Being human had it's plusses, days, weeks, months after it happened she still wondered at the sun. She'd forgotten how the world looked in the sunlight and growing up in the warmth of Italy meant that she'd never seen the sun glint off of snow and ice.

She still lived most of her life at night, still planning parties, breaking into houses, stealing things. Each night there was something, usually something small that tipped her off that there was movement behind the scenes of whatever drama she'd been pulled into.

Research had hit a wall, she knew the components of the spells that had been used on her but not the specifics or how to reverse them.

So she kept moving forward, started taking more chances, forgetting that s he was mortal. A life where you heal quickly, where you are enhanced is hard to forget and leave behind. She was only reminded when she'd get home and have to patch herself up, a few times having to take a day or two off to recover.

Part of her kept pushing, to see how far a human body could go.

Part of her didn't think she could break.

Part of her almost wished that she would.

The first few orbs had been cake. Not that she thought they all would be that easy. There had been a few slips here and there, she almost fell off a roof but that had happened before so she chalked it up to a simple misstep and left it at that.

It wasn't until the fourth one that she actually started thinking about the near misses she was having. When she went after the fifth one she was s ure the whole thing was a set up. Then again hanging upside down, through a window in an office about to be caught stealing something will do that to you.

It shouldn't have happened, she'd been careful, gotten the plans of the house, the layout of the security system, she'd even watched and double checked the comings and goings of close to everyone who lived and worked there.

Yet here she was, an inch away from getting what she was there for, and seconds from being caught.

With a sigh she reached, grabbed and started hauling butt out of the window, when the door opened she was most of the way out, only her feet on the windowsill and her legs above that. The upper part of her body was reaching for whatever hand holds she could find to pull herself up onto the roof.

She was pulling herself up when the hand wrapped around her ankle and pulled. As she fell she curled up into herself, protecting the center of her body and the orb. The hand didn't let go through so she instead swung down and hit the side of the house with a muffled curse.

Whoever was attached to that hand was pulling her up when she realized she wasn't still falling and wasn't dead. She reached out and grabbed a piece of brick that was sticking out, holding on for dear life and kicking with her free foot. The struggle between the redhead and the unknown person above her went on for a few minutes, until she got a lucky kick in and the fingers relaxed.

Her own fingers flexed as her body fell, the momentum pulling her down, breaking her nails and skinning her finger tips as they dug for something to hold on to. She slowed herself down enough that when she hit a piece of roof she was only jarred and not broken.

She didn't take any time to rest, instead jumping up, glancing back up at the window and the dark figure there before she took off, r unning hell bent toward safety.

It was a set up but her pride wouldn't let her fail.

This was it, the last orb, the end of the job. After tonight it would all be over, she had a feeling that if Liv was behind it all she?d find that out too. As much as they were different they had both been raised by the same man and they both knew how to toy and manipulate with the best of them.

A house party, actually a club that had once been a glittering townhouse in one of Rhy Din?s wealthiest neighborhoods, now the street just held a bunch of aging townhouses, owned by grandchildren of those who poured their money into them. It wasn?t a bad neighborhood but those with money had moved one, like they always did. This townhouse had been bought and the first floor had been turned into a club, the second floor was full of rooms for party goers to enjoy eachother?s companies and an office. It was the office Kate was interested in.

But first she had to meet her husband. So it was off to the Inn.

She stepped from the darkness, wind swirling around her skirt and hair, she didn?t hesitate, instead climbing the stairs of the porch. The first thing she heard was Tara screeching her name from inside, the fact that Tara was at the window and doing that implied that Lucien was out there with her. So with a smile she turned in his direction, ?So what are we going to find dead or almost dead in hour house??

?Gwyr? was his terse reply.

She blinked, that one she hadn?t expected.

His explanation that he didn?t think Gwyr was actually who Tara had killed didn?t reassure her that they weren?t going to walk into a blood bath when they got home.

Rather than dwell on that though she leaned up to kiss him and smiled, ?How would you like to help me finish this job??

She knew he?d been worried about it, all the close calls, the risks she?d been taking so she wasn?t surprised when he agreed.

Out side of the townhouse she?d told him what to expect, the place was lit up like a Christmas Tree and people were walking in and out of it, the heavy beat of bass and music came from every window on the first floor. There was movement on the second floor, figures gliding past windows with light curtains.

"Just enjoy yourself, we'll dance, then I"ll head upstairs. There's an office up there. It won't take me long."

He glanced up at the house, taking it all in, ?You don't need me to come up and help? I can be a good look out."

She considered it, his worry weighted against her?s. She had a feeling that something was going to happen but she had to admit she wanted him with her.

A smile curved the corners of her lips up, ?You feel better coming with??

He nodded, "Yeah, I do." He leaned down to brush a kiss to her smile.

?I don?t think anything will happen, but ok? She smiled because she knew she was lying to him, then she dragged him up the stairs to the front door of the house, side stepping people as she did so.

He followed her up the stairs, one hand slipping into his pocket. His finger brushed over the wrapped box in his pocket, weaving after her.

Right before they stepped into the townhouse she turned and smiled at him, ?Don?t worry, it?ll be fine. Easy Peasy.? She hoped that the words would not only assure him but herself too.

He nodded. "Alright." He drew another deep breath, and a tempered grin ghosted. Any job held risk, and the exchange with Tara had dampened his mood.

She leaned up to kiss him, ?Hey, if anything happens I?ll see you at the lighthouse ok? Don?t worry.?

He kissed her back and nodded. "Alright." He tipped his head to the door. "Let's crash this party and get home together."

With a laugh she grabbed his hand and all but dragged him into the chaos. The first floor was packed with people, all dancing and moving to music coming from a DJ in the living room. There wasn?t an inch in the place where there wasn?t a moving body. Kate smiled again as bodies moved and pressed against them, she easily danced their way through the crowd. This was what she lived for, the living force of a group, the energy.

He wrapped his fingers around hers as she drug him through the raving press of people. The bass boomed in his chest as he made his way through the jostling, writhing mass.

She kept moving, dancing through the rooms, the parlor, the kitchen, what was once the dining room, checking them and the people within them out. She started laughing, her smile widening.

Lucien moved with her and when she glanced back at him she noticed that his face had relaxed to match the expression of those around him, but his eyes were moving, he was paying as close attention as she was.

She seemed like she was completely at ease but she was watching each face, every body movement of those she came across, keeping track of expressions, who was dancing with who, who fell against and groped who. All of it was taken in. Then she paused, turning to wrap her arms around Lucien?s neck, pulling herself up so that her lips were near his ear, ?You sure you want to come up??

He wrapped his arms around her waist and he pressed his face into the crook of her neck. "Yes, I'm sure."

Laughing again she kissed his cheek, released him, grabbed his hand and started toward the stairs, looking like she was taking him up for some sort of naughty fun.

He glanced over his shoulder, crooked a grin, and followed Kate up the stairs.

Oh how she loved that grin of his but this was work time, so at the top of the stairs she ignored the grin and the fact that he?d wrapped his arms around her and pulled him to the first door then set her hand on the door handle and tried it. It opened easily and the couple inside groaned and grumbled at them. Laughing she closed it and turned to give Lucky a wink. "Next one?" The next door was also open and occupied. They moved up the hall, trying each door, each one opened, until they were halfway up the hall and one of the handles wouldn't budge. "Locked"

At each door he?d stood with her, not sure what she was looking for, when the reached the locked door his brow quirked and he looked behind them to see if anyone was following, "What now?"

She gave him a look. "Remember Howe's office?" As she spoke she pulled out a small leather envelope out of a hidden pocket in her skirt. "We get in." She set her ear against the door and slowly squatted down, listening as she got into position. "Seems quiet." With a quick smile she started on the lock.

He used his body to shield her as she worked. He quieted, watching out of his periphery and listening for anyone who might be approaching.

Another couple came up the stairs and were wandering in their direction. She leaned back and glanced over at them with a frown, "Care to play drunk guy and shoo them off?"

He gave her a smallest of nods, leaning heavily against the door making it look like he was trying to relieve himself. He glanced over in the direction the couple were and he smiled. "Hey," he called over, in a slurred voice. He made to stagger toward them, leering at the woman.

She smiled, looking over at them again then went to work on the lock. It released with a small click and her smile widened. She stood and opened the door.

The shot rang through her ears, striking her between her chest and her stomach, throwing her back against the far wall with a thud and a groan. She literally didn?t know what had hit her.

The sound of the shot snapped his attention back to Kate and the couple and everything else was forgotten, even what had transpired between Tara and himself. He rushed to her side. "Kate?"

She was still confused and the pain made her fuzzy, she looked up at him, her voice breathless, ?I?m bleeding? She was shocked it had happened but relieved to know she had been right. She was also starting to take stock of her physical condition.

He pressed a hand to the wound to try and staunch the blood and reached into his pocket for the key. "We're out of here." He slipped his arm around her to transport themselves out of the place.

She shook her head and grabbed his hand, ?I?ve got to finish this? she lifted her eyes to his, ?I?ll be ok? She was lying and she knew it but she also knew, deep down, that this wasn?t the only thing and if she didn?t get away from him then he would be hurt too.

He shook his head. "We'll come back. We need to get out of here. You need help now."

She took a breath and shoved at him, struggling to get up. "This is Liv, if I don't finish it she'll just start again." She was still bleeding and as she got to her feet it didn't slow down. "Five minutes. I'm not going to die in five minutes." She shook her head again, knowing she was lying to him, and stumbled toward the door, stepping through it. Once she was through it closed behind her and locked again.

He almost spoke the trigger word to transport them both away before she could argue, but she pushed him away and was on her feet. He scrambled to his feet moving to follow her into the room, but the door slammed closed on him, before he could get through. "No!" He rattled the doorknob, before throwing himself against the door to try and break it open.

When the door closed she turned to look at it, hearing him she turned to the door and set her hand on it. "I'm fine, I'm fine." She leaned her back against the door and tried to take a deep breath, it hurt and her head swam. "I'm fine Bear." This was the right thing to do, at least she thought it was, she was getting confused, so she set her back against the door and slid down it to sit on the floor.

He heard her through the door and pounded the door. "Open the door. Let me in."

There was a sound, something she knew but the memory was fuzzy, "I can't. it's sealed I think." She lifted a hand to the handle and tried it, the door still wouldn't open. She didn?t think she could stand up and move to open it even if the handle would move.

That got him beating at the door again, desperate to break through it.

She could feel him beating the door, the pounding in time with the sound she was hearing in the room. "The window, go outside, the window is cracked." She was looking around the room from her seat on the floor. "I'm ok. I am"

Window...he heard window. "Alright, hang on, I'm coming." And then he tore down the stairs and out the front door, no pretense, no ruse, his own thought, get to the window and get Kate out of there.

Before she'd spoken to him she had figured out what the noise was, she'd sent him outside for a reason. She knew what was coming and honestly with the amount of pain she was in she was ok with it. "You got me Liv." She looked over at the large desk that was in the room. Another breath was sucked in and she all but dragged herself over to it, curling up under it, eyes closed, hands over her head.

A minute later the entire building shook and the room splintered apart as the explosion ripped through the building. She felt herself falling as the floor boards gave way and for the first time she screamed in absolute terror as she realized this was it. She felt the impact of whatever was below her, then the bricks, bodies, and shattered wood landing on top of her, then nothing.

He had gotten out the door and turned around finding the window. He took a step toward the building to start climbing to the window, when it blew out...along with the rest of the building, throwing him back across the street. His anguished cry rang out as he saw the building shattered and crumble.

After the explosion there was an erie quiet. The building had been leveled to the ground level and was just a smoking ruin. The survivors where those who were outside of the house, confusion and relief was written on all their faces.

A minute or two later the sound of running feet came from the darkness as would be hero's appeared.

On top of a building across the street a woman sat and watched, her legs dangling over the edge of the roof.

He fought off the merciful unconscious darkness that threatened to take hold and he staggered to his feet moving back toward the smoldering ruins, unaware of the other survivors or the audience on her rooftop perch.

Members of the watch appeared, moving over the rubble, searching for wounded. A few stayed back, talking to those who were upright in front of the building. A large man grabbed Lucien's arm, "Were you in there?"

Across the street the woman smiled, humming a happy little tune and swinging her legs.

He jerked his arm away from the watch and staggered a step back, shaking his head clear once more. "She's in there. I need to find her."

The man looked back at the rubble and shook his head. "You need to get back, if there's anyone in there they'll get them out." He set his hand on Lucien's upper arm again, tightening it and holding on.

He struggled to get loose of the man's hold again, "She needs help now! I have to get to her!"

The grip tightened on Lucien?s arm. "Do you see anyone coming out of there? Do you hear anyone? You seemed to be unharmed, go home, wait for her there.? he didn?t have the heart to add ?if she?s alive?

He was in no mood to answer stupid questions from Rhydin's ineffective watch. His back hurt, his head hurt, his ears rang, his vision was blurring and above all, Kate was hurt and she was in that smoldering rubble. He shouldered the man to try and free himself, then took a swing at the
watch, the effort dropping the barrister to his knees, "She needs...help," before unconsciousness mercifully took hold.

While Edgar was searching for Kate's body, Liv was picking up her brother in law at the Watch building near the explosion site.

The men working at the station had been so helpful, lifting the still unconscious Lucien and oh so carefully placing him in her carriage so she could take him home. Their words of comfort of sadness over the loss of her sister were met with a nod and a downward tilt of her head as she wiped at her eyes.

With a final thank you she closed the door and the carriage moved away, they had only gone a few blocks when she knocked on the top of the carriage, signaling the driver to stop so she could wait for Lucien to finally wake up.

He finally came too, screaming, the only thing she was able to understand was the word "NO!". He groaned and reached up to hold his head, looking around blinking as his vision slowly focused.

She tilted her head to the side, watching him. "Are you ok?" She didn't lean toward him, her hands stayed in her lap. "The Watch said they didn't believe you to be injured."

He blinked, brows knitting to a furrow as he looked at her. It took a moment, or two, before his vision focused and recognition set in. Instantly he frowned. "Where are we?"

"A carriage. You needed a ride home and were in no shape to get there yourself. Apparently your man and Chris?" She couldn't stop the slight sneer on that name.."Were unavailable, so I was called."


He sat back, his frown set firmly, his jaw set tight. "You should have never been called. I will make my way home on my own."

"You won't make it two blocks Lucien." She reached up and pulled a rope, a bell rung above them and the carriage started moving. "Besides unless you are going to jump out of a moving carriage, you should just sit back and relax." She was watching him but other than her pulling that rope, she hadn't really moved.

He made a move for the door, but she had the carriage rolling once more. The blast had knocked him back and his head pounded. He considered jumping out of the carriage, but realized there would be a good chance he'd get run over the carriage. Weighing the options, he decided it best that he rode away with Liv, hoping that Kate was found and alive by the rescuers. "You can drop me off at the shipyard," he finally replied, sitting back.

She nodded once, opened a window next to her and called out to the driver.

"You survived the explosion fairly intact. The Watch believe you were the only one." Her tone was conversational. "That doesn't seem like a place you would go, you are lucky."

He watched her, that frown remaining, but he shrugged in reply, offering nothing more. "What are you doing here, Liv?"


"Picking up my brother in law and taking him to his ship yard." She smiled a little.


This is Liv? Kate's words echoed in his head. He rested his head against the back of the seat. "You will excuse my skepticism, but I have a hard time believing that you decided out of the goodness of your heart to come pick me up."

She shrugged, "I don't have anything against you, Kate's dead you and I have no quarrel." The funny thing is she actually ment it.

Her remark instantly had him bristle and his hands curled to fists at his side. Kate wasn't dead. He refused to believe she was dead. His jawline tightened.

The corner of her mouth twitched a little. "You seem upset." She finally unfolded her hands, lifting one to look at her nails. "This is actually the better outcome for you, at least she didn't get bored and move on. "

Fingers flexed at his side as he watched her. If looks could kill, she would have had a nice hole burned into her skull right between her eyes. "You are a sad crazy soulless creature."

She sighed and shook her head. "I am not the one hoping that someone dead is alive."

Kate wasn't dead. She couldn't be dead. Fingers curled into a tight fist once more. "You should know not to underestimate your sister."

"She was human and a building blew up and fell on top of her. You truly believe she survived that?" This time she actually laughed. "Besides, she loooooves you, " at this point she'd given up the nice act and was mocking him, "Yet she's nowhere to be found. She. Is. dead."

"You are wrong. You'll see." He had seen her shot, the room explode and the building come crashing down. The odds of Kate being alive?human Kate being alive, was not good. But he refused to give in to Liv.

She shrugged again. "Yes well I will be filing the paperwork to take over Kate's holdings on Monday. I'm sure you'll agree they should stay in the family." Kind and understanding wasn't working so she was just going to go for blunt and direct.

He laughed. "You are crazy. You can file whatever paperwork you want, but you have no proof of her death. And that aside, her holdings will remain in the family. With me."

"You are just the last in a long like of men in her life. It doesn't matter that she married you, she's married before. You'll notice none of them have anything of hers, you won't either." She smiled at him.

He shrugged. "It's a moot point in either case, because she isn't dead."

Her eyebrows went up in an expression so like Kate. "So you've heard from here then? Seen her?"

"You overestimate yourself and underestimate her," he reiterated.

Her eyes narrowed, "And you are in for great disappointment. You know, deep down, that she is dead. If you really thought she was alive you wouldn't have passed out, you would have fought your way to her. But the simple truth is you don't want to go look and face that she's dead and gone. Or maybe she did survive the fall but do you think, even when she was at her strongest, she could survive the fire?"

"You've failed before. She has bested you before. You will fail again and she will have beaten you again," he replied.

"But what if I didn't fail? At some point one of us has to win, you can't deny that I have as much of a chance as she does." She smiled at him.

He shook his head, refusing to allow the possibility in front of Liv, even in the face of overwhelming evidence. "No. You've always failed and lost to Kate. You'll fail and she will beat you again."

Her smile grew. "Such blind devotion. It really is a pity that she sent you out like she did. You could have died with her."

He started to reply, then her words struck him and he felt like he had been sucker punched. Kate had sent him out of the building.

"That one got you." She chuckled. "think about it, she knew, she knew. IF everything was going to be ok, if she thought whatever was coming was survivable why would she have sent you out?"

He shook his head. "No, you're wrong." There wasn't more he could say, just shake his head. "You're wrong."

The chuckle turned into a laugh. "Wavering aren't we? Well at least you know she loved you enough to save you or she just didn't want to spend eternity with you and saved you because of that." She didn't add that s he would have the proof of her sister's death soon enough, perhaps she would leave the body on Lucien's front stoop when she was done. That thought brought second smile to her face.

"Stop the carriage."

She thought about it for a minute then pulled the rope. "I have apparently struck a nerve. Poor man, losing his lady love, knowing she saved him, realizing he's going to lose everything that was her's. You have had a rough day." The carriage started to slow down.

A humorless grin ghosted. "You'll see. She'll have beaten you again and you will be left with nothing again." Once the carriage stopped, he reached for the door, moving to make his way out.

"Give me what I want Lucien and i will leave you alone, if you don't? I will drag you through hell." She leaned back and shrugged. "Your choice."

He climbed out of the carriage and looked back at Liv. "I'll see you in hell," then slammed the carriage door shut.

She laughed and rang the bell again. "Very well" The carriage pulled away with her still laughing.

He watched the carriage roll away and out of sight before he shook his head. No he thought to himself. Kate couldn't be dead.

He drew a deep breath and caught his breath at the pain at his side. He glanced around to see where he was and started walked back toward the ship yard.

"Hey, if anything happens I?ll see you at the lighthouse ok?" The lighthouse. He had to get to the lighthouse. A hand slipped into his pocket, but he didn't transport himself, not yet. He needed to make sure Liv was not around.

The carriage disappeared down the street, turning a corner and rumbling away. She had gotten her point across and was done.

He continued down the road toward the shipyard and then muttered the trigger word, getting swept off the streets.

The legal system in Rhy Din is at the best of times difficult, in a situation where there was a will that clearly spelled out who was to get what from an estate it was pretty cut and dry.

This was Rhy Din though where anyone could do anything so Liv had filed the paper work to gain control of Kate's estate. She claimed that Lucien had charmed her sister, getting close to her to get what he wanted. She documented the fact that both Kate and Lucien were with other people when they "got together", the fact that their marriage wasn't only quick but so secret that there were still those who didn't now about it. She even challenged that they were married at all. She filed motions to stop both Chris and Lucien from removing anything from any of the homes Kate owned. Document after document, filing after filing, motion after motion, she was determined to overwhelm the court and Lucien.

She asked for everything as Kate's closest blood relation, the homes, money, her business, all of it. It was a calculated move as all she wanted was the castle and it's contents.

Things were not going as quickly as she wanted them too, yes Kate was dead but Chris was still in the Castle and deep down Liv knew that he'd start removing or destroying anything he thought she'd want.

But days turned into weeks as she kept putting pressure on the courts and Lucien kept pressing back or blocking her.

The man was beginning to piss her off and she was seriously thinking about how to remove him from the equation.

Even from the grave, Kate was messing up her life.