“Because it has EVERYTHING to do with Angel leaving the school.” a menacing voice spoke from out of the shadows…..

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny waited for Remus to meet up with them in the DADA classroom. “She can’t be gone” Harry moaned “she would never have left without saying goodbye to me, she just wouldn’t.”

“I’m sure Remus will find her” Ron replied, sounding far more sure than he felt “its not like she and Snape could just have walked out without anyone seeing them.”

“One would think” Remus replied glumly as he entered his classroom and closed the door behind him. “I’m sorry Harry, it looks like she left quite some time ago.”

“No, she wouldn’t leave without saying something to me” Harry insisted “she has to be here. I’m going to check her room again. Hell, I’ll check Snape’s if I have to.”

Remus put out his hand and held Harry to his spot “Harry. . .stop” he said quietly “You’re right, Kitty normally would not leave without saying something. But I’m afraid I may have chased her off. I said several unkind things to her this evening, I think she may have been trying to avoid a scene.” he explained as he turned his face from the students. It hurt him when he remembered the pained look on Kitty’s face when he spoke with her at the ball. Why couldn’t he just understand what she had been trying to tell him, she had mentioned Sirius not being free to return her love, or to be a father to her children. Never once did she mention Azkaban or the Ministry or anything else to do with his imprisonment, if only he had paid more attention to how she said things. “And the only person in your mother’s room appears to be your godfather.”

“Sirius? What’s he doing in mum’s room?” Harry asked as he looked at Remus and his friends.

“I’m honestly not sure Harry” Remus replied “but it’s the first time I’ve seen him sleeping so soundly since he escaped from Azkaban, I didn’t have the heart to wake him and ask.”

“Does he know where mum is?” Harry asked softly “Did you talk to him earlier like you said you would?”

Remus nodded “I think he still thinks its because of Azkaban, like I said, I didn’t want to wake him, let him sleep Harry, let him have some peace.”

“But isn’t it a good thing that Cat was wrong about what’s her name?” Ginny asked “I mean, if he’s not married to her, and you don’t think Azkaban is going to upset her, then when she comes back everything will be all right. Won’t it?”. . . .

Olia struggled violently against the man’s vice like grip as he drug her across the forest floor, he seemed mindless of her tearing at his flesh with her sharp claws as she screamed obscenities at him.

“Such bad manners from the childer of a Primogen, I am ashamed of you young lady” Gustavas sneered as he tossed Olia against the tree were a barely living Gaz hung. Gus smirked at the childer “You seem upset empath, does my silence disturb you?”

“You’re the one doing this” Olia gasped “but how, I’ve always been able to hear people’s thoughts, my abilities are not a gift of the blood.”

“Neither are MacLeod’s, I had to look long and hard to find a spell that would cut her off from her clan. I had intended to use her son’s life force to feed the shadow that is now covering this school. But as you can see, I was forced to settle for this creature, she’s not as strong as MacLeod’s precious son, but she did fine in a pinch.” Gustavas explained as he saw Olia glare up at Gaz. “What? No words of comfort for your dying comrade?”

Olia spat at Gustavas, “This creature is no kine to me, she is a betrayer and will rot in the seventh ring of hell for what she’s done to us. And you will be joining her if Cash or Angel ever get their hands on you.”

Gustavas laughed cruelly “Do you think I’m that stupid? I purposely waited until MacLeod left to make my move, by the time she comes back from her little trip, her clan will be destroyed and her son will be dead. I think I’ll leave him in her bed, nicely tucked in. Do you think she’ll like that?”

“I think she’ll tear out your throat before you get near her son” Olia responded “You’re a fool if you think you can touch him. If Cash doesn’t kill you, the Angel will. Do you really think your spells are a match for her clan? All it will take is one death, one soul to wing its way to her. . .”

Gus snarled at her “That soul will be her son’s, and she will go mad with the knowledge that she could not protect him. She will crumble and she will be destroyed.”

Olia looked at him and laughed loudly, infuriating the Tremere, he had said too much and she knew what she had to do. She was not fortunate enough to die the first time she was murdered, their former Primogen had seen to that, and it had only been Cash’s pity that prevented the clan from killing her when he was destroyed for his actions. But now she had the chance to pay Cash back for his kindness to her, she would make him proud of her, this time she would do it right. . . .

Gus stalked towards the laughing Olia, she should be cowering in fear, not laughing like one of the cursed Malkavian kindred “You find me amusing?” he asked as he smiled dangerously, a chilling look gleaming in his eyes.

“I find you pathetic and overly confident.” Olia responded hoping to anger him even further. “You think you can take on Cash, a Methuselah of the Kindred and his descendant, the last mortal born of the Sidhe?” she laughed again, pausing only as he struck her violently across the face. She looked into his eyes, blood dripping from her split lip and roared with laughter “You are impotent against them. You chose the wrong sacrifice for this spell. Gaz had already betrayed her, she won’t come for her, she doesn’t even care enough to kill the betrayer. She has restored all that Gaz destroyed, Fang lead the Garou, Raul leads the Gangrel, Cash leads the MacLeod’s, and Angel leads them all.”

“Then she will lead them to their deaths” Gus growled as he grabbed Olia by her throat, holding her several feet off the ground “What? No laughter childer, I’m so disappointed, I thought you might laugh yourself to death.”

Olia choked as his fingers crushed her larynx, but it didn’t wipe the smile off of her face, he had fallen for it. His spell may have prevented her from picking up the stray thoughts of people as she walked past them, it had even stopped her from actively listening to the thoughts of her own clan, but this was physical contact, and nothing could stop her from rampaging through his mind, stealing everything she could before he killed her.

Narrowing her eyes, Olia willed her mind to shut out the frantic struggles of her own body as she forced herself into his mind . . .

Leumadair wrapped a protective arm around Leonora as his father glared at them. “You dare to bring her here without command from me? To make her like us?”

“Father” Leumadair pleaded as Leonora cringed against him, her children hiding fearfully behind him. “What should I have done? I couldn’t leave them their to die like that, and besides, her blood had already mingled with mine.” he added as he removed himself from Leonora’s grasp and approached his father. “Look the wound is still fresh, her blood is still in it”

“Be that as it may, her kind is no good, they have proven it time and time again.” Mac Lir reminded him “She was in that position because her tribe betrayed Catriana, your own cousin. You have betrayed your own family by bringing them here.”

“Now dear” a soft spoken woman said as she placed her hands on Mac Lir’s broad shoulders. “You know Leumadair has always had a kind heart, and he has always served you well,” Maighdeann-mhara reminded him. “You have always told me how proud you are of our son. Why would you think he would fail you now?” she asked as she smiled tenderly at her youngest son. “He loves his cousin dearly, just as she loves him. You know very well he would never betray her, or our clan.”

Mac Lir gave a non-committal grunt as he averted his eyes from the Roma woman and her spawn. “If he had taken her somewhere else I may not find it so. . .aggravating.” Mac Lir spoke as he once again fixed his eyes on his youngest, and favourite son. “They do not belong in my kingdom, you had no business bringing them to Armargh.”

“Father, where should I have taken them?” Leumadair asked softly “Look at them. Look at her sons, they are half starved, . . . Father, they didn’t even bother to run from La Llorona when she came for them. And that was after she had taken their father.” he explained as his mother gasped.

Maighdeann-mhara’s eyes grew soft as she watched the two young boys hiding behind their mother. “You mean those tiny children show more fear of your father, than they showed to a murderous ghost like La Llorona?” she questioned as she squeezed her husband’s arm, hoping he would relent and allow the girl and her sons some time to rest amongst them.

Mac Lir sighed deeply “My love, I know what you are trying to do. I feel sympathy for the children, but the Roma have proven themselves unworthy of our mercy. Look what Magda has done.” Mac Lir explained to his wife and son “It is because of her that so much evil has moved westward across the continent, it now threatens the very shores of our realm. I cannot allow her clan to stay among us.”

“But she’s no longer a Roma, Father” Leumadair reminded him “her humanity left her when she took her last breath.”

Before Mac Lir or Leumadair could speak further, Maighdeann-mhara interrupted. “Husband, if I understand you, the only reason you would deny this woman and her children is because of what her tribe has done to Diedre’s daughter, am I correct?” she paused as Mac Lir nodded. “Then why not let her decide the woman’s fate? Is she not going to bring her son to you? Has she not promised, sworn to you, that she would present her son before your court within the dawning of the next full moon?”

Mac Lir stroked his beard as he thought over his youngest wife’s suggestion. Looking up at his son, he saw the pleading look in his eyes, “She did swear on her clan’s blood and honour, didn’t she?”

“Yes my love, she did.” she replied, smiling softly at her son, knowing her husband would prefer to not be the one to break his son’s heart. And after all, Catrianna had a notoriously soft spot for Leumadair, then had spent so many laughter filled days together growing up, she would be hard pressed to deny him so simple a request.

“So be it, the woman and her children may stay until your cousin passes judgment on them. But understand Leumadair, they are your responsibility.” Mac Lir said sternly “Their actions will reflect upon you, and as your father, upon me as well.”

Leumadair flashed a dazzling smile at his parent’s “Yes Father, I understand. Thank you.” . . .