Sleep was holding court, reclining on his black couch while servants fanned him with black plumes, so many silent timepieces behind him. He held the poppy stalk in his right hand. Morpheus had arrived just a moment ago. His brother Icelos was there, and near him, Phantas, skin shimmering, as he sat sprawled in an ebony chair. The court all looked at the sleeping beauty enshrouded at Sleep's right side. Usually, Laudanum stood near his mother, but no one was there. "Morpheus, pay attention," Icelos said. Morpheus looked up and realized the scepter was pointed at him.

"Morpheus, you will bend to the sleeper's lips and hear her prophesy," said Sleep. Just at that moment, Mother came from the right side of the room.

Morpheus made his way to the couch, made a bow, and then went to Metro's bed.

The scepter was pointed at Metro. "My sleeping love, give us your prophesy," said Sleep.

Morpheus bent an ear to Metro's shrouded lips and listened. Her voice was thin and raspy, her lips barely open. "A perfect child, a building full of pain...."

Morpheus relayed her words to the court.

Metro went on: "the rebel Angel will surrender...creatures on the walls of the building...the son of Paris arrives from across the sea, and leads half the creatures west...."

Again, Morpheus repeated her words.

"Beware!" Metro gasped.

"What does she say?" Sleep asked.

"Beware," said Morpheus.

"More, Metro, my sleeping love!"

"A sleeping beauty lies in The Empty World...beware jealousy...a book stolen...war comes to the famous ones...the Jewel of the East...nothing...I see nothing! Help me! My sight fails me!"

Morpheus stood, and turned away from the sleeper. He repeated her last words.

Sleep fell lower on his couch. "What can this mean? Metro has never lost the visions before, what could cause this?"

Mother spoke to Father, "Perhaps, if we find the meaning of her other prophesies, we will have a clue."

Sleep held his scepter aloft. "Who knows the meaning of these words?"

"Father, I may know what certain parts mean," said Morpheus.

Sleep aimed the scepter at Morpheus.

"I remember once, Death explained how she interpreted a certain Tarot card. The 'perfect child' is possibly Shade. It makes sense, because he is going to New York to the headquarters of the Humans called Redjackets. That could be the building Metro saw, full of pain, because they torture Halfangels there. Those climbing the building may be those Halfangels lead by Mazaret of the Lilim.."

Sleep sat up, then made a nod toward Morpheus. "Anyone else?"

Mother spoke again, "The 'rebel Angel' is not hard to figure, if Morpheus is right. Shade's child-in-blood is sometimes called Angel, and she rebelled against him by taking the side of the Humans."

Sleep nodded slowly. "Then, I know who the 'son of Paris' is. Metro speaks of the Nephillim Spawn Athené. Shade was known to Metro as Paris."

"Sleep," said Mother, "If Angel surrenders, and both Mazaret and Athen join Shade, I've no doubt Metro is predicting the fall of the Human organizations that persecute the Halfangels. Seems logical a lot of Halfangels would choose to either stay in New York or move on somewhere, so long as they keep safety in numbers."

Sleep nodded slowly. "These are important events, and I have no large doubt you have interpreted the vision correctly. Laudanum will report to us what may happen between Shade and these Humans in red jackets. But, the remaining prophecies worry me. They speak of war, what are her words? Yes, 'A sleeping beauty lies in the empty world...beware jealousy...a book stolen...war comes to the famous ones...the Jewel of the East...nothing.'" Sleep bowed, his pale blue wings wavered nervously behind him. "We don't know who this other sleeping beauty is, but the 'war' obviously does also involve the Nephillim, for they are called the 'famous ones'."

"Father!" called Icelos.

Sleep lazily aimed his scepter.

"Father, the sleeper speaks of the famous ones and of a book, do you not recall that the Spawn Athené possesses the Book of the Angel Raziel?"

Sleep looked suddenly alert. There was no need for him to explain that, if this book were to be stolen, even the Angels might possibly have something to fear. "My favored love, our son, tarry not here too long. Go to your tower and watch. If it seems clear that there are Nephillim Spawn moving to the West, go after them. Watch them closely. I will go myself to some of the other Angels and ask them what they know of this vision. We will stay in contact. The rest of the court may depart."

Morpheus watched as his father went to his mother and leaned close to tell her something. And then Mother nodded. Sleep raised Opium's hand and kissed it once, then hurried away. Mother lifted her eyes to Morpheus. She seemed concerned, but he was not sure if it was for anyone in particular.

They went home to the tower immediately. No one was there, Laudanum and Absinthe having been in New Orleans as well as they, and many of the mirrors had slipped out of focus. Morpheus thought to check on his flowers, but Mother called to him, "Murph, I need your help. Choose several mirrors, you can keep one focused on Julien, focus another on Joy for me. I'll focus the big one on Shade for now. We can add more as we need them."

Morpheus lay across one of the couches where he could look down at the mirrored floor. He focused a mirror each on Joy and Julien, picking the largest ones near him. He formed eyes on the arches of his wings, in order to watch the large glass in the ceiling, which Mother was just focusing. He saw her gaze directly at the second set of eyes. "It kinda creeps me out when you do that."

"Mom!" It wasn't something he usually called her, but he hoped it had the effect of reminding her she was supposed to be supportive. "You want help watching, don't you?"

Morpheus gave his attention to the mirrors. Julien, Joy, and Shade were in a car together, with Julien driving, and Joy on Shade's lap in the passenger seat. Morpheus couldn't remember watching Julien drive much in the past, but he recalled glimpsing various vehicles in scrying pools. He was from Nassau County, which was pretty suburban, so he must have learned as a teenaged Human, but something Shade had said - that Julien would drive through the day - made Morpheus suspect that either Shade did not know how to drive, or that Julien was in some way better suited to it.

It was almost night. Vehicles and landmarks were passed near to the point of blurring. But, Mother said that she recognized the road. They were on the Turnpike heading for the Lincoln Tunnel. Morpheus kept vigil with her, watching as Julien drove into the city. The Vampyres stopped in a neighborhood somewhere just north of Greenwich Village. Opium said they were going to their old underground home, the place they had called the Necropolis.

Morpheus watched as they went down through an opened grate into the tunnels beneath the city. They came to a door, and then to another tunnel, walked along a narrow walk, above the tracks, and then crossed a foot-bridge over a pool of water rank, green water.

This was their old home, a secret haven or base in a long-abandoned section of the subway. An old token booth stood out of place on the tiled platform, up a shallow flight of steps there was a wide landing, which had once been connected to street level. There were still doors leading to restrooms, and presently, dusty furniture and boxes lay here. Yet, listening, Morpheus knew that someone had been living there. Light came from behind an old turnstile, as a figure moved through it.

"It's Steven," Mother said before Morpheus also recognized him. He still appeared a Human man in his thirties, and had the head of white hair, which had appeared the night Helen died in the menagerie.

Steven and Shade embraced. They spoke rapidly. Steven embraced Julien next. He gave Joy a small kiss on her face when he held her.

"Think that thing about 'the Jewel of the east' meant Steven?" Morpheus asked.

"It seems to point to him, but what Sleep told me was sometimes Metro sees things years in advance, and already Steven's family has grown."

Even as Morpheus watched, and listened with a finger pressed to Julien's mirror, Steven explained to the Vampyres that seeing his family age had been difficult. He had been nearly a recluse in the Necropolis for some years. As he showed the Vampyres to another chamber, Morpheus saw Absidus and Splendor were there.

There were further greetings and embraces, mostly between Shade and Absidus, who Morpheus now understood had known each other since they were mortal children, and had now been as close as siblings for over two-thousand years.

Shade spoke to the other Vampyres, "We should feed now, if we must, and move to attack the Redjacks. If we stay too long, without acting, we only risk discovery."

Julien said he was willing to confront Blade, which he called his sister, now, but Joy said she would prefer to feed again, and Shade agreed she could.

The three Vampyres went up into the city. They kept to shadows, moving faster than human eyes could follow. Morpheus watched, even as Shade took the life of a young woman, as she slept in her bed. They left her there, Vampyric blood having healed the puncture wounds. For a while they searched. Then Joy flew up to a window. "Wasn't that an NYU dorm?" Mother asked.

It still was. There was a young man in one of the many, small rooms. He was awake and studying at a desk. Joy held him and took his blood. After disposing of this student, they moved into a hallway.

Julien told the others he did not really want to be watched, if he was going to feed from a Human. Shade showed he was willing to stand a distance away, in the hall, but Joy followed.

Finally, Julien walked into the next dorm room. Abother of the male students was there, asleep, apparently having dozed off while reading an old paperback, still loosely held in one hand. Julien looked at the book, something black with red and white lettering, then tossed it away. Joy caught it, and laughed.

Julien drew blood from the boy's neck then. And then, the student woke, and seemed to fight against the weakness and sleep. "Julien!" he cried.

Julien continued to drink, hands clutching at the young man's arms. "Stop, Julien," Joy called, climbing onto the bed. Julien stood up. The boy sat, right hand feeling for his head, then his neck. "He's a Jewel!" Joy whispered.

Julien shook and backed away from the bed. Wiped blood from his mouth, and staring at his fingers then in horror. Joy was on the bed speaking to the boy, asking if he was well.

"My Lord!" Mother said to Morpheus, "look at him, he's so different and yet...he has Steven's eyes!"

The boy had amber-brown skin, and was taller than Steven, without being any more heavily built. His eyes were bright blue, as he looked at Joy, and then to Julien. "The paintings," he said, then began to swoon.

"Amadeo!" Joy called, "You must stay awake."

Shade drew Julien into the hall. "He'll live," he said, "It will be all right."

"Julien will never be able to forget this," Morpheus said.

They went to the Redjack's headquarters. They watched the building for a short while. Joy sat in the car, listening. "Mazaret is bringing others, but the will not reach us until day. Athen: he's coming."

"Now," Julien said in annoyance.

It was like an action movie, the way they broke into the Redjacket's headquarters. Vampires fighting armed and armored Human agents. Julien had a very strong ability to start fires, to will things to go up in flames. He did not lead or move to the front, unless he purposely meant to block or take a hit meant for Joy or Shade. Joy had a greater ability to fly than either of the male Vampyres, and would enter rooms crawling across the ceiling or walls, to fall on humans in surprise attack. Shade, of course, was just strong in every way, but especially at moving heavy objects by will.

As they made their way down to the basements, along flights of fire stairs, they exited into a corridor, only to to find a heavy stone slipped down, sealing them within. "I'll worry about it later," Shade told them.

They came to the menagerie. Here, the passages were packed with waiting Redjacks. Julien moved to the front and deflected a barrage of bullets. They three Vampyres were rushed by the Redjacks, and had to fight by hand. All around them, the prisoners cried out, taunting captors, or begging for release.

"Where's Angel?" Mother asked, "I don't see her fighting with the Redjacks."

Blade. Morpheus did not know her well, but he thought of things he knew through scrying at others: supermodel, reads comic books, somehow married both Shade and Lucifer on the same day. A mirror focused on her. "She's there, in the same room, just somewhere at the back."

"She's not even going to fight them?" Mother asked, leaning over Morpheus' mirrors.

Morpheus didn't know, but he supposed that it was easier to fight when she could think of the others as evil or monsters, not people she knew, however non-human. Julien was her brother, and she and Shade had probably managed to live as husband and wife a decade or so.

Shade stood very still, in the space between cells. He opened his mouth and shouted, "Open!" And the cells opened. For just a moment, Shade stood, weak, it seemed, but he recovered quickly, and forced his way toward Angel, around him prisoners rushed from the cells.

There were some prisoners who had other bonds or devices on them, or who were too drugged or sick to move. Joy called out, promising they would all get out this time, but she needed help to free those who were weak.

Morpheus watched, as Julien pushed through into one of the cells. There was a wide tank of water, like a glass coffin. Faye was lying at its bottom. Julien broke the lock and lifted the lid. He drew Faye out of the water. She lived, but her skin was nearly blue in color, and her whole body bloated past its normal size.

Joy was momentarily swallowed by the crowd.

Shade, still making his way farther into the room, found his pet wolf, near some smaller cages.

Julien carried Faye close to his chest, as he called out for Min.

Morpheus could see the other of Star's now-Vampyric daughters with Joy, as they drew stakes of wood or metal from a pair of pink-eyed Vampyres.

The mirrors focused on Shade and Angel synced, as he found her. If there were telepathic conversation, Morpheus had no ability to capture it, though he suspected there was from their expressions. There was pause or hesitation enough, before Shade put his fangs to Angel's neck and took her blood.

The other prisoners had time to group before the stone, before Shade rejoined them, carrying Angel in his arms. Morpheus caught the audio with his fingers, "Christ I'm not by a long shot," Shade told them, shaking his head.

Julien passed Faye to Min, so that he could take Angel from Shade. The elder Vampyre gestured to Joy and the others. Joy handed over some stakes, and they began to wedge the stone up from the floor. They made makeshift levers, wedges and blocks from their cages, and raised the stone with combination of mechanical advantage, preternatural strength and focused will.

Joy shouted for the others to all run through. Redjack reinforcements came from floors above, but now the escapees were in numbers, they rused the agents and escaped through the front doors and onto the street. At first, Morpheus saw some panic or split-up, but Joy said Shade needed to guide them.

"We have more help on the way," he called, "Stay together. Follow me."

They went to the Necropolis, where Steven still waited. Morpheus had wondered if anyone would need to be told not to harm Steven, but it was not necessary. In fact, many seemed to recognize him, from his work during earlier waves of hunting. He was their only Human ally who had ever been within the menagerie and escaped. His wife had once given her life so that a few could escape. He had been one of the Abdals.

"Is anyone injured?" Steven asked, "There is some food and drinking water here. I can get more." As he offered help, Shade took Angel from Julien and carried Angel into the vault.

Julien followed Shade. Angel was placed into a coffin kept there. Shade closed her inside. Julien locked it. Shade went to his knees.

During the following day, Mazaret had found them, and the Necropolis was densely packed. "Can we go?" Morpheus asked.

"You need to answer your own question, again, Murph."

They'd been given a specific task by his father, with a specific if-statement. "Not this time." He would make Laudanum tell him everything he had missed. He was there, standing next to Julien, smiling, probably making Julien think their whole family weird!

By the time Athen arrived, there had been just enough time for others to administer first aid, get a little rest and food, and start to argue what they should do. Some wanted to see Angel killed. Some wanted to go back and kill the Redjacks. Some wanted nothing but to run away. Athen suggested they worry about Angel, later. They'd freed the prisoners, but the Redjacks were still operating. He said they should go to their headquarters, again, to destroy all the records and evidence they might have.

Mazaret spoke up, "If we go, it can't be killing and looting."

Athen didn't see why not.

"We survived in Nede by killing as little as possible," Joy said.

"I realize it's our nature - for some of us - to prey on Humans, but the flesh eating and blood drinking only provides them rationale for pre-emptive strikes against us," Mazaret said, "It has to stop."

"I'm not making a rule," Athen said.

Shade, standing with Absinthe beside him, interrupted, "We're going there to destroy evidence, let's not give them anything more to use against us. Defend yourselves, take back what they took from us, get out."

A second attack was made on the building. They climbed its walls and came in from the roof this time, and in an enormous number. Amateur video began streaming. Helicopters and vans arrived with their camera crews and satellite dishes to beamed video across the world. There was no mistaking that these creatures were not Human.

There was really no mistaking their intent, when several militant Halfangels pressed through the Human crowd to state that for years they had existed alongside Humans, only to go through this last century persecuted by institutions that claimed they granted equal rights to all citizens. They denounced the Humans' racism, genocide, and the governments of several countries for their participation.

"You bet this is a terrorist act!" Spider shouted, "You don't pay attention to anything but mass violence! If the discrimination and persecution continues you can bet they'll be more acts of terrorism!"

Someone pulled forward a young child with strangely slanted eyes and brows. They lifted her sleeve, to show half-healed hollows, and many needle marks. "Look what they did to her!"

Inside, Athen trashed their computer system. The large storerooms of artifacts and neatly catalogued evidence were all emptied, boxes and bags passed hand-to-hand down to the ground. Whole floors of the building were torched. Athen tore the heart from one doctor who had been conducting the experiments and fed it to another.

Several of their top agents - Abbot, Bishop, Churchill - were captured and forced out onto the street. Jonathan Zion, their leader, had not been in the building.

And then, as quickly as they had descended on the building they pulled out, taking all evidence with them.

The rest Morpheus learned from Absinthe and Laudanum; Athen already had a house prepared in Los Angeles, and offered many the opportunity for safe haven there. Mazaret volunteered to remain in New York, where she had been living years ago, when the hunts began in earnest. Though some left for other regions, particularly those who had been captured in foreign nations, a large number of Halfangels and Wolfbreed were split between those staying near the east coast, and those traveling west.

It was just as Metro had predicted.

They transported Angel with them to Los Angeles locked in a coffin.

And, though Steven Jewel moved to LA with his Vampyre friends, they were leaving others, like Amadeo Jewel, behind.