- Prologue -

The forest was filled with intriguing sounds of birds, rodents and reptiles rushing to hide from an upcoming storm. However, a woman patiently stood among the wilderness, blue leaves dancing around her tense body. She had her inhuman eyes focused on something quite far away, an elegant bow fully prepared to shoot. The air seemed to vibrate in expectation for something much more exhilarating than deafening thunder and red bolts of lightning. Adriana had a dangerous smile upon her teasingly inviting lips. She knew he was here, just where...?

A gust of wind dashed between multicoloured trees, howling like a wounded animal and slapped a few crimson strands of hair against the pale woman. She did not even twitch and glanced around, her eyes of a true huntress. A huntress, which was about to become prey to a very mischievous man. As heavy beads started falling from the bitter sky, the man made his move, knowing that while Adriana had better sight and intuition, she lacked his astonishing hearing.

Michael waited no more and lunged for the woman. At the same time the carmine haired female spun and relaxed her grip on a well crafted arrow, granting the sharp instrument freedom to soar with deadly grace. The man barely paid any attention to it as he simply closed the distance between him and Adriana. He had outdone the girl and was glowing with pride.

"I believe this belongs to you?" Michael smiled with a teasing sparkle in his lavender eyes.

Adriana stood there completely soaked and annoyed by the four arrows in his hand. She was quite sure he was cheating in some way, which agitated her. How can a person catch arrows with his bare hands? Nevertheless, meeting her match caused a rush of adrenaline the woman had longed for quite awhile. Her navy eyes narrowed playfully as she lifted her long leg to kick Michael, still ignorant to the harsh rain. Surprisingly, the impish smirk disappeared from his face. With no more enjoyment the man caught the foot and pulled Adriana closer.

"Two o'clock. Three shadow wolves." He muttered, barely audible as the thunder rumbled with unseen force.

"On three," She nodded grimly. "One, two... THREE!"

They both spun towards three purple hell hounds, completely unaware that their alpha was stealthily closing in from the opposite direction. Michael reached for a gallant silver sword, firmly attached to his waist and jumped on a snarling creature. The man wrestled with one of the beasts as Adriana released a sharp rain upon the others. The creatures were the size of average wolves, however, they looked different. Their bodies were covered in thick dark fur, the colour of an eggplant, red eyes gleamed furiously and the teeth were much sharper and longer than normal. One of the shadow wolves fell to the ground, struck by the woman's arrow, while the other closed the distance and jumped upon the girl.

"Throw it at me!" Michael ordered as he pushed another dead beast off of himself.

Adriana did as told and deflected the wolf's attack by kicking it with as much strength as she could muster. Michael had a gaping wound in his abdomen, but ignoring the discomfort it caused him, slashed at the fur-ball flying his way. As the last wolf fell with a wail, their alpha made its move. It was faster and bigger than the others, not to mention the beast had the ability to shield its scent. The hunters couldn't have noticed it. The girl was closer, though less beaten, so it pounced towards the female.

Adriana screamed in horror and surprise as the alpha's gleaming fangs dug into her shoulder, ripping through muscle and crushing the bone. Her companion decapitated the first shadowy beast to fall under the arrows and spun to gasp with fury at the creature that dared to attack his companion.

"Go!" The woman rasped out, aware of the poison seeping into her blood as the alpha dragged her towards the forest.

"Never," Michael growled back and threw himself at the furry monster, content to die along her.

Simultaneously two young adults jumped up in their beds, sweating and anticipating death.

Just a dream...They tried telling themselves. Oh how wrong they were.

This was anything but a simple nightmare.

 

2: Dreams

- Chapter one -

"The two enemies of human happiness are pain and boredom." (A. Schopenhauer)

Earth

Adriana stumbled out of her bed and barely managed to catch herself before the sheets of doom sent her to the ground. She grumbled in annoyance and ran towards the bathroom, clothes in one hand and socks in the other. The girl was anything but a morning person. As she attempted to tame her dark red hair, which was mostly unusual because it was her natural colour, Adriana's mind wandered back to the dream.

It was not the first time she felt so alive in her own head. Sure, the girl knew it was nothing more than a figment of her over-active imagination, but it seemed so real. The clock beside her table blinked and it was time to go to university before she knew it. Oh, the dreaded lectures, the red-head moaned as her hands clasped a bag. The girl was prepared to rather face the shadow beasts than sit through hours and hours of an old man's or woman's muttering.

Adriana's parents, original people she would add, were an ordinary looking couple. They loved each other quite a lot and they cared for their daughter. Alas, there seemed to be an invincible wall between them no one managed to eradicate. In some way they could sense that Adriana was different, even if Mrs. And Mr. Ellison did not comprehend it.

"Good luck, sweetheart," The woman yelled after her blue-eyed offspring.

Mrs. Ellison had her brown hair down as she prepared breakfast for her husband. Mark was seated behind a table, still clutching a cup of coffee that was meant to prepare him for another plain day.

"Thanks, mom." The girl nodded, before dashing to her car. She wasn't late yet, but had a strange habit of getting everywhere earlier than necessary.

"She had the nightmares again, Laura." The man muttered and stared at the door, deep in thought. They both had heard their little girl shout with fear tonight and they were a bit uneasy.

"I know, but there's nothing we can do."

"I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!" Adriana screeched, subconsciously imitating a banshee.

The woman pulled her sword and started marching towards the domain of the siren, prepared to murder not one, but two supernatural creatures. Or maybe just one, but Michael was definitely going down for this. How arrogant can a man be to go against a siren by himself.

"Those nut sized brains of his! I will choke the bastard, no I will rip him limb from limb and then carry out the strangulation. What sort of a child have I been appointed to anyway. And most importantly why a man for a mission like this?!" Adriana muttered under her breath for an hour with not as much as slowing down to glance around.

Not exactly the smartest move when going to the den of a selkie.

"Such crude words from such a beautiful creature," Reached the huntress' ears.

Muscles tense, Adriana crouched, prepared to take down the gorgeous being as soon as it showed itself. Not that it was likely to happen very soon. The selkie resided near a river, framed by wolframite boulders, which provided perfect hiding spots.

"I've come for the man," Adriana's blue eyes dashed all around her.

"Michael, was it?" The siren laughed and the huntress could hear her moving, but the sound of water drowned any indication as to where she was giggling. "He said you'll come. They all did."

"What did you expect? You broke the rule and have to be neutralized." Adriana was trying to keep the creature talking, not that it needed much encouragement. Sirens were audacious and prone to chatting.

"Oh come on, can't a girl have some fun?"

"Lack of entertainment does not vindicate murder. And nothing justifies taking lives of children." Blue eyes blazed with hatred.

"Feisty, aren't you? Who is your superior? No, let me guess... Xanthus? He usually deals with us naughty, naughty girls."

Adriana flexed her jaw. This was not going anywhere. She couldn't pinpoint the creature's location and was getting more and more agitated. There was no hope in her mind that her 'partner' as Xanthus declared was somewhere underwater. Most selkies were peaceful beings and hurt people only if they posed a threat. This one, on the other hand, was a monstrous being that enjoyed sucking the life out of anyone. She had murdered a dozen of creatures, five of them children no older than 10 years old. That was as low as one could fall.

"What is your name?" The siren suddenly was very close, yet still out of sight. Adriana chose to stay silent and alert. "Hmm, I'll just call you Artemis then." The girl stayed quiet. "My beloved warrior Artemis, do you know why they say I'm most feared of all selkies?" The huntress tried slashing, but the siren already had already placed a venomous kiss on her neck. "I love the flesh of women, just as much as that of a man."

The world of Asheron

Michael was not a bad student, but the temptation to skip history was exceeding his self-control. He turned to Caitlyn, eyes pleading before even hearing her refusal. She was a petite strawberry blonde, ridiculously beautiful and just as much stubborn. She had a small heart shaped face, big doe eyes and a pointy chin. Caitlyn raised a brow at her best friend and leaned back in her chair. The last period was about to start and the classroom was crowding fast.

"I need you to curse me." Michael whispered, lavender eyes boring into her red ones.

"Definitely," She grinned, knowing exactly what he wanted, yet very willing to use such a great opportunity to mock the boy.

"Seriously, Cat, I am going to die here." The man moaned, already feeling the agony, soon to be inflicted by Mrs. Pepper's voice.

"Oh stop being such a drama queen, Michael." Seigmond ruffled his friend's hair and sat by Caitlyn. He was nicely build, and the only person in class with snow-white hair. "No one has died of boredom."

"Yet." Michael pointed out, annoyed.

Caitlyn grinned. "Well, if you really, really wish to skip..." The boy eagerly nodded. "... tell us what have you been dreaming about."

Michael straightened and pressed his lips together. It was very obvious that this made him uncomfortable and was not the topic he wished to discuss. Sadly, it was just as noticeable that those two were determined to find out why he would thrash in his bed and sleep-talk. The dreams had been the cause why at least once a week Seigmond would jump from his bed 2 am and grab his sword. The young man would find no danger, but his friend, who was either shouting orders or calling for help. It had started a year ago and for a few months now Seigmond was pushing – with a little help from Caitlyn – Michael to explain. To his own surprise the black-haired male opened his mouth.

"I'm not really sure myself," He began, cautiously. "It started pretty much as simple experiences of a child, not my own, 'cause it takes place somewhere in the seventh century. Then it turned into something like episodes of my life, but it wasn't really mine... Argh," Michael raked his hand through medium-short hair. "It's very hard to explain. Mainly, I dream of another life."

"Who are you in your dreams?" Cat raised an eyebrow with a smile.

"I'm me, but... Can we continue this later? I'm way too tired to come up with a normal summary."

"Fine, fine." The girl smirked, but relief was evident in her eyes. At least the boy did not have a mind parasite. "You have till I count to three to get ready... One, two, three."

There wasn't much time to prepare for enchantress' spell as Michael grew pale and started shaking. By the time the teacher entered the room he was stumbling, drenched in sweat and breathing irregularly. Mrs. Peppers nearly had a panic attack once she laid her eyes on the boy and rushed him to infirmary. Two minutes of agonizing spasms later Michael stretched on a clean bed, peaceful and healthy as a horse. His lavender eyes fluttered closed in the silence and sleep engulfed the frantic mind.

"Why do I get to be her partner? What did I do?" Michael growled in annoyance.

Among most fellow hunters he was respected and admired, but there were the selected few that could not stand him. That woman was one of them. He had not yet met with this Miss Vervloet, but whispers did not depict her as a ray of sunshine. She was one of those arrogant loners that never teamed up and, forced to, still acted without consulting. He had heard that the woman was nice to look at, so there was this one advantage. Adriana Vervloet had proved herself as a huntress at the age of 112, but no one really figured out why one of the Fae would start playing supernatural police. Nevertheless, Michael disliked the thought of working with the woman that left Xanthus and went rogue for fife decades, seemingly without a reason.

"The siren you need to take care of is a handful," Xanthus informed him patiently. "She had killed quite a few and does not seem to discriminate between age or gender. While Miss Vervloet may be somewhat of a recluse, she is extraordinary when it comes to dealing with such creatures."

Michael opened his mouth, prepared to begin an argument, when the female in question strode into the room.

'Well she's definitely something to look at...' the man decided, looking her up and down as the red-head made her way towards his superior.

"No." Adriana slapped an envelope against the wooden table, making Michael slightly flinch, and without another word, face blank strode out.

"Michael, meet Adriana Vervloet." Xanthus sighed and motioned for the man to step closer. "These are the coordinates of her residence. Locate her, complete the mission together," He gave the hunter a glare and pushed a bunch of documents. "And I promise you won't have to form any form of alliance any time soon."

Thinking for a second Michael decided to take the deal in a way and walked out of the study, adjusting his weapon.

'Like that's going to happen. I'll just do it myself.'

Michael introduced himself to the huntress with a polite handshake and requested her aid, promising no more disturbances. Adriana listened calmly, nodded once and told him to be ready in 26 hours. Then they simply parted ways, the man going to his own room to prepare for the journey. His plan was in progress – the woman was not going to bother him while he took out the water beast. Weapons ready Michael strolled out of into the night, leaving Adriana unaware of his actions for more than 3 hours.

The river was 10 minutes away from the hunters' residence, but the exact spot, where the selkie would usually hunt was further to the south. The man expected to be ambushed or even to require a lure to bait the being out of water. However, to his surprise, the siren was sitting on a stone, staring at something in the river. Michael swiftly took a bow and sent a flurry of arrows towards her, knowing that the siren would jump to the current. As she did so, he moved closer, feeling the dampness of the air weighting down his hair. Just like any member of merfolk, the siren had inhuman beauty and silver colouring. For a second, Michael stopped, waiting for her to turn around. She did so with a severed head of Robin – a competitive hunter and Michael's friend. The man spared no more time to swing at the wickedly grinning beast. The selkie waited patiently for the hunter to step into the water and begun her retaliation. White fingers caught the blade and at the same time pushed Michael backwards. It was the unanticipated amount of strength that sent the hunter flying.

"Shit," He muttered when the siren dug her teeth into his hand, fingers clawing through his Trapezius.

He felt the beast tearing at rather fine meat, unable to counter because his body was paralysed by the poison. The being took its time to inflict as much as damage as possible without really murdering the man.

"What is your name?"

Michael responded with a grunt. He was still immobilized and in pain.

"The last few came together. They spoke of another pair, Michael and his partner. I assume you're the Michael and you're not alone as well?" The siren hissed into his ear before allowing Michael to slide down. "Is it the woman they spoke of? Is she coming?" The hunter raised his eyes and tensed. How many idiots had come here to take down this thing? "Speak to me, boy." The bloody face had a twinge of excitement and annoyance.

"I came alone."

"Fine. I'll just wait for the rumoured one."

'Me too...' He noted bitterly.

Michael wanted to pout like a child. Maybe he shouldn't have been so self – assured. Xanthus did say that the Vervloet girl had experience and extraordinary skills.

Five hours later, Michael heard the siren return with a limp red-head. The hunter was in pain and bored. This was the worst way to go. He grunted in annoyance as the selkie gently placed Adriana on one of the rocks.

'So much for being extraordinary.'

 

3: Visions of another world

- Chapter two –

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."(A. Einstein)

Earth

"-na, Adriana… You really need to get up right now. Everyone's leaving already."

Someone was quite stubborn to wake up the poor girl. As if it wasn't uncomfortable for Adriana to sleep on such a hard surface in this weird position, there was a hand shaking her, disturbing from something very interesting. Nevertheless, the red-head groaned and lifted her head. It took a second to register the fact that she was at the university, and one of her friends was standing not too far away, annoyed.

"Seriously, Adriana, new achievement unlocked: sleep through the whole lecture." Suzanne rolled her eyes and turned to walk away, knowing that the other girl would follow. "Who's Michael anyway?"

Adriana tensed, knowing that she spoke in her sleep, but unaware of what her friend had learned. Suzy was one of those average brunettes that gazed dreamily at the popular kids, but stayed inconspicuous. She was about 5'6 (168 cm) tall, shorter than her accomplice and medium build. Being quite funny, she had made a few friends, one of them being the red-head, but was never too committed to the relationships. Maybe that's why these two were friends. Neither one would request to hang out outside school and while they would sometimes discuss personal matters, it was more like a partnership. Deep blue eyes turned to Suzy.

"Don't really know, just sleep talk."

"Mhmm..." The girl smirked, but knew it was not her place to pry, so she changed the subject. Kind of. "What is it with you and sleep recently? I can't leave you for more than 10 minutes without you dozing off."

Adriana shrugged.

"I guess I'm just tired, Suzanne."

Truly the girl had been feeling exhausted for months now. No matter how long she slept, very rarely dreams did not plague her mind. Remembering dreams, she was suddenly deep in thought. The girls took their seats and Adriana began thinking of the last one. Everything felt so real, as though she truly was shaking the man's hand, fighting the selkie, feeling the freezing water as the creature dragged her and the hunter... Michael Devin, he introduced himself. A charming young man outwardly: black hair, pale purple eyes, tall, muscular build and defined features. However, when it came to character, he was Adriana's worst nightmare. He was arrogant, controlling, a liar and brainless. Sure, she had planned to go and take the siren out herself, just a bit later than he did, but how does man wander into the selkie's den without reinforcements? The only reason she eventually decided to work together was to avoid any more ridiculous partnerships with...

'Am I seriously analysing characters from my dream?' The girl thought to herself and shook her head. 'Already on the verge of insanity at the age of 20, huh?'

Pushing the nightmare away Adriana concentrated on the lectures, deep within her heart waiting for the night. What was about to happen in her dream world intrigued the female, although it would be silly to admit it.

When Michael opened his eyes, the siren was nowhere in sight, but she had dragged him to a cave of some sorts. There were decomposing bodies, way more than the Hunters had anticipated, of humanoids and animals. The hunter had suspected that just like any serial killer, the siren started with smaller creatures and escalated to killing intelligent beings. When he tried moving, realization set in that damage done to his body was more severe than a few scratches. The siren gnawed at his hands and feet, clawed a hole in his back and bruised the chest. And... Yeah, she definitely dragged him. Wincing Michael pulled himself up, leaning on the rough surface of the stone for support. It was a challenge to not step on the mangled bodies, some - to his surprise - still moaning, but in about half an hour he was out of the morgue and stumbling towards a slightly shining corridor. He passed the first luminescent minerals when he heard the voice.

"My sweet, beautiful Artemis, you will stay with me. You will defend me. You will love me. You are already mine..." The siren was halfway submerged in subterranean lake, muttering at something underwater.

Michael could guess quite well that Artemis was no one but Miss Vervloet herself. And she was drowning. Cursing silently the hunter patted his body for weapons. Realizing that he was in no condition to do anything, Michael glanced at his 'partner' apologetically and wobbled away. He was weak, hungry and unarmed. Adriana had no chance anyway, she was most probably dead. It was not his fault. He tried pushing the guilt away. A smart hunter knew when it was time to retreat.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Vervloet."

Asheron

The hunter woke up unscathed at the infirmary. He looked up, to see the smaller sun going down, making the day a bit darker. Caitlyn was sitting beside his bed, her chin resting on her hands.

'O oh...' He knew that look.

"You really need to tell us what is going on, Michael." The girl used that concerned tone he hated so very much.

"I don't know what you want from me, I just had a nap. No big deal." He was a bit snappish, but Cat was a big girl. She could take it.

"You've been sleeping ridiculous amounts of time and the things you murmur... You spoke to someone, Miss Vervet?"

"Miss Vervloet," Was his immediate response and he cursed. The witch made the mistake on purpose.

"Who is she? You sounded very broken," Caitlyn was calm, but her red eyes twinkled with worry.

'Did I sound that upset?' Michael winced, just like any macho at the mention of a moment of weakness.

"I had this dream about her. Her name's Adriana and we were supposed to kill a selkie." Caitlyn leaned forward, paying full attention. "But I had to leave her to die, because I was of no use, so I said sorry."

"You dream of being a hunter?"

"Yeah, I guess that's not so far-fetched." Michael grinned.

The boy was an excellent fighter. It came to him naturally and was a gift from god. He was skilled at every form of fighting, except illusions and magic. Michael quickly picked up history and biology as well, making him the most knowledgeable student at creatures' behaviour, anatomy and relationships. The boy had long decided to work for the Supervision Department in the future. It was pretty much what hunters did a few centuries ago, but had a different name.

"This girl, Adriana... Do you know her from somewhere?" Just like all witches, Cat strongly believed in the importance of one's dreams.

"No, but she's not my soul-mate or something as well." Michael groaned, stretching and hopping off the bed. "Don't read too much into these dreams, Cat. Sometimes a guy just dreams of hot red heads and severed heads."

Adriana gasped for air, but water flooded her lungs instead. She was weak and confused as her limbs tried to get rid of the siren.

"Now, now, Artemis. I'm doing you a favour here." The selkies had an ability to speak underwater. "You're mine to kill but I wish for you to live. I just wish to make a few adjustments."

Yeah, she did not mean buying the girl a pair of new shoes or dying her hair. She was turning Adriana into her own personal pet. Comprehending the full danger the creature posed, the huntress began struggling even more furiously. Funny thing was, she had forgotten all about her weapons till she could barely keep her mind alert. Adriana fiddled with her belt, before slashing at the pale hand and surfacing. The selkie screeched, imitating the tone Adriana used upon realizing that the Devin had strolled to the water nymph. Her blood was thicker and similar to mercury.

"Artemis, do not disobey me or I will end you." The siren was actually trying to calm down.

The huntress did no such thing, however. She threw the miniature sword, calculating that she still had one more and dashed. Surprisingly, there were very few wounds on her body, so she could move surprisingly fast. Sadly, that was not enough, since the selkie caught up to her pretty fast. The creature spun Adriana around and hissed. Everything was moving a bit too fast for the girl, so, simply out of frustration, Adriana resorted to spell casting. She was not a witch but one of the Fae, and her powers in such environment were limited. Nevertheless, collecting all that she could, Adriana plunged the last dagger into the lovely silver creature and released the power. It sent both females flying and the huntress collided with a wall.

Yep, it all went dark. Again.

Surprisingly, Adriana's last thought was a name.

"Michael!"

Asheron

It was a peaceful evening and Michael was sitting on the grass, chewing a blue apple and watching the second sun going down. Everything flamed up during such sunsets, even the sky. The wind was blowing gently, rustling the trees. No one was around and the boy was thankful for that. He had too much to think about. Mainly, his mind wandered back to the dreams and the girl. As he began analysing whether or not leaving her in the clutches of the siren was the right thing, something shimmered. The hair at the back of Michael's neck stood up, making him jump. This had never happened before, but the young man did not feel any danger.

The air around Michael rippled and he turned around, feeling a presence.

"Michael!" It was an accusing voice.

The apple rolled downhill, towards a very weird sight. Before him stood the girl, wearing the same old-fashioned clothes he saw her with before going to kill the selkie, yet bloodied and torn. She looked frantic and confused. Mostly confused. It took her a few minutes to regain her breath, as though she had just woken up from a nightmare. Michael didn't dare to move.

'I'm hallucinating. ' He thought numbly and stared at the woman.

Her dark red hair, one would expect only on a nymph, fell to her waist in soft curls. She was a bit pale, but not nearly as Michael himself, and slightly shorter than him. He was about 6'1 (185) and she was clearly 5'11(180). Their expressions, however, were identical.

"You're Michael Devin?" The young woman asked, her hands smoothing the brown material of her pirate - like coat. Her voice was exactly the same as he remembered.

"Miss Vervloet." Michael acknowledged, still completely sure he was insane.

Then, for a few minutes they stood there, uncomfortable. Adriana had no idea what was going on. She thought she had awakened from the nightmare, but she was at the same strange world of her dreams. The man was the same, though dressed differently. He wore a black jacket, matching pants and a grey shirt with strange designs. Noticing the calculating look Adriana was giving him and desperate to break the silence, Michael opened his mouth.

"It's our school's uniform." He motioned to his attire.

"Oh... Aren't you a hunter?" She questioned softly and glanced around. The blue apples hung alluringly close for the red-head to reach out, but she didn't.

This amused Michael. "No, not yet."

The whole situation, for both of them, was surreal. Thinking nothing of it, the young man stepped forward. He was sure that trying to touch the girl would scatter away the illusion and he would grasp his sanity. Therefore, inhumanly fast he was standing in front of the woman and reaching for her hair. Adriana nearly fell over when the boy just appeared before her, but assuming that anything was possible in her head curiously watched Michael take a strand of red locks.

"Holy shit!" He muttered when the girl just watched him twirl her hair.

Michael could touch her, feel her warmth and smell her. It was incredible and horrifying at the same time. Adriana was also a bit shocked when the boy took her face in his hands and whispered:

"Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Adriana." Was the only thing she could mutter before gasping.

The sun was about to disappear behind the horizon as Michael watched Adriana stare at her tingling hands. She was slowly dissolving, leaving nothing but rippling and crackling air. Her blue eyes melted into the nothingness and the only proof of this ever happening was the lingering warmth. The young man didn't even pick the discarded apple as he spun around and ran to his friends, certain he required their help. If not the help of a shrink.

"This is bad. This is very, very, very bad. It was nothing more than a dream, so why was she so real?" he muttered, trying to unlock the doors to his apartment. His hands were actually shaking, but he still caught himself pointing out something irrelevant. "Adriana... A beautiful name."

 

4: I need a drink

- Chapter three –

"Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" (A. Lincoln)

Asheron

Michael was pacing back and forth in his plain room. He knew it had been two weeks since the strange hallucination, but he just couldn't force himself to tell Seigmond and Caitlyn about it. Yes, the big bad Michael was a chicken. That day he rushed back, swung the door open and wimped out as soon as Seigmond greeted the young man. Nevertheless, how was he supposed to speak about this, to explain?

"Yeah, so here I was, eating an apple and suddenly this smoking hot chick, all confused and tattered appears in front of me. Oh, you know, the girl I dream about, Adriana." The boy muttered sarcastically and glanced at his watch with a bitter smirk.

He still had about an hour before breakfast, so with a shrug Michael sneaked out. He was sure that his room-mate was still snoring peacefully and hoped to not disturb him. It was a chilly October morning and there wasn't a single soul around. The boy shivered and shoved his hands in the pockets. The cobbled path twisted and turned as he mindlessly floated in the morning dew. He was so tired that he couldn't afford to stay still for more than a few minutes. Michael had been avoiding sleep like the plague. Partly because he knew he was meant to face the consequences of leaving the girl to die, partly because he was afraid to lose the last fractions of sanity. Although he could come up with reasonable explanations for what he saw, there was this strange gnawing inside him. The woman was someone he felt connected to, someone he was certain he had met before. Michael was convinced that she had existed at some point in time. Without realizing it, he once again focused on the red-haired huntress. Maybe she was haunting him after what he had done in his past life or something? Such a ridiculous thought one would expect from Caitlyn and not this handsome student grew roots and made the tormented young man turn around and head for the library.

Conscientia Boarding School had a bigger library than necessary, which was available for students and teachers alike at any time. It was a four storey building, newly renovated and stocked with all kinds of books. Michael rarely ever went to the building, but he wasn't an insomniac usually as well, so… When the massive glass doors closed behind the young man, he sighed appreciating the warmth. It was situated near the cafeteria and the girls' dorms, therefore, Michael wasn't so surprised to see at least a dozen of girls lounging on the sofas and enjoying sappy romance novels, some of them crunching on chips. Without a real purpose he walked to the second floor and started rummaging through the section that had all the information on hunters. Michael decided to begin with three books: The Evolution Of Huntsmen; Supervision Department (in the V – VIII centuries); Most Famous And Most Respected SD members (before the 1023 war).

The first one was mainly about the structure of the organization, its commanding officers and the way it advanced. The second one, however, made pale violet eyes widen considerably. The second section summarized most dangerous creatures that the hunters had dealt with and one paragraph stood out considerably:

9th of April, year 609

The Hunter Association had lost 6 members to the omnivorous siren. After extermination, bodies of 22 victims were found, both male and female, age varying from 5 to 438. Two members of the organization managed to complete the mission by splitting forces and attacking separately. The siren had shown fixation with the female hunter and, therefore, was distracted while the partner regrouped. If faced with such creature, it is highly advisable to use spells rather than weapons. The mentally ill creature was stronger than the organization expected and healed much faster, due to the constant feeding. ATTENTION: Sirens may feed on the flesh, not just the energy.

Cursing that no names were mentioned, Michael flipped through the pages, searching for more information and at the very end found a very interesting list.

Recognized heads of the S. D.:

Elizabeth Henrich, Xanthus Triece; Nogah Berinhard; Poldi Cyriacus; Sebastian Devin; Benedictus Faraji.

Sebastian Devin was Michael's great-grandfather and although they hadn't spoken for 17 years, ever since the young man's 4th birthday, he was still alive and well. The perks of being a demon included immortality and a very good memory, so Michael made a mental note to call his relative and ask about a thing or two. He reached for the final book the very same moment Caitlyn sneaked behind him and smacked the boy.

"What the hell, Cat?" Michael glared at the blonde, rubbing his head.

"You look terrible," Was all the girl said as she took a seat and started looking through one of the books, making disgusted faces every now and then. The illustration of what damage a creature could inflict was not enjoyable.

Michael watched his friend deep in thought. He knew that she was correct. Napping twice a day was not exactly healthy for a young creature like himself. His skin was pale, eyes sunken into the black bags, hair messy. However, sleep was not an option, because he treasured sanity more than good looks. Glancing at the witch, who was no longer looking at the pages, but waiting for his reaction, Michael decided to change the topic.

"Sure, whatever. What are you doing here so early?" The woman was dressed for school, her uniform consisting of an ivory wrap dress and a chocolate suit jacket.

"I was researching information for today. You do remember that during biology we will be learning to care of winged creatures?"

"Damnit…" It had slipped his mind completely.

"What about you? When did you become so interested in the history of the Supervision Department?"

Caitlyn's eyes were making him a bit uncomfortable, the way they were looking him up and down. Michael knew that she was always worried, but at that moment the girl was planning something. Trusting his instincts, the boy stood up and walked back to the shelves to place the books back in place and distance himself from the witch. He felt red eyes boring into his back, waiting for his answer. The answer he was not prepared to deliver.

"I do read for fun, you know." As he turned around with a smirk, sudden drowsiness overwhelmed him. Cat had her eyes focused on the swaying boy, regret dulling the vibrant red colour.

"I'm sorry, Mike, but you really need to sleep." He heard Caitlyn murmur and felt reality slipping away. She was remorseful, yet determined.

'Make up your mind, woman. First it's you sleep too much, now it's too little. ' He thought with annoyance.

Michael wasn't prepared to face the dreams, but they were more than prepared to welcome his essence.

He carried the huntress back into her room, gentle not to wake her. As the doors swung open, the red-head moaned, her head throbbing from alcohol and a slight concussion. It was not like he actually wanted Adriana to relax. She was simply way less annoying unconscious and the last thing he wanted was to deal with her bruised ego after she had lost the fight to succubus. Well, it wasn't a fight really. It was a competition between two women, wishing to seduce an elf. A competition that turned quite rough. Not that Michael didn't enjoy the performance. He only wished they were using their feminine charms on him, rather than the merchant. But oh well…

It had been 10 months since the disaster with the selkie some dared to call a success. When Michael returned to the cave he found both the siren and the Miss Vervloet unconscious. Without wasting any time he decapitated the creature and returned to the nearest base with the girl. She was way less bloody than him, but still messed up. To say Xanthus was furious would be an understatement. As soon as he found out that the two misbehaving hunters would survive, he went berserk. Xanthus forced the girl and the boy to sign contracts that for god knows how long obligated them to work together. Hence, here they were, nearly a year after still pulling pranks on each other and incapable of civil behaviour.

Adriana groaned as her companion flung the girl onto a bed and without a second glance walked out of the room. They were in a pretty awkward situation, Michael realized. After travelling together for so long, the two knew each other quite well. They lived in the same house, went on the same missions (though separately), but were practically strangers. The boy was fully aware that Adriana wasn't the flirting or even friendly type and he was in no mood to play associates with the obnoxious woman. However, he may have had 'accidentally' slipped some 'medicine' into her drink before giving the girl her drink, which – he now comprehended – would only worsen their relationship. He was feeling mischievous after the huntress had successfully eliminated a pack of imps, without as much as waiting for him. Now that the young man was thinking about it, that was childish. Even so, it wasn't like they operated together anyway. As a result, the whole alliance was useless to begin with, might as well have some fun.

Hours went by as the hunter cleaned his weapons.

"Young man," A groggy voice suddenly called from the second floor. "Did you drug me?"

Michael turned his face towards the girl and smirked. Her hair was tangled, burgundy blouse wrinkled and not as pristine as usually. He nodded. It took a second for Adriana to register that the child in front of her was actually proud of his actions, but once she did, there was no stopping her. She growled, startling her companion and lunged at him. Michael quickly dropped whatever he was holding and jumped out of the way. They were in a rather cramped room, so the huntress slammed her whole body at a carved wooden cabinet.

"Whoa, you're still rather disoriented, maybe we cou- argh!"

As they fell to the sand coloured carpet, not exactly in a romantic embrace, Michael was no longer just defending himself. He pulled the girl by her hair and pinned her to the ground, one hand pressed against her throat. Adriana scoffed and kicked his abdomen, making him roll off her. There was a pause and then they went for the closest swords. The irony of the situation was that they had each other's weapons and everything was in the wrong order. They began by trying to cut each other's heads off, then went to arguing and finally finished with a friendly conversation. Slashing and growling went on for an hour, before they fell to the grass. Somehow they had gotten outside, bruised and cut up, breathing as hard as one would after a fencing lesson.

"You know, I hated you from the very first moment I saw you," Michael hissed, gasping for air.

It was a late evening and a very cold at that. The ground beneath them was frozen, but it was comfortable as their bodies were exhausted and warm.

"Ha, at least I wasn't undressing you with my eyes!" Adriana shot back, blue eyes burning with anger.

Now the hunter sat up.

"WHAT?! I did no such thing!"

"Sure, sure…"

"I did not."

"Keep telling yourself that, honey."

Michael sent her one last glare, before returning to lie on the ground and mutter about how annoying she was. The second sun was setting slowly, and the only moon was entering the darkening sky. Once the children had calmed down they started talking. It was the first civil conversation and to Adriana's surprise, the boy actually apologized for the prank. Speaking of which, it still made her cheeks burn as she recollected her 'seductive' behaviour Forgetting and forgiving wasn't Adriana's forte, but she decided to try this once. The girl wasn't a saint either. She was the one who weakened the hunter's bow, ensuring it would break during the fight.

As the pale face of the moon climbed towards the centre of the sky, they just lay there, talking about unimportant things that made them who they were.

"What kind of Fae are you, anyway. No one seems to know." The boy glanced at her, still uncomfortable with the way she seemed to glow under the moon.

"I'd like to keep it that way. What about you? I am still unaware of your race?" Adriana's voice was gentle, polite. It was definitely a first.

"I'm sorry, but I really do not wish to tell you just yet." Michael replied honestly and slowly slid his eyes down the fragile body of his companion.

Adriana shivered – from the cold and his gaze - and decided it would be best to use this strange moment of understanding. Perhaps she could offer a peace treaty.

"Tomorrow I was going to hunt down a black widow, at the green city - Prequo. Would you like to join me?"

Michael, still focused on the way her muscles moved under the clothes as she sat up, soaked it in slowly. When it finally reached his brain, he grinned.

"Miss Vervloet, are you suggesting we actually do as we promised and work together?" His tone was mocking, but the huntress was no longer irritated by it. Much.

"Why, yes I am."

"Then I certainly agree."

Maybe it was the cold, the excitement, the brilliant lightening, the drugs or simply the release of tension, but Adriana gave into a very childish urge. She softly placed her lips on the hunter's, realizing that their fight had left a thin red scratch on his handsome face. It was a friendly peck that sealed their new non-hostile partnership. In an instant the girl pulled away, murmured goodnight and walked up to her room. She felt light to finally be civil towards her partner and blissfully tired. Michael, on the other hand, was not as relaxed and content as her. He was left sitting on the cold grass, thinking of how he needed a drink. Make that two drinks.

"The woman is insane." He finally summed the day's experiences and walked to the small house they were sharing. "I guess we deserve each other."

5: Ah, damn it all

- Chapter four –

"We must act out passion before we can feel it." (Jean-Paul Sartre )

Earth

The cloudy sky rumbled in annoyance as Adriana walked towards the swings. Today was one of those melancholy soaked Thursdays, when she felt like visiting the park and enjoying the solitude. Perhaps it was because the girl had been having dreams of life so much more entertaining and genuine than her own, or maybe it was the feeling of exclusion. Nevertheless, as the world became even darker and more sinister, the girl dropped her backpack beside a tree and started swaying in the wind, reaching higher and higher. Wind picked up and started pulling red locks out of a loose braid as Adriana closed her eyes. Her mind was wandering, tripping over inexplicable dreams and feelings.

She felt so empty, so lonely. Adriana had always been this weird child, not exactly a recluse or outcast, but someone who just couldn't fully fit in. There were people the girl would go to the movies, laugh and chat with, but all the time it felt like an act. Deep within there was a feeling of not serving her purpose, of not belonging. The young woman was incomparable to colourful and ambitious humans. Now that she thought about it, Adriana wouldn't have been too shocked to find out she was some sort of creature, known to mankind as a mythical being. Something like the race of Fae she represented in her dreams. Ah, the nightly adventures she had been having for so long already. They were her only support in the dull life of the student. There was one thing strange, though. Adriana was well aware that dreams should be random, intricate and rarely remembered. Hers, however, were vivid, systematic and burned into the mind. The girl was going through episodes of another woman's life, as though recollecting those events. What she did not dream of somehow manifested as memories to fill the gaps. All in all, it was exhilarating, incredible and strange.

Speaking of strange, Adriana was still very confused by the dream she had more than a month ago. Usually the girl knew what was happening, but thought and acted as Adriana Vervloet - the confident, mysterious huntress. More than a month ago, she was suddenly pulled out of her fight with the selkie and into the world, where the sunset enflamed the atmosphere and blue apples hung among shimmering leaves. The incomprehensible thing, however, was the fact that even as Michael approached her, Adriana was herself. Adriana Ellison stared mesmerized and confused at the young man. The slightly shy and sarcastic student was the one that shivered as light violet eyes pinned her to the spot and pale fingers grasped her face. She was the one that nearly reached for the apples or the handsome stranger. Not that he stayed a stranger for much longer.

Dreams returned to being the usual memory like experiences, where they at first fought with each other, then finally together. To situations such as dragging the beaten boy home, searching for rogue lycanthropes, grasping Michael's inhumanly strong hand to not fall into an abyss or murmuring thank you after escaping from a rabid unicorn. Oh how much Adriana would give to actually be the monster fighting hero of a strange world with two suns!

The sky hadn't cleared yet, but it was no longer going to rain, so the red-head saw no need to go home yet. It was still early and only an elderly couple had disturbed the peace. She took out a sketch-book and a pencil, tranquillity inspiring her. Little did she know that there was someone else just a few meters away besides the elders. Someone, who was pretty much freaking out.

"What the hell is going on?!" Michael paced, his hands in pockets, under the cloak.

The boy had gone to take a nap and, of course, was dreaming. They were tracking a male chimera, named Lucas. He had burned the hunters' residence down and was on the run. As they discovered his location, Adriana suggested speaking first and stabbing later (which was quite unusual), so they went into a bar. The last thing Michael could recall was placing a hand on the girl's waist to say something, but distractedly taking in her aroma. Out of the blue, he was standing in a creepy park. It was very cold and only one sun was hidden behind the grey blankets. The boy was surprised to see bare trees, but even more astonished when his eyes landed on the red-head, slightly swaying on a decaying swing.

"Adriana?" Michael tried asking, but either the girl ignored him, or simply couldn't hear through the music she was listening to. "Hey, woman. Where are we?"

He stepped closer and glanced at the paper in her hands. It was a rough sketch of a man, who was definitely Michael. Not really sure how to gain the girl's attention, he reached for the notebook. Adriana paid no notice to the hand that went right through the paper and continued to work on the eyes that had a permanent look of mischief. Michael tried touching the artist next, only to achieve the same result. Muttering about this making no sense he leaned against one of the trees (which also made no sense, but oh well) and started watching Adriana, enjoying the opportunity to pretty much check her out.

"She's different..." He mused after a while.

While the young man couldn't deny that it was her, this Adriana looked much more vulnerable and troubled. They way she softly smiled and mouthed the words to some song, the unusual gentleness in her eyes were something the huntress never allowed to surface. Michael concluded that somehow the red-head was more like a damsel than a knight. She was just Adriana and no longer Miss Vervloet.

"I guess that's it," The girl murmured as she scanned the drawing of a teasing young man. To her surprise it looked very realistic.

Adriana collected her things and started walking home. Today she didn't have her car, but had no intentions of taking a bus either. As a result, the girl slightly swayed to the music still blasting through her earphones and strode forward.

"I feel like a stalker! How come I could see the girl, yet she can't see me?" Michael moaned behind her, finding nothing better to do than wander after the woman.

Soon they entered a less secluded part of town and the young man couldn't stop admiring the simplicity of this world, the washed out colours. Among them, however, the only vibrant and normal thing was the girl. To him it looked like his eyes were focused only on the messy red hair, because nothing else was worth his attention. So he followed Adriana like a handsome guardian angel.

The woman was enjoying the song so much that she only briefly glanced at the street and missed the roar of an engine, the sign that a car was coming closer. She stepped on the asphalt just as a car emerged from the darkness. Three drunk individuals were inside the metal beast, laughing and singing along to one of the popular songs. They paid no attention to the blue eyed female, still in the middle of the road. The next thing Adriana knew, she was yanked to the other side of the street. The girl staggered and nearly planted that confused face of hers on the side-walk. The car rushed by, teenagers focused on howling.

"What the hell were you thinking, woman? Spacing out like that is freaking dangerous." Michael scolded the girl as he let go of her hand and steadied her by grasping her waist.

Adriana lifted her head and stared at him, mouth slightly open.

"Oh, now you notice me. " He grumbled as his violet eyes locked onto the pale face.

"How can you be real?" Adriana whimpered and stepped back.

'I'm crazy. Dear lord, help me! I have completely lost my mind if I can see this man.' Her eyes were wide.

"I'm quite real, love; you're the one that's simply a figment of my imagination." Michael glanced around to see a couple of kids giving him strange looks. Yeah, the children couldn't handle how awesome he looked in a cloak.

"But... But you're nothing by a character in my dreams." Her mind had completely shut off. Unconsciously her hand reached forward, just like Michael had done in her dream, and grasped the thick material of his ensemble.

"You know what, we could spend all nigh—day- something wondering which one of us is real and it wouldn't matter. Let's get you home safely and maybe I'll return to slaying dragons or whatever."

Adriana looked away from his clothes, her curious gaze distracting the man. She barely nodded, before turning around and continuing her journey. This was very, very weird.

"Okay, I'll just take this thing off. People are giving me strange looks." Michael complained and shrugged off his cloak.

People still stared. He wore a dark blue stand-up collar shirt with golden buttons, embroidery, black loose pants and boots. Even without the dark and scary cape he looked like someone on their way to a costume party. It was a harsh contrast to the grey skinny jeans, simple sneakers and brown jacket Adriana had on. Luckily, there were things more important than looks.

"So you are Adriana Vervloet... What is this place?" Michael initiated the conversation, startling the girl.

"My name is actually Adriana Ellison. I'm Miss Vervloet only in the dreams. And this is... Earth. Planet Earth." The girl let out a shaky laugh. She was telling him not a city, but the planet.

"A different planet? No wonder everything is so strange."

"How come?"

"Well, I guess it is around December, but there are no Dormifructus trees blooming around here."

Somewhere in her mind Adriana had stored the strange name of the plant. It was the beautiful tree with white leaves and green flowers that bore fruit just before New Year. As it bloomed, the pollen caused severe drowsiness. Why she knew that, the red-head couldn't tell even if her life depended on it.

Adriana shivered as a gust of wind flew past them and sighed. She should have brought her scarf.

"What about you, Michael, where do you come from?" The girl knew the answer, but needed the confirmation.

"The planet named Asheron. And I'm rather sure it is your home planet, too." The young man glanced at the slightly hunched figure a few feet to his right. "How did you end in this place is beyond me." He added and, like the gentleman that his grandmother believed him to be, covered the woman with the cloak.

She looked a bit startled, but smiled.

"Thanks. I might be crazy, but at least I'm no longer cold."

Michael returned the smile.

"May I ask you for a favour?" He carefully watched the blue orbs brighten with curiosity. "May I see the drawing?"

Adriana blushed, feeling as though he figured out her obsession, but complied. She fished around her bag a bit and handed the boy her work. It was one if her best drawings. Although, it may have been because the young man was a handsome fellow. Just as the paper touched Michael's fingers he grinned and disappeared. Just like that. The wind scattered his image, along with the warmth, the sketchbook and the cape, leaving the young woman confused and uncomfortable. How do you interact with hallucinations, anyway? Was she supposed to wait for him to return or just go home and forget all about it?

"No way am I lingering for another episode of insanity." She finally decided and spun around.

Michael emptied another glass of amber liquid, feeling too drunk to walk, but not drunk enough to ignore Adriana and Lucas. Apparently, the peaceful offer to chat surfaced because those two had a history. And yes, from the way the chimera skimmed his nose along the huntress' neck, it was obvious the history included romance. Annoyed with how mesmerizing the girl looked in her raspberry coloured dress and irritated by the inexplicable need to decapitate the flirty man, Mr Devin drowned his liver in alcohol.

"You know, you could just smack her against the wall and kiss the girl till she fainted." The barmaid suggested subtly as she noticed the green monster gnawing at the hunter.

"Why the fuck would I do that?" Michael growled, the idea making him tremble in anticipation. "You elves have it easy, Eve. You just go through the ritual and find yourselves a spouse."

"Hey!" The brown-haired, athletic female protested. "It is not that easy." She reached around his shoulders to refill the glass, but decided against it. "Go home. Drinking never solves problems."

"Neither does not drinking." The young man noted as he stood up, swaying.

With one last glance at the laughing huntress he staggered out of the bar, forgetting all about the cape that hung by the exit. It wasn't that late, but the sky was not illuminated neither by the suns, nor by the moon. The hunter walked back to their new residence, enjoying the sobering cold. It wasn't that far away, but an intoxicated and jealous man just couldn't have a break. Two minutes after stepping out of the bar, ogres surrounded Michael.

"You've got to be kidding me..." He moaned, realizing that these green, agile monsters weren't the usual ogres. "A pack of enucleating ogres... great."

To say that he was in no condition to fight would be an understatement. The hunter's sight was hazy and both of his feet shook. All he could do was prepare to have his eyes clawed out and eaten.

"How come you went hunting without telling me?" Adriana complained as her flexible body suddenly emerged from the shadows.

The knee-length dress swayed slightly as she took her hunting knife that was strapped around her thigh. It was a sight to sore eyes the way she then lunged towards the creatures, both graceful and deadly. In a drunken haze Michael leaned against a wall and watched the woman dance with the blade among fifteen emerald creatures. Finally, Adriana huffed, annoyed.

"This is going to take all night." Her eyes flashed with dangerous playfulness and she cast a spell.

A gentle blast of energy ripped the air. The ogres fell to the ground, roaring and screeching in horror as their internal organs liquefied and leaked through their noses and mouths. Adriana watched them until the night was silent once more and then turned to her partner, with nothing more than a small spot of blood under the black laces of her dress.

"We've been together for two centuries and you don't trust me to take your drunken ass home?" The huntress accused.

Her voice, the fire in those fierce blue eyes, blood-red lips were breath-taking. So what could the poor intoxicated Michael do?

"Ah, damn it all."

Michael grabbed Adriana's hand, pulling her towards him, away from the corpses. In a flash the huntress found herself against the wall, the young man's fingers in her hair. At first, yearning in those violet eyes baffled her, yet it became explicable once Michael softly kissed the girl. His grip was strong, making Adriana question his inability to fight the ogres.

"Michael, you're drunk-"

This seemed to anger the man and he pressed himself closer, passionately locking his lips with Adriana's. Giving into the lust, the sophisticated introvert grabbed his shirt and returned the kiss with even more power, fuelling the fervour. Michael nearly went insane, not realizing that this moment, caused by alcohol and lack of self-control, would drown into the night. A simple, yet intricate and precious kiss underneath the new moon would be forgotten for years. Nevertheless, the same disremembered kiss was going to have an impact on many decisions in the future.

 

6: Weird reunion

- Chapter five –

"Our life is composed greatly from dreams, from the unconscious, and they must be brought into connection with action. They must be woven together." (Anais Nin)

Asheron

As Michael stepped out of the car, a strange feeling set in. He was rather excited to meet Sebastian in that ridiculously grand mansion of his, however, the boy had been feeling very anxious, ever since he had awakened with the drawing. It had happened yesterday and the young man was still convinced he had somehow done it in his sleep. But that couldn't have happened because he had never had the sketchbook in the first place. On the other hand, either Michael was a narcissistic artist or Adriana actually did exist.

"No way am I admitting to myself that she's real," Michael spoke to no one in particular and walked towards the door. "Because if she is real, then in some twisted way the dreams are also not just dreams."

He was nearly at the door when it opened. Just in time he finished his monologue to smile at another young man, who stood in the doorway. Sebastian Devin was a very old and very experienced hunter. Michael greatly looked up to him. Once he had been the head of the Supervision Department, unluckily his brother's death shook the man quite a lot and he resigned. The hunter did not look old at all, however. He was in his late thirties, muscular and tall. Both Devin family members shared unique lavender eyes, soft yet defined features and an arrogant aura. Sebastian, however, had a darker skin colour and blond hair. All in all, he looked more like a handsome uncle than a great-grandfather.

"Hello, Sebastian." Michael greeted, knowing that his ancestor disliked unnecessary formalities.

There was a pause and Mr Devin went deadly pale. He sounded very eager on the phone, hearing that he was about to meet his great-grandson, so this was unanticipated. The demon raked his hands through blond hair and stepped towards his grandchild. The man looked angry and afraid.

"It's impossible. It just cannot be! I saw what was left of your body! You can't be alive, Michael!" Sebastian started in a whisper, but eventually began yelling.

This scared the living daylights out of the young boy. Last time he checked, everything was in place and he was breathing quite regularly.

"Um, I don't know what you're talking about," Sebastian flexed his jaw. "I am here to-"

Sadly, Michael didn't get to finish his sentence as his great-grandfather punched him. Hard.

"What the hell?!" The young boy growled, spitting blood. "Have you gone nuts, old man?!"

"No skin-walker has been brave enough to pull such a stunt, but I guess there's a first time for everything." The demon stood there dangerous and pissed.

"Listen to me first!" The younger Devin hissed as his elder lifted a foot, preparing for a kick. "I called you, remember? I came here to talk to you about the school project!"

Sebastian was stunned.

"You're my grandson?"

"Who else did you think I was?" Michael was now back to his feet, wiping off blood.

"Bloody hell, I thought..." The blond started looking the boy up and down. "You look just like him."

"Who?" Ah, the man knew how to hit. The jaw really hurt.

"Let's go inside, get you some ice... and tequila." The demon was still very shocked by the whole situation, but decided to help the boy before explaining. This was either a creepy coincidence or a very powerful spell at work.

Once they both were settled, Sebastian sent a maid to prepare his study and led Michael to one of the gathering rooms. It was a large chamber with brown marble floor and two gigantic windows covered in heavy drapes. There was a long wooden table with a dozen of fancy chairs. Mr Devin was known for leading strategic meetings and extravagant parties. Not to mention, he knew how to enjoy an evening with beautiful women. Therefore, many leaders' portraits adorned cream walls along with those of lightly clad women. His purple eyes and seductive smirk made any girl weak in the knees (including someone we all know very well), but he also held authority and could be very imposing.

"Sit." Sebastian commanded and pulled a chair for himself. "Now, what is it that you came here for?"

"Not so fast, I really am more interested as to the way you treat your grandchildren. Do you assault them all?" Michael plopped into a seat across the table.

"I'll explain a bit later. Let's discuss the initial purpose of your visit." Two alpha males in one room with different intentions. O-oh.

Ten minutes of tense silence and Michael decided to give in. He was younger and less stubborn... I think. His glass was still half full, luckily the aching had dulled.

"In school, I've been assigned a project," Lie. "I am supposed to research one of the famous hunters and write a report on them. I decided your brother should do quite well." Lies. "I heard he died like a hero or something." Now that one was true.

"Do you know anything about my sibling?" Sebastian seemed bitterly amused.

"No, not really." The boy admitted. There was no need to sugar coat this.

"Well, let's begin with the fact that you both are Michaels." Yeah, that surprised the young man. "Your mother – my grandson's wife - thought it would be nice, since you both had black hair and lavender eyes. He was also an inspirational figure in the hunter society." He glanced at Michael. "Actually, you are a spitting image of my brother. It is the reason I reacted the way I did today. "

"I see," It was a bit awkward to resemble a dead man, but the young boy had something more to find out, so he pushed it aside. "I was actually wondering if you could tell me about the omnivorous selkie your brother faced. I read there was an interesting story behind it."

Michael didn't even realize what he had said until his great-grandfather went pale once more. Now that he thought about it, it wasn't mentioned anywhere that Sebastian's brother took out the siren. He simply presumed so because of the dreams he had been having. I mean, it would make sense to dream of his ancestor's life. His grandmother most probably told him stories about it.

"You've read about it?" The demon cleared his throat and propped his chin on both hands. "What else do you know?"

There was nothing to lose, right?

"Hmm, I think his partner was this girl, Adriana Vervloet," Sebastian went even paler. "They were assigned by Xanthus and pretty much screwed the mission up, because your brother went out alo -"

"That's enough. Where did you get all of this information from?!" Mr Devin was incredibly confused, looking at the boy as if he was a ghost.

"I read it in some books." Michael shrugged, not impressed. Most probably his great-grandfather was angry at him speaking total nonsense. "I know that there can be made up facts, so I wanted you to straighten things out for me."

"Made up? Listen to me, boy. I don't know what you are trying to pull, but tell me who gave you this information."

"I told you! I read it-"

"Do not lie, Michael! These facts were never released to the public and few nine people in total knew that Adriana was involved! Either you tell me the truth or I will go and drag it out of you with a poker."

'Did he just threaten me?!'

"You know what, Sebastian. I don't care. You punch me, yell at me and now I'm some sort of a villain?! I'm out." The boy grabbed his jacket he had hung on the chair and walked towards the door. Unsuccessfully.

The demon telekinetically pinned Michael against the wall, staying as still as a statue. A painting of an old and wrinkly man swayed dangerously, but the younger Devin paid no attention. He pushed himself off of the creamy surface and charged at the blond with childish aggression. To both of their surprise, the black-haired man was faster than one would expect. And stronger. In a flash he was wrestling with Sebastian, trying to sneak in a punch through impeccable defence. The blond was better, of course, and within minutes had the descendant restrained.

"Talk." The winner growled.

"Go to hell."

That's when something unexpected happened. The centuries old male burst into laughter. He freed Michael, still snickering and returned to his seat, motioning to the boy to do the same.

"You are literally identical." The man finally explained, wiping tears off of his eyes.

Michael just sat there, silent.

"You really need to tell me how you know about Adriana and my brother. "

"You won't believe me."

"Try me."

Wow, cliché.

The young man groaned, knowing that he had to tell somebody about the dreams, those weird hallucinations, the sketch. However, was Sebastian, a man he hadn't seen in years, really that somebody?

"Fine. Just don't send me to an asylum."

"No promises."

And so he explained. Everything.

"DUCK!" Adriana yelled from the bushes and fired. The arrow cut through the humid air and pinned the phoenix to the blooming Dormifructus.

"What the hell, woman?!" This was like his catch phrase. "Are you nuts?! That arrow could have pierced right through my heart!"

"Oh, boo hoo. You'll live. How are the burns?"

The bird had wounded Michael quite heavily, leaving patches of angry red skin all over his hands and face. Adriana crouched by him and blew a lock of pearl blonde hair. She had dyed it for two reasons: fun and to infiltrate the nymph society. Their resent assignment was to investigate the fires in the Sun Tribe. Michael played a role of an attractive slave, making the whole experience even more entertaining. To Adriana, that is.

"You said it yourself, I'll live." His voice was muffled by the cloth placed to chapped lips.

This was the first time Michael Devin had been that dehydrated. The fact that to conceal his species he hadn't fed recently did not help at all. The two hunters had been having a silent competition on who will figure out the other's race and the boy had no intentions to lose. So he didn't feed and now was regretting it very much. He could feel his fangs lengthening and muscles twitching in anticipation as the huntress approached him. Most probable she hadn't even noticed it, but her right side had a tear and it was bleeding.

"Hey, we need to get out, Mike." God, he hated that nickname. "Are you feeling nauseous or something?"

"Step away from me, Adriana. I need some personal space."

'Shit!'

As soon as the girl heard the lisp she yanked his hand away and glared at the two fangs, ready and willing to sink into her flesh. There had been moments when Michael watched the huntress tear a troll apart with her bare hands in fury, when she jumped from a cliff to chase after a harpy that took their journey's food supply, but the anger he witnessed now... Well, it did not comfort the boy at all. Her small feminine nose scrunched in annoyance and for a moment looked quite adorable.

"You are a vampire and you didn't even consider telling me?"

"I did consider, but decided against it." Michael tried amusing her.

That did not work.

"Just shut up and drink." She was even more furious, but it was obvious that the young man could barely focus on anything but the blood.

Michael hesitantly took her wrist and much more eagerly pierced the skin, enjoying the thick and rich taste of the girl's blood.

'It's not like you ever told me what creature you are...' He grumbled in his head.

As he drank more and more of the red liquid, his senses became sharper and the deliciousness of the blood startled the vampire. Who knew that such an annoying girl could make such a satisfying snack? He finally pulled away and glanced at the woman, who was silent and certainly fuming. As he let go of her wrist there was a pause before they both stood up and marched back to the tribe.

"Thank you for the meal."

Adriana just sent a death glare in his direction.

Earth

The girl awoke annoyed with the world. Why did she have to get up so early? Why did she have to get up at all? It was Saturday for the love of God! Oh, wait. That's right; she had promised Suzanne to go to the museum together. They were working on a project together and the new exhibition seemed promising as a source of information. All in all, Adriana had another dull day to look forward to. That is, if no handsome boys had plans to materialize in front of her and steal her drawings. Speaking of which, she had to buy another sketchbook.

"Honey, me and your dad are going now, lock the door!" Mrs Ellison yelled from downstairs, reminding Adriana that they had a romantic four-day-vacation planned.

Left on her own the red-head quickly looked at the calendar. 20th of December didn't seem all that promising. She dressed up, ate breakfast and quickly cleaned the house. Suzanne still hadn't called. Cursing her friend's tardiness Adriana sprawled out on a sofa and closed her eyes, expecting the sleep to embrace her like a mother would. It did not and the girl was left with nothing, but darkness and her thoughts.

As though knowing what was about to happen, she concentrated all her thoughts on the young man from her dreams. She remembered his scent (the aroma of ice, metal and some sort of spice), his pale skin, black hair that framed a masculine face with pleasantly thin pink lips, defined cheekbones and fierce violet eyes. Adriana thought of his lips on her wrist, his warm or irritating laugh - depending on the situation - and everything that came to mind. And suddenly, she was no longer home.

"It's like I've known her for centuries. We've been working as partners and I'm pretty sure at some point we became friends..." Michael trailed off once Adriana opened her eyes and smiled behind Sebastian. "And she's pretty much behind you."

 

7: Blue apples

- Chapter six -
 

---

"Yet mad I am not...and very surely do I not dream." (Edgar Allan Poe)

---

Asheron

---

The silence was deafening as both Devins gazed at the red-head. She was like a bitter-sweet vision. Michael saw Adriana as something that made his life so much more interesting, but shouldn't exist. Therefore, her appearance was like a gift that denied sanity. And to Sebastian she was a ghost from beyond, a whisper of the exciting, yet sorrowful past. Her face triggered a flood of memories that had been lost in time and regret that he was unable to prevent from stabbing at his heart.

Meanwhile, the girl herself felt simply awkward. Adriana was wringing her hands, frustrated that once more she was having a very weird dream.

A maid rushed into the room, her dark blue skirt shuffling like the trees. She barely glanced up from the tray with tea and snacks before nodding politely at the red-head.

"Miss Vervloet, I shall bring you the white tea you prefer in mere seconds." With a soft smile she placed the tray and briskly walked out as though there wasn't a ghost or an illusion in the room.

Silence fell like a heavy blanket over them once again. Michael had the girl pinned to her spot with his gaze, completely astounded that the maid had recognized her, while his great-grandfather looked like a teenager with a crush – mouth open, eyes wide. Only a huge blush across his cheeks was missing. The young woman couldn't bear to meet their eyes and kept glancing around, studying the paintings. That wasn't entertaining at all.

"Michael," Adriana finally looked questioningly at the young man, which made him visibly flinch. "Where are we?"

Before the boy could answer, Sebastian softly grunted:

"You're at my residence... Adriana."

There was a strange quiver to the demon's voice that caught her attention. The girl turned her blue eyes to the blond and nodded slowly. She had had dreams of Sebastian Devin, so it wasn't very hard to determine that he was no threat. He had trained her at the beginning of her hunting career and supervised missions during the eight century. He still looked as charming as ever, although paler than she had been accustomed to. Adriana nodded in acknowledgement and settled beside the demon. This was nothing more than a dream, right?

The maid returned, smiling a very lovely smile. She was in her early thirties, petite and pretty. Her pink curls bounced as she placed yet another tray on the table.

"These are the last apples of the season," Somehow the blue clad girl was the least tense person in the gathering room. "And your tea. It is nice to see you back, miss."

Adriana nodded, her eyes glued to the white, milk-like liquid in a porcelain cup and blue apples. The men still had their eyes fixed on the red-head and somehow she felt as though an unwelcome Alice in the Wonderland. The girl sensed the warmth of the cup as she took it, and was shocked by how sweet and unusually gentle the liquid tasted. Michael followed her lead and took a sip of his own green tea, lavender eyes still looking at the young woman, room ever so silent. Sebastian just sat there, not knowing whether he was seeing ghosts or was this the end of his sanity. They didn't even notice as the pink curls bounced one more time away from them.

"How can you be here?" The demon finally managed to croak out. The red-head always drove him crazy, but returning to the land of the living after hundreds of years? "The two of you have always been the troublemakers and I let it slide. However, I truly require an explanation this time. First, I meet my brother's clone and now my dead protégé materializes out of thin air... Are you really Adriana?"

The girl looked from the table and leaned back once she found herself face to face with the blond man. She didn't know what to do. This was one of those dreams, where she was no Miss Vervloet, but the Ellisons' daughter, and had few witty remarks or explanations. Therefore, she decided to go with what she knew, avoiding those purple eyes.

"I am Adriana Ellison, but I have no idea what is happening myself. Personally, I think all of this is nothing but a dream."

Michael chuckled lightly, earning a shy smile from the girl as well. Sebastian was not amused at all, however. He looked from one to another and was clearly frustrated. There was a throbbing inside that handsome head of his already and he was sure it was only going to grow. Ever since Xanthus had made them partner up, they had been labelled as the couple of devils. Michael and Adriana either dismissed orders, broke the rules and freed captives or did the exact opposite when no one expected such. They've been that way during the training as well. Thankfully, neither could remember a single day of it and couldn't taunt the older Devin.

As he looked closer, Sebastian could see that the two of them were different from the past. Adriana reminded him of their first meeting, by her parents' burned house, when she was a naive, pretty damsel in distress, but there was no sorrow in her blue eyes. No fire of revenge either. Michael, on the other hand, was more charming, impulsive than he used to be. He had the passion for life only the young possessed. The blond shook his head. Until the huntress came into his life he wouldn't even yell at someone. Nevertheless, these two couldn't be. They should not exist.

"How have you been?" The black haired boy asked Adriana finally, not comfortable with silence and menacing pauses in their conversation. Sebastian was listening intently, still deep in thought.

"You know, having hallucinations and weird dreams. You?" Adriana smirked and grasped one of the apples. It smelled heavenly.

"The same," The young man grinned back. "I'm actually having one right now." This made the girl laugh out loud.

However, as the sound of amusement died down, the air rippled around the woman, just like it had done once. Sebastian jumped up unaware of what was making the crackling and snapping. Michael smiled bitterly, prepared for what was about to happen next. Adriana's image began dispersing, her confused eyes slipping away, even as Mr Devin pulled her from the spot of disturbed space. Like mist she slipped through the demon's fingers, causing him great panic.

"What just happened?!"

---

Earth

---

The buzzing of her telephone, still set to silent mode, and impatient pounding on the door jolted the girl awake. Suzanne was finally ready to go, apparently. Adriana sat up and winced as something fell down with a thud. Ignoring it, she gathered her things and rushed to the door.

"I'm coming! Stop the demolition of my house." Not that Suzy could hear, but it did make the red-head feel better.

Waking up against one's will twice in the same day could cause severe irritation.

The house was silent for hours, but it got dark and the red-head returned. Her nose and cheeks were flushed as she shook off the snow, undressed and fell down onto her soft bed.

Oooph!

Adriana was exhausted from all the walking, talking and looking. It was still early, 8 pm, yet she couldn't muster any strength to lift herself from the bed. The table was covered in pencils and sheets of paper, while the shelves had little glass cats decorating spaces between various drawings, framed photos, perfume bottles and other meaningless stuff. The sun was setting and it was tranquil with no one in the house. Her room was a tidy chaos, as she would call it. It had light wood furniture, soft peach walls and a nice bed. Nothing incredible, but all that a young woman could need. She turned on the radio and allowed the soft tune fill the silence. It would have been so easy to drift off. Nevertheless, the girl had to wash the dishes, so with an agonized groan she stood up and walked to the kitchen.

Half an hour later she plopped on the coach and started flipping through the channels. Not finding anything worth watching, of course. After some time Adriana decided to give up and just go to sleep, but something caught her eye just as she was about to exit the living room. Something the size of a fist. Something blue. Something that shouldn't be here.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Yes, it was the blue apple.

---

Sebastian was comfortably seated in a love-seat with a tall brunette on his lap. There was a glass full of Elves' wine and he was about to indulge in various pleasures, when a pest emerged from a crowd. The young woman snickered as the present leader of the hunter organization let out a whine. Eve knew that he had had a very busy day and the last thing Sebastian wished was to have yet another argument with his little brother. However, Michael couldn't care less.

"I'll leave you boys alone," Eve smiled evilly, which earned her an annoyed sigh from the demon. "Play nice."

"Yeah, as long as he behaves."

By the time the elf stood up, Michael had already reached his brother, a death glare on his face. She quickly pecked her boyfriend and disappeared into the crowd.

"What brings you here, Mike? I never thought you would enjoy one of Edwina's parties."

"You know all too well what has brought me to this damned place," Michael had lowered his voice to a dangerous hiss. It would be a lie to say that it did not unsettle Sebastian. Sure he expected anger, but not like this.

"I see absolutely nothing wrong with giving her a mission while you were resting."

"Sure," The young man's eyes flashed with fury. "I break a leg and you send my partner to work with another man. Without asking me."

"Relax, man. You know Lucas had your house burned down just to infiltrate the pack. Besides, they have already finished the job. " The blond stood up and glanced around the ballroom. No one had noticed them yet.

"Yeah, about that. Why isn't she back then?" Now that surprised the demon.

"What do you mean, she's not back? It's been a week since Lucas..."

Sebastian's eyes locked onto the chimera dressed in a fancy suit and surrounded by women. It couldn't be that the bastard left the girl out there alone, could it?

Michael followed his brother's eyes and gritted his teeth. In seconds he was dragging Lucas away from the crowd, music and witnesses. Sebastian followed closely, angry himself. Ever since Xanthus retired, he had to quickly adapt to the new job. Everyone praised his talent to lead and supervise, but here he was, realizing that one of the best had been abandoned and not even reported.

"Where the hell is she?"

Lucas stood in front of the brothers, a bit unsteady from the alcohol he had consumed. Yet, still sober enough to realize that he was in trouble.

"There was nothing I could do..." He began, but Michael did not allow him to finish his sentence. He fiercely punched chimera in the solar plexus.

"What was the mission, Sebastian?"

Not wishing to be doubled in pain as well, Mr Devin answered immediately.

"A group of basilisks had been sighted in the woods by the Coliron sea. I sent Miss Vervloet and Mr Warren to investigate their intentions."

"What happened?"

Lucas had regained the ability to inhale, but was more than unsure whether to answer or not. He knew that the Devin boys won't like the answer.

"She's still there."

Now it was Sebastian's turn to smack the drunk to the ground.

"Bloody hell, Lucas, what were you thinking not reporting it to me?! I could have sent reinforcements or traded-"

"They are not holding her captive." The assaulted rasped out, prepared for a ruthless beating.

It took a while for his words to register.

"You mean she's been turned to stone." It was not a question but a statement that sent chills down Sebastian's spine. He hadn't realized fully until that moment that his brother had bonded with Adriana during their partnership as friends. Friends that loyally protected each other and felt responsible if anything were to happen.

---

Neither one of them said a single word through the week-long journey. It was a week of tension, self-blame and worry. Sebastian had met the girl long before Michael even started his training and, though neither did his brother nor Adriana herself know that, he felt responsible for her safety. Figuring out that she was abandoned like that made him feel disgusted and no words could express the regret he felt. Michael was simply fuming.

"Okay, we enter here," The demon pointed to a map and trailed his finger up one of the paths. "And head south. These basilisks usually hunt at the sea during the hours of the first sun, so we shouldn't meet any..."

"But if we do, I should avoid eye contact at all costs. I know, Sebastian. It hasn't been that long since my last hunt." Michael cut it, smirking slightly as his brother secured a whip to his belt.

"Yeah, I know. But you had your leg broken by a nymph. That doesn't sound too promising, now does it?" This earner the blond a light shove. "You hit like a girl." He laughed.

"Oh, well thanks for the compliment. I mean, Adriana once knocked out a sea serpent."

"She doesn't count." Sebastian muttered. "Miss Vervloet is just a pretty man with a nice ass."

Instead of grimacing at such a vulgar statement, as Michael usually would do, he grinned. "She sure does have a nice ass."

Yeah, Sebastian did not see that coming. His little brother was no longer a prude? No way...

---

"That son of a..." Michael growled as they finally found Adriana's remains.

Lucas had left her in the middle of the woods, frozen for eternity. The younger Devin kneeled before her stony face and stared at it with pity. She had her hands up, ready for a spell, her eyes were wide with surprise and fear. Taking in her appearance, the boy noted that Adriana's clothes had been ripped and she was unarmed. What made him a bit confused was the pose itself. The red-head had her torso twisted uncomfortably, as though she fell down facing the opposite direction, but turned around on her own free will. An experienced hunter would never do that.

"Michael, we may have a problem." Sebastian whispered in a hushed tone as his eyes took in their surroundings. "Basilisks cannot fully turn the Fae to stone." Michael stood up as well, frowning. "Only medusas can."

As if on a cue the mentioned creature walked out of the shadows, grinning wickedly. Just like basilisks she could turn various life-forms to stone, if she wanted to. Medusas were very rare, though, as the hybrid between merfolk and basilisks almost never survived the first decade of their existence. It was a beautiful woman in a green gown than glistened in the light of two suns. The medusa had long dark hair that twisted and curled, as though hissing with life. She was short and tan with sharp features and evil intentions.

"Michael Devin, I see you've come for the girl that killed my sister. Good, I have a vendetta against you as well." Her voice was inhuman, high and seductive.

Both males prepared their weapons, not daring to glance at the creature.

"Not to be impolite, but you're the first medusa I've ever faced." Michael murmured as his hands grasped the cool handle of his weapon.

"No no no... My sister was no medusa. She was a beautiful selkie."

"Ah, bloody hell..." Sebastian groaned, knowing where the woman was going.

"The one you crude hunters call an omnivorous siren."

Now Michael was cursing. Another crazy monster seeking revenge. Great.

Both Devins spun around and lunged at the creature. She managed to avoid Michael's slash, but the ball of fire Sebastian had sent flying her way, collided with the woman's chest. The fire left a red patch between the collar-bones. It was hard to fight something you shouldn't lock eyes with, but the brothers were more than good at this. A few moments later, the medusa dug her nails to the blond's shoulders and hissed in pain as he plunged his hand right through the soft material of her dress and into the cool intensities of the half-reptile creature. Upon closer inspection, the hunter noticed that there were patches of scales on the creamy skin and she was quite cold.

"Release me, you fool! I will stone you both! Release me, I said!" She was twisting and struggling, but Michael paid no notice and swung his sword at her right wrist.

The hand, still twitching fell down followed by a shriek of pain and frustration.

"Sorry, but there are better ways to get stoned." Sebastian smirked, holding the medusa by the throat, his hand slowly sliding out of her stomach.

"How do I remove the spell cast on Adriana?" The black-haired hunter was not rash or impatient, but there was an edge to his voice.

"You fool! I am much more than some pesky basilisk!" She writhed in pain. "I do not cast spells!" And with those words she started laughing maniacally.

Sebastian dug his finger into her eyes, neutralizing any further threat. At least he thought so.

As she screamed and moaned, the woman secured her healthy hand around his neck, the skin to skin contact allowing her to emit the poison. It had an effect immediately. With horror Michael watched as the substance that entered his brother's organism spread, burning and compressing the cells until the blond was nothing, but a stone statue. The woman was still laughing hysterically as she collapsed, blood pooling out of her eye sockets, stomach and amputated arm.

"Now, Micky, what are you going to do now?"

8: Magic and the moon

9: Friends with a flying pillow

10: Here, kitty kitty.

- Chapter nine –

---

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."(Lao Tzu)

---

Asheron

---

"…is why you should never pet their bellies." Mrs. Quentin concluded her explanation, not that Michael was listening to a single word.

It was the last day before the trip to Limbo mountains, therefore, very few students could concentrate on the Creature Behavior Analysis class. The young man was no exception, though his reasons included a certain red-head that he was attempting to pull into his world. Michael had been quite lonely the past few days, not being able to contact Adriana. It was nearly the new moon and it suppressed the connection, the lack of magical energy making it difficult to travel.

Why exactly did they have to go to school for 20 years starting at the age of 5?

"Hey! We need to go to the arena." Caitlyn pointed out in a rushed whisper as the class started walking somewhere.

The young Devin was so absorbed in the bond that he had ignored their CBA teacher announcing the next activities.

"Why are we going there again?" This earned him a chuckle from Seigmond and an angry red glare.

"Man, you really are a lovesick puppy."

"We will be taking care of the demonic felines." Cat dismissed her boyfriend's comment for Michael and answered the question with thick irritation. "Were you asleep or something?"

"Meh..." The young man just waved her off.

They entered a large gym-like room with high ceiling. Its walls were covered in shiny caramel sunstone dust and the ground was solid black granite. The area was empty, aside from an enormous cage, full of powerful beasts. Behind bars the demonic felines hissed and growled, their elegant tails swishing from one side to the other. Most were pastel coloured, with darker intricate tattoo-like designs on their backs. Nonetheless, the most beautiful trait of a demonic feline was the mineral between their mysterious eyes, matching the fur.

"They are gorgeous!" One of Michael's classmate's, a nymph, exclaimed and the others nodded.

"Okay, class," Mrs Quentin grinned, noting the anticipation. "Every student needs to tame themselves a pet. Your next assignments will involve taking care of these beauties and cooperating with them."

A chaos of eagerness and anxiousness ensued as the teacher proceeded to open the cage and unleash the beasts upon the crowd of teenagers. A mesmerizing sight it was – the felines either stalked towards or pounced on the children, inspecting them with curiosity, yet intimidating with panther sized bodies of strength and speed.

Caitlyn, being the geeky witch that she was, immediately chose her pet-to-be. She bowed her head and extended a hand before a golden male. It gave the petite blonde a calculating look and with approval placed its head underneath Cat's palm. Seigmond followed the witch's lead, just like many other children, and received the acceptance from a pink male the same way. In ten minutes there were only six pupils and six felines left, Michael included. He scanned the arena for any potential companions and froze, eyes locked on a silver blue beast.

"This is one hell of a coincidence." He decided, but the demonic creature gave him a haughty look and grinned in a way only a cat could grin.

'Hello, Michael.'

Would you look at that - the telepathic connection was still intact.

Yeah... How exactly?

---

"We are victorious!" Sebastian raised his glass up in the air, his voice booming above men and women with great force. "Three of our own managed to eliminate the witch that had been terrorizing us for centuries and because of them Lilith is no more! Tonight we congratulate them by indulging and enjoying the peace! Tonight we celebrate the demise of evil!"

The crowd cheered, Mr Devin's speech fuelling their excitement. There were about two hundred people, all dressed up in extravagant gowns and suits. The music playing in the background of a candle-lit room was dark, passionate and expressive, amplifying the mysterious atmosphere of a maroon ballroom. Some couples spun in the middle, synchronized as dolls, while others relaxed at the tables with glasses of liquor and sweets. Under the crystal chandeliers women were elegant as wisps of smoke, while their male companions had the confidence of predators. There was one couple, though, that couldn't care less about the mystifying celebration. Like always.

"Can we go now?" Adriana muttered, her polite smile never slipping. "I swear we have spoken to each and every person in this cursed town."

"I wouldn't mind doing so," Michael took a sip of a burning and sweet beverage, eyes fixed on his brother. "However, we still need to speak to Sebastian."

As if hearing his name – and most probably that's exactly what happened – the demon started heading their way. Adriana emptied another glass of fae rum and shifted her body to face the blond. Sebastian joined their gloomy table with a charming smile.

"I couldn't help but notice that the heroes are somewhat unhappy with the party, is there anything I can do to change that?" The demon was slightly drunk himself, but his words came out powerful and hospitable.

"Just give us the next assignment and we'll get out of your hair," Adriana went straight to the point.

"Ah, you are so uptight, love."

"Seriously, Sebastian? We haven't had a break for weeks now and I personally would much rather be in bed."

"Fine, fine. However, I cannot miss the opportunity to ask the beauty here for at least one dance." At this the huntress rolled her eyes, but stood up.

"One dance and we're out of here." Adriana straightened the blood-red silk with a soft smile. No matter how tired, she loved to dance.

"Why, of course," Sebastian took her gloved hand in his and led the selene to the dance floor.

Michael, meanwhile, waved for another drink and, with little interest in what was in the glass, consumed it. He was watching the spinning pairs with little concentration. The fatigue was getting to the hunter.

After the incident with the kelpies and medusa they all returned back to the city of Ravenie, where many of the hunters resided. Three days later Lucas barged into their home, excited about the new appointment. Once Adriana had beaten him to a pulp they all set off to L'Aquil. For weeks they ambushed imps and familiars, getting barely any sleep as their hunt for the witch named Lilith ensued. Success turned their way only yesterday, when they managed to confront the murderer. It was a struggle, but the hunters performed the killing. Most astonishing part of the story? Instead of sending them home Sebastian threw a party.

So here he was, still aching and tired, but in a black unique ensemble.

"Mikey!" The annoying chimera shouted through the slow, mysterious melody. "Where's my girl?"

Lucas was obviously drunk, proving once again that he had no control over his desires. Michael decided to answer, in hopes of getting the pest to retreat.

"I will simply assume it is Adriana you're talking about. She's with Mr Devin, dancing."

"Ah, how terrible! I was just about to... eh?"

The irritant literally fell to the ground, missing the seat through the haze, amusing the vampire for a second. Then his eyes followed Lucas' gaze and narrowed in confusion. Adriana was closely pressed against the demon, her teasingly red lips whispering something in Sebastian's ear. Judging from the seductive smile the huntress wore and the astonishment on the blond's face, it wasn't hunt related. Dismissing it Michael caught a pink-haired female carrying exotic sweets and took one for himself.

The pair returned shortly after, chuckling at the way Lucas was passed out on the floor.

"I do not suppose you would like to stay any longer?" Sebastian looked from Adriana to Michael.

"Not really, I'm exhausted." The huntress replied with a smirk. "Shall we?"

She glanced at her partner, files in her gloved hands. Michael nodded and followed the huntress out of the ballroom.

They were staying in a residence that belonged to one of Sebastian's rich friends, which was not that far away. Therefore, their walk was silent. The night sky was cloudy, but neither one noted that as they entered the manor. Instead of going over the new assignment, both decided to call it a night. Without further delay Michael untied Adriana's dress (which would have been a pain in the neck for the woman), showered and with a quick 'good night' fell to his bed.

Both suns were up in the sky when Adriana awoke, her mind fuzzy but alert, nonetheless. She was still tired, but instincts told her that something was moving in the manor. While it could have been the vampire, she was not certain. Not willing to take risks she jumped out of the king sized bed, barely noticing that her attire consisted only of a modest white slip. The huntress unsheathed Michael's sword - that somehow had gotten into her room - and stealthily stepped out.

Just like usual bedrooms, the hunters' were on the second floor. Hearing the shuffling coming from underneath gave the huntress an advantage. For a second she wondered whether Michael had heard the intruder, yet decided that there was no way he hadn't. Vampires were known as very sensitive creatures, especially when it came to sound.

"Adriana?" It was as though the selene had summoned him.

Michael was already on the ground floor, hidden behind a corner, when the girl descended down the stairs. His voice was hushed, conveying one question in particular.

What should they expect?

The girl shrugged and slipped beside him, pressing her body against his to glance at the hallway and nodded towards it to announce that she was going to investigate. Michael tipped his head forward and switched swords with the girl before concentrating on the noises. As Adriana disappeared, something heavy and fragile fell to the floor, breaking in the process. The vampire immediately dashed towards the source and barely avoided a ball of fluff. The vase that had received the blow was beyond repair anyway, so no one paid attention to it.

"It's Lilith's familiar!" Adriana exclaimed and swung at the demonic feline, ever so graceful (that is, stumbling over some objects that lay on the ground).

It dodged the blow and hissed dangerously at the huntress. It was only now that Michael noticed her lack of clothing. Slightly disturbed by the interest it raised he turned away, a second too late. The silver beast landed on the hunter and roared, the grey-blue mineral between its eyes lighting for a moment.

'I'm no familiar of the witch, you fools!' It spoke inside Michael's head, glaring at the man.

Adriana jumped forward, ready to kick the fur-ball away, only to be stopped by her partner.

"It's not her familiar," The vampire declared, still on the ground.

"What is it then?"

'I'm no it you disgraceful humanoid!' The feline hissed once more, obviously disliking the huntress. 'I am Eudora. The witch had imprisoned and separated me from my master. I've come to you for help. I must return to my master's side as soon as possible.'

Michael stared for a second and then decided to voice the creature's words to the girl.

"Who's your master then?" Adriana went straight to the point, as usual.

'I'm the guardian of Luna Vervloet.'

The hunter was already aware of where this was going.

"You're Adriana's mother's familiar?" The girl, not sure of what was going on, simply stared.

'This wench is a Vervloet?!'

Instead of starting an argument, the hunter sat up, lavender eyes wide in shock. Only that wasn't the end of the excitement.

"My mother's dead." Adriana pointed out.

---

Earth

---

"Okay, I can't take it anymore. Who is it?"

Suzanne's eyes were gleaming with interest, while Adriana's reflected pure surprise.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on! You've been giggling at nothing and staring at some random spots for weeks now. A girl's patience has its limits. Who is it that you like?"

The two women were sitting on a bench outside, enjoying ice-cream. It was another summer-like spring day – full of sunshine, birds and laughter. Thus, this lunch break became the perfect opportunity for Suzy to interrogate her friend. She had been eager to do so for quite some time. The red-head, on the other hand, did not appreciate the topic as much. Sure she had her moments of choking laughter – thanks to Michael's nasty remarks – and would focus for more than a moment on one object – to make it move, burn or vanish – but it was not because she had a crush on anyone.

"You couldn't be farther from the truth," Adriana murmured, eyes on the chocolate goodness.

"Listen, you may not wish to admit it to yourself yet, but there is someone. Wait... It's not Josh, is it?" Sincere panic shot through the brunette. "Oh my God! That is why you won't tell me! It's Josh!"

"No, no, no!" Now the carmine haired female was getting frustrated. "I don't like Josh." Boy, was that a relieved sigh that Suzy released.

"If not my crush then who?"

Coming up with no means of escape, Adriana shrugged.

"His name is Michael." Who knows, maybe she was a little attracted to the boy. "But I swear we're nothing but friends."

"Wait... Isn't he like the guy you had dreamt about over a year ago?"

"Yeah... about that..."

How do you explain things without explaining them?

---

The demonic feline waited impatiently, her tail twitching with irritation.

"You know what," Adriana finally gave up, irked by Eudora's intense stare. "Why don't you just tell me what do you want?"

The panther-like beast jumped on Michael's lap and started purring.

"She wishes to know how did the gentle Luna bear a monstrosity such as yourself." The hunter scratched the creature's spine, smirking as he voiced her thoughts.

They were in a living room, at the fancy manor. Adriana was reading a book while Michael attempted to take a nap. Their last assignment – capturing a fugitive were-cat – had gone extremely well, all thanks to their new companion. Eudora was experienced in tracking and very intelligent, which was a great addition to the couple of devils. They returned home in four days, without a single scratch.

Adriana was already used to the way the feline treated her, but it still annoyed her. For unknown reasons Eudora had immediately taken a liking to the vampire and labeled his partner as an arch-enemy.

"Why are you still here, kitty? Shouldn't you just vanish to do your own thing?"

"I'm honouring my master's memory by staying close to the offspring. Did Luna marry a phoenix to have a child such as yourself?" Michael replied for the silver beast, eyes closed. "I mean what sort of a selene has such disgusting hair?"... Now that he did not agree with. The young man found Adriana's hair very appealing.

'Nonsense. She is impure.'

"You know what, cat? I don't care. You have no mission – my mother, her sister Celeste, Philip and my father all burned to death – so just move on. Leave me alone." The red-head's eyes flashed dangerously as she dashed out of the room.

'Burnt to death?'

"I know nothing of this," Michael sighed and stood up himself. "Stay here and behave. I'll talk to her."

'Forget the woman! Massage my fur, hunter!' The demonic feline arched her back and looked at the vampire, making him laugh.

"You two are identical," He decided and walked to the veranda. It was the huntress' most favourite spot in the house.

Adriana had settled on a silver swinging bench and that's where Michael found the red-head. Her eyes were closed as the wind caressed her cheeks. The air was humid, the only sun hidden behind layers of dark clouds. Michael joined the girl, silent for a while. They had been together for so long that there was little use for words in such situations. The hunter knew that if his companion had any desire to confide in him, she would do so without any encouragement. And confide in him she did.

"I was away with my friends, practising offensive spells and sunbathing when it happened." Adriana's voice was soft. She had been prepared to speak about it for so long that it was nearly a relief to finally explain things to Michael. "I still don't know why or who, but my parents were having a party of their own when they were murdered. They had invited my aunt's family for dinner that day. Someone locked the house, both manually and by magic, before burning them alive. I received the notice and rushed there, but it was the silent fire. No one could stop it, and neither could I. So I just... I just watched them all turn to ashes."

The vampire glanced at the sad blue eyes and offered a comforting smile, knowing that even after hundreds of years the pain, the longing to change something was still there, chewing at the young woman's strong soul. He opened his arms, quietly inviting the huntress to be embraced. Adriana looked exhausted and fragile at that moment. Sure, she did trust him, but Michael knew that something like a painful past was very personal. Reliving such a shocking experience, narrating it required great mental preparation from the selene.

"I'm not the hugging type..." Adriana smiled slightly, acknowledging the offer.

The mood was still gloomy, but lighter, nonetheless.

"Me neither."

Laughing at his words, the huntress gave in and wrapped her hands around the strong abdomen. Who knew Michael could be so sweet? The vampire pulled her closer by the waist, lips curved into a smile. It was now or never.

"If it's any consolation, I think your hair colour is exquisite."

"Careful, Michael. I might start liking you." The huntress chuckled against his chest, indulging in the rare safe physical contact (usually people were strangling her).

"Well then, I won't add the 'just like everything else about you'." There was a bit more seriousness in the vampire's voice than intended, but the girl paid no attention.

With a smile she pulled away and shook her head at him. Declaring that there was a book waiting to be finished off, the huntress departed, leaving Michael a bit cold. He went through the story once more, staring at the city lights in the distance and nodded off once the information had settled down in his mind.

Meanwhile, the seed of a new bond between them was already begging to sprout.

11: Unanticipated adventure

- Chapter ten –

---

"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none." (W. Shakespeare)

---

Asheron

---

The mountains were absolutely bewitching. The snowy tops glimmered in the sun, half way hidden among the peach-coloured clouds. The lower regions were even more astonishing as the colourful plants growing there created the illusion of a rainbow blanketing the rocks. Every student was taken aback by the vivid landscape and kept quiet as they unpacked. Conscientia Boarding school funded the trip for nearly two hundred pupils, yet there were only whispers as twelve groups of sixteen marched towards cute vacation cottages.

"I really don't think this is a good idea." Seigmond muttered, dissatisfied with the sleeping arrangements.

"You have nothing to worry about! Ralph is a gentleman and even if he tries something, I can take him. Tell him Mike!" Caitlyn glanced behind her, encouraging the young man to speak."Mike?"

Their group had gathered in a field and Mrs Peppers was announcing who was going to share the cottages. Each house had two separate rooms with the same number of beds in each. Seigmond, Michael and two older boys were in group C, while A group's Cat had gotten two younger girls and a male classmate – Ralph. The girl's boyfriend did not really welcome the decision.

Michael just stood there, deep in thought. His mind was fracturing into tiny fragments. Although the scenery was breath-taking there were way too many things that had the boy's attention. First of all, he was still contemplating the possibility of meeting yet another creature from the dreams. Eudora had aged, but she was alive and real. Not to mention the fact that the demonic feline could interact with him telepathically. Secondly, Michael was overwhelmed by an unfathomable need to see Adriana, no longer just a longing. There was an irritating nagging inside of him that compelled to ensure the young woman's safety. Finally, this place stirred an unusually strong sense of nostalgia. The young Devin had dreamt of the Limbo mountains, which made it difficult not to seek out one place in particular.

"Michael!" Now that was not the voice of someone Michael had expected. Which is why it efficiently returned him to reality.

"Sebastian?"

A few girls - including Caitlyn - gasped, while most boys stared at the hunter in awe and admiration. The demon was a legend, someone known very well and respected even among the youngest generations. Dressed in a simple green shirt and jeans Sebastian walked to his descendant with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Hello, kids," The hunter greeted everyone then turned his lavender eyes to the teacher. "Ah, Monique! It is a pleasure to see you again." Mrs Peppers flushed deep red, making Michael cringe unintentionally. "Could I borrow my great-grandson for a second?"

The woman nodded, here face expressing curiosity, while the rest of the group was shocked (that is, except Sebastian and Cat). No one had really been informed that Michael was Sebastian's relative. While they had the same surnames, no one really made the connection. Ignoring the looks – especially by the women – wasn't easy, but the young man managed to follow his ancestor towards one of the training facilities.

"What are you doing here?" The boy questioned once they were out of the friends' hearing range.

"I have an assignment nearby and thought that it was the perfect opportunity to see you. And test a theory of mine." Sebastian had a smirk that made his companion uneasy.

"What theory would that be?"

"You'll see once we get there."

Instead of entering the building, the blond walked past it, towards the parking area.

"It will get dark soon. How long will this take?" This was the vampire's subtle way of saying that he did not wish to continue.

"I took care of everything. You're going to stay with me, now get in the car. " Sebastian's tone wasn't demanding, but rather encouraging as he unlocked the black automobile.

It was a luxurious sports car, similar to Lamborghini Gallardo, yet with a sharper front and a different logo - a curvy H with a bubble. The young Devin whistled.

"If any of my classmates saw this work of art..."

"Yeah, that's why we're leaving now."

Laughing at his great-grandfather's subtle ways and the fact that he was about to get into Harmony 11, Michael made himself comfortable in the passenger's seat.

---

Adriana glanced at the body once more, nibbling at her bottom lip.

"What do we do now?"

Her partner rolled his eyes and continued washing the blood off in a stream. They were at the outskirts of a mountain town, trying to come up with ideas on how to get rid of a corpse. Not a very common situation for the hunters. The fact that the skin-walker had taken the form of the town's mayor did not help at all.

"You should burn it," An unknown voice answered.

A man had literally appeared out of thin air, forcing both Adriana and Michael to crouch, defensive. He was an average looking middle-aged man with side swept orange hair.

"My name is Zopyros Ufford." The stranger bowed with a smile that immediately caused the huntress discomfort. "I'm also known as the Limbo wizard? No? Nothing?" His laugh was harmonious. "Well, despite that, I'm here to help you."

Flames engulfed the dead man, startling Adriana even further. It was a live silent fire that did not spread as the heat incinerated the flesh. While it was helpful, the selene couldn't help but wish to escape the magician's presence. She couldn't pin point the exact reason as to why the wizard caused her distress, but she had long ago learned to trust her instincts. Therefore, to the red-head this man was a threat. Certain that it was better to be careful, she put on the look of unadulterated hostility. Michael noticed her change immediately and being the loyal partner that he was began the interrogation. His stance was equally unfriendly.

"Why are you here?"

They were partially covered by a few bushes and trees, but it wasn't enough to hide the fire. As the stench of burning flesh spread towards the homes, people began walking towards the mini barbecue.

"This is neither the time nor the place," The mysterious man responded, noticing the approaching audience. "I will find you when I can. For now, inform the citizens that they are safe." With those words he was gone.

Both hunters gazed at the spot confused. Not every day strange men pop out of nowhere, lit corpses and dissolve into nothing.

"They should make teleportation illegal," Adriana murmured, relaxing visibly.

The body was a pile of ashes, so the hunters had way less to explain to the town's people.

"I'll speak to Sebastian about it the next time, now, let us deal with the mob." Was the young man's reply.

---

"You need to move!" Michael urged, his handsome face splattered with mud and blood.

"I can't, you imbecile! My leg was nearly ripped off, among other things." The huntress was in a much worse shape than his. "Go away and call for backup!"

The two on them were inside a cave, quite similar to the one their first mission had taken them to, yet much bigger. The main difference, though, was that they were facing a dragon. Yes, a beautiful winged serpent that breathed fire. The creatures were so rare that some considered them to be extinct. Apparently, that wasn't the case.

"If you haven't noticed we're in a dragon's lair! Leaving you here would mean..."

A loud and angry roar shut the hunter up and announced that the beast had detected their approximate hiding spot. Adriana dug her nails into Michael's shoulders and leaned as close as physically possible, pressing her lips against his ear.

"You need to get out. Now." Her hiss was barely audible, but desperate. "I wish to live and that is the only way."

"I can barely make out the contours of the walls. That thing will kill me as soon as I step out of this hole." Michael turned his face to stare at the woman, feeling her lips brush against his cheek.

'Don't get distracted.' He told himself.

"It's our only chance." She was in a lot of pain, having lost a great amount of blood and broken a limb.

If there was a way to sway the man, it was by asking for his help. The hunter gave one curt nod and slipped away, his muscles tense. There was a bitter smile on his lips as he made his way towards the exit. Out of all possible scenarios, why did they have to face a dragon when their only purpose was to explore a rumoured complex of tunnels? It was supposed to be their day off and yet, the mountains had a surprise ready for our heroes. The obscure caves had a dangerous creature hidden in the darkness.

"Ah..." Adriana softly moaned as she readjusted her position.

The girl was not an idiot. She knew that even if Michael did make it out of the caves, there was no hope for her to survive long enough to be rescued. Thus, she closed her tired eyes and relaxed. The pain wrapped around her like a thick net, separating the woman from any sense of time. The chill soaked into Adriana's flesh like a parasite, wiggling its way towards the heart. The huntress had suffered a lot of damage - the fierce serpent hurled her against the cave wall with force only an ancient creature could possess. Its scales were those of finest material that could withstand heat and deflect all weapons, teeth - long and rough to crush bones and rip off limbs with little effort. From the wound on Adriana's abdomen, the creature's cranium was half the size of a grown man.

Adriana heard growls and the sound of scraping getting closer and prepared to have a gigantic claw crush her body. She knew that the tiny cranny could offer only so much protection. Coughing up in a fruitless attempt to clear her throat of blood, the huntress prepared to be eradicated. Yet, something very different happened. Just as the dragon's head turned to the direction of the small pocket inside the cave, the red-head felt a presence.

"This is going to hurt." Zopyros muttered with a tint of unpleasantness and that was the only warning Miss Vervloet got.

Her body writhed in pain as each and every molecule that belonged to her physical form was separated by magic and rejoined in a different location. Witches and wizards excluded, very rarely could other beings teleport, due to the negative impact the process would have on them. Being wounded, weak and one of the fae, Adriana had it even worse and the man was taking a great risk. She could have died during the process just from the effect it had on her. Luckily, the huntress survived the journey. The agony was still there, overwhelming and excruciating, however, Adriana was out of the tunnels. Not that she was aware of that. Her sight was blurry and dim, body convulsed periodically and the selene couldn't even feel the warmth of sunshine on her blood coated skin.

Adriana was nowhere near consciousness as her mind could only register fragments of reality. Somebody was shouting, there were people looming over the young woman's thrashing body. Adriana fought the aching, drowsiness and nausea that compelled her to scream, but somehow her shrieks would still escape their confinement. One individual, certainly familiar, ordered a pair of strangers to place the red-head's tattered body on a stretcher. The movement caused a jolt of pain to run through the wounded body and the Adriana let out a whimper, choking on the blood leaking into her mouth from the broken nose. 

"You're safe, Miss Vervloet," Zopyros voice reached the tortured mind. "Let go of the suffering, sleep."

His face entered the woman's field of vision and she couldn't help, but feel uncomfortable. There was something very wrong about that man. Alas, she had less than no energy. All noises and sensations dulled as the huntress fell into the darkness, her form still seizing up and trembling.

---

Earth

---

Adriana opened her bleary eyes, feeling just as terrible as she had had before falling asleep. All of her joints ached, the pounding inside the head not helping at all. When the girl tried to sit up, she realized that the sheets seemed illogically heavier. Nevertheless, it was not enough to stop the red-head from stumbling out of the bed and towards the kitchen. You see, our heroine had the flu.

"Mother?" Adriana rasped out, but only silence answered her small plea for help.

She was all alone in the house with a fever and a runny nose. Making tea took so much effort that it completely discouraged the female from preparing lunch. Grasping the warm cup and a few pills, she made her way back to the bed, fatigued after such a long journey. Once comfortable and underneath the blankets, Adriana gulped the tea and medicine down. The drugs made her drowsy, but before she could snooze off, her phone lighted up, ringing impatiently.

"Hello?" The sore throat did not help the poor child to sound less annoyed by the call.

"Hey! This is Suzy. Thought I could check up on you?" The chatter in the background made it hard to comprehend the girl's words. "Are you sick?"

"Yeah... I've got the flu. Are you at the uni?"

"Of course! How are you feeling?"

"I feel like I am dying..." Adriana moaned into the phone. "I can barely move."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I need to go now, but I'll stop by your place later. Do you want me to bring anything?" The chatter grew fainter.

"You don't need to come. I don't want to infect you!"

"Do you want anything or not?"

"...Dried apricots." Adriana's flushed cheeks grew redder.

"Dried apricots it is then! See ya."

As Suzy hung up, the red-head was still smiling to herself. Suzanne was a very good friend. Even when Adriana told her that Michael was only a childhood friend, she hadn't seen till a few months ago, the girl did not press the subject. There was doubt in her honest eyes, but she respected her friend's wish to keep some things private. The brunette was one of those people you could trust not to dwell into your secrets, but still be there for you when the time came. Pretty much like Michael, Adriana thought.

Ah, Michael. She hadn't seen him in so long. Practising magic was so much fun, but she also wished to simply talk to the boy. He was funny and straightforward.

Adriana missed him.

---

Michael paced in front of the white doors, hands clasped behind his back. All bandaged up and sedated he was still nervous about his partner's health. The teleportation caused her wounds to open even wider and an unpredictable amount of inner damage. While the hunter was of little use in patching up the girl, he considered it to be his duty to stand by Adriana's side. However, the medical staff forbade something like that, drugged him even tried locking him up in another ward. Although Michael did succeed in escaping the capture, he couldn't get into Adriana's room.

'You look pathetic.' Eudora purred, stretched over a leather seat.

Though she had missed all the action, she was there now to make fun of Adriana, once she awoke.

"Well, excuse me. I got beaten by a dragon." Was his sarcastic reply.

'The wench will survive a few scratches. You should be grateful to have stumbled upon a...'

While the feline did nothing wrong, Michael couldn't help but blow up at her. He had so much pent up rage and frustration that the elegant creature had to do little to provoke the vampire.

"If you call her anything but Adriana or Miss Vervloet ever again, I will feed you to that damned dragon. " Voice dangerously low, purple eyes locked with silver ones, he deadpanned.

Before either of them could mutter another word, an elderly lady briskly walked out of the room, where a dozen of people were mending the young woman.

"Mr Devin! You should be in bed, not wandering around like a lost puppy!" She exclaimed.

Michael tried to grasp anything that would inform him of Adriana's condition, but the doors were shut faster than he could glimpse inside.

"How is her condition?"

"Stable. Listen to me, child. We need to get you back to..."

"I will stay here until I see her."

"Oh, for the love of God! Such callowness! Your skin is grey, you need fluids and rest."

"Not before I see her."

The doors opened once more, cold light coming from the white room, and Sebastian stepped out.

"Let him in, Ingrid. He won't budge otherwise."

"But, Mr Devin..."

Not waiting for the final verdict, Michael stepped around his brother and walked towards the only bed surrounded by individuals dressed in white. Zopyros and Sebastian were the only ones that did not wear the staff's get up and stood farther from the patient. The hunter gazed at his friend and flinched. Adriana's skin was chalky white from blood loss, but little of it was left after the dragon had tossed her around the caves. Although those creatures were blind, they had great hearing and could inflict severe damage.

"She has an open fracture, internal bleeding, five broken ribs and a punctured lung." Sebastian explained in a gentle voice, his eyes focused on his brother's grief stricken face. "However, the doctors are sure that she will pull through."

"You need to go and take care of yourself instead," The wizard added, drawing the vampire's attention to himself.

"You." Michael hissed, ignoring the thirst Adriana's blood had ignited within his body. "How did you know where to find us?"

"I came over your house and the demonic feline was kind enough to inform me of your trip to the mountain tunnels."

Zopyros had a blank face, but his words seemed genuine. The vampire nodded in approval and turned back to his partner, wobbling slightly. There was a slight nagging that something wasn't right about Zopyros finding them just like that, but his head was pounding and the man decided to leave conspiracy theories for later.

"Let's go. You need to rest as well." Sebastian urged, his hand stabilizing the young man.

"Why did it attack her?" The vampire replied with a question of his own.

"What do you mean?"

"It went only for Adriana. I got hurt only because I tried to help her. Why did it charge only at her?"

Mr Devin looked at his drugged brother and gently pulled Michael out of the room, thinking of anything to say.

"Maybe Miss Vervloet has a history with the creature."

"Adriana had never seen a dragon before. Neither one of us had."

"Then she was simply unlucky." The demon dismissed the issue.

Which was a mistake, because the dragon was a sign that something much worse was approaching.

12: Children with matches

 Chapter eleven –

---

"When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving one's self, and one always ends by deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance."

(Oscar Wilde)

---

Earth

---

Adriana glared at the ceiling with hatred one could expect only from an exhausted and feverish girl. It was 3 am, but the feeling of being smothered by the blankets, clothes and even air kept the red-head awake. Surprisingly, her thoughts would constantly drift back to a certain young man, his mysterious world and magic. How cool would it be, if Michael would appear and heal her, just like in her dreams?

...Or at least bring a glass of water.

"I guess I could try that myself..." Adriana murmured as her eyes locked on the mentioned object.

Concentrating as much her dizzy mind would allow, the red-head willed the glass to move. The magic tingled her flushed skin, tiring the girl even further. Something seemed to drain from Adriana and electrify her in the process. Nonetheless, her efforts were not futile as it twitched towards the edge of a table. At first, the object barely moved, but a second later an invisible hand pushed the glass a good inch or so. Painfully slow it moved towards the edge, but it was one of those rare moments that Adriana could do magic, so she continued. She was finally successful.

Only when the time came for the glass to float it plummeted to the ground, spilling whatever it had all over the carpet.

"Didn't go as well, as expected, huh?" Michael's teasing voice startled the girl.

"How long have you been here?" Adriana's question was more than understandable, considering the fact that the vampire was invisible.

"Ever since you began doing the spell, but the connection was so dim that you couldn't hear me. Are you okay?" The young boy was looking intently at his friend, noticing the glossy eyes, tangled hair and a mountain of medicine nearby.

Feeling rather conscious of her appearance, the girl nestled deep within the covers before answering. "I'm ill, that's all."

"Would you like anything?"

The mattress near the young woman's feet sunk, alerting her of the vampire's presence. Absentmindedly Adriana pulled the covers closer, smiling at him.

"Not really, although you could heal me with that mumbo jumbo of yours." Michael returned the smile silently.

"I can't, sorry. I am very good at offensive spells, but healing is out of my league." Glancing at the girl he reached out to touch her. "Could you try to strengthen the connection?"

"Hmm?" Was her curious reply.

"Please?" Grinning at the boy she began focusing on his presence.

"You've taken a shower not long ago." She noted the scent of soap.

Michael chuckled and tried initiating physical contact, but was unsuccessful.

"I went to sleep not too long ago. Sebastian offered to train me and I kind of lost track of time."

Minutes later, Adriana heaved a defeated sigh.

"You'll need to shock, annoy or seduce me into strengthening the bond." She explained, not really surprised that he was still a ghost.

"I could definitely seduce you into anything, but I need my body for that." Was his cocky reply.

Adriana groaned and rolled into a ball. Her eyelids were fluttering as she looked at the spot, where Michael should have been.

"Tell me something about Asheron. How are Caitlyn and Seigmond doing? Is everyone alright?"

The vampire looked around the room, thinking of what could really interest the girl, but in the end told everything he could remember. Everything about a different world was exciting.

---

Eudora was once again curled on Michael's lap when Penelope Bello returned to the mansion with Adriana. Both women were dressed up in loose flowy champagne blouses and matching olive green pencil skirts. The hunter had just taken a shower after a run, so water was dripping onto the sliver bench from his damp black hair. The veranda was an excellent relaxation and waiting spot. As the huntress approached Michael, Eudora harrumphed in annoyance and escaped to the bushes.

"How are you, ladies?" The vampire offered a polite smile.

"Exhausted." Was Adriana's response as she slumped beside him. "We've been to three fire sites and there wasn't a single hint as to who was setting them."

"Meanwhile, the arsonists were murdering another unlucky family." Penelope's voice was sad and pained. "I think it is absolutely ridiculous that they are wasting time on 'investigating'. Even Mr Devin finds lack of action unnerving."

The selene released a pitiful sigh, her fingers pulling pins out of the messy red bun one by one. She wasn't one to look at the crime scenes instead of dissecting murderers, but her condition did not allow any other activity. Michael didn't like such passiveness as well, yet it was necessary. No one knew who or why, but someone had been burning people alive. There wouldn't be any witnesses left, much less survivors, after the attack. The victims were of different social status, race and from all over the world. The arsonists showed no mercy, murdering people of all age and gender. How many had perished? No one could say for sure. Some accidents could have easily been the attacks and there were no people to notice. It was estimated that the body count was nearly 200.

"The journalists had decided to name this group the Lucifer's Angels." The white haired woman murmured. "Some even believe that Lucifer himself had joined these monsters."

Lucifer was one of the eldest fire elementals. Sadly, he was also one of the mentally ill creatures that enjoyed the suffering of others and was truly evil incarnate. He discriminated women, despised children and anyone weaker than him. To Lucifer his race was superior to all the others, while any hybrid had no worth. Neither Adriana nor Michael had met him, but horror of massacres he had initiated reached every generation.

"No wonder, he has never been caught." The hunter murmured, reaching out to help the red-head untangle her locks as lifting hands any higher became painful. "And his only son disappearing from the most secure prison spooked people."

Lucifer's son was barely seven years old when the brainwashed boy - already hateful towards the weak and sickly – vanished. It caused hysteria among many communities. Little did the people of Asheron know that they were safe - this little monster had gone to cause devastation somewhere else.

"So nothing to go on?" The vampire had his eyes on the curls between his fingers.

"No, nothing."

They spoke about other things for a while, but soon it was time for the witch to go. Penelope smiled and teleported back to Sebastian's headquarters. Once the two hunters were alone, Michael placed his hand around the girl's shoulders and pulled her to his side. He had a thoughtful look that turned to an expectant one.

"So, what do you know?"

"Everything there is to know about these delinquents." The huntress had a self-satisfied glow around her. "We leave in the morning."

---

Michael could feel the girl drifting off to sleep as the connection between them began fracturing, making him fluctuate. Looking at her flushed cheeks he suddenly became painfully aware of the fact that the two of them were alone and Adriana was quite defenceless as well. The feeling reminded him all too well of the way the hunter Michael would longingly gaze at the huntress. It was a similar sensation to that of a thirst, yet unique in a way. The young man knew fairly well what could satisfy the need for liquids, but when it came to the red-head... Would a simple touch be enough? Or would he hunger for more? To hold her, to kiss her...

"I'm going to sleep..." Adriana murmured, completely unaware of the inner turmoil that her friend was experiencing. "Until next time."

"Yeah..." Mouth dry, Michael leaned down.

Although he could not touch her, the proximity was still intoxicating. One kiss would be enough, no? Just one...

And to his surprise, just before Adriana fell into the darkness, his lips gently grazed her warm cheek. The boy jumped back, terrified and exhilarated by the experience. Yet, it wasn't even close to being enough, he understood as his spirit faded from Adriana's world. How could a hungry man be satiated by crumbs? Lips and soul itself burning, the young mad returned to his own bed, no longer capable of sleeping.

---

Adriana reached for her toes, stretching beneath the rising suns, coated in the dawn's glamour. She was outside, enjoying the new day. Her muscles were still sore and the wounds ached, but the huntress couldn't allow the body to lose its flexibility and strength. Not when she was about to face the group that had murdered people with no mercy. Intent on destroying such psychopaths the selene had risen early from slumber. She was not aware that Michael had done so as well, disturbed by her shuffling.

"Good morning," The vampire greeted, voice raspy from unused.

Startled - not that Adriana would ever admit to it - the girl jumped to her feet and glanced at the balcony, feeling the lavender eyes boring into her. The selene offered a slight smile, acknowledging her partner's presence. Michael looked crumpled and tired, but there was fire livening up his features, even the black bags underneath those mesmerizing eyes.

"You're up early," He noted.

"Yeah, I was rather excited about today," Adriana's smile stretched.

"Hmm, are you sure you're up for it?"

"What do you mean?" The girl had a surprised look on her face. "I can take out a few children with my hands tied behind my back."

Instead of replying the vampire motioned for the huntress to wait and made his way outside. Just as Adriana was about to ask why he did that, Michael grabbed her left hand and swung the girl over his shoulder, slamming her hard against the ground without holding back. Although all air was knocked out of Adriana's lungs, it didn't take long to recover. Pushing herself off of the damp grass, the huntress attempted to kick her partner's shin. The try was unsuccessful and wasting no time Michael pinned Adriana to the ground once more, his knee pressed against her stomach.

"I've been thinking all night about this, but if I can take you out this fast..." The hunter wasn't even breathless. "Maybe we should just inform Sebastian about the situation."

"No! I am capable of returning to my duties. It's been days since the dragon. Ugh!" The selene grunted, in as much pain as pressing against barely healed ribs could cause.

"You will not go anywhere. Not until you can defend yourself."

Furious with the man, Adriana looked away, not noticing the apologetic tone. Upon seeing no resistance, the hunter stepped away, but stayed near enough to stop the girl from dashing to save the world from every bad thing there was. The huntress simple rose and slumped back inside, trying to hide the agony her sore body was in after such blows. Michael followed closely, silent as he observed the slack jaw and nearly invisible limp.

"Tell Sebastian what I had told you," Adriana demanded, just before pointedly stepping on Eudora's tail. "I'll be in my room."

---

Sebastian arrived shortly after Michael had sent the letter. During that time the easiest and fastest way to deliver messages was by using teleportation magic infused envelopes. They couldn't travel just anywhere, yet there were established points. Luckily, Sebastian was currently in hunter headquarters and bored out of his mind. It didn't take long for him to fetch Penelope. The woman left immediately, noticing the serious look on the younger Devin's face.

When Adriana had finally decided to stop moping around and speak to Sebastian, she ventured into the living room only to find both males laughing and enjoying fine liquors. Hands on hips, the huntress looked intimidating like a strict mother.

"Really, you cannot enjoy an evening without a bottle?" She noted bitterly.

"Oh, come one, Adriana! Let us have some fun." Sebastian winked and patted a seat by himself. "Rather join us."

"No, thank you," The girl declined. "The last time your brother got drunk he couldn't keep his hands off of me. I'd rather not be present when he starts groping around again."

Michael's reaction was most amusing. He began coughing, the liquor no longer willing to go down his throat. Those lavender eyes pinned the selene with questions that he didn't wish to be answered. The poor vampire was so shocked that he couldn't utter a word.

"What?"The blond male took the lead, although he did look just as confused.

Shrugging Adriana offered an answer as vague as possible.

"When intoxicated all Devins become quite impulsive."

No matter how intrigued it was to observe both men asking each other when and what had happened, the huntress spun around to leave the room. Only to be blocked by Eudora, who stepped any bickering that was about to ensue.

'Tell this child to stay.' The feline ordered Michael. 'I need to speak to all of you.'

"And where have you been, kitty?" The huntress muttered bitterly once seated.

'I had been exploring.' She hissed. 'There's something I discovered tonight. As the wench already had informed the hunter, the arsonists are a group of teenagers, but it's not that simple. It seems that they are descendants of the previous Lucifer's followers.'

"Many had guessed that much." Sebastian pointed out.

'It is also clear that the former are responsible for the demise of the Vervloet family.'

Even as Michael voiced the words, he didn't realize what importance it held to his partner. Adriana went pale in return.

"My parents were killed by Lucifer's people?"

"That's not all..." Sebastian glanced at the girl with pity. "The true target was you, Adriana, as a lunar spirit born under the blood moon."

"But if it were so, they would have come after me again." Adriana looked baffled.

"We drove them into hiding not too long after the attack." The demon was as sober as one could be. "I'm sorry..."

"That's why you were there!" The huntress stood up as the realization hit her. "That's why you took me in, trained me!"

"Sebastian?" Michael looked just as surprised.

'There's something you should know about the new kids as well. One of their familiars blabbed that they have a hit list. Three guesses who most probably is on it?'

"Ah... Shit."

13: The griffin's nest

-Chapter twelve-

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"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." (Mahatma Gandhi)

---

Asheron

---

Sebastian found his great-grandchild awake suspiciously early in the morning. The kitchen window was open, allowing the fresh air to swoop into the room, followed by the energetic songs of feathered creatures. The demon's confusion grew as he noted the anxious look on Michael's exhausted face. They sat down with warm cups of coffee in silence, enjoying the scenery through an enormous window. Sebastian was a wise and experienced man, therefore, he could tell when his descendant required help. What years and knowledge couldn't provide though, was the way to subtly question what was bothering the vampire.

"You okay, kid?"

"Yeah, sure." Michael sounded a bit uncomfortable, but made no move to get away.

"I suspect it is the dreams, no? Or did I hurt you that bad yesterday?" Tossing the boy around hadn't seemed all that terrible before bruises formed on his body.

"No, I'm fine. It's just that… The dreams are clearly connected to my present somehow and I have no idea why."

"What do you mean, Mike?"

"During my last lesson I met a demonic feline by the name of Eudora." Sebastian looked perplexed.

"I had thought the creature had perished along with my brother and Adriana. Are you certain it was her?"

"Eudora could talk to me telepathically." Michael smirked in cocky manner. "I doubt that's very common. Demonic felines are capable of forming telepathic connections to very few selected individuals. "

"That is true. Did she tell you anything? Perhaps about Michael's death?" The last question surprised both men by the way it created a very tense atmosphere. "I apologize for saying it that way, however, my brother's demise caused me a great amount of pain."

"Eudora mainly interrogated me for the short period of time that Mrs Quentin gave for interacting with the felines. What do you know of your brother's death, Sebastian?"

"I know that Michael and Adriana were sent to retrieve an ancient artefact, rumoured to have been stolen by a certain group of fire elementals."

"Lucifer's angels."

"Yes. It seems someone had sensed the object and a pair of hunters were necessary to acquire it from a dangerous location. However, no one expected a level fife danger. For some reason the two of them stumbled upon a pack of shadows wolves and..." The pause said it all. "We found what was left of the bodies two months after."

"I'm sorry, Sebastian. No one deserves something like that. I will ask Eudora if she knows anything."

"I would be grateful." The twinkle of mischievous pink returned to the demon's irises. "Nevertheless, I doubt that the cat caused insomnia and agitation. We're men, so I won't offer you to talk about it. Spill your bloody guts whenever you need to, just know that I will always be here to listen. Or ignore. Depends on the subject."

Laughing Sebastian motioned outside, raising an eyebrow.

"Sure, let's go and get my ass kicked." Michael murmured as he rose to follow the ancient hunter with mad skills.

"Oh boohoo. It's called learning."

---

Adriana grunted as her feet collided with an unexpected rock and she lurched forward. Luckily, Michael was near to catch her hand and prevent the face-plant from occurring.

"Are you certain that we need to visit Gerard?" The hunter questioned worriedly, noting the paleness and instability of his companion.

"He requested to see me and there's nothing stopping us. Why not?" The irritation was clear both on Adriana's face and in the girl's voice as she snatched her hand away from the concerned vampire.

"Well, for one, you're in no condition to travel. Secondly, there might be a horde of maniac arsonists after you, and finally, we both know that the request was for help, which I highly doubt you can provide in your condition. " As the hunter listed reasons, the selene's face clouded with frustration and shame.

She couldn't deny a single thing and it bothered the woman incredibly. Even after all the time she had spent mending her wounds, Adriana's body was still fragile, easily overpowered and difficult to manoeuvre. While Michael had to keep a close eye on her, the huntress could not resist the house arrest simply because of her state. The only reason they were travelling to see Gerard Duncan was the fact that Adriana had sworn up and down nothing dangerous could happen anywhere near his villa. According to the red-head this was the perfect spot for vacation.

"We're only an hour away from the villa. It doesn't matter anymore, Michael." She snapped.

Adriana truly tried not to use the man as a scapegoat. She knew he was only looking out for her, but the constant worry and gentleness made the selene's vulnerability much more apparent, which in return embittered Adriana. The hunter tolerated all the insults and hostility, never wavering, but it wasn't fair and the girl knew that much. Sighing, the huntress glanced at her partner with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to respond in such a manner."

Michael sent her a smile and shrugged.

"I know that you are impatient to return to the field, but it doesn't matter. Those Lucifer's followers can wait for you to heal and in the meantime, I'll protect you. That's what friends are for, Adriana." The vampire spoke in simple manner, but he meant each word and his companion could tell that much.

"Thanks, but now I feel awkward. I kind of wish Eudora was here to call me a wench." The girl chuckled.

The demonic feline had announced that she was going on a holiday. An amusing statement indeed, but by the time Gerard's plea for assistance arrived, the creature had embarked on her mysterious journey. Hence, the two hunters were travelling alone once more.

The journey took less time than anticipated and the pair reached Mr Duncan's residence right before midnight. Gerard was a middle-aged happily married man with four sons. The family had great influence over the hunters as they used their elfish knowledge and skills to mould weapons and create easily applicable medicine. In his letter, the man had requested Adriana to watch over their home for six nights, which included taking care of the family's pet Merlin – a majestic griffin. The animal required to be groomed and have at least three hours of exercise daily. Nothing the selene couldn't handle, since she had known Gerard for years and had many opportunities to interact with the creature.

The youngest son Maxim ran out to greet the hunters, exited to see Adriana once more. He introduced the family to Michael and rushed them inside. Before they knew it, the Duncans had left and the two of them were alone in a nice looking house. Adriana couldn't stop smiling and telling her partner stories about the elves, while Michael inspected his surroundings curiously.

"You will certainly love Merlin," The girl promised as they climbed up to the rooftop. "He is the most intelligent griffin I have ever met!"

"I do not doubt that," Michael grinned, intrigued himself. "These creatures are fairly rare."

The griffins were wise and inventive animals with tremendous wings, sharp beaks and soft fur. Sadly, they had been growing extinct for some time now because their female partners could no longer produce more than two eggs every century. On the other hand, the scarcity of the griffins was the reason why people of Asheron took such great care of them.

"Here we go!" With unnecessary force the eager huntress opened the wooden double doors.

The griffin momentarily froze mid-pace, his amber eyes darting from the nest to the girl. Finally, it released a friendly screech, recognizing his friend and pounced towards Adriana.

"Is it really a good idea to get so close to it? They are known to cause damage." Michael stepped forward, concerned for the seemingly defenceless partner. However, neither Merlin nor his object of affection halted.

"He is nothing, but a big ball of friendliness!" The red-head laughed, encircling the feathered neck with one hand and stroking the soft fur on the back with the other.

Merlin chirped in approval and rather haughtily glanced at the vampire. The message was clear – back off, vamp. The hunter raised a questioning eyebrow, but decided to leave the matter alone. Instead, he turned his gaze to the massive nest in the center of the roof. At first, it seemed like an ordinary, though oversized, bird nest, but upon further inspection, the man noticed that the wood was covered with layers of metal and the inside was overlaid with cushions. He turned back to the wrestling friends to ask how the creature did such a thing, but froze in surprise instead. Adriana was sitting on top of the beast, smiling a lovely smile as Merlin stretched his back, bronze fur glistering.

"Flying on top of a griffin is not the safest thing in the world," The vampire pointed out, just as the creature began to flap its powerful wings, scattering the woman's hair like fire.

"You live for only so long, Mr Devin!" The girl laughed and waved her partner goodbye.

Michael shook his head and watched the happy griffin fly into the starry sky with the huntress. It was a clear moonlit night and he didn't feel like being an overprotective father. The vampire walked towards Merlin's lair, not feeling invasive at all. He was also certain that Adriana won't get too far since the Duncans had given him a whistle that made their pet return immediately.

"And what do we have here," The man mused to himself as his eyes scanned various objects.

There were many things with shiny surfaces, half eaten fruit and a cabbage sized white ball. Griffins were prone to collecting jewellery, glass shards, even weapons, they liked to snack on fruits and fish, but what did not fit in was the round object. It emitted the scent of rotting meat and was half-way hidden underneath the colourful blanket, doubtlessly meaning that it was the most precious thing in the nest. Being the curious man that he was, Michael stepped over the stolen basket of lemons and lifted the cloth.

"If this is what she calls the safest place, I think we need to discuss the definition of safety." The vampire muttered before blowing the whistle, its sound shattering the peaceful silence of the night.

The night sky was clear and the moon shone bright, illuminating the vampire's tired face and emphasizing the black circles underneath his eyes. He could have used some time off.

Merlin returned in mere seconds, a worried Adriana on his back. Meanwhile, Michael continued to stare at his findings.

"What is it, Mike?" The selene, rejuvenated by the celestial body, jumped off of the beast and quickly made her way towards the young man.

Even before she saw it, there was something in Michael's lavender eyes that had alerted the woman of the danger. Nonetheless, it did not prepare the huntress for what she was about to lay her eyes upon. Her lips pressed into a thin line, eyes the colour of the sky once she saw the object.

It was a head.

---

Asheron

---

"So, where are we going?" Michael asked for the thousandth time, but his ancestor simply stayed silent as he drove the gorgeous machine. "Fine, I'll just guess. It has to do something with that theory of yours, doesn't it?" The slight twitch of Sebastian's lips gave him away. "Aha! And I assume it will include a place from my dreams?"

"You grew up to be a very observant young man, Mike." The demon noted, his face lit with a grin.

"I hate that nickname. Will you ever tell me where the hell are we going? Is it the dragon's lair?"

"Intelligent and stubborn. Indeed a Michael Devin. No, we are going to visit a place, where my brother met Adriana for the first time."

"Impossible, the first mission was the siren and we are nowhere near its domain."

"That was the first appointment, yes. However, the first time they met was during their training."

"What do you mean? I have no memories of something like that happening." Michael looked indeed puzzled.

"I do not expect you to. Michael had no idea either. I'll explain once we get there."

Shrugging the vampire relaxed into his seat and felt himself slowly dozing off. The purr of the engine, automobile's scent and deep music playing in the background encouraged Michael's eyes to close and his mind to venture into the memories of his dead ancestor once more.

 

14: The girly potion