Part 8

AUTHOR: Jade/Kiana [& I'm in the process of legally changing my name to 
something else *grins*] 
     AKA: Girl Of Confusion :P 
DISCLAIMERS: Anything recognisable belongs to TPTB. The story [or this part 
of it] is (c) to me :) SoulOfAHuntress@aol.com. The whole story is (c) to th 
e 
4everknightfanatics group [yeah baby...we rock!] & of course, permission to 
archive at Deanie's site *g* with the rest of it. 
COMMENTS: Anything in {{ }} is personal thoughts. 
CREDITS: Abra for giving me so little to work with *giggles* Joking honey :) 
   
& Renee for starting this kick ass list to begin with! 
  
~*~ 
  
Janette heard LaCroix's voice but it was as if she heard it from a great 
distance. It was faint besides the overwhelming /rush/ she could hear. She 
struggled to put the pieces of the evening together, drawing strength from 
LaCroix's blood running through her veins. It had been a long time since she   
tasted LaCroix's blood, almost as long since she had tasted Nichola's...and 
the sudden sense of strength it gave her was one she was unaccustomed too. 
  
{{I'm not getting anywhere}} she told herself with a weary sigh. Too many 
thoughts rushed chaotically around in her mind and she lacked a focal point 
to try and bring them together. She was aware of LaCroix and Nichola still 
talking at her and desperately wished she could make them shut up. 
  
Another voice broke in, a lighter, more melodic voice that Janette realised 
had to be Natalie. The two of them could not exactly be considered 'friends'   
but Janette owed her a debt of gratitude for saving her life. She tried to 
tell her that but got shushed by the mortal. Indignation rose inside her. She 
wasn't about to be 'shushed' by anyone, especially not a mortal! And 
especially not when she was trying to say thank you!! 
  
"Hold on Janette," Natalie's voice broke through the haze that surrounded 
her. "Okay...Janette? Can you focus on me for a moment?" 
  
{{NO! I cannot focus on anything Natalie!}} Janette muttered inside her mind, 
as colors began to swirl in front of her eyes. Bright. Dark. Bright. Dark. 
Janette was starting to feel seriously dizzy again. 
  
"Janette..." Natalie's voice spoke again, softer this time, and nearer 
somehow. With a burst of energy, Janette pulled herself back to the present 
and looked around, realising that Natalie was partially supporting her, which 
was why her voice had sounded so close. Janette straightened up, and Natalie   
released her, keeping a cautious eye out for any further signs of dizzyness. 
  
"Thank you..." Janette murmered, pushing strands of dark hair away from her 
face. "Where did LaCroix and Nichola go?" she asked, not seeing them in the 
room, and not sensing them in the building. 
  
"I told them to fly round the block," Natalie smirked, and Janette suspected   
she had gotten a real kick out of telling that to LaCroix. Actually, she was   
stunned that LaCroix had listened. 
  
"And they actually went?" she enquired, a touch amazed. 
  
"They went," Natalie confirmed. "They had too. They were both talking at once 
and you looked like you were going to black out. I thought if things were a 
little calmer, you would be alright. What happened?" she added as she went in 
search of materials to check Janette's vitals. 
  
"I don't know," the vampiress admitted, letting Natalie check her vision. "I   
tried to remember earlier this evening, and then things became strange. I saw 
flashes of darkness and bright light. But thats all." 
  
Natalie was quiet for a moment as she put away instruments and wiped down 
surfaces that had previously been covered with blood, careful not to leave a 
speck of Janette's unique blood type behind. "Maybe it'll come back to you in 
time," she suggested. "You could always get LaCroix or Nick to help you 
figure it out. At least, I assume they can do that," she added uncertainly. 
Janette nodded. 
  
"They can. But I don't think I'm up to having LaCroix in my head right now," 
   
Janette shrugged it off. She honestly wasn't sure what she wanted to 
remember. She tried to focus again. "It wasn't so much a some*one* as it was 
a some*thing*" she repeated her earlier words. Natalie was silent, watching 
as Janette struggled to remember. "Something very, very malevolant...very 
dark. Older than me. Older than LaCroix I think. A creature who also fears 
the light...but not a vampire. Not one of the community. At least I don't 
think so. Not anymore. More like a vampire that had changed...mutated into 
something else..." her blue eyes sparked with nervous fear. Natalie stood up   
and intervened, seeing the beginnings of panic that creased Janette's perfect 
face. 
  
"Okay...stop! Janette!" she said firmly, bringing the vampires attention onto 
her. It was the first time she'd seen Janette even remotely lose her cool and 
she decided she wasn't sure she liked it. "I think thats enough for now." 
  
A movement at the door caught both their attention and they looked up in 
unison to see LaCroix and Nick standing there watching them. "Enough for 
now...yes." LaCroix nodded once, his eyes an icy blue. He didn't like the 
idea of a renagade mutated vampire anymore than the rest of them. And he 
especially didn't like what his daughter had already described. 
  
"Janette, I'll take you home," Nick offered, stepping forwards but brought to 
a stop by LaCroix. 
  
"I will take Janette home Nicholas," he said cooly. "You will find out what 
that...thing...is that attacked our Janette." He stepped fowards and placed 
a hand on Janette's arm. Natalie moved back automatically. 
  
"I'll come and check up on you later Janette," she told the vampire. "If you   
have a problem before then, you can page me. Hang on and I'll find the number 
for you..." 
  
"I have the number," Janette replied, moving when LaCroix gestured her 
forwards. "I'll have one of the fledglings keep an eye out for you. Be 
careful when you arrive in case this...thing is lurking outside," she added, 
and left with LaCroix before Natalie could say another word. 
  
Nick watched them leave and then turned back to Natalie. "Did she say 
anything after we left?" he asked, his tone slightly put out at being forced   
to leave. 
  
"You heard the important stuff," Natalie shook her head, ignoring his tone. 
"So no, not really. Based on her description...Nick, what do you think did 
this?" she asked, blue eyes worried. 
  
     TBC....
  
~*~