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Part 12:

Alisha found the remnants of the Circle at Lisa's house, burnt items scattered on the floor. Ruby was absent, and so was Ria, and Chatoya, Cern, Thom and Lisa, she had seen drive past on the way up with a blaring of the horn and yells of 'house-hunting and furniture'. The first thing she saw when she came in was a morose Cougar, his slumped shoulders showing his dejection. She had run back, keeping a watch for any animals following her. There had been none, but still she was cautious.

"I have a problem," she said as she entered the room where Jepar and Cougar were, hair bouncing behind her and catching red highlights. She stopped short, seeing two new faces. One was alien; the other she knew well.

"Matt?" she said in disbelief.

Matt Wolff looked up, topaz eyes widening and then a smile spreading across his face. "Shar?" he said in almost the same tone. "So it's true," he said cryptically. "Thierry did send you here." He explained, wrinkling his nose at the mention of Circle Daybreak, his ex-home, "we have a friend in Daybreak, an important witch, who keeps us informed about anything to do with this place. We like to keep an eye on it and when she told us that you were here...and she foresaw trouble, well," he shrugged. Then a third question, "Are you still with Daybreak?"

Jepar was looking from one to the other with mild exasperation. "Is there anyone who *doesn't* know you?" he said to Alisha. She was tempted to give the answer on her lips, but resisted.

"Who are you that influential witches watch you?" the girl sitting by Matt said suspiciously. She was stunningly beautiful, with silver hair falling freely down her back and hard metallic eyes of the same colour that disguised her diminutive height.

Alisha answered the barrage of questions. "Yes, it's me, Thierry did indeed send me, I quit, I don't know, and I didn't any important witches *were* watching me." She paused to draw breath. "And do you know anyone called Celeste?"

Heads were shaken, a sullen Cougar asked flatly, "Why?" His voice was hollow and she saw his eyes were a curious flat colour - a dull, almost black brown.

She told them what had happened. When she had finished the silver haired girl looked contemplative. "Describe the woman," the girl said, a frown marring her features. "I'm sure I know her..." Alisha complied.

The girl was silent, obviously searching her memory. Matt watched her with a fond half-smile on his face. "This is Dragon," he introduced her to Alisha, gesturing at the girl. "Soulmate," he said, half-shyly. Then something struck him, and he raised his eyebrows meaningfully. "They know?"

Her look was harassed as she slumped into a chair. "No. But you wouldn't believe what I know now. Since I came here," she commented grimly and saw comprehension in his face.

"What are you two babbling about?" the subject of the enigma asked, clear eyes flicking from one to the other.

"Nothing," they said in unison. It could wait until later. The shapeshifter rolled his eyes in exasperation, then returned to trying to put the computer back together. His brows were drawn together, puzzlement etched in his distracted expression.

"They tell me some strange things have been happening to you lately," Matt said conversationally. He brightened with a random thought. Matt did tend to speak his mind, and that skipped from subject to subject like a channel-hopper. "I'm half-'shifter," he said proudly. He looked content, she thought. Matt Wolff had always struck her as slightly gloomy at Daybreak. No trace of that now. Then as abruptly, changed the subject in the same confusing manner as always. "As soon as I heard your name I convinced Dragon to come up here."

"Without telling her why?" Jepar said, lips curving. Then he swore as something on the computer sparked.

Matt shrugged. "She knew it was to help a friend," he protested. He watched the shapeshifter hiss in exasperation. "Do always try and mend electronic equipment when its plugged in?" he asked in mild amusement.

Jepar followed Matt's gaze and groaned. "That strikes me as Ruby's work," he said with a sigh. "Telling me exactly what she thinks about being tactfully told to get lost."

Dragon turned her silver eyes on him. "This is the Ruby you were getting along with so well...?" she said with a sly tilt of her head.

"Well, she was seeing a psychiatrist when I knew her," Cougar put in dejectedly. "Some sort of stalker, I think. And she was downright *obsessive* about being a vampire. But she was so convincing and sweet I gave in-"

Jepar groaned, understanding dawning. "She was seeing a shrink? For *stalking*? You might have mentioned it."

"It didn't seem important." The vampire didn't show a flicker of reaction on his face. Curious, Alisha tried to sense his mind. Where before he had been vibrant as a burning wire, now he was cinders and bitterness, aching hurt that was dark green ringed by smoky grey.

Matt laughed. Alisha wasn't surprised he was a shifter, she decided. He had always looked like one, a fox or maybe a wolfhound, with red-brown hair that was spiky, intelligent topaz eyes and a cunning, darkly humorous mind that had, Chatoya told her, inspired a nice little series of traps that had caught out some Nightworld assassins on the other side of town. "If it comes to the worst, you could always shoot her," he joked. "Speaking of which..." he rummaged through a rucksack beside him and threw something dark and shiny to her.

Alisha caught it. A gun. "Equipped with silver and wood compound bullets," Matt said coolly, then flicked a dagger across the floor to her. Fitting comfortably into her hand, it was ornate, the hilt had a serpentine silver dragon design, its tail making the six inch blade, wickedly sharp and slender, notched wings the guard, while its head was the hilt, set with two sapphire eyes.

"I can't take this," she said in horror. "My god, it's an antique." But she turned the blade over in her hand, watching it catch the light with wistful regret on her face. If weapons could ever be attractive, this was it.

Matt cleared his throat. "It's not from me," he said quietly, eyes flashing gold suddenly. "It was given to us with some cryptic instructions from our witch friend who must remain unnamed some weeks ago. Commissioned by Thierry at her request."

"A very important witch, then," she mused. She traced the blade and felt uneven marks on it. When she looked closely, Alisha saw runes graven into the metal, light delicate shapes that were hours of labour. "What do they say?" she asked, her eyes showing only bewildered blues.

"Through the veil of dreams, the bonds of love, infinite risk. For what may be from what once was." The boy quoted, eyes glinting with curiosity. "Mean anything?"

She sighed. "Nothing," she replied glumly. "But-"

"A dragon." The silver haired girl cut in without any apology.

"Thank you for that simple and yet curiously uninformative phrase," Jepar drawled, his words framing the confusion on everyone's faces. "Do you have anything helpful to say? Or are you limited to nouns today?"

Her answering glare was impatient, but the silver eyes were less aloof. Perhaps, Alisha thought, Dragon wasn't quite as remote and icy as her looks suggested. "The woman who calls herself Celeste," she repeated slowly. "She is a dragon." At Alisha's inquisitive look, the dragon girl smiled for a fleeting instant. "I remember her. She and my father never got on. But she was called Bhari then. It meant Deceiver."

"I'd say that's true enough," Alisha said.

"I don't know what her interest in you is, but if she's mixed up in this great mess I'm told you're in, you're going to need that knife, though if it will even scratch a dragon, I doubt very much." The girl gestured, snapping her fingers as Alisha stared in bafflement. "The knife," Dragon said with a sigh.

Alisha threw it, and the dragon quickly slammed it through her hand. Alisha couldn't help but wince at the cracking of bones, but saw the hand heal almost as soon. The girl looked up, silver eyes glowing softly. "You're dead," she said flatly.

Matt hissed something at her irritably then gave the knife back. "Keep it anyway. I'm sure the witch had her reasons." He smiled tightly and then threw a few silent words at her. ~ Dragon's only curt because she's worried. Hates fights she can't win. ~

"So what are we supposed to do?" Cougar demanded sharply. His eyes were still that curious flat colour that worried Alisha, as if a light had gone out inside him. "Keep guard?"

Dragon shook her head. "With two dragons after her? No chance. We'd all end up dead. Alisha..." the girl said matter-of-factly, "I don't think there's any way we can stop this dragon. True, you got lucky and knocked him out, but for what? A minute, maybe two? We'd need an IV to make any effect and he's not going to be that stupid twice."

"Don't bet on it," Alisha muttered. "David's not exactly Einstein when it comes to brains."

"Yeah," Jepar said grimly, the scars on his face a harsh testament, "but he's not exactly Goofy, either."

Impasse. Alisha looked from one face to another. They were all worried, the dragon girl's thoughtful, Matt showing only concern, even the barest hint of anxiety in Cougar's eyes. The marks raking across Jepar's face were faint, as if a skeletal hand had been lain there, but proof of David's ferocity. He was a dragon, with the killer instinct and brains to match. Like a chain reaction, slowly gathering momentum, he was getting more and more dangerous.

"I refuse to believe there's no escape," she said decisively, holding her head high. "Do dragons have pressure points?"

"You're going to give him a *massage*?" Jepar said, voice cracking in disbelief, eyes wider than a four-lane expressway.

Her glance was amused, softening her scornful voice. "Pressure points on the neck, idiot. Put on enough pressure and you can knock someone out."

He grinned, and the tension was broken for a moment. "Do you think Celeste and David will make their move right away?"

Dragon considered carefully. "From what I know...no. Bhari likes to get to know her prey, so she can outmanoeuvre them if they try any tricks. She'll probably go and talk to David, discuss tactics and tomorrow - it's showtime. Though why she's involved, I have no idea. And...the minute you try pressure points on a dragon, you get enough mental energy to fuel all of North America."

Alisha sighed, resigned to waiting, though she planned to call in on Iry to see if he had any ideas.

Jepar saw something of the dread in her eyes and smiled, the sun in his hair. "Shar, don't worry. There's no point, with dragons. They either kill you or they don't."

Alisha left later, her mind on David and Bhari. The dragon woman reminded her of Gwyn in her aloof attitude and lack of emotions. And that rapier intelligence. Two of a kind, though one had tried to help where the other had harmed.

* * * *

It was perhaps eighteen months into the affair when Gwyn marched into Tali's room. Her face was as angry as Tali had ever seen her, though even that was barely noticeable; a tight whiteness about her mouth, a quick sparking in her eyes that were green and self-possessed.

"This has to stop," were the first words the woman said. She was always blunt, painfully so at times and she didn't put up any pretence of tact here.

Tali started and dropped the clothes she was making for her niece. "What?" she said in genuine confusion. It never even crossed her mind that Gwyn might know her carefully kept secret.

Gwyn sat down opposite her, still no smile. She handed Tali the clothes, raising her eyebrows in approval at the fine needlework. Her hands were clenching an unclenching, a nervous action that warned Tali something was wrong. Gwyn was *never* nervous, and now she was fidgety as a mouse being stalked. The woman caught her glance and stilled instantly, her glance measuring up Tali.

"This ridiculous one-sided affair with David y Pelathas," Gwyn replied calmly. She didn't seem to harbour any feelings of betrayal as Tali stared at her, licking her lips nervously.

"How...did you find out?" she said in a low, frightened voice.

"He told me," Gwyn answered with the same unruffled attitude. "No doubt he assumed I'd go running to Ieran like some wailing woman filled with wild stories intended to discredit you." Gwyn paused, took the needle out of Tali's shaking hands before she stabbed herself. "Tali, he loves you."

She blinked, her eyes wide and pale as mist. "I know," she said falteringly, "that's what he says, but it can't be true."

Gwyn's mouth lifted a trace at the corners. She must find me incredibly naïve, Tali thought, from the look on her face. "Why not? Because you don't love him?"

Tali couldn't meet her eyes. It was an awful truth; she could never be what David wanted and she did have a great affection for him, but it wasn't love. Desire couldn't hold their relationship together and she felt herself drifting further from him over the last few months. She wasn't sure what held her. Fear, she thought, that he would tell Ieran, maybe the way she was overpowered every time he came near her, maybe the fact that...that although she had no love for him, David could make her happy. Make her laugh.

Tali sighed unconsciously. It was one thing to tell herself she should end this, another to tell David that. He had ways off stopping conversations he didn't like that was altogether convincing. And she did hold a great affection for him. His sense of humour was unexpected, and there was a wild side to him she liked. One she felt inwardly would be unleashed in a very different way in anger.

"No," she answered eventually, "I don't love him. But Gwyn, he makes me happy."

Gwyn didn't stir at this. "And Ieran doesn't?"

Tali didn't want to answer that, because she didn't want to have to tell Ieran's sister that though she loved him, he was never around, that she was desperately lonely and afraid that one day he wouldn't come back from these errands he had to run. Bandits were all too common, offended nobles even more so. And Ieran pretended little subservience to the aristocrats. One day, it would get him into trouble.

"I've suspected that for some time," Gwyn said quietly. As Tali stared, she gave a rare smile. "I have no illusions about my family, Tali. Ieran may be sweet, he may be a romantic at heart, but he's too closed. I think half the attraction to David y Pelathas is that he tells you he loves you, he doesn't take you for granted. Am I right?"

Miserably, she nodded.

Gwyn thought her next words over, eyes deep green and sympathetic in so far as she could be. "Tali, I can't tell you Ieran will change. But he'll love you whatever you are, and he isn't untouchable. You said yourself you don't love David, Do you think you're being fair to anyone? Ieran, David - and yourself. I'll bet you're dying inside from guilt. I wouldn't be, but you're totally different."

Such perceptiveness from Gwyn was entirely unexpected. "That's exactly it," Tali confirmed. "But I don't know what to do," she said. "I know what I should do, but I don't know if it's what I *want* to do."

Gwyn stood up swiftly, moving with that almost unearthly speed she had when her mind was occupied. "I can't tell you what to do," she said flatly. "But I've been in your situation-"

"You?" Tali said in disbelief. Clear minded, emotionless Gwyn.

The woman shrugged slightly. "Near enough. But in the end, I went back to Ralf," she said, naming her deceased husband. "It all worked out in the end - I'm married to John now. The only thing I've learned, is that it wasn't worth my trouble. But you'll never see it like that."

She paused and before walking out of the door, turned, her face serious now. "I can give you one piece of advice, Tali, but I don't know if it'll be any help."

"You can't do any more damage than I already have," Tali muttered gloomily.

Gwyn shook her head, but Tali didn't see, bent over her needlework. The blond woman pretended not to see the tears dripping onto the fabric. Her voice was very gentle as she spoke. "Wants and needs are sometimes different. We can't always have what we want and maybe it will cause sorrow. But if we can't have what we need, we die, one way or another."

* * * *

David was slumped at the summit of the mountain, bored out of his mind. The place reeked of power. He was trying to sense the force that permeated the whole valley, to find its centre. He relaxed and let his mind fly much as he might let his body fall into bird shape, and sent a mental arrow winging over the valley, touching the power in places like a human might car doors, to find a weakness, only David was looking for strength. That was where the heart of this power lay.

He was curious about it, and boredom only added to the curiosity. There was an inner thought in his mind that if he could find the source of this almost magickal force, he could tap into it and enhance his own abilities.

He hissed in satisfaction as he felt the power strengthen, and pulling his frame into eagle shape, took his body to where his mind was. He began to follow the force, trying to trace it through all the magic that had been built up over the years. Most recently, lay the remnants of a magical battle between the witch Bliss Follehex and the Redfern vampire, streaked blue and red, blending into purple. Below that, the chars of another battle that was oil-black with dragon power. Then further, smaller fights, countless spells that were greying away and then a sudden shot of yellow, that was the creation of the shapeshifter cemetery in the heart of the desert.

David was extending every telepathic sense now, straining to hold his shape and the trail, moving gradually into the woods, over the lone house that was Iry lupine's home, although David didn't know that. The trail sunk below the house, the centre of the power glowing like an ink-streaked fireball, and David tried to draw on it cautiously, but something was blocking him. Just as he felt his shape begin to waver, he gave the power an almighty mental kick and felt a response, like something turning in sleep. Then he realised and in awed shock lost his grip on the eagle form and dropped like a stone.

There was a mind under there.

* * * *

He landed silently, eyes unseeing. Something buried under there! Something powerful and sleeping. His first thought was for himself. But it posed no threat if it was asleep. And he had more important things to do. Talisa, for one.

He made his way back to the mountain, putting this curious discovery to the back of his mind. As he approached the summit, he saw the slender figure of Bhari, the oriental dragon's face registering slight distaste at his appearance.

"You were supposed to be waiting," she said caustically, "and instead you go wandering off. I thought this matter was of importance to you, y Pelathas."

"It is," he said contritely, seeing the flare of anger in her stance. "Forgive me, I was hunting."

"We have plans to make," she said curtly, not pursuing the matter any further. "The change will take place tomorrow...but tonight will be the time that counts. We need a lever to use with your lady Alisha and I have found a susceptible mind." and Bhari quietly unfolded her plan.

David listened and at the end, he smiled. "Perfect," he said softly. "Absolute perfection."

The dragon laughed coldly. "Sweet dreams, David," she said in wintry tones that matched the frost melting on her hair from her flight here. She liked to fly high. Her smile was secretive, shared between them both. "Sweet dreams."