“You can’t tell him.”1
“The hell I can’t.”2
The words were said so calmly that Ava blinked. “Acheron said that I was to tell you, but if Miguel knew, then it would change things.”3
Stone closed his eyes. He trusted Ash with his life, but.. damn it. This was Miguel they were talking about. Stone knew the kid since he was born. He’d helped raise him, and even babysat on rare occasions. There was no way he would let him die.4
“Can you tell him?” he whispered.5
“No.”6
Stone ran a hand over his mouth as he nodded once. “Miguel!” he yelled.7
“What?!”8
“You are not to leave the house until Monday.”9
“What?!!” Miguel ran around the corner and glared. “Why?!”10
“Because I said so,” Stone snapped.11
Miguel immediately pulled back, not used to seeing Stone angry. “What happened?” he asked in a calmer voice.12
“Can’t tell you. You’re going to have to trust me.”13
“I have a date tomorrow night.”14
“Cancel it,” Stone said. “Cause, bud, you leave this house for anything, and I’ll track you down and drag you back.”15
“That is so not fair!” 16
“Welcome to reality.”17
Miguel exhaled in aggravation. “Can she come here?”18
“No.”19
Miguel stomped his foot on the floor and crossed his arms as he glared. “You suck.”20
~~~~~~~~~
Kari Shyler and May Lee both sighed in appreciation as a group of men walked by. A few turned to watch the pair as they continued on their way, and slowed as they got smiles in return. 21
“This is insane,” Kari said out of the corner of her mouth. “Remind me again why I’m helping you land a guy?”22
“Because I told you I’d introduce you to my cousin when she arrives next week.” May stopped whispering and smiled at three men who stopped in front of them. “Hi.”23
“Hello,” one of them said with a small smile. 24
Kari held a finger up. “Just a second guys.” She grabbed May by the upper arm and walked away. “Be right back.” 25
“What?” May asked when they made it far enough away.26
“Don’t you remember what happened on Ava’s birthday?” Kari sighed when all May did was stare at her. “You can’t just meet some guy on the street like a hooker and expect him to be prime cut.”
“Hooker?” May asked in disbelief. “Oh, no, you didn’t say that.”27
‘Yo, home girl wannabe. Get real.” Kari calmed herself and tried another tactic. “Good looking as they are, they’re at least ten years younger than you. Not one looks over twenty-seven.”28
May sighed. She knew her friend was right. “Okay, look. I’m just trying to have a little fun this summer. I want to cut loose before I get transferred this fall.”29
“I know,” Kari said. “And I understand.” May was a sexual person, and would soon be transferred to Hong Kong with her company, where should would be expected to be the prime and proper office manager.30
“I’ll just let them buy me a drink, and that’s it.”31
“I’m gonna go see if Michelle is off shift yet,” Kari said. “I’ll meet you back here later.” She gave her friend a small hug, gave the men a warning look, and then strolled off.32
“Gentlemen,” May said with a smile.33
~~~~~~~~~~34
May stood outside the bar and checked her watch again. Kari should be arriving back soon, and she wished that her friend would hurry. After one drink, May got a weird feeling from the men, and decided that she should leave. After what happened at Ava’s party, she vowed to listen to her inner voice, and follow whatever it said. 35
She turned at a noise behind her, looking into the darkened alley, then moved a bit closer to the street lamp. She gave a five dollar bill to a street person who had to still be in his teens, and smiled sadly as he went through the alley. She spun as she heard a muffled shriek, followed by silence. 36
Grabbing her pepper spray from her purse in one hand, and her cell phone in the other, she dialed 9-1-1, and placed her thumb on the send button as she slowly walked to the entrance of the alley.37
Kari rounded the corner in time to see May’s back disappear into the darkness of the alley, and ran across the street.38
“May!” she called as scenes from the birthday ran through her mind as she entered the alley. She heard a shriek and stopped at the sight that met her.39
One of the men May had been with earlier had her in his arms, his face buried in her neck line. May struggled slightly, then went still as the man let her body slide to the ground. He looked at Kari as he licked blood off his chin, and flashed fangs at her. 40
Kari’s eyes slid from her friend’s body as it lay on the ground, to a hole where her throat should have been. Her gaze shifted as she realized the man was now making his way to her. 41
Without thinking, she ran at him, tackling and bringing him to the ground. They landed with a thud, and she grabbed his hair pounding his head into the cement viciously as he clawed at her to get her off. She pounded a fist against his mouth, yelling as he took that moment to bite down on her hand.42
“Fucker!” she screamed as he finally tossed her off him, and pinned her to the ground. She saw his fangs coming toward her and brought a knee up, nailing him in the one area guaranteed to bring a tear to any man’s eye. 43
The man fell to the side, but quickly got to his knees, grabbing at her foot as she tried to crawl away. Kari kicked out, hitting his mouth, and then scrambled to her feet when he let go. 44
The Daimon approached her again, stopping in surprise when a knife suddenly protruded through the black mark on the front of his chest. He immediately disintegrated, the golden powder landing over Stone’s jacket and boots.45
“Sorry,” Stone said as he approached. “Wish I could have gotten here earlier.” He went to the body on the ground and closed his eyes at the regret. He opened them quickly when he realized that he recognized the woman. He looked as the other woman crawled to the body, and held her in her arms. 46
“May?” Kari said, tears blurring her vision. “May? Come on, chickie.” She hugged her close, not wanting to believe that her friend was gone. “May?”47
Stone took out his Nextel phone and called a few people, whispering that he need a body pick up, a medical examination and clean up. He kept an eye on Kari as she sat there crying and rocking her friend’s body. He knew he should call Ava, but he couldn’t bring himself to do that just yet. 48
Kari realized that the man was still in the alley, and she looked up at him as if seeing him for the first time. She knew that he looked familiar, and it took a few moments to place him. 49
Stone watched as recognition dawned and she placed her friend’s body on the ground before walking up to him. He didn’t react as she reached up and slapped him hard across the face.50
“Bastard!” she spat.51
Stone watched as she started to shiver, then bend over as the pain of her friend’s death seemed to hit her full force. He put a hesitant hand on her arm, then leaned back as she immediately latched on to his chest in a fierce hug as she sobbed.52
“I’m sorry,” he sad in a low voice. 53
~~~~~~~~~~~54
Ava jumped out of Miguel's car as soon as it stopped and ran into the small private clinic that Miguel told her the Dark-Hunters used. At first she thought something had happened to Stone, and it shocked her how worried she was with that. 55
She stopped with a small cry as someone stepped out of the shadows. 56
“Ava.”57
She stared at Stone, frowning as she noticed blood on the front of his shirt. “What’s going on?” she asked. “Are you hurt?”58
He chewed his bottom lip slightly as she stared at him. “It’s your friends.”59
She felt like someone hit her chest with a baseball bat. “What?” she asked in a small voice. She shook her head slightly, took a step back and quickly ran into the clinic. 60
Ava found Kari soon enough, having followed the frantic sobbing that could be heard down the hall. She burst in to a room, and stopped. “What happened?” she asked, her voice thick with panic.61
“May…” Kari said, her eyes flickering behind her friend. “May…”62
Ava suddenly realized that Stone was standing behind her. She turned and stared at him. 63
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.64
“No,” Ava said. “No.” She pulled back as Stone touched her arm. She clenched her fists as she breathed deeply.65
“He saved me,” Kari said in a small voice. 66
Ava looked from one to the other, then turned and walked out of the room. She walked down the hall, out of the clinic and climbed back in the car. 67
Stone quickly climbed in the driver’s side and looked at her. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I wasn’t fast enough to get there in time. I’m sorry.”68
Ava looked at him, sighed, then got out of the car. She slammed the door, then opened it again, slammed it, and kicked it once. She suddenly began pounding her hands on the top of the car, denting it before Stone made it out and over to her side. He grabbed her in his arms but she pushed back slightly.69
“I’m okay,” she mumbled.70
Stone brushed the hair off her face and realized that she was desperately holding on to her tears. He knew she must feel terrible and be in shock at losing one friend and coming close to losing another. He himself felt guilty that he hadn’t been able to make it in time to save both of them, but shoved his self-pity far down where it belonged. 71
“Go back in?” he asked quietly, kissing her forehead when she nodded. They started back to the clinic when Stone suddenly stopped. “Where’s Miguel?”72
Ava looked around blankly, her mind to numb to think. “He was here,” she said.73
Stone grew quiet as he told himself it was too early to panic. “Miguel?” he called loudly. When no one responded, he gave Ava an accusing glare. “You were suppose to keep an eye on him.”74
Ava stared at him, then turned and walked away.75
“Ava!”76
“I’m done, Stone,” she said as she headed for the clinic’s front gate.77
“Ava!” he ordered in a haughty tone. “Stop! Now!”78
She stopped and turned. “You ever talk like that to me again, and I’ll bitch slap you so hard you’ll still be feeling it fifty years from now,” she said, her voice straining to remain calm. She took a long look at his angry face, and intimidating pose, then spun around and continued to walk to the gate. 79
She paused as she came face to face with Miguel as he walked through the gate. “Where were you?”80
“What?”81
Stone stormed up. “Where the hell were you?” 82
“Making a phone call,” Miguel said. “Cells don’t work within the clinic walls.”83
Ava looked at Stone. “He’s fine and safe. I’m going home.”84
“What…” Miguel started, completely confused.85
“Get in the car,” Stone ordered him, his eyes never leaving Ava as she walked away.86
“Why?”87
Stone’s eyes suddenly turned a deep red as he slowly looked at him. “Do as I say, Squire…now.” 88
Neutrality descended over Miguel’s face as he nodded once, took a step back and headed for the car.89
Too many emotions snapped through Stone as he stared after his Squire. He was relieved that Miguel was safe, but upset that he had gotten angry enough with the lad to bring out the demon part of himself. Stone also still felt the immense guilt at the woman’s death, on top of the guilt and annoyance he had for snapping at Ava. 90
He suddenly realized that Ava’s presence had turned from the usually calm caress that he always felt from her, to something that felt like a skittish butterfly. He looked at her, his eyes immediately fading back to black when he saw she was nearly at the clinic gates. 91
Ava breathed slowly as she made her way to the gates, the events of tonight still slightly surreal in her mind. She couldn’t believe that May was dead, and couldn’t believe the anger that had been in Stone’s eyes just then. She stopped as she reached the gate, and turned. Stone was standing where she left him, staring after her with such a broken expression on his face that she nearly started crying.92
Reaching a decision, she turned and started back towards him, watching as his expression first turned hopeful, then immediately switched to guarded. She stopped beside him, looking into his black eyes, searching for some sort of answer to the thousand questions she didn’t have five minutes ago. 93
Stone returned her gaze, staring into incredibly deep hazel eyes that he wanted to dive into and never resurface from. He saw the hurt and pain she had for her friends, and he couldn’t believe that he had added to that. He felt like kicking his own ass.94
She reached out and touched his hand, comforted when he twisted his wrist so their fingertips could brush against each other’s. “I have to see Kari,” she whispered.95
Stone nodded, feeling vacant as she removed her fingers and walked back into the clinic. 96
~~~~~~~~~97
Ava was about to enter Kari’s room when the door open. She backed up as a tall figure walked out and looked down at her. 98
“Ash?”99
“Come with me,” he said and guided her to an empty room a few doors down. He let her enter first, then shut the door behind him. “Kari believes that her and May were mugged. May was killed and the police arrived and shot the mugger before he could kill Kari.”100
Ava stared at him. “I see.” She shook her head. “Actually I don’t see, but… what the hell. Tonight’s been a piss night, and…” She brought her hands up to place her fingertips on her temples as the tears threatened to flow again. She delicately sniffed them back. 101
Ash watched as she fought back the tears. He knew that she refused to cry in front of anyone, and he also knew the reason why. Her ex-husband hated ‘weepy women’, and every time she cried, he gave her a reason to cry harder. 102
“Don’t be too hard on Stone.”103
Ava stared at him. “What?”104
“He thinks this is his fault because he didn’t make it in time to save both of them.” He paused.105
“It’s not his fault.”106
“I know that, you know that…”107
Ava held a hand up. “Forgive me for sounding rude, Ash, but… could you cut the shit and just tell me what you want to tell me.”108
Although he was usually very cryptic, he had to word things carefully least they become reality. Being a god of fate, things had a strange way of twisting so that the worse possible outcome sometimes happened from an innocent remark, or a hopefully helpful gesture. “Stone’s future depends on you.”109
Ava blinked. “Forget I asked.”110
~~~~~~~~~~~111
Stone paced outside the hospital, cursing himself for losing his temper. He glanced at Miguel, who sat in the car, glaring at him like a sulking seven year old. He turned to pace again and stopped when the door opening and Ava exited the clinic. 112
She stood in front of him expectantly. “Well?”113
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I hate raising my voice, and I don’t know why I did to you. Please…forgive me.” 114
He sounded so unsure with himself that the tears Ava had carefully kept in check started to slide down her cheeks. “Mm-hmm,” she mumbled in a shaky voice, tasting the salt from her tears as they continued. 115
Stone’s chest tightened as he watched the tears increased. He felt a tingle go up his spine and the air around him suddenly felt still as all the beings he was sensing suddenly vanished. He inhaled and projected his reflection in the clinic’s glossy black doors. 116
Brown eyes instead of black looked back at him. He stared as a shiver ran the entire length of his body.117
“What?” Ava asked as he continued to stare at the door.118
No his mind screamed at him. This can’t be. In the Dark-Hunter realm, there was one out clause that could allow a Hunter to regain their soul from Artemis and return as a human. Usually, the Hunter had to find something that returned him temporarily to ‘human’ …something that not only changes his eyes colour back to normal, but took most of his Hunter power with it. Then, the Hunter had to die, and have a true love return the soul. 119
He wasn’t positive, but Ava’s tears was his out clause…but he didn’t have the trust in anyone to kill him to return his soul, regardless how much they meant to him. Besides, she had made it painfully clear that come September, she would be out of his life for good.120
His gaze moved up from his reflection to find Ash looking at him through the small window in the door. The Head Dark-Hunter raised an eyebrow, then turned and walked away.121
Stone looked back at the reflection, grimacing as his eyes faded back to the same black they had been for centuries.122
~~~~~~~~~~123
“You’re being unreasonable,” Miguel said as he drove through the city streets. “I’m twenty-two for fuck sakes.”124
“Watch the language,” Stone said from the backseat where he was holding Ava as she stared blankly out the side window. The events seemed to have finally caught up with her and she had retreated inside herself for a while.125
“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckfuckfuck,” Miguel said, as he looked in the rearview mirror. He grimaced as red eyes stared back at him. “Can you at least tell me why?”126
“No.” Stone sighed. “Come on Migs. Trust me, all right. Just for the weekend.” He ran a hand through Ava’s hair, thought he wasn’t sure who he was trying to soothe more by the action, her or himself. 127
“Stone…”128
He sighed. “Look, we can do this all day, but in the end, you’re going to keep your ass at home until Monday. Dig?”129
“Dug,” Miguel replied with a growl. “How’s she doing?”130
Stone looked down at her. “I don’t know. I think she needs some sleep.”131
“You like her, don’t you.”132
Stone glanced in the mirror and saw only sincere interest reflected back at him. “When we get home, I want you to run a complete check on the security system.”133
Miguel smiled slightly at Stone’s avoidance admission at liking Ava.134
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Comments
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very nice... in the beginning the dialog totally confused me though. i couldnt get who was talking to who straight.
other than that I think its getting a little complicated but think that it wont be too overwhelming as each action unfolds.
also great job on expanding miguels character. he is really starting to round out! -
WOOHOOOOOOOOO I loved loved loved it...I loved it when I said Bastard in it
oooooo I'm going to read this a lot! 
Awesome Job! 
ooooooooo so loved it!
beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.
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