Nat shuddered under the blood red moon, she never expected to return to the realm of the vampires. Add to the fact her companions on this supposed rescue mission and she wondered how she hadn't passed out.
Positioned in the forest mountains, about a mile and a half from the Tepes manor, Nat had a magnificent view. On paper the plan sounded simple, sneak into the manor and free the hostages. In practice it would be much harder, and much more nerve wracking. "Here she comes."
Nat glanced at the vampire Ezekiel Kane. In life Kane had nearly killed her and her father. Now a vampire, the demon hunter had yet to shown an animosity towards her. Still it didn't mean she trusted him. Looking to where Kane was pointing, Nat watched as a pale blue light flitted towards them before landing. Aloe'la, the fae spy master, now grew larger her blue skin taking on a flesh tone as her damaged wings shrank into her back. Pushing back her short black hair, the fairy furrowed her brow as she glared first at Kane then Nat.
"This Mad Queen appears to have been quite busy," she said softly. "I counted between 70 to 80 vampires patrolling the manor grounds, however, these vampires were quite different."
"What do you mean different," Nat asked.
"They were part machine," Aloe'la continued. "Cybernetic implants integrated flawlessly into their bodies. I've never seen anything like this. Trying to stop them will be a challenge." Nat nodded, understanding the danger before gesturing to the two people she thought would give them the edge. "That's why I brought them."
Aloe'la stared at the two teenage girls Nat insisted on accompanying them on this rescue mission. The first was a dark skinned Hispanic girl. This teenage gurl seemed shy and unsure of herself, dressed in baggy clothing. The other girl was a goth, slightly younger than the first. Dressed in a purple and black blouse and jeans, she seemed annoyed to be there as she angrily lit a cigarette and took a long drag. "All do respect Natalia," Aloe'la stated. "But I doubt these two teenage girls will be of much help. In fact, I'd be more worried about them being turned."
"I've faced vampires before," Miranda said quietly. "I'm..um..actually the leader of the Solar Guardians. I'm Guardian Sun." Aloe'la raised an eyebrow, familiar with past incarnations of the Solar Guardians. "Okay Guardian Sun," she replied. "I am familiar with the Solar Guardians. The power of the sun will be a an asset against the vampires but what about your friend?"
"This," Miranda stated, placing an arm around Lilith. "Is Guardian Pluto. Pluto has the ability to control the dead."
"I asked Lilith to come on this mission," Nat stated. "But Miranda insisted on accompanying her. She wasn't going to let Lilith go by herself. Both of them can handle themselves and we're going to need them to get the hostages out. Which reminds me, how are we getting in."
"The sewers," Kane said, pointing towards the rear of the manor. Nat wrinkled her nose, seeing the large pipe with dirty water flowing from it. The area itself appeared lightly guarded but the idea of wading through sewage was not something Nat was looking forward to. Glancing at the vampiric hunter, Nat shuddered. She still couldn't shake the fact she was working with Kane. He still looked as he had in life, the same beard, the same long hair, even the same murderous glint in his eyes. The only difference was his pale skin and the cigar stained fangs in his mouth. "Ugh really not looking forward to that. But, when Duke and thw others get here along with S.P.E.A.R that will probablybe our best option."
As Nat and Kane talked, Aloe'la now studied both Miranda and Lilith. While Miranda appeared to be listening to what the dhamphir and vampire discussed, the other teen lingered behind. After years of working as a spy, Aloe'la had become a master of reading body language. From what she could tell, Lilith was anxious. Approaching the goth girl, Aloe'la now beckoned her to follow, stepping just far enough away to talk privately. "Something troubling you Lilith?"
"Well this wasn't something I wanted to do," Lilith huffed. "I had just finished a date with this girl I liked when Nat and Miranda told me about this mess." Aloe'la nodded, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. She could understand the teenage girls foul mood, especially after her recent interactions with Star and Spark. Still, there was something more than just a teenage girl unable to see her beloved crush. This was something more.
"There's more," Aloe'la replied in a low tone, the fairy furrowing her brow at the girl. "What else aren't you telling me? And don't lie, I'll know." Lilith fisgeted nervously, taking another drag from her cigarette before changing a glance at Ezekiel Kane. "It's stupid," she sighed. "But..Ezekiel Kane.....he's my dad."
Aloe'la's jaw dropped, she hadn't been expecting that answer. "Does he know," she asked. Lilith shook her head no, the teenage girl now shifting nervously in place. "No," Lilith whispered. "In fact, he tried to kill me when I was barely a month old. Tried to smoother me in my crib, it was a miracle I survived. He though, thought I was dead. He has no idea I'm his kid and....I really don't want him to know."
"Who else knows about this," Aloe'la asked.
"Just the people I'm staying with," Lilith replied. "Miranda and the other Guardians don't know. I doubt Nat does either." Lilith now grabbed Aloe'la's arm squeezing it tightly as she pleasingly stared into thw fairies arms. "Don't say anything about this okay? Please, I don't need HIM knowing he couldn't get the job done."
Aloe'la nodded, nervously glancing at Ezekiel Kane. Liliths presence was a wildcard, a time bomb that could throw everything into chaos. She would need to keep things quiet if they were going to make it out of the vampire realm alive.