Shimmer |✓|

//Burn// Part 1

"Naomi... where is this coming from?" I took his hand and placed it on my heart. His eyes widened. "I should have heard it. I apologize... With all the commotion, I never noticed."

"It's okay. I'm not really sure when it stopped beating either. I just know that I'm somehow dead and somehow alive--and while it makes perfect sense for a Vampire, it doesn't for me." I had graduated. Tidus no longer needed my blood to feel Human. With a touch of my palm, I could make his grey heart skip.

"Some things are without explanation. A scientist would call it an anomaly, but a believer would call it a miracle." Tidus gathered my hands in his and kissed my forehead. "Question everything, Naomi, but never question your strength. You have conquered life and death. You are fearless... and something to be feared."

I smiled, a tidal waves of emotion swelling in my chest. The lights flickered, and I exhaled. "My magic is still out of whack. If I can't even conquer that, how am I supposed to stop Catherine? She's already taken so much--"

"Except your power. Your magic has doubled--it goes beyond what she's imagined. You can use this to your advantage."

Yes, but how! I loosed a frustrated growl; this time the power cut out entirely. We were stranded in the dark for about five seconds before Jeeves had the castle generators running. The lights were dimmer than before, but still functional. I could relate.

"I'm sorry." I gave Tidus a sheepish smile, stuffing my hands in my back pockets. "I know I've been on edge. But I've been thinking, a lot--and not just about me, but about Catherine too. She keeps saying my magic is hers, as if it belonged to her or something. Why would she think that?"

"Because Catherine is unloved, which makes her selfish. She wants things that don't belong to her."

"Well, I'm selfish too, and this magic--it's mine now. I remember how out of control I felt when it ran away from me, all the horrible things I wanted to do... I can only imagine what would happen if Catherine had that kind of power. " I sighed, and took his cold hands in mine. "Look, Ti, I know you aren't happy about what happened between me and Hadrian, but if Claudia is still a live, maybe Ethan can convince her to help--I know she still cares about him. Maybe he and I can convince Hadrian to let her help us. Claudia might know a spell to cure the rabid, at the very least she can remove the verbena from my blood--"

"What? Why would I--"

"What Catherine did to you is upsetting for us both, but I must admit, I rather enjoy the idea of you inaccessible to other Vampires. Especially now that you are... you: the hybrid who became a goddess." Tidus brushed the back of his hand along my cheek, and the lights dimmed even further. "Besides, Hadrian isn't to be trusted any more than Claudia. He has her now. Consider her dead."

And with my permission, Tidus used his super speed to sweep me off my feet and return me to his bedroom, where the only discussions were roars and sighs.

*             *            *

The following night, I prowled through the crowd at the Garou pack meeting, feeling like a stranger amidst my own people–a monster in wolf's clothing. My eyes burned gold, my claws still lengthened, my teeth re-grew more beastly than ever, but I dared not shift. How could I ever learn to be a Wolf without my Wolf? But my party was busted when my Spidey senses kicked in.

Enemy forces had descended upon the warehouse, strangers, the familiarity of whose alien powers I sensed the second they entered my radius... Witches. 

Catherine's spies.

I searched every pair of golden eyes, and the regular ones between–some wide, some narrow, and some that didn't belong... And the more Ethan spoke, the angrier I became. He stood upon the platform, announcing Lucas' reinstatement to the Leadership. Lucas, who would be the acting Elder until my grandfather's return--