Chapter 5 What to do now

Jane turns off the road of rubble that had been interstate 89 before the war began. The city stood in ruin and she ignored the half decayed bodies lying within the streets. Verman scurried around, attracted to the smell of rotting flesh and becoming fat on the meat. She grimaces as the motorcycle runs over a discarded hand and is thankful for the loud rumble of the engine keeping her from hearing the loud crunch of breaking bones. She turns on the radio and flips through the static filled stations until a woman's calm voice fills her ears.

"'Why is this happening to us?' That is the number one question asked by our listeners. Well, I've got a story for everyone today that might shed some light on everything. Let me tell you about the legend of Twilight..."

"Great, just what I wanted to hear today," she mumbles but can't bring herself to turn it off. It'd been a long time since she'd heard it.

"Listen up kiddies, because long ago there were three kingdoms. The more famous two were Midnight and Sunlight. Simple enough with the whole yin and yang thing. Castle Brightlight was blessed with the Sunlight magic and Castle Darklight was blessed with Midnight magic. Only one kingdom stood above the two and this was known as the Twilight Kingdom and they were said to be blessed with all the magic of the known universe.

"The three Kingdoms fell. No one knows what has become of Twilight. Midnight descendants are said to be cursed while Sunlight descendants were said to have been all slaughtered. Out of their destruction, six new kingdoms arose: Fire, Wind, Snow, Earth, Sea, and Beasts. They, too, were brought to ruin and their kingdoms lost.

"Now why do we care about all of this? Because these were the beings blessed with the magic of the world. With the fall of the three great kingdoms, our magic began to dwindle away. When the others fell, all the magic just about disappeared, leaving us defenseless to the hardships of the world. Without it, we're fated to fade away until there's nothing left.

"But there's a legend passed down through the ages, one that tells us of Twilight's revival. The heir is still out there and it is said that he will bring back the lands of Midnight and Sunlight. But here's the catch kiddos. The legend tells that the Twilight heir will save the world...or destroy it.

The woman pauses to let those words sink in and Jane sighs. She'd heard the same thing so many different times and waited for the woman to start with the threats.

"I for one, believe that the Twilight Heir is out there. There's plenty of evidence to support the heir's rise of power. Our mythical creatures are returning. Vampires roam the earth, werewolves have been spotted here and there, I heard last week that there's a centaur or two running around with the rebellion..."

Jane's eyes widen. That was a new fun fact of the day. She'd always thought centaurs weren't real.

"...not to mention the latest reports of a DRAGON in Nebraska. And then here's the greatest part...our magic has been sprouting up all over the world. I can feel the magic returning to these old hands. Miracles are happening people. It isn't up to the Twilight Heir to solve the world's problems. It's on us. WE need to rise up from the ashes and take our world back. WE need to fix the mistakes we've spent centuries making."

The station fades to static and she shuts it off. The witches never ceased to surprise her and yet she still hadn't met one that could do more than simple healing magic. If magic was returning to the world, she'd yet to see it.

She turns onto a barron road and pulls up to an abandoned warehouse where Novan stood waiting for her.

She kicks out the kickstand and takes Novan's hand before getting off. The two of them head inside.

"They have yet to arrive," Novan informs her quietly.

"They would've stopped for the night," she says with a yawn. She could still feel the vibrations of the motorcycle coursing through her. The warehouse was a long way from where they'd been and stopping hadn't been an option with the possibility of being followed hanging over their heads. Nicole and Alexander still should have arrived before she did.

"As they should," Novan answers. "Midnight is the hunting hour, we should avoid being caught in that for a while." She knew he was right but still...

He pats her shoulder gently and she looks up to his kind smile.

"They will be fine, ma chere. They're both capable hunters and I pity any who cross their path." She gives him a wry smile.

"You always manage to say the right things at the right time. How do you do that?" He looks away from her with a bitter smile.

"I have spent seven years around you, I would like to think I know what type of person you are." They set up camp in one of the larger rooms with only one doorway but lots of windows to exit from should they need to escape from the second floor.

"And what type of person do you think I am?"

"One that always worries about her friends even though she has yet to admit that she actually has friends," he answers truthfully, a teasing note to his voice. She rolls her eyes.

"Well someone needs to look after you lot, you're all reckless people," she answers with a laugh.

I'll always look after you...

The laughter dies in her throat as the memory of Prudence surfaces in her mind. They finish setting up and watch through the broken windows as the sun continues to set. A loneliness creeps upon her thoughts.

Stryder was dead. Finding him had been her only reason to carry on for two years and now that he was gone...what was left for her? She was all alone now without even the thought of revenge to keep her warm. All that was left was an endless pit of...nothing.

"You need to rest," Novan says simply, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I shall take the first watch." She stands with a stretch.

"I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep for a little while. I'll go do a parameter check, get some air."

"Would you like me to join you?"

"Nah, I'll be alright. You'll hear anything before I do anyways." She double checks the ammo in her gun before heading out into the cool night air.

The scent of grass fills her nose and she lets out a quiet sigh. There wouldn't be many nights like this left before the cold would take over. Time seemed to always be running out...

She looks up at the darkened sky, watching as each of the stars begin to darken. One at a time, it was as if all their light went out. She looks down again and the grass has lost its color, seemingly nothing but a softly rolling wave of emptiness surrounding her. She reaches into her thigh high leather boot and pulls the dagger from its sheath.

Why was she even there?

There was nothing left for her here.

Just...nothing.

The darkness pulls at her heart and she feels herself walking into the void even as she sits upon the cool ground. The flash of silver seems to be the only light in her world.

The blade is cold against her arm, seeming to draw the warmth out of her. All of her knives were sharp as razors, she made sure of that every day. All it would take was a little pressure and it would all be over.

...do it...

Her hand flexes, putting the smallest of pressure against the blade and pain sparks along her arm. A drop of red slides down and falls to the ground.

Ma cheré...

The dagger falls from her hand and she curses herself.

They don't need me, they'll do just fine on their own.

Even as she thinks that, she still can't pick up the knife. She closes her eyes and leans against the warehouse as the tears take over. Seven years, she'd been with them, hunted with them, covered their backs and throughout all of it she'd fought to remain apart from them. She didn't want them to always be trapped at her side and the fear of losing them had become a constant reminder that she was getting in too deep.

A bitter smile forms on her lips.

Novan would just bring me back as a Vampire anyway and chastise me for the rest of his life.

She looks up to the sky again, the stars casting nothing but dulled lights within the darkness. They'd become so much more than she could have imagined. How could she tell herself that she didn't care if they left anymore? They were a family, might as well have been since the moment they met. They were always there for her even when she didn't want them to be.

"Let go!" She screams.

"No, ma cheré," he whispers, his arms holding her tighter. He pulls her up from the floor and sits on the edge of the bed.

"WHY!?!" she screams as the reality sets in and he holds her closer, letting her tears of loss spill onto his shirt.

The stars begin to brighten and the tears begin to slow. She owed them more than the coward's path.

Nicole flips the blond strands out of her eyes, a smile on her lips.

"Well, duh," she laughs. "Did you think we'd ever leave you on your own? Knowing you, you'd trip and knock yourself out on a wall, blowing any shot you'd ever have. So of course, we're coming with you."

She chokes out a laugh at the memory and gets to her feet. She looks down at her arm again and angry red line she'd made, a thin trail of blood already beginning to dry. Shrugging, she licks it away and rubs some dirt over it, hoping to disguise the scent.

Walking back into their room, she puts her gun beneath the pillow on the makeshift cot.

"Everything alright?"

She nods and and gets below the covers, sleep already tugging at her mind.

"Wake me in six hours."

Novan waits until he's sure she's asleep before moving her arm from beneath the covers, careful not to wake her. Pain stabs at his heart when he notices the little red line along the vein.

At least she decided to stay with us...

He'd known it would come eventually. Once Stryder was gone she would have to make a choice and he'd spent many nights begging to whatever would listen that she would chose to stay with him, that she'd live.

Gods only knew what he'd turn into without her in the world.

Red fills his vision and he rips into the nearest human. Someone grabs him and he launches the corpse at them. The hands disappears from him. Hunger fills him and he launches upon his attacker, fangs sinking deep into their jugular. A sweet euphoria fills him and he purrs as the blood coats his throat.

He shakes his head and hurriedly steps away from Jane's sleeping form. His fangs began to lengthen and drip in excitement as he watches her.

That was different...

Those hunters had attacked him. If he hadn't killed them, they would have tracked him down later and caused problems.

Jane moans in her sleep and his eyes lock onto her lips, quiet breaths escaping them. She slept, unawares of the true monster in the room with her, watching her, wanting her.

And yet to him, she appeared as an angel. Skin as pure as snow and hair that was braided tightly yet still managed to fall off the side of the cot and coil around like a snake on the floor. What he wouldn't give to run his fingers through the overly long strands, to use them to trap her hands at her sides as he ran his lips along...

He gets up and flees the room, not trusting himself any longer. How could someone so perfect trust something like him? Every day his hunger for her grew stronger, demanded for him to feast on the nectar of her life's blood.

Just let me find a safe haven for them and I will leave her life forever.

He sighs again and walks along the grounds until his control is back in place, and then heads back to the room.

She stands in a field filled with the sweet scent of roses. She closes her eyes and lets the golden light warm her skin, a smile forming on her lips.

"Your story is far from over," a honey sweet voice calls from behind her. Her smile vanishes as she turns to face the woman behind her. The field of roses was gone and in their stead stood the ruins of a great fortress. The sky flashes with brilliant light as the lightning strikes, thunder making the ground tremble beneath her feet. The old woman sitting in a stone chair seemed oddly out of place in this realm of destruction and despair.

"Don't you have anyone else's dreams to haunt, Marianna?" The old ghost frowns at her.

"I'm sorry I disturb you so much."

Jane resists the urge to throw something.

"What do you want?" she sighs.

"To remind you of your destiny."

"My destiny is my own to decide."

Marianna shakes her head slowly, disappointed in her yet again.

"When will you learn?" She asks as the floor crumbles beneath them, casting Jane into the depths of the world. Images begin to form around her as she falls deeper and deeper into the abyss. Pain sparks on her cheek and the hand pulls away slowly to reveal the form of a winged woman, disgust clear on her features.

"She'll destroy that which she loved," the woman says ominously, disdain clear in her voice and Jane can't help but turn away.

"She'll fight until she falls her last," says a welcoming male's voice. She's suddenly holding the handle of a sword, long hair brushing over her shoulder as his breath tickles her throat. "She'll do anything it takes," he whispers in her ear before his final breath escapes him. Tears sting her eyes as she catches sight of the tip of her sword protruding from his back and she releases the handle. Blood coated her hands and she closes her eyes, willing the sight away as a quiet sob escapes her.

"She holds the power to save the world from destruction. She is everything." She knew that voice oh too well.

"Marianna, stop..."she sobs quietly, pleadingly, and yet she turns toward him anyway, yearning for the sight of him. His full lips give her a smile fit for prince charming himself before he too, fades away. It's dark for a few moments before lightning lights up the sky, drawing her eyes to a bridge.

She shakes her head and tries to back away but she's frozen there, watching the scene unfold.

"No, no no no no no," she cries. She couldn't watch this again, couldn't lose him again.

"And yet she holds no power at all. She is nothing...and the world is thrown into chaos," Marianna says quietly from behind her.

She sees a figure fall and her heart stops.

"NNNOOO!!!" She screams in unison with her past self as Prudence slowly falls into the dark abyss below.

Her cry pierces through the cloud of sleep and she bolts into a sitting position on the cot, breathing heavily.

"Unpleasant dreams?" Novan asks from his perch.

"Unfortunately," she gasps. She looks out the windows and notices the sun was already high in the sky. "You didn't wake me," she says with a frown. He doesn't answer her but to point at her carry on bag where he had already unpacked the supply of food. "Damnit Novan, you were supposed to wake me."

"You are not the only one with memories they wish to escape," he replies quietly. She shakes her head irritably but decides to let it rest for now. Not like there was anything she could say to him that would make him change. She reaches into the food stores as her stomach grumbles before sitting down beside him. He takes one look at her choice of food and lets out a laugh.

"What?"

"Trail mix and Coke huh?" She fills her mouth with trail mix before giving him a puffy cheeked smile. He throws his head back with laughter and even she can't help but laugh, her dream pushed out of her mind for now.

They look out the window as a herd of horses stop to graze in the blood stained grass. All around the warehouse there was nothing but open fields and this was the first time in a long time they'd seen larger animals run around here. Maybe they belonged to a farm once.

"There is not much left to save," Novan says quietly, watching them in awe.

"Do you think things will ever go back to the way it was after the war ends?" She asks in a whisper. He turns to her with a knowing light in his obsidian eyes.

"There are days I no longer know."