Bliss smiled radiantly. Her night-sky eyes were huge and melting, her expression full of awe. "Oh Cougar," she breathed. "Do you realise what this means? We're soulmates!"

What? He shook his head to try and clear the mist. Oddly a picture of someone slipped into his head, a girl, but it was gone before he realised. Then he heard his voice, sharp and clear as the fog around his mind cleared. "No we aren't," he snapped.

Then stopped in horror. Because deep in his soul, he knew with absolute conviction he had met his soulmate and she wasn't Bliss Follehex. But I don't believe in soulmates, he thought frantically. Then realised it didn't matter whether he believed in them or not. He had a soulmate. And somehow he knew he had me her a *long* time ago. But who was she? He was stunned. This...it wasn't possible.

He snapped out of that thought and stared at the girl in front of him. Now that the strange fog was gone, he saw he features come into focus. Soft eyes became calculating and cruel, her expression was no longer hoping and wondering just petulant and cunning. And then he realised it. She had done the thing he hated most; she had put a spell on him.

Cougar glared at her and stepped forward, snarling. "How *dare* you?" he spat furiously, not bothering to hide the menace in his voice. He was going to rip this witch apart. "How *dare* you put a spell on me!" He hated spells. It always reminded him of what they had done to him before he had left.

She took a couple of steps back, loathing in her eyes. "I 'dare' because I'm a witch, parasite. At least I don't drink other people's blood and kill them." Parasite? Who was *she* calling a parasite when that witch preyed on people worse than any vampire.

"I don't kill people when I feed, " he snapped. "And you have no right to cast spells on me. What was it?" he demanded angrily. "One of those little tests that all you useless plant lovers keep trying?"

She smiled. Complete ice. Just for a second, he was suddenly very scared. Then all the anger flooded back and he glared at her. "Oh, no. Not just 'a little test', no, not at all Cougar Redfern." He knew his eyes were glowing gold now, fangs indenting his lip.

"No?" Despite the fangs, his voice was clear. It was easy to talk around them. He couldn't figure out why humans found it so hard with those fake plastic imitations they used at Halloween.

"It would've bound you to me. You'd have been a mindless idiot. More mindless, I should say." She threw out the insults in a bored voice. But he flushed face and over bright eyes showed she was anything but bored.

"Well, obviously you aren't that good a witch. It didn't work. You see, I don't believe in the Soulmate Principle." It was easy to lie to her. Not so easy to lie to himself.

"Hmm." Her tone was thoughtful now. "That shouldn't have mattered. Well, I gambled. It didn't work." He saw the calculating look in her eyes. She was definitely up to something. "Let's just forget this...misunderstanding, huh?"

He could not believe her. She had tried to wipe his mind and she wanted him to *forget* it? "No!" he yelled, "let's not."

"You don't want to make an enemy of me, Cougar." Very quiet, but oh so deadly. Her voice - he could swear there was something eerily familiar about it. To do with today...but, dammit why couldn't he remember?

He was feeling reckless. Maybe not such a good thing to be around this witch. "I don't want to make a friend of you either."

Bliss smiled angelically, just her eyes flashing dangerously. "I know all about you, Cougar. About Ruby and what happened."

He stared at her. How had she found out? No one knew about that except...

He realised she had a triumphant smile on her face. "I don't know what you're talking about." Cougar turned and walked off.

Bliss watched him go, the smile fading as he left. Why had the spell failed? She had been so *sure* there was no way to break it. Yet she had felt something snap it. She swore softly in the darkness. Quickly she started to walk back to the woods. She didn't want to be stuck on this horrible sludgy field any longer than she had to. She knew why that parasite had brought her there. He was just the same as they all were. Not interested in Bliss, just in her looks.

The fields were a little higher than the woods, so she had a clear view of the forest as she walked down. Bliss froze as she saw a gold blur, moonlight catching on tawny fur as it ran swiftly through the trees. A cheetah. It had to be Jepar Jubatus. How many other cheetah 'shifters were there in this town? Bliss began to laugh softly to herself. Oh, this was too good an opportunity to miss.

She smiled madly as she pulled out the little gun she always carried. Just in case she ran into trouble. What was she had told Fyria? Silver bullets - add a little movie touch. This would be easy. Get rid of the little bastard in one shot. The best time would be when he was feeding. He'd be still enough for her to not be able to miss.

Bliss quietly began to wind her way through the woods, down to the area where the cheetah was, finger on the trigger.

Dragon and Matt were mobbed by their friends the minute they walked into Cougar's house. People hugged them and cracked jokes. They weren't all there though, Dragon noticed when finally all the shouting and laughter stopped and they were sitting in a vague circle around the room. Zara was there, weird eyes sparkling, cheerful as ever. The only person in the room actually smaller than her, Dragon noticed ruefully.

Cern Akafren was smiling quietly. Like her, he was a half-breed. Usually the witch was taciturn, listening and storing up everything he heard. Tonight though, he was laughing and his usual elusive look was gone. His sister Myandra was there too. Completely opposite personality to her brother, she laughed and gossiped. She was one of Dragon's closest friends and had arrived with them, but decided to go and examine her younger brother's house. And get back the money he owed her. Myandra shared her brother's looks, the straight mahogany hair, purple eyes and the dimple on the left side of her face that showed when she smiled.

Lisa was there, the vampire made thirty years ago, but who had run into trouble when the Nightworld elders had found out.

Thom had finally arrived, the wise Old Soul looked in his eyes still. Chatoya was talking quietly to him, eyes grey-green and earnest. And Matt. Of course.

"Where's Jepar and Cougar?" she asked, puzzled. Jepar she could understand not being there, but Cougar usually loved parties and action.

Conversations stopped. Chatoya looked at Dragon and said softly, "Do you know what's wrong with Jepar? He has been acting really strange today." The others nodded, all eyes fixed on Dragon. Should she tell them? After all it was his business...

She was saved the decision. Matt jumped in. "You all know he has a sister?"

"You mean Gatajri?" That was Lisa.

Matt nodded, sprawled lazily in the sofa. "She was killed. Tortured and branded in her own flat." His topaz eyes were dispassionate but Dragon could feel how angry/upset/horrified he was through the soulmate link. Dragon watched the faces around her change from curiosity to shock and horror. She hadn't known Gatajri, neither had any of them, but to think of that happening to someone...

"Goddess, no wonder Jepar's been so strange." Chatoya said in realisation. She looked mortified. "And we just ignored him..." She bit her lip.

Zara said quietly, "We can't help with Cougar either. He hasn't exactly been his usual happy self." Dragon saw the distress on Zara's face and raised a questioning eyebrow at Chatoya. The witch sighed. "He yelled at her today and you know how easy going Cougar is. Between him and Jepar they're going to drive us mad."

"I think I might know where Jepar is." Thom smiled in his lopsided way, but it fell a little flat. "You know the new girl?"

Chatoya frowned. "That Belissima person?"

Thom looked confused. "Who? No, there's another girl. Tall, looks permanently scared. She calls herself Ria."

There was a chorus of, "oh, her!" from everyone. Now Thom looked really surprised. "You met her?"

Zara nodded. "Jepar brought her over at lunch."

Dragon remembered her own meeting with the girl. Behind that scared face, she was smart. The name Belissima...where had she heard that before? She had the feeling it was a way back, before she met Matt. Lanaka had said something after she had woken Dragon from her sleep under the earth.

"So he's left with Ria?" Cern said, getting straight to the point as usual. There were nods of agreement.

"Well, he must be hunting in that case." The dark haired witch said. He explained quietly, "I saw her walking back just before I got here."

Dragon and Matt exchanged worried looks. There was someone out there trying to kill him so hunting alone wasn't the best idea...but he was a 'shifter. She just hoped he could handle any trouble.

The door slammed as Cougar Redfern stormed in. And saw the people crowding his house. "What the hell are you doing here?" he snapped. Dragon supposed he had a right to be angry, but he had let Dragon and Matt share his house for the short time they were visiting.

She saw that people were starting to get angry. "Had a good night then?" Zara enquired sweetly, but there was subtle cruelty behind her tone.

Cougar glare at her as he collapsed into a chair. "No, I have not. That damn witch tried to spell me and so I had to walk back from that sacrifice field and-"

"Hold on," Dragon interrupted. "Who tried to spell you?"

"Who do you think? Belissima Follehex. Last time I trust one of those useless earth-loving..." His voice faded as he realised the two witches in the room were staring at him evilly.

But Dragon hadn't noticed. Belissima Follehex! She remembered that name now. The witch who had murdered her soulmate just over a year back. The Nightworld elders had locked her up in an asylum. Not because she had killed her soulmate - they didn't believe the Soulmate Principle - but because her soulmate had been a lamia. The witch had been ranting and raving by then, so they couldn't punish her.

"You sure that was her name?" she interrupted the questions being fired at Cougar. He looked relieved.

Then blinked as he heard the question. She supposed it was a strange thing to ask. "Yes, of course I'm sure."

He had left her on the sacrifice field. Dragon's mind was working very fast now. Jepar had gone hunting. The only place for a 'shifter to hunt was the woods. The woods were below the field. Jepar was out there with a psychotic witch. *There were assassins out to kill Jepar*. Belissima Follehex was the assassin.

Dragon jumped up and headed for the door. Matt sensed her mood and got up as well, looking a little confused but knowing something was wrong.

"Dragon, where are you going?" Zara asked instantly.

She didn't look back at them, just walked out towards the door. "Jepar's going to die if we don't save him." She ran out the door and shifted into a hawk. She flew high, heading for the woods. Below her, she saw a small red- brown shape running lithely through the streets. Matt, 'shifted into a fox.

Please, she prayed, please let us be in time.

Jepar snarled as he brought down the deer. It was easy with his powerful legs. Being a cheetah was great. Feeling the wind on his back as he ran And catching a deer like this one... They were so stupid. This one was young, juicy and tender. He had been waiting to catch something like this for a while.

For a moment, he smelled something strange on the breeze; exotic, thick and fruity. Every sense screamed danger. Then his head felt warm and fuzzy. He looked at the deer and forgot there had ever been a sense of danger...

Bliss froze as she saw the cheetah swivel its head to look at her. She concentrated, wound a spell of forgetting around the 'shifter. Slowly, its head turned back to the deer. She waited until it started to eat then carefully raised the gun and took aim. She'd always been a good shot. Her finger tightened on the trigger...

A hawk screamed overhead and she missed. The bullet thudded into a nearby tree. The cheetah looked at her and she saw the flash of unnerving intelligence in its cool green eyes as it ran, muscles bunched, long legs a blur. Goddess but it was fast. Keep running, kitty, Bliss thought. I'll catch you no matter how fast you go. Swearing, Bliss took aim again. Followed the fleeing gold blur. Squeezed on the trigger again.

Then shrieked as something bit her. She shook the small fox off. This one had that weird look of intelligence in its eyes too. Another damn 'shifter! She aimed and fired. The fox yelped as the bullet sank into its leg, blood beginning to trickle out. What was wrong with her shooting tonight? That mangy fox should be dead.

She ignored the whimpering fox as it tried to crawl away. Where was that cheetah? She scanned the forest. Her eyes flicked over bushes, trees, and branches...then snapped back. There, still as a statue in the shade of a leafy tree. A deep bronze shape with two glowing green fires instead of eyes. It was a long shot, but Bliss knew it would be easy. It wasn't even trying to run. She smiled wildly. Then she'd take care of that stupid little fox that had had the cheek to bite her.

Something hit her back and as she fell she turned and raked her nails down. She tumbled down the hill, all the breath knocked out of her. The gun went off with a crack as the sky and ground blurred into a spinning circle. She could hear the wind whistling past her and a voice...faint and female, "Keep away from me assassin! Or you'll be falling off a cliff next time." She felt the impact all through her body as a tree stopped her mad roll. For a while Bliss just lay, not able to believe what had happened. It should've been so simple. How had they found out?

Her mind jumped to the answer instantly. Fyria! That useless little coward had told someone. She was going to kill that human when she got back. Groaning, Bliss dragged herself up and looked back up the hill. Someone was kneeling on the ground, hair catching in the moonlight. They hadn't noticed her. Good.

Bliss looked down at her clothes and nearly screamed. Oh, Goddess, they were *ruined*. This was all Fyria's fault. Her eyes narrowed. She was going to *kill* her. Furious, Bliss threw one last spell, at the fox which was obviously *not* a fox. Just a little bite for any healer-witch trying anything. She turned and headed through the woods, the only way to go without being noticed.