Night had fallen and Ezekius had returned amidst heated disagreements and possible courses of action. Nikki had insisted that only she enter the village to which Sam had vigorously protested. Josh had finally settled their argument by suggesting Nikki went first and if she needed help she would send for them via Ezekius.

"And you're sure that she didn't give you any other information?" Nikki questioned for the hundredth time.

Sam rubbed his eyes and clenched his jaw.

"We're going around in circles." Josh complained, taking a seat next to Nikki.

"Okay, one last time. Everything we know about this place says that it's abandoned except for the Hunters. History tells us that the first settlers built a stone temple which was renovated to the church that we hope still stands." Sam stared intently at Nikki who nodded.

"Our best starting point is to enter the church as from what you have seen the Hunters can't or wont cross the gates into the building."

"If we're going to find this scripture, letter, book or what ever it is I'm sure the church is the best place to start, but from there we can coordinate where we'll go next." Nikki added.

"And if there's any trouble, we regroup at the van and do our best to fight them off." Sam said. "It's not a great plan but until we know what we're dealing with, it's all we've got."

"Don't s'pose you have the ability to turn invisible do you?" Josh joked nudging Nikki. She rolled her eyes.

Sam reached for his jacket. "So we're in agreement. We hunt, get ourselves up to full strength, spend the night here and head out at dawn."

"There's a healthy demon population in the town prior to this one. My recommendation would be to travel there, feed and then return, that way any followers will have no choice but to show themselves." Ezekius offered from below his cloak.

"So we drive there?" Josh asked uncertainly.

Nikki shrugged. "Might as well, we'll attract less attention that way."

"Let's go then." Sam's eyes twinkled as he smiled wickedly at Nikki. "I gotta say, I'm looking forward to seeing you on the prowl."

Nikki shuddered and swallowed down her unease. The thought of Sam and Josh watching her as she fed was not something she could stomach "Oh no, we're separating. Zeke and I will take the west side of the town and you two can have the east."

Josh, who had been pulling on a new leather coat he'd acquired at the airport, froze. "What?"

"What? There is no way I'm doing that in front of you two, it's just ... It's inconceivable."

"Why?" His dark hair fell in front of his eyes. 'Why do you keep insisting that I can't see you hunt? I've seen you feeding three times now, it's no big deal--"

"Maybe not to you!"

"No not to me and it shouldn't be for you. You kill and drink for survival, that's all. It's not sick or twisted and I certainly wont change my opinion of you because of it." His eyes dropped and he sidled closer. "If anything," he slid his hand to her neck and held her in place as his lips brushed her ear. "I'd find it a bit of a turn on."

His words horrified Nikki but she tried her best to hide it. "I'm sorry--"

"Don't be," Sam interrupted lightly, "nothing to be sorry for. We'll hunt in a pack and get back before midnight. That'll give us plenty of time to rest up before the big day tomorrow."

"Wait."

"Let's go." Smiling widely, Sam clamped his hands down on her shoulders and pushed her towards the door.

* * *

The hunt had been easy. Ezekius had been right. The small town had a larger than average demon population. Against her wishes, Nikki had hunted alongside Josh and Sam, and despite her feelings on the situation she'd even shown off a little using her added talents to take down a particularly large opponent.

However when the time to feed had actually come, she'd turned her back, unable to let Josh see that side of her. Resting on her knees, she had fed quickly and discretely, Ezekius blocking her from the Guardians. Now back in the van and heading to their hotel, the group were quiet, thinking about the task ahead of them.

Sam drove, his eye glued to the dark road. Next to him Ezekius sat shotgun, hood pulled high to hide his face. In the rear, Nikki nestled against Josh, enjoying the feel of his arm around her waist.

"Penny for them," Josh breathed.

Slipping her hand into his, Nikki opened her mind and let Josh in.

"See for yourself."

His hand tensed as she allowed him to rummage through her thoughts like a clerk through a filing cabinet. As much as she wanted to avoid the pain and regret of reliving the past she knew they couldn't keep moving forward until every last issue had been ironed out. Besides, it was the secrets that had driven them to their end last time; she wasn't about to let that happen again.

"I'm glad you feel that way." Josh whispered. "Because there's something I want to tell you. The other night, Ezekius and I had a talk." Nikki swallowed, anticipating what was coming next. "He told me some things, things that explain why you acted the way you did."

With her heart plummeting, Nikki nodded her head. "Yes, I thought he might."

"And you don't mind?"

She shrugged. "I want to be able to look to the future without an impending sense of doom and dread. I want to come to you without sorrow and regret. I want the past to be in the past but that can only happen when we've accepted it. If that means you have to see everything then so be it. Secrets were a major part of our downfall last time and now we have a second chance, I'm not going to make the same mistakes. I have to give this everything because living without you is hell."

She hadn't realised the volume of her voice until Sam cleared his throat.

"No more secrets." He said firmly. "Not from you or us. If we're going to beat this we need to work as a team and we have to be able to trust each other." He glanced sideways at Ezekius. "Josh told me what you did, what you'd said. I get that you're on Nikki's side one hundred percent so that makes us teammates. What happened in the past between our worlds will not affect my judgement anymore. We're in this together."

Part of Nikki was exhilarated at this open display of unity but she couldn't allow herself to celebrate not when she thought of the reason behind it all.

Josh kissed her head. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

She'd forgotten he was still inside her head. "I hope you're right."

After a pause Josh exhaled. "Me too," he murmured, "me too."

* * *

Nikki was asleep. She knew she was dreaming as she unexpectedly found herself inside the old decrepit house. In her subconscious it was much bigger and far less run down. Although she knew the layout of the building like the back of her hand she was surprised to come across the library. She heaved open the door and stepped inside the flawless room, restored back to its former glory. The brass doorknob and the metal lamp on the desk shone with their highly polished surfaces and the books sat proudly on dust free shelves. The old ladder that had lain in ruins was back in its rollers and positioned next to a section of books Nikki knew well.

She had spent hours pouring over the pages of those books, studying them and attempting to sift truth from myth. Most of them she could recite from heart but one book in the centre of the middle shelf had evaded her. She recalled the day she tugged at the binding and the pages had fallen free, the words eaten away by mould and damp. But now it was perfect.

Sliding it out carefully, Nikki fingered the thick leather casing, the embossed lettering stamped into the cowhide, lined with gold. She stared at it in its full glory, realising that the title she'd been used to seeing was only a small part of the text. The rest must have worn away over time but in her dream it was plain to see.

The language was something she was unable to decipher but there were hints of Latin she'd managed to pick out of the rough copy.

A tone, as smooth as velvet, drifted to her ears. "Infinita de Bello, and the script below; Initium."

Keeping her eyes on the text Nikki listened as Materdúe translated. She wasn't surprised to see the other woman nor was she perturbed at her ability to imagine the contents of a destroyed book. She was simply curious.

"The endless war and its origins." A small pale hand stroked the book. "And written by a Guardian no less."

Nikki kept her eyes down. "And if I opened the pages, what will I find?"

A charming laugh met her ears. "Open it up, see for yourself."

Nervously, Nikki toyed with the book, turning it over in her hands and staring at the words inscribed on the back.

Natum videte dolorem pati sine fine,

Non enim ad mortem,

Secundum autem est per virtutem,

Instrumentum ad tutelam.

"No." Nikki stroked the book one last time before sliding it back in between the books that cradled it lovingly on the shelf. "No." She ached to know the secrets hidden in its pages but she knew it was impossible for her to ever know what mysteries it held as she'd never actually read it.

"Are you sure? It holds many answers." Materdúe glided forward, her hand raised to the shelf and her face tipped expectantly towards Nikki.

Again Nikki shook her head, backing away from the angelic form. "There are no answers in those pages for me, just disappointment."

Materdúe's face split in to a wide smile and she flit forwards to close her hands around Nikki's. As their skin met, Nikki felt the tingling burn of electricity flow through her arm and in to her body. But far from the comfort she was used to getting from this she was overcome with panic and an irrational fear.

"You didn't do as we asked of you. You broke the rules." The usual gentile tone of the Guardian's ally had taken on a dark and dangerous edge. "Why did you not listen?"

"Let me go!" Nikki pulled on her hands, trying to tug them free but Materdúe's grasp was far too tight. 

"You did not heed my warning young demon."

"Let me go!"

In her mind, Nikki was trying to stay calm. It's just a dream, she chanted repeatedly but the way in which her wrist was beginning to throb unnerved her.

"Answer me! Why did you tell Samuel and Joshua what had happened?"

With a sudden flash of anger Nikki turned on the woman holding her too tightly. "Because they deserve the truth, because I wont keep secrets from them any more, because I trust them more than you!"

"But we gave you your voice."

Stunned Nikki stared at the woman opposite her. "And that means I should trust you?" A quote filtered through Nikki's mind. "Quod illa, quae per tentationes lumine splendent. Ne tu eris praedae distrahitur!"

The being facing her down dropped her glower and smiled, her features softening as all traces of her fury vanished.

"Things that shine, light temptations way, don't become distracted or you'll become their prey..." Materdüe walked to the chair behind the desk and sat down. "Very good. Very good indeed..." Her keen eyes rose from studying the carved desk to spear Nikki with a look of wonder. "Perhaps you are pure of heart."

"What?"

As dreams went, Nikki was acknowledging that even for her, this one was bizarre. It was far too lucid  and yet it had to be a dream, there was no other explanation.

"When you find your abandoned village, the church will not save you. Look instead to the library, a small building that holds everything you're looking for. Find this book and take it. Do not linger. What you seek is within the pages."

"And why should I believe you? I mean, this is just a dream, everything that's happened has come out of my subconscious."

"Whilst this may be in your subconscious, it is not merely a dream. When you wake you will find your demon most upset. For the second time you're connection with him has been severed."

"And if this is true, why should I trust you?"

In the blink of an eye she had evaporated leaving behind a slight swirling mist in her place.

"Because what I say is true and because we wish to help you. You passed the test and it is now my sole purpose to help you along your way."

Nikki shook her head and rubbed her eyes. Her existence just continued to get stranger and stranger.

"And Nikki, when the demon in you dies, you will not be alone."