Going inside, those closest to the door looked up with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. The vampires quickly looked away as I stared back at them. Old rock my Dad enjoyed filled the spaces of noise the conversation didn't. Years of spilt beer and whatever else gave it that homey, Last Drop, smell and for a second I had to remind myself this wasn't my place. For starters, the bar was in the wrong spot; to the left of the door instead of in front of it. The chairs were newer, the tables fastened to the floor, and there was no stage I could see, yet the wall of heavy red velvet made me wonder.

Past the bar was a separate seating area, red ropes blocked off the stairs up, giving it an exclusive vibe and those in there an excellent viewpoint to look over the room. It was as someone at the end of the bar turned around, I saw the words on the back of her jacket, and I kept watching as she went back behind the rope.

Odin's Nightmare MC.

"Careful. Don't get caught staring too long Hunter, there aren't many of your kind around here to help you and many that would love to see you fall." The bartender smirked, and looking at him, he seemed quite, human.

"Hunter?" I frown, playing the innocent card. It was hard to get a read on him but his first impression wasn't right.

"Slayer? Na, I'm sticking with Hunter. What can I get you?"

"Lemonade." He laughs but does what I say, and as he sets down the drink, I hold up a hundred dollar note. "I'll tip you well if you give me a clue about what you are."

"Mage. Powers got bound a few years ago after I did a few things I shouldn't have. Moral of the story, don't piss off a witch who is more powerful than you are!" He shrugs and pinches the money off me before I can react. "Take heed, young Hunter. They are much more powerful than you, and can do a lot more than just bind your powers if you get what I mean."

"Helpful." I nod, sipping the soft drink yet I still look back up towards the upper level.

We get talking. His name is Eric, and he had worked there for a year after causing too many bar fights while wallowing in his own self-pity. The bar is run by the club, and yes, they're Valkyries if I hadn't worked that out. He had two options, leave or stick around and make a new life. He took the job offer and handled the bulk of the club's finances.

Eric really loved to talk.

"So what about you? Very rarely do your sort stop in here, and especially not alone." He quizzes, wiping up spilt beer that a clumsy demon sent all over the countertop.

"I like to live dangerously," I tell him, looking at the wolf shifter that has come up beside me with little interest. He, on the other hand, seems to be the opposite. "Can I help you?"

"Ah, can I buy you a drink, please?"

"I'm good. Thanks." He goes back to his table where his friends all laugh at him.

"I can tell that about you. I may not have my abilities, but I still have my wicked senses," Eric smirks. "More, lemonade?"

"Yeah, why not. It's not like I have to drive home." He laughs. "I'm trying this new thing of being sober."

"Good. All the booze and drugs in the world won't fix whatever is bothering you," He says seriously. "Took me a while to see that, but good on you for trying. But, if that's the case, why come here?"

I decided to take my chances.

"Does the name Kale Farrington mean anything to you?"

"Hm, no. Not that I can think of." He pours a whiskey for the demon at the other end of the bar and sends it down. "Should it?"

"He had the address of this place hidden in a packet of cigarettes. Some tubes of something with it. Since he's dead now, I thought I'd come by." Something passes over his face then. Fear, recognition, a memory, something - and he glances towards the girl gang. "Anything more you want to share?"

"I ah- no. No there isn't." He quickly busies himself with a tray of glasses, and I don't need to look to know it isn't my furry friend at my side this time.

"Everything okay here Eric?" A woman asks.

"Just great, Meghan." He lies terribly, the two sharing a look before he turns around again.

"How about we have a little chat," Meghan doesn't sound like she's asking. "This way."

"Oh great. I'm so glad you came to me rather than the other way around. Much less awkward hey big guy?" I ask the wolf as he comes back up to the counter looking he was about to try again.

Meghan grabs my arm, giving me a tug to stand and in the same instant, she lets me go. Her blue eyes widen as her mouth opens, and squaring off in front of her, she takes a second to recover.

"Who are you?" She demands.

Meghan is taking too long. Behind her, I see three other women standing at the top of the stairs watching us. The conversation up there has died.

"I just have a few questions for you and your friends," I'm not sure where to begin. "First things first, did you have anything to do with High Priestess Ivy and-"

"Meghan, bring her here. Now." A loud, dominating voice commands from across the room and Meghan swallows nervously.

I shrug and follow her up though she seems less eager than before. Meghan disappears as we reach the top of the stairs and the women all look at me curiously, especially the one on the oversized armchair that the others have all sat around.

"Who are you?" She demands; her pretty face flushed with a mixture of anger and fear.

All of them are the same.

"I told you I sensed something enters this place!" Someone whispers to my right. "What is she?"

"Hunter." Another answers.

"No, she's like them."

I don't have time for this.

"A please would be nice," I tell her, walking closer. Everyone tensed. "I am Elise Bunting. You may have heard of me?"

The woman relaxes. "Oh yes, we know of you. God Killer."

"So is that your way of saying you were involved with High Priestess Ivy's little-"

"High Priestess?" She snorted, clearly offended. "No. We do not associate with the likes of the fae."

"Then how did she get hold of your special, Valkyrie made, gold poison?" The group gasped. "Okay, then?"

"That is forbidden by our kind. We stopped making it years before even our banishment!" She growled. "If someone- nevermind. It was not our doing. Why are you here?"

"Hunting Valkyries?" I ask, looking at them.

They all seemed to fight to contain their amusement at this.

"We hear you talking with our unfortunate friend. Eric, for all his charms, is an idiot and does not know when to shut his mouth." She stands, and I get my first doubts about being there.

She is taller than I am, her whole build is strong and intimidating. Her blonde hair falls down to her stomach in full, loose curls and the fierceness in her eyes tell me she has seen her own fair share of war. There is pride in her stance, power. This is the leader for a reason, and for a second I almost want to submit to her. Instead, I stand taller, square my shoulders and pray she can't tell that I am in fact, very much intimidated by her.

"God Killer Elise, I am Kara of the Valkyrie. It means little now, but it once did." She nods her head in greeting, and I mimic her actions. "The Hunter who has passed, Kale Farrington. He was a friend. One of our youngest was saved by him a few months ago. When he came to us with his troubles, we offered him assistance. He will clearly not be joining us anytime soon."

"What troubles? Was it to do with the portal?"

"He did not mention a portal. Those he worked with were working against him, he was sure of it. We have been in this world for many years now, we know of the Treaty, it's place amongst those who live here. They seek to destroy it." Kara tells me, sitting back down. "He needed evidence before he could take this further. While paranoid, and possibly weak in his mind, the moments of clarity were enough for us to worry so we decided to offer our assistance, not just to him, but to all of your kind."

"You didn't think that he might need to be watched?"

"He refused our help. When we saw him two weeks ago, he was mad. A raving lunatic by all means. He claimed we had betrayed him, but we have not. Then he moved, disappeared and cut all communication."

"Do you know what set him off?" I ask; for the most part, I believed them. These guys weren't the enemy.

"This." She stood, turned around and there within their groups' branding of swords, skulls and roses, was the flame and eternity symbol. "He said he saw this on something he had taken from his team before leaving them. The vampire had guarded it, and while she was vulnerable in the daylight hours, he took it and left. Then he accused us of being involved. We gave him the address and told him he was always welcomed here, that perhaps once he calmed down, he would come to us. Instead, as I just told you, he moved away."

All I could think of was the pocket watch that wasn't.

"Do you know what it was?" Or that I currently have it in my pocket?

"No." She frowned.

"When I found your address here, I also found little tubes of sand. Do you know what that's about?" I ask.

She sat up straighter. "Where are they now? How did he get them?"

"I'm not sure, I just found them before coming here. I gave them to a trusted friend to take to our Council, so it'll be safe, and well guarded."

Kara looked thoughtful, the air in the room had changed. Everyone was on edge, excited, buzzing. One of the younger girls looked terrified. I looked around confused; not understanding what I was missing.

"We are sorry for the passing of your fellow Hunter. This conversation is over." Kara dismissed, and two of the women closest to me stood up to usher me away.

I left without another word, not even saying anything to Eric and getting back out onto the road, I went straight back to Kale's place to find it empty already. While a part of me was happy to trust the Valkyrie, I wasn't naive enough to think the mention of that sand hadn't just got their interest and it wouldn't be likely they'd also let us keep it.

Calling V, he answered on the third ring.

"Where are you?"

"On our way to the Council. We've just passed the city." He tells me. "Why? Are you alright?"

"The stuff Apollo gave you, the sand tubes. Are they with you?"

"Yes, I put them in my bag with everything else." Closing my eyes, I waited for the bag to appear and got a big old nothing. Again and again, I tried. "Elise? You there?"

"Come on!" I groaned, trying again. "Damn it. I'll see you soon."

Of course, I made it there before them. While I waited, I took out the weird device, and opening it, looked again for some kind of clue as to what this actually was. Running a finger over the pearly inside, nothing happened. I couldn't feel any hidden button and trying to separate the shell from the silver it was kept it was pointless.

Giving up, I go inside and going into the laboratory area, I find the morgue. There aren't many people around this time of the night, and curiously looking through folders and the things on the desk, has me busted as two Slayers walk in.

"What are you doing here?" The woman asks the pair were clearly unimpressed at my intruding.

She eyes the alarm button behind me and I really don't want her setting it off.

"There was a body sent here, a John something. Our President would have made sure he was protected?" I ask hopefully.

"And you are?" The man asks, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he does so.

"Councilwoman Elise Bunting." I can't even remember if I ended up quitting for real, but for now, I'll throw my weight around.

"Sorry, Ma'am." He says. "Thought it was you, but I wasn't sure."

I'm taken into a separate room, and the second we go in, I can feel the magic in the air.

"We've got him cloaked. No locator spells will be able to find him." The lady tells me.

"Good. Have you done the autopsy?" I ask, and she hands me a file.

The first thing I noticed was that he had a large wound just below his chest cavity, with some organ removal. Like Kale. "Did you find anything interesting or like, out of the usual?"

The pair share a look before she says, "We were told to wait until the mornings debriefing."

"I want to know now. I have a lead, and it can't wait until then."

"Well, the mess he was in made it clear they were looking for something. Everything has been cut and opened at some point." Charming. "We found this though, in the trachea and we are putting it down as his cause of death. Essentially, he choked."

The man takes a small silver dish from beside the body and in it is another tube of sand.

"We have only just finished. You caught us on our break. Another one came in not that long ago too. Similar state, just, fresher." She explains, the pair sharing another look as I pick up the tube.

"Was this the only one you found?"

They both nod.

"Chances of me taking this now?" I ask hopefully.

"We'd need authority from the President." They say in unison.

Had they not looked to be different ages and bear no resemblance, I'd think these two were twins or some how psychically linked.

"Like a letter?" They nod.

I close my eyes and pulling the note out of my pocket, open it to find I did a damn good job of forging my permission. Where were these powers when I was at school?

"Here you go. But for security reasons, please keep this on the down low. I was never here."

They read the letter; he even pushes against the official document seal near Ailins signature, but they accept it and let me go.

Now for the others.

I feel pretty happy with myself as I go outside. It's not too much longer before they arrive and I pounce on V and his bag. With the tubes in my possession, I send them to my favourite hiding place - the bottom drawer in my bedroom at my parent's house and keep one on me.

"Are you staying?" V asks as I hang outside rather than following the others in.

"No, not yet. I'll be back for the debriefing."

"And that?" He motions to my hand where one tube still remains.

"You saw nothing."

I go back to the bar and notice half the bikes have gone. Inside the crowd has disappeared and the creatures that remain go quiet as I walk in. I don't wait for an invitation this time, walking to the stairs and behind the ropes. No one stops me either as I approach Kara, but they all have a surprised look on their face.

"Let's make a deal, shall we?" I start with.

"I'm listening." She leans forward slightly, tilting her head as those that remain come in closer.

One of the things Apollo had told me was that during his visit home to see the ones involved in his poisoning punished, was that he didn't think they actually did it. To him, it screamed set up, and he had managed to get their lives spared, a jail sentence given instead; though he wasn't sure that was the better option. I trusted his judgement, which meant the ones who really were behind it, were still free. I was taking a big gamble now, but I was sure it would pay off.

"I want you to tell me, or if you honestly don't know, find out, how your poison got into my world. I want to know who is responsible and I want to make them pay." She smirks at this, motioning for me to go on. "In return, I will give you this."

I hold up the tube.

She stands up.

"There is more, but for now, you'll only get this one as a sign of good faith. Don't even think you will find the rest. You can spend eternity looking, and still come up empty. These are clearly important to you, and I also want to know why." I demand.

"So many requests," She muses. "Anything else?"

"Your word that you are not an enemy of mine, my kind or this world."

"You are very, demanding." Kara steps forward. "My dear, if we were your enemy, we would have taken control of this world long ago. Some of us other realm beings like it here. We like it here. Your mortal law enforcers seem willing to ignore our presence, your kind fails to notice our existence. We live a good life, that we are the masters of. Why would we change that?"

"Honestly, no idea. Everyone seems to have some kind of rule the world agenda these days so, had to check." I shrug.

"We try to avoid, politics. We learnt our lesson the hard way not to get involved in the affairs of others. It is how we found ourselves banished here in the first place."

"Odin, your King?" I think of their club name.

Her lips thin as her jaw clenches. "He is not our King, Master or Lord."

"Right. Do you know Cain?" Her head tilts slightly, unsure. "The Fallen One?"

"We avoid him at all costs. His troubles are not, nor do we wish to make them ours. Though last I checked, he no longer resided in this realm?"

"He doesn't. You were banished, he was banished, just curious." I sigh, coming back to our starting point. "Do we have a deal?"

Kara looks around the silent group.

"I would also like to know who is bringing in the powder, and for what purpose. We discovered it is also toxic to our kind, and I tell you that as a sign of good faith between us. For it to be here, threatens us too and that is something I can not allow." She held her hand out, taking a small knife from her belt and sliced her palm. "We have a deal, Elise."

I look at the cut on her hand and see Portia's; standing in the hotel where the supernatural world congregated to create the Treaty amongst us all. I see Cain, paranoid, curious; watching and trusting Portia to do right by him.

"Elise?" He says, his hand extended now.

I blink, and I'm back in front of Kara, her brows creased in concern as she looks at me. I take the knife and cut my palm, shaking on it. The jolt of our oath runs up my arm, and she feels it too, I can tell as we make eye contact.

"What even is this?" I ask her, handing it over as the girls call for beer and Eric expertly brings up trays of it.

"The earth from our homeland." She tells me, finding me a place beside her chair. "If someone was to know how, you could use it to connect and open a way through to our world. It has been forbidden for centuries and we like it that way. To let anything from their in rarely ends well."

I have to agree with her, and if they're wanting to open a portal and bring something through that could destroy the treaty, aka me, I'd really rather not find out what that is. I got lucky with the twins, I doubt I would be again.

"Well, let's hope that never happens!" I tell her.

"We are in agreement again, Hunter!"

So much for not drinking. Apparently this all turns into a reason to celebrate and pint after pint is passed my way. We dance, we sing, and they tell stories of the old world in which they were born. I tell them some of my story.

"Your heart is Valkyrie. You are more our sister than I expected!" Kara is glowing in her drunken state. "It would have been an honor to go into battle with you. To see Zeus, fall. My dreams would have come true, almost as though it was Odin!"

I soon have one of their clubs jackets on.

They teach me their songs and they bare their great, golden swords as they sing and dance. Two girls appear dressed in their old uniform; a winged crown now upon my head.

Dawn is approaching.

More beer.

Faint streaks of light appear in the back window, and I lean against one of the girls, Erika I think her name is. She puts her arm over my shoulders and kisses my forehead.

"Fear not. We will not sacrifice you, sister," she laughs, her breath thick with stale beer and I burp making her laugh harder.

One by one we fall where we stand, the sounds of snoring taking the place of the laughter.

Then I hear Eric, mumbling about bad influences, staying sober, running out of beer, mead and blankets, which is what he drops over me before a cushion that smells like a wet dog is put under my head, only I'm too drunk and tired to care.