16 comments/ 10981 views/ 19 favorites The Dawn of Wynter Ch. 02 By: elle137 Wow. I have received such amazing feedback from all of you, and it just makes my day knowing that you truly enjoyed reading this story! The adventure is only at the start and I hope you stick with it to the end! Lots of fun stuff planned for Zara and Co. I don't have an editor, so if there are any errors in spelling or grammar please accept my deepest apologies. I try to read it over at least three times before submitting! This is a slower chapter, so bear with me! More action and answers to come! Enjoy! E Chapter 2: A New Player --- Zara was swimming in the vast outdoor pool just outside her wing. She had chosen the South Wing because of the gardens and pool that were just outside her bedroom window. The estate had other pools, but hers was the largest, and the most utilized of them. She merely had to slide open the large glass doors and the water was at her feet. The sun was bright today and she was still shaken from the encounter with Philippe the night before so she decided a swim would be good to calm her. She pushed her muscles through the water, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness. Losing track of the number of laps she had done, she decided to simply stop and float. Her eyes were closed and the water drowned out any sound as it pushed against her ears. It was bliss for her, the silence and calm. That was until the sudden shadow that was cast over her, blocking out the sun caused her to turn and look up. The sun was behind him, making it difficult to see who it was, until he knelt down and Zara was face to face with Philippe again. He was in a pair of shorts and a tank top, but she could tell they were of the finest quality, even for casual wear. He was smiling as his eyes took in her bikini clad body. He made no effort to hide his obvious appreciation. "Bonjour, mademoiselle." "Good morning, Monsieur Desmarais," she replied indifferently, closing her eyes once again and resumed floating in the water. "Please, call me Philippe. Mr. Desmarais makes me sound like a pompous old fart," he chuckled, "Do you mind if I join you?" She opened her eyes again, and straightened up in the water. She briefly considered saying no, as she wanted time to clear her head and this was where she usually came to do just that. For some reason, Zara always felt at home when she was in the water, whether it was a pool or the sea. She knew, however, that Philippe and Kai were doing business together, and that she should be kind to Kai's business associates. "I suppose as it is your current home at the moment, you don't have to ask." "Ah, but I was not asking for permission to swim...I was asking if you mind if I do...I feel as though I was interrupting you." "Yes, you were," she replied tartly, "maybe you are unaware, as its your first day here, but there are other pools on the grounds, you don't have to share with me," she continued as she turned to swim to the other side of the pool. If she had to share it, she wanted to be as far away from him as possible. "Yes, I was told, but none have a beautiful woman gracing the waters. I enjoy such company." She snorted, "I doubt I'm the usual type of company you seek, Philippe." At least not the kind you're looking for, she thought. She could tell he was a serial womanizer. Most of her kind was. Philippe's stunning looks and French charm were a devastating combination as it stood. Throw in the fact that vampires had a never ending blood lust and need for sexual release and the result would be what stood before her. She heard him laughing lightly and turned to see what was so funny, but her breath caught in her throat as she took in the site of him, bare-chested with only swimming shorts to cover his long muscular legs. The man could put an Armani underwear model to tears, and he knew it. The sun shone off his tanned, toned skin and his dark silky hair. She found her mouth suddenly dry, and she realized she was staring...no ogling at him. "Like what you see?" he asked his voice teasing. She snorted, "Don't flatter yourself, our venom works wonders," she muttered to herself, but she knew he could hear. "True, but I was a great specimen to begin with," he said, once again chuckling before he dived into the pool, sending small rolling waves from where he broke the water. He swam towards her and stopped when he was close enough to touch her. He pushed his hair out of his face and let out a contented sigh. "You and Kai have one of the most beautiful homes I have ever had the pleasure of staying in." "I'm glad you think so," she said dryly while back pedaling to put a bit more space between them. He simply swam forward. God he looked so sexy with water dripping down from his hair, the sun shining off his toned body. She shook her head, scolding herself for her lack of control around him. "We only met yesterday Zara, but I get the feeling you do not like me very much." "I don't know you, Philippe, surely you can understand if I take my time warming up to you," she was still swimming backwards, trying to distance herself from him. She did not want any contact with his body, not after last night. What passed between them scared her and intrigued her at the same time. "Kai and I have been friends for quite some time now, if you don't trust me, trust him. And Stefane. I think you will find we have much in common." Her back hit the edge of the pool and Philippe closed in, his arms coming down on either side of her, resting on the stone edge of the pool. "You know, last night was quite...interesting..." Her head shot up and she looked into his eyes. So he had felt it too? "What your witch friend, Antoinette did to Kai and Stéfane," he continued, "I have never seen a witch do such magic." No, she was the only one who had felt anything. Perhaps it had all been her own power? "Yes," she smiled, "Antoinette can do amazing things, I suggest you try and stay on her good side." "Hmm, I will remember that. I would never want to part with any fraction of my body," he said while pressing himself a bit closer to her, his face so close she could feel the heat of his breath on her. He leaned in as if to kiss her but she ducked under his arms, and swam to the stairs to her right. She didn't like being quite so close to him. She turned before climbing out and fixed him with a serious stare. "I don't know you Philippe, but you should know I'm not someone who will fall to her knees with one look from you. And don't ever try that again." As she made her way up the stairs she heard him say, "I definitely like what I see." She turned around and stared at him, her anger rising, "Pig!" she spat. She let her power wash over her as she drew on the strength of the water, forcing it to roll fiercely like a wave and brought it crashing down on his head. He was sputtering and pushing his hair from his face as she turned around and grabbed her towel from the chaise before heading to her room and forcing the glass doors shut so hard they trembled, threatening to shatter. She closed her curtains so he could not see into her room. The nerve of the man! She had only met him yesterday and he was already trying to get into her pants so to speak. She was more wound up than when she started the day. It wasn't just pent up anger; she hadn't been with a man in so long. She thought of how amazingly skilled Philippe could be in bed before she let out a frustrated groan and made her way to the bathroom. He could have been Zeus himself, she would not sleep with a man like Philippe. The house could barely hold his ego, she thought, chuckling to herself. If she couldn't swim, she would at least try and relax in her tub. It was large enough to be a kid's pool, she thought. She stripped off her bikini and ran the water for the bath pouring in bath soap and a lavender scent. She climbed into the large white claw foot tub and relaxed as the hot water worked its magic on her tense muscles. She heard her door open and close, but didn't pay much attention, thinking it may be Antoinette. "I definitely love what I see right now." Her eyes flew open and Philippe stood in the doorway of her bathroom, leaning arrogantly against the frame. She could not believe the nerve of this man. She had just told him not to try anything with her only a few moments ago, yet here he was invading her personal space while she was naked in a bath tub. She felt her fury growing, but stopped herself and decided to play his silly little game. He probably thought she would never step out naked in front of him; that she would sit there and argue until he left. Zara was not the type to sit and wait, and she definitely didn't have any qualms about revealing her body. She was a vampire, and with that came a confidence and vanity which allowed them to be the creatures they were. Sex and nudity didn't bother them, and while she held an unusual amount of humanity for such a creature, this was an area she had learned to use to her advantage in rather tight spots. She stood up in the bath and watched with satisfaction as his eyes went wide with shock. The soap clung to her body, and her long hair stuck to her skin, covering parts of her. She stepped out of the tub and made her way over to him, swaying her hips to tease him a bit. She got so close his tank top was catching droplets of water from her hair and body. "Philippe," she whispered in his ear, "I thought I told you, you have no chance with me..." She took a step back to see his expression. He was still shocked she was standing naked in front of him, his eyes wide; it was kind of cute seeing such a confident man stare at her with puppy dog eyes. He seemed to realize he was gaping at her like a teenage school boy, when he cleared his throat and masked his face with his usual suave demeanor. "I thought you should know I don't give up so easily. You are too gorgeous not to be with someone like me. At least once," he grinned. She let out a loud laugh, "You have enough confidence and arrogance for the entire male population on this planet." "Come now chèrie, I promise it will be like nothing you have ever experienced before, une expérience magnifique," he said, his hand trailing along her collarbone, sending small shivers down her body. Damn that felt good, she thought, une expérience magnifique indeed. She killed that thought immediately, scolding herself for falling for this dominating alpha male bullshit. Yes he was sexy as sin, but that didn't excuse his behavior. She grabbed his hand from where it rested on her collar bone and twisted it roughly and began pushing him out towards the main doors of her bedroom. "Philippe, maybe I did not make myself clear the first time, I am not going to sleep with you. Don't ever come into my bedroom again and don't ever think you can touch me in such a way ever again." She felt a few of his fingers crack under the force of her grasp before she opened the doors and flung him out before slamming them shut and locking every entry into her room. She heard him curse behind the door as he reset his fingers. Serves him right, she thought. She felt a shiver of cold run along her spine and she realized then exactly what she had done. She was naked! In front of Philippe! She started laughing at the look he had in his eyes. Men, she sighed, so predictable. Why was that cocky bastard even here? She'd spoken all of two sentences to him since he arrived and he was pursuing her like she was fresh meat. Surely a friend of Kai's would realize not to even attempt to tread those waters. She made her way back to the bath, but it wasn't quite as warm as before, she tried to relax nonetheless and think of anything but Philippe Desmarais. --- Kai sat in his office with Philippe gazing out the large windows overlooking the grounds. It had been a week since Philippe had arrived at their home. They had just been discussing Kai's training and the people he would soon be working with. "You will meet much opposition from Dymas and Iffret. Their very nature is to oppose the majority decision. It's built into their DNA," Philippe snorted. "I can handle them," Kai replied confidently. "Yes, I think they don't quite know what to make of you, I however, know much better," he smiled knowingly, "I am eager to see how they react to you once you fully join us. I must warn you however, not to underestimate them Kai. They haven't lived this long for nothing." Kai merely nodded his agreement. He was beginning to get antsy, eager to join the ranks. He had been working towards this kind of position all his life. His whole body practically hummed at the idea of so much power at his fingertips. There were only a few more weeks before he joined some of the most powerful vampires on the planet, the Vykaryan, as they were named. His thoughts suddenly turned to Zara. He had yet to tell her of what his future held. He knew she would be worried, possibly even angry at him for withholding the news for so long. He cringed at the thought of her fury. He had to tell her eventually and the more he put it off the angrier she would be. He chuckled at the thought of her kicking his ass again. It was a game they had played their entire lives, and it never seemed to get old. They always strived to best each other. So far, Zara was winning. Philippe turned to face him, his face questioning the small chuckle Kai had given. "I was merely thinking of how Zara will take all this news. I don't think my body will ever get used to her absolute love of destruction," he smiled. Philippe smiled back in return, thinking of the green-eyed beauty, the image of her walking towards him naked and dripping in water filling his head. He stopped himself there, for his body was already beginning to react to the image that was forever burned in his skull. He shook himself mentally and tried to focus on what they had been previously discussing. "That is another thing we will have to discuss Kai. You will all be under much scrutiny for the next few weeks. In fact I believe there are people in place now watching you," he said walking over to the window again looking out, trying to spot the expertly hidden trackers he knew were somewhere on the grounds, "You must not draw unwanted attention to yourselves, lest they question your sister's unusual characteristics. " "Unusual characteristics?" he asked, playing stupid. "Come now Kailan, I know your sister is no average vampire. All you had to do was see her in action the other night at the club and it is plain to see," Philippe smiled, "at least plain enough for someone as old as I." He had almost slapped Kai for his foolishness that night, forcing his sister's true nature to expose her. If any other member of the Vyrkaryan had been there they would have reported Zara's unusual display right away. How she had managed to stay under their radar for so long, he had no idea. Perhaps his friend had something to do with that. He knew she was extraordinary, and how his kind would be intrigued by her. "Yes, she is not your average vampire," he agreed letting out a heavy sigh, "Look Philippe, I've been meaning to discuss this with you. I know the Vyrkaryan would be intrigued by my sister, I know you yourself are curious. I'm kicking myself for causing her to show herself so openly in front of you already. I consider you my friend first and foremost, before a Vyrkaryan, therefore I ask you to keep this to yourself. They would cage her like an animal and kill her if she was deemed a threat to our kind. I can't allow that, she is all I have. Until I am pledged I cannot steer away their attention." "Yes, I know, and trust me Kai it is my last wish to see any of you harmed. You must tell her soon, or risk her exposing herself openly. I cannot interfere then, and neither can you." Kai sat silent for a moment. He had been ecstatic at having this opportunity. However, the more he learned about the Vyrkaryan in the past months, the more he worried about his sister. They had spent so long hiding her capabilities, and by some strange cosmic force he was now asked to be a part of the very type of organization they had been avoiding. He felt that if there was some type of God out there, he was having a good laugh at this situation. He wished there was some way he could contact Xander, he always knew what to do and exactly what to say when it came to protecting his sister. Yet as much as he wished for his advice, he resented him for abandoning his sister, for not continuing to teach her and help her become the extraordinary woman that was aching to burst free. Philippe too had fallen silent. He wondered how Kai would react to the members of the council and vice versa. Both parties were eager to move on with the transition, yet there were arrangements to be made, and until his colleague was done making those arrangements, they all had to wait. All in time, he kept saying to Philippe. He almost rolled his eyes at his friend's cryptic words. Time could work both ways. It could be a healer and a destroyer, and Philippe was anxious of its results in this situation. Just then Kai let out a frustrated groan. "This waiting is killing me! Why can't we speed up this process, surely they can see I'm more than ready!" "Patience Kai, and in the meantime, we just have to be extremely careful, that is all." "I don't know about you Philippe, but two weeks is an awful lot of time for shit to go wrong. There are too many variable and waiting has never been my strong suit." Philippe let out a loud laugh, "My dear boy, it will have to be. More than just your life depends on it." -- Zara sat in the kitchen, staring absent mindedly into the gardens, sipping on her now stone cold coffee. She had been tip toeing around the mansion all week, trying to avoid Philippe, and she had been unsuccessful. It seemed although Kai was keeping him occupied with business, he found a way to track her down in the vast estate. She had briefly considered staying at a hotel or one of their downtown properties until he left, but her pride wouldn't let that man run her from her own home. She was drawn to him with such intensity that she wanted to both pull him in and keep him away. She was torn, her emotions pulling her at both ends of the spectrum. How was it possible to be attracted to someone, yet uneasy by that attraction at the same time? She found him arrogant, rude and pushy. How the hell could she be attracted to that? She was terrified after their first meeting, turning to Toni, asking her if she had felt anything in the room. Toni had simply nodded at her and remained silent on the subject since. It had been such an intense rush of emotions and energy that ran through her body that her first instinct was to hide away. It was enough her own abilities scared her; she didn't need his engulfing her too. Her terror soon turned to distaste for the man, especially after what happened poolside and in her room. She wondered if Philippe knew what she was truly capable of. She would catch him staring at her, as if contemplating something. Other times, it seemed he was toying with her, his energy more potent, as if he was purposefully trying to drown her in his power. It was then that she thought, maybe she was just being paranoid. Philippe was simply an old vampire that much she could tell. That explained his dominant persona, or so she told herself, and the power she felt rolling from his every muscle. The more she thought on it, however, the more curious she became. How was it possible to feel as though she knew him, yet she had only met him a week ago? What was that pulse that ran through her when he touched her? She had been asking so many questions, she felt she might go crazy. It was just this morning she decided to stop being so silly, this was her home, she would not cower away in a corner just because of Philippe Desmarais. She would put Philippe out of her mind. She explained everything with the fact that she had been without her enchantment for a few hours that night; her powers growing more potent from being dormant so long. It was the only explanation to the whirlwind of emotions and senses she felt in the span of five minutes in the same room with the handsome vampire. So lost within her thoughts, she didn't sense Stéfane striding into the room. She jumped slightly when she felt his hands on her shoulders. The Dawn of Wynter Ch. 02 "Zara, I just snuck up on you...you're an ancient fucking vampire, that's unheard of. What's got you so occupied this past week? You've not been yourself, mia carissima sorella." She sighed, turning to face him. His face was worried. She hated seeing a frown on his usual joyful features, he was meant to always be laughing. His hazel eyes bored into hers. His naturally pouty lips were pressed into a firm line. His long, straight nose flared, clearly scenting her discontent. The long light brown hair of his fell slightly into his face. He loomed over her, his massive body clearly blocking her from trying to avoid his gaze and questions. Stéfane was her brother. It didn't matter that they weren't originally related by blood, he had become her brother the day Kai had saved him from death. She trusted him as her own family. "How long have you known Philippe, Stéfane?" she finally asked. "I'd say about a little under a century, eighty years? Why?" he replied, unsure where this conversation was going. "How come I'm only just meeting him now?" "Zara, you've been gone for more than half those years, barely stopping by for a few days to check up on us. We've met a lot of people and done a lot of things in that time. He happens to be the European member of the Vyrkaryan, a man like that is a man to be respected. What's got you so spooked about him? Your brother trusts him implicitly, as do I." Her mind began whirling as she thought on what she already knew of Vyrkaryan politics. The vampire world ran similar to the human world; it had a type of government. It had a unique regime set up; each country had a senate, with the exception of Europe, as it ran as one entity. Each senate had six high ranking members from the vampire world, each bringing something to benefit the collective group. One member brought his or her age, which came with protection, meaning they would be the eldest within the group, hence the name The Elder. The second, The Assimilo, would hold the most power and influence in the human world. They integrated themselves, feigning humanity in order to ensure their identity was always kept secret. The third member, the Dictoris de Veritatis, was essentially a lie detector. To ensure honesty at all times, there had to be one to enforce such a rule. Vampires were unique in that when one sired another, they would transfer part of their genetics through the bite, in effect passing on any abilities they might possess, albeit slightly altered, as each person was unique. The main power was always prevalent. This was how they always ensured a 'lie detector'. Once one was elected into Senate, they would immediately sire a youngling, passing on their ability and mentor them to take their position should the need arise in the future. Zara was the only vampire she knew who did not pass along any of her unique genetics, as her brother did not possess the qualities she did. Suffice it to say, she would never be a part of Senate. The last three members, she remembered, were two enforcers, called Lex Coercitor, who carried out any penalties and punishments, though they were seldom used as vampires knew the consequences of most infractions was death. The final member was The Auctor, a transcriber, the historian of the group so to speak, keeping records up to date. These six vampires reported to the Vyrkaryan, a higher tier of vampires, who had the final say on all decisions concerning their kind. Each Vyrkaryan was assigned one of twelve sectors, or regions they had outlined, and he or she worked with the corresponding Senates of the countries which fell in that sector. Vyrkaryan meant you had wealth, power and had walked the earth for countless millennia. The word itself was as ancient as them loosely translated as The Dark Ones. It wasn't because they were evil, although they did have a dark history, they were dark in the sense they were very secretive and their society was heavily guarded from outsiders. "Philippe is a Vyrkaryan?" she asked astonished, "What is Kai doing working with him?" "I didn't want to be the one to tell you, but Kai was asked to join their council. While he is an ancient, he would still be the youngest amongst them, quite an honour. Philippe is mentoring him." She looked at him in complete shock. Her brother was joining a group of the most lethal vampires in the world? A group veiled in secrecy? "Is this why he asked me to come back Stéfane?" "Yes," he sighed, "He has always wanted your approval Zara, this means a lot to him. It's a great honour, even more so that Philippe is counseling him." Zara's mind was reeling, a million and one questions wanted to spill from her lips. "If Philippe is the head of the European sector, why is he here in North America?" "They rotate positions every few hundred years, it allows them to see how things work in each area. Philippe chose San Francisco because-" "Because I grew tired of my French companions. Really, they do become pompous pigs after a few centuries," Philippe said as he strode into the kitchen, an air of nonchalance. His scent filled the kitchen, and Zara tried her best not to inhale the intoxicating smell. She turned away from him, choosing not to acknowledge his presence. Stéfane laughed at Philippe's dig about his own people. She sighed and projected to Stéfane, We are not done discussing Kailan, he should have told me sooner... but I suppose you're right, I'm being silly. Kai would never ask him to stay here if he didn't trust him. I was a little overwhelmed the other night that's all; I guess it has clouded my thoughts since. She smiled reassuringly at him. She was glad for that one ability, to communicate mentally with anyone, regardless if they shared blood or not. He smiled warmly at her, his face all the more beautiful for it. He pulled her into a tight bear hug, that she was sure would have broken every bone in her body had she still been human. "You need to learn to lighten up Wynters, or you'll die of stress," he joked, planting a kiss on top of her head, "I see you've decided to end you're silly experiment," he continued tugging on a lock of her now deep burgundy hair. She pushed him playfully, rolling her eyes, laughing at how he instantly made her feel better. "So, uh, how're things down there," she countered, gesturing to his crotch, laughing when his face darkened in a scowl and drawing a chuckle from Philippe as he prepared a coffee, before he quietly said, "Ah...yes, that is a memory I will never forget...unfortunately," he sighed rather theatrically, shaking his head lightly. "You and Toni are so going to pay for that one. I'm a patient one Zizi, fifty years down the line, you won't know what hit you," he grinned, cocking his eyebrows mischievously. Zara had to hold onto the countertop she was laughing so hard, the image of them looking so shocked still playing in her head. "You have to admit, it was the best comeback yet!" she gasped in between breaths. The look on Stéfane's face said he didn't agree one bit. "Will you let it go already?" Kai growled as he strode in the kitchen. His sour mood only caused Zara and Stéfane to laugh even harder. He snarled at them both, "The fact that you are the last living member of my family is what is keeping your pretty little head on your shoulders, dear sister." She rolled her eyes at his dramatic statement, knowing it was an empty threat. He apparently hadn't forgiven her yet. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Zara mumbled under her breath, although she knew he could hear her. What had him in such a sour mood? She suddenly found the rather large kitchen a bit too crowded with the three men in it. She excused herself and made her way to the gym they kept fully equipped on the far side of the mansion, overlooking a cliff which dropped down to the ocean. She felt eyes on the back of her head until she turned the corner and out of sight from the kitchen. She needed to digest the information Stéfane had just told her. She and Kai had a lot to discuss. They never kept anything from each other, most of the time. Joining this group of vampires would mean he would be hiding things from her the moment he was a member. Although it comforted her somewhat to know Philippe was his mentor. If Philippe was a Vyrkaryan, then he was an extremely powerful man, people would think twice about crossing him, as well as his friends. Maybe that explained his energy, she thought absentmindedly. She needed to work off all the tension in her body, and she figured it was wise to not release that tension near anything breakable or in the form of her brother. She was still pissed at him for last week, and disappointed he hadn't confided in her sooner. She should have sensed it, even if she had only been back for two weeks. Just as she could project thoughts, she could read them, although she blocked as much as possible. Too many thoughts made her head feel as though it would split in two. She made her way to the lockers they kept in the gym stored with clothes more suitable for working out. She changed into a pair of biker shorts and a tank top before walking across the room, scrutinizing the weapons that hung from the walls. There was a collection of hundreds of blades from all over the world, Sai, curved swords, and samurai swords to machetes hanging on the wall. Next to that collection were axes, clubs, picks, spears and bows. Underneath that wall, a collection of knives, daggers, throwing stars, chains and brass knuckles were set in a glass case. She knew there were guns in one of the cases, but she never cared for them. Across from her was an open training area, defined by thick mats laid on the floor. The rest of the room looked like a state of the art gym, with all the equipment you would need to fight in any style. There were other vampires who lived on the grounds with Kai and herself. A few had been the ones to teach her various fighting styles when she was first turned. There were also Weres on the grounds, close friends of hers that she had come to consider family, although they came and went regularly. She always laughed at how humans portrayed them as eternal enemies. It could not be further from the truth. They had all learned from each other over the years. Even Antoinette had taught Zara how to hone some of her powers to use in combat. The gym had been used rigorously since they had acquired the home, not just by Zara and the mansion's occupants but also by younglings who had been sired and were required to learn strategic combat by their mates, usually close acquaintances of hers or Kai's. This was yet another place she came to lose herself. Fighting always took concentration; you could not be distracted by anything else other than your opponent, leaving little room to think about other things. She had trained with many of the weapons in the room, but she found herself drawn to the Sai, her favourite next to the samurai sword. She unhooked them from the wall and twisted them experimentally in her hands, smiling at memories she thought long forgotten. She turned staring across the room where the iPod sat in its dock. She mentally nudged the play button and the sound of Muse instantly filled the room. She began twirling the thin needle shaped weapons in her hands, moving her body around the training area, catching her reflection in the wall-to-wall mirrors, her eyes looked wild, and her hair flowing behind her like a sail. It was a dance for her, a dance filled with technical skill and precision. Her sensei had taught her the five kata, choreographed movements, typical in Sai training. In her search for answers, she had traveled to Japan, and remained there for a part of her life, marveling at the culture and people. Sensei Kaede had taken her under his wing, trained her for years as she mastered martial arts. In all her training she always came back to the Sai, watching her Sensei move with such elegance, knowing that elegance could quickly turn lethal. She quickly fell back into the familiar movements, the knives spinning in her hands as she twirled and glided around the room, moving with the music. She didn't know how long she was there, it must have been hours, but she couldn't stop. Her body was soaked in sweat, the tension long gone, but she didn't want to stop. She had reached a peace within herself that she hadn't felt in a long time. It wasn't until the scent of cinnamon and spice hit her that she stopped mid turn and let the knives fly out of her hands, racing straight towards Philippe. He moved quickly, catching them both, mid blade in each hand before they made contact with his broad chest, but they sliced his skin none the less. The moment the blood was drawn, his scent overwhelmed her, sending her blood lust into turmoil. She was breathing hard from the workout she just instilled on her body. She hadn't fed in months, not needing to. The scent of Philippe however had her heart racing faster than it already was; she felt it would beat out of her chest. "Sorry," she whispered, trying hard not to breathe in anymore of his succulent smell or she would pounce on him. "I suppose I should have known better, than to sneak up on a woman as lethal as you," he said smiling as he walked towards her. God, his accent was sexy. He handed her the knives back, and held up his hands, "There is no need to apologize." His hands had healed already, but the blood remained wet on his palms. Sighing loudly, she turned from him, trying to clear her mind of the blood she craved so badly, steadying her breathing. He just stood there, teasing her with his life's essence, not even bothering to wipe it off. She strode over to the water fountain in the room, grabbing a towel on the way and wetting it. She was back in front of him in seconds. She took his hand in hers, studiously ignoring the feeling that ran down her body and warmed her to the core. Bending her head over his hands, she began wiping the blood from his palms, and he merely gazed at her curiously, his eyes burning into her skin, but she never looked up. She wiped his other hand before she threw the towel in the hamper by the door. Finally, she looked up into his face. The usual arrogant mask he wore all week was gone, in its place a tenderness she never thought she would see from this man. His eyes expressed so much in once glance at her. She saw questions, wonder, and mostly desire. It was written all over his face. The intensity of which he stared at her had her heart skipping a beat. She took a step back, releasing the hand she was still holding. "What are you doing in here, Philippe? Shouldn't you be busy teaching Kai how to become another power hungry asshole like yourself?" He masked his emotions once more, although desire still burned in his eyes, "Your brother made his own choices, Zara, I am merely making the transition smoother for him. I'm not ashamed, and neither should he be, of wanting to climb higher in the ranks of our world. And to answer your question, I sought your company as your brother and Stéfane had some urgent business to attend to that did not involve me." Sought my company? I don't want to be anywhere near you she screamed in her head. "Well, I'm a little busy..." she replied, waving her hands around the room. "You're very skilled with those Zara," he remarked conversationally, as she picked the Sai back up and resumed her stance. Her back was turned to him, but she rolled her eyes anyways, he clearly did not get the hint. She heard him chuckle, and she realized he saw her reflection in the mirror. She should feel bad that he saw her rude gesture, but she didn't. The man was arrogant and forcing his company on her when she did not want it. He didn't leave though, which sparked her temper a bit, it was the second time he had interrupted her while trying to unwind. She chose to ignore him and continue where she had left off. He merely watched her for a few minutes, before turning to the wall lined with weapons and lifting one of the samurai swords and weighing it in his hands, testing the grip on the handle before bringing it down in a wide arc. He attacked her without warning, but she saw him blur from the corner of her eye and ducked as he swung the sharp blade towards her. She flipped back onto her feet facing him, fury etched in her face. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" she hissed, as he simply smiled back innocently, and she glared back in response, before a playful smile split across her face. A chance to kick his ass had finally presented itself, who was she to deny him that. "You sure you know how to use that, Philippe? You may cut yourself." She moved towards him with deadly speed and began attacking him, blow after blow, her arms flying in the air, as they danced around each other. The sound of metal on metal rang across the room, over and over again. He blocked each time, infuriating her even more. She did not like being denied. She lunged at him, but he blocked her once again, and he counterattacked his sword landing in between her crisscrossed sai. They stood there for a minute each pushing hard against the other, straining to gain ground. He pulled back a bit, lifting his leg and pushing his foot into her abdomen and shoving her so hard she fell on her back, and he came down on top of her, the sword gripped tight in his hand, resting horizontally across her neck. "Why have you been hiding away all week, Zara?" he breathed, his face so close to hers, she could see the specks of gold in his eyes. It really was magnificent, his eyes were such a deep cerulean blue, but they held small flecks of gold. She had never seen eyes so beautiful. They were even more glorious when the gold flashed, she remembered. She shook herself mentally, Jeez Zara get a grip! She told herself. They were breathing hard, her chest pressing against his, his lower body pressing her down into the mats. She did not like the intimacy of the position he had them in. She brought her knee up and managed to roll them over so she was now on top. In the process she knocked his sword arm to the side, bringing her knives to his neck. "I have nothing to hide from, least of all you," she snarled back at him, and he merely laughed. He rolled her over his head as he sprang up, turning quickly to face her, already in an attacking stance. "I don't know, ma belle, we haven't seen you all week. I know you were hiding. Did you think I didn't feel it too, the night we met? It was magnificent..." She managed to hide her shock, but she just stood in front of him, trying to work out what to do or say to him. He made the decision for her with his next words. "So, are you going to admit to hiding from me or not, ma belle Zara?" he asked his tone teasing. "You really are asking for it aren't you?" She moved so fast, he almost didn't have time to react. She was twisting in the air and her hand came down, slicing his upper arm. He hissed in pain. Silver tipped sai! The little witch he thought. He had moved a second too late, but he was sure she would have done more damage if he hadn't reacted at all. "What's wrong Philippe? Getting tired already?" He threw his head back as a booming laugh escaped him. She has fire within her, he thought. He had a feeling that fire didn't just stop in the fighting department. Without replying, he began their dance again, each one trying to best the other. She was extremely skilled and he found himself panting, and barely keeping up with her. The thought derailed him a bit, he was almost three times her age, yet she was keeping up with him as though they were equals. He decided to take a risk and lower his sword just a bit leaving his chest unprotected, smiling when she fell for his trap. As she closed in to take advantage of his 'weakness', he quickly raised his sword and knocked both Sai from her hands with a swift flick while kicking his leg under her feet, sending her sprawling on her back. She let out a huff as she landed hard on the mats, slightly amazed he had tricked her. He was above her before she knew what was happening. His arms pinned hers above her head, she tried to wriggle free but his grip was like an iron clasp. She carried on however, their bodies rubbing against each other. She thought she felt a slight hardness pressed against her, the idea he was getting off on this angered her. The Dawn of Wynter Ch. 02 "You've won Philippe, let me go," she said in a cold tone. "I'm not quite finished chèrie, see you still have not answered my question." "What question?" she growled, still attempting to get free. "Keep moving like that ma chérie, and I will be forced to fuck you right this moment," he said, pressing his hardening cock against her thigh, "and I would much prefer that you come to me willingly." She stopped wriggling immediately, although she was seething at his comment. "Now, are you going to admit that you were hiding from me?" he continued. "I was not hiding!" she pronounced each word carefully. He chuckled, his eyes roaming across her glistening face. "It seems I'll have to teach you to stop lying to me Zara, a lesson I will very much enjoy." Before she could answer, one hand slid behind her head, curling into her hair, pulling it up so her mouth was slanted up for him as he brought his lips down to hers. She stiffened in shock, as his lips caressed hers, his tongue tracing her full bottom lip before drawing it into his mouth and nibbling on it lightly. If she thought the touch of his hands had been marvelous, the touch of his lips sent fire burning through her veins. She felt every fiber in her being, every muscle and cell responding to this man. She couldn't help the quiet moan that escaped her. She felt his lips smiling against her and he continued his assault on her luscious mouth. His tongue was now dipping into her open lips, tasting her. She tasted perfect to him. Hints of jasmine and vanilla with an undertone of orange flower met his senses. It was enthralling. He felt her relax a bit and she was suddenly meeting his kiss was as much enthusiasm and need. She sought out his tongue, nipping it lightly before devouring his mouth. He released the hand that he was still gripping above her head and she brought it to his face and ran her hands into his long midnight black hair, curling her fingers in it, pulling him closer. It was when he began rubbing himself against her, his hardness pressed between them, that she froze, all sense rushing back to her, did she realize what she was doing. She pulled back and he stared down at her, smiling victoriously. "Ah, you are ready to admit it?" he asked matter-of-factly. She glared at him stubbornly. "Very well," he whispered and he came back down, resuming the kiss and she felt herself drowning in the sensations he was instilling in her yet again. She knew he could smell her arousal, she could definitely feel his. She hated the total loss of control she had around him. She hated that she liked the way he was kissing her that she wanted so much more. It was too overwhelming and before she knew what she was doing, she ripped her lips from his and practically yelled, "YES, I was hiding ok? Now get off me Philippe." She was pushing at his chest, her legs scrambling to get up. He made it harder than it should have been on her, trying to prolong their body contact. She finally had enough and punched him hard in the side of the head, splitting open his cheek. He stared at her shocked for a moment bringing his hand up to his cheek and then continued his infuriating laugh. Grabbing him by the shoulders and rolling him over, she slammed his back into the ground, her hands resting on either side of his shoulders as she straddled him. Her face was mere inches from his as she glared down at him. "Let me make this clear Philippe, you may think there's some special connection here, and you may be more than skilled in the kissing department, and perhaps being a Vyrkaryan has inflated your pretty little head so much you think you can dominate any woman you please, but I assure you nothing will come of it. Do you understand? " she growled in one long breath. He smiled back at her arrogantly, and began laughing. "Are you sure? I rather thought I smelled something coming of it," he replied pushing his hips up into her heated core, reminding her of how she responded to him with complete wantonness. Her anger began rising again and she found her hand moving before she could stop it. She grabbed one of the Sai that had been tossed close by and flipped it in her hand before slamming it down hard, slicing through the center of his palm and into the mat below them. "Witch!" he hissed in pain, the gold in his eyes flashing wildly. She definitely played dirty, he thought, but then so do I. "As long as we're clear," she replied coolly. She huffed and stood, no longer wanting any contact with the man. She was infuriated that he brought out such strong emotions, that she let herself react to him in any way. She began walking towards the door, eager to escape his company. "What Zara, you're not going to wipe my hand clean again? It does sting a little. Maybe you can kiss it better?" She raised her hand up, flicking him off, her back still facing him. "At lease you think I'm a good kisser," he laughed, as he stood up, slowly sliding the needle like knife from his palm with a hiss and tossing it aside. "Stay away from me Philippe," she said in a cold voice, her back still facing him as she grabbed the door handle, her other hand still up in a rude gesture, that had him chuckling again. Once she was in her room, she breathed a sigh of relief. She was tense yet again. Her emotions were running wild. She was angry at Philippe. The ass had forced himself on her! He kissed her, almost fucked her, made her admit to hiding, and had attacked her. His sheer power scared her. And yet, she was still curious about the man. She puffed out a long breath. Who was she kidding? She was angrier at herself. He hadn't forced himself on her, she let him kiss her, and she had enjoyed every damn minute of it, her body's reaction was proof enough of that. She was hiding, she was just angry he realized what she was doing. The fact that he was not scared to fight her intrigued her even more, he saw her as an equal, not as a fragile little girl. His power scared her but it brought out questions too. Like why did they both feel such a strong pull towards each other, after only a short time of acquaintance? Why did he seem to possess the same magic which ran through her veins? The man had the ability to make a confident and powerful two thousand year old vampire feel like an unsure little girl. Who the hell was Philippe Desmarais and what was he doing in her life? --- Philippe remained in the gym for a while longer, thinking on what had just transpired. He was stunned at Zara's speed, matching him perfectly. Her skill surpassed every vampire her age. How is that possible, he thought? He had enjoyed sparring with her, seeing how far he could push her. She had impressed him, his fondness for her growing. Looking down at his crotch, he thought of other things that had grown in her presence. She ignited his passion with a simple touch, and he had almost given in to his desires when he had her pinned, but forcing a woman wasn't his style. He liked when they came willingly. Something told him Zara Wynters would not be so easy to seduce. He had been briefed on Zara, but his colleague had clearly left out a few things, while downplaying others, like her speed and strength, and he had been unprepared for the real thing. Seeing her fierceness at the club, and again in the gym, it called to him on so many levels. He was meant to merely check up on her, but he wanted to do so much more. He was too old and had traveled alone for too long to even contemplate a mate. If he had walked six millennia without finding a suitable companion, he was certain he wouldn't in the next six. He whiled away his time by taking as many lovers as he could. He liked a challenge when it came to women. All too often they threw themselves at him. He liked a little bit of a chase. It was like a game to him, and he had just found his new player. Despite his past however, he sensed once he had a taste of Zara, he would want more of her. She occupied his thoughts constantly since he moved here. Listen to yourself Phillippe, he thought, you sound like a lovesick puppy! You just need to fuck her and get her out of your system that is all. Just then his phone rang. He sighed, seeing the caller ID. His friend would not be pleased if he knew of his own selfish plans. "Âlo, mon ami. Missed me?" he teased. "Philippe, it has almost been a month, and I have yet to hear from you," a deep voice rebuked. "Well, my friend, I have been quite busy introducing Kai to the duties of the Vyrkaryan. As to the main object of your concerns, she did not return home until two weeks ago." "You could have informed me of her arrival," the voice rumbled. "Yes, but I wanted to wait until I was better acquainted with the beauty," he said, his tone implying exactly how well he wanted to be acquainted with Zara. "Philippe," the voice warned, "Do not play with the girl! Her distress increases daily, I will not have you toying with her already precarious emotions. She is not some whore that you fuck and toss to the side!" "You and Kailan really do need to learn how to play, always so serious," he mock whined, "Besides, she has more balls than the two of you combined. You underestimate her." "I mean it Philippe, keep your cock in your pants, and do what I asked of you, old friend." "I'll try, but I can make no promises. It would be a sin against any man not to attempt to. She truly is extraordinary." He heard a deep sigh, "You have no idea just how much," he said in barely a whisper. "Just keep an eye on her, Philippe, I feel her every day, she has been penetrating my attempts to block, although I don't think she realizes it. Her power grows." "You worry too much! The woman holds more strength than you give her credit for. You conveniently forgot to mention just how powerful she is. She nearly took my head off today," he chuckled. "Too bad she didn't succeed." Philippe let out a loud laugh, "You could not live without me, old friend, and you would miss me too much." "Keep telling yourself that Philippe, in the meantime, let me know if anything of interest happens." "You should tell her Xander, she will not like that she has been kept in the dark so long." "All in time, Philippe, all in time..." The line went dead, and Philippe sighed. Did Antoinette not say the same? The Dawn of Wynter Ch. 03 Hello lovelies! I am so sorry for the (extremely long) hiatus on here. My life took over and did not leave much room for writing! However, I've been sitting on this chapter for a while, toying with it and I decided to finally submit it, or else I never would! I hope you all enjoy it! There is a lot of back story here, a lot of flashbacks, and some questions are answered, while new ones are raised. I sincerely hope you love reading about these characters and their lives, because I love writing them! I may post another chapter this same week, depending on time and if I can learn to stop tinkering with things! Again, I'm left awed at the amazing feedback you have given me on this story so far! Please please please continue to comment, vote and email me! It makes my day reading all your comments and suggestions! Happy reading! E Chapter 3: Answers --- Zara stood in the vast room for the thousandth time. It was dark, no light penetrating the space. Even with her supernatural vision, the darkness pressed on her eyes, and all her senses were alert. As many times as she found herself here, she hated the fear that crept into her soul. She knew what was coming. She waited for the light in the center of the room to glow, as it always did. Sure enough, a few seconds later, she recognized its bright glimmer. She began making her way to it, as if in a trance. The closer she got the harder the thrumming in her body became, as if her entire being were alive. It fed off the strange glimmer in the room. Her arm was outstretched, as if to touch it, when out of nowhere, a hand slapped it down. She looked up to find Xander towering in front of her. He smiled at her, but his eyes were sad. "You're not ready Zara." "Xander, let me pass. It's been waiting for so long," she begged, almost painfully, straining to look around him and see the glimmering light. She had no idea what was waiting or why she knew it was, the words just flew from her mouth. "You're not ready," he repeated. All of a sudden the room began to shake and the floor beneath her gave way and she fell, clawing at the air while screaming out for Xander; Her protector. He was supposed to keep her safe, yet he merely watched her fall, with that sad look in his eyes. She kept falling, into an infinite black abyss. "Zara! Zara, come now chérie, wake up!" Zara felt her body being shaken slightly as her eyes flew open to find Philippe bent over her, his hands clasping her upper arms tightly. She sat up, looking around only to find herself in the library. Damn it, she was sleep walking again. If anyone had told her she would become a sleep walking vampire, she would have laughed in their face at such a ridiculous concept. Yet she found herself waking up in strange places at least once a week. She made to get up, but Philippe's strong arms gathered her up before she could do or say anything, and lay her on the chaise in the center of the room. He sat at the end staring at her curiously, neither of them speaking. She was about to get up and head back to her room, before she died of embarrassment, when he spoke. "You were screaming bloody murder, my dear. I thought you had come in here to finish the job you had started earlier today in the gym," he smiled," until you collapsed on the floor there and began thrashing about like an animal in agony." Damn it. Of all the people to be in the study when she sleep walked, it had to be Philippe, she thought angrily. She did not like that he saw her momentary weakness. She couldn't control the damn dreams or the late night strolls, and it irked her to be out of control of her own body, especially in front of this powerful vampire before her. "Just a bad dream," she commented casually, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't sleep in much, usually a thin camisole and mini shorts -- either that or nothing. She thanked whatever deity was watching over her that she had decided to put something on tonight, however skimpy. It was enough that Philippe was staring at her like a juicy meal already. "I see...does it happen often?" he asked, curiosity taking over. "Why does it matter, they're just dreams," she said irritably, rising out of the chaise and making her way to the door. She did not want to think about her dream, or Xander. It was just another mystery on her long list of questions that drove her mad. A strong hand caught her arm at the entrance and swung her around, pressing her back against the wooden door. Zara made to push him away but his arms held her in place like an iron grip, his body too close for comfort. I'm tiring of this position, she thought irately, fighting not to roll her eyes at his show of typical Alpha male dominance. "I don't know Zara," he whispered, his eyes locked on hers, "dreams are said to be the key to the soul. They can hold so many answers..." he trailed off, his nose running along her long slender neck, taking in her scent. "You seemed to be in such pain." His voice held a tone of concern. She brushed it off as one of his acts, to get her to soften up to him. "Dreams are dreams, Philippe, nothing more than the strange meditations of the brain. Now let me go, I'm quite tired of kicking your ass once today." He threw his head back and let out a booming laugh. "Hmm yes, I must pay you back for that ma petit coquette. You look simply delicious," he rumbled while pressing himself against her. The nerve of this man! Was his skull so thick, he didn't understand that she had no interest in sleeping with him? Did the words 'stay away from me' not make it clear enough? She struggled at his grasp, freeing one arm and grabbing him by the neck before turning them so fast it was a blur, so that he was pressed against the door, their positions reversed. "Let me make this clear for you, since it doesn't seem to be going through that sweet little head of yours Philippe. Parlez-vous Francais? Ce n'est pas possible," she gestured between them, "Now, get out of my way," she growled, throwing him aside. He crashed into a console table holding a desk lamp and it crumbled into pieces beneath him. She flung the door open roughly only to walk into a wide, muscled chest. "Zara? I heard screaming and -- ", he paused seeing Philippe brushing debris from himself, "Everything ok?" Kai asked, looking worriedly at his sister and back at Philippe. "Just peachy!" she grinned, before pushing past him, storming off to her room, mumbling curses under her breath. He thought he heard something like men, intolerable, ego maniac in the same sentence. --- "Philippe," Kai began in a warning, "If you harmed my sister --" "Be calm, Kailan," he said, his palms up and his voice just as serious, "I did not harm her." "Then what the fuck is going on?" he asked gesturing to the broken table. "I was merely admiring your collection of books, when she walked in. Before I could say anything she collapsed and began screaming and writhing like a person possessed." "Damn it, she's sleep walking again." Kai was running his fingers through his hair. "Again? How often does this occur Kai?" "She won't say, but I suspect since she was turned. We've always just assumed it was a part of her...uniqueness." Philippe was silent. His brain was whirring. Did Xander know of this? His friend had some questions that needed answering right away. His surprise that she had not been brought to their attention in all this time was magnified even more. Perhaps Xander had something to do with that too. He knew she was extraordinary, and how his kind would be intrigued by her, maybe even fear her. She had scared him half to death when she was on the floor. She looked in such agony. He did not like seeing her in such a way. She appeared so terrified when she woke up, that he had wanted to hold her and never let go. Listen to yourself Philippe, he thought, you sound like you care deeply for the girl. He shocked himself with that thought. He had seen her as merely another conquest, along with something to protect from whatever Xander thought was coming. But to care for her? Surely not, Philippe had not cared for anything in almost four millennia. He closed off any possibility of that with the death of Véronique. He stopped himself short with that thought. He turned back to Kai. "Yes, she is not your average vampire," he agreed, staring past Kai, into the hallway where she had disappeared. "Kailan," he sighed, "from all I have seen," and all I have been told he added mentally, "your sister is an anomaly in our kind. The Vyrkaryan are not yet aware of her as anything but a regular vampire. They will begin digging once you join us to gain leverage, what they find I cannot say. I suggest you convey to her to control herself as best she can, just as we discussed. You can put it off no longer my friend." "I figured as much. Perhaps it was a mistake to ask her to come back here," he said more to himself, than to Philippe. "I think you made the right choice, it will be easier to watch her here, than elsewhere." Kai did not reply, he merely paced back and forth across the room. He came to a stop in front of the shattered table, looking up at Philippe. "You never mentioned how the table became fire wood..." "Ah...I may have...provoked you sister's wilder side," he said with a sheepish grin. "You are truly a glutton for punishment, Philippe," Kai chuckled. Philippe merely shrugged his shoulders, and sat down in the chaise Zara had occupied previously. Both men were lost in their thoughts. Kai excused himself after some time, no doubt to check on his sister. Philippe felt for the young one. He knew what it was like to love one so much, the fear of losing them was almost paralyzing. It was that reason that kept him from caring too much. Xander had the foresight to see the Vyrkaryan's interest in Kailan would expand to those closest to him. They had been looking for a new member for a while, as one of their eldest grew tired of the politics. Kailan Wynters had been on the top of the list to replace him. He had considerable wealth and power, but he was not flashy about it. The Vyrkaryan required discreetness. Xander watched from the sidelines, Philippe keeping him informed of all the news coming from the meetings, when he was unable to attend himself. He had been enraged when he learned of Kai's potential involvement in the ancient council. Xander had always had an unusual obsession with the Wynters family that Philippe had never understood, until that day. He learned his friend was Zara's maker, and she was in turn her brother's. He also learned a little more about Zara, although at the time he suspected Xander left out certain things. He could see why his friend obsessed over them now. Kai was loyal and had become a true friend over the years. Philippe considered him one of his most trusted allies, and he had known people for much longer who could not even come close. His sister, Zara Wynters was singular, unique and she had somehow pushed herself into Philippe's cold heart, whether he knew it or not. He found himself struggling to pinpoint what it was he felt for the woman. Desire was most definitely the dominant emotion, but there was more. He grew curious as to how she came to be the person that stood before him only a few moments ago. Could he possibly be coming to care for her? He snorted, absolutely not. Philippe Desmarais cared for only himself. Sure he was loyal to friends, kept his word, but when it came to his heart, it was as cold as an Alaskan glacier. He had a feeling however that it was not a mere coincidence that Xander had chosen him to watch over this unique family. There were undeniable similarities between himself and the girl. He stood suddenly, he was going to talk to the woman, prove it was purely physical. Once he got her out of his system, he would leave and let Xander deal with her. He was her maker after all; he could deal with the mess he had left behind centuries ago. He strode out of the study and began making his way to her wing. --- "Come in," Zara sighed. She heard her brother behind the door, before he even knocked. The door creaked open slightly and Zara saw her brother poke his head in. "One day, I will manage to sneak up on you," he teased, closing the door and making his way over to her bed and flopping down beside her, linking his hands behind his head. "You've been trying for over a millennia," she laughed, "I'm not about to drop my guard now." "Good, because you're going to need to be extra careful. Stéphan told you..." She had turned on her side, facing him now. Her face was crumpled a frown. Her brother's face was a determined calm. They resembled each other, enough to deduce they were related. His eyes were a lighter green, sometimes bordering on hazel. He was a man, in every sense of the word; rugged, tall and muscular. He took up half of her bed at the moment. "About how you're joining the Vyrkaryan? Yes. Although I'm still wondering why I did not hear it from you first? " "Zara, we all have our secrets at times, you should know that better than most. I was waiting until the right time. Now that you're no longer in the dark about this, you should know that you have to seriously rein it in with your...talents for the next couple of weeks. People are watching and I need to know you're safe until I gain my seat amongst them." "Kailan, I don't like it. They are powerful beyond measure; you know nothing of what they can do, what they have already done. It's an assembly shrouded in secrecy and speculation. I don't want to lose you to such a group." "That is precisely why this is a good thing, for both of us. You may have been turned before me Zara, but I am still your older brother. I will do whatever it takes to protect you. This puts me in a prime position to ensure no one ever learns of what you can do. This is why I came to talk to you..." "Kai, I can protect myself, I have done so for over 1,500 years, and I will continue to do so! We have never had cause to believe I was in any danger. If anything you joining them puts us in the very danger you speak of. I beg you, don't do this. I have such a terrible feeling..." She heard her pleading tone, but she didn't care. She did not, could not lose her only family, and she knew this was the beginning of something terrible. "Zara, we haven't had much time to catch up since you have been back. I didn't go looking for this position, it came to me. You do not say no to the Vyrkaryan. If I did, they would surely speculate there was a reason behind it and come looking. This is the only way. Besides, you know me...I love power, and since I can't seem to gain it around you and Stéphane," he chuckled, "I can shine elsewhere!" he ended grandly. "If I wasn't so worried about you, I'd almost feel sorry for that group of pretentious old hags, they really have no idea who they are asking to join their ranks," she laughed lightly. "Exactly, which is why you shouldn't worry. You know me better than anyone, what you see is most definitely not what you get. The monster within slumbers, until someone decides to fuck with me or my family," he growled, hugging his sister close to him, planting a kiss on top of her head. "And who are you calling pretentious?" he joked, nudging her in the ribs, both of them breaking into a fit of giggles. "I love you Kailan," she whispered a while later, hugging him tightly, trying to put so many words into that one gesture. "Love you too sis." They sat hugging for some time, before Kai had to ask, "So, you're still sleepwalking..." Zara stiffened and unwrapped herself from her brothers strong arms. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and sat facing away from him, her long hair obscuring her face from his gaze. "Just leave it Kai, I don't want to think about it, or my dreams before you ask about those too." "You must talk to someone Zara. I can't begin to imagine what it would be like living without seeing my maker for seven centuries. I can barely take half of one without seeing you." "It's always the same Kai, there's nothing to talk about. He never helps me, he just watches. He looks so sad too, it breaks my heart," she sobbed, the sound wrenching at Kai's own heart. "I miss him Kai, yet I don't deserve his friendship, I should have died the day I was born into this life." "Zara, no..." she felt his hand on her back as she let her tears fall freely. Just then she heard something at the door, her head snapped up. She flew to the door in a blur, and flung it open. Philippe stood there, his eyes wide and his hand held up as if about to knock. "Did your mother never tell you it's rude to eavesdrop?" she said in a stone cold voice, the fire building in her tear filled eyes. "Forgive me, I --" Before he could finish, Zara had grabbed him by the throat again, not caring that her nails were crushing his windpipe this time. She began walking forward, pushing him back with every step. He didn't even try to fight; he just let her hold him by the neck, staring into her eyes, confused. "I'm tiring of finding you in every corner of this house Monsieur Desmarais, especially when I'm having a private discussion with my brother," she hissed. He tried to speak, but her nails had dug so deep, his windpipe was close to crushed. "What's that? I couldn't hear you?" her voice was cold, contradicting her pain filled expression, and the tears on her cheeks. She flung him back just as she heard her brother yelling, "Zara, no!" Philippe landed hard on the marble floor, Kai rushing to help him as he tried to gasp for air, his throat still healing. She walked passed Philippe, who lay on his back stunned, and made her way to the grand hall of their home. She heard Kai helping Philippe up and apologizing for her behavior. She snorted in disgust, why should he apologize for her? It was Philippe who should apologize. The man was a pain in the ass and he was taking the only thing she cared for in this sad world away from her. She flew out of the house and got into her car, not knowing where she was going but her foot never left the gas pedal as she twisted and turned on the road. She followed the path until she saw a trail to her right half an hour later; she turned into it instinctively, and followed it until it led her to a large grassy opening, the view of the city opening up in front of her. She parked and stared out ahead. The view was spectacular, how had she never found this place before? She got out of the car and walked to the edge of the clearing, staring out at the bustling city in front of her. The darkness accenting the city lights. She lost herself in her thoughts, unaware of the tears flowing down her cheeks until she tasted their saltiness on her lips. She let out an agonizing scream, all her frustration put into that one roar. She screamed until her throat was hoarse and she lost her breath, collapsing on the ground. I've lost my mind, she thought, all of a sudden laughter came bubbling out of her. She laughed hysterically, tears still spilling from her eyes as she lay back in the grass, looking up at the sky. "I didn't realize crushing my throat could make anyone so happy," called a voice behind her. Her laughter died in her throat as she sat up and stared at Philippe, leaning against the hood of his own car, looking bored. "You must have the thickest skull of any man I know," she said incredulously, "that or you have a death wish to follow me out here!" She stood, her hands curled into fists, anger rippling down her body. He just didn't know when to give up! "Peace, Zara," he said in a quiet voice, it wasn't a request, it was an order. His hands were held palms up in surrender, "I simply came to apologize, and see if you were okay." The Dawn of Wynter Ch. 03 "It couldn't wait until I returned?" she asked irately, realizing he could see her tears, had probably seen her yelling like a mad woman. Fuck it, she thought, he's already seen me yelling half naked anyways. She turned away from him and sat back down in the grass, drawing her knees to her chest. "It could have," he replied simply, coming to sit next to her, scooting closer to her when she didn't protest his company. "That's close enough Frenchie, I'm still not sure whether I want to kill you or not." Philippe simply laughed his loud infectious laugh. It did wonders to his already gorgeous face, she thought. You really are crazy Zara, she thought to herself, one second you're ripping his throat out, the next you're drooling over his face. She looked away, staring straight ahead at the city. Neither spoke, they just sat in silence, Zara's tears refusing to dry up. She felt his gaze on her, but she stubbornly refused to look at him. She stiffened when she felt his fingers reach out and brush a tear off her cheek. He felt his heart clench at the pain in her face. Somehow the woman had crawled under his skin and brought forth a feeling he hadn't felt in ages; a furious need to protect. "It is a shame to see such a beautiful face in such pain...What pains you so, me belle?" When she did not respond, he switched tactics. He held his arms open wide, gesturing to the view before them. "C'est magnifique!" he called out loudly, and a little too overzealously, even he cringed. "I never thought I would find a scene to compete with the beauty of Paris, I was mistaken!" She let out a heavy sigh, realizing he wasn't going to give up very easily. "Why are you here Philippe? You've made sure I'm okay, I'm fine. You can go back and tell my brother I'm not going anywhere." She knew Kai would assume she would pack up her belongings and leave. "I disagree chérie, you don't look fine at all. Despite the impressive show of strength you put on for Kai and Stéphane, I see right through it. Your brothers may choose to believe your little act, but I can see plainly that you are scared, confused and most of all angry. " She stared at him about to reply, her anger igniting quickly, before she blew out a breath and realized he was absolutely right. She was all those things and more. She was confused, unsure of what or who she was, angry at Xander for abandoning her, but more furious he had saved her from death only for her to be put into a world she found she did not belong in. She was scared that all of that would cause her to burst, that she would inevitably push those closest to her away, just as she had Xander. And yet, they didn't need pushing away, they were being taken from her already. This was why she stayed away from Kai and Stephane. She always found her demons were closing in on her the closer she was to home. The past few weeks were a testament to that, she felt more vulnerable and depressed than ever. "You seemed to have figured out in one week what no one could figure out or understand in two thousand years." "It is a skill developed with age, and I am older than all three of you put together and much, much wiser" he laughed. She turned to face him, a smile playing at her lips. "I see your ego only grows with age as well." "Ah, there she is, Zara is back mesdames et monsieurs," he said in a mock reporter voice, ducking when her hand came to hit him. They sat in silence a while longer. "Who is Xander?" he finally asked, trying to get her to open up to him. She didn't reply for a long time, and he thought she would just ignore him, before she quietly said, "He was my maker." Philippe didn't say anything, he sensed she would speak on her own, and if he pushed her to divulge anything, she would shut down. What he found most interesting was he was truly curious. He wanted to hear her story. He knew Xander left out a lot of the details, and he found himself curious as to what shaped the woman before him. "I haven't seen him in almost seven hundred years," she whispered, "I was angry and I hurt him. I haven't seen him since. I'm afraid you've only had a small taste of my fury Philippe, it is nothing compared to what I did to him." Philippe knew this. He knew Xander's reasoning to remain distant, however much he did not agree with his friend. "Why did you say you should have died?" She didn't need to ask what he was referring to; she knew he heard her conversation with Kai. Suddenly, she felt glad he had heard it, relished in finding someone she could speak to, who wouldn't say things just to make her feel better. She knew Philippe would be blunt and honest, and he wouldn't speak unless he found it necessary. "I was twenty three. I lived with Kailan and my mother, in a beautiful home in Rome. My father was always off dealing with political matters. We had everything anyone could want. Money, power and status. At the time, women were used for nothing less than tools, bartered for the highest bidder in order to gain status amongst the wealthy, or to increase your capital and such. I was no exception. I was ordered to marry a man named Nicolaus. He was an older general, in his forties, seeking to join the higher echelons of society, and he had the money to pay for me. A marriage to a senator's daughter would ensure him the position he sought after, and it guaranteed my father an army should he ever need it. I begged my parents to stop it, I couldn't marry him, and I had heard such horrible rumours about how he treated his maids and women. The help always talks, and what I heard was enough to scare a grown man. My family did not know at the time but I was in love with another man, Antony. He was young and just beginning to enter the world my father dominated, and so he could not provide anything of worth to my father's mission to gain more power; definitely not an army. I met him at various social gatherings and we got to know each other. His family were considered middle-class, not good enough for my parents. Kailan was the only one who knew, he did not like the thought of me with Nicolaus, for he too had heard of his reputation, and so he encouraged me to run away with Antony. And so we did, granted we no longer lived the lives of high ranking socialites. We didn't really care, we were happy to be free of it. We lived by the sea in a small village, somewhere I thought no one would come looking for us. We had been there for about a year when I got pregnant. It was one of the happiest moments of my life, to know I had such an amazing thing growing inside me. Antony was beside himself with joy," she smiled looking out in the distance, seeing something Philippe could not. "We should have known it was too good to be true because a war had begun that same year and there were armies marching through cities and villages seeking food and shelter. I was out in the market one day and I suppose Nicolaus had seen me there. He followed me home that night. He and his men stormed our home and restrained both of us. Nicolaus said I had nerve to run from him. I belonged to him and so it was considered stealing. The punishment for that was death. He said he wanted to have little bit of fun first. He raped me repeatedly and made Antony watch while he beat me and used my body. He fought for hours, tried to stop it, but there were too many. His men murdered Antony in front of me, and I was helpless to do anything to stop them. He was raping me while I watched them stab him to death," she whispered the last few words. Her eyes were cold, living a distant memory. She could hear Antony's screams, mixed with hers, begging for it to stop. She squeezed her eyes shut, pushing away the details of that night. "I lost consciousness at some point, the only thing I remember is Nicolaus forcing me awake and saying I was an excellent fuck before he knocked me unconscious again. I learned later that they threw me out onto a rocky bluff, by the ocean. I remember waking up few times and smelling the salty air. I was in so much pain, I couldn't move. I don't know how long I lay there, it felt like days. I was bleeding badly from the beating, but I had also miscarried. I felt my life draining, and I welcomed it. I had been so happy, but I didn't deserve any of it. I was living someone else's life and I paid for it dearly. I was taken from the man I loved, and from the child that was barely the size of an apple before it died within me. Xander found me eventually, the smell of my blood drawing him to me. I don't remember much, except seeing his grey eyes. They held such kindness; I knew I'd be okay then. I woke up a few days later, in my new life. All my physical wounds were gone, but I felt such anger at the man who had taken me away from the future I had. I was so angry Xander could not stop me and he was at least four times my age at the time. It was the first hint of my unusual abilities. He had no idea how to control me or my anger. In hindsight, I think it was more a deep sadness... I made my way along the same routes soldiers were marching until I came to Nicolaus' regiment. I waited until night and I snuck into his tent. The look on his face when he saw me was priceless," she laughed humourlessly, "I killed him slowly and then the men who had murdered Antony. Even then I still held anger. My father was the reason Antony was dead. He had to pay for it with his life. I returned home one night, and found him in his quarters. He was with some whore. I snapped her neck before she could call anyone and I turned to face him. He just stared at me for the longest time before he spat at my feet and said it was a shame Nicolaus hadn't ensured I was dead. I laughed in his face. "But I am dead father. I am as dead as the husband and child you took from me. I will take my vengeance now. You will pay for their lives with your own." Tears were streaming down her face, her eyes glowed in the dimly lit room as her body trembled in anger. Her father looked at her in disgust, but she saw the glimmer of fear in his eyes. They darted from the whore collapsed at her feet to her and back to the door, which she was blocking. "You are an abomination!" he spat. She laughed at him, "An abomination you created father. Tell me, were you happy when you learned that I was killed? Did you relish in the fact that Nicolaus murdered Antony and my child before throwing me over a cliff like a dog?" "Yes," he replied cruelly, "I enjoyed hearing my whore of a daughter got what she deserved." "Even after all this time father, all you can think of is yourself." She shook her head. "I won't kill you tonight, I will show you the mercy you couldn't show me or my family. But know this, I will be watching you father. You shall live the remainder of your pitiful life stripped from the only thing you love and seek; power. You will live your life away from politics, away from women and whores, away from mother and brother. You will give all your wealth to them and never look back. That is you punishment, death is too merciful for you," she spat. "Come tomorrow, you shall announce you sudden change of heart to the Senate and join the priests and priestesses in the temple and devote your life to the Gods and pray they forgive the horrors you have caused." "What makes you think I would do any of this," he asked defiantly. She flew towards him, her hand closed around his throat with such force his feet left the ground, "Because with one simple flick I can have your body snapped in two. I am no longer your weak and scared daughter." She threw him aside and began walking out of his chambers. "If you value your life as much as I believe you do, you will carry out as I said, or I promise I will kill you." When it was over, I felt so empty. I had lost my first love, my child, and my dearest Kailan, as I knew I would never be able to reveal myself to him. Xander found me some time later. He tried to piece me back together afterwards, but I didn't want it. He didn't understand at the time, but I felt things ten times worse than other vampires, everything was magnified for me, more so than normal vampires. He saw all the strange things I could do, but didn't say anything right away. I learned my mother had died a year later, she was so distraught at my death; she was told I was killed by thieves while walking to the market. I would check up on Kai occasionally, make sure he was living and happy. Xander let me grieve and I walked around like an empty shell. It wasn't until around three years later that Kai spotted me in the market. It was a stupid mistake on my part and I was so scared, he was supposed to think I was dead, but he saw me and I couldn't resist talking to him. I supposed deep down I wanted him to see me. I missed him so much. I had never lied to him in my life, and I told him what happened, what I was. He immediately asked me to turn him. He hadn't married anyone, and had no ties to the community anymore, so no one would notice his absence; that was his argument. I was so elated; my brother hadn't turned me away as I thought he would. I turned him, much to Xander's fury. He quickly saw however, that I was coming out of the shell I was in, now that my brother was back in my life. It was then he told me how I was different. He helped me, mentored me, and tried to help in reigning in my emotions so I wouldn't do anything foolish. Kai helped too, he always knew how to calm me. They were my two burning suns in a world that had gone so dark for me..." she trailed off, her voice growing hoarse from talking so long. The sky was beginning to lighten as she sat engrossed in her past; Philippe stunned by what this one woman had gone through. He found his respect for her growing while she recounted her past. They were not all that different. He too had experienced horrible losses as a human and early in his vampire life. "You deserved it," he said quietly, she looked up at him shocked, "You deserved that happiness; the life that was taken away from you...you said you didn't deserve it, but you did..." "I didn't...I took what wasn't mine. A life that belonged to another woman in a different time. If I had just married that beast, Antony would have lived." "Yes, but you wouldn't have. You wouldn't be here today, he would have killed you, slowly. Zara, you're a fool, but not for the reasons you say. You're a fool for thinking your life isn't worth anything. Au contraire ma cherie, you are worth so much more than you know. "Who knew, Philippe Desmarais has a heart." "I speak the truth that is all," he said matter-of-factly. They sat quiet for a moment longer before Philippe asked, "Why is it you have not seen your maker in so long...you sounded inseparable." She sighed, the memories flooding back, it seemed her past didn't want to stay there; it was pushing forward with such a vengeance tonight. She looked out at the city, rising with the sun. "I said things to him...things I should not have said. I hadn't come to terms with my new life, let alone settled my old one. Even now I struggle with myself. On top of it, I was labeled as an oddity among vampires, I didn't feel I belonged. I still don't. We got into an argument one night and I lost it..." "Damn it Xander, I can't control it! I never could! And you sitting there telling me to try to every five bloody seconds isn't helping the matter!" she yelled, kicking open the door to her room. They had just come back from a tavern, where she had nearly killed a group of men for grabbing her. "Zara, you can't let your temper out of control like that! If the Vyrkaryan were to learn of you...I know it is difficult but you have to learn to rein it in! You are not like the rest of us! You could decimate an entire city for all we know! " he yelled back. "Do you think I don't know that Xander!" she shrieked, "You have been reminding me every fucking day that I'm not normal! I curse the day I met you Xander, why didn't you just let me die! It would have been much better than living like this with you!" Her words struck him like a slap in the face, "Stop feeling sorry for yourself Zara, it's only been thirteen hundred years, it's getting old don't you think?" he replied harshly. "Fuck you Xander," she growled, "I'm sorry I don't live up to your expectations of a mate!" she saw the look of shock cross his face, "Yes, did you think I didn't know? You selfishly turned me to find a life companion and that you have been hoping I would fall for you like I did for Antony?" she sneered at him, her vampiric side taking over, not caring that she hurt him. "How could I love a man who made me what I am? You saved me, only to turn me into a monster. I fucking hate you Xander Mavros, I hate you with every fibre in my being!" she screamed, pulling at her hair. "Zara, you will not speak to me in such a manner," he said in a stone cold voice. "Or what Xander? What could you possibly do to me that you haven't already done? I'm a freak!" she yelled hysterically, "You turned me into one and remind me of it every day! You took me away from the peace I could have had in death and I turned into an indestructible woman. Is this my punishment? Am I in hell Xander? "Zara...", he sighed looking at her with a deep sadness in his eyes, "you see a freak, I see an extraordinary woman. You just have to learn to control this, own it, instead of allowing it to own you." "How am I meant to control this?" she asked, laughing humourlessly and pointing to herself as she let go of everything that was holding her together. Her eyes shone bright, her body rippled with the release of her energy; she could feel her muscles relax, after having held on so strongly. She felt herself lift from the ground, the objects in the room began to tremble and move towards her like a magnet. She lost all control and saw Xander buckle to his knees at the torrent of her strength, he screamed in agony as she drew from the elements closest to her, the fire burning brightly in the center of the room. She was burning him, small blisters forming on his beautiful skin, yet he did nothing to try and protect himself. Just then Antoinette burst into the room; her eyes took in the scene and grew wide with shock. She began chanting in a low voice and Xander's screams ceased immediately. "Zara," she said in a low, calm voice, "stop this. Now!" she yelled when she saw Xander collapse completely flat out on the floor. She laughed loudly, "Yes, Toni, I will stop it." She was so far gone now, her body relishing at the release she could not bring herself to stop, to take back control. She closed her eyes, drawing from the fire again, only this time burning herself. She would put an end to all the pain. Her own pain, the pain she caused Xander by not loving him back, the pain she had inflicted on many people unintentionally. The pain she still carried with her from her previous life. She held in the screams that wanted to rip from her throat. She deserved this pain. She heard yelling somewhere, but tried to drown it out. She then felt someone tackle her, taking her down. They had both landed hard on the wooden floor, the breath knocked out of her. Her eyes whipped open and she saw Kai on top of her, holding her down, his own hands burning at the contact. He groaned in anguish, but never pulled away. "Zara, what the fuck do you think you're doing?! Are you crazy?" She was pulled out of her trance and immediately pulled the reins back onto her powers. She would not hurt her own brother. She cursed him for making her stop, cursed the love she felt for him. They were both panting, he from the sting of the blisters on his palms, her from the unusual sensation of fully letting go. The Dawn of Wynter Ch. 03 "You can get off of me now," she said, lying stiffly on the floor, her voice devoid of any emotion. "Are you sure? You're not going to try and cook yourself alive again?" he replied scornfully. She merely stared at him, before he finally let go of her and stood up. She got up without looking at any of them, ashamed they had just witnessed her meager attempt to end her life. The three people who cared for her the most were standing behind her, wondering what had just happened. She could hear their thoughts in her head, she tried to block them but she could not, all her physical energy drained, she had nothing left in her anymore to stop her natural abilities from flowing forward. Kai was pissed, he was angry that she would even try and kill herself, that she was selfish enough to leave all of them behind. He gave up his life to spend his new one taking care of her. Antoinette felt such sorrow that it almost pushed Zara to her knees. She could not understand why Zara didn't allow anyone to help her, she could be the most amazing creature on the planet yet she pushed away her gifts. As a witch, it was unfathomable to deny your fate. While Xander hid his thoughts, she could still sense his emotions. He was hurt, most probably by her rejection of him, and he was confused, worried, and was that fear she sensed too?. All of their thoughts and emotions sank into her and she immediately felt like a fool, falling to her knees and letting a sob escape her throat. She began crying quietly, her body shaking. "Leave us," she heard Xander say quietly. She felt, rather than heard Toni and Kai leave. Xander was now standing behind her, his hand resting on her shoulder. "I'm sorry you hate yourself so, that you hate me too. I hope one day you will see what a beautiful and unique creature you are Zara, that you can come to forgive me for what I did and love me. Not like that," he added quickly at the look on her face in the reflection of the window, "love me like you love Kailan, like a friend and a brother, like the father you never had. You are a part of me, whether you like it or not, I'm sorry that I am such a disappointment to you. I only wanted to protect you, remember that. All I have ever wanted was to protect you, as a human and as a vampire." He turned and walked out of her room. She had woken the next day to find he was gone and had severed their mental link. She had tried to call to him, to apologize for everything she had said, but he put up a mental wall between them and she could not get through. She waited for him to come back, but he never did. She cried for days, she had been such a fool. Xander was the only other person she had other than Kai who had been patient with her, had tried to help her move on and she spat in his face. Looking back now she should have realized there was a goodbye hidden in his last words to her. She felt Philippe's fingers along her cheeks, and realized she had tears running down her face again. She leaned into his hand unconsciously. His moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace, his chin resting on top of her head. "I'm sure he knows you did not mean what you said. He gave you the space you needed, that you had asked for without realizing it." She didn't respond, she just sat in Philippe's arms, seeking comfort from the last man she thought could comfort her. They sat, watching the sun rise higher, and the city waking up. "I'm sorry for crushing your throat," she whispered some time later. She heard the deep rumble of his laugh in his chest, "I'm getting used to your abuse, plus I like it rough so please don't go soft on me now." She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her and she pushed him away and returned to staring at the skyline. Suddenly he stood up, his hand reaching for hers. She looked up at him questioningly. "Come on, ma petite, we have work to do." "What work?" she asked suspiciously He looked into her eyes and wondered what the hell had gotten into him. Somewhere between her ripping his throat out and this moment, he had decided that Xander was wrong. This beautiful woman was hurting. She was alone when she should not be. She had been kept in the dark for to long. What could it hurt to share a bit of the truth with her? He took a deep breath and made his choice. "We -- well I- am going to help you control these strange abilities you seem to have. It's about time you stopped fighting your true nature Mademoiselle Wynters, you are a beautiful and unique creature, as your Xander said, you're not meant to be caged." "Philippe, you have already seen what I'm capable of, how are you supposed to teach me anything I haven't already learned on my own?" "Because my dear, there is much you do not know about me," he said in a quiet voice before lifting her to her feet and catching her gaze before letting go of his own self inflicted enchantments. His eyes burned gold, the blue completely gone, as he took her hand and let the full power of his magic run through her. She gasped staring back at him, her own eyes glowing silver in response. If she wasn't mistaken, it seemed Philippe Desmarais was telling her in no uncertain terms that she was not alone, and not quite as unique as she thought she was. The Dawn of Wynter Ch. 04 Hello my lovely (and loyal) readers! First, Happy New Year! I just want to thank you for being so patient as I write this story. Sometimes it comes easy, writing twenty pages is nothing; other days one page is like trying to climb Everest. So thanks for hanging in there. This chapter is longer than the ones I've posted previously and its actually the first time I've ever written a sex scene. So with that said I hope it's fun, steamy and fulfilling! I hope you enjoy it! Can't wait to write the next installment! Oh, also, I don't have an editor, so any mistakes in here are completely my own doing! I apologize in advance if anything has managed to slip past my eyes. E Chapter 4: The Council -- Xander Mavros strode into the vast chambers of the Vyrkaryan congress, his expression completely masking any emotions. He took his seat amongst his companions and waited for the meeting to begin. His eyes swept around the room taking in every person present. There were still a few who had not arrived yet. The room was the largest on the grounds and it was conveniently set in the center of the building. It was an open chamber, everything visible from the center where they all sat in large dark oak chairs, covered in mother of pearl in the most intricate designs. The ceilings were high as a cathedral and there were beautiful hand painted glass windows in every direction. The floor was covered in the best materials money could buy. At the center of the room was the symbol of their assembly set in dark marble and gold relief. It depicted an intricate sun and moon, opposite each other transforming over time. The transformation of the full moon to a crescent moon and the glowing sun to a setting one made a circle around the marble, which was dark as the midnight sky. It was like a black abyss, in the center of it two mirrored Vs created a diamond in strips of gold. A real diamond, the size of a baseball, sat at the center of that, the open dome above it allowing the sun to strike it, the rays playing off the diamonds many facets, throwing light in every direction. The meeting had been called the night before by the vampire Dymas Aotolycus. Xander gave a snort, thinking what a coincidence his name reflected his true nature. He was a thieving sneaky bastard. Xander knew his day was not going to be a good one and had prepared himself for the worst kind. He saw the object of his thoughts standing across from him, speaking to his closest friend, Iffret, she was yet another member Xander considered to be filth. She was a Vānara, a type of shifter with roots in India, and one of the few cross-species that existed. It was said Brahma created the Vānara to have the semblance of monkeys. He had yet to see her in her true form, but he knew from experience she could take on any shape she willed. Being a vampire as well, she was quite the lethal combination. They wore such smug expressions on their faces. He looked away for fear his hate would cause him to throttle them both before the meeting had even begun. To his right were the twins Drina and Kalevi, considered his most trustworthy friends. They were pale as snow, long blonde hair straight as a board ran the length of their backs. The sisters were identical in every way, sharing all the hard angles, the high cheekbones, large full lips, but the only difference was their eyes. Drina's were blue as the sea and Kalevi as black as the night sky. Next to them sat Payton, a southern gentleman from Louisiana. Shen, one of the original samurai warriors to ever exist was in the seat next to him; both men he liked. To his left were Merrick, Lexine, Carmena, and Ariana. They were 'unknowns', as he deemed them. When it came to making decisions, he wasn't sure which side they would take if a vote was needed. They were easily swayed either way, a trait he did not like at all. If votes needed to be bought then he would have to resort to it, because he knew that eventually there would be a vote and it would dictate the future of those he had spent millennia caring for. He had been told by one of his sources in the States that there had been a tracker following Philippe and Kailan, which was standard procedure when a new member came into their ranks. What was not standard however was in the process he had seen Zara and her unusual traits at some nightclub. The tracker had immediately informed Dymas, his master. Xander had been furious. If Philippe hadn't been able to discern he was being followed then they were all in deep trouble. He'd been working for over a millennia to ensure the people in this room didn't find out about Zara, especially Dymas and Iffret. He quickly went to work the night before, calling in all his favours and attempting to salvage the situation before any rash decisions were made, by either party. This meeting was very last minute Xander, cutting it very close Philippe's voice filled his head. Xander looked around before spotting Philippe entering from the opposite hall. He stood up and embraced his old friend clapping him on the back, a tight smile crossing his face. Yes, I assume it was to throw us all off course and to try and make sure you stayed in the States. Interesting. I'd like to know how the hell they had me followed without my being aware of it. It's quite troubling Xander. There have been developments since we last spoke. You should know before this little meeting proceeds. What kind of developments? His tone was uneasy. Look, don't have a fit, okay? I know you said not to mention anything to Zara, but I told her about myself. You did what?! Xander's voice bellowed in Philippe's head. Well, more showed her than told her but she knows we are similar in certain ways, obviously I left some things out but she took it quite well. That is before she yelled at me for half an hour about hiding it from her. I'm pretty sure I'd still have bruises on my body if I was not a vampire. You are in for some pain my friend, when she finds out about -- Philippe...you're rambling. I wish for once you could just do things my way and not improvise! He sighed heavily, his body slumping slightly. This day is getting worse by the minute. He leaned his head forward, pinching the bridge of his nose, his head too full of thoughts, plans and worry. Philippe was beginning to become irritated with his friend. Yes, he had swayed slightly from his request but he felt it was the best choice at the time. Xander, you were not there, you can't possibly know how she has dealt with everything -- Xander's head snapped up. Ofcourse I know! He yelled, the sound filling both their heads. Philippe flinched a bit at the force of his statement. I've made it my business to know since she was born into this life! I feel it through our bond, however hard I try to block, it seeps through. Her emotions are more potent than you realize. His mouth was pressed into a hard line, his body tense once more. There was no use arguing now, what was done was done. They would have to move forward carefully from here. We will discuss this later Philippe. I want to know exactly what happened. For now, however, let's try and get through this damned mockery of a meeting. I see Dymas and Iffret are at the center of this...what else is new? Shit disturbing prick. Xander chuckled lightly. You're speaking like an American. Yes, well, Zara has quite a mouth on her. In all dialects...I have been taught well. Do you know how many languages that woman can speak? I never thought I would hear the words "arrogant cocksucker" in Ancient Egyptian! Just then, the call to begin the meeting was made, and everyone was seated in their designated seat. A few wore curious expressions, unsure why they were here. "Greetings my friends!" Dymas called out grandly, his arms held open in front of him. "I thank you for making it here in such short notice," his eyes lingered on Philippe with distaste. He definitely was not happy that Philippe was there. The Frenchman merely smiled and nodded his head to him in return. "Why have you called us here Dymas? Surely it can't be so serious that The Senate could not handle it, without our interference?" Kalevi asked. "Oh I think you will find this is quite serious Kalevi. As you know, we have delayed the introduction of a new member to our ranks, Kailan Wynters. His induction to our council was meant to take place last month, however we have stumbled upon some information that causes hesitation. We have a liar and conspirator in our midst, maybe more than one," he drawled, his eyes lingering on Xander and Philippe longer than necessary. Xander let out a booming laugh, everyone turned to him, some wearing expressions of surprise, others curiosity and worry. "And who pray tell has been deceiving us these past few millennia may I ask?" Dymas stared at Xander for a moment, his lips pressed together, before he sneered, "You," a look of complete satisfaction crossing his face, that of a cat, catching a mouse. The room had gone considerably quiet, the only sound was coming from an open window, a bird flapping its wings and calling out to its youngling. Xander merely snorted, "Please continue Dymas, I do so enjoy hearing your theories on all subjects, especially my, oh what was it? Lying and conspiring?" "You deny it?" he asked, astounded. "Of course I deny it," he replied, his tone bored, "I deny any such claim against me! I live to provide justice to all our kind, or have you forgotten I was the one who was charged with creating this system? Perhaps we should be looking elsewhere for deceivers and liars Dymas," he looked at him pointedly. "I have proof that your dear friend Philippe has been hiding an anomaly in our kind!" he snapped, turning his back to him to face the other members, his long robes, which were customary to wear in the council chambers, went swishing behind him. This was obviously not going the way he planned. He thought both Philippe and Xander would protest profusely, causing a scene, possibly even challenging him. "A young woman by the name of...Zara Wynters has come to our attention," he continued with a wide grin on his face, "If I'm correct, and I'm sure I am as I had Merrick check the records, you sired her almost two millennia ago, did you not Mavros?" "Yes, what of it?" he asked, exasperated, his voice still held an air of boredom. It would be no use to yell and create a scene. He had to play this cool and calm. Getting riled up would be playing right into Dymas' hands. Philippe however was grasping the arm rests of his chair so tightly; Xander heard the wood protesting against his clenched fists. What had him so angry all of a sudden? The mere mention of Zara's name had Philippe glaring at Dymas. "She is the anomaly I speak of, Kailan Wynters' own sister. I am told she has unique traits, specifically a set of big bright silver eyes. It should have been reported immediately, especially since we have asked her brother to join our council. As a council meant to rule our kind, we must explore all anomalies that present themselves. Iffret here was kind enough to volunteer to track our newest member, Kailan, to gather information. What she found was Philippe here and the lovely Zara. It seems she has some other unusual...characteristics, Xander. I'm astonished you did not notice them the moment you sired her. Never before has a vampire held more than one ability, at least not without using our ritual. Being born that way is unheard of, so you see why I am intrigued. So that explained how Philippe was followed without his knowledge. Iffret was a superior tracker, it was her gift. She could be as invisible as the wind. He had an uneasy feeling as to why exactly she was the one performing the inquiry into Kailan, when he had already assigned Philippe to that task. "You dare follow me, Iffret? This is an insult, unheard of; I refuse to be treated as such," Philippe said in a quiet, deadly tone. His eyes locked on the small woman. She was beautiful, with sharp features and large hazel eyes, characteristic of her kind. He knew however that was merely an image she conjured; her true appearance would definitely cause one to lose that morning's breakfast. "Philippe you flatter yourself. I was gathering information on Kailan Wynters. You just happened to be there," she smiled, her eyes so cold it contrasted horribly with the expression. "You should have left the moment you saw me Iffret. You forget I am Vyrkaryan too, and as such I'm more than qualified to gather information on the man! As I recall it was my task, or are we now casting doubts on my capabilities?" he spat. "I agree, if we cannot trust those within our circle, then who we can trust," Kalevi and Drina said in unison. "Yes, it is troubling. How are we to set an example for the rest if we are having each other followed?" Shen asked quietly. Xander smiled. This was what he wanted, everyone to question why Iffret was following one of their own rather than focusing on what she had found, if anything. "I'm sure Iffret and Dymas had our best interest at heart," Xander said, the corners of his mouth twitching, the sarcasm dripping from his tone, "However, it is unacceptable. There is a reason we choose tasks at random, and you negate the method we have used for countless years Dymas. Allow me to save us all some time by saying this. Zara has never been and never will be a threat to our kind, as I'm so sure you believe she is. In her two thousand years of existence she has never once given cause to believe she is a threat! Therefore, if you're done Dymas, I really would like to get back home; I think we've wasted enough time on this meeting. And call off your dogs," he said looking straight at Iffret, "no one is to be followed anymore. Philippe will continue his task; gather intel on both Zara and Kailan, without anymore interruptions." "Regardless," his wheezy voice persisted, echoing in the vast room, "we are meant to explore all types of traits; you know this my dear Xander. One of our many responsibilities is to test exemplary traits in order to determine if they can be of any use to our cause. For thousands of years we have molded ourselves quite strategically by taking the powers that are of utmost use to us. If this Zara woman," he said his hand giving a dismissive wave in the air at her name, "can provide us with yet another useful trait, then she must be brought in and examined. As much as that may displease you my dear Xander, it is the law. Our law. Your being her sire cannot change that," he finished in a saddened tone, so artificial it made Xander cringe. "We shall find out whether or not she is deemed a threat Xander, when we initiate Kailan Wynters. Surely you haven't forgotten that we must meet any living member of a candidate's family, including those who sired and were sired by said candidate," Iffret spoke up, standing next to Dymas. "Yes, and it is then that we shall finally put this matter to rest. You can see for yourself Zara is not a concern, nor does she carry any power useful to us. Merely an unusual set of eyes." He stood and took one last glance around the room, making eye contact with everyone present; ensuring it clear his word was final, before he turned his back on them and strode out. He was cursing the day Dymas was ever granted an immortal life. If he truly wanted to know what Zara was, he would inevitably end up regret asking the question; however, Xander feared whether Zara could handle the truth or whether it would destroy her. "That went well didn't it?" Philippe said a wide grin on his face as he taunted Dymas. Before he could answer he too turned and followed Xander out to the main hall. A quick glance back at the group and he saw all of the members making their way out of the assembly room, some whispering among each other, except for Dymas and Iffret who remained in the hall their heads together as they discussed something heatedly. No surprise there, he thought. He knew they had only momentarily delayed any action from the council. Dymas was not one to give up so easily, and the silence of the other members was not comforting. There were too many variables in this equation and it left him with a sour taste in his mouth. He knew everything rested on the very edge of the scale, and it was only a matter of time before it tipped either way. They had two weeks before the meeting with Kai took place. He hoped that was enough time to ensure everything went smoothly. He made his way out of the council hall to the main entry and jumped into his Bugatti Veyron with Xander in the car in front of him. He drove, winding through a crowded city, following the road leading away from all the chaos to the outskirts of the metropolis. He followed Xander for about thirty minutes before they pulled into the driveway of a large house. More like a mansion, thought Philippe, looking up at the four storey building and the twenty or so labyrinths cut from hedges that spread out on either side of him. At the center was a grand fountain, with life-sized stone sculptures of women and men holding up a large stone disc covered in relief from where water was spilling over the edges. At the base, where the water collected were other statues of women and cherub-like children frozen forever in time in the action of running or splashing about in the water. Water lilies were scattered about, their large blooming flowers only adding to the spectacular sight. It was, and there was no other word for it, stunning. They were in the council's home city, where it was founded by Xander himself eons ago. Xander's residence, one of many in the world, was located on the outskirts of Rome. Sighing heavily, Philippe watched as his friend exited his car and with a nod of his head, gestured for Philippe to follow. Reluctantly he got out of the car and walked along the stone pathway, through the large double doors made from dark oak and into the main hall of the home. It never ceased to amaze him how beautiful this old mansion was. It was a seventeenth century building, once belonging to a wealthy papal family here in Rome, before the line died out. The previous owners had spared no expense, large marble statues were situated in alcoves in the circular entry way. The stairway was large with gilded railings that twisted and turned to the upper floors. The furniture and drapes were made of the best fabrics, and while the building itself was from the seventeenth century, the furnishings were modern, the result surprisingly quite beautiful. "In here, Philippe," a voice called out from an open door to his right. He made his way into Xander's study, stopping in front of the overwhelmingly large desk, his hands in his pockets, the image of calm. "So, she knows." He was standing facing away from Philippe, gazing out the window that faced the rear gardens. "Yes, and I don't regret telling her, so spare me whatever lecture you were going to give me about plans being ruined." "And you have no doubt been teaching her to use her abilities?" "Yes, and as a result she is surer of herself and her abilities than she has been before. There is still much to teach her, but I sense she is more confident. She doesn't shy away from what she is as much. Her acceptance has begun." Xander sighed before turning around, "Philippe, it was in her best interest not to explore her abilities at this moment," he held up his hands stopping Philippe from interrupting him, "I'm not saying you shouldn't have told her just that it wasn't the best timing, my friend." "Yes, perhaps, but it was in the heat of the moment, she poured her heart out to me and I couldn't let her suffer the way she was anymore...alone. It seemed the proper course of action at the time." The Dawn of Wynter Ch. 04 "If I knew any better Philippe, I would say you've come to care for the girl," he said with a knowing smile. "I simply recognize a damaged soul that is all," brushing off the comment with a wave of a hand. "You are not so damaged as you may lead yourself to believe, Philippe," Xander's voice held a myriad of emotions in his tone, one that Philippe had heard many times. They were skirting around a touchy subject, one he didn't care to discuss at the moment. Xander had helped him through many difficult times in his life, but one had nearly killed him and he wanted to forget about it all together. "It may yet prove to be useful," he continued, trying to ignore Xander's comment, "If she has better control, then she may be able to put the council's suspicions at ease." The truth was Zara was all he could think about lately. She enveloped every thought he had; her scent was forever ingrained in his memory. They had been working together for the past month to make her stronger. He saw a more confident Zara emerge. Not to say she held no confidence before he stepped in, it was merely a lack of it when it came to her abilities specifically. He felt proud to have been a part of that, although he would never let her know. He could not let anyone know how much he had truly come to care for her. It had taken sheer willpower to make himself get on the plane to Rome for the ridiculous meeting they had today. In truth, he couldn't wait to get back, to see her. She had become a part of his day to day life, and he felt comfort in that. Xander cleared his throat, "Yes, clearly you have no feelings towards her," he said sarcastically, with a knowing smile, ignoring his friend's attempt to change the subject. His mouthed twitched slightly as he fought to hold back a laugh. In the moment Philippe had gone silent he saw a glimmer of longing on his face. He looked like a child whose toy had been taken away. Philippe glared at him, "I'm glad you find this amusing," he growled before slumping into an armchair. He couldn't hide anything from his friend. Xander finally let go and began chuckling. He had rarely seen his friend look so defeated. Philippe always held confidence and bravado, his humour always shining through. Leave it to Zara to break this ancient vampire, he thought. He moved to a small table set behind his desk and poured two glasses of scotch, the amber liquid would definitely relax the Frenchman. "Here," he said, pushing the glass of liquor into his friend's hand, "you look like you could use a drink." "I could use several," he groaned eyeing the full decanter longingly. "You have no idea how infuriating your little apprentice is. So bloody infuriating and yet so damn charming," he sighed, looking up at Xander. "Oh, I know," he said smirking, "all too well." "Let me tell you, mon ami, you are in for a serious ass-kicking," he chuckled. "Yes, well perhaps I deserve it after all these years. You should be more worried about yourself. How will you proceed, now that you have taken a liking to her?" "Am I that obvious?" Xander merely smiled, waiting for an answer. Philippe was quiet for some time, thinking. His friend was far too calm considering the information he had just learned. How was he not objecting to Philippe's new found feelings, especially since he was so protective of her? After all his warnings not to pursue her. He wondered if telling him the true depth of his feelings would be such a bad thing. The more he thought about the entire situation, he found it strange how well everything had played out, almost as if...He decided his safest way to proceed was to be blunt, all cards on the table. "You planned this didn't you? You knew I wouldn't be able to resist her. You knew she would affect me this way, and I her, although I'm sure she would lay with Dymas before admitting that to me." "I have no idea what you're talking about. Honestly Philippe, you sound ridiculous. And Dymas? Really? Zara would not approach him if her life depended on it." Philippe snorted. He knew Xander, and this was right up his alley. He had been trying to get him to open up again, but Philippe refused to do so, confident he would never be able to care for anyone or anything again since losing Veronique, his sister and his only family. Similarly, Zara needed someone to guide her, to give her the confidence she needed to accept herself for what she was, but she would never admit that to anyone, so she lived her life in a cocoon, dealing with things on her own. Both of them were too stubborn to accept any help of any kind. While Philippe knew when his friend was interfering, Zara had no idea. It seemed however, that this time Xander had outmaneuvered them both. He had staged all the players and let them play exactly how he had thought they would. Had it been anyone else, Philippe would have been outraged, but he knew Xander only had the best of intentions. The question was whether Philippe would play along. "Tell me something...do you still love her Xander?" His friend's head shot up to look at him in surprise. "She told me...about that night. I never knew, until then," Philippe continued. There was a long pause before he answered, "I had turned her with the intention of finding a mate yes, but that was not where fate had destined her to go. It was made clear to me soon after I turned her that our fates were meant to cross but never align. I have given up the notion that Zara will see me as anything more than her maker. I am content with that." "Yes, but do you still love her? I need to know Xander. I tell you this only because of the respect I have for you, as a brother and friend. I have developed...feelings," he practically choked on the word it seemed so unfamiliar to him, "for her, more than I care to admit, even to you, but I will not pursue this if you love her still." Xander sighed, "Philippe, it's complicated," he said wearily. There was much he could not divulge to the Frenchman, not yet. "Yes, I love her, but I know that I am not meant for her, and try as I might I could not get her to reciprocate those feelings. I love her as a father would a daughter; I have accepted that as my role in her life, even if I haven't made contact in all these years." "You know...you should visit her soon...before the council does. I imagine she will be less forgiving if she were to see you for the first time as the Vyrkaryan member interrogating her family and stealing her brother away." "I'm afraid there is no easy way about this Philippe. I will have to wait for the right moment." For both of you, he added silently. "Yes, well don't wait too long my friend," he said downing the remnants of his drink and setting the glass on the table next to him before rising, "Now, if you will excuse me, I must get back to the States, my plane leaves in an hour." "Very well, I shall see you in two weeks time," he replied rising and embracing Philippe, "Oh, and not a word of what has happened here today to Kai. He needs to believe everything is going as planned. We need him to act naturally at the meeting." "Very well," Philippe agreed. They clapped each other on the back before he began making his way outside. "Philippe!" he called before the Frenchman got into his car, "good luck!" Philippe broke into a large smile; he would need all the luck in the world. Getting Zara to see that he was more than just interested in her body was going to be a near impossible feat. He had done a great job of setting himself up for disappointment. While he knew he held feelings for her, he was still a man who had spent the majority of his life away from commitment and, however much he didn't want to admit it, he was vulnerable to mistakes, and he had made many along the way. This wasn't going to be easy. But hey, he thought, when has anything worthwhile ever been easy. -- Zara's muscles strained as she fought to control the power flowing through her body. Her skin was soaked in sweat, beads trickling down her body. It had been a month since Philippe had revealed his true nature to her. They were in the gym training, as they had every day since. Today he was being tougher on her, since they had missed two days due to his trip to Europe earlier in the week. When she thought back to that day on the hill, when he had told her the truth, she felt like she made a true connection with someone for the first time in her entire existence. Something beyond what she felt for her brother, or Stefân or Antony. Not to negate any of those relationships, but what happened on that hill was singular; something only she and Philippe would share and understand. Only he could understand they were the same unique being in a world full of normal, as normal as vampires could be. As strange as that sounded to her, it was the best way to explain it. She always felt like the odd one out, and now she did not have to experience that alone. She had to remind herself of that constantly because it didn't change the fact that Philippe was an asshole at the best of times, and still came on to her relentlessly, but she knew how to deal with it now. She found that, with some effort, she could tolerate him, so long as she knew there was someone else who could make sense of who and what she was. Although lately, he was causing more questions than providing answers. She let out a loud huff and gave up trying to tap into the part of her she kept closed off for so long. Philippe was standing in front of her, his head shaking in disappointment. "Non! Non, non non! You cannot give up so easily! You must try harder. Watch," He stood in front of her with his palms held up, his eyes closed in concentration, "Just imagine that you are like a tree, oui?" he whispered, "Your body is the trunk, and you are drinking from the earth to feed the branches yes? This is the same! You must allow your energy to flow through you, feel it in every cell of your body and concentrate it to one hand, like the branch!", his eyes flew open and she felt a pulse push her back quite forcefully, "Just like that. Alors, try again," gesturing for her to begin. Zara fixed him with a look of death and wanted to tell him where exactly he could shove that tree he was talking about. He looked at her and laughed. "I heard that, ma chérie. That is not very polite you know." "Stay out of my head, Philippe!" she hissed. "Make me," he retorted. She gasped as an image of them making love suddenly flooded her mind, their naked bodies entangled as he thrust into her relentlessly and her face expressing the utmost pleasure. It was something he had taken to doing, planting images and scenes in her head, some of them so detailed she could sometimes feel a caress on her skin or the touch of his lips against hers. The bastard was pushing himself deeper into her mind. And making her hornier by the day. She growled before concentrating all her energy into her hands and a large pulse threw Philippe across the room with a loud crash into the opposite wall, causing some of it to crumble and fall with him. He had landed on the floor and was getting up but she wasn't quite done, now that she had tapped into that part of herself. She had him pinned up high against a wall with the flip of her hand, his body immobilized, as if invisible restraints had bound him. "Don't do that again, comprends?!" she yelled at him, panting slightly, as she struggled to control this raw power. He simply laughed, a deep rumble echoing in the room and all of a sudden he was free, sliding down the wall smoothly and she was the one paralyzed in her place. He strode towards her, grinning as he reset a dislocated shoulder. She was pushing against her invisible restraints, trying to get herself to move again but she felt drained, the previous show of power taking everything she had. She watched, helpless as he now stood before her, eyeing her from head to toe, a frown crossing his face, as though he were thinking of something extremely serious. "Let us not forget who has been doing this longer ma petite," he said with a mocking smile, "While that little show was impressive, I will always outclass you, it's simple math," he added at her outraged glare, "I've lived longer. However I must say bravo, you finally did it. All I had to do was provoke you. We will have to work with that until you can put aside your emotions and simply control it, but it's a start." He stood so close to her, she could see the different flecks of gold in his blue eyes, and feel the heat of his breath against her skin. His head was cocked to one side as he roamed around her paralyzed body, like a lion circling around its prey before the kill. He came to a stop behind her, and she felt him move her long ponytail to the side slowly as he ran his nose along the length of her neck, breathing her in. Everywhere he touched her left a trail of fire behind. She was seething as he used his superior power to keep her still as he got closer. The back of his fingers trailed the length of her bare arm, leaving a trail of goose bumps behind. If she was able to, she would have shivered, and she cursed her body for reacting to him at all. "So, is this what you do Philippe, to get women to your bed? Paralyze them so they have no choice," she hissed, as he planted a light kiss where her neck and shoulder met, and then another as he moved to the back of her shoulder blade. It took all her strength not to let out a moan of pleasure. She couldn't deny it, it felt good, but she would be damned if she let him know. "No, but I thought while I had you here, I may try," he chuckled, his breath tickling her skin. He stepped away from her and she felt herself able to move again. She whipped around and was about to punch him before he ducked out of the way, catching her arm and twisting it behind her back, once again putting her at a disadvantage. "I mean it Philippe, don't ever do that to me again," her voice trembling in anger, as she struggled to get free, but his grip was iron clad. All she could do was glare over her shoulder at him. "Why not? Are you secretly beginning to enjoy it? I can show you what it would really be like. Would it be so horrible, dear Zara, for me and you to explore what strange attraction there is between us?" She snorted; deciding the best thing to do was keep silent. She didn't want to admit that she was ready to jump his bones right this moment, after all the images he had so conveniently showed her day after day. It was also the fact that for some damn reason whenever they touched, something in the air changed, and it was all she could do not to be pulled into it -- to him. It was as if something was forcing them together, refusing to yield until some untold outcome played out. "I cannot promise anything my dear," he said after she refused to answer his question, "You see this is the only way I know to make you react. Your emotions seem to unlock what you kept caged for centuries." She hated to admit it, but Philippe was right. She had finally done what they were working on for two days straight. She just wished he would let her rest for a day. She felt so drained and it was becoming harder and harder to control her mental shields and the force of her power. It seemed to her that the harder she tried to control it, the more sporadic it became. Philippe wouldn't have any of it, and she strongly suspected that he wanted her shields down, so he could pull those little tricks on her. He had even made her get rid of her ring and its enchantments during their sessions, saying it was holding her back. The first few days they had trained she had bested him in everything, but the harder they trained and the more he asked her to use those abilities which she always shied away from, the more tired she grew and she was finding it harder and harder to tap into her powers at all. It was ironic in a way. She had hated that part of herself for so long, but now that it was more difficult to use, she found she missed it. It made her want to work harder and once and for all gain complete control of her abilities. Perhaps that was Philippe's plan all along. Philippe had showed her what he was capable of during the past month. A lot of the things she could do; summon objects from thin air, read minds, manipulate objects and elements. Some things, she hadn't known she could control, like today. Usually those shows of power would burst when she felt a particular emotion strongly. She had never attempted to dip into that part of her because she had seen firsthand what it could do, so she naturally shied away from it. It had taken a lot of convincing on Philippe's part to even get her to attempt this. While she appreciated all of Philippe's help, she still felt he was keeping something from her, like there was something he would not show her. When she asked him about his maker and when he knew he was different and how he learned to hone his energy and power, he would not answer her. He would simply smile and say "another time ma petite" and claim fatigue before ending the training session. It annoyed her, as most things concerning Philippe did. He was like a puzzle that refused to be solved, the harder she tried to piece it together, the more frustrated she became. It went without saying that she too infuriated Philippe, and on more than one occasion he had claimed it was the last time he was helping her. She refused to do things his way at times, okay most of the time, which usually ended with them yelling and throwing sharp or heavy objects at each other. Stefâne had taken to removing a lot of furniture from areas around the house after one particular incident which left a two hundred year old vase the unfortunate victim of their argument, parts of which if she had had her way, would still be embedded into Philippe's skin. Stefâne had enough when only two days later he walked into the main living area to find the dark Brazilian rosewood coffee table had been turned into nothing more than bits firewood. Philippe had been lying on top of them, pulling bits of wood from his body and flicking them aside. His only explanation was to shrug at Stefân and say 'She's feisty she is.' He had kicked them both out into the gardens after being so fed up of their bickering, yelling at them to 'get a fucking room and end this nonsense' before slamming and locking the back door to the main hall. Philippe knew Zara was keeping certain abilities from him as well, the more he pushed to find out what she was truly capable of, the harder she pushed back. The woman was testing his patience every day and it was a miracle he hadn't killed her yet. She pushed buttons in him he had thought long forgotten. He often found himself wondering how a younger vampire could cause him to lose his patience, something he had developed and perfected in his extremely long life. He wanted to call Xander on many occasions and curse the day he tasked him to this assignment, but then he remembered that would mean he would have to admit to Xander that he couldn't get Zara to give into his will, that she was putting up the toughest fight he'd experience in quite some time. He found he could deal with Zara's infuriating attitude rather than face Xander's teasing. He tried to make it as pleasant as possible for himself by purposefully provoking her, just as he had a few moments ago. If he couldn't bed her, he could at least show her what it would be like. Most of the time it worked. It would push her to the point where she had no choice but to react. It wasn't exactly doing much to change the way she perceived him, but he had grown so comfortable with this version of himself, it was difficult to be anything else. "You could be a bit more original," she huffed, giving up trying to get free, "This whole you sleeping with me is getting quite old Philippe." The Dawn of Wynter Ch. 04 "I beg to differ, I never tire of it," he grinned, giving her a suggestive glance, "And it's the only thing that seems to make you want to succeed." "Fuck you Philippe!" she growled, her head snapping up to fix him with a glare, "You think I'm not trying here? That I like to feel powerless to control myself?" "I think you have grown comfortable in this cocoon you have built for yourself," he began patiently; "You make too many excuses. It's time to stop wallowing in self pity and doubt, my dear. You are stronger than that." "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked incredulously, struggling to get out of his grasp so she could rain down as much bodily harm on him as she was physically capable. "It means you still doubt your ability!" he said irately, pushing her away from his body, "You must accept this is who you are; you cannot do anything about it! The sooner you accept that the better prepared you will be. You refuse to push yourself for fear of hurting anyone! Since we started this you have not truly let go once!" he yelled, holding up a finger to her face, "You don't seem to understand you are more dangerous when you refuse your abilities than when you accept them. I get it, you feel bad for hurting your brother and Xander, for trying to end your own existence because you didn't understand what you are, but that is in the past. Fuck them! Focus on yourself!" he bit out, poking her in the center of her chest. There was a loud crack and before she realized what she was doing she slapped him so hard he staggered backwards. "Don't you dare speak of them like that, do you understand?" her voice shook with fury, "And don't poke me!" she added in annoyance. "Ahhh, there we go, finally letting go a little bit," he retorted, wiping a drop of blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. She glared at him for a moment. She was growing tired of their constant battle; it was a tug of war, neither party yielding. She was feeling the results of it very heavily. She was tired, horny, confused but mostly she was just pissed off, especially after his accusation just now. He had hit a touchy subject with her when he mentioned the one time she had used her powers against herself. She had told him that in confidence and here he was throwing back in her face. The guilt she felt about that day, and how she had come very close to leaving behind everyone she cared for still weighed down on her. "We're done here," she finally said, her voice low but hard, "As always Philippe, it's been such a pleasure!" Her eyes were wild, and she was truly a force to be reckoned with in that moment. She stormed out of the gym, tearing the door off its hinges with the force she pulled it open, leaving Philippe staring at her back. He was beginning to get used to that view. She wanted to scream. The man was driving her mad, and she herself must have been mad to return to his torture everyday! Their sessions always ended like this, with one of them walking off. And yet, the next day they were both there, pretending as if nothing had happened. She was lost in her head imagining all the different ways she could maim Philippe and mumbling furiously to herself, walking straight past Stefâne, not even acknowledging his presence. He knew to give her a wide berth when she was in one of her moods, which was more often than not lately. As he passed her he was pretty sure he heard cut off his fucking balls one day, I swear fly out of her mouth like a whip, as she stomped off in the opposite direction. She didn't realize where she was going until a familiar voice brought her out of her imaginary torture session. "Zara Wynters! Where the hell do you get off not calling me when you finally get back into town?!" a voice called from her right. Actually called was too nice of a term, it was more of a bark. She looked up and realized she was in the grand hall. Standing in front of the door was a tall slender woman with midnight black hair running down her shoulders like a sheet of silk and the blackest eyes anyone had seen. Raine Wilson. Her dearest friend, who also happened to be a were. Raine and Zara had met through Stefâne years ago, instantly hitting it off. "Raine? Oh my god, what the hell are you doing here?!" she yelled, running towards her in disbelief and hugging her with as much force as she could. A burst of laughter came bubbling out of her. "Zara," she gasped, "Can't- breathe!" Immediately Zara let go, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry! I forget how strong I am sometimes. I just...It's great to see you. You have no idea how good it is to have a friendly face nearby right now," she said, a genuine smile breaking across her face for the first time in months. "I heard you were back in town, I wanted to see for myself. What the hell Zara, a whole two months and you didn't even call?" "I'm sorry Rai, I have had a lot to deal with since I got back. It doesn't excuse that I didn't call you though," she added quickly at the look her friend gave her. Raine was eyeing her up and down. She realized she must have looked a right mess in her sweat drenched clothes, her hair coming loose from its pony tail. "Jesus, Zara, you look like shit," she chortled, lifting a strand of Zara's messy hair. "I've missed your sweet talk, Raine," laughing with her. "Look, I know this is a bit short notice, what with me just showing up but go take a quick shower get dressed and come out with me tonight. I called up everyone we knew when I heard you were back. There are so many people who want to see you, and frankly I want to hear what's going on with you!" "That sounds...like a great idea," she said, relief washing over her. She needed a night away from this house and its occupants. Philippe was overbearing and her brother rarely had time for her lately, what with his preparations to join that damned council. Stefâne was, in her opinion, unreasonably furious with her over the various things she had destroyed around the home. Antoinette had left on a trip back to France for a few weeks to visit an old friend. As a result she had been left with her thoughts for company most nights. She was about to turn around and lead Raine back to her room to wait while she got ready when Philippe strode into the grand hall. She tried her best not to groan as his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when they fell on Raine. "Why hello, mademoiselle, I don't believe we have been properly introduced," he said walking right past Zara and taking Raine's hand in his planting a kiss on it. The fact that he was in gym attire didn't take away from his suave demeanor. Somehow, he was sexier than ever with his track pants clinging to his sculpted ass like a second skin, and the black tank top showed off his tanned broad shoulders and toned arms. Rained looked at Zara in astonishment before replying, "Raine Wilson, and you are?" she asked an eyebrow cocked high. "Philippe Desmarais, at your service." His eyes were practically undressing Raine right there, as Zara looked on. It was nice to know he didn't dwell on rejection, she thought sourly. She didn't stop to think why she was so bothered by the fact he was taking an interest in Raine. She was just too irritated with him. "Well Philippe, nice to meet you," she replied licking her lips. Zara had to roll her eyes; these two were mentally fucking already. "Oh but the pleasure is mine, Raine. Tell me what are you doing this evening? I love to learn about weres, especially when they look as ravishing as you." His hand was still holding hers. She looked at him in surprise, wondering how he knew what she was. "My dear, when you're as old as I am, you can sense these things. Now, plans tonight?" "Well," she glanced at Zara quickly, "I'm taking Zara out to see some friends...you should come if you're free," she added slowly, unsure how Zara would react to the invitation. That was all Zara had to hear to step in. There was no way Philippe was going to go out with them tonight, or touching any of her friends. "Actually, I believe Philippe has some other plans already Raine," she began, trying to steer her friend towards the doors to her wing, "we should go get ready -- " "As a matter of fact Zara, an appointment I had just cancelled," he said looking at her pointedly, and giving her a smug smile, "so I am, as you say free as a bird!" She grew angry, which seemed to be the running emotion of the month, and grabbed Raine's hand out of his rather aggressively, much to the were's astonishment, and pulled her towards her room. The man was insistent on ruining her life in any way possible. He would not leave her alone for one minute! "Find someone else to be your whore Philippe, and stay away from my friends or so help me..." she called over her shoulder. And just as every time before, Philippe was left staring at Zara's back as she walked away from him. And what a beautiful back it was. --- "Was that Raine I just heard?" Stefâne called out from the balcony above the great doors. "Yes," Philippe said looking up at him with a mischievous smile, "it was. What a delightful creature she is." Stefâne was making his way down the stairs, when he said, "Philippe, do not even think about it. This is Zara's closest friend. She'll rip your head off if you fuck with her, trust me I've been in that triangle, it's not pretty." "Well, I'm feeling adventurous tonight, Stefâne," he called out; slapping him on the shoulder, his eyes still on the door the girls had left through. Stefâne sighed, "It's your funeral, my friend. A word of caution, which I'm sure you will absolutely ignore, but Zara is after your balls on a platter. I suggest if you don't want to part with them, you leave this one alone." Philippe just let out a loud, boisterous laugh and clapped Stefâne on the back again. Apparently losing his balls was amusing, but Stefâne couldn't see the humour. He knew Zara well enough to know that hadn't been an idle threat. Philippe however didn't hear him as he walked off to his chambers to get ready for what promised to be an eventful night. --- Zara pushed open the heavy wooden door that led to her chambers and began chatting away. She did not want to talk about anything concerning Philippe. Her friend had caught her off guard by just showing up, but she found herself craving female company. Too much testosterone around the home was driving her up the wall. "So? Where is it you're taking me tonight to lose complete abandon and make the biggest fool of myself, hopefully with a lot of good alcohol involved?" If there was one thing vampires liked other than blood it was alcohol. That and a very fine cup of coffee. Zara was walking around the room grabbing items of clothing as she went, not looking at Raine. When no answer came she turned and looked up. Raine was leaning against a large armoire staring at her with arms crossed and a raised eyebrow. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" "Because you have the sexiest piece of ass standing out there and you've barely even acknowledged his presence!" "Yes, that's because I like to pretend he doesn't exist," she mumbled to herself, but she knew Raine could hear. "Zara! That man," she let out a moan, "I mean...just looking at his ass could cause a girl to orgasm," she laughed. "Seriously Raine, not happening. And I don't want you near him, I'm serious. He's trouble and that's the last thing you need in your life." "I love trouble! Who is he? And where has he been all my life?" Zara snorted, "A friend of Kai's, one I find myself hating more as the days go by." "Are you telling me you're not even curious what he's like in bed?" Zara immediately had a flashback to earlier that afternoon, the image of her entwined with Philippe; it was like a film reel playing in her mind. She didn't have to think about it, she practically knew what it would be like to bed Philippe; he never missed an opportunity to show her. She knew it would be even better than what he had dreamed up for her. "No, I'm not," she lied, trying to sound all business, as she turned her back to her friend and began focusing on a dress laid out on her bed, "I have no interest in Monsieur Desmarais," she said in a mock French accent, her face scrunching up in distaste. "Look Raine, I don't want to talk about him right now. I want to catch up with you, see our friends, and for once in the last two months I've been back, actually have a good time. Please?" she asked pleadingly, pouting her lips and giving her friend puppy eyes, hoping she would drop it. Thankfully, it worked. "Okay, okay," she said her palms up, "we won't talk about it...tonight at least." Zara rolled her eyes, and began asking her friend to fill her in on the last few years since she'd been away. This was what she enjoyed most about their friendship. No matter how long it had been since they had spoken or seen each other, they could pick up right where they left off. It was always so natural between them. She listened to stories of Raine and her pack traveling to Europe and meeting their ancestors. It was something she had spoken of doing before, and Zara found she was happy to see her friend had gone through with it. She always spoke of learning about where she came from and how their pack had originally formed. It turned out Raine came from a pack of weres with a dominant panther gene in them, which explained her choice to settle on being a were-cougar. Cats ran through their blood. Packs were incredibly interesting. While it was commonly believed weres were only wolves, it was not true. Today the term had come to refer to any one able to shift into animal form. This was commonly mistaken for shape shifters, but shifters could alter into other humans, while weres were strictly bound to the animal world. Were had simply been an old term for man, and there had been a time when werewolves ran wild and free across the world, their numbers vast, fuelling the belief that wolves were the only type of creatures men could shift into. Due to fighting in their ranks however and wars with other species their numbers dwindled. Wolves were but a small part of the were world. You could have a wolf mother and panther father and end up being a tiger. What you became when you turned of age was determined by the mix of genes the parents donated and who the child would ultimately become as an adult. The human side and animal side were singular, separate, until they mated. When mated, they exchanged blood through a bite, much like vampires, and the two individuals genes would bind, essentially exchanging particular structures of their DNA and in turn a part of the animal within them. It was why the children were unique, having the ability to chose. Usually, they stuck close to similar species. That said, it was never concrete, unless the child became one with the animal within. As children, they were capable of transforming into different animals, to test what strengths played best to their abilities. Zara envied them that; the choice to become who you wanted to be, the ability to try being so many things at once before settling on what you wanted. It was a freedom she would never have. She was simply thrust into her life and all the things that had come with it were non refundable. "Anyways, some of them came back with us from Europe, to see how we lived here and meet the rest of our pack," she continued, "You'll meet them tonight!" "Sounds great!" she called from the bathroom. She had just finished showering and stepped back into the room. Raine was standing with her back to her, holding something in her hands. "What's that?" "You tell me," she said turning around her palm open, at the centre sat Zara's ring, "Since when do you walk around without this?" she asked surprised, and a little worried. "Oh," she stopped in front of Raine, taking the ring from her palm and turning it in her hands, "I've been practicing without it..." She hoped Raine wouldn't ask her to elaborate as she turned back around to get dressed, placing the ring on her bedside table. Unfortunately her friend wasn't letting her off the hook that easily. "So you're just not wearing it now?" she asked a little hysterically. Zara squeezed her eyes shut and tensed at her tone. She sighed; there was nothing for it, her friend refused to let her get away with a simple answer. It seemed that some higher being had seen fit to surround her with people who just wouldn't let things go. "No," she started slowly, continuing to get ready, pulling on some lace panties under her towel, "not since Philippe has been helping me practice to use my...abilities, without the ring." She turned around to find the were staring at her with her mouth open. The sight was a little comical and Zara had to roll her eyes. "You and Philippe? Practicing? Together? For the past two months?" she asked, piecing things together. "Well, one month, but yeah..." she paused wondering if she should tell her, "He's like me Raine," she said, a little excitedly, sitting on the edge of her bed with one leg tucked underneath her. As much as she didn't want to talk about Philippe before, she found she relished in being able to tell someone about how the past months events had unfolded. "He's what?!" "He's like me," she said in small voice, her friend's loud surprise causing her to flinch a bit. "Zara Maribel Wynters, you found someone who is like you and you just happen to drop it casually into a conversation like its nothing? Oh hey, I've only been trying to figure out who and what I am for the past two thousand years," she said mimicking Zara's voice while pacing back and forth in front of her, her hands waving wildly in the air, "and hey I just happened to meet this absolutely hot man who would put a Greek God to tears and he just happens to be exactly like me, but hey it's no big deal. No, no why would it be a big deal? It's not like I've been traveling across the world my entire life looking for a SPEC of information," she finished wide eyed, her arms held up in the air. "Are you finished?" "No," she replied hysterically, flipping her long hair over her shoulder before resting her hands at her hips, "I'm not finished. How the hell are you so calm about this? Who is he and where did he come from? What did you find out? What are you? And how the hell did he just manage to magically end up in your home of all the places in the world and find you," she asked in one breath. "Well," she began, but was cut short by another tirade of questions. "And how has Kai not noticed that he's like you if they're so buddy buddy with each other?" she asked pacing again, practically burning a hole in the carpet. "Are you going to let me speak or are you just going to keep rambling all day?" she was trying to hold back her laughter. Her friend stopped and finally looked at her, slouching a bit, "I am rambling aren't I?" she asked sheepishly. The look on her face was comical, like a child being caught doing something naughty. "It's ok, I'll admit I wasn't quite so calm when I found out," she said laughing, remembering how she showered Philippe with punches and slaps, yelling at him for not telling her sooner. To his credit, Philippe had stood his ground accepting all the abuse until she could hit him no more. "The truth is Raine, I haven't learned much from him, other than that he is like me in many ways and just knowing that I'm no longer the worlds one and only freak has taken the largest weight off my shoulders. I feel like I can breathe again. As to how Kai didn't see the similarities, Philippe is a lot older than I am, and more skilled at hiding certain attributes." The Dawn of Wynter Ch. 05 Hello my lovelies! First and foremost, Happy New Year to you!! I hope you all have an amazing year! I apologize for the ridiculous amount of time it's taken to post a new chapter! I have been postponing it for far too long, but I finally got around to it, and I'm so glad to see you have been amazing and loyal readers. I want to thank each and every one of you for emailing me and commenting and asking about the Dawn series! It really makes me want to write more, and make each chapter even better than the last. My resolution this year is to write and post more frequently! With that said, please enjoy! Chapter 5: The Source The grounds of the Vyrkaryan council were dark and deserted for the night, the ancient building stood atop a cliff with the full moon shining down on its white walls and the large golden dome in the center. The effect was quite striking, the building shone like a beacon of light in the midnight sky, seemingly floating, and the cliff blending into its dark surroundings. The windows were black blankets puncturing the serene facade, reflecting the moon and stars save for the light that was on in the vast library housed on the west side of the building. It was a warm summer evening, but you wouldn't have known it standing inside this particular room. Inside Dymas sat at a large table that ran down the length of the aisle, a single table lamp glowing over the pages he was reading. Bookcases carrying some of the rarest texts in the world ran the height of the room, towering over him on each side. The smell of ink and paper was heavy in the hall. The Vyrkaryan collected countless texts since their existence; some were originals dating thousands of years before Christ. So vast was the collection that they could not be housed in one area, but were kept directly underneath the standard library, protected in glass rooms keeping humidity and natural pollutants in the air away from delicate vellums and parchments. The newer, less delicate books and volumes were housed upstairs. "Have you found it?" Dymas asked, not bothering to look up from the aged manuscript laid out on the desk in front of him. Its edges were withering away, the ink faded over the millennia. "Yes, it took some digging but it's here," a cold voice said over his shoulder. He turned in his chair and looked up at Iffret holding an old leather bound book. He smiled wickedly. Iffret was a magician he thought, seemingly able to find anything he required. "It's remarkable, the drawing looks just like her," Iffret whispered, her eyes focusing over his shoulder on the manuscript that he had been reading. In the center of one page was a drawing of a woman with a heart shaped face, full pouty lips coloured red and eyes that shone in silver ink. The rest of the delicate vellum was covered in small cursive writing. "How can that be? This document is older than her, from the Creation," she said in awe. "Yes, proving that we have the right woman. I still cannot believe how you stumbled upon her purely by chance," he chuckled in delight. "We would have found her sooner or later, but yes it is strange how she practically landed in our lap." "Tell me, what did you find in the book?" "Old tales of the gods and their quarrels, mostly garbage. It never ceases to amaze me how historians write history the way they wished it had occurred," she sighed, boredom heavy in her tone, "however, there was one woman that seemed to pop up in all these silly tales, always described as the mother of everything mystical. Carythia, Olyssia, Nüt, Layal, whatever you want to call her. She is in several different tales, under different names, but the essence is the same. It is as you predicted." Dymas leaned back in his chair, looking down at the image of the woman before him. He had been searching for years, scouring the endless halls of books, thousands and thousands of them trying to find the key to it all. In three weeks time, the Alignment would begin. He had thought himself running out of time, had almost accepted that he would have to wait another three hundred years for the next occurrence. Luck had been on his side when Iffret had spotted eyes as silver as the ones described in the books he had been reading. It was as if the universe wanted him to succeed, he thought wryly. Soon he would have everything he needed to begin the ritual. When he was done, he would be the most powerful creature to walk the earth, and would no longer need to pretend to care about the insignificant group of vampires who thought they held power. The council, he scoffed. It would become obsolete. Three weeks. That was all the time it would take to crush every single one of them, especially that arrogant pain in the ass Mavros. He would take great pleasure in watching him lose everything before he ended his time on this earth. Iffret cut through his thoughts suddenly, "There is something else you should know..." He turned once again, curiosity washing over him. "What would that be?" he asked, his eyes narrowing "The texts speak of another...a male counterpart. In all the scriptures he is her sworn protector...and lover." "Another?" he asked, truly surprised at this new tidbit of information she had managed to dig up. "Yes, like her, there are many names. Sanon, Pilan, Ra, Sachiel." "Well, this is quite unexpected. Perhaps that is what we have been missing this whole time!" he said excitedly, moving to the scripture he had just been reading, he searched for one particular paragraph, his finger running down the page, until he found it. From the Creation, the universe was shaped by the Source. A delicate balance of cosmic forces, it is the power that gives existence to all. From it, we can see the universe in its purest form. The Source has often been described as light and dark, infinite and finite, the skies and the earth, the moon and sun. It is never singular, but always a balance of forces. The scribe to the ancient vampire King Mazdak wrote in his documentation of the kings rule, during the War of the Ten Kingdoms that "From whence came the earth, the sky covered it, from where the sun sets, the moon rises and so it was when the Source came to the king's aid. The Source holds a universal power to which all creatures will submit to. Thus is how our royal King Mazdak continued his rule upon the throne of Ibereya." The scribe had taken the time to draw a picture too. It hadn't occurred to Dymas until now that some portions of his document could have gone missing...like another drawing of the protector. "Yes, this is it Iffret, you have uncovered the most essential piece of the puzzle!" he said excitedly, standing to face her. "It's all so perfect. The names tell me everything. Layal, the goddess said to be the creator of the sky, moon and stars. And Sachiel, the God whose light shone so bright it was said he created the sun and protected what lay under the sky. Don't you see Iffret? From whence came the earth, the sky covered it, from where the sun sets -- " "The moon rises," she finished for him, reading from the old parchment on the table, "The Source isn't one person, it's two!" "This whole time it was right there in front of me, why did I not see it? Every civilization in history talks of balance, the male and female, good and evil, light and dark, yin and yang. They are all the same concept! They are all a reference to the Source. We have found one piece; it is time to find the other." "We have three weeks, Dymas. Frankly, the girl was a lucky discovery. How are we to find her other half without so much as a clue to what he looks like? Have you found some sketch referring to him?" "Damn it" he growled, slamming his fist against the desk, "I've come too far to be set back again. We have time," he rationalized, "not very much, but it will have to be sufficient." "Dymas, while it may be nice to stay so positive, it is a fool's errand to think we can find anything in three weeks time, when it took us three hundred years to find the texts needed to locate the girl. Even then, we were lucky." "We will succeed," he said in a deadly tone, "Make no mistake about that." His eyes locked on hers, the implication of what would happen if they failed was clear enough for her to see. Failure was not an option. "Go back down to the catacombs; look through every damn book, tablet, and piece of rotting paper until you find something! I refuse to believe that everything concerning the Source has been lost. And when you're done there, follow the girl. If her counterpart is meant to be her protector, then he will most likely be close by." "As you wish," she replied, bowing out of the room to begin the impossible task he had set her on. Dymas turned back to his desk, leaning his fists into the table as he stared down at the image before him. "I hope you're ready, beautiful. I'm coming to take what is mine..." he whispered into the air. -- Philippe was slouched in a plush arm chair; his head tilted back, eyes closed as he slept. It had been twelve days since Zara collapsed in the bathroom. Twelve days since he had heard that blood curdling scream. Twelve days of him unable to get it out of his head, the sound of her pain, the image of her weak and helpless. He hadn't slept easily, never leaving her side. He refused to leave her room, refused to feed. While he was an Ancient, and could months before feeding, twelve days combined with the stress and lack of sleep had taken their toll on him regardless. "Philippe," a voice whispered, shaking him awake, "Philippe, get up." Philippe snapped his eyes open, jumping from the chair, "What is it? Is she awake? What's happened?" he asked looking around wildly. "Philippe, calm down," Kai urged, his hands resting on Philippe's shoulders, "nothing has changed. She is still unconscious. I just thought to get you out of here, to feed and shower." "No, I must remain here, in case there are any changes," he growled, running his hands through his shiny hair, sitting back down on the edge of the arm chair. He looked across from him, at Zara lying peacefully on the bed. Her face was calm, the complete opposite of the woman who had collapsed almost two weeks ago. She looked exactly the same, save for the writing that covered her back. While it wasn't visible now, they had examined her after she had lost consciousness. They watched in horror and fascination as a mixture of ancient languages and symbols scrawled themselves on her back, from the tips of her shoulders all the way down to her dimples of Venus. The writing shimmered in the light, changing as it hit her skin from different angles. None of them could explain what had caused it, what it all meant and why Zara lay unconscious for so long -- none except Philippe. He had seen those symbols before but why they appeared on her, now of all times, he couldn't be sure. It set him on edge, knowing he was missing something. It felt like he should know why all this was happening, and yet he had no clue. All he knew was Zara had more in common with him than he initially thought, and now she lay unconscious. The more time passed, the more anxious they all grew. They had all sat next to her, just as Philippe was now, until Antoinette yelled at them to get up and do something useful. Zara wouldn't be going anywhere, they would be of better use researching and trying to find out what had caused this. She also reminded them they needed to prepare for the Vyrkaryan visit. It took some convincing but after three days of sitting idly by her bed, Kai surrendered to Toni's demands, followed shortly by Stefâne. Philippe, however, had been a different story. Kai stood above Philippe now, sighing. He didn't have any other choice; Philippe was being stubborn and unreasonable. He pulled his hand back and with a loud swoosh his hand came down and slapped Philippe with a thunderous crack, leaving a red print on his cheek. For a moment they both stared at each other, Philippe with rage in his eyes and Kai with an air of ennui. "Did you...just...slap me?" "Good, you are still in there. And yes I did, because you are acting like an idiot." "You realize you just slapped a six thousand year old vampire and called him an idiot?" "Yes, because said vampire is in fact an idiot. You've been moping around, and it's not of any use to us or to Zara. The Vyrkaryan meeting is in two days time. Once they arrive here, they will ask why Zara isn't present for the interview. And seeing as you are one of them, you have more insight into how to deal with this situation. We need you Philippe, my sister needs you," his voice pleading slightly at the last words. Philippe had been close to attacking Kai, but sense kicked in and he realized his friend was right. He was being foolish. It didn't seem like Zara was going to wake up any time soon and this posed a serious problem. The Vyrkaryan were required to meet the members of family of any candidate, and if they arrived and saw Zara unconscious, with the strange text burned into her back, they would surely take her away, and there would be a very high possibility no one would ever see her again. In his worry and grief, he hadn't thought about any of the consequences this entire situation would cause. He could see now how this was quite a serious issue. Damn the timing, he thought angrily. Once again it seemed the cards were stacked against their favour. "Forgive me Kailan, I've been so blinded with worry I did not stop to see the bigger picture. You're absolutely right; we need to figure out how to approach these difficult circumstances." Immediately he thought of Xander. Shit, he hadn't told him about this. How could he have been so foolish? He should have contacted him right away, yet here he was with two days to go before the entire Vyrkaryan council was at their doorstep and they were all walking in the dark. He'd have to make do, two days had to be enough time to figure out what to do, and there was no other option. "So where shall we start?" Kai asked. Philippe was already one step ahead of him. The night Zara had gone unconscious, Toni had said something strange. He had been dreaming about it, his mind replaying that night on a loop every time he slept, trying to tell him something. He finally realized just now that the person who could help them most was Antoinette. "Call Toni to your study in an hour. I will go get cleaned up, feed and meet you there. Stefâne too." "Ok...what are you thinking? Toni has already tried every spell she knows to wake Zara, I don't think she can do much for her." "Au contraire, mon ami. I believe she can do more than you realize. One hour," he reminded him, clapping him on the shoulder and leaving the room. Kai turned from the door Philippe had just left through and made his way to his sister's massive bed. She lay in the centre, her hands resting on her stomach. Her hair was fanned all around her, another reminder of what had happened to her. Not only had symbols tattooed themselves on her skin, but her hair had changed to the glowing silver silk that he had pranked her with a few months ago. Only this was nothing in comparison. It shone so bright it hurt his eyes if he stared too long. Running the back of his hand against her cheek he whispered to her, "Wake up little sis...I can't lose you, so you have to wake up okay?" -- Zara was standing atop the crest of a mountain, the sea was laid out before her with the sun shining down on it casting its light in every direction like an endless sheet of diamonds. Behind her was a large building, so ancient she could not place the time or place. She gasped as she looked up -- how could this be? The moon shone on the other side, its white, pearly opulence casting silver light on one side of the structure, while the sun cast its glowing rays on the opposite end. The result was spectacular, as if two worlds were colliding. Stars, galaxies, and milky ways were clear as ever. She didn't know how long she stood there, it could have been seconds, hours or days, but once she got her fill of the stunning sight laid out before her she realized she was alone in this place. She looked around, but there was no one. She realized then that it was also eerily quiet, no sound of wind or animals, or even her feet as they crunched into the gravel beneath her. Just as she thought that, there was a muffled noise, as if someone were calling her from a distance. She strained to hear what they were saying. "...sis...lose...wake..." She looked around once more, trying to place the voice, to see where it was coming from, but it was no use. It seemed to come at her from all directions. She turned in her spot, looking around her, taking in her surroundings before she stopped facing the temple once more. The only difference was this time, there was a tall woman standing at the top of the hundred or so steps leading to the entrance of the gold domed sanctuary. She was so far, Zara could scarcely make out any features, and the steps were so many, it seemed the woman was standing atop another mountain. Without saying anything, or making any gestures, the woman turned and walked into the building, her figure being swallowed up by the dark silhouette of the entryway. Instinctively Zara knew she wanted her to follow, to enter the building that towered in front of her, so bright and beautiful. This place was special, she knew it. It was a place that not many ventured to, not many were privileged to glance upon its magnificence and splendor. Zara looked around her once more before breathing deeply and stepping forward, with one foot slowly in front of the other, making her way towards the endless flight of stairs. She reached the first step and looked up; there was no sign of the woman. She hesitated only a millisecond before beginning her ascent up the steps, each one bringing her closer to the peak. Once she reached the top, she glanced back and was once again taken aback by the sight of the sun shining over the sea. From this vantage point, it seemed to be larger than before, and to burn brighter. Was that even possible? She turned and noticed the moon seemed to have undergone similar enhancements. Well, that's interesting, she thought. What was this place? "Come child, I will answer your questions," a voice called from behind her. She turned startled and stood facing the entry way to the inside of the building. Its door way was bordered with a mosaic, intricate text painted on each tile. It was the only break in the white marble that encased the structure. She couldn't see very far past the doorway, it remained dark making it difficult to make out what lay beyond the threshold. "Who are you?" she whispered, although she didn't know why. The woman had spoken in a perfectly normal tone. But for some reason the strangeness of the place, the beauty of it and the feeling that it was somewhere few ventured, made her feel as though to speak loudly would be blasphemous. "Come," the voice said simply. After sensing her hesitation, it added, "We mean you no harm Layal. You must enter of your free will. Only then can the world be made clear to you." Layal? Why did she call her that? Why did the name sound...familiar somehow? She threw caution to the wind and stepped forward. The moment her foot crossed the threshold, the darkness was gone, and she was in a vast room, light shining through it in every direction, silver and gold, rays from the sun and moon filling it with their magnificent light. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in everything. While looking in from the outside it seemed that it was just solid blocks, walls with no windows, but from here she could see clearly where she had come from, as if there were no walls in the first place. The floor was smooth stone, almost gold in colour. In the center there was a recessed area, steps leading down to it from all sides, forming a large rectangle. Inside sat a large pool, the water glimmering silver. At least she thought it was water. The way it glimmered, it seemed to be liquid but somehow denser. The Dawn of Wynter Ch. 05 Around the exterior, there were several stations, at each one a person stood, going about their business. One woman seemed to be tracing constellations on a -- was that a solid gold block floating in the air? Zara stared in astonishment as images seemed to flow across it as the woman's fingers trailed along the surface. All around people stood with strange objects, concentrating on their tasks, no one speaking. "It is strange I know, I remember the feeling when I was first brought here," a soft voice said right beside her. Zara started, not having noticed the woman coming to stand right by her. She was tall and unbelievably slender. Her dark ebony skin was flawless, most of it bare, save for a thin white fabric that molded to her body, nothing but a braided gold belt keeping it together. Zara noticed she was barefoot. She looked into the woman's face and gasped, her eyes were the colour of tiger eye gems, a swirl of light and dark browns, copper, and amber. She had thick lashes that curled up naturally, a small round nose and the fullest lips Zara had ever laid eyes on. Everything in this woman was elongated, her neck, arms, torso and legs, were all so elegantly slender. "Where am I? Who are you? What is this place?" she asked, looking around once more. When she spoke everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at her. It was then she noticed that she had seven pairs of eyes focused on her, and each set was a dazzling colour, like gems shining forth from every angle. "I will answer your questions in due time Layal. I shall begin with the simplest of answers. I am Malena." "Why do you call me Layal?" "Would you prefer Zara?" "Yes, that's my name. You haven't answered my question though, why do you call me Layal?" "In due time, you will learn all there is to know. For now, however, how about you meet everyone else? You need not fear us," she added seeing Zara's hesitation to enter further into the room, "we mean you no harm. You will find yourself among friends here, equals." Zara was about to argue, to demand answers, about to tell her she didn't care about meeting anyone but before she could say a word Malena turned and began making her way to the group of people that had now gathered around the edge of the silver pool. Some were standing; others were sitting on the edge of the steps, while some sat at the edge of the pool, their legs swallowed by the strange water. Malena led them down the steps and one by one she introduced Zara to each person. Neria, a petite woman with skin as pale as snow, fiery red hair and eyes that shone like black diamonds was the first. Zara could not look away from her eyes, they were black but they were somehow translucent, reminding her of a sky filled with stars. As small as she was, Zara felt a strength in the woman that would rival men twice her size. She spoke a few words to her before they moved to the next person. Alaric was one of the two people who sat with his legs submerged knee deep into the water. He was tall and lean, his chest bare, only clad in white pants which were rolled up at the moment. He was a beautiful man; actually she thought they were all bloody gorgeous. Alaric had a rugged and somewhat dangerous air about him. It was his eyes she realized, they didn't match. His left was obsidian and his right was like a sky blue topaz, glittering back at her. It was disconcerting. What was it with everyone here and their eyes? She'd gotten used to hers, but having so many boring into her, all of them unique, was a little unsettling. Was that how everyone felt when they saw her? She wondered. Like Neria, Alaric spoke few words, merely muttering 'welcome' up at her. Behind Alaric, perched on the steps was Clio. Her white, pearlescent eyes gazed up at Zara, she was smiling, "Welcome sister, it is an honour to meet you at last," she pulled Zara's hand into hers and gave it a tight, reassuring squeeze from where she sat. "Er...nice to meet you too..." Sister? Honour to meet me? What the hell is going on here, she thought. Clio laughed, "You will learn soon enough why I am so honoured, sister." She flipped her long black hair over her bronze shoulder. They could hear her thoughts! What the hell was going on? Perhaps she should try to clear her mind. She didn't want anyone to know what she was thinking, least of all these strangers. This was all just too surreal for her. While it felt like a dream, Zara knew deep down this was no such thing. She was somewhere that existed beyond time and space, beyond any universe she could have thought of. The question was how the hell she got here, and why these people were 'honoured' and calling her 'sister'. "Patience, Zara. We promise you will learn everything you need to know. It is our duty, before you return," a deep voice rumbled from behind her. She turned to see a large muscular man standing at the edge of the pool. His hair was light brown and hung long around his face, brushing his broad shoulders. Eyes the colour of amethyst bored into hers, his face smiling, comforting her instantly. "I am Aleron," he said extending his large hand towards her. She let him take hers, which seemed far too small in his as he wrapped his fingers around hers and bowing as he gave the back of her palm a kiss. "Always the flare for the dramatic Aleron," a dark skinned man behind him sighed. He seemed bored, his ruby red eyes running up the length of Zara, assessing her. Like Alaric, the effect was a little unsettling. "Excuse our brother Tabari, he's never been very social," Aleron said with a smirk. Tabari gave a snort at that. "You're all a bunch of boring tossers. What she must think of us, I don't want to know," another male called out his English accent thick, his head shaved to the bare skin, like the rest he was tall and considerably well toned. His eyes shone like the coppery crimson of the Red Canyon. "Mannix, at your service, love. Forgive everyone else, they lost their minds and manners eons ago," he said enthusiastically, pulling her into a hug. "Oh-" she gasped at the unexpected show of familiarity. "Mannix, perhaps you should take it down a notch," Alaric said from the pool. "Well excuse me if I'm a little excited she's finally made it here! It's only been -- wait how many years has it been? I've lost count." "Mannix," Malena said a warning in her tone to shut up, before he said too much. "What? She's going to find out soon enough. And I won't apologize for acting like I should, which is excited that you're here love," he said addressing Zara now, "the rest of this lot are just acting so bloody cold." "Excuse us for not bowing at her feet," Tabari said, once again his voice was heavy with ennui, "but she is the reason we've been waiting here for so long." "I'm sorry, it's so great to have met you all, but before you blame me for however long you've been here, where the fuck is here precisely? And why am I here? How the hell did I even end up in this place?" she asked, a little hysterically. "I like her already," Alaric said a tease in his tone, "Feisty, one isn't she?" Zara turned to glare at him, her anger rising with each passing minute. The fact that no one was providing answers was infuriating and she found she wanted out of this place. It was like a dream she could not wake from, because deep down she knew she couldn't leave, not without doing something. There was something that was nagging at the back of her mind, like she should know who these people were, and why she was here. Like a memory lost, trying to come forward after years of repression. "I'm glad I can entertain you," she replied dryly to Alaric, "Perhaps you would like to infuriate me more by avoiding my questions once again?" "No one is avoiding your questions Zara, I told you we would answer them, but it is prudent to know who everyone is here before that can happen," Malena said, her voice like that of a patient mother, speaking to a child. She felt herself bristle a bit at the admonishment. Somehow Malena seemed to have that effect, not just on her but everyone else. It was just frustrating for her. She didn't know where she was, how she seemed to have ended up here and she couldn't remember anything previous to arriving in this strange place. She was sure it wasn't a dream, but it was dreamlike. Everything shone with a brightness of a different realm, everything seemed odd, and yet perfectly normal. "Well, we got the introductions out of the way, so let's start with some answers," she said addressing Malena. "Come, everything you need to know lies right here," she said gesturing towards the pool sitting pristine in the centre of the room. "In there?" she asked skeptically. "Yes, the waters of Triuwydia have powers beyond our own. They will tell you all you need to know, as they are the tears of the gods, old and new, in them the story of our creation. The truth lies in those waters, and you are privileged to be among the few who will grace its waters and learn what they have to teach. The time has come Zara, for you to learn who you are, what role you play in this world. It's time to find your peace." Malena led her to the edge and left her there. Everyone backed away and stood behind her. She glanced behind her, once over each shoulder and caught everyone's expression. There was an acute sense of anticipation in the air, and it was as if everyone was holding their breath, even her. She turned to face them, asking with her eyes if this was actually happening, if she really had to do this. The answer from seven pairs of eyes was a resounding yes. She took a deep breath and muttered under her breath, resignedly. "What the hell." She held her hands out to her side and leaned her body backwards. She watched as the world tipped before her as she fell backwards, vertigo washing over her. She landed in the water but instead of there being a loud splash and sending water flying out from her point of impact, it was as if she landed on air instead. The water didn't ripple, she merely floated on the surface, her body encompassed in the strange substance. Before she could register anything else however, everything began to flash before her, and she went rigid as the information she had been seeking her entire life flowed through her body. As the seven looked on, they watched as Zara's body arched in the pool, her eyes glowing silver as the water worked its magic, heard her breathing come fast. Moments passed, it couldn't be said how long, but some time later Zara's body went lax and she lay still in the water, her eyes had closed, her breathing calm once more. "Well, looks like she's gone back. I wonder when Philippe will arrive," Tabari mused. "He's been stubborn yes, but Sachiel will come to his senses soon, she will ensure that," Malena replied. "How can you be so sure? He has forgotten us, holds no memory of us and this place." "I know because Zara will see to it. They cannot remain separated much longer Tabari, her visit here is proof of that. You know the only way she was able to arrive here, they had to be joined. She's already half way there, she will get through to him." -- It was the day of the Vyrkaryan visit, and everyone was rushing around the mansion for last minute adjustments. The atmosphere in the house was thick with tension; Kai and Stefâne were going over the story one last time in the study. Philippe however had remained in Zara's bedroom, especially after what had happened earlier that morning. He had been checking up on her, when all of a sudden her body began writhing in its place, her back arching off the bed. The silver of her irises shone through her closed lids. It had been a matter of seconds before she fell back on the mattress and was still as death. Philippe had checked to see if she was still breathing, and when he was satisfied that she was he tried to shake her awake rather forcefully, so frustrated was he that he couldn't do anything. He sighed, looking down at her now, wondering if they would be able to stall the Vyrkaryan once they arrived. They would have to go through the motions with Kai, Stefâne and Xander, asking questions and documenting the entire process. Hopefully by the time they were done with that, by some miracle Zara would wake. If she didn't, they had all agreed that Toni would attempt to pass herself off as Zara. She could cast a spell to make herself appear as Zara. The only problem with that was there was a very high probability that the council would immediately realize that she wasn't a vampire. No matter what Toni did to her appearance, she couldn't change her genetics, and vampires as old as the ones on the council would be able to smell the difference. It was a risk they would have to take. It didn't look like Zara was going to come out of whatever she was in, and definitely not in an hour's time. Xander would have to do his best to steer them away from that small inconvenience. Philippe sighed once more, remembering the call he had to make informing his friend of what had happened. Xander had been so worried he'd almost jumped on the first jet to arrive there. Philippe had to do a lot of persuading to stop him from acting so rashly. Everything had to remain normal and proceed as planned. "Zara," he whispered in her ear, pain etched in his voice. He was seated on the bed next to her, bent over, his hands cradling her face, brushing her hair away from her cheeks. He chuckled slightly, "Even asleep you're stubborn as ever. Why do you refuse to wake?" He looked down into her face, peaceful in her state, her eyes were moving rapidly under her lids as though she were dreaming, but she didn't move or say anything. He sighed and leaned down to softly kiss her forehead, her closed lids, her cheeks and finally her lips. "I am going to punish you in kind when you awaken chérie, for scaring me, and worrying me as you have," he whispered, smiling. He stood and left the room, praying that this day went smoothly. Lives were on the line, and one particularly had him more worried than he'd been in a long time. The truth was while Philippe had accepted that he had come to care for Zara, he wasn't quite prepared for exactly how much he found he cared for her. When he woke up to her screaming in agony, and watched her collapse into unconsciousness it hit him hard. The usual calm and collected Philippe had disappeared and in his place was left a man who didn't know what to do. Even now, he felt unsure about what the future held. He had always been prepared, had known what the next move would be in his life, but now all that was gone. He sighed, rubbing his hands over his face as he made his way to Kai's study. As he approached he heard angry voices, arguing over something. He frowned, recognizing Kai and Stefâne's voices through the door. They rarely fought, and to hear them now was troubling, especially as they had to appear completely normal today. Discord between them was not a good sign. He silently entered the room, but neither one of the vampires turned to acknowledge his presence; they were so heated in argument. "I'm telling you she knows something Kai!" Stefâne said angrily "Why would she just sit around idly all this time if she knew something that could help Stefâne? It just doesn't make any sense! She's been by Zara's side since the beginning. What you're saying is ridiculous and I don't want you to question Toni about it, understand?" he replied in a calm deadly voice. "You're so blinded by your worry and your ties to the witch that you can't see what is plainly in front of you! She gave herself away that night! She said 'I can't help her now'. Tell me what does that mean to you Kai? She knows something I'm sure of it." Philippe spoke up then, "I agree with Stefâne." He had been thinking about that night too, and when he had asked Kai to summon Toni a few days ago, he meant to ask her about it. They had been sidetracked, however, by her suggestion to disguise herself as Zara. Kai scoffed, waving his arms in the air helplessly, "Why would she hide things from us? Especially where my own sister is concerned?" "Perhaps there are things she cannot reveal just yet..." Philippe replied elusively. Kai fixed him with a glare, "That's so helpful Philippe, really it explains everything." "Perhaps if you brought her in to question her, you may gain the answers you seek. Did either of you think of that?" "He wouldn't hear of it," Stefâne replied irritably. "Come now Kailan, there is no harm in asking. It is well known witches are secretive, and always know more than what they let on." Kai let out a frustrated growl, "Fine, bring her in," he said in defeat, unable to refuse the Ancient vampire before him and his closest friend's pleading stare. Kailan had been pacing in his study for hours. His mind was racing, trying to figure out what he could do. Zara lay unconscious for close to two weeks now. He couldn't get her screaming out of his head, the pain that was etched on her face. He wished he could erase that memory, but it replayed in his head over and over again. It had been the worst timing too, as the council was set to visit, arriving in a few hours time. How would he explain his sister lying unconscious if their plan didn't succeed and Toni was discovered to be an imposter? This was the worst possible situation he could find himself in. Kailan had scoured every book he could get his hands on, every ancient text he possessed, but nothing came close to explaining what had happened to Zara. It wasn't until Stefâne came to him, telling him what he remembered about that night. The night of Zara's fit, Antoinette had said something. She had said there was nothing she could do now. That struck him as strange. Did that mean she knew something? Kai had been too absorbed in his sister's pain to notice anything amiss, so he dismissed Stefâne's allegations that she knew something. He had been hounding him about it for days now, and it wasn't until Philippe entered and agreed with Stefâne that he had finally acquiesced to their request to question her. Just then there was a knock on the door and he was brought out of his thought. "Enter," he called. The door opened slowly and Antoinette walked through her head down, sadness on her face. She hadn't left Zara's side in three days, chanting spells, trying what she could to help. When she looked up however, he saw unease grow in her eyes as she took in the three large men in the room, Kai standing behind his desk and Philippe and Stefâne seated on opposite sides of the coffee table situated in the center of the room. "There has been no change, Kailan." "I know Toni, that isn't why I summoned you here." "Oh? Then what is the matter?" "The other night, when...everything happened, you said something. You said you couldn't do anything now." "Yes, I couldn't do anything, you know I have tried every-" "Enough Antoinette!" Stefâne slammed his palms on the coffee table in front of him, "The lies stop here. You know something and you will tell me now or so help me..." his fists clenched at his side. His anger was growing the longer Zara remained unconscious. "Honestly Stefâne I don't -- " "ENOUGH!" he roared, "You will tell me! This is my blood, my sister, you know something goddammit!" he had crossed the room in seconds his face mere inches from her, his nostrils flared as he glared at her. The Dawn of Wynter Ch. 05 "That's quite enough Stefâne," Kai said from behind his desk. "She knows something dammit!" he growled turning to face Kai, his eyes growing darker in his anger. Kai stepped from around his desk, and walked towards Antoinette, his eyes were calm and gentle. IF she knew anything, yelling at her wouldn't be the way to get her to divulge her secrets. "Toni, I've known you for so long, Zara has relied on you for longer still. I consider you my family, so please, I'm begging you if you know anything, however miniscule it may be you have to tell me. If it can help my sister in any way we have to know." Toni simply stared back into his pleading eyes, silently. She couldn't say anything, because even if she did they couldn't do anything to help her now. Zara was on her own, as she had been all her life. Zara would come back to them eventually. Until then, Antoinette had to play the fool. "I'm sorry Kailan...to all of you," she added looking at Stefâne and Philippe, "Nothing I say or do will help the situation now. Please understand that." Kailan looked at her in surprise, "So you do know something, why this has happened to her." It wasn't a question. He could see it plainly on her face, she knew more than she was letting on and she wasn't going to say a word about it. It was his turn to become angry. He lunged at her, his hand closing around her throat as he snarled at her, "All this time and you knew?! You knew what was happening to her and you didn't say a word to any of us? How could you Toni? After everything, you remain silent. She is your friend! My sister! My only true blood and family! Tell me what is happening to my sister now or so help me I will remove your head from your shoulders without hesitation," he hissed, his fangs elongating, dripping with venom as his eyes clouded over, and leaving only black orbs gazing back at her furiously. To her credit she didn't even flinch, merely stood there and accepted the powerful vampires rage. He pushed her back into the wall of shelves roughly still holding her by the neck, some books tumbling from their place with the force of impact. "TELL ME!" he roared, the veins in his neck straining his face growing red in his fury. "Kailan, that is enough," a voice called from behind him. He froze in his place, his eyes growing wide with shock. He knew that voice, but it couldn't be. Not after all this time, and now of all circumstances. He turned facing the entry to the study and what he refused to believe from his ears, he had to accept with his eyes because there standing in the frame of the doorway was Xander. He stood there for god only knew how long, his hand still clasped around Toni's throat, staring at Xander, breathing heavily as his rage coursed through his blood trying to calm himself and understand what Zara's maker was doing here after all this time. It couldn't be a coincidence that he showed up now of all times, when she lay unconscious, and the Vyrkaryan at their doorstep. "Please release Toni, she has done nothing to deserve such treatment," Xander said in a deadly calm voice. It was a demand and one that Kai obeyed immediately after he realized what he had done. He immediately let go of her, leaving Toni gasping for breath clutching her already bruised throat. "Please, forgive me Toni, I don't know what came over me." "There is no need to apologize, we have all grown tense since...well you know," she said smiling slightly. He turned to face Xander, still unable to believe he was standing in his home. "Why are you here Xander? You abandoned us seven centuries ago, left my sister to wither away on her own. You're not welcome here," he growled. "I know you must have endless questions Kai, and I will answer them all in due time. I fear however, right now we have little of that. The Vyrkaryan are scheduled to be here in an hour's time and it took a lot to get here unnoticed by them." "You know of their visit? How is that possible? You've been gone for -- " "I know because I am one of them. I am Vyrkaryan," he said cutting Kai off, there was no time for questions. "What?" he asked incredulously, "But -- I -- how?" Suddenly something clicked. If he was Vyrkaryan then...He turned around to face Philippe, his anger rising once more. "All this time and you knew?" he asked quietly, his eyes were accusing, and hurt cut deep in him. He had trusted Philippe, and all this time he knew everything! He knew about Xander, about his sister. He was merely a watch dog. "Yes, but that doesn't change anything Kai. You are like a brother, and I consider you one of my most trusted friends." "Your friendship was based on a lie," he said his voice growing louder, "You were merely a spy, reporting back to your master," he spat, looking between the two ancient men. "Watch your tongue Kailan, I am still your elder," Philippe said in a quiet tone, but his anger was unmistakable. He would not be called a servant, however indirectly. "It's the truth! And you've been lying to my sister! I know you two have something going on, and you've been lying to her this whole time!" he yelled at him, the two weeks of stress finally taking their toll, breaking him down. He felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. His sister lay unconscious and three people he trusted had been watching them secretly all this time, keeping secrets, hiding in plain sight. "It was in her best interest, and yours," he replied calmly. "In case you haven't noticed, Philippe," he spat his name like it was a curse, "She's been unconscious for two weeks now. Exactly how is that in her best interest?" "Kailan, please calm down," Xander spoke up now, "I told you I will answer all your questions but now is not the time. We have more pressing matters!" Stefâne who had been quiet this whole time stood and took his brother by the shoulders, silently urging him to calm down. With a defeated sigh his body slumped, all the fight drained from him. The worry of the last two weeks was evident on his face. He didn't know what he would do if he lost his sister, but if Xander said he would answer questions perhaps they would help in raising her for her comatose state. He was right though, they had to get through the damned meeting before anything else happened. "Don't think this conversation is over," he said seriously to Xander, "You have a lot to explain, to me, but mostly to her," he paused to allow Xander to respond, he merely nodded his head. "What are we to do?" he asked quietly sitting down on a sofa, his back facing Xander now as he ran his hands through his hair. "What you originally planned, Toni will play the role of your sister and if fortune favours us, we will get through this mess." "They will know," he groaned, frustrated, "They will smell it on her eventually." "Perhaps, but we will do everything in our power to ensure they are distracted enough not to notice." "Toni, go grab some of Zara's clothes, her scent will be heavy on them, and preferably something she wore more recently. If the meeting is short enough then it may just work," Philippe said. Toni simply nodded and made her way to leave the room, stopping to grasp Xander's hand in hers, a silent exchange between the two passed and she exited through the large door. -- Zara's eyes flew open and she gasped for breath, she felt like she had been drowning. She sat up disoriented, looking around not quite sure where she was. She blinked furiously, taking in her surroundings, before she realized she was in her room. Her body felt stiff, as if she hadn't moved in weeks. What the hell had happened to her? The last thing she remembered was Raine leaving her after the reunion party and getting ready to go to bed. She edged herself to the end of the bed and made to stand, but her body was stiff and her legs felt cramped and she stumbled slightly, before standing up straight. "What the fuck happened to me," she thought out loud, rolling her stiff shoulders. She stretched her body, not venturing too far from the bed in case she fell over, her arms high in the air as she twisted this way and that, flexing muscles where she could. She didn't remember doing anything strenuous at the club, nor when she arrived at home. Actually, she couldn't even remember going to bed. She thought hard about it, but no memory came of her actually going to sleep. Sleep. She had dreamt of something. Something important. What was it? She stood in her room frowning, she knew it was important to remember, that all the answers lay in the dream she had but the more she tried to remember the more it slipped through the recesses of her mind. She sighed, giving up the futile effort; it would come back on its own. She knew the harder you tried to remember something the more difficult it would be to bring it to the forefront of your mind. She decided to put on some clothes and find her brother and figure out what the hell happened after that party instead. She looked down at herself. She was in shorts and a tank top. When had she put those on? She growled in frustration, she hated not being able to remember things. This had never happened before which made her feel a little panicky. Vampires didn't forget, and yet here she stood once again the exception to the rule. Are you really surprised? A small voice asked in her head. No, she supposed she wasn't. She made her way to the bathroom and stopped short. Where the hell was the mirror that usually hung above her vanity? She took a few steps forward, and cursed loudly as she stepped on something sharp. Looking down and lifting her foot, she pulled a large shard of glass from the ball of her foot, blood trickling down and dropping to the floor before the skin healed itself, instantly. What the hell was going on? She walked deeper into the bathroom where her tub and shower were situated and found the floor to ceiling length mirror. She stared at her reflection in shock and surprise. The hair on her head shone like strands of thin silver, mimicking the rings around her emerald green eyes. Her complexion was a little paler than normal, but it wasn't anything a feeding and a day out in the sun wouldn't cure. She was about to turn and make her way to her closet to find a pair of jeans and t-shirt when she noticed a shimmer on her skin. She walked closer to the mirror, frowning. She turned her shoulder and gasped. Shimmering on her skin were symbols she'd never seen in her life. She clawed at her shirt trying to pull it off over her head. She threw it to the floor and pulled her hair to the side and craned her neck to look at her back. It started at the nape of her neck and ran all the way down stopping just above the curves of her behind. At the center of her back, absolutely symmetrical on her spine was a half moon and sun, merged, but what made up the shapes were tiny symbols, a strange language she'd never seen. From the center moving upwards was the moon growing larger until at the nape of her neck sat a full moon, and at the bottom of her back sat a burning sun. On her shoulder blades the same writing and symbols ran lengthwise down her back. Where did this come from? She should have been freaking out, but somehow she knew that whatever these symbols were, they were connected somehow to what she had dreamed. It was all there, on her body and in her mind; she just had to piece it together. She ran to the front of the bathroom and pulled drawers open underneath her vanity before she found the handheld mirror. She made her way back and held it up in front of her, angling it so she could catch the reflection of her back on it. She turned this way and that, marveling at how the writing caught the light. It was absolutely beautiful. Not just how it shimmered on her skin, but the design itself was art -- a masterpiece. The more she looked at it, the more it reminded her of the tattoos Buddhist monks in Thailand. She remembered being fascinated by the beauty of the art they wore like badges of honour on their body, each one holding a different meaning. The script was small like theirs, and covered her back completely, the characters so tightly drawn it created images on her back, like the moon and sun. There was so much detail she couldn't even begin to see it clearly holding up the small mirror in front of her. I always wanted a tattoo she thought wryly; I suppose this is close enough. While the script wasn't black ink, and barely showed unless the light hit it in a certain way, she thought of it as a kind of tattoo. She knew however, it was so much more than that. She didn't know how she came to have this strange writing on her back, what it even meant, and why she felt like she was hit by a truck but for some reason she didn't care. For the first time in her life she wasn't worried about the 'why'. She knew instinctively the answers would come. And soon. After getting her fill of the view on her back she finally made her way to her walk in closet and pulled a pair of jeans from a shelf and slipped them on. As she reached for a shirt off a hanger she paused, sniffing the air. Antoinette had been in here recently. Strange...They were definitely not the same size or build, why would she be in her closet? She shrugged to herself, and pulled on a white cotton v-neck tee. She didn't feel the need to dress up; she felt like shit and wanted to be comfortable. Looking back into a mirror situated between the racks of clothing on either side of her, she surveyed her new hair. It was amazing, it made her look unearthly. That was the problem, she didn't want to look like that, she wanted to look as normal as possible. She willed her hair to a dark burgundy. The silver slowly faded replaced by the new colour , save for one small strand in the front. It refused to turn, despite how hard she pushed. "Augh, fine," she said to herself, giving up on the strand. She actually kind of liked it the more she looked at her reflection. She shrugged to herself and made her way back into her room and found her phone lying on her bedside table. She was about to called Raine and ask her what the hell happened last night when she saw the date on her phone. Impossible. That would mean she was out for two weeks! She quickly unlocked her phone and scanned through her messages. There were about twenty from Raine, the first few were light, asking her if she had spoken to Philippe yet, but as the days went on they became more forceful, her choice of words putting a sailor to shame, asking where the hell she was and why she wasn't responding. The same pattern with Jax and a few others were listed in her unread messages. That was it, she stuffed her phone into her back pocket and made her way out to find Kai or Stefâne or even Philippe to ask what the hell was going on. She checked the kitchen first, finding no one there, then the gym but to her disappointment Philippe wasn't there either. She'd made her way through the entire West and South Wings before she realized the mansion was eerily quiet and steady. That wasn't normal, she would have usually run into someone right now, whether it was a youngling or a were. She called out in her mind to all three men, trying to place them on the large property. Silence. She made her way to Kai's study and was just about to open the door before it opened and closed too quickly and Philippe stood in front of her, blocking the way. Before she could ask what the hell was going on, he placed his hand over her mouth to silence her and narrowed his eyes, telling her not to make a sound. He grabbed her arm and dragged her back the way she came, moving swiftly and she found herself back in the kitchen. He finally released her and sat her down rather forcefully onto the leather stool behind the large marble island. "Philippe what the hell do you think you're doing? What was all that about?" she asked a little pissed at how he had manhandled her. "Jesus Zara, you have the worst timing ever, do you know that?" he asked irately his palms resting flat on the island as he looked at her, although she saw a smile begin to form on his face, mixed with...relief? "Oh I'm sorry did I interrupt something important?" she asked sarcastically, "Because I just found out I was unconscious for TWO FUCKING WEEKS!" she yelled, "Where is everybody?" "Shhh," he said rather frantically, looking behind him to see if anyone was coming, before turning back to her. "Why are you so worried someone will hear?" she asked, now really looking at him. He looked tired, dark circles under his eyes and his hair looked like he'd run his hands through it repeatedly. Something had happened, what she didn't know. "Who was in the study?" she asked, suddenly, realizing that she hadn't actually been able to peer into the room. He sighed, staring into her eyes for a while before answering, "Zara you were out for two weeks, you scared us all to death. Surely you remember what day today is?" he asked looking at her expectantly, but when she drew a blank he added, "The visit is happening as we speak." Shit. How could she have forgotten?! Of course it was today, and she wasn't even prepared. They hadn't gone over the questions they would ask, or what she would say to the Vyrkaryan members. She wasn't even dressed for the event, she realized looking down at her tee and jeans. "Trust me that is that least of our worries chérie," he said chuckling under his breath. Her head shot up and she looked at him in surprise, "How did you hear what I was thinking? I wasn't even projecting; I didn't feel you in my head," she mused. Usually she felt when Philippe was in her head, it was like someone was invading her space, a kind of pressure in her mind. He had only ever been able to place thoughts and images in her mind, never read them, unless she herself was projecting. Come to think of it, there was something else there, something she couldn't quite place in her current state of mind. She felt...emotions that weren't hers. Or were they? She felt so muddled at the moment she couldn't make heads or tails of anything. Had she delved deeper, it would have been immediately clear but at the moment so many things were swirling in her head she couldn't focus. He stared back at her confused. Surely she remembered sharing blood, he thought. A blood oath was not something you forgot, and frankly he'd been surprised it took her this long to broach the subject. He'd been expecting the fires of hell to descend upon him the moment she woke and realized what they'd done in the heat of the moment. "Zara, you don't remember that night?" he asked cautiously. "What night? Philippe, all I remember is coming home after that party and planning on going to bed for about a year before everything just goes...black. And then I woke up a few minutes ago to find its two weeks later and I have this crazy thing on my back - you have to see this thing, its spectacular," she added energetically, getting sidetracked, "and I can't seem to find anyone in this damn mansion," she said ranting on, not realizing the dark look that crossed Philippe's face. She hadn't remembered them making love, nor the blood oath they made. Shit. What the hell had happened to her while she was out? Why couldn't she remember anything past coming home? How was he supposed to explain to her that she was bound to him now, for eternity, and he to her. The last thing she remembered was asking him to leave her alone at the club. She wouldn't accept that she had given in to her desires and that they had actually enjoyed themselves. "Zara, there's a lot going on right now. I have to get back to the meeting, but just promise me you'll stay in your rooms until I come back to get you. Please?" "What about the meeting? Surely they'll ask why I'm not present," she persisted.