Letting her feet lead her down the familiar streets, Lilith shoved her hands down into her coat pockets. West End was just as she remembered and ? thanks to its subtle way with magic?one of the few places she felt safe. Makos and other unsavories just didn?t worry her. She was hiding from something very different. Something stronger than a few gangbangers and back alley dealers. Something?someone with an ancient grudge and almost inexhaustible resources. Her brother.

No. Correction. Her idiot brother and his backwards-thinking prophecy-spouting cult.

It wasn?t even that he wanted her dead that made her so angry. He had a good cause, objectively speaking. It was the fact that he assumed she would just lay down and die willingly because some old dusty book said so. Fat chance.

So here she was, back in West End. A home she had never dared hope she would return to. A lot had transpired in the interim that had made her believe she wouldn?t survive to see these streets again. But had her club survived? That was the real question on her mind as she turned the last alley and approached Sanctuary?s front doors.

Letting her violet gaze slide over the building like a lover?s caress, she couldn?t help but let out a soft sigh of relief that it was still in one piece. Well, the outside at least. Who knew what state of decay she would find the interior to be in.

Mustering a bit of courage she strode purposefully up to the doors and grabbed the handle, giving it a sharp tug?

Her vision swam and she blinked rapidly, trying to see again. Groaning, she pushed herself up off of her back into a sitting position. Rubbing the back of her head she felt a spike of pain and something wet. Blood. Great. Perfect. Darkness knew that wasn?t her spell?so why exactly was she now twenty feet from the front doors bleeding and covered in bits of dirt? Getting to her feet, Lilith brushed off her jeans and glared at the door, as if that attack was its own idea.

She felt the approach of the Feral before she heard it. And then heard the coming heartbeat before the footsteps; a normal occurrence when the adversary was built for stealth. Bracing herself for a fight, Lilith turned towards the alleyway and prepared to snuff the heart out like a candle if necessary. Half of her attention briefly siphoned away towards healing her head; her vision immediately cleared and the figure that emerged from the throat of the alleyway came into sharp focus.

It figures. What in the Darkness are you doing here?? Lilith sounded almost bored as she relaxed her stance and crossed her arms over her chest.

Lexi chuckled, stopping a few feet short of arms length. They might have struck a truce years ago, but it was an uneasy one, to be sure. Plus, pissing off a Guardian was just dumb, no matter how many bullets were in your gun. ?I could ask the same of you. Never occurred to you to leave a note? Call? Letter via carrier pigeon?? That familiar smirk twisted Lexi?s lips in a natural way.

?Don?t be an idiot. You know it doesn?t work that way. Besides, we weren?t exactly what you would call friends.? The enemy of mine enemy?so the saying goes. ?Who do you work for now?? Lilith shuffled her feet, impatient and trying to get down to the point.

?Myself. I found that my interests were best served in a self-employed fashion.?

?Well then what are you doing here??

?Not following you, that?s for sure. I live there,? Lexi pointed to the building just across from the club ?and saw you. Well?I saw the door put you on your laurels. You?re welcome, by the way.?

?You?you?.how did you manage to spell my building?? Lilith stuttered in surprise. Lexi was a great shifter, to be sure, but spells were most decidedly not her forte.

?I bought it. It?s a custom job from someone who actually understands the manna fluctuations in this area, whatever manna is. It?s easy to control but strong as all get-out. When you disappeared I tried to keep things going as best I could but ? fun fact ? I?m terrible at running an above the table business. So I let it close but kept it intact. The inside looks about the same. It could use a good cleaning, sure, but everything?s still there. Your stuff and your apartment too, I guess. I couldn?t get up there because of your nifty portal spell. I lost a cleaning lady to Draconis-knows-where thanks to that thing. It?s how I figured you weren?t dead yet; that spell just kept humming.?

?As much as it kills me to say it, I guess I owe you.? Rolling her eyes skyward, Lilith stuck her hand out palm up as was custom. ?In your debt, until likewise paid.? Her words were mumbled, given grudgingly, and not without a measure of exasperation.

Lexi beamed as she closed the distance between them and put her hand out over Lilith?s, palm facing down. ?I will only ask for equal measure, and no harm done.?

As soon as the customary exchange was over, Lilith dropped her hand like it was on fire. ?Alright. Fine. Now let me in and go home.?

?Still no thank you?what a shock.? Lexi reached into her pocket and produced a small pouch which she tossed towards Lilith?s chest. ?Here. This dissolves the spell and you can put up your own. Just let me know when you reopen. I need something honest to put on my taxes.? That last remark was tossed over her shoulder as she left, accompanied with a quick flash of a middle finger.

Lilith snorted and returned the gesture, even though it wouldn?t be seen. Tugging a small vial out of the pouch, she approached the doorway again. With a quick flick of her wrist, she flung the vial against the heavy doors, where it shattered and let out a bright flash of light that quickly dissipated. Shifting her weight from foot to foot, Lilith forced herself to count to ten before she reached for the doorhandle once more.

This time it opened easily.

The first thing she noticed was how clean it seemed. The black walkway wasn?t coated with a layer of dust thick enough to be a blanket; there were no spiderwebs in the corners. Lexi had spoken of a cleaning lady, but as Lilith explored further she determined that the spell must have had a preservation component. Which meant it was expensive. Which meant her debt just went up a notch. Ugh.

The club was empty, and stark in its silence, but by no means was it decrepit or neglected looking. As she walked, she let her fingertips run across the walls and over the sconces tenderly. This had been the first place that was truly hers, and she had missed that feeling of belonging somewhere.

Backtracking, she stood before the doorway that hid the stairs to her private quarters. With a flicker of thought, she dispelled the energy, feeling a static shock send her hair on end as an unexpected side effect. Doing her best to smooth it down but probably just making it worse, Lilith went up the stairs. Opening the door with a shaking palm, she gave herself a moment to take it all in.

There was still a mug on the coffee table, no doubt empty now of whatever liquid used to be inside. Beside it, a pad and paper heavy with scribbling. With a cough, she immediately threw a protective barrier around the kitchen, protecting her from that insanely awful smell. Yeah, that would take a minute to fix. Moving past the living area and open kitchen, she entered her private library, bypassing the double doors that led to her room, and headed up the metal spiral staircase that led to the rooftop.

All of her plants were dead, but it was the view she was up here for. The moon shone down on the water, where it reflected in dancing fragments that ebbed and flowed with the tide. Her unobstructed view of the shore was as magnificent as ever. West End might have seemed like a place where the rejects gathered to some, but to her, it was the best place in the city. Sure, her spells didn?t always work right, and the electric had to be supplemented with special stones she bought from a back alley Drow so that the club didn?t get pitched into darkness ten times per night.

But it was home.

Lilith slid up onto the stainless steel counter top, favoring her shoulder. Willing her flesh to reject the piece of metal was painful, but quick, and the bullet hit the countertop with a soft ?clink?. As her flesh and skin knit itself back together, Lilith watched Lexi pacing the length of the kitchen with a measured metallic gaze. ?You are dripping. Blood. Everywhere.? The tension was palpable. Keeping the darkness quiet was hard, but Lilith?s concentrated effort to do just that was the only thing keeping Lexi breathing at the moment. How nice it would be to paralyze that feline and watch the blood run from her ears, her eyes, her ? Giving a quick shake of her head, Lilith closed her eyes and froze. Not a muscle twitched. No breath, no heartbeat. With a gentle persuasion, she coaxed the darkness back into its playpen in the corner of her consciousness. Sometimes it was a wrestling match. This time, sated from violence and with no prospects for sex nearby, it went willingly back into its temporary hibernation. Good.

When Lilith reopened her eyes, Lexi had stopped pacing, and was standing right in front of her, watching her with a serious look that didn?t quite fit on the feline?s face. ?You back?? Lexi gave her the once over, pausing on her eyes, making sure they were fully restored to their normal violet glow. Only then did that jack-o-lantern grin return. ?That was so fun!?

In response, Lilith grabbed Lexi?s wrist. ?Give me that, you stupid furball.? The nasty slash across Lexi?s forearm started to stitch itself together, eventually dissolving into nothingness. It was slower going, now that the darkness was sleeping, but Lilith still got the job done. Releasing her grip, she pointed to the closet next to the doorway. ?Cleaning supplies are in there. Fix your mess.?

Without arguing for once, Lexi did as she was told. Grabbing some paper towels and bleach, she moved around the room, cleaning up the blood splatter. ?So I wanted to call in my debt. And I have other news, too.?

Leaning back against the cabinets behind her, Lilith braced herself for the ask. ?What do you want?? Cash. Always cash. At least Lilith still had plenty of that in savings.

?I want to live here.? She held up her hand as Lilith began to sputter a surprised response. ?Just hear me out! My cash flow is low and living across the street is stupid when you have all that room up there. Plus, when everything went down it put a target on my back, too. I quit, remember? They don?t suffer quitters, as you well know. I?d feel?safer?under this roof. Safety in numbers, right?? Lexi paused, bloody towel in hand, her glinting eyes pleading.

Lilith shut her mouth and considered her options. It was technically a fair repayment of what was owed, so she really was given no choice but to accept. If she was planning on following customs, at least. ?You expect me to sleep in the same building as you and get rest??

?You expect me to believe you won?t spell the everloving darkness out of your private quarters??

Lilith just smirked. The cat was right about that one. Rubbing her eyes, she then pushed her fingers back through her hair and let out a long and heavy sigh. ?Fine. You can take one of the guest suites. But all it takes is one sliver of a reason for me to think you might be in the process of betraying me and I won?t even wait for proof. You?ll die where you stand, and it won?t be pretty.? Her eyes flashed menacingly.

Lexi threw up three fingers with a flourish. ?Scout?s honor. I have another plan to make us some cash, too, and to keep some of the gang bangers busy.? Seeing the look come over Lilith?s face, Lexi quickly added, ?But that can wait for another day.? Lexi wasn?t stupid. Lilith was the best chance she had of making some cash and staying hidden from the people who tracked them. As always, every choice she made was self-serving. Lilith was alright, though, in her book. They operated under the same type of twisted morality. Well, mostly.

?So what else did you want to tell me?? Stretching her arms up, Lilith propped them behind her head, watching as Lexi finished the clean-up. ?Other news???

Lexi tossed the clump of towels into the trash and brushed her hands together. ?I got word from a semi-reliable source that Ava might be alive. She supposedly has been spotted on Earth.?

Lilith?s entire body gave a surprised jerk and she ended up on the tile floor in a mess of long limbs. Pushing her hair out of her face she looked up at Lexi. ?Wha?what? That?s impossible. I saw her die. I saw her die.? Knowing her legs wouldn?t hold if she tried to stand, she shoved herself into a sitting position and hung her head between her knees, breathing deep.

Lexi crouched down in front of Lilith, dropping her voice to a murmur. ?But did you really? You know her gifts. Maybe you just thought that was what you saw.? It was odd to see the Guardian so vulnerable. It rattled Lexi a little, truth be told. Lexi was the emotional one. Lilith was stone. Always steady. ?I can go back. I can check and see if??

?Get out.? Lilith didn?t raise her head, didn?t move. The sound of Lexi?s footsteps faded as she left the kitchen, and eventually, the building. Lilith grabbed her head with both hands and screamed in frustration. It was a primal roar that carried through the club and out into the street beyond. The windows rattled in their frames, and the gauze curtains fluttered as if caught by the wind. Bar glasses clattered where they hung; books left on tabletops ruffled their pages. Upstairs, on the roof, the last remains of the plants dissolved completely into ash.

Eventually, the maelstrom subsided. Everything was silent. The shadow inside Lilith awoke, stretching, pacing, fed by the rage and emotion that was flooding through its host. Feeling the change, Lilith let out a curse. This was why she kept herself in check. This was why she couldn?t let herself feel. Feeling her hair start to lift from her shoulders, she reached for the plug on her consciousness, and got?nothing. It was already out of reach.

Scrambling across the floor, she snatched up the first aid kit that was hanging next to the door of the commercial-grade freezer. Lilith flung the door open and all but threw herself inside, slamming the door shut behind her. Once inside, she punched the button that activated the spells she had put in place for precisely this reason. Hearing the crystals inside the door crack open, she knew it was still operational. Still determined to take no chances, she fumbled with the aid kit, yanking a syringe free. Pulling the cap off with her teeth she spat it towards the corner and took a deep breath. As her eyes bled to quicksilver, she jammed the needle into the side of her neck and mashed the plunger all the way down.

?C?mon?c?mon. Hurry up, hurry the fu??

I met Lilith for the first time when she was establishing the new Council for our rulers. She and her sisters had just overthrown that stupid bitch who was ruling the monarchy at the time and were doing their best to build something that would more fairly represent the people who lived there. The breeding program was at a standstill while they worked out a new compromise with the Latents to combat the race?s sterility. My sister, however, was part of that program. She was a Latent, carrying a Guardian?s child because Guardian women and all their female offspring were barren. So Latents, like my sister, were basically forced to be their incubators. Disgusting practice that our people had been forced to accept; the other choice being genocide. I digress. You already know the history of our shared homelands.

Well, Lexi?crack a book sometime. I don?t feel like giving you a history lesson right now. Maybe you should have left the woods more when you were there.

Like I was saying, my sister?s name was Autumn. Her living arrangements were much better now that the monarchy was dead. Lilith, Ava, and Becca did their best to make everyone comfortable while they figured things out. So at least I was able to visit her and not wince at her accommodations for once. Autumn seemed comfortable, and things were at an uneasy calm throughout the facility that they called Lunar House.

Yes, the same Selective Breeding Program that produced Lilith and her sisters. Just listen, please.

Well, I guess the Latents grew tired of waiting for Lilith and the other two triplets to make a decision regarding the future of the Selective Breeding Program. It had only been two cycles of the moon since the slaughter of the monarchy, but you have to remember that our people had been suffering for centuries at that point. The triplets were preoccupied with building a new ruling body, and the newly appointed Master of the Guard, Quinn, was woefully distracted trying to sort out the loyal from the traitors in the bloody aftermath. There is no such thing as a non-violent change in power. It was still chaos in the capital.

Yes, I was there for it all. Stop interrupting, Lexi, or I?ll duct tape your mouth shut.

The attack was swift and precise. It came in the middle of the day, while everyone was sleeping and the security was minimal. The Latents struck the Lunar House with more force than they probably needed. It was meant to be an extraction, but it quickly took a turn towards an all-out battle. The Numina that was guarding the facility didn?t realize what was happening until they were overrun. They panicked. They started killing. They called for more reinforcements from the palace guard. The Latents were ultimately no match for the Numina?s powers and once they lost their element of surprise, the tide turned in a barrage of slaughter. Swords and arrows are just no match for raw elemental power, and the Latents fell in droves.

I'm getting the tape....thank you.

I don?t really know who started killing the women first. Maybe it was the Latents, in order to keep the offspring out of the Numina?s hands. Better dead than slaves. Or maybe it was the Numina, in order to discourage any future attempts. Or as punishment for the uprising. In any case, the women were being systematically executed by both sides by the time I realized what was happening. Mob mentality is a very frightening thing. I had been asleep in the temporary guest tents when it started. By the time I reached my sister?s room, it was too late.

When the triplets showed up everything came screeching to a halt. Quinn and his guards were behind them. Becca had frozen time inside the facility. I was in the lobby with my sister?s limp body in my arms when they arrived; I was the first one they saw with their gunmetal eyes. I remember a searing pain digging into my skull. I was unable to cry out, unable to move. My heart felt frozen. Then the hold just? vanished. I sank to my knees with my sister?s body cradled to my chest.

Lilith gently pulled Autumn from my arms and shook her head at me sadly. Then she froze, as if she had heard something. Pushing up Autumn?s shift, her hands moved across the skin at my sister?s swollen stomach. The skin parted beneath her touch, as if split by a surgical blade. Before I could process what was happening, Lilith was holding a newborn girl in her arms. The infant was grey, but color was quickly restored to its skin as Lilith?s eyes narrowed. I saw that baby girl open her mouth and cry; it was the most wonderful sound in the world. Then Lilith was gone and I was holding the squalling child. Wrapping the infant in my shirt I stood on shaky legs and watched the methodical procession move on through the carnage in the room.

They moved from body to body, Becca unfreezing one at a time. Then Lilith would hold them in place and render them mute while Ava sifted through their memories. The guilty on both sides were quickly dispatched of. The victims were healed and taken by guards to safety inside the palace walls. Those that were too far gone to save had their eyes gently closed. They did this all without a word uttered between them, every conversation they had taking place in simple looks to each other. It was the most frightening and efficient display of power I have ever seen. They were everything people said they were, and more.

I was startled out of my daze when Quinn grabbed my shoulder and guided me out of the door. I told him I wanted an audience with Lilith when this was over. He just nodded and moved on. Some of his guards took me to the palace where servants were waiting. They fed us, bathed us, and gave us fresh clothes and a soft place to rest.

It was two days later when I had the opportunity to prostrate myself at Lilith?s feet. I told her I owed her a blood debt as dictated by my people for what she had done. I offered to be of service to her until my Fade. My niece had been claimed by her grandmother, so I had nothing left to do. My life was that of a black smith. After everything that had happened, I felt like perhaps I was meant to be more.

Lilith agreed. She presented me with this ring. Apparently there is a drop of her blood frozen within the metal. It?s spelled to alert me to when she is in danger, or out of control. It also helps me to find her, kind of like a beacon. It was a great risk for her, to give me such a gift, even if she didn?t realize it at the time. After she became suspicious of her brother and his plans, she requested all of the rings that she had given to her personal guard be returned, and she destroyed them. This is the only one left. I offered to destroy it, but she let me keep it so I might fulfill my debt. She offered to release me once, but a blood debt is for life. If I go back on that, I shudder to think what consequence awaits me in the Darkness.

When she fled, I followed. It?s really that simple.