XV

It is a sunny day, there are no shadows; everything is covered in white. A fairy darts along children, giving happiness to all with bright eyes. I’m sitting at a table, outside a café; it’s white and has flowers on it. I like to stroke them, but Aunt Larees says they don’t like being poked. I say sorry but she just laughs. She makes me smile, my Mum looks happy. Look! There’s cake! And I have chocolate milkshake with whipped cream on top. Yum!
    There is a woman standing with us. She has a long white dress and white make-up around her eyes; she looks like an angel. When I grow up, I want to look just like her. She smiles too! Her skin is really dark and I ask her why. She says it’s because the Sun gives her a lot of light.
    Another lady comes to the table. I don’t like her; she doesn’t smile and wears an ugly necklace. She touches Larees’ head. Shadows come. We are taken. I want to run, I can’t. I can’t! The shadows are everywhere. It is black, it is small. My Mum is near, but she’s scared too. The two ladies do something to Larees. She can’t be hurt! She screams! I look!

Rowan awoke. She breathed quickly and her eyes remained fixed on the ceiling; her body seems afraid to move.
    “Are you alright?” asked a powerful voice.
    Rowan sat up. She found Lord Winguard looking at her with his usual stern look, but his lips were parted with concern.
    “I’m…fine.” Rowan sounded rather shaken.
    The Vampire raised an eyebrow. “If you are certain.” He turned and walked away.
    “Winguard?” He stopped and faced her once more. “How long was I asleep?”
    “10 hours. I thought that would provide sufficient rest and the Sun is beginning to set.”
    Rowan contemplated this information. “Thank you.”
    He nodded in acceptance, then attended to his own needs. She fully sat on the concrete box and took a look around her. People were either awake or waking up. In one corner, a few of the bodyguards were re-applying their make-up. The one with the red hair came over to them.
    “Is there a spare set anywhere?” she desired for the application of her intricate make-up.
    “No Phoenix, there isn’t,” told the blonde in a bored monotone. “And you won’t be doing yours anyway.”
    “What?” Phoenix couldn’t believe it. “Why not?”
    “Because you take an hour and an hour isn’t really the amount of time we have right now,” the one with purple hair almost sneered.
    “Shut it Scarab!” snapped Phoenix. She turned to the blonde. “This isn’t fair! I’ve always wanted to save the day looking gorgeous and out-of-this-world like on ‘Star Warriors’!”
    The blonde comforted her younger cousin before any rambling could continue. “But that is on TV and this is real life. In real life, you’re practical; so don’t bother putting so much effort into your looks, okay?”
    “Can’t I even have the sparkly purple flicks like Isis?” pleaded the young guard.
    “Alright,” the older one conceded. “But that’s it.”
    “Hey Rowan, want your make-up touched up?” asked Siren.
    “No thank you.”
    Siren moved to the next person.

All the humans were sitting in groups on the ancient tombs. A lot of them held glasses of water, some were chewing on remaining baguettes. Half of them once more looked perfect with the make-up re-applied. Others, like Hawk, looked plain because they originally wore no make-up. Others who did, had faint coloured smudges on parts of their faces. The humans were surrounded by the Demons, either standing or kneeling. Lord Winguard stood at the front-in front of the entrance to the chamber-with his arms crossed.
    Hawk turned to Manar. “You know, you look better without your make-up.”
    “I hope the food provided was sufficient,” announced Winguard. “Finding meals for others is not a speciality of ours.”
    “Nah, bread and water’s fine,” responded a male bodyguard.
    “That is pleasing to know. Now would be a good time to explain the results of the er…body. The Sorcerer’s Guild had it fully investigated the night it was dropped. His sacrifice is part of a spell to give up the energy of his life force, so someone else or a number of people absorbed it. One odd coincidence is that he was a student of Magic and the Sorcerer’s Guild had considered having him enrolled as an apprentice.
    “The mark of the spellcasters was found on him. They are a small group of seven known as the ‘Twilight Coven’. This group perform complex spells of power for anyone able to pay them, for they charge highly.”
    “What about Tanus?” asked Rowan.
    Winguard’s forehead creased in thought. “I do not see how he fits in to all this.” His forehead once more smoothed. “Tanus Blood-Raven has been doing experiments with the Dark Arts for years but always kept a low profile. He never committed a crime or caused attention to be turned on him.”
    “We’ll just look for the ‘Twilight Coven’ then,” decided Korat. “How do we find them?”
    “I do not know,” the Vampire answered honestly. “They are always moving and do not reveal where they reside so openly. In your search, I give you the aid of my Demons; except for you Vivor!” That caused the red Demon to receive jeers from many of her kind. “These creatures can sense magic and are resistant to most spells. I must also warn you that the ‘Twilight Coven’ is led by the charismatic Rian. (Ree-arn) She is very tricky to say the least. I wish you luck.”

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