A strange emotion settled over Nikki. It wasn't quite apathy but it shared many of the same characteristics. She wasn't numb, it still hurt when she thought of Josh's abandonment or Zeke's death but she was no longer crippled by it. She could still feel something, but what it was exactly, she didn't know.

A strong sense of determination surged through her. She would end the war! Somehow she would end the gods-forsaken war, and all the sacrifices and torment will all have been worth it. Standing up she stretched out her arms, face slanted up to the glimmering stars above as she made her promise . She would do it. She would finish it.

With each new deep inhalation she grew in strength and with each exhale she let go, saying goodbye to everything that had ever held her back. Breath by breath the darkness slipped away, seeping from her with each sigh taking with it the desolation, pain and anguish.

"Hope," she smiled putting a name to the feeling that enveloped her. She was unconditionally hopeful.

Returning her gaze to the dilapidated transit she crossed the car park. It wasn't much, but it would do for now. Tomorrow she would look for another vehicle but for now the van would do. Gripping the book tightly she threw open the door and dropped it onto the passenger seat. As she went to pull herself across to the drivers seat she paused. The hair on her arms stood up and the prickle of eyes watching her danced down her spine. She wasn't alone and she wasn't in the company of humans.

Slowly she stepped out of the van and closed the door her eyes searching the reflection of the window as the door creaked closed. As she'd suspected, the Prophets had sent the Carrada for her.

Though silent, she could sense their approach. A horde of demons dressed in matching grey cloaks surrounded the van, closing in. Leisurely they drew closer, knowing she had nowhere to run. But Nikki wasn't afraid. Far from it. With Sam's blood still fuelling her she crouched, her fingers brushing the tarmac, before launching herself up and landing on the roof of the vehicle.

If the Carrada were shocked at her sudden speed and agility, they hid it well. No, they would have seen Joanne's memories, they would have pre-empted her extra abilities. And still, Nikki's mind remained calm.

"What did you do with the human girl?" her unwavering voice called out clearly. She didn't expect them to answer her but she tried again anyway. "Is she still alive? Answer me and I'll kill you with mercy." A snort from behind drew her attention.

"Such bravado from one so weak, my sovereign." A demon broke free of the pack and stepped forward as the others stopped moving. They stood, shoulder to shoulder a few meters from the battered van.

"Indeed." Nikki sang, matching the mocking tone offered to her. "Never the less, the offer stands."

"She lives and unlike you, she shows loyalty."

Nikki's blood ran cold as she considered the hissed words. "You're using her."

"You were not so conceited as to think yourself unique?" Spat the demon, contempt pulling his top lip away from his teeth. "Your arrogance is--"

"Shut up!" Nikki boomed, staring into the black eyes surrounding her. As easily as pushing through a curtain she entered the demons subconscious and delved through his mind. Searching, she sifted through his thoughts. Some were memories, others were ideas and the last she came to, a plan. The band of twenty demons had been ordered to torture her before dragging her mutilated body back to the gates of Unus' chamber in Latébris where she was to be kept alive and strung up.

"Thank you, Fiedelle, you've been most helpful but now it's time to go."

The demon, Fieldelle, faltered, his mouth dropping open as she smiled sweetly. Nikki listened to his sudden frantic thoughts, interlaced with that of his brethren. How did she know him? Was it possible she was still connected? A flicker of doubt passed through the circle as they eyed her with a little more caution.

Nikki raised her arms, the renewed hope flowing from her in a wave of purple flame, which rose above her head and poured down from the sky behind the demons, trapping them inside an iridescent dome of fire. "So, true to my word, I'll make this quick."

"B-but y-you ... " Fiedelle stammered, swinging around to stare fearfully at the barrier.

"I know." Nikki sighed. And then she closed the dome, calling the fire back to her body. It seared through the circle of guards disintegrating them to ash with a roar. Ripping towards her in a flash of light, the heat slammed into her body chasing away the chill that was fighting to cover her frame. In the blink of an eye she had decimated the demons and it had been effortless. Sam's blood had been potent, especially mixed with Elizabeth's, but this was more, this was a power the likes of which she hadn't experienced before.

She stared down at her hands in awe before a movement at the edge of the car park caught her attention. From the shadows at the far side, Sam and Josh emerged carrying a bundled figure. Their jackets slung over the body.

Nikki froze, her heart thumping painfully under her ribcage as her wide eyes connected with theirs. They hadn't abandoned her after all. 

"Where were you?" The words tumbled out before she had a chance to filter her thoughts just as Sam breathed, "Wow."

Working in unison, Sam and Josh bundled the figure into the back of the van and slammed the door.

"I guess its safe to say they know you're back on the scene."

Nikki dropped to the asphalt and eyed the men. "I thought ... Yeah, they know I'm alive."

Josh lunged forward, his eyes narrowing. "What? What did you think?"

"Well." She dropped her gaze, shuffling uncomfortably.

"Damnit Sam, I told you!" His arms pulled her into an enormous bear hug, suffocating her. "I told him. I knew I should have left a note but he swore you wouldn't wake before we got back. Only, it took us much longer to find a demon who knew anything."

Part of Nikki sank into his embrace, gratefully soaking up his warmth but she felt awkward. "I thought, I'm sorry, but I thought you'd left. I wouldn't blame you if you had."

"Don't apologise sugar, it's my fault. I was so sure we would be back before you'd wake up. My bad, I'm sorr--." Inside the van the profanities spewed out of the mouth of their disgruntled captive, drowning out Sam's apology. "I think we're wanted." Sam grinned, yanking the door open.

"Nikki, wait." Josh held onto Nikki's shoulders as she attempted to move. "I wouldn't leave you, not willingly. No matter how far I go, I'll always come back. For you. Fuck fate or supernatural ties, above everything else in this universe, I love you and nothing, nothing will ever top that."

"Josh." Nikki paused, straightening her thoughts. "I'm going to end this, we're going to end this and we're going to get Joanne back. They've tried everything they can to kill us," she waved her hand between the three of them, "to kill this. We won't let them take anything more. I won't let them."

A curse drifted out of the vehicle quickly followed by another. With an embarrassed smile, Nikki hopped in and ripped the coat from the demon's face. It stared up with large black eyes and a murderous scowl before the skin rippled, morphing into a face she knew better than her own. She cocked her head and smiled. "You knew Ezekius?"

"Is it true? Did you murder him?"

Nikki hesitated, wondering how this creature could know.

"Ah sorry, it must have heard us." Sam pursed his lips and glared at the demon bound on the floor.

Her eyes softened as she caught his gaze. "Let's see what else it knows shall we?"

Placing her hands on Ezekius cheeks, she stared deep into the empty eye sockets.

The creature struggled mentally, trying everything it could to stop what was happening. It spat at Nikki, swearing revenge and promising to do all manner of tortuous deeds but there was little resistance it could offer as either Sam or Josh had snapped its neck.

"Oh ... " Nikki scowled searching through the demons thoughts. "Oh."

"What?"

"What?" Josh begged.

"She's okay, she's still alive. They are going to try and use her. She's in a replica of her own house and she seems to be dealing with the situation quite well." Sensing the demon's next move Nikki, moved her gaze to Sam. "You need to get him outside now, quickly!"

A brief shadow of concern passed over his face before he grabbed Josh and threw him outside. Nikki heard Josh's protests but paid him no mind.

"Go ahead, morph into Joanne, change into anyone and everyone you can think of, you've done your worst without affecting me-"

The shape shifter snarled. "You will be found and they will torture you. You'll beg for mercy but none will be given."

As painfully as she could, Nikki twisted his wrist to her mouth and bit down hard. The click of his shoulder as it popped out of place was only drowned out by the shape shifters howling. Drinking deeply, Nikki took her fill and listened, as his cries grew weaker. His eyes became dull and his chest rose in pants as the last of his life dribbled into her mouth. She didn't need his blood now but she couldn't be sure when she'd feed again so she greedily swallowed. Seconds later the lifeless body at her feet turned to ash as she bathed it in fire. She had taken all she could from it and the longer she stared at Ezekius' likeness the harder it was becoming to ignore her emotions. Standing, she brushed down her clothes before sweeping out of the door.

"She's in Latébris but they're keeping her safe. Very safe." Nikki swallowed, unsure how to tell Josh the next piece of news.

"What is it?"

Her hand cupped his cheek as the demons blood surged through her veins, her beating heart pumping the energy through her at an alarming rate. Her skin glowed but she was able to contain the heat.

"When they created me, they hedged their bets. I'm not the only half breed. There are more and Joanne is one of them. They're keeping her in Latébris, as far away from you as possible. They aren't taking any chances this time."

"How many others?" Sam stepped forward, fear etched into his eyes, though he tried his best to cover it.

Withdrawing her hand, Nikki turned to Sam and shook her head sadly. "I don't know, it could be tens it could be thousands. It seems I was the first, a practice run if you like, but it gets worse."

Sam jammed his hands into his pockets. "Mortemb, they've done it too haven't they?"

"Yes but their breed isn't quite as gentle. They've created a new race of fury filled assassins. And they look distinctly human so we won't know who they are until they strike... It seems Materdúe's arrival was not coincidental, this is it, the beginning of the end."

"But ... " Josh's long fingers raked slowly through his hair. Dragging them down his neck her rubbed at the tension before springing forward to grab Nikki. She jumped at his unexpected speed and action. His hand grasped her waist, pulling her to his side in a vice like grip. "Sam, now more than ever we need to stay together. Contact Nate and get them over here. Scattering our best resources is not the way to go. We need to pool everything we have including Nikki and that book. As much as I want to head into Latébris myself and bring Joanne home, we need to think carefully through each and every move we make."

Nikki listened, struggling to keep her composure. She agreed with Josh but it was so out of character for both of them. Her usual response would have been to flee the Guardians and try to resolve the situation alone and his was to charge in headfirst. And yet here they were discussing their next move.

"Josh is right, we can't just run in without a plan, we need to think this through carefully," she agreed quietly. It seemed she wasn't alone in her shock as Sam's eyebrows rose conveying his own disbelief.

"What?"

"When did you grow up?" Sam asked fondly.

A fat droplet of rain struck Nikki's cheek, sliding down the dry tracks her earlier tears had created. "I think right around the time I let go of Ezekius," she answered honestly.

Josh pulled her tighter to him but she shook him off. "There'll be a time to mourn and a time for comfort, right now we need to focus on this new threat. Zeke died to save humanity and I think I understand why. This is so much more than me or you or us. It's about the very existence of everything. It's about life not death, at least not yet. I was born half human half demon and I can either sit and cry about what I don't have or use what I do to try and make things better. I might fail and I'll probably die but ... I can't do nothing. Zeke believed in me, Materdúe believes in me and whilst I don't know for sure what I'm going to do, I know I have to do something."

The rain that had splattered haphazardly around them as she spoke picked up. In a sudden down pour she looked through the droplets, first up into Josh's sparkling eyes and then over at Sam. Pushing the wet hair from his face Sam broke out into a smile that lit his entire face.

"I'm with you all the way, sugar! What ever you need, what ever I can do to help, you got it." Snatching a sly glance at Josh he laughed. "If we're going down, let's at least take as many of them with us as we can."

"No!"

The force of Josh's snarl wiped the smiles clean off Sam and Nikki's faces. They watched his back cautiously, as he paced a few steps away from them. His hand dragged through his sopping hair before rounding to his face. Suddenly he wheeled around and strode back.

"You," he stared down at Nikki, his hazel eyes ablaze and boring into her. "You were born for this. You're meant for more than any of us can imagine, especially them. The Prophets had no idea of your true power or they wouldn't have given you a choice."

Nikki shivered and it wasn't from the cold rain dripping down her neck.

"You can do this! You will do this. You'll take them down and you'll end it, once and for all." He closed the small gap between them, taking her hands in his. "This is the beginning of the end, but not for you, for them. You're too much, too powerful to fade silently into the darkness." He glanced towards the heavens. "They know it, they have done all along but we were too blind to see, but not anymore. I get it." Tipping his face to the sky he bellowed, "I get it now. I Understand." Snatching his hand away he caught her chin, levelling his fierce gaze to hers. "And this time we'll work together because you shouldn't do it alone. This isn't just your burden; it's all of ours, every single Guardian and Power. You're not alone, you never were we just didn't understand, but now," he stared at her, the torrential water spilling over them unable to snuff out his fire. "They told me but I was too damn stupid to listen. Everything I have done has led to this, to you. Yes Joanne is important but no one comes close to what you are. Not just to them," he waved to the clouds, "but to me." Pressing his hand to his chest his expression beseeched her to understand. "No one will ever mean as much to me as you do, so why fight it? I'm here for you, always, no matter what--"

Nikki was in his arms and kissing him before he could finish. Her lips met his as the water drenched them and the first crack of thunder boomed through the night.

In the background, Sam smirked as he backed away. "No no  don't mind me, I'll just go wait in the van," he muttered, making his escape out of the weather and away from the passionate display.