How are you feeling? Alison heard in her head. She was laying in bed, buried under her covers with the lights off, and brooding about her future. How could you not worry about what the future held when you were dating, and your child could be the being that brings about the end of the world?
I'm alright. Just tired. Alison answered, which wasn't a complete lie.
I've had Zoe keeping an eye on you, I hope you don't mind. The vampire answered.
Alison smiled softly, and sat up, looking around the room and wondering which shadow the shade was hiding in. You're worried about me, I'm not surprised.
I can't help it. I wanted to give you space, but also know if you needed me. Kira answered.
Are you coming up?
I'm on my way.
Sure enough, Kira opened the door as Alison finished settling back into her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. Kira made her way over to the other side and crawled under the covers, spooning the wolf from behind and nuzzling her nose into her neck.
Alison couldn't help but notice the faint glow on the wall and furnature in front of her, that moved ever so slightly. She quickly realized that it was the glow from Kira's eyes, illuminating the wall. "Why do vampires have glowing eyes, but werewolves don't?" The wolf questioned.
"I'm not sure. An evolutionary trait perhaps?" Kira shrugged wrapping her arms around Alison's stomach and holding onto her tightly. "I know werewolves have good sight in the dark, but can see even better when in their werewolf form. I know your eyes in your wolf form do glow, just not as vibrant as mine do."
"But if that was the case then wouldn't yours only glow in your true form?"
Kira chuckled. "Vampires gave up the use of their 'true' form for the stealth of this human form. For all intensive purposes, this is my true form. I can simply revert to my beast form if I ever need brute force over my agility and stealth."
"I've never seen you take that form." Alison noted.
"And hopefully you never will." Kira answered.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I don't find that form useful. Aviri sometimes has use of brute force, but I don't. I like to be up close and personal, and use my speed as much as I can. I don't have any interest in using brute force to solve my problems because if I did, then I'd have you."
"Rude."
"But true. You're much stronger than me physically, and likely so even if we both assume our beast forms. Either way." Kira shrugged. "I don't enjoy being reminded I have a demon inside me. So I try my very best not to use that form."
"I'll try and give you a nice dream." Alison smiled softly.
"Please do."
---
Alison watched as Alice readied herself as she stood in front of Drake who had shifted into his werewolf form. He was studying the vampire warily, waiting for her to strike out and attack, but she was patiently waiting for him to make the first move, and showed no signs of changing that.
"Are you sure Alice won't kill him?" Veronica asked, nudging Kira as the rest of them were all gathered around to watch.
"Sarah and Sapphire are here. Sarah can use magic to heal, and Sapphire's dragon breath can heal, so even if Alice did kill him they could save him. Plus, I actually think she has more resistance than I do." Kira admitted, though she certainly didn't seem happy about it.
"What's that supposed to mean? How could she be able to resist hurting people more than you can?" Jack asked.
"Since Alice spent a lot of time hurting people, and giving into her demon, it doesn't ask much of her. So she can ignore it. Because I spend most of my time resisting it's erges, I have a harder time shutting it up, even with Zoe. Since I'm just starting to let go a bit more, I still need time before I can. Plus, she didn't have an arena that instantly healed wounds, so she had to make sure she wasn't killing the people she was training with, otherwise she wouldn't have teachers or students."
"That last part makes more sense." Veronica laughed. "Why didn't you start with that?"
Drake gave up waiting for Alice to strike, and stepped forward and swung his claws over her head as she easily ducked under the blow before standing up and watching him curiously. "I feel bad." She admitted, not taking her eyes off him.
"Why would you say that?" Drake questioned, stepping back nervously even though he flexed his claws, ready for an attack.
"They train wolves differently in this world. You value strength above everything, and our whole lives we've been trained to use our strength, but to also use our enemy's strength against them. So I can easily win this fight." Alice explained.
"That's yet to be proven."
"You can heal him if I break his arm?" Alice asked, tilting her head towards Sarah so she knew she was being spoken to.
"It shouldn't be too hard." The mage shrugged.
"Please don't kill anyone sis." Nodens sighed.
Alice smirked, her eyes spiraling with her wild nature. When Drake swung his claws again, she grabbed the back of his wrist with one hand, and planted her foot in his ribcage, ripping his arm from the socket before throwing him over her shoulder. Even in her human form she was easily able to lift the wolf and throw him like a sack of potatoes.
"Alice!" Sapphire whined.
"If it was a real fight she would have put her foot into his elbow." Kira noted.
"That would have broken the bone." Jack scoffed.
"That's the point." Alison laughed.
"She said she could hold back!" Jack added.
Alice moved over to Drake who was clutching his shoulder, now on one knee still in his wolf form. She took his hand and raised it so his arm was straight. "Ready?" She questioned, getting him to nod. She quickly popped his shoulder back into the socket with a loud cracking/popping sound where he fell onto his back with a wolfish whine.
"Alice is no longer allowed to participate." Jack noted, getting the vampire to shrug.
"You invited me."
"Technically he invited me." Sapphire laughed.
Alice turned and looked to Kira who was watching curiously. "Would you like to have a go?" She asked the Nightshade. "You could fight me as normal, since neither of us ever actually tried killing each other."
"I guess there's no harm." Kira shrugged, moving towards the center of the clearing so she was facing Alice as Drake dragged himself out of the way and into the brush so he could change back into his human form without anyone seeing his junk.
"Rules?" Kira asked.
"No weapons or magic." Alice answered. "I promise not to use my knife."
"I promise not to use my daggers." Kira grinned, gently touching her fist to Alice's as a sign of respect before they both took two steps back and readied their stances.
The back of Kira's feet came off the ground like she was going to dash forward before she paused and turned her head, clearly listening to someone talk in her thoughts. "What!? Are you certain?"
Alice lowered her stance looking concerned, and Alison found herself unable to hear her girlfriend's thoughts clearly for the moment. She assumed the interferance was due to Peredite, or Aviri, but she couldn't be sure till after Kira explained.
"Why would she do something like that?" Kira asked, turning her head to look at the ground before turning around completely, and walking past Alice towards the river.
"Can you hear the conversation?" Veronica questioned, nudging Alison on the shoulder.
"No, but I'm sure with that kind of reaction she'll tell us as soon as she can." Alison explained.
Kira seemed to continue the conversation without speaking out loud anymore, before finally turning towards the others with a sigh. "Zia is coming to visit once more, this time she's already shown up without an explanation. When she arrived, Minerva was there with her trying to get her mother to leave but with no success. It seems that Agora found a way to blame Alice for Alison's birth." Kira explained.
"That's not a good thing." Veronica noted.
"No. Zia wants to see both Alison and Alice at the castle."
"Now they want me in the castle?" Alison questioned. "Isn't that really abrupt?"
"It's incredibly abrupt." Kira scoffed. "My foolish sister thinks she can make demands of us, but in reality my mother wants her gone."
"So, we're not going?" Alison asked.
"We're going, but I'd like to take all of you with us. To both prove that Alice is no longer a threat, and that Alison and I aren't capable of the evils that Zia and Agora will think we are." Kira explained. "Agora won't be at the castle, as he refuses to come at all."
"So it will be Zia and Minerva trying to decide our fate?" Alison groaned. "Can't wait."
"Rose and Luna will be there too. I can assure you that this is not how they wanted to see you after all this time."
"Yeah, I'm sure you can tell that this isn't how I want to meet your mom." Alison groaned.
"You said 'all of us'. Did you mean us too?" Veronica questioned.
"That's correct. The more people to tell Zia we're not a threat the better, and since Nightshades don't have thralls, we wouldn't be able to tilt your vote." Kira explained.
"Wouldn't she assume that I did?" Alice raised an eyebrow.
"Even if Alice would, I wouldn't be able to be swayed. Zia already knows from experience that I'm not a thrall, so she would have no reason to doubt me." Sarah explained. "Or Nodens."
"But you don't know us very well. How would you be able to attest to our personalities?" Kira raised an eyebrow.
"You're letting Alice live in your home, but you're also giving her the freedom she needs to grow and heal. You reunited her with her brother and mate, and you're allowing us to come and go as we please." Nodens explained. "We've seen all that we need to to know that if you have a child, it certainly won't be a monster. The prophecy can't be about you."
"Unless someone like Agora kidnaps the child." Alison mumbled, only loud enough for Veronica to hear, where she paused and looked to the wolf curiously.
"None of it is anything you should be worrying about in the first place." Veronica interjected. "You might not have a child for hundreds or maybe even thousands of years. You're both immortal and time is something neither of you have an issue with. So there's no point in worrying about it now. You're only focus is getting Zia and Agora to fuck off and leave you both alone."
"Then we have to convince them we're not the parents of the prophetical child." Kira groaned, rubbing her forehead.
"Then I'll tell Zia about how Agora sent me to kill Luna and collect Alison twice, while he also sent his servants to the forest to do the same." Alice explained.
"What? No! That will make you out to be the villan too." Alison was honestly shocked to hear such a thing come out of Alice's mouth. She had been the villan for so long, why would she ever want to return to it now that she's had a taste of good.
"Zia can't incriminate me for my father's deeds anymore. I chose to leave him, and if I have to I'll fight my father for control over the Clan myself." Alice explained.
"You're not strong enough to beat Agora." Kira noted. "Even I don't think I'd be able to challenge him and win."
"You can't rip out a person's soul just by looking at them." Sarah noted, smiling softly. "Alice could kill Agora and be done with his murderous ways. She could take control of the Daybreaker clan and change the way they opperate."
"If I change the ways the clan works, then most of them will leave the clan and go on killing sprees. I'd have to be very careful with how I do it."
"You'll have to kill Agora and make a statement when you do. That anyone who crosses you will die." Kira explained.
"I think we've procrastinated enough. I want to meet Zia and give her a piece of my mind." Alison growled.
"Oh! One more thing." Sarah noted, holding out a small rectangular box. She opened the lid, revealing three metal rings with engravings all along their sides. "These rings are charmed to protect your clothing when you shift. This way when you change back you're not naked. I almost forgot to give them to you."
"You didn't think to give these to us before I faught?" Drake questioned picking one up and sliding it on his finger.
"Alison's murderous intent to fight Zia reminded me." Sarah shrugged.
"She's an airhead." Nodens confessed with a shrug of his own, getting Sarah to glare at him.
Jack took his own ring and Alison did the same. They both smiled at the trinket as it sat on their fingers, and thanked Sarah for the gift.
"Now I can tear Zia apart without worrying about flashing anyone." Alison confessed.