The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death

[ladydeathfaerie]

Title: The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death
Chapter Seventy Six: Family is Forever
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.

Author's Notes: so much plot. we're drowning in it. all the damn plot. some of it not even planned!

The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death - Index Link

The night around them was nearly silent, only the occasional call of some nocturnal creature to break up the peace and tranquility. A gentle breeze moved through the trees, teasing them with a touch of the coming winter. There was a coolness to it that said cold weather was on its way, necessitating the need for sleeves once the sun set. Long grass rustled in the breeze, a faint noise that barely registered. It was a lovely night, with a thin cover of clouds over a thumbnail of moon.

Janika stood in the circle of Asher's arms, watching as her mother and Rhia spoke softly to one another in the center of the clearing. Nathaniel had planted torches, five total, in a circle around the clearing. Then he'd lit each one in sequence, walking back and forth between them to pace out the lines of a star inside of the circle. A pentacle. She wasn't sure what a pentacle had to do with whatever her mother needed to do to restore her magic, but she figured she'd just go with it. She was sure she'd find out eventually.

She'd given a lot of consideration to whether or not she wanted her mother to remove the binding spell she'd cast all those years ago. Part of her had said to just let it go. She'd survived for all these years without magic. There was no reason she needed to burden herself with it now. She was sure it wouldn't change who she was. So what was the point? But at the same time, another part of her wondered just what it was like to be complete. Because the truth of the matter was, she wasn't whole. And she'd known, her entire life, that something was missing from it. It was just a shock to learn it wasn't something like children or pets but an actual part of her. Now she was on the cusp of getting that back and she wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about it.

Asher's arms around her offered her peace and solace from the whirl of thoughts in her brain. She still wasn't sure she was doing the right thing. She didn't think she'd ever be sure. But the knowledge that he was there for her, that he supported her, went a long way toward making her feel as if maybe there was no right or wrong answer to the question. Janika tipped her head up and to the side to give him a look meant to convey everything she felt. His hold tightened briefly before letting up again, then his head nodded and she turned to find that her mother was skirting the circle as she made her way toward them. Rhia and Nathaniel weren't far behind.

Butterflies fluttered nervously in Janika's belly.

Beata stopped before her daughter and stared intently at Janika's face. She offered her daughter a gentle smile meant to reassure, then reached out a hand to cradle Janika's cheek in her palm. "You worry for no reason, Janika. I've taken every precaution." Her free hand motioned to the area behind her, the torches flickering in the gentle breeze. Soft yellow light played over the clearing. "A circle for protection. Once we step inside, Rhiannon will raise the walls. Her magic is strong and she is well versed in setting a circle."

That explained the pentacle. It would accept Rhia's magic all the easier since it was a symbol of her faith. It also explained why Rhia was here. And Nathaniel. It seemed lately these days that where Rhia went, Nathaniel was there. As if he was playing guard to her. Janika had seen him watching her carefully a time or two when Rhia's attention had been turned elsewhere. She'd found it curious, but she'd never asked him about it. She was sure he had his reasons.

"The cat is here to guard the outside of the circle. As is Asher," Beata added, her gaze shifting from the spot where Nathaniel stood whispering in Rhia's ear to Asher where he stood behind Janika. Neither she nor Asher decided to let her mother know that Nathaniel wasn't the strongest member of the pard. If he wanted her to know that, he could tell her. And Janika had faith that Asher would be able to protect her. He was a powerful master vampire, after all. "Once the binding spell is stripped away, your magic is going to call to anything close at hand. Human or animal, it will make no difference."

Janika nodded her head. She understood the words for the warning they were meant to be. There were people out there who hunted her kind. And there were apparently vampires who found the taste of Fae blood too tempting to resist. She wondered, yet again, if Asher had ever tasted the Fae magic in her blood. If he had, he'd never given any indication that he'd done so. "When you are ready, daughter, we will start. But take a few moments to prepare yourself. The magic will not come slowly, as water trickling into a cup. It will slam into you and drag you under, as a wave in the ocean crashing over your head. You must remain steady in the face of the storm or it will never allow you to control it."

"Is unbinding her magic going to hurt Janika?" Asher asked, a touch of concern in his voice.

"Not as you think it will," Beata explained. "It has been held in check for much of Janika's life by the binding. It has been denied its right to do as it would. The Fae are capable of mastering their magic with little trouble. But those of us who are both Fae and human have to learn to control the wild magic. And Janika has not had the chance to learn to do so. It will try to control her. She cannot let it."

"Will I have problems learning how to use it?" Janika asked, a faint frown pulling her mouth down at the corners.

"You will have to learn how to listen to it. Fae magic is wild and natural. Witches like Rhiannon are descended from our people. But it will always be at your fingertips, ready to be put to use as you will it. Show it you are its master and it will do what you need of it with no trouble." Beata offered her a soft smile. "You worry over nothing, daughter. I will be here to show you how to harness your magic and to use it to your best advantage."

Asher's hand touched Janika's shoulder, prompting her to lift her head up and stare at him over her shoulder. There was a tender look in his eyes. "You do not have to do this if you do not wish to. I love you for who you are. Magic will not change that one bit," he assured her.

"Thank you, Asher. But I want to do this. For me. I've felt for the longest time that there's some part of me missing. I used to believe that it was not having my family around me. Now, though... I think this is what my heart was trying to tell me," she told him, offering him a smile. "I'm not worried about you not loving me."

His smiled widened, then he turned her so that he could lean down and press a kiss to her lips. It was a gentle thing, but it told her that there would be more kisses later. And more other things later. She stared up into his beautiful pale blue eyes and let him see how much she loved him with her own stare. Then she pulled away and turned to face her mother. "I'm ready. Let's do this."

"As you wish," Beata nodded and motioned toward the circle of torches. "Stand in the center, in the middle of the star. I shall join you in a moment."

Janika watched her mother make her way to where Rhia and Nathaniel stood, once more skirting the outer edge of the circle. No doubt to deliver some last minute instructions. Janika gave Asher a hungry look, then crossed the clearing until she stood at the edge of Nathaniel's curving path.

Despite the fact that Rhia hadn't cast the circle and brought the walls up, Janika could feel a touch of magic where Nathaniel had put his feet. She offered a silent prayer to whatever deity was watching over them this evening, then let instinct guide her as she stepped over the ring and into the circle proper. She knew when she stood in the very center, could feel it in her bones. Felt the weight there settle around her like a cloak. She stopped and turned to look at Asher.

"Very good. We're ready to begin," Beata announced and stepped into the circle. Janika felt it shimmer, as if someone had plucked a harp string and it vibrated without sound. Then Rhia was moving, face bright and shining as she channeled her magic up from the ground to her hands. She spoke softly, words that Janika couldn't make sense of, her fingers tracing runes in the air. Each time she completed one, the magic grew. Sharpened. Deepened. Janika could feel it shifting around her legs as it climbed higher and higher.

Rhia traced five runes in total, one at each point of the pentacle that Nathaniel had mapped out with his steps. As she finished forming the last one, her power snapped into place and the walls rose up around Janika and her mother. Standing in the middle of the circle, Janika could feel the power pressing against her skin. It was a gentle press, like a butterfly's wings brushing across her bared flesh. Soft and tender, almost not there.

When the circle was complete and in place, Rhia stepped back beside Asher. Nathaniel joined them and the three watched Janika and her mother from the other side of hazy, barely there walls of glimmering magic.

"Close your eyes, daughter," Beata said, voice lilting in a way Janika had never heard before. It was almost musical and vibrant, notes sparkling across her brain before disappearing in a shower of glitter.

Janika did as she was bade, letting Asher be the last thing she looked upon before closing her eyes and shutting out everything that lived outside the circle of Rhia's power. Her mother's fingers touched her forehead, two tips pressed to the spot just above and directly between her eyes. There was an incredible warmth in them that she'd never felt coming from her mother's flesh before. It made Janika wonder just how much of her true self her mother had been hiding.

The words, when they came, sounded like her home tongue. But they didn't. It took a moment or two to realize that her mother was speaking an ancient form of Hungarian, something Janika barely knew or understood. The words sounded, to her untrained ears, steady and even. Crisp and perfect and clear. As if her mother spoke them every day of her life. It didn't make any sense and, for a second or two, Janika was allowed the opportunity to consider that perhaps her mother was so much more than she have ever let anyone know.

That thought, and the rest that lingered in Janika's head, were gone a moment later when the heat against her forehead intensified. It almost felt as if it was searing her flesh, into her brain and right into her soul. Light flared across her closed eyes, bright and blinding even through the thin layer of skin. And silvery. It slipped into her through her pores and filled her up like it would a room, until there were no shadows inside of her. No place for shadows to hide.

That light shone on a spot in her mind she'd never encountered before, a plot of green grass with a single plant residing in the center of it. She could see a bud sitting atop the plant, a tiny flower waiting to blossom. That silvery light made it quiver and quake, as if in anticipation.

Her mother was speaking again, still in that same ancient tongue. This time, though, Janika could understand them. It was an incantation, a spell that sounded older than time. Each word spoken sent a rush of heat and light and magic through her. Filled her until she felt like she was overflowing with magic. Her mother's magic. It came slowly at first, as if testing the pathways of her mind or as if looking for something. And then there was a barrier, made up of the thickest thorny vines, that barely moved when her mother's magic slammed up against it. The heat increased. The weight of her mother's magic increased. The light increased. Until Janika could feel her muscles clench down, her limbs shake, from the onslaught of magic.

It felt like she was being torn apart. She didn't know what she'd imagined would happen, but it hadn't been anything like this, and she was sure she wasn't going to be able to withstand the unbinding. She was ready to tell her mother to stop, that she couldn't bear it any longer, when a golden light bobbed to life within the silver. It felt cold. Dead. Asher. He was there with her, lending her his strength through the connection created by his marks. The trembling eased. The pain subsided just a bit. The heat became tolerable. And still her mother battled the tall, thorny thicket.

It felt as if an age passed in which her mother's magic battered at the barrier it had put up all those years ago. An age in which she was cradled in so much magic that her nerves felt like they were raw and would never recover. An age in which she wavered between wanting to stop and wanting to continue. And, finally, her mother said a word that resonated with power. Pushed her magic against the briar and bramble.

...And pushed through.

Her mother's magic and light faded away. Asher's light faded away. Because Janika was suddenly filled with her own light, as silvery as her mother's had been, but with the faintest tinge of blue at the edges to mark it as her own. It ran into her the way she'd seen flood waters rush into a stream, taking everything in its path as it rushed away. Janika threw her head back, screamed a silent scream that would have shredded her throat raw if there'd been sound to it. Her arms spread wide as the magic flooded her. And, in her mind, she watched that bud open and blossom. It exploded into a fully formed flower in the blink of an eye, a single rose bud of silver-blue with a thick stem covered in deadly thorns.

When the light cleared from her vision, when the pain of it tearing into her subsided, she found herself on her hands and knees within the circle. Her mother stood as far from her as possible without crossing the barrier, and there was silence all around. Janika lifted her head and stared, unable to comprehend what she was seeing.

The world had changed in the few minutes it had taken for her mother to break the binding. In the few moments it had taken for her magic to fill her to the brim. The grass beneath her hands felt velvety soft and, even in the dark, she could see the deep green of the blades. She could literally see the lines of the pentacle, glowing golden-green with Rhia's power. The walls surrounding them were the same color, though Janika could see hints of brown and red running through them. She found that curious, but there was no time to dwell upon it because her mother was there to stand before her, staring at her intently. "Are you well, daughter?" she asked, her voice tinkling musically again. And Janika realized that this was what her mother had always sounded like. That she'd simply been hiding it from the real world with a glamour.

"By the gods, you're so beautiful," she whispered, seeing her mother as she was for the very first time. Her mother practically glowed with her magic, with that silvery light that had just recently filled Janika past painful. Long hair of golden red curled slightly around along, almost alien face of pale flesh. Her eyes were glittering gems of green that caught light and held it. Gone was the short woman who wore her age upon her like a cloak. Standing before her was a woman who was taller. Thinner. Mythical. And she realized that her mother was pure Fae.

Her mother smiled indulgently. "I will take that as an affirmative answer. What do you feel, child?"

Janika considered that a moment before smiling. "You. The earth beneath my feet. The magic riding the air. My magic. Rhia's magic... Everything."

"The sensation is overwhelming until you learn to mute it. Try not to let it take hold of you," her mother said, a soft warning given with an indulgent smile. Then her gaze flicked toward the edge of the circle and her smile grew. "Look. Your magic called to them."

Janika turned to find that a trio of deer stood outside the circle, as did a pair of raccoons and several night birds. She was startled to find that their colors stood out a little more vividly than they used to. And the trees beyond... They seemed sharper. More in focus. As if she'd spent years with a vision problem that had just suddenly been sharpened with the aid or glasses or surgery. Everything seemed to be sharper. She wondered if that was the case with Asher and her friends, and she swung her gaze their way.

She could see the energy surrounding them. All three of them. Nathaniel's energy was chaotic and frenzied, a blend of lavender and black that she found curious until she realized it must be his dual nature bringing forth two colors like that. Rhia stood next to him, and she damn near glowed. Her power haloed around her, shades of grass green and sunlight gold that spiked with runners here and there. But if she looked close, Janika could see that there were smudges of the same brown and red that she'd seen in the circle Rhia had cast. It was intriguing and she wondered, very briefly, what it meant. Then her gaze was turning to Asher and her breath caught in her throat.

He'd been so beautiful before, but now his beauty was inhuman. Gold clung to him, the same shade as his hair, tiny traces of blue tinting it at the edges. Beneath the gold was a touch of black. And red. The black of death. The red of blood. She thought, if she hadn't been marked by him, she might have fallen under whatever spell he might cast upon her. His eyes, as they studied her across the distance, practically glowed with his power.

A noise distracted her and Janika turned to find that the animals were not the only ones to have joined them. Tension spiked through her, and she knew it was not her own, when she realized that there were a handful of vampires at the edge of the clearing. She could very easily feel their hunger, the thirst nearly choking them. She glanced at Asher to see that he was regarding them closely, but he gave off the appearance of being at ease. She felt Nathaniel's energy prickle along her spine, and Rhia's magic spiked, filled the walls of her circle to make them thicker. Stronger.

"You are not welcome here," Janika's mother said, voice ringing across the clearing with authority. And power. So much power. Janika couldn't understand why she'd never felt it before.

None of the vampires answered, their gazes still locked on Janika where she stood. She could feel their hunger beating at her, even through the cloud of magic surrounding her. She saw it a moment before the vampire at the lead blurred into motion, a twitch of his hand that gave his intent away. Then he was heading toward the circle. And Asher crashed into him with a speed that took Janika's breath away. There was a sound, like a whimper of pain, then the vampire's head was simply flying across the clearing while the rest of its body dropped bonelessly from Asher's hands.

"They are attracted to your power, mon ange. Try to reign it in," Asher's voice echoed softly in her head.

Janika nodded, not sure how to do what he'd asked. But she closed her eyes and concentrated, thinking of the thick wall of thorned barrier that her mother had put up around her power to keep it hidden. She imagined a new one, imagined it growing up around her in order to hide her magic from the world. She heard a snarl, wondered briefly if it was Asher or Nathaniel or one of the other vampires. Pushed it aside and continued growing the barrier to keep her magic in check. Soon enough, thorny bramble and briar grew up out of the darkness around her until it rose over her head. Leaves, thick and dark and glossy green, grew out of the stems until she was surrounded by a wall of thorny bushes. And then she opened her eyes.

Three of the vampires lay dead at Asher's feet, the rest still standing at the tree line. They were no longer staring at her with hunger burning in their eyes. They were watching Asher intently, unsure as to what he was going to do next, and it struck Janika that the vampires were all young and likely inexperienced. And they were starving. It was something she could feel as surely as she felt her heart beat in her chest. Did they have no master? No kiss? Were they alone in the world?

"Good work, daughter," Beata smiled at her, looking her over from head to toe. "I think you will find that you can control the magic with little trouble. You're a natural." Her gaze shifted to where Rhia stood. "You can drop the circle," she told the other woman.

Rhia looked between Janika and the other vampires skeptically. It was obvious she didn't want to put anyone at risk, that she worried about what would happen if she broke the circle. But Janika's mother sounded so sure of herself. And none of the other vampires had made a move toward them yet. Even Asher's tension seemed to have died out some. Janika gave a nod of her head, letting Rhia know it was okay. The witch bit her lip for a moment or two, then sighed and moved toward the circle with slow steps.

It was like a repeat of that night at the diner, when the zombies had attacked and Rhia had been bitten by one. She put her finger in the circle, at the point where she'd traced one of the runes, and the walls simply popped like a soap bubble. Sound rushed back to Janika's ears, the night birds calling to one another. Crickets chirping. The rustle of the wind through the trees. The growl that trickled up Nathaniel's throat. No one moved.

"Leave. Now." Asher ordered, power laced heavily into his voice. The vampires reacted to it, bodies stiffening a moment or two as they remained where they stood. Then, after several long moments, they began shuffling off into the shadows. He didn't move until he was sure they were gone, watching the shadows for a few minutes longer before he turned back to her. She watched as he regarded her a moment or two, face filled with speculation. Then his smile came, soft and sweet and rich as the best chocolate. He opened his arms to her and Janika went, ignoring the lines that Nathaniel had marked with his feet. They were of no use now that they'd served their purpose. Janika threw herself into Asher's hold, relishing the feel of his magic as is slid across her skin like a lover's caress. Everything felt different. More intense. Brighter, if that was a possible way to describe it.

"You were incredible," she whispered against his chest, arms wound around his body to hold him close to her tightly.

"And you, mon ange," he said, pulling back so he could stare down into her face. "You are incredible."

She flushed at the compliment, intent on denying it. But her mother spoke before she could do so, voice melodic and tinkling in the night air. How much of herself had she kept hidden away from the world? "Asher is correct. You shielded your magic and yourself from the vampires with little effort. You're a natural. I am so proud of you."

"Janika, you..." Rhia began, drifting closer to the three of them. There was a look of awe on her face, one that Janika didn't think she'd ever seen the woman wear before. "Your magic is so strong. I'm humbled to be in your presence. And your mother's. This is like nothing I've ever experienced before."

"Nonsense," Beata said, turning to Rhia. "You've yet to come into your full power, girl. But you will. You are the Cassandra, after all. And when Cassadore is turned to stone in his grave, you'll bear more power than even he could have imagined."

Rhia frowned at her. "How did you know? I haven't told anyone..."

"I said earlier you and witches like you were descended from my people. The first Cassandra was one of the Fae. This is why your visions are so strong and clear. That is a gift of the Fae, passed down from one member of the Cassandra's line to the next. Cassadore is not one of the Fae. He is a pretender and he has held the title of Oracle for too long. You will take up the position in his place, and you'll be the Oracle the world needs."

Rhia blinked at that. "I... don't know how to respond to that," she said softly. Janika watched as Beata moved to Rhia's side, hands out to cup the other woman's face. Her gaze stayed on Rhia's face a moment or two, then shifted to Nathaniel. When she brought it back to Rhia, it was soft.

"One day, Rhiannon, I will tell you the story of the first Cassandra. The true story. And I will tell you how the Fae gifted the world of man with a line of seers that kept their magic alive through the many centuries that followed. You, child, are from this long line of seers. Though the Fae blood has been thinned through all these many years, it still lives in you. In your visions. In the magic you use. Magic that will only grow in strength after Cassadore is removed from power. But today is not that day. Today is the day we celebrate the rebirth of my daughter."

Beata stepped back and let her eyes drift from one face to the next, until she ended up staring at Janika. "Come. Let us go feast. The night has been busy and the expenditure of such magic requires refueling. And celebration. I know of a place we can go."

~*~*~*~*~

He watched Aedan stare up at the large, square home, face set with a frown. No doubt this wasn't what she'd expected when he'd told her he'd found a temporary place for Tina until something permanent could be arranged. She was tense, nervous and anxious about the meeting. She felt she owed the child something because of their parentage. He wasn't sure she actually did. It wasn't her fault that her sire had tried to create a necromancer he could control. He heard the soft sound of footfalls from the other side of the door, then it was swinging wide and he watched as surprise registered on Aedan's face. Angel Cervantez was clad in sweat pants and a plain t-shirt, hair caught up in a sloppy pony tail and face free of make up. She smiled when she saw them, then reached out to give Jean Claude a hug. He returned it without hesitation. "Angel."

"Jean Claude. Its always a pleasure to have you visit." Then she turned to look at Aedan a moment before offering the woman her hand. Aedan stared briefly, gaze intent. She lifted her hand and put it in the other woman's. Angel surprised her by pulling her into a hug. "And its lovely to see you out of a business setting, Miss Kinkade. Or would you rather I called you Aedan?"

"Aedan is fine," his companion said, offering Angel a soft smile.

"Come in! Please. Don't mind me. I was just working on a jigsaw puzzle. I'm afraid my home life isn't very glamorous," she said and stepped back from the door. Jean Claude put his hand on Aedan's back to guide her forward, following behind her. The door closed once he'd stepped over the threshold and they found themselves standing in the entryway of Angel's home. The lawyer motioned with one hand toward a door on the left, which opened into a brightly lit room. When Aedan gave him a look, Jean Claude motioned to it with his head, silently telling her to move into the room.

It was a tastefully decorated living area, done in dark woods and deep blues. Plush pile carpeting covered the floor and thick curtains covered the windows. The furniture was covered with upholstery, a shade of blue lighter than the walls. Throw pillows in white and grey gave the room a comfortable look. a large, flat screen TV hung on one wall. It was on and tuned to a station that played cartoons. A large, low table occupied the center of the room, which was covered with the many pieces of a puzzle. Tina was focused on the TV, a glass of juice and a plate of snacks resting by one elbow. "Tina, look who came to visit us," Angel said softly.

The girl turned her head and looked at the newcomers dutifully, as if afraid Angel would be upset with her if she didn't. She didn't look happy and Jean Claude felt a pang of regret from Aedan before it was cut off. Tina barely managed a smile for Aedan. "You okay, Tina?" Aedan asked.

"Yeah. I guess." The girl shrugged her shoulders, her answer sounding as if she was uncertain as to the truth. Aedan frowned and moved to sit on the floor next to her.

"You guess? Is Angel being mean?" she asked, letting concern fill her voice.

"No. Angel's been real nice. She bought me a doll and a stuffed animal I can sleep with."

"You don't like it here?" Aedan questioned, making a show of letting her glance slide around the room.

"Its fine," Tina admitted.

"You miss your siblings?" The words came out softly, understanding in each one. Tina nodded, swallowing a lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat. Aedan shifted closer and slid an arm around her. "I know it has to be very hard. You've spent all of your life with them. And in that warehouse. This is all very new to you. But I promise you that no one is going to keep you from seeing them."

"Really?" Tina brought her face around so that she could stare at Aedan. Hope lit her eyes and took the worry from her face. It wasn't a promise Jean Claude thought Aedan should make, because there was no telling what would happen to all of Carter Solomon's children. But he said nothing, let the child have the assurance that Aedan's promise gave her.

"Really. After all, you're my sibling, too," Aedan said, reminding Tina of their relationship. "And I will make sure that no one takes your brothers and sisters from you." There was a hardness in Aedan's tone that let him know she would ensure that this sibling did not suffer the same fate she had as a child. "But we'll talk about that another night. I'm here tonight to visit you. To see how you've been getting on. And to ask you a question."

"What kind of question?" Tina frowned, one hand absently picking up a puzzle piece. She turned it in her fingers, then glanced at the puzzle to see if she could fit it anywhere.

"In a minute. Tell me what's been going on since you came here," Aedan insisted. She reached out and plucked up a puzzle piece of her own, then looked over what Tina and Angel had put together so far, to see if it would fit anywhere.

"Angel got me a tutor," Tina said. There were equal measures delight and disgust in her voice.

"You don't like learning?" Aedan asked.

"He always told me I was stupid," Tina confessed. "That I couldn't learn anything."

Aedan's temper spiked, but her words came out evenly when she spoke. "He was wrong. You are not stupid. He was saying that because he couldn't make you do what he wanted you to. He did the same thing to me when I was your age."

"Really?" Tina looked up, eyes wide with disbelief. Aedan simply nodded and tapped her puzzle piece into place along the edge. Jean Claude felt the need to kill Carter Solomon all over again. The more he learned about the man, the more he realized that he'd gotten an easy death.

"Really," Aedan confirmed.

"You tutor told me that you're very smart, Tina. Your classes are hard for you because you never had a proper teacher before. That's all," Angel informed the girl. Aedan glanced up at her and flashed a smile before turning back to Tina.

"What's your favorite subject?" she asked, reaching for another piece.

"Math. I'm really good with numbers," Tina said proudly.

"It was history for me," Aedan confessed. "Something about all those events... Just sucked me in."

"You're a nerd," Tina accused, but she was smiling as she said it.

"I'm a nerd with a pair of degrees and a badge," Aedan replied, pulling the afore mentioned badge from her pocket so that Tina could see it. Jean Claude watched the girl's fingers reach out to trace the raised parts. "This is because I worked hard in school. Because I studied and studied and studied. You can do anything you set your mind to, Tina. And, someday, you're going to be able to do what I do with ease. I'm going to make sure you learn how to use your powers the right way. I didn't have that growing up. Not until I was older than you are now."

"Did he try to make you use them?" Tina asked, voice a whisper.

Aedan glanced up at Jean Claude, her anger shining in her eyes. She reached out and curled her hand around Tina's. "No. He tried to make me stop using them. But I couldn't. They don't work that way. And he didn't understand that. He tried to make me be what he wanted me to be. It wasn't until someone who understood what it was I could do came along that I even understood it myself. And they told me I could do anything I wanted to. All I had to do was put my mind to it and work hard."

Tina stared a moment before her gaze flicked to Jean Claude and then to Angel. He wasn't sure if the girl was looking for something from them or simply checking to see if they were going to interfere. Her attention finally shifted back to Aedan. "Did you?"

"I did. I became someone not like him at all. I put him and what he tried to do behind me and moved forward to become someone else. You can do that, too, if that's what you want." The gentleness in Aedan's voice, the tenderness and the understanding, saw the girl at her side throwing her arms around her to hug her tightly. This was a side of her he'd never seen before, soft and sweet and caring. She let the girl cling until Tina was ready to pull away, hands stroking the girl's back and her hair gently. Jean Claude had never seen Aedan with a child before now, excepting the night she'd first met Tina, and it was eye opening. Here was a person before him that he'd never known existed. "Now. About my question."

Tina pulled back and looked up into Aedan's face, cheeks wet with her tears. Aedan reached up and wipe them away with tender fingers, giving the girl a smile that was so unlike the woman he'd known for the past few months. "What do you want to ask me?"

Aedan drew a breath, obviously trying to figure out how to ask what it was she'd come here to ask. Her glance went once more to Angel, stayed there for a moment or two, then returned to Tina. "I promised you that you could see your mom one last time. I wanted to know if it was something you were interested in. There was a small ceremony for her the other day and her remains were interred in a cemetery not far from here." Aedan's voice was careful and soft as she did her best to raise the subject without hurting Tina and more than she'd already been hurt. "If you want to see her again, and if its okay with Angel, I'd like to take you there so that we can raise her together. So you can talk to her and say your goodbyes."

It was a lot for a small child. Jean Claude saw her hesitance as she considered it.

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to, Tina. I won't force you to go. Only if you want and you're comfortable with it," Aedan added.

"We can do that? We can go see my mom?" Tina asked, voice small. The question wasn't for Aedan, though. It was directed at Angel. Jean Claude watched as Aedan turned to face the other woman, face soft with hope. Angel looked at him a moment, then back to Tina and Aedan.

"If you want, Tina. And I'll come with, if you want me to. I know this is very difficult and you don't know what the right answer is. There is no right answer. Only what's right for you," Angel said quietly.

Tina was silent for a long time, thinking it over. Finally, she lifted eyes that were filled with resolution toward Angel. "Yes. I want to do this. I want to see my mom."

"Alright, sweetheart. Let me get our shoes and coats and we'll go." Angel's gaze slid to Aedan. "If that's okay with you?"

"More than fine," Aedan confirmed.

~*~

Angel stood beside Jean Claude and watched as Aedan showed Tina how to map out a circle around the grave with the blood of the chicken Aedan had beheaded. The girl had been reluctant to touch the dead creature for a moment or two, then she'd gotten over it and followed Aedan's instructions to the letter. The last drop of blood fell and he felt the circle snap into place, a combination of Aedan and Tina's powers. If he concentrated, he could see the purple of her magic laying over the pale pink of the girl's. He and Angel stood on the outside of the circle and he could sense the other woman's nervousness.

"You have reservations about this?" he asked her softly as Aedan taught Tina the ritual words to summon her mother forth.

"I'm worried that it will scar Tina. She's already been through so much. This... This isn't fair, letting her see a mother who is already dead. What will this do to her?" There was worry and concern in Angel's voice, suggesting that she was more invested in the child than she was willing to let on. Jean Claude offered her a smile to help allay her worries.

"Aedan lost her mother as a baby. She never knew her. Carter Solomon killed her and took Aedan to live with his family. She never speaks of her mother, but I can feel longing in her sometimes. She wishes she'd had an opportunity to see her in something beyond a faded picture. If she knew where her mother was buried, I suspect she would have already visited her grave." He motioned with one hand to where his human servant stood side by side with her half-sister. "She is giving Tina something that she never had. She is a good judge of character and I believe, if Tina becomes too stressed by this, Aedan will put an end to it. You heard her earlier. She does not intend to abandon the girl now that she has found her."

"How do you feel about that?" Angel asked, gaze never leaving Tina.

"Anything that makes Aedan happy will make me happy," he replied easily. Angel glanced at him, eyes searching his face despite the fact that he knew there was nothing to see on it. Then she smiled and hummed under her breath, gaze shifting back to Tina. He decided he could ignore whatever her mysterious humming meant and motioned toward the two in the circle. "Watch. Their power is swelling. They are calling Tina's mother from the grave."

Aedan's voice rose up from the center of the circle, her back and shoulders straight. "Cherie Masters, I call you from your eternal rest. Rise, Cherie, and join us. Rise up."

There was a moment of silence as the power, their power, flooded the circle. Then the ground shook beneath their feet. In seconds, a woman stood before them, eyes empty of life but body perfectly formed. He heard Angel gasp next to him, could feel a touch of her wonder on the air. Then Aedan was feeding the zombie a taste of her blood and, suddenly, there was life in her brown eyes. "Welcome, Cherie," Aedan said softly.

"Momma!" Tina cried and threw herself at the woman's legs. Cherie blinked and glanced around, taking in her surroundings, before looking down at the child clinging to her.

"Tina? Is that you, sweetheart?" Cherie asked quietly, obviously in disbelief

"Its me, Momma. Its me," Tina said, voice thick with tears. She refused to let go of her mother's legs, even when Cherie tried to step back so she could squat down in front of her child. "I missed you so much!"

"I've missed you, too, sweetheart," Cherie said, then looked around again. "But I don't understand. What's going on here?"

"Miss Masters, my name is Aedan Kinkade. I'm a necromancer. Do you understand what that is?" Aedan asked quietly. The woman looked at her and frowned, head tipping to the side as she considered it. Then her eyes widened and took in her surroundings once again.

"Carter!" she exclaimed, a hint of fear in her voice.

"Carter Solomon can't hurt you any more, Miss Masters. I won't let him."

"I don't understand. How can you stop him from hurting me or Tina? No one can stop him."

"Carter's powers don't work on me, Cherie. And they don't work on Tina. Because she's like me," Aedan said. Jean Claude watched as the woman looked from Aedan to her daughter and back again. And he saw it when understanding dawned on her. Not just of Tina's own powers, but of the reasons why Solomon's powers wouldn't work on Aedan. "I am so sorry that I wasn't able to stop him before he did something horrible to you. And to so many others. I didn't know."

Cherie stared a moment, then her eyes lit up with recognition. "I know you. You were the one asking me all those questions. About what Carter did to me. And to the others."

"Yes, Cherie. That was me," Aedan nodded. She set a hand on Tina's shoulder. "I promised Tina that she could see you once more. That she could say goodbye. Solomon took that opportunity from you two. Its the very least I could do for you both. To apologize for not stopping it all sooner."

"Carter hid everything from everybody. I don't think even Ruth Ann knew about his indiscretions," Cherie said. There was softness in her voice, the kind of softness that a mother used with her child. Or someone else's. "How could you know what he was doing?"

Aedan didn't answer, but she did step back from the two of them. "I'll give you as long as you like to spend time with Tina. I wish it could be permanent, but I can't do that. My powers don't work that way. I'm going to break the circle and go stand over there. If either of you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

Jean Claude watched as Aedan scuffed her toe against the line made by the chicken's blood, smearing a drop out of place. The walls simply popped, gone away to leave traces of their magic lingering on the air. She crossed to where he stood beside Angel and allowed him to pull her into his embrace. She buried her face in his coat and he heard the distinct sound of her inhaling, drawing his scent deep into her lungs. "Are you okay, ma mie?" he asked her softly.

"No. But I will be. Eventually," she replied.

"This was for you as much as it was for Tina. Wasn't it?" Angel asked, voice barely loud enough to be heard. Aedan drew away so she could look at the other woman.

"I failed so many people by not dealing with Carter Solomon years ago. But I was a scared little girl when he sent me away. When he sent an assassin in to do his dirty work. It was only by some odd twist of fate that the man he paid to kill me knew exactly what I was and how to help. I have to make amends for what that man did. For all the lives he destroyed with his madness."

Angel reached out and laid a hand on Aedan's arm, a look of compassion on her face. "You are not responsible for what Carter Solomon did to other people. He was an adult. You were a child. It was his duty to protect you. He obviously didn't do that."

"Maybe so, but there are a lot of people dead or traumatized because of my relationship with that man. That's on me, no matter what anyone says," Aedan replied, then turned in Jean Claude's embrace so she could stare at Tina. The girl was wrapped tightly in her mother's arms, sitting in the woman's lap while she rocked her daughter one last time.

"What you did here... This is amazing. I've never seen anything like it. I was afraid that letting Tina see her mother would hurt her. But... I saw confidence in her that she hasn't shown since she came to me. I can see in her the adult she's going to become and its going to be someone wonderful. And powerful. And capable. And that's because you cared enough to show her what she could be." There was awe in Angel's voice. A touch of emotion that Jean Claude chose to ignore.

"You've never been to a zombie raising, Miss Cervantez?" Aedan asked quietly.

"Please. Call me Angel. And no. I have not. I've had no call." Angel's paused for a little bit as they watched Tina laugh at something her mother said. When she spoke again, her voice was lower. More emotional. "She looks like she's alive. I didn't think that such a thing was possible."

"A good animator can make the dead appear alive. A good necromancer can make it look like the dead never died. Tina's going to be able to do that one day, with the right training. Companies that specialize in this sort of thing are going to try to recruit her young. I'm counting on you to keep her away from that kind of thing until she's ready to be her own person," Aedan told the other woman.

"You act as if I'm going to have Tina in my home and my life for the foreseeable future," Angel returned.

"Aren't you?" Aedan asked. "I can see on your face that you already love her. She could do worse for a family. She could do worse for a mom."

"Why not you?" Angel questioned.

"Because, much as I want to, Tina needs something I can't give her. I can give her all the love and support and help she needs. But I can't give her stability. Not now. Maybe not ever. People want me dead, Angel. People who would use Tina to get to me if I brought her to live with me. People who have no problems killing anyone or anything that gets in their way. I can't expose her to that because I don't know that I would be able to protect her." There was pain and regret in Aedan's voice as she spoke, letting Jean Claude know she'd considered it. "The best I can do is be a mentor to her. A big sister. But its going to have to be controlled until I find the people who want me dead and kill them first."

Angel considered her words a moment, then shook her head. "Never a dull moment with you, is it?" she asked. There was a touch of her lawyer persona in her words. He felt Aedan tense a moment, then she relaxed and shook her head.

"Nope. Never a dull moment." It was the only reply Angel got before Aedan turned her attention back to the scene playing out before them. Cherie was currently singing to Tina, the girl held close to her as she did so. Aedan snuggled back into his embrace, allowing him to tighten his hold on her. He could feel the longing in her, the desire to hold someone the way Cherie held Tina. The desire to hold her child the way Cherie held Tina. It was one longing he couldn't fill and it filled him with regret that he couldn't. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of Aedan's head, and hoped like hell that she'd forgive him.

They stayed like that a long time, Aedan wrapped in his embrace and Angel watching the whole thing silently, until Tina was dozing in her mother's hold. And the tension that had been running through Aedan finally slid away. Cherie's eyes met Aedan's across the distance, filled with pain and grief and longing. Aedan drew a breath and he felt her square her shoulders. Then she pulled from his embrace and crossed to where Cherie sat with her daughter cradled in her arms. "Can't I stay? Just a little longer?" Cherie asked.

"I'm so sorry. I wish you could. But my magic won't last," Aedan told her gently. She reached out with one hand and settled it on Cherie's shoulder. "I suspect that Tina will want to come back from time to time to visit with you. Until she does, I'm going to have to put you back. If there was another way... I'm so sorry." Her words were thick with tears, the apology meant for more than putting Cherie back.

"She's lucky to have you for a big sister. Take care of her for me," Cherie said and glanced down at her daughter. "Make sure she knows that I love her more than anything."

"I love you, too, Momma," Tina said sleepily. The words brought tears to Cherie's eyes, and she let go of Tina as the girl struggled to sit up. She turned to look up at Aedan, face soft with sleep. "Its time, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so, Tina. You need to sleep. And so does your mom. I wish it could be different." Aedan's voice was soft and gentle. Cherie glanced down at her daughter and gave the child a watery smile before nudging her up and over to Aedan.

"Be a good girl, Tina. Don't forget that I love you and I am so proud of you," Cherie told the girl. Tina launched herself at her mother again, throwing herself into the woman's arm for a last hug. Tina's arms wound tightly around her mother's throat so that she could hug her close, body shaking with her tears. Aedan gave them a couple of minutes before she went over to take hold of the girl. She picked Tina up, despite the fact that the girl was nearly as big as her, and held her close while she brought an end to the visit.

"Find your rest now, Cherie Masters. Return to your grave and sleep. No more harm will come to you. Sleep." Aedan said, her words thick with emotion. Aedan's power rose up and, in the blink of an eye, Cherie Masters was gone. He watched as Tina tightened her hold on Aedan. Aedan did the same and kissed the child's head. "I know, sweetheart. I know. Its hard and it hurts. But she's not really gone. She's always going to be with you. You're always going to remember her. And she's never going to stop loving you."

Tina muttered something incomprehensible. Jean Claude thought that it was mix of her emotions and the exhaustion. Aedan patted the girl's back, delivering another kiss to the top of her head. "Of course, sweetheart. Of course. Now. Let's go home and put you to bed."

~*~*~*~*~

"You would make a good mother," Jean Claude told Aedan as he helped strip her out of her clothes. She glanced at him in the mirror a moment before shaking her head.

"No. I don't think I would. I don't know anything about being a mother. My example of motherhood was less than exemplary," she replied steadily. She watched as he stopped whatever his hands had been doing so that they could slide around to rest on her stomach. She felt an odd ping of longing that she squashed down ruthlessly.

"You know more than you think. I watched you with Tina tonight. You were wonderful with her. I can imagine you with a baby in your arms," he said, the pull of his voice trying to draw her into that fantasy. Aedan pushed away and turned to face him.

"Maybe so. But it doesn't matter, does it? You can't get me pregnant and, if we're being honest with one another, you're the only one I want to have a child with. Given how long you've been a vampire, its a moot point. Wishful thinking. A lovely but unattainable dream," she replied evenly, doing her best to keep the idea from taking root. Hadn't Edward told her the same thing once? She found it ironic that they would be the two men to tell her that she'd be a good mom. The two men who held the most sway in her life were also the two men who absolutely wouldn't be getting her pregnant. "Besides. You heard what I told Angel. My life is too dangerous and unpredictable right now. There's no room for a child in that mess. I wouldn't want to put anyone in danger, least of all a child."

"We can always find a way. You will not always be under threat of death," he said, as if he could see the future. She shook her head.

"And you'd be one hundred percent kosher watching me have sex with someone who could get me pregnant? Until we were sure they got me pregnant. You'd be one hundred percent kosher raising someone else's baby?"

"I have had a long time to learn practicality, ma mie," he told her softly.

"Has it occurred to you that maybe I don't want to have someone else's baby? That maybe I don't feel right having sex to procreate with someone I don't love?" She stared at him a moment before shaking her head. "No. It isn't happening. So just put that thought out of your head. Now. Are you going to help me finish getting ready for bed or are you just going to spout off nonsense until the sun rises?"

He stared down at her a moment before heaving a sigh and shaking his head. She watched, entranced as always, by the way his curls moved when he did so. One of his hands came up to curl into the material of her t-shirt. He used it to tug her closer so that he could deliver a kiss. She met his lips eagerly, hungrily. Moaned softly when his hands slid around her waist, then down over her ass so that he could mold his fingers to the curves of her cheeks. So that he could press her forward into his body and let her know that he wanted her without saying a word aloud. She wrapped arms and legs around him, feasted upon his mouth as he turned away from her bathroom sink and headed back into the bedroom.

He laid her on her back upon the bed, pressing his weight into her to keep her in place. Like Aedan planned on moving. She was hungry for him, ready and eager for the touch of his hand and the press of his lips and feel of his skin. He was just reaching for her panties when he pulled back, eyes dark and a snarl upon his lips. She frowned but said nothing, simply watched as his face lost all expression and became a blank mask. A moment later, he shook his head at her. "I am sorry, ma mie, but there is a situation I need to tend to and I do not know how long it will take me. You should sleep. It has been a trying night."

"Okay," she nodded, doing her best to not sound disappointed. Jean Claude delivered one last kiss to her lips, then he was gone. Aedan sat up and stared at the wall a moment before deciding that she needed a cold shower. She'd just climbed from the bed when she heard the chime of her cell phone. The clock beside her bed said that it was too fucking early o'clock for a phone call, which meant no good at all.

Muttering a curse about bad timing, she stomped across the room to her coat, the pocket of which held her cell. It was still chiming frantically at her when she pulled it out and glanced at the screen. She didn't recognize the number, but that didn't mean anything. Aedan answered the call and put the phone to her ear. "Kinkade."

"Aedan, thank God!" A woman's voice flowed over the line, filled with a deep sense of relief that felt out of place.

"Who is this?" she asked, not recognizing the voice.

"Its Donna. Parnell. Ted's--"

Aedan cut over the woman before she could get any further. "I believe I told you when you visited that we had nothing to say to one another, Miss Parnell. I've cut Ted out of my life and I would really appreciate it if you would respect that."

"I need your help, Aedan," Donna said. This time, Aedan took note of the panic under her words and she felt her body tense. Something was wrong.

"What's going on?"

"Its Ted. He's missing," the woman replied. Aedan thought she heard tears in those four words.

"What do you mean, he's missing?"

"He's been gone for a couple days. I've tried calling his cell, but he doesn't answer. I'm worried. This isn't like him."

Aedan sighed and reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Are you sure he isn't just out on a job? I know that he often times doesn't check his phone for days at a time when he's on a job."

"No! He isn't on a job!" Donna spat, fear making her words sharp. "He always tells me when he's going on a job. Always. He never leaves without a word. He was just going out for a bite to eat. To think and clear his head. He never came back. His car was still in the lot of his favorite place when I went looking for him."

Aedan frowned. That wasn't like Edward. Not at all. "Alright, Donna. Let me see if I can get a hold of him. I'll call you back. Just sit tight."

"Thank you, Aedan. Thank you so much. I... Thank you," the woman stammered. Aedan ended the call before she had to listen to Donna burst into tears and delved into her contacts. A swipe or two brought her to his name and Aedan pressed the icon to call the phone. It rang three times before it was picked up. "Edward, what the fuck is going on? Donna--"

"Good morning, necromancer," a voice said. A voice that didn't belong to Edward. A voice that oozed power even over the phone. "I was afraid I was going to have to send you a message."

"Where's Edward?" she asked, already going in search of clothes.

"He is safe here. With me. For now. At least until you present yourself to me." The voice sounded sure of itself.

"What makes you think I'm going to do anything of the sort?"

"Because he is part of your family." The words saw her come to a standstill and she cursed in her head.

"Is he still alive?" she asked bluntly.

There was a noise, like a snort, then the phone moved. She heard something in the background, like a fist hitting flesh, followed by a grunt. Then she heard someone issue an order to speak. "Aedan. Don't you dare come out here to rescue me. That's an order."

Edward sounded okay. Maybe in pain, but okay. She snorted. "Like that's going to stop me. You aren't the boss of me, Edward."

"Chastity," Edward said, his voice taking on that tone that made Aedan quake in her boots. "Do not come here to rescue me. I'm not worth it. You cut me out of your life for good reason. Don't forget that. I order you not to come."

"You just mentioned that I cut you out of my life. That means you don't get to tell me what to do anymore. Get over yourself and put the vampire back on the phone." She'd barely finished speaking the last part when she heard the phone as it was pulled away from Edward, who was still barking orders about not coming to save him. She heard the meaty thud of flesh on flesh again, followed by a soft groan. "Let me be perfectly clear here, corpse breath. If you do any more damage to Edward, I will personally give you a wooden enema. Right now, you're only going to die by my hand. Hurt him any further and I will make your death slow and painful. You'll beg me for final death before I'm done with you."

"Brave words from a frightened little necromancer who couldn't even get out of the car," the vampire hissed at her, voice loaded down with obvious glee. Aedan stilled and started going over plans in her head. "That's right, child. I was there the night the infamous Anita Blake died."

"Fuck it. I take my promise of a quick death back. I am going to make you suffer," she said coldly. No emotion in her voice.

"You have me so frightened, child. What can you do that Anita could not?" The vampire laughed, the sound stroking shivers of fear down Aedan's spine. She shoved the touch of his power off and pulled her power close.

"Name the time and the place and I'll be happy to show you," she shot back.

"You will come to Albuquerque. You will call this phone again when you arrive. You will meet one of my people at a neutral spot of your choosing. They will inform you what will happen next." The vampire paused and she swore she could hear his ego filling the silence. "They will tell you when and where we will meet so that we may discuss the return of your... friend. Do not bring any police with you, Marshal Kinkade. Do not bring anyone else. You will come alone. Or Death will finally die."

"Don't you do it, Aedan! Don't listen to him! Don't come!" Edward shouted in the background. There was the sound of a fist hitting flesh, then nothing.

"For that, I'm going to remove your fingers one at a time. With a silver blade. Touch him again and I'll take something else off."

"Be here before sun sets tomorrow, Marshal Kinkade." The line cut out and Aedan was left staring at the wall. She took a deep breath, tried to still the pounding of her heart. Tried to calm the anger growing within her. Tried to think past the guilt that already threatened to choke her. There had to be some way she could handle this. There had to be some way to rescue Edward without getting him, or herself, killed.

There had to be a way to kill Anita's killer while she was at it...

~*~

Aedan was on her way toward the stairs when a hand curled around her arm. She frowned and jerked out of the hold, then turned to face off with whoever it was that thought they would stop her. She was surprised to find she was staring at Janika. And then she was surprised all over again when she felt the magic wreathing the other woman. "Where are you going?" Janika asked.

Aedan considered lying to her. There was no reason she had to tell anyone what was going on. This was, once again, her mess to clean up. She could handle it by herself. But there was an earnest look in Janika's eyes. And concern radiated off her in waves. Aedan frowned as she considered her options. She realized that she didn't want to lie to Janika. "The cabal that killed Anita has Edward," she told the other woman. "I'm going to get him back."

"Alone?" Janika asked, gaze sliding around the room to see if there was anyone else present.

"Yes. Alone."

She watched Janika press her lips together into a thin line, eyes going hard. The woman shook her head. "No. You aren't. I'm going with you."

"No. They'll kill him if someone comes with me," Aedan replied.

"They don't need to know. Quit arguing with me. And come with me while I pack. I don't trust you," she said, hand curled around Aedan's arm. Janika tugged Aedan after her, until the two of them were in Janika's room. Aedan watched intently as she packed a suitcase. It held only the essentials. A second case held Janika's weapons. The time taken for that to happen had Aedan practically vibrating with anxiety and rage. When Janika signaled she was ready, Aedan left the room and headed for the stairs once again. She felt Janika follow along behind her, a comforting presence at her back.

It wasn't until they were in Aedan's car, bags stowed in the trunk and vehicle in motion, that Janika looked at her curiously. "What's the plan?"

"Find them. Kill them all," Aedan told her. She knew it wasn't much, as far as plans went. But it was the only plan Aedan had. And it was the only one that mattered.