The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death

[ladydeathfaerie]

Title: The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death 
Chapter Ten: A Night To Remember
Fandom: Anita Blake universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic sex and violence, language, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of LKH. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. the Sues are the sole property of their originators, Ginevra, Dazzledfirestar, Nanaea, SilverFoxChan and ladydeathfaerie. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from Dazzledfirestar. all beta work, plot bunny shooting and ass spanking is being done by Gin. 

The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death - Index Link 

The knock sounded on her door precisely at seven. Janika took a moment to calm her nerves, checking her make-up in the mirror of her vanity before hurrying to answer the summons. She'd been surprised when she'd gotten the call this morning, only a handful of minutes before sunrise. Asher had sounded almost scared when he'd told her in a soft voice that he'd like to take her out. When she'd asked if he meant on a date, his affirmative reply had shocked her almost speechless. But she'd managed to tell him yes before he'd had to go, hanging up with the order to wear something nice ringing in her ears.

Wear something nice.

It had taken her over an hour to decide what she was going to wear. She'd nearly torn her closet apart looking for something that could be worn to any number of fancy places. She'd finally decided on an emerald green camisole of silk paired with a black pencil skirt. The skirt was also of silk, with silver thread making thin, sparkling pin stripes down the length of the garment. A jacket of silk and lace added a touch of elegance without taking away from the simplicity of her outfit. Her hair was pulled back with a small rhinestone clip that caught the light and flashed. She'd added a few curls to the ends, as well as to the wisps that she'd left hanging around her face.

Drawing in a deep breath, she halted before the door and calmly pulled it open. Asher stood just outside, the porch light glinting off the gold of his hair. He'd chosen to wear black dress slacks and a blue silk shirt that perfectly matched his eyes. There was a matched jacket to the slacks that served to enhance the paleness of his face and the near metallic shine of his hair. He smiled upon seeing her, his eyes roving slowly up and down the length of her body. "Good evening, cherie," he intoned, the words sending a spike of something delicious through her. Janika stepped back from the door and motioned to the living room behind her.

"Please come in while I collect my bag," she said quietly. He nodded and stepped through the doorway, following her into the spacious living room. Even in her three inch heels, he towered over her. The curse of being so petite. She watched as he moved to settle into the corner of her sofa, the same spot he always took when he visited her at home. A small evening purse lay on the table, the bag made of silk with a single silk cord for a strap and a silver snap closure.

"You look lovely this evening," he commented. She flashed him a brief smile, her actions full of her nervousness.

"And you look very handsome," she countered, sliding the bag up onto her shoulder. She watched him give her that appraising look again, his eyes slowly taking in every last inch of her short frame. She watched a smile slide across his face when he noted that she was wearing the stockings and shoes he'd bought for her.

"I am honored you would choose to wear my gifts," he pointed out softly. She felt her cheeks suffuse with color, pleasure sweeping through her at his words. The shoes were delicate looking, made of black silk and finely crafted leather. Her toes were covered by silk, the material starting on the inside just above the joint where the big toe met with the rest of her foot. It curved across the top of her foot to cover just her toes, the edge of the silk caressing each knuckle as it passed over them, then stopped on the outside just on the other side of the last knuckle. The shoes were held to her feet by thin straps that locked around her ankle. They were made of leather, threaded through a silk covered piece of leather that rose up the back of her foot.

The stockings she wore were silk, with a Cuban heel and a seam up the back. He'd bought them for her some time ago, an impulsive gift that she hadn't found the occasion to wear before tonight. She'd thought it only fair to wear them for him on their first real date. She smiled and moved to where he sat, smiling down at him. She didn't have far to look. Even sitting as he was, he was still almost taller than she was. She reached out a hand and carefully laid it against his unblemished cheek. "They're a lovely gift and they make me feel beautiful," she told him.

"You do not need my gifts to be beautiful," he replied softly. She blushed harder, watching as he rose gracefully to his feet. Then he leaned down, taking her cheeks between his hands to tilt her face up toward him. His palms were warm against her skin. Before she could give thought to that, his lips were pressing gently against her own. The kiss was sweet and gentle, a flutter of butterfly wings against her mouth offering a promise of things to come. She was still breathless when she drew back, her gaze unfocused as she stared up at him. She didn't understand how Asher could do that to her with so simple a touch. He smiled at her, then offered her an arm. "Come. Let us go. Dinner is waiting."

Janika slid her arm into his, hooking them together at the elbow. Asher started for the door, drawing her along with him silently. They paused for a moment as she dug the key out of her bag. He took it from her, slid it into the slot on the deadbolt's face plate and turned so that the lock engaged. He handed the key back wordlessly, then turned them for the car.

She was startled to see the sleek black car waiting for them in the parking lot. This was the first time that they'd ever gone somewhere and it had never occurred to her that they'd be riding in a limo. She supposed that made sense, though. None of the really old vampires seemed to drive. Any time she'd seen some snippet on the news or in the paper, there had always been a limo in the background. Of course, every other time they'd gotten together, they'd met at some small, out of the way hole in the wall or here at her apartment. So she'd never really thought about him driving.

The walk from her door to the car was short, made in silence. It gave her a chance to hear the evening around her. Night birds called to one another from the darkened shapes of the trees. The scent of clean freshness clung to the air, swirling around the two of them as they moved down the walk. There was also the smell of late blooming flowers, faint and sweet. It felt as if the entire evening had been crafted just for them.

The driver was there in the blink of an eye, the opened door clasped in his hand. The man said nothing, merely nodded his head at Asher as her date handed her into the back of the limo. Asher joined her and the door closed behind him. They were silent as the driver climbed in behind the wheel. The car shook slightly when he pulled his door shut, then the engine turned over. The man behind the wheel turned to look at them. "The Hanging Gardens," Asher instructed. The driver nodded, then faced front and the car pulled forward.

The push of a button rolled the dividing window back up, leaving the two of them alone. Janika turned to look at Asher in shock. "The Hanging Gardens? That's one of the most exclusive restaurants in town. Last I heard, the reservation list was four months long. How could you possibly get us in on such short notice?" she asked him.

Asher chuckled softly, then motioned to the car. "There is little that some money and the use of a name cannot get a person."

"Who's name did you have to drop?" He just smiled at her, giving her a look that said it didn't matter. She let that go and instead gave her attention over to him. As with every one of their little get togethers, his hair hung over the right side of his face, hiding the scars that she'd only been allowed to glimpse. He refused to let her touch them and she wondered if he was afraid of her reaction or ashamed of how they made him look. Instead, she changed the subject by asking a different question. "You fed before coming to get me?"

"Oui," he nodded in response. She frowned at that, which drew further comment from him. "I wished to spend this evening with you in public. Were I to come without feeding, it would create problems for us both. I did not wish to deny you this night. You have been so understanding with our situation. I wished to show my appreciation."

"Okay. But why a night out? Why didn't we just spend time at my place or something?" she asked, very much confused.

"Because that is all we have been capable of doing. Until now," he replied, then fell silent. She could sense the hesitation in him, as if he were struggling with himself to continue. His hand reached out and took hers, holding it in a gentle grip. "When Anita was alive, she did not wish for her men to seek out someone else. So I was left to wait for her attentions. Now that she is dead, there is no reason for us to continue hiding our relationship from the world."

She frowned at that. She hadn't known that Anita had forbidden Asher to find someone else to warm his bed beyond her. That would explain why they'd been meeting at her place or some really out of the way little hole in the wall for the past few months. Because he wasn't supposed to be seeing her. And he had been. She pondered a moment just what that meant, hoping that it was out of some kind of affection and not for the sex or the blood. The grip he had on her hand tightened for a fraction of a second, bringing her attention back to him. He was smiling at her and the sweetness of it pushed all of those thoughts aside.

They made small talk as the car moved silently through the night, gliding in and out of traffic as if it wasn't there. She was reminded of a sleek jungle cat, slipping through the thick undergrowth in search of prey. When the car pulled up outside of the restaurant, the driver was quick to open the door for them. Asher climbed out first, then offered her his hand. Janika allowed him to help her from the back of the limo. Almost immediately, lights flashed in her eyes and several voices spoke at her loudly, vying for her attention. Asher tensed beside her, his arm sliding around her shoulders in a protective manner. Then he offered the reporters a broad smile and escorted her to the door.

She was glad of the peace and quiet found inside the building. There had been a large man wearing a dark suit at the door. He'd nodded his head at Asher as they'd passed, then stepped a few inches forward to offer her and her date relief from the gathered throng of bloodhounds. It would seem The Hanging Gardens was a big draw for the big names in the city and she was secretly glad for the well dressed bouncer behind them.

The hostess smiled at them as they approached the podium, immediately scooping up two menus and holding an arm out toward the dining area behind her. Janika puzzled at that for a moment. The woman hadn't asked for their names, had simply allowed them entrance. They followed in her wake and she led them proudly through the tables. She was tall and thin, her body well proportioned. Her glossy brown hair had been swept up into a sophisticated knot and she was clad in an elegant satin dress. The Hanging Gardens was apparently a very high end establishment.

They were given a booth at the rear of the dining room, the high walls between their table and the others draped with pots of overflowing greenery. More baskets hung from the ceiling, some of them containing flowers that were blooming. It leant both a sense of privacy to their surroundings and a splash of color. There was the subtle hint of exotic scent coloring the air. It was, Janika decided, a rather intimate setting.

This was the first time she'd stepped foot in The Hanging Gardens and she could see where it had gotten its name. She thought the tile on the ceiling was painted a soft shade of green, but it was hard to tell with the different hanging baskets of flowering and green plants. The lighting was subdued, giving the air a heavy, close feeling. She thought it replicated the interior of a jungle rather well. The tables were covered with white linen cloths, gleaming silverware, delicate bone china and sparkling crystal. Each table was decorated with a vase of exotic blooms.

Except their table. The vase on their table contained half a dozen blood red roses that had yet to fully open. The open spaces between the roses were filled with tiny pink and white flowers. They were positively stunning. When she finally drew her attention back to Asher, he was smiling at her, the menu open in his hands. She flushed and moved to pick up the menu laid before her. "There is no need, cherie. Allow me to order."

Janika stared at him a moment or two, taking note of the faint plea in his eyes that begged her to allow him to do this. Nodding, she closed the menu and laid it back down. "Very well. I'll leave dinner up to your discretion," she smiled at him.

Their server arrived at that moment with the wine list, which he turned over to Asher without a word. Then he whipped out a small pad and a pencil. Asher glanced briefly at the menu, then looked over the wine list. "For an appetizer, please bring the spinach and asparagus stuffed mushroom caps. For the main course, the ginger glazed salmon. Pair that with the spinach salad and baked herbed potatoes. For the wine, a bottle of Schug Pinot Noir."

"Very good, sir," the waiter nodded, then hurried off to put the order in. Janika regarded him for a time, uncertain as to whether or not she really knew him. Granted, most of their time together had been spent either in bed or simply sitting in silence, Asher holding her close as if he couldn't believe she were there. This was the first time that she could remember the two of them doing anything that involved actual food.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked her, cocking his head slightly to one side. Janika smiled.

"I wasn't aware you were so.... knowledgeable about such things," she told him softly. "We haven't really ever discussed ourselves beyond the basics. This whole evening comes as something of a surprise."

"There is little about me that you do not already know. The reporters have made a habit of printing what they could of me in their papers. Surely you have not missed such things?" he asked, his lips quirked in a slight smile.

"No. But those articles usually mention things like clothing, the woman on your arm or your ability to avoid the camera. You have to admit, they're shallow bits of reporting done by shallow people who want to reel in similar individuals with their trash," she told him quietly. The smile slipped away, a considering expression filling his eyes. This was somewhere they hadn't really gone, either.

"A very astute observation, my dear. Where did you find such a cynical outlook? You are far too young to be so poisoned against the rest of the world." There was something, some kind of understanding in this voice, that told her he knew well where such a frame of mind came from.

"It was the last gift my parents gave to me before I left home," she told him quietly. Before he could say anything, the waiter returned with the wine and her salad. She picked up a fork and took a bite, finding she enjoyed the way the flavors of the spinach, the mandarin oranges and almonds complimented the poppy seed dressing. She made a noise of appreciation before taking another bite. Again, the waiter returned, this time with the bottle of wine Asher had ordered. He poured the dark liquid into her glass for her before stashing the bottle in an ice bucket and then disappearing.

"Did your parents give you any gifts that you could use?" he asked pleasantly. Janika blinked at him a moment before nodding.

"Actually, they did. They taught me to hunt and stake vampires the old fashioned way."

"You hunt vampires?" he asked her, his tone carefully neutral to hide anything he might have been feeling. Janika smiled at him and shook her head.

"No. My family does. I know how. They started training me to do it from the time I could walk and hold a stake at the same time. But I decided that it wasn't what I wanted to do. Papa disowned me and pretty much threw me out of the house," she told him, shrugging one shoulder as she forked up another bite of her salad. She chewed it thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing. "I ended up here with a distant relative. I really haven't spoken to my family since."

She looked up to find him studying her intently, a shuttered expression on his face. She knew he was trying to absorb what she'd just told him, trying to figure out exactly what it meant to him. Eventually, his face cleared and he smiled at her again. "You chose to ignore the family business?"

"I've been on a few hunts with them. Helped stake a couple of vampires, actually. Back when I was very young and naïve. But I saw what we were doing. Papa had always claimed that vampires were creatures without souls. That they had no thoughts or emotions. He told me and my brothers that vampires were consummate liars and would only seek to gain our trust so they could take our blood," she explained, recalling vividly the speeches her father had made about the undead. "I dared to question him about his beliefs after witnessing the slaughter of a family. The vampire in question was young, barely a century old. His wife was human and their baby.... It was healthy, not a revenant. But Papa, my brothers, they didn't care."

Janika had already set her fork down, some of her appetite slipping away with the flood of memory. To this day, she hadn't been able to get that woman's desperate cries out of her head. His hand was a gentle weight on her own and there was understanding in his eyes when she looked up at him."You were unable to stop them from killing the family?"

She nodded, not quite trusting her voice. His fingers tightened a brief moment before withdrawing. He sat across from her, silent, simply waiting for her to continue. She was sure he could sense that there was more to come. Maybe she gave off that vibe. Maybe it was something in her face. Maybe it was something else entirely. After several long minutes had ticked by, she sipped at her wine before pushing on. "Papa wouldn't listen to me when I told him he was wrong. The vampire could have hurt all of us. He didn't. He wanted to protect his family and he couldn't. I can still hear the screams sometimes."

The waiter came then and cleared away her salad plate. She was silent as he did so, watching him walk away before continuing. "When we got home, I told Papa that I wouldn't do it anymore. That I couldn't. He laughed it off and told me that I was thinking like a girl, not like a hunter. The truth is, I was a girl. And I simply couldn't figure out why they would have killed that family as if it didn't matter. The argument was bad. We shouted for over an hour. In the end, I told Papa that I wasn't going to do it anymore. He told me to get the hell out. I've never gone back."

"Do you miss your family?" Asher asked her quietly. Janika thought about it for several long moments before shaking her head in the negative. She knew it was the truth, knew that her Sue had told her so, just like she'd told her everything about the past that she'd needed in order to answer his questions.

"I'm much happier here. With you," she replied quietly. She meant every word of it. There was no where she'd rather be than with Asher. The waiter arrived again, this time settling a dinner plate before her. She lifted her fork to dig in. After bringing a bite to her mouth and taking a few seconds to savor the lovely flavor of the salmon, she studied him. "Doesn't it bother you to sit there and watch me eat?"

"I find it an enjoyable experience. I like your company, cherie, and seeing you pleased pleases me," he explained, his mouth tilting up in a smile. She returned it, spearing a potato for tasting. "If you have room when you have finished, I am told there is a lovely dessert here that consists of angel food cake, fresh berries and a bowl of melted milk chocolate."

"Oh, that sounds lovely," Janika smiled.

As it turned out, it was a lovely dessert. The chocolate was served over a small heater to keep it liquid and she alternated between dipping the berries and the cake. Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and even cherries came in their own bowl. The angel food cake was alone on the plate and there was even a small bowl of fresh whipped cream. By the time she'd eaten her fill, Janika was almost sleepy with the wonderful meal and company. She noticed that Asher merely signed his name to the piece of paper they brought and she wondered if he had some kind of account at the restaurant. But those thoughts were quickly shoved aside as he helped her to her feet and escorted her across the dining room to the door.

Camera flashes went off again, and voices almost shouted questions at them. The large bouncer walked them down to the waiting limo, keeping the nosy reporters a comfortable distance from the couple. Their driver was there to open the door for them and Asher handed her into the back of the car with casual grace, as if there weren't a troupe of screaming reporters standing behind them. The light and noise was cut off as he climbed in beside her, the door shutting after him. The car was in motion only a few short moments later, the two of them ensconced silence that spoke volumes.

When the car stopped the next time, they were pulled up before the theater. Again, there was a large crowd of reporters there and Janika could swear she recognized some of them from the restaurant. There was no big bouncer type person to walk them from the car to the door. The reporters seemed to be pressing in on them. Janika inched closer to Asher, content with the power that she could feel clinging to him. She knew that none of the reporters would dare touch her with him at her side. Even so, she was thankful to step inside the theater and away from the circus outside.

The show was the latest rage from New York, a Broadway play with the original cast. They had a box to themselves. They were to the left of the stage, just far enough back that they could see everything without having to turn their heads. The boxes on either side were closed off with a wall so that it felt as if they were alone. They sat nearly shoulder to shoulder. Janika was so caught up in the show that she didn't notice it when Asher wrapped one arm around her shoulders and drew her even closer to him than she was. Neither one of them spoke during the performance, only talking when the intermission came. Then they slipped back to silence and she was lost in the magic of the show once again.

~*~*~*~*~

The exiting crowd was thick with people and it was hard for him to stay hidden and still watch them as they poured from the theater. Not that he thought they would see him anyway. People like him were invisible to everyone else. They'd rather look at a burnt out building or a deadly car accident than see someone like him. Such a thing had its advantages. Like now, when he was trying to find them. The demon and his whore. He was one of God's chosen soldiers. The man had told him so. It said so in the pamphlet he'd been given when he'd been handed that free meal.

All he had to do was find the demon. And his whore.

He puzzled at this. He wasn't entirely certain that there were any such things as demons. But the man had been insistent. He'd said you'd know a demon because it would draw everyone's attention to it. It would appear to be as beautiful as an angel. But those were demonic tricks, the Devil trying to steal souls from the unsuspecting. He was one of the righteous. He would be able to tell the demon. The man had told him so. The man had so much confidence in him, he was sure that he wouldn't fail.

He thought he'd seen them earlier. The man had told him that the demons liked fancy things. Like cars. Fine clothes. Pretty women. Nothing but the best for the demons. And he'd seen that big, fancy car show up. But he'd been doing his best trying not to piss on his shoes, so he'd missed the people who'd gotten out of the thing. Still, based on what the man had told him, that seemed like the kind of car that a demon would like. So he'd hung around and waited to see if a demon came out of the building. And his whore.

The man had been pretty specific about that. He'd said that most of the demons wouldn't go anywhere without some kind of whore on their arms. And he'd also said that the demons weren't all male. Some were female. Some of the whores were men. He was still puzzled about that. He'd always thought whores were women. Men couldn't be whores. Sex with whomever they wanted was their God given right. But the man had made a point of saying that there were male and female whores to escort the demons. He'd also made a point of saying that the demons could only come out at night. He'd never see one in the golden light of God's glory.

He glanced at the newspaper in his hand, read the ad over once more. The pamphlet the man had given him the other day was crammed into one of his many pockets. Both said that he should call the number in the ad if he saw a demon and a whore. Especially if he saw the whore. Hand in his pocket, he fingered the shiny coins hidden there. The man had given him those, too. To call and report on the demons and whores he saw.

The crowds were starting to thin, making it easier for him to see who was coming out the doors. The big car was pulled up to the curb, telling him he hadn't missed the people who'd arrived in it. He stepped closer to the corner of the building he was hiding behind. Almost as if they knew he was watching and waiting, the doors parted to allow a tall blonde out into the night. A petite redhead was on his arm and all activity came to a stop for a brief moment of time. Then the people around the pair burst into action and sound, each one speaking over the other. Lights flashed as cameras took pictures.

Could a regular camera take pictures of demons? Would it show them as they appeared to people or as they really looked? Or would the film never develop the image? If the person taking pictures was using one of those snazzy new digital cameras, what kind of images would that capture?

He hurried for a phone. He'd been right. The shiny car had come carrying a demon and his whore. Everyone outside the building had stopped moving to look at them. That was proof enough for him. Never mind he'd seen a glimpse of the demon's profile and that had made him certain that the golden haired man was a demon. His fingers were feverish against the coins in his pocket as he fished them out. The man would want to hear about this. This is what the man had come to him for in the first place.

The coins chimed like heavenly bells as he dropped them into the pay phone. Then he was punching in the buttons that corresponded to the numbers listed in the ad. The man would want to hear about this.

~*~*~*~*~

There was so much energy in the air. It danced across her awareness in rippling waves, prickling her skin like thousands of angry ants. Too many bodies pressed together, too many anxious faces staring. At her. Rhiannon inched closer to Richard's side, her hand curled loosely around the arm of his throne.

It had been his idea to actually introduce her to the pack. Many of them hadn't met her yet and, now that he was able to function again, he'd felt it was time to rectify that. So he'd called a meeting of the pack and it looked as if everyone had shown up. It also looked like there were far more wolves here than there had been in Verne's pack. She was nervous and she was sure they all knew it.

Rhiannon stood on his right hand side, with Jamil, Shang-Da and Sylvie spread out behind them. The left hand side of the throne stood empty, obviously the place where Anita would have stood had she been there. The rest of the pack stared up at them. She could see curiosity in some of the faces while others were masks of displeasure. This wasn't going to be easy and she was sure she'd have to fight to earn her place, even though Richard had already given it to her simply by positioning her where he had. Andy, now fully healed and healthy, stood close to the front. He was waiting to find out why they'd been called together. They were all waiting.

"I know you're all wondering why I've called you together," Richard began, his voice deep and resonant. It carried easily over the gathered group of people. Rhiannon watched as they all went still and handed him every last ounce of their attention. "As most of you know, the past week or so has been hard for the pack. We lost our Lupa. Anita was a good friend to the pack. She was willing to stand up for all of us, even those of us who treated her as something less than what she was."

There was a hint of admonishment in his tone as he spoke. When he fell silent, it was to give the gathered pack a chance to consider his words and to understand that he'd known just how some of them had viewed her. Silence hung thick over the crowd, though several of the bodies shifted nervously. Point driven home, Richard continued.

"You all knew what Anita meant to me and you all knew what kind of troubles she and I had. I never made any secret about that. I'm sure this is why some of you felt she was unworthy of her position. No matter what anyone thought of her, she was good for the pack. She was willing to risk her life for you all. There won't be another Lupa like her. And now, even with her gone, she's provided for us once again."

The tension spiked in the air, curling tightly around Rhiannon's shoulders as if it were a cloak. Richard stood, his hand taking hers to pull her forward with him when he stepped away from the throne. All eyes moved to her, settled on her as if she were a tasty morsel they all wanted to taste. Perhaps they thought she was. She tried hard to remain calm. The last thing she needed to do was show fear before a pack of predatory animals. It didn't matter that they were human right now. The wolf in them was strong and it would take control if it sensed a meal to be had.

"I present to you Rhiannon Fitzpatrick. She's come to us from Marianne to be our vargamor," Richard told them quietly, his voice ringing with authority. A hushed whisper rippled through the pack for a few moments before dying off. The energy touching her skin was stronger, more intense as the pack's interest and excitement grew.

Underneath it all, though, was a faint sense of disbelief. She imagined that this came from some of those who had been against Anita being part of the pack. Since Richard had endorsed Anita and was now endorsing Rhiannon, she suspected that there were those among the gathered crowd who felt that Richard had no place recommending another human to be part of the pack. Some of them had never accepted Anita and they weren't really going to accept Rhiannon. Perhaps it was time to show them exactly why she was here.

"I think that it might be time for a show of power," she told Richard, turning to offer him a faint smile. He gave her a puzzled look. It cleared the moment she flicked her gaze toward the gathered pack. With a nod at her, he moved back to take his place upon the throne again. He was silently agreeing to what she planned on doing, as well as a visual cue to his people that he had placed his faith in her.

Rhiannon closed her eyes and searched for grounding. She could feel the pulse of the earth, a low and steady beat that was nearly hidden by the wild energy of the pack. Concentrating on the deep, thumping heartbeat beneath her feet, she slowly and steadily pushed out all outside noise until it was just her and the earth. The fresh smell of nature filled her nose, enveloping her with a comforting embrace and a sense of familiarity that told her she was home. Out here, in the middle of the forest, at the pack's sacred ground, she was one with the trees and ground. Her heart beat in time with the earth's and she sank down into the natural magic that filled the very air she breathed.

Cool tendrils of power stroked over her, a soothing change after the hectic energy of the pack. She could feel both life and death in the magic that poured into her, could feel every living thing as if it were a part of her. For this moment, it was. For this moment, she was connected to everything. This was where she felt at home, where she felt she belonged.

Once she was fully part of the world and its thick pulse of energy, she slowly opened herself until she could feel the warm wildness of the wolves that still lived in this place, even though they had long since passed. Wind passed through her, poured into her until she was full of the untamed energy that was distinctly wolf. It boiled gently inside of her, begging for a way out. It wanted to run free and fast, like the wolves that surrounded her. She could feel that part of them, buried under the façade of humanity, struggling to break free in answer to the magic that flowed inside of her.

Before Rhiannon could answer the silent call of their beasts, memory started to swirl within her. Images surfaced in the whirlpool, only to be sucked back down into the depths of a new energy that filled her. Her skin prickled and stretched until she felt she would explode. Images of fights in the very spot everyone was standing filled her, faces of people she knew names for, even though she'd never met them before. Those things slid through her mind and demanded that she acknowledge them.

She did the only thing she could. She let them go.

Eyes flying open, Rhiannon could see tracers of magic skittering through the air. The ghostly, silver ribbons of light slipped between the close bodies, caressing each one as if it remembered them all. Knew them all. Shouts broke the silence, the pack moving as bodies fell to the ground. People moved to the outer edges of the clearing, leaving six figures writhing on the forest floor. Everyone watched, surprised, as the half dozen figures pulled at their clothing, their faces twisting with what looked like agony.

Fur sprouted on each of them. Their mouths expanded, forming muzzled filled with long, sharp fangs. Muscle and bone moved, shifted and reformed as the six humans became six wolves. Clear fluid covered the ground beneath them and glimmered in the light of the crescent moon. The wolves stared up at her, their eyes glinting in the pale light. Then they lifted their heads as one and let out a long howl. Several human throats answered.

The energy and magic drained from her, leaving Rhiannon feeling weak. Richard's hand was there to support her before she sagged to the ground. The half dozen wolves trotted forward to greet her, their noses snuffling at the skin of her palms. She ran tentative hands over their heads before they stalked away to sit at the front of the crowd, once more standing in the large open space before the throne. She looked out at their faces, seeing in them all a respect she didn't fully understand.

Her gaze sought out Andy and found him standing near one of the wolves. Close by was Jason. He had a faint smile on his face. This was something she'd never done before and she was at a loss to explain how it had happened. It finally hit her just what had happened. She'd channeled the munin. What she'd felt and seen had been memories of pack members who'd come and gone before Anita. Shit. Anita had held the munin last.

Had she been given the munin by Anita upon the other woman's death? She knew that Minette and Aedan had both been given some of Anita's abilities. And it appeared that Isis had, as well, if that encounter with Damian had been any indication. Had the abilities been spread out among the five of them? Or had something else happened. This was something she needed to discuss with the others. Would that be possible? Would they ever be alone long enough to talk without fear of being overheard?

Damn it! She didn't need this now. Not when things were still too confused and shaky. What little she'd overheard hadn't really sounded promising to her. Aedan and Minette were under constant supervision on Jean Claude's orders. And even though she'd read the books, she didn't think she was as up on the universe as the two of them were. Maybe that's why they'd gotten the abilities they had. Why she and the other two had less intensive roles in the universe. Then again, that could change as easily as a flower blossoming.

There was conversation going on around her, but she paid it no mind. She had to figure out a way to talk to the others. This universe, more than any of the others, was a matter of life and death. That wasn't to say that there hadn't been danger in the other universes she'd fallen into. It just hadn't seemed quite as blatant with the dangerous situations as this one did. People died in this universe constantly. Vampires and werewolves were as common place as humans. It was just... more dangerous here. That was all there was to it. And the two people she knew she could count on to help all of them get through it alive might as well have been under lock and key in Siberia for all the chance she stood of getting them alone.

There had to be something, some way, to make sure that they all came out of this alive. Maybe, since they seemed to be inheriting Anita's powers, that would be enough. She'd survived more than her fair share of assassination attempts. Not that Rhiannon thought it was impossible for any of them to die here. The odds were probably more in favor of that than of their coming out alive. She needed to find a way to ensure that they all went home. Something told her, if they were to die here, they wouldn't make it home.

That thought scared the living shit out of her.

She was going to have to talk to the others. Perhaps they could find some way to protect themselves and ensure that they would go home when their work here was finished. Aedan seemed far more comfortable with the gun than she should have been. She'd already admitted that she'd never handled one before now. Maybe that had come from Anita. That was entirely possible. If Aedan had Anita's reflexes where the weapon was concerned....

That was it! That was the excuse that Rhiannon could use to get all five of them together. Even though Minette and Isis were both lycanthropes, they couldn't always count on that strength or speed to help them. And, despite their gifts, Rhiannon knew she and Aedan were still human. So was Janika, for that matter. They all needed an edge. Learning how to fire a gun might just give them one. It wasn't exactly a stellar plan, but it would have to do.

All she had to do was figure out how to arrange it.