some rest, but I want you to eat something first. I thought that I heard something about room service, if you would like me to get you something.”

    There was a slight tightening around Darshan’s eyes, the only evidence that her power had stung him. His hand tightened even further, and there was a spark of satisfaction in his eyes when her heard something tender in her throat crack. “As I see it,” he said slowly, retaliating with a burst of his own power, not a trickle this time but a wave, hitting her and receding for a moment only to smash into her relentlessly again, “it would be to your advantage, right now, if I were a pacifist.”
    “How unfortunate for you that I am not.”
    He gazed at her with endlessly dark eyes, and gave her a careless little shake. “What you never seemed to grasp, Terra, is that I do make my own rules. I am making them right this moment, as I refuse to play your silly little games. I am not interested in conquering, and you should be grateful that I am not. If I were, I would have already done so, and you would be dead, for you see, I do not share well. Not power, and not anything else.” Another painful little shake for emphasis, and a wall of power sent crashing into her. “I do not share, and I have told you in the past that you, and your -pets-, would do well to stay away from what is mine. You did not heed me. Did you think that I would not harm you? Did you think that I -could- not?”
    “I wouldn’t worry too much,” Sonya said. “Darshan is well known for his control. Not that he seems to be showing much evidence of it right now.”
    She looked at the two dragons contemplatively. “I should probably keep him from killing her.” She considered, and shrugged again.

    "Spoilsport," Wes grumped, receiving a light kick under the table from Queenie.
    "I keep hearing about these exploding appliances," Randi agreed. "It's not fair that I didn't get to see it. How about a recap, for old time's sake??"
    Wes and Queenie let out some whoops. "Oh hell yeah, that's it, girl. Come on Sahar, you heard the woman. You're even in the kitchen. Pick your appliance."

    Jacob smiled wryly at Tala, not sure if he liked being termed useless anymore than she did. But, when it came down to it, Nona and the team did know what they were doing more than he did.
    He looked over at Fang. "What are you gonna do??"
    C.J. took a deep breath when Adrian released her, and only opened her eyes after he'd moved away. "Do I really need to eat something??" she asked, reaching up to rub her eyes. "I'm really tired, Adrian."

    Something boiled in Terra's eyes when something in her neck cracked, and her fingers curled into claws. It was pretty clear whatever diplomacy she'd been meaning to use with Darshan was rapidly evaporating.
    The power he crashed into her made her skin sizzle and her teeth clenched, hard enough to almost crack. His words didn't even seem to make an impact on her as the fingers still around his wrist tightened even more. Then she dropped her hand and pressed her palm to his chest. The direct contact seemed to thread her power into a straight arrow, which slammed into his chest and went straight for his heart.
    "You fucking bastard," she hissed, her voice dropping several octaves. "You're a /dragon/, Darshan, a goddamn dragon and not some stupid little regular shapeshifter. If you possibly think you can sit something like this out, then you're seriously mistaken, and likely to get caught in the crossfire. At this point, it wouldn't matter either way, useless piece of shit that you've been since you even woke up."
    She sent another dark arrow through his chest, wishing nothing else at that moment than to rip his heart out. "So in the end, you don't even /have/ anything. You fucking defensive jackass. So you can crawl back into your cave and we'll come knock on your door when it's all over, how's that??"
    "Neither of them are showing much control at this point," Price observed grimly, glancing at his phone still in her hand. "As for him not killing her, it's---"
    "---a little too soon to be deciding that," a voice infinitely cooler and somewhat softer than Price's finished for him. Appearing as silently as Sonya had at Price's shoulder, Gift stepped into being behind her shoulder, watching the two dragons. "I think we should let them wrap it up themselves, Ms. Dayton."

    "If I blow up any of Mace's appliances," Sahar intoned, with great restraint, "he will kick me out. And then Jayden will kill me in a horrible, bloody fashion. Because I bit his nose."
    She rose to her feet, and smoothed out her shirt with the greatest dignity before heading for the kitchen door. She paused, and threw a grin back over her shoulder. "Save the blender for later," she said, and disappeared into the hall.

    One corner of Tala's mouth jumped into an almost-smile when she saw Jacob's look, and she nodded slightly.
    "Find some cards," Fang replied, with a sigh and a vague wave of his hand. He crossed the suite and went into the room he shared with Jacob, and a moment later, the sound of him rifling through his many bags was heard.
    Adrian brushed a lock of hair off of her forehead, and stood, offering her a hand so that she could do the same. "You can wait until after you've gotten some sleep, but you're going to wake up ravenous. The body needs fuel to heal, especially when the healing is accelerated with a spell." It was an old cant, and one that he knew she had heard before, but he had to say it anyway.

    Darshan snarled as she placed her hand on his chest, her power ripping through him. The blast that he sent back at her was something like an irritated swat, if a swat had the equivalent force of a tsunami, and he shook her by the throat again.
    It took a moment for her words to penetrate the haze of still-burning fury and pain in his mind, but when they did, he smiled. "Perhaps you are right, Terra. Perhaps I cannot sit this out. In any case, you don't seem to be giving me a choice." His voice was very gentle, but his grip tightened a little more, and he thought longingly of fingers punching through flesh and the warmth of blood on his chilled hands. He reached up with his free hand, and covered her small, pale fingers with his own tan ones. He caressed her skin lightly... then closed his hand, and squeezed until he heard bones snap. "Congratulations, Terra. You have just made yourself an enemy."
    With that, he flung her away from him, into the hood of a car some twenty feet away, and turned back towards the three people lurking in the shadows of the Starbucks building. As he did so, he surrounded himself in a blanket of his own crackling dark power - just in case she recovered quickly enough to use his exposed back to her advantage.
    Sonya looked up when Gift approached, and gave another sort of 'whatever' shrug at the other woman's words, as if it was no concern of hers whether her employer's mother died or not. It didn't seem to matter, anyway, since Darshan had discarded Terra and she still seemed to be breathing. "Well, it's a moot point." She leaned forward, and tucked Price's phone into his pocket. Then she gave him a little pat on the head, and walked off as Darshan approached.

    The two lions exchanged looks, but didn't say anything. They knew Sahar had major issues with Jayden and wouldn't rub it in. Or make fun of it. Some things just weren't done.
    She did get a grin when she mentioned the blender, getting another whoop from Queenie. Until Randi inquired, "Who's Jayden??"
    "Oh, here we go," Wes said with a sigh.
    Koran giggled madly. "Oh let me, let me!" And he proceeded to tell Randi allll about Jayden, and Terra for the fun of it.
    "So does that mean you're going to leave my other appliances alone??" The quiet voice was threaded with a kind of tired amusement, and Mace watched Sahar from where he'd taken a seat on the stairs. A beer bottle hung loosely from his hand, elbow resting on his thigh as he gave a half-smile at her.

    Jacob gave another half-grin to Tala and nodded at Fang, before motioning to his singer. "Let's go, then. I need something distractible." With last night and today, life was really hitting the toilets.
    C.J. nodded as if it was the first time she'd heard it, taking his hand to raise to her feet. "Okay. I'll probably just take a short nap anyway." She gave him a little smile, fingers unconsciously clinging to his as they walked back into the bedroom. Overall, she did feel better; calm and more relaxed. And she didn't hurt anymore. Her arm was completely back to normal. But Terra's threat was hovering in her mind, and was threatening to send her back into a panic attack at any moment.
    Giving Adrian another little grin, she released his hand to crawl back into the bed. She clutched one of the pillows to her chest, realizing with a bit of a sinking feeling that Darshan probably wasn't coming back anytime soon.
    "Uh, Adrian?? Could you do me a favor when you go out there, and ask Fang to come in here??"

    Terra flew somewhat gracefully through the air, at least for someone who'd been thrown. She hit the hood of the car and rolled, landing on the pavement on the other side. Even that startling thump didn't stop the roar that rumbled from her throat, softer than most human ears could pick up, but loud enough for everyone in the near vicinity to pick up.
    Price's face became even more grim as he heard a strange kind of ruffling, then a bird streaked into the sky from the other side of the car. It was hard to tell if Terra was running away to lick her wounded pride in privacy, or if she was going to get backup before coming back to smite Darshan for good.
    Gift's eyes cut to Sonya as the woman walked away, but she didn't say anything. Price's hand had followed his phone into his pocket, and she could see the outline of his fingers stroking it gingerly as he watched Darshan's approach.
    She shook her head slightly and stepped in front of the vampire, watching the dragon herself. His power swirled around him, thick and dark. Only a fool would think he wasn't capable of calling on the things that rested inside him, but no one had ever accused Terra of being anything but. "Mr. Guivre," she said when he was close enough, eyes meeting his levelly. "Having a bad day already??"

    Sahar paused for a moment just outside the kitchen door, listening as Koran described Jayden. Her expression flickered for just a moment, becoming shadowed and solemn. She could make light of it, but... Jayden scared her.
    She brightened immediately when she saw Mace, and grinned widely. "No promises," she replied. She sprawled out on the stairs next to him, reclining back as if it was the most comfortable seat in the world, long legs stretched out in front of her. "The vacuum cleaner has been looking at me funny. I may be forced to make a preemptive strike, before it does something wicked."

    "Poor Jacob," Tala said, with another little smile. "Have people been mistreatin' you, honey? First your fans, and now Darshan's... fans." She flinched a little around the eyes when she said it, but kept on smiling. She didn't miss Nona's little shudder, though, and it didn't make her feel any better that the security guard was nervous, too. Because a dragon, that was...
    "Fang's causing a ruckus in your room," she said, to distract herself.
    After she had crawled into bed, Adrian turned towards the door. He stopped at her request, and nodded without turning around. "I'll do that." A pause. "Would you like me to call Darshan?"

    It took a moment for Darshan to focus on Gift's face, and another moment for him to realize that she'd asked him a question. Some of the humanity bled back into his eyes, although they remained a cold, merciless black, seeming to absorb the light rather than reflect it. "It just improved. Hello, Ms. Redfern."
    His gaze flicked towards Price, and his voice was very mild as he asked, "Did you enjoy the show, Mr. Kee?"

    Airport seat were never comfortable, and Irene shifted a little in hers, waiting impatiently for her flight to be called. She had a private plane, but she didn't want to use her own name... or rather, the name that was currently her own. So she was flying on one of the public airlines, under a pseudonym. Which meant time spent waiting, which was irritating, even to a woman as patient as Irene.
    She would, of course, be flying First Class. Nothing could entice her to fly coach.
    To pass the time, she dug into her purse and pulled out her cell phone, her thumb brushing lightly over the buttons for a moment before she dialed.

    Mace didn't say anything for a minute, instead taking a long pull at his bottle. Then he mused, "I never really liked that vacuum anyway. Ever since Pidge got a hold of it, it's started to smell when in use. Like something's burning."

    "Badly," Jacob said dryly, not even bothering with the pout he knew Fang would've thrown in. Pouting just didn't...become him. Plus the idea of pouting in the face of Darshan's...fan...didn't appeal to him either.
    "Well, it's his room too," he observed, glancing towards the bedroom. "I guess whatever helps keep his mind focused." He shrugged slightly.
    C.J. looked towards the window, arms tightening around the pillow as she rested her cheek on it. "Jacob already did," she said softly, not doubting her bandmate had done it as soon as he was able. "He'll get here when he gets here, I guess."

    Gift watched Darshan's eyes, seeing the humanity trying to bleed back. It managed to gain a little ground, but there was still too much fury there for it to really take hold. "I don't think it's going to get much better than that," she commented, nodding towards the car, where Terra's landing had left a dent. She'd always gotten a good deal of personal satisfaction when she got to throw the dragon around; what could top it??
    Price glanced quickly at Gift, then back at Darshan, only his eyes moving. "It was very...revealing," he finally said.

    The line rang emptily two lines before a click was heard. A lazy drawl filled the space between the phones, "Redwood."

    "You know," Sahar said, skittering a sideways glance at Mace, "you really have no room to criticize my handling of your appliances when your gang is just as bad as I am." She sniffed pointedly, the scent of burnt toaster still lingering in the air.
    She stretched one leg further out in front of her, and suddenly became absorbed in studying the tip of one of her boots. There was a tiny scuff on the light brown leather, but it really wasn't that interesting. "Sorry. I shouldn't have made that crack about Terra. I mean, it's not like you tease me about my not-entirely-irrational fear in regards to a certain orange-eyed monster."

    "It's not like you sleep there," Tala added.
    "Okay," Adrian said, and smiled softly at her before stepping out of the room. Poor C.J. She had never done anything to deserve this. Then again, so few of Terra's victims had.
    He didn't have to ask where Fang was. The thumping gave it away.

    "Yes," Darshan agreed, and for a moment, his eyes softened with satisfaction. "I have been wanting to do that for years," he confessed.
    "Not terribly," he told Price, a dry note creeping into his voice. "The only one who did not know that I could do that seems to have been Terra." He looked at the young man again, and his expression turned speculative. "And, perhaps, you."
    He looked at Gift again, and his voice turned silky soft and deadly once more. "Terra paid a visit to C.J. this morning," he explained.

    "Hello, darling," Irene drawled back, her lips quirking with humor. "Working hard, or hardly working?"

    Mace's lips quirked. "Honey, they never would've even considered blowing up my toaster if you hadn't showed up on my doorstep this morning. It's all your influence. What do /have/ against my appliances, child??"
    He hadn't looked at her as they spoke, and he didn't when she apologized. Silence reined for a second, before he finished off his beer. "It's okay, Sahar. No one really understands my fear of Terra." His eyes dropped, watching as he slowly rotated the empty bottle between his palms. "I hope they never have to understand it."

    "Not anytime in the near future," Jacob agreed, with a little sigh. Just sometimes, he missed sleeping in a real bed.
    C.J. smiled a little as Adrian left, and kept looking out the window. It was mid-morning, bright and shiny though thoroughly clouded over outside. It was hard to believe the winter holidays were coming up.
    Tears trickled down her cheeks some more, staining the pillow, but she just kept staring out the window.

    Gift studied him for another second, then a real and genuine grin bloomed on her face. A rare occurrence, if there ever was one. "Felt good, didn't it??"
    Price looked between them, having taken a step back so he could get them back in the same look. He liked Gift, and not just because she was friends with his mother. He even liked Darshan, or as much of him as he knew. But seeing them together like this, after Darshan had just kicked the crap out of another dragon...hmmm.
    Eyes fixed on Darshan, and Price gave Gift one more look before saying quietly, "No, I didn't know you were capable of that. And I'm willing to bet most of Daybreak doesn't either." Yes, there was a warning in that. Alarms would've gone off in several different places at the amount of power the two dragons had released, and several high figures in Daybreak were going to want answers.
    The grin having faded, this time only a hint of a smile tilted Gift's mouth. She looked at Price for a minute, before looking at the dragon again when he spoke. That would definitely explain it.
    Considering for several long minutes, she finally came to a decision and reached out, lightly touching Price's shoulder. "Price, why don't you call Keller and tell her I need to speak with her when she's got a moment."
    Price gave her a look, clearly not missing the not-too-subtle mission to get rid of him. Gift merely smiled, though her eyes were cold. Deciding it wasn't worth it at this point, he finally nodded and walked away, pulling out his phone and leaving them to it.
    Once he was safely out of range, she looked back at Darshan. "How bad??"

    "Darlin', ye'd prob'ly know tha answer tae tha' more'n I would," Patrick replied, his own lips quirking into a grin. He stretched his free arm back, putting his hand behind his head as he leaned back in his leather executive's chair. "Tae wha' do I owe this pleasure??"

    "It's obviously a plea for attention," Sahar said, after a moment's thought, a note of barely suppressed laughter in her voice. "I'm a very troubled girl, it would seem. I need help."
    His response surprised her, and it showed; in spite of her career on the stage, Sahar was not duplicitous by nature. For a moment, she seemed to be at a loss, unable to find a response. Then she bumped her shoulder against his, a silent and somewhat awkward offer of comfort. "What a bitch. She'll get hers." She seemed serenely certain of this fact, and she had reason to be... because neither Christian nor Darshan had seemed pleased this morning, and if she trusted anyone to Kill Them That Deserve A Good Killing, it was those two.

    "I think that a nice, long vacation without C.J. or Fang is sounding awful good at this point," Tala muttered. "Love them though I do."
    Adrian tossed a smile at Kersti before sticking his head into Fang's room. "Hey, Fang? C.J. wants you."
    The lamia in question pulled his head out of the duffle bag that he had been searching, the sleeve of a t-shirt caught on his ear. "Uh, okay." He removed the t-shirt, tossed the bag aside, and exited the room past Adrian.

    "Yes," Darshan said, that slight hissing syllable still lingering at the end of the word.
    He looked at Price for a long, silent moment. He had heard the warning in that, and the part of him that was still vicious with anger wanted to lash out. He didn't; he knew better, and was more than old enough to control himself. "It seems unlikely. I have made no special effort to draw attention to myself, these past years." Just the opposite, in fact, and damn Terra twice for forcing him out of hiding in such a flashy way. "If anyone of your people are concerned about the extent of my powers, I would be more than happy to answer what questions they have." Because it was better to answer questions now than to be dealing with witches on his doorstep later.
    The cold temper was back as they spoke about C.J., but he waited patiently until Price had left before speaking again. When he turned his gaze back to Gift, the swirling darkness was back in his eyes, a hint of what he had once been, long ago. "A broken arm," he replied. "Nothing that won't heal. Terra thought that harming C.J. would provide me with an incentive to join her. Jayden sought to add to that incentive with a few threats of his own."

    "Now, now," Irene said, her voice gently chiding. "I don't watch you every hour of every day. Much to my eternal disappointment, I assure you, since you are a fine specimen of a man. I'm actually heading out of the country, alas, so I'll have to have someone tape it for me. Or catch you in reruns."
    She crossed her ankles delicately, and leaned forward a little. "You have connections in the human world, do you not?" It sounded like a question, but it wasn't. Irene probably knew what he had eaten for breakfast, much less who he worked with.

    Mace's head remained still but his eyes rolled to the side, giving Sahar a good look. "I don't think anyone can give you the kind of help you need," he finally decided was safest to say, and a grin formed his tired face.
    He didn't say anything after his confession about Terra, didn't try to help Sahar find words. There'd been attempts at comfort before, but Terra was always going to be that scar on his soul that nothing would heal, nothing would help.
    He managed a small smile when she bumped his shoulder. "Yeah, I've been hoping she'd finally croaked for the past couple of years. Instead she got knocked up and punched out a kid. Ain't life just---" Mace's voice cut off so suddenly, it was like he'd lost his voice. His head rose, eyes shooting towards the second floor ceiling of his house. Every muscle in his body involuntarily froze, fingers tightening on the beer bottle in his hands. Nostrils flared as he took in a deep breath, then his eyes flashed.
    In one quick move, he was off the stairs and on the floor, with Sahar's wrist in his hand. "Go, now," he said, voice tense and tight. Not that she had a chance, as he was pretty much dragging her back towards the kitchen. His voice rose to a bellow that echoed up through the house, "/Get out of the house, now!/ Scatter!"
    Wes, Queenie, Randi, and Koran all looked up when he hurtled into the kitchen, pulling Sahar with him. "Mace, what's---"
    "Get out," he repeated, hearing stirrings and commotion around him. "Now. Get the fuck /out/ of here!"
    "Mace," Wes snapped, but he had only to see his leader's eyes to know what was about to happen. "Oh Mace."
    "Just go," he said tightly. "There's no point in any of you being here for this."
    "We're not going to leave you," Wes said quietly, reaching out to take Sahar from him. He passed her over to Koran, whose head was tilted curiously. "Fly Koran; get Sahar out of here."
    Koran looked at Mace, who nodded jerkily, then shrugged and tugged Sahar out the backdoor with him. "Let's fly!" he cooed, skipping away from the house.
    No one else followed them out.

    "A very long one," Jacob said, with a yearning little sigh.
    "Come on guys, don't be like that," Kersti chided gently, returning Adrian's smile when he came out. "They can't help it."
    A snort was heard from Nolan as he finished his walk around the suite, and returned to lounge by the front door. Seemed all he had to say on that subject.

    The grin was still there, but it got an edge as Gift looked at Darshan. Her amber eyes deepened slightly, and for a moment, reflected a flash of light from an opening door across the parking lot.
    Price got a chill. He couldn't help it. It did go away once the pair returned to their semi-normal states, but he couldn't forget that one moment. Maybe it was best Daybreak /did/ know about this.
    Head nodding slowly as Darshan spoke, Price replied just as slowly, "I'll pass that word along then." Because people /were/ going to want to talk to Darshan. Maybe Price could at least make sure they were the right people though.
    He walked away to speak to one of those people, and Gift's face became cool and closed, professional and businesslike. She met the darkness in Darshan's eyes with balancing calm and coolness, showing no hint of fear in the face of what he could do. She just...didn't feel that towards him. What could she say.
    His words did make her brows lift though. The fact that Terra and Jayden thought that coercing Darshan into doing their bidding through injuring his soulmate was a new level. One they'd always managed to avoid in the past. "I didn't know they felt quite so strongly about their daughter's ambitions," she said. "Terra's tried to get you on her side before, but never with such...singlemindedness. And she's always respected your wishes to keep C.J. clear of this. Or at least she hasn't gone against them." One shoulder lifted in a shrug. "Are you aware of something that's changed so drastically??"

    "Well now tha's a disappointment, darlin'," Patrick chuckled richly. "How do I know which times yer watchin' me, and which times yer not?? I want to be lookin' my best fer ye always, yanno." The fact that she was leaving the country wasn't lost on him, but neither did he comment on it. Another time, another person, for he knew how close-mouthed this particular individual was.
    At her question, his head tilted slightly. "I do. Why d'ya ask??"

    Jayden's walk was more of an amble, but not even the slow pace could hide the savagery binding every movement. His eyes were half-closed, eyes peering out like setting suns as he peered around. Expression still sleepy, with a little smile hovering over his lips, his path was mostly clear by instinct moving people out of his way. His face could hide the fury marching through his body, but it couldn't stop people from /feeling/ it radiating from him.
    He wasn't even sure who he was more enraged at either: Darshan or Terra. Darshan for the obvious reasons, and Terra for her interfering actions. Stupid bitch didn't know when to keep her nose out of things. But she, he could handle later, in a more private setting. Darshan though, he would handle now. And he knew exactly how to hurt the motherfucker.
    It would actually be his own very great pleasure to make that asshole squirm. And he knew where he was going to st---
    "Jayden."
    The silken voice almost made frost appear on the air, catching Jayden's attention immediately. From the shadows not two feet ahead and to his left, a figure peeled away from the building. Christian's velvety eyes were marbles of iciness as he stepped in front of the other man, and their gazes locked. "We need to talk."

    "Are you saying that I'm beyond all help?" Sahar teased.
    As Mace spoke, Sahar nodded again, her expression uncharacteristically grim. Terra and Jayden. That was just a match made in... somewhere. She looked up as he stopped speaking, a small, puzzled frown on her lips. "What--?" Whatever she might have asked, it was cut off as suddenly and abruptly as Mace's speech had been. She found herself on her feet, and Mace was dragging her towards the kitchen before she even knew what was happening.
    By the time she realized what was going on, she had been passed from Wes to Koran. She turned back towards the group in the kitchen, protesting. "Wait, no--." It was no use. She was out the door, being tugged along by the cheerfully oblivious Koran.
    Zeke stepped into the kitchen just as Sahar was pulled out of it, drawn by the commotion. It didn't take him long to realize what had happened, and what was about to happen. His lips thinned into a grim line. He said nothing.

    "They could," Tala contradicted. "If they tried real hard."
    "You guys bitch an awful lot," Tristan said, as he stepped back into the room. His face was tight, and it was obvious that his search had not been fruitful.
    "It's been a long morning," Anna told him, with a shrug of her shoulders.
    He paused long enough to flash a brilliant smile in her direction. "Yeah, tell me about it."
    Fang knocked on the doorframe of the room that C.J. and Darshan shared, then stepped inside. "Ceej? You doing alright?"

    Darshan inclined his head ever so slightly to Price, and watched as he walked away before turning back to Gift.
    "I don't know," he said, his eyes narrowing into thoughtful slits. "You are correct; she has never tried this hard before. I also find it interesting that I am, so far, the only one that they have tried to coerce using such methods. What -has- changed?" He shook his head. "I have. Last night, I agreed to aid Christian in any endevor of his to displace Blaire and her parents. Terra has never tried to persuade me so violently, but I have also never actively sought to work against her. But even that makes no sense, for there is no way for them to know of it. For that matter, I only received my invitation last night. They had no way of knowing that I would refuse until after the damage had been done." He frowned. "It is reckless. Even for Jayden and Terra, it is reckless."
    He straightened the edge of his shirt over his slacks as he thought. "Do we know that I am the only one that they will try this with?" Kersti and Adrian. Sahar. Julianna, who was not a fighter, for all her prowess in other areas. "We have so many weak flanks, Gift. Are all of them covered?"

    "I'm yet to catch you picking your nose, so I think you're fine," Irene drawled. "Other than that, if you take your shirt off every once and a while, I'll be perfectly happy. Besides, are you sure that you want to look good for me? For all you know, I'm an elderly Swedish woman with all of her teeth missing and a bad perm."
    "Idle curiosity, merely," she told him, in an airy voice. "I met the most entertaining gentleman the other evening. He didn't feel like one of us, but something in the way that he spoke and moved... he acted like a professional, Patrick." Her shrug could almost be heard over the phone lines. "Of course, he could have been a particularly evasive and fit tax accountant. But I thought I'd drop the name, and see if it meant anything to you."

    The sights and smells of the desert soothed Sonya, even though she was stuck in the middle of a city. It felt like home, and she promised herself that she would make it out to the desert at some point before she returned to Paris. She listened to the phone ring, listened and spoke the moment that she heard someone pick up.
    "Your mother has managed not only to alienate a potential ally, but to turn him into an enemy. All within hours of arriving. It has to be some kind of record."

    Koran cooed at nothing in particular, then his entire face lit up and he bounced beside Sahar. "Sahar! Wanna fly?? Huh huh huh??"
    Mace looked around the kitchen, something bleak flaring through his eyes as he looked at each individual face. "I'm sorry, guys."
    His gaze shifted when several people appeared in the doorway, a shirtless and sleep-mussed Luke at the front. "Mace, what's going on---"
    Again, it was like someone's voice had just been removed. But this time, they all knew why. Dark power washed like a suffocating blanket all around the house, making the shifters keen softly. Mace's eyes closed tightly, but that didn't stop him from hearing the front door slam open.
    "Oh Mace," Luke whispered.

    Kersti shook her head tolerantly at the band, looking at Adrian when he rejoined them. "How is she??" Jacob looked over as well, as for all his bitching, he /did/ care.
    George stepped in after Tristan, face cold and closed. The fact that they'd not found David meant something dirty was going on, and he didn't like it in the least.
    Lifting her head from the pillow, C.J. gave Fang a wobbly smile when he appeared. "Hey Fang. Yeah, I'm doing better. Adrian and his wonder hands, you know. But," her fingers pulled a little anxiously at a loose string on the pillow case, "I was wondering if you would, like, stay with me, in here, for a little while. 'Cause D isn't back yet, and, um," she looked up at him, then quickly over at the window, and her voice dropped, "I don't really wanna be alone right now. Would that be okay??"

    Gift listened to Darshan talk silently, not interrupting or inserting any words here or there. Basically because she agreed with everything he said and he didn't need any support from her. "Then again," she said when he'd finished, "Terra has had several encounters with you before. She knows you're almost fiercely neutral, and that wasn't likely to change no matter what. Maybe she just finally wanted you to pick a side, whether for or against her." It sounded a little too smart for the dragon, but it was convoluted enough to suit her.
    Grimness leaked into the edges of the cold planes of her face at his question, but she faced the question squarely. "Terra knows I'm not going to join her, nor the RoA or Hunters through me, though I'm not counting on that deterring her from trying to hurt me indirectly. But no Darshan, our weak links are not covered. How could they be?? Regardless of what we think of her, Terra is still a dragon, and very few people are going to be able to stand up to her on a level that will make a difference. Yes, numbers will do it, and I can pull from The Hunters to cover our flanks, but having enough people to counteract Terra on everyone that will need it is going to be a drain on everyone's resources."
    She shook her head and looked at him again. "We have two choices on that front. We can either send the weak links away, taking for granted that they will and won't try to get back here, or we can take care of the problem at the root." Which meant eliminating Terra, Jayden, and their daughter. Which was definitely looking to be the better option at this point.

    Another chuckle rumbled through the line. "Sweet'eart, I'm no' shallow enough tae worry 'bout yer looks. I do it just by yer voice," he teased easily, the smile evident in his voice.
    Her words caught his interest, raising his brows though she couldn't see it. "Well, are ye goin' tae drop tha name or just keep me in suspense??"

    Blaire's sigh was quiet but deep. "I'm sure it is, Sonya. But we can't afford to have an enemy this early in the game, no matter that it was Terra's fault." She paused for a second, obviously considering several factors. "What are the chances of a quiet elimination of this enemy right now??"

    Sahar was choking, choking on her own fear and the dark power that she could feel, even at this distance. There was also something suspiciously like guilt, a stern voice that sounded remarkably like her mother informing her that you never, ever left behind a member of your pride, and never mind that Mace and his gang were friends and not family.
    “Uh?” she asked, blinking slowly at Koran. Her mind worked furiously, and she gently pulled her hand away from him. She conjured a tremulous smile in return, because Koran wouldn’t understand the sobriety. “Some other time, Koran? It sounds like fun, but I have something that I really, really need to do.”
    Because even if she wasn’t willing to go back into that house, she had to do something.
    The front door slammed open, and Zeke edged a little closer to Randi, placing himself in front of her. He wanted to ask what they would do, but it was too late for that, and really, what could they do? It was Terra.

    “She’ll be fine,” Adrian said softly. “I healed the break, and did a little something to calm her down. I wouldn’t worry about it. Terra has this effect on most people.”
    “Terra?” Anna asked from where she was leaning against the end table.
    It took Adrian a moment to remember the woman from the previous night, and he cast a cursory look at the breast of her blazer, where her nametag was pinned. “Terra Drago. She’s a dragon.”
    Anna’s face turned pale.
    “Exactly,” Tala said.
    Tristan shook his head, and looked to Nona. “Is there any chance of you being able to track David?”
    “Don’t know,” Nona said, with a shrug. Her tongue flicked out from between her lips. “I could try.”
    Fang grinned at her because she seemed to need it, and plopped down next to her on the bed. “Of course. Am I entertaining you, or keeping you company?”

    One of Darshan’s hands lifted to his face, and her closed his eyes. When he dropped his hand and opened them again, they had bled back to their usual molten gold, although they remained hard and deadly. “So we kill them,” he said calmly. Because really, all their flanks were weak, and Gift was right - the only solution was to make sure that Terra and Sadi were not around to take advantage of that.

    “Mmm, so my voice does it for you?” Irene purred, then laughed.
    “I do love being mysterious, as you well know.” She shifted in her seat. “But I suppose I shan’t keep you waiting any longer. I only have a first name. Ry?”

    Sonya smiled a hard little smile, but it didn’t carry over into her voice. It would be unwise to show her amusement at the situation. “Unfortunately, Blaire, I don’t think that I have a gun big enough.”

    Koran’s head tilted as he stopped bouncing, peering at Sahar curiously. “What do you have to do??”
    Mace’s eyes closed again, before he gave a little shake of his head and walked out of the kitchen. Wes and Queenie immediately flanked him, and the gang gathered in the doorway turned with him to follow.
    Face tight, just because she could feel the power coming towards them, Randi looked at Zeke. “What’s going on??”
    Before he had a chance to answer, a shrill scream pierced the air, followed by howls and shrieks. Mace’s voice rose into a furious yell, “Goddammit, Terra, STOP IT!”
    The soft sound of flesh hitting flesh followed that command, and then the power that had already claimed those in the foyer reached Randi. She wasn’t even aware of sinking to her knees, wasn’t aware of the movement that brought her down to her hands. A will so much stronger than her own rushed through her body, rewiring her system to one purpose: please Terra, please Terra, please Terra.
    Roiling obsidian eyes scoured over the foyer, where those of Mace’s gang were splayed out at her feet. It gave her a deep inner satisfaction to see it, a balm on her pride after Darshan had stunned it. The two lions and the wolf closest to Mace had a mutinous glare as they stared at her, and Terra smiled at them. Taking a step closer, she knelt down, reaching a slender hand down to caress her fingers up the wolf’s jaw.
    “You look like that now, but pretty soon you’ll be begging to be petted,” she crooned as he fingers slid into his soft blond hair. He snarled, low in his throat, and her fingers clenched before she slammed his face into the hard wood floor.
    The two lions snarled furiously at her but she gave them one look, enough to shrivel it in their throats. Power crackled like a whirlwind around her and every shifter felt it. A few of them cringed away, but most stayed firm, staring at her with hated eyes. She was proud. Mace had chosen good people, and she was going to need good people.
    The thought made her turn to him, down on his knees as he should be. His head was bowed, eyes closed, but his hands were fists at his side. Anger radiating from him, and when she lifted his head with a hand under his chin, the imprint of her hand on his cheek was a red glare on his tanned face. Enraged eyes stared up at her, but Terra merely smiled, her thumb lightly tracing over his bottom lip. “My pretty boy,” she crooned, the silkiness in her voice making a little shudder go down the bottom of his spine. “You know I wouldn’t hurt you darling, but if you don’t do what I say, I /am/ going to hurt your people.”
    And that was the catch. They were his people, and he would do anything to protect them. The anger faded slightly, replaced with a kind of resigned bitterness. “Fine.”
    “Mace, no,” Luke said, his voice still a growl, but thick with the blood running freely from his broken nose. “You don’t---”
    “Yes, I do.”
    Terra smiled, a beautiful terrible smile, and lifted Mace to his feet when her hand under his chin. Queenie swallowed another snarl. “I’m sorry, Mace.”
    Mace merely shook his head and stepped behind Terra, because he knew that’s where she liked him to be. The dragon looked contemptuously between the lions and the wolf, then snapped her finger at one of the cringing females. “You. I want you to call Adrian Prieten right now.”
    The girl shuddered, eyes huge as she looked at Terra. Unconsciously edging closer to the dark power. “I don’t…we don’t know his---”
    “NOW!” Terra roared, hand sweeping out to slam into the girl’s face. The female was knocked to the floor and Terra heard various muffled snarls from the others, and her smile was savage as she looked around. “Don’t defy me. Not now, not /ever/.”
    “Pidge, go,” Mace said quietly from over her shoulder. “The number’s in my address book, beside my bed.”
    The sobbing female fled upstairs and Terra slanted Mace a look over her shoulder. “Come.” She walked to the kitchen, stepping on any digits that got in her way. Mace followed her silently, staring fixedly ahead.

    Kersti looked at Adrian shrewdly when he spoke, then reached out to wrap both her arms around him. “Are you okay??” she murmured in his ear, fingers stroking comfortingly over the hair at the nape of his neck. Most people knew Adrian’s history with Terra; Kersti knew how much she still affected him.
    Sighing again, Jacob looked at Anna. “Anna, it might be best if you get out of here now.”
    “That’s probably the best idea,” Nolan commented to Tristan. “Her being here is going to be a weakness we can’t afford if the dragon decides to come back. At least tracking down David is something useful she could be doing.”
    George considered it, then nodded at Nona. “He’s got a point, and you’re the best suited for the job. Tristan, you and Nolan stay here and guard. I’m going with Nona and when we find David, I’ll call.” There was a hardness to his voice that meant he /was/ going to find David, one way or another.
    C.J. instinctively edged closer to Fang when he sat down, the urge to cuddle almost overwhelming. Instead she contented herself with reaching out, taking Fang’s hand in her own cold grip. “Just company, if you don’t mind.”

    Gift smiled again, and this was the kind of smile people rarely got to speak about, because those who saw it weren’t often capable of speaking afterwards. “Now /that/ is something I’ve always wanted to do.” She glanced towards Price. “Unfortunately, we might have to be subtle about it. Daybreak won’t be mad when we kill them, but if we display the kind of power you did earlier, they’re going to try to get involved.”

    “Always ‘as,” Patrick teased, smiling when he heard her laugh.
    The inquiry made him fall into thoughtful silence. He knew only one Rye, and she wouldn’t appreciate being called a gentleman. But he had heard… “No’ personally, no, but lemme ask someone else. ‘e might know, lass. Ye gonna give me a contact number this time??”

    Blaire was silent for a second, clearly considering again. She knew the only “him” that would make Sonya pause was Darshan. Killing Darshan would be a waste. Killing Terra… “Alright. Keep watching her. Don’t let her approach Gift Redfern, or any of her acquaintances. If she does, you have permission to intervene with…reasonable force.”

    Jayden’s expression became bored as he looked at Christian. “I don’t really have time for this.”
    “Make time,” Christian said, voice so soft. “You’re treading thin ground right now as is. One stumble and you’re going to find yourself falling into a bottomless hole.”
    The bored expression didn’t alter, though Jayden’s eyes drooped into a long blink. “This sounds eerily familiar. Working with dragons now, are we??”
    “Jayden.” The voice alone made Jayden tense slightly. “Don’t fuck around right now.”
    Sleepy eyes narrowed and Jayden took a step closer to Christian. Their chests brushed slightly, eyes staring from millimeters away. “You want to see fucking around, Christian?? I have a list. And trust me.” A slow, deadly smile. “Sonya is right there at the top of it.”

    “I need to make a phone call. I don’t have a cell phone.” Sahar flashed him another not-quite-happy smile. Her lower lip trembled with the effort of keeping it in place. “Do you want to come with me?” Gotta go gotta go gotta go, her brain chanted, a completely useless repetition.

    Zeke closed his eyes when the dark power hit him, and slid to the ground, supporting himself on hands and knees but still keeping his body between Randi and the kitchen door. His breathing had turned ragged, and there was a burning core of fear and resentment somewhere in his chest, along with a sickening, magnetic pull towards the woman in the foyer.
    “Stay on your knees and keep quiet,” he rasped at Randi as he heard the approaching footsteps. “She might ignore you.” He raised his head to regard the door with a mutinous gaze, a growl caught in his throat, as he waited for the dragon to appear.

    For a long moment, Anna stared at Jacob. Then she nodded. “I think I’ll take the rest of the day off. I’ll leave the food here, but if you need anything, the people at the front desk can put you in contact with me.”
    “You’re with Daybreak, aren’t you?” Tala asked.
    “I guess you could say that,” Anna said, with a rather self-deprecating smile. “So call if you need the cavalry to come charging in, and no one else is available. They get off on that sort of thing.” She held up her hand in a little wave, and slipped out the door.
    “Let’s go,” Nona said, and stepped out after the young woman. She scanned the corridor, then shifted into her half-and-half form. Translucent, red-tinted scales marched across her arms and legs, and the edges of her face. Her pupils became slits, and when her tongue flicked out from between her lips again, tasting the air, it was thin and forked.
    “Company it is,” Fang said. He laid down next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist but keeping a careful inch between them, which was remarkably well behaved for Fang. Really, it wasn’t fair to place such temptation in front of him. “Now, go to sleep.”

    “We might not have a choice, Gift,” Darshan said, his expression turning remote. “I can kill Terra, but I may not be able to do so with any subtlety. She’s powerful, Gift. I’m more so, but when I kill her, it will be a near thing.” He sighed, softer than a whisper. “I’ll simply have to deal with the consequences, if Daybreak decides to look upon me unfavorably.”

    “I learn more about your kinks every day,” Irene teased.
    She was silent for a moment, before rattling off a number. “That’s my personal number, Patrick. Don’t abuse it. I won’t answer if it’s not safe to do so.” There was a kind of shivering tension in her voice, more anticipation than fear.

    Blaire’s idea of appropriate force probably differed from Sonya’s, but the bounty hunter didn’t bother to point that out. “As you command,” she replied, and hung up.

    Koran frowned a little. Granted, he wasn’t the most observant pea in the pod, but he could feel her uneasiness, saw her lip trembling a bit. “Well,” he said slowly, reaching into his pocket. “I have one.” He pulled out a thin black phone and offered it to her. “Here ya go.”

    Randi breathed harshly into her hand, eyes closing even tighter. She had /never/ felt this kind of draw, this kind of…compulsion. On her most basic animal level, she just wanted to tuck her tail between her legs and lip the chops of her alpha. On her more friendly human level, she felt a breathtaking resentment for what the dragon was doing to her. She could think on that level, and knew it wasn’t her will that had her on her knees.
    She grunted an acknowledgement to Zeke, trying to breathe through her nose. It was hard; her lungs were constricted and just getting worse the closer the dragon got. The click of heels were already in her hearing, but it was when they came into her sideways view that she felt the real weight of that power.
    Mace glanced down at Zeke and Randi, the only two still in the kitchen. Terra didn’t spare them a look, going instead to sit gracefully at a kitchen chair. “Mace, come here.”
    Pulling his eyes from his gang members before she could see him looking at them, he walked over to her. His back was stiff, his eyes hard and indifferent. Terra smiled at him and crooked her finger, and he fell to his knees in front of her.
    “My pretty Mace,” she crooned, leaning forward. Her lips hovered over his, fingers caressing down his jaw. “I’ve missed you. And now I’m going to tell you what I want.” Mace’s eyes closed as she ran her lips up his cheekbone, then began to murmur in his ear.
    Upstairs, Pidge was rifling through Mace’s drawers, looking frantically for his address book. When she found the black covered item, she sank onto his bed and picked up the extension on the bedside table. Rifling through the book until she found the right number, she punched it in with trembling fingers.

    Jacob looked after Anna for a second. It was like Daybreak, to offer their help. Though he’d never really pegged the human for it; she didn’t seem to have the real temperament for a Daybreaker.
    George nodded to Nona, then caught Tristan’s eyes for a short second before following Nona out. “Do you sense him here??”
    Sighing again, his new favorite thing, Jacob looked down at Tala. “I take it we should be canceling our show tonight.”
    C.J. apparently had no respect for the temptation she offered Fang, for she closed that inch of space and cuddled into the lamia like the cat she was. Her eyes closed and she buried her face in his chest, just enjoying the feel of a strong arm around her. It made it a little easier to breathe, and she sighed deeply, body relaxing as she instantly started to drift off.

    Gift was silent for a second, looking over Darshan’s shoulder into a contemplative distance. “Yes,” she finally agreed, because honestly, Terra was going to make a fuss while being killed. She wouldn’t be able to help herself. “If possible, I will be there when the time comes, and I’m sure Christian as well. With the three of us, it will make it less of a near thing.”
    Her eyes returned to his face. “And I will talk to Daybreak. They’re not going to put their disfavor on you.” No telling how she was going to pull that off, but it came with having connections in all the right places.

    “Ah, ye only wished ya knew ‘em all,” Patrick said, his voice dipping seductively.
    It returned to normal at the next point of conversation, and he memorized the number. Of course he knew better than to write it down somewhere. “O’ course, lass,” he said easily. “I might be tempted tae call ya and just rub in yer face ‘ow much more I know’n ya, since yer leavin’ the country an’ all.”

    When Christian was really and truly enraged, his eyes didn’t go empty, didn’t go cold, didn’t go hot. They went blank. Like a wall of shiny blue metal. The clouds ahead, already thick but still bright at the time, suddenly darkened to a shadowy gray color.
    Jayden didn’t know Christian well enough to know his quirks though. He didn’t back out of Christian’s space, didn’t pause in his soft, malicious words. “You must be aware of what I’m going to do to her, Christian. She may be cold to you, but when I get my hands on her, she’ll really learn to gaaargh.”
    The words cut off in a wet gurgling sound as Christian’s fangs sank into his throat. The first three fingers of his left hand were wrapped around his adam’s apple, squeezing with a quiet force that was edging outwards. No, Christian usually wasn’t so open and public about what he was and he didn’t generally approve of this kind of behavior. But when his girl was involved, he had no kind of code whatsoever. And he wanted to feel Jayden’s throat in his hand before he allowed the bastard near Sonya again.
    His initial strike having been so quick and to the point, Jayden couldn’t prevent it. But the feel of his blood being drawn out against his will offended him to an insane degree, and a roar echoed through the near area before he shifted. Christian didn’t bother trying to keep hold of the shifting tiger, instead just ripped his teeth out, causing as much damage as he could.
    People were starting to scream by the time Jayden finished his change but Christian didn’t notice. His blank eyes were focused solely on the other man, and the dark clouds above head pulsed dangerously.
    Whiskers twitching, the tiger looked at Christian before it let out a ferocious roar and swiped a deadly paw at him. Dodging it easily, Christian moved up beside him and swung his own fist, hitting the tiger square in the face and sending his head snapping back. In a humanoid form, it would’ve broken his neck, but the tiger just shook its great head and leapt at Christian with deadly force.

    The look that Sahar gave him was full of melting gratitude, and she took the offered phone. Her actress’s memory supplied her with a number, and she punched it in with fingers that were remarkably steady. The fear had faded a little, leaving in its place a sort of grim determination.

    Part of Zeke wanted to say something, wanted to interrupt whatever bile Terra was spewing into his leader’s ear. It wouldn’t achieve anything, though, and drawing attention to himself would only draw attention to Randi as well. Randi hadn’t been on the receiving end of Terra’s temper before, and he didn’t want her to be forced to experience that just yet. So he remained silent, and stared at the dragon with heated eyes.

    “I’m fine,” Adrian said after a long pause, reaching out for Kersti when he realized that she had spoken to him. “Sorry, I’m--.”
    Whatever he had been about to say was interrupted by his phone’s shrill, and he frowned down at his pocket before pulling out the phone and answering. “Adrian here.” He listened for a moment, a frown pulling in his eyebrows. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Calm now; it doesn’t sound that serious. He’s survived worse.” He hung up, and looked ruefully at Kersti.
    “Duty calls. Mace had a little accident in the kitchen. Playing with the knives, no doubt. I’ll run up there right quick, patch them up, and be back before you know it.” He dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Borrow your car keys?”
    “We’ll see,” Tala said tiredly. “Playing usually helps C.J. It might be the best thing at this point.
    “I don’t like it,” Tristan muttered, “but we’ll wait until George gets back to decide.”
    Fang sighed resignedly, and cuddled C.J. a little closer, resting his chin on the top of her head. Sure, she was dead sexy, but she was also a friend in need, and he couldn’t ignore that.

    Nona stalked towards the stairs instead of the elevator, her tongue sliding over her lips and teeth again. “I can tasssste him,” she replied, then looked mildly abashed over the hiss. “That isss to sssay, he wasss here, but not any more. Let me try to track him.”

    “We shall see,” Darshan said softly, and it was impossible to tell what he was responding to.
    A look of extreme irritation crossed his features when his phone began to buzz. He pulled it out, and flipped it open, eyes skimming over the display. Where Koran’s name blinked happily up at it. He grimaced slightly, and the phone continued to buzz.
    “Do me a favor, and see what he wants?” the dragon said, placing the vibrating phone into her hands.

    “I know enough,” Irene said in a throaty voice. “The walls have ears, Patrick.”
    She laughed delightedly, and remembered why talking to Patrick was always a pleasure. “Oh, I wouldn’t count on that, big boy. I -always- know what’s going on, no matter where I am. Should I bring you back a souvenir?”

    Koran started to hum, because Sahar was busy and couldn’t entertain him. His eyes rolled up to the sky and he bounced a bit, now enthralled with the idea of flying. Fly! His arms extended like the wings of a plane, and his humming turned into the mock rumbling of a jumbo jet as he started to, well, fly around.

    Randi glanced up every now and then, looking at Terra as she quietly terrorized Mace. Then she looked over at Zeke, and spoke without moving her lips, “What do we do??”

    Moving to his side when he held out his arm, Kersti didn’t comment as his phone rang. She simply slipped her arm around his waist, hugging him gently as he spoke. When he finished, a resigned amusement came to her face. “Mace and his toys,” she said dryly. Her hand dipped into her pocket, retrieving her keys, as her eyes searched his face. “Sure you don’t want me to come with you??”
    Jacob nodded at Tala, then looked at Tristan. “We might be safer on stage, anyway. She’d have to come through a lot more people, not to mention the fans are likely to kill anyone who tried to take us away.” A little smile cropped up, but it was all he could manage at this point.
    C.J. even managed a happy little sigh when Fang didn’t back away, and curled one arm around him to hold him close as she dropped into a light nap.

    George nodded and followed her silently, keeping a lookout on their back as she tracked their missing team member.

    Gift nodded slowly at his words but didn’t reply. She was already thinking of the eventual demise of the dragon, quite enjoying the images flashing through her mind.
    One brow rose when Darshan passed over his phone, but she didn’t comment. An amused smile came to her face when she cast a quick glance over the caller ID, then put the phone to her ear. “Yes darling??”

    “Is tha’ all they ‘ave, darlin’??” Patrick inquired, voice still in the bedroom octave.
    A chuckle echoed through the phone. “Well now ye’ve made it ma duty tae try tae surprise ya, lass. An’ tha’ depends, where are ya goin’??”

    The tiger knocked Christian to the ground, his superior weight covering him like a thick fur blanket. Christian immediately lifted his arm, eyes not losing their blankness when dagger sharp incisors buried in his forearm. His free hand moved down the tiger’s belly, searching for that soft spot before his fingers clawed through the fur and latched onto the tender skin there.
    The clouds rolled overhead, and an electrical charge filled the air, making hair raise everywhere. Jayden didn’t seem to notice, making raspy snarls as he gnawed on Christian’s arm. Blood poured down the vampire’s arm but his face didn’t alter as he broke through the skin and ripped with his fingernails, systematically gutting the tiger with his bare hand.

    As she waited for Darshan to answer, Sahar watched Koran. Because really, there was no not watching Koran, as he flew himself around and made jet noises. When she heard Gift’s voice, she drew in a sharp breath. “Gift?” She sounded as miserable as she felt, like a child with a scraped knee. “This is Sahar.”

    His eyes closed for a moment, then Zeke looked at Randi. “Go,” he murmured, and rose to his feet. He turned towards the dragon and Mace, his expression bordering on resigned. “What would you have us do… mistress?”

    “No, it’s just going to be a quick house call,” Adrian said. He smiled, and shook his head. “I swear, Mace and his crew get into more scrapes than… than C.J.” He took her keys, and gave her a light kiss before trotting out the door.
    “Your fans especially,” Tristan said, his voice sardonic.
    Fang sighed, and closed his own eyes, relaxing as she fell asleep. It had been a weird morning, and it felt nice to lie down and just… let go.

    Down the stairwell, and out into an ally behind the hotel. Nona stopped, her head swinging back and forth in an oddly fluid gesture. “He’sss not here anymore. We’re going to have to go hunting.” She looked at George, and there was a soft sort of anger in her eyes. “Hisss apartment firssst?”

    “Well, they might have eyes, too,” Irene intoned.
    “A surprise, hmm?” The laughter was still evident in her voice. “Well, there’s something to look forward to when I get back.” She paused. “From Paris.”

    One brow rose a little bit higher at that point, but Gift’s voice didn’t lose the amusement as she said, “Ms. Gulab, it’s been a while. What can we do for you??” Even when it had been a while, there was no beating around the bush with Gift.
    Eyes rolled up as she waited for the little shifter to reply, studying the darkening, thickening clouds. She tasted the electricity on the air and glanced at Darshan. Yes, that would be Christian.

    Randi’s expression was seriously confused as she watched Zeke rise, then look at the dragon.
    Dark eyes moved from Mace and Terra leaned back in her chair, offering the other man a smile. Mace was staring straight ahead, and the look on his face was something that hadn’t been seen since the Freaky Four days.
    “I want you to gather all of your little gang friends and situate yourselves in the parlor. When Adrian arrives, have your wolf show him into the kitchen with us.”

    Kersti rolled her eyes tolerantly and smiled after her healer boy. He was just so good, and sweet, and nice, and…
    “Christ, not /that/ look,” Jacob muttered, watching Kersti’s face. “We know you’re in love, you don’t have to broadcast it quite so loudly.”
    The other vampire made a face at him, then went to sit on one of the couches. Jacob shook his head and looked at Tristan, expression becoming grim again. “Good to know they’re good for something.”

    George looked around once, then nodded. “Yes. He wouldn’t have left without his arsenal.” A very bad thought, but one that had already been considered and was now being faced. David had ditched them.

    “An’ prob’ly noses, an’ fingers, an’ every other possible sense,” Patrick chuckled. He actually didn’t sound offended, private fellow though he was, but she’d come in handy so often for him that he couldn’t grudge her reciprocating.
    He wouldn’t admit to just a small bit of surprise when she actually offered her destination. While fishing was fun, with her it didn’t usually catch anything. “Ah, Paris. I ‘aven’t been there in quite some time. ‘ow ‘bout one o’ those tacky little Eiffel Tower models??”

    Another roar ripped out of Jayden’s throat when he felt Christian’s fingers bury in his gut. He shook his head wildly side to side, wanting to tear the vampire’s arm off, but Christian merely let the entire limb go limp. It shook just as wildly inside his mouth, but didn’t come off. And his fingers didn’t stop digging.
    Finally Jayden didn’t have a choice. He hopped off the vampire, blood dripping madly from his torn belly. Christian sat up silently, not even seeming to notice his arm as he looked at the tiger. He was so impossibly anger, he couldn’t form words verbally, so they came in a mental murmur. *You’re not going to touch Sonya, Jayden. Ever.*
    The tiger bared his teeth and leapt at him again. Something pulsed in the sky, and just before Jayden landed on Christian, lightning struck. A dazzling white bolt, edged with blue silver, that struck Jayden on the scruff of his neck. Luckily, there were no humans still hanging around to scream as a few subsequent bolts lazily flickered down, skipping over the cement sidewalk before the energy started to dissipate.
    Christian stared at Jayden’s smoking form silently for a long time.

    “Hi Gift,” Sahar said, and although her voice didn’t lose its miserable edge, it sped up to the point where her words were blurring together. “Well, you see, Darshan and Christian thought that I might kind of get my ass kicked or, um, killed if I continued to wander around town alone, so they had Koran drop me off at Mace’s house, and everything was fine except for the toaster blowing up and Queenie refusing to send me butt pictures, except, uhm…” She swallowed hard, and stemmed the rush of words, taking a quick breath before finishing. “There was a dragon. A couple of minutes ago. I think it must have been Terra, since it wasn’t Darshan or Koran and Christian said she was back in town. I didn’t see. Mace and Wes pushed me out the door before she… it… arrived.” By the time that she finished, Sahar sounded like she was on the edge of tears, panic or frustration or both.
    Darshan caught Gift’s gaze, and tilted his face back to look at the sky, his nostrils flaring as he took in the crackling-sharp smell of lightning in the air. “It would seem that Christian has located Mr. Sadi,” the dragon said.

    A soft sigh caught in Zeke’s throat when Randi just didn’t move. He wanted her away from the dragon, at least until her initial reaction had worn off. When Terra gave her orders, he knew better than to ask Mace for confirmation, but he couldn’t quite keep his eyes from flicking towards his leader. “As you like,” he said, after a pause.

    “Ya’ll are just cute,” Tala said, and didn’t sound like she was sure it was a good thing.
    The sounds which came from Tristan’s throat were very rude.

    “Of courssse not,” Nona said softly. “Let’sss go. If you break a few traffic lawsss, we might be able to catch up with him before he sssplitsssss.” The last word trailed off into the low, warning hiss of an angry serpent.

    “Anything for you, darling,” Irene replied amusedly. The tone didn’t change as she continued, warm and full of humor. “Now, since I’ve given you enough to guarantee that my pretty little head will end up on a spike if you so chose, I think I’ll let you go before I say anything else indiscreet.” That was Irene, where a phone number and a destination were an extravagant amount of personal information. “You take care of yourself, big guy.”

    “It would seem that you haven’t lost your touch,” Sonya commented softly, from the mouth of a nearby alleyway. She was leaning against the wall, her expression coolly serene, and there was a gun in her hand, hanging loosely next to her side, black against the black of her clothing. “Is he still breathing?”

    Gift was silent as Sahar thoroughly rambled herself into stillness. Her eyes remained on the clouds, watching them roil above, silently agreeing with Darshan’s estimation. Yes, Jayden would make Christian call lightning. She wished she was there to see it.
    “So you fear Terra has descended upon Mace’s house,” she finally concluded to Sahar. She didn’t sound worried or upset in the least about that idea, and she smiled at Darshan. “Where are you now??”

    Terra didn’t pretend not to notice the flicker of Zeke’s eyes, and she turned a fond smile on Mace. “Yes, I think that will be all. Dismissed.”
    Mace glanced sideways at Zeke, and gave a short nod of his head. Randi frowned slightly, but rose to her feet to follow Zeke. Drawing Terra’s eyes to him, as if noticing her for the first time. “You’re new,” the dragon observed, looking Randi over. “Who are you??”
    “Ah,” Randi said, looking at Mace. Mace’s face tightened even as Terra smiled again. A casual flick of power darted across the room, and Randi was on her knees again, making a shrill whining sound.
    “When I ask a question, I expect to be answered in a timely manner,” she said mildly, hand absently reaching out to pet Mace’s head.
    Randi wheezed harshly. “Randi. I’m Randi.”
    “How nice,” Terra said, and her voice was bored as her eyes followed her hand to Mace. “See to it Zeke. And take her with you.” Another smile. “I need some alone time with Mace before Adrian gets here.”

    “It’s okay, I know you’re sad because you haven’t found your Adrian,” Kersti said serenely, seeming bothered by none of them.
    Jacob just rolled his eyes. Nolan was smiling, but it didn’t seem to be at any of them.

    George nodded again and led the way to his car. He didn’t like it /just/ because it was fast, but that was a damn good reason.
    Waiting as Nona slipped in, he turned it to life and shot into the darkening day. Looks like it was going to rain.

    “Likewise, darlin’, an’ enjoy Paris,” Patrick chuckled, then hung up. He loved being able to do it before her at any opportunity.

    It took a second, but Christian did manage to take his eyes away from Jayden to look at her. “So rare I get the opportunity to do that,” he said absently, glancing back at Jayden briefly. “And yes, he is. But not for long.”
    He rose to his feet, blood dripping down his arm where it hung at his side. He still didn’t seem to notice it, looking back at Jayden’s body again. Something to punch through the heart, and then a good old-fashioned beheading. He hadn’t done /that/ in a very long time.
    Unfortunately, before he had a chance to look for an appropriate weapon, the click-clack of several pairs of boots echoed in his ears. Head lifting, Christian watched the four men approaching. They all wore black trench coats, all had spiky gelled hair, and all had a milder form of the murderous look Jayden always seemed to have in his eyes.
    “I’m afraid we’re going to have to cut in now,” the one at the front said.
    “Just count yourself lucky we don’t take your bitch with us,” one towards the back smirked, looking with vicious eyes in Sonya’s direction.
    Christian smiled that cold, brutal smile and the electrical charge came back into the air.

    “A few blocks away from the house,” Sahar said, gaining control of herself with an obvious effort. “I’m with Koran.” She cast a dubious glance at the dragon, still running around with his arms outstretched.
    One of Darshan’s eyebrows rose elegantly, and he looked at Gift again.

    Zeke closed his eyes when Randi fell to her knees, then reached out to grip her by the arm, pulling her to her feet. He looked at Mace once more, bleakly, then pulled the younger shape-shifter out of the kitchen and into the foyer.
    He released her once they were there, and rubbed his hands over his face before speaking. “Alright. Everyone into the parlor. Mace’s orders.” The gang leader had confirmed it, at least. Zeke wondered if he would have obeyed if Mace hadn’t confirmed it. He wondered if he would have had the courage not to obey.
    He shook his head, and reached out to touch Luke’s shoulder when he saw the bloody nose. “You okay?” he asked hoarsely.

    A roll of her eyes, and Tala turned to Jacob. “So. Cards?”

    Nona climbed into the car, and closed her eyes, her tongue creeping out from between her lips every so often as she tasted the air. The leather of George’s car seats, George’s scent, the taste of an oncoming storm and the inevitable stench of a city.

    A smile touched Sonya’s lips but left the gunmetal gray of her eyes unaffected, as she swept a glance over the four men. “Not even on your best day,” she said softly, the hand with the gun still deceptively relaxed against her thigh. “Take him, though. His daughter would be displeased with me if he became any deader.”

    “Ah, I’m sure that makes you feel safe,” Gift commented, looking around when Darshan lifted a brow at her. “Why don’t you come to the Starbucks near the Paris. I’m going to put you in a safe house this time.” And she hung up, for Price was walking back towards them. The vampire’s eyes were fixed on the sky, a bit of a puzzled frown on his face.
    “What’s this??”
    Gift smiled. “That’s Christian. But not for you to worry about right now. What did Keller say??”
    Price’s puzzlement had turned into a darker frown. “She said she’s on her way. But you said Christian---”
    “Good,” Gift cut in smoothly. “I want you to stay here and meet her. A female shape shifter is going to be coming this way soon, with Koran. I want you to give her to Keller. Darshan and I have something to do, but we’ll be back shortly.”

    “Jesus fucking Christ,” Randi muttered once they were in the foyer, and several of the gang members gave her bleak looks. They didn’t need to ask to know what she’d gone through.
    They all nodded at Zeke’s words, and those that were not standing rose to their feet, and they all moved into the parlor. Luke was slower to get to his feet, probing gently at his nose. “Fine,” he answered, voice thick-sounding. “Never been better. How the /hell/ did that bitch get back here??”
    “Shut up,” Wes muttered, glancing towards the kitchen. “You don’t want her to hear you, not this early.”

    George slowly sank into his cold place as the car moved through late morning traffic. He liked The Hunters, and really liked his team. They’d been a team for a while. But David had gone behind their backs, and the punishment was going to be determined by how far he’d gone.
    Ten minutes later, he pulled up to a nice apartment building on the outskirts of the Strip and turned the engine off.

    “Like we’re going to take suggestions from some slut bitch,” the openly derisive one snorted, shaking his head. The other three were looking intently at Christian.
    After a moment, Christian smiled again and waved his hand. “Please, take him. Tell him when he wakes, if he comes near me or mine again, he’s not going to wake up next time.”
    The four vampires looked at each other, then each grabbed a limb and started to haul the tiger away. Christian didn’t bother watching their journey, instead turning to Sonya. The electrical charge was still in the air, making the stillness more pronounced in the area. “Hello.”

    For a moment, Sahar stared down at the phone. She had been hung up on. It was hardly the first time, but, well… shit.
    She made a rude sound, and looked at Koran, clearing her throat delicately. “Hey, Koran? I… think… that Gift is on her way here. I want to wait for her to show up, and then maybe you and I could fly over to the Starbucks near the Paris? I’ll buy you a mocha.”
    “Don’t worry about it Mr. Kee,” Darshan said, in a soothing sort of voice. He looked at Gift, and ducked his head so that he could speak into her ear. “Would you like to fly, Ms. Redfern? It would probably be the quickest way of getting where we’re going.”

    “Wes is right,” Zeke said, his voice soft and strained. He put a light hand on Luke’s arm, although whether it was meant to support or restrain was difficult to tell.
    A shape-shifter’s ears were sensitive, so Zeke heard the quiet purr of a car as it pulled up outside. He crossed to the window and pulled back the curtain, watching as Adrian climbed out of Kersti’s car. “Stupid boy. Tell him someone is hurt, and he’ll walk right into a trap with a smile on his fool face.” Not that Adrian was smiling; he looked concerned, probably afraid that someone would bleed to death from whatever paper cut Pidge had made up. He paused, as if he could sense something not quite right, but continued up the driveway after a second’s hesitation.

    Fishnet and mesh whispered against leather as Nona slithered out of the car, her eyes focused on the building, still half-shifted. Her scales glowed an opalescent red in the thin, pale sunlight that filtered through the clouds. “I’ll take the elevator, you take the ssstairss?”