Claudia looked up at the sky, in yielding to her husband, who kissed her throat. Halloween and a full moon, she wondered how often that happened. Wolves howled in the not all that far distance. John whispered something approving at Claudia's touch. Another moment and obscene phrases reached her ear, well, obscene after a fashion. Claudia laughed aloud only because she was full of glee.

      Her head level Claudia found John staring at her, seated facing her with his legs tangled in hers. He didn't seem to notice the cold at all. Claudia could see his hand move as if in slow motion. She was getting better at tracking things that moved more quickly than human eyes could follow and as result human movement seemed so languid. The hand reached toward her, two fingers touched her lower lip.

      Smallest manageable prick of the left fang and then Claudia lapped the bead of fresh blood into her mouth. She swallowed the fingers, wanted to actually, but settled for holding them in her mouth. John whispered something to her again, "I know a secret," he said. The ball of his thumb rubbed at the root of her left fang where it grew from the gum and Claudia shivered. Wicked pleasure...every time John touched her fang that way.

      Claudia drew her head back sharply.

      She stared toward John. He frowned. "Was sure I had it right."

      Claudia drew her hand from his pants, covered her own mouth. "How'd you do that?"

      The frown turned up into a smile, "Seems to be wired in when the fangs grow, triggers pleasure when the fangs cut deep into skin, helps fledgelings want to draw blood. It's not always felt in kissing, pressure's not right or something." He stopped without really answering. Claudia could figure all that out, she wanted to know how John knew. She reached down, again, and teased him with her hand. He sighed beautiful. "Joy taught me," John whispered quickly.

      So dear how he hesitated to mention her here. A kiss and then another whispered request. Claudia knew he was happy she'd gone this far, she had missed him just as much, but admittedly she was the one who had changed in nature, not John, he couldn't help his desires. "Aren't you afraid it will hurt?"

      "Yeah."

      "You still want me to try it?"

      "Yeah."

      Claudia forced a reassuring smile, at least she meant it that way, but John tensed when he looked at her. She bowed her head. It seemed immediately it would be so easy to become enthralled by the variations of color beneath the thin covering of skin and Claudia shut her eyes tight to be rid of the sight. Tongue, she thought, can't hurt him with that. Claudia cursed her fangs, almost cursed David. But angry as she was with David she knew David's intentions had never been evil, and his own anger with her had convinced her to retest her theory, only it had to be John, not David.

      The pulsing of blood was so strong. I want him, Claudia thought to herself, his smell, his taste, his blood. She tried to force that thought down, swallow it, swallow everything. Claudia sat up quickly and gasped as if she needed air. She shook her head, expecting John to look upset. But he only drew her close and kissed her. She spoke to his mind, "It's too strong, the urge to cut and bleed...stronger than my will."

      He did not think it consciously but without having to read thought Claudia somehow knew Joy could have done it for him. Somehow she and so many others mastered this very human act. Claudia just couldn't think how.

      "Then cut," John said to her between kisses. He put his fingers in the hollow beneath her jaw which made Claudia feel rather vulnerable, and drew her face into the crook of his neck. "You just cut."

      She really wanted to sound grateful but Claudia was past that. She was very much in love with him, still, just wished she had thought to ask Estasi about this trick along with all the useless tricks of creating glamours and reading thoughts. It sounded rather schoolgirl in her mind, but Claudia would have traded a dozen lessons in telekinesis for one on how to perform fellatio with fangs.

      The doubt ceased when the blood filled her mouth and she swallowed the first gulp. Good and magnificent failed in describing this taste. Words like salt or metallic or earthy became meaningless. It was drinking life, she decided, specifically the life of John. Once she had promised to kill this young man. When they had left Rome and David and Joy in it Claudia had considered that they might be captured and tortured. She had promised Joy and David, who knew the art of reading between lines, that should such a thing happen Claudia would have the strength of will to take John's life and then her own.

      It seemed John was conscious of this thought, suddenly held her more tightly and begged without words to be inside her. So unfair she get to be the sole penetrator in the relationship. Slightest flash of Alaric in his mind and then Claudia managed to lift her layers of cloak and skirt out of the way. She anticipated deadness and dissappointment at doing this now after having done this while Human.

      John's heart skipped a single beat. "My God," Claudia said aloud, and in English too. She licked blood from her lips and looked down into John's eyes. The half-lids and smile made him seem demented but Claudia completely understood. "It feels exactly the same."

      A single finger touched her lips and it was John's. No orgasm, that was going to be the difference. But it was hardly as if this felt bad. Logic kicked in and for several seconds her mind was all friction, heat, time and lubrication, but it spoiled the moment entirely and Claudia shoved the thoughts away. Instead, she looked at John. Here were the quivering lips that tried to say, "I love you." Here was the very face of ecstasy, saintly or otherwise.

      I did that, Claudia thought, he loves me. A warmness welled up inside her that had nothing to do with the shared physical act. The fullness of her belly demanded that the rhythym was hers and John begged Claudia to speed her movements. A second to realize what she was doing, the several directions of movement visible and hidden that was no longer very conscious. Claudia made the decision to go faster then did.

      She knew it from looking at John...faster than women were able. Not faster than sight, but faster than might be normal, and not at all sloppy in the quickness of movement. John's fingers twitched where they lay on her thigh, another hand combed hair from his brow.  He opened his mouth then didn't speak.

      Claudia had known this moment before, when dwelling in John's thoughts, the moment of orgasm when making love to Claudia. She felt it again. I'm sorry, David, really I am, she said silently. She worried that David could hear though she had meant him to know that. It was the rest it might pain him to hear.

      "Pleasant."

      "What?" Claudia asked.

      "I didn't speak," John said quietly. Slowly he pulled himself up. He seemed to discover all of a sudden the ground had been uncomfortable.

      "I liked that," the voice said again.

      Claudia went still as she realized where the voice came from. It came from inside her but was not her thought. She moved to clutch John's hand. She swallowed then spoke without looking John in the eyes, "He spoke to me!"

      "David?"

      "John, our son spoke to me just now!" she dared to look up. John was smiling, might have seemed a fool if thinking about having his child did not also make her giddy.

      "What did he say? Was he OK?"

      "He said, 'pleasant,' and then, 'I liked that.'"

      "Liked what?" John asked.

      She really wasn't sure. "Wait," she said. Claudia tried reaching for the unborn mind. "Is this OK?" she asked him silently.

      "Yes. I talk to you now."

      Claudia repeated the words to John quickly.

      "Do you hear me?" John asked aloud.

      "Mother hears you, Father."

      Claudia felt her chest swell. John was demanding to know what was said. "Yes," Claudia said excitedly, "He called us Mother and Father."

      "Fire!" that wasn't the child. The shout came from elsewhere and John had also heard. Claudia stood, clothing falling into place. She held a hand to her belly as she looked over the broken skyline. John was still fixing his clothes.

      "It's a gas leak!" a different voice called. Claudia felt dread, not because she thought there was a gas leak, but because the natural gas used within the city to heat buildings burned blue in an oxygen atmosphere. In short, the voices were describing blue fire and that could mean something else entirely besides faulty gas lines.

      "The Sidhe," Claudia said. She looked at John and he was looking back.

      "Faerie fire," he said.

      Claudia began moving toward the shouts. For all she knew Faerie fire was caused by combustion of natural gas, nevertheless, Faerie were known to control this fire and it marked areas of their influence.

                      †               †               †

      There was a cross, or an X, surrounded by a circle all of burning blue fire that maintained flames from the ground to about a foot above. Doubts about leaking pipes vanished, this was the Sidhe. John noted the Armée de Paris' soldiers running to the area and then others, mixture of Americans, Parisians and Goth. "Get back," John called, "It's faerie fire!"

      The sigil continued to burn across the surface of the previously churned earth and charred flora of a city park. A small body put itself under John's arm and he knew Martyr was there. Michael was soon beside them. A moment and then a pair of hands shoved John, and Martyr with him, to the left. John lost his footing and fell, saw Martyr stumble and nearly fall.

      "Move, David's loose," Claudia hissed.

      John could see him then, the compact pale figure striding toward them and the circle. As he approached, John saw bits of gray tape and strands of rope on his four limbs. His right arm was torn and healing itself as he moved. It looked fresh and deep yet, like he had ripped his own arm off then managed to reattach it. The more John looked the more he was certain David had done just that.

      Claudia put herself between them but David didn't at John or even at her. He went right to the circle and stood at its edge. David's right sleeve was slicked with blood John saw now, along with most of his shirt so that it clung to his back in places. "How could he?" John whispered. Why, he wondered.

      John took Martyr's hand as it was offered, and stood up. As he straightened, John saw Alaric slinking around the edge of the circle, as if the slow movement would keep him from being noticed. "Are you all right?" he hissed to John.

      John nodded, watching David at the fire. It seemed then the very earth rippled, but only within the circle.

      "Come show yourselves already!" David shouted.

      The soil within the burning circle took on the appearance of water, seemed liquid in state and rippled from the center outward. Small pebbles and clumps of dirt rolled from the surface to the edge of the surface as onto a seashore.

      "Show yourselves now or be gone!" David shouted.

      "Five seconds," Claudia said from behind, "three, two, one—" the ground within the circle sprang up from the ground retaining its water-like quality as if a geyser and then from within the towering colum of flowing soil figures appeared, wider than the column itself yet from within it. John took a step back, a fine mist of dirt falling over him. Others eased back from the phenomena while David remained fast, his arm completely healed over.

      John backed up further, looking at the figures that came out into moonlight. They were Sidhe, just as he had heard them described but each nearly beyond description. He could pick out the Elves, the tall willowy beings of ranging skin tones. They rode elegant white beasts, Unicorns, John realized, as the one ridden by a pale-blue, winged man in glimmering red armour kicked its forehooves at David. The short, heavy ones were Dwarves, nearly Human, but unlike Human Little People. Everything about them was just a bit too big or too small in proportion to be Human at all; they seemed alien and grotesque to John's asthetic. They were all afoot, as opposed to the Elves who seemed to ride the unicorns all. John knew some of the others were Pix. Some appeared as children or young adults who might pass for human, except for their apparent frailty and too slender limbs. They were many times over more thin than people in pictures of death camps or famine-ravaged countries yet they moved, even hovered in air, some on wings.

      "Morpheus, Opium, Absinthe, Thierry!" Claudia whispered.

      John forced his eyes from the large, shimmering multi-colored picture to focus on just one figure at a time, as they continued their dance from the earth. He did know some of them. He and Claudia had been to a meeting of Sidhe once, only some had welcomed them. John saw Morpheus, he knew it had to be him, despite the seemingly uncharacteristic demeanor and the fact he rode a slender horned creature.

      John sought those he could name. Thierry was there, David's father, only now his hair was even more red, his eyes brighter even at a distance. He rode a prancing beast, and appeared in kilt and silver breastplate. Beside him Thierry's mother, Raven, wayward Matriarch of the Pelolobo Wolfbreed, who wore practically nothing, just gossamer. Jean-Daniel they had also met once, he looked nearly as John remembered, only bathed in glitter and wearing less than Thierry. A blonde female creature fed something to him from her hand. Opium was there, John almost didn't recognize her. Now her black hair was long,and had the white streak down the one side he had seen her with in Los Angeles. A shiny black bit of substance and shimmering spiderwebs clothed her. Another male Elf in as if bathed in silver specks was just beside Opium, even seemed intimate with her. John recognized Absinthe, green now and practically naked. Her brother, Laudanum, wore a black kilt and wreath of white flowers in his hair. Maya, sister to Morpheus, and blue-skinned, rode up to Morpheus from another part of the circle. The last John was able to recognize was Aje Morté.

      It had to be him: the brownish gold skin and light brown hair, bright hazel green eyes, but he seemed nothing like the stern commander of the Armée de Paris. This man of the Sidhe wore a shimmering blue and black kilt and just looked too amused by his companions or some joke.

      There were a few others of these Elves, the blue man in red armor, the very pale white lady beside him now, the tattooed blue girl, the dark-haired elf with Opium and the blonde with Jean Daniel. John did not know these. Nor did he know a single one of the Dwarves or Pix...until he saw the boy leashed by the armored man and the red-haired pixie hugging Morpheus' leg. They were the only two Pix John knew: Phouka and Sascha. Without understanding how the little boy was the malevolent sharp-toothed Phouka, John instinctively knew he was. And Sascha, it was her, very much naked, without a frame, and glowing.

      "Sascha, do you see?" John asked.

      "You already have two wives," Alaric said.

      "So do you," John retorted automatically.

      "Burn my eyes," Martyr whispered.

      "They will if you say it loud enough," Claudia warned. She was behind John still, undoubtedly watching David. He was still just outside the circle. John guessed the fire would remain until all the Sidhe were out of the earth, and then they would let down the wall of blue fire that clearly shielded them. There were countless of these Dwarves and Pix, each diminutive in a different way. The Elves led the others. Of those it seemed, as John viewed the whole of them, that the man in red armor was their leader.

      Around them now, lesser spirits were flying, Daejinnim summoned to perform tasks for them, visible sometimes as chimeric animals or half a person or only by the things they effected.

The column of soil fell rapidly, sending a ring of dirt splashing over the mystical blue fire and apparently smothering it.

      The towering Faerie in full glittering armor settled his mount and spoke for the first time to those watching in amazement, "I am Obi Won, King of Sidhe, will you mortals be enemies or no?"

      "Should I answer?" Martyr asked.

      "Please answer, 'no'," Alaric whispered.

      "Of course you should answer," boomed the snow-pale Faerie woman clothed in blue gossamer, in a very quiet voice, somehow.

      "Parasiel," one of the Elves whispered. Several more took up this name in chant, but not all had whispering voices.

      "Parasiel did not answer the summons," the pale, regal Faerie said. She looked down at David, still standing his ground before the hooves and horns of the unicorns.

      "Tell them your intent," David demanded, "Give the mortals your intent, it's just. Let them know how they should answer!"

      "Defender of mortals, young Ravenstar," Obi Won said.

      "Do let's announce our intent, Obi Won," whispered the blonde Faerie who had been flirting with Jean-Daniel.

      "My sister, Maeve, defends them also. Titania?" Obi Won asked the pale woman. All the crowd still stood afraid to breathe while they debated.

      "May as well, Husband. House Cimmerian and House Pallador have befriended some, and House Ravenstar of course. I speak for House Anshar, announce our intent."

      Obi Won nodded, looking over the crowd. "House Bluestone?"

      "Announce, I befriend them," Aje said.

      "House Nyx?"

      The black haired Faerie next to Opium spoke, "Not that it matters in such overwhelming majority, but I do not wish we should announce. Make them enemies. All the Mortals are enemies."

      Obi Won smiled. "I know the vote of House Morningstar. I announce. Hear now, Mortals, we have tolerated much destruction of the land and its life but only more destruction comes. All those who show disregard for the land will be our enemies. For now, on this night, we shall repair some of the damage with our powers, much amplified tonight. If we see our gifts taken lightly we shall, at least, never consider such gifts again and take all our people to the other world! Are you enemies?"

      "No!" Martyr called out.

      "You speak for the mortals?"

      "For those within this city, yes. Good Sir, it is our way to build cities but we had many fine parks and farmlands until the war. Those remaining here did not seek war. We are victims only. Remember us please, for we do not wish to be enemies. Sir, personally, I miss seeing the occasional Merrow in the Seine or Fee at play in the parks. I miss children not unlike yours playing with those like me. My friends here also love your people."

      Obi Won laughed. "Good Sir, he says." Gazing down he spoke to Martyr, "You amuse me, mortal, but I am am hardly 'good sir' to you. You should tremble that I have returned after so long, that any of my court are here tonight."

      "I've been advised it is not worthwhile to show fear when initially meeting others," Martyr said honestly.

      "I could just steal him away," Titania said with a giggle.

      "Handsome little Human," said the tattooed girl who looked otherwise much like Titania but she was blue-skinned.

      "And My Lady is fair beneath the glamours," Martyr laughed.

      John grinned. The boy was flirting with Sidhe. It was something John might have tried on more familiar ground. He would have really been afraid but for realizing half the Elves were known to him. Still, John was cautious, they hardly seemed their usual selves.

      "We could use Parasiel's talent," Opium said and looked at her fingernails. They were long and glossy black.

      "If the Lordling would only put on his glamour," Thierry pouted.

      Raven shook her head sadly. The group of Elves split up just then, left the area marked by tiny mushrooms where there had been blue flame and rode a short distance in many directions. To John it seemed they were surveying the land.

      "I'll watch the Ravenstars, you take the Cimmerians and Palladors," Claudia whispered from behind. When John turned to look at her, Martyr doing the same, Claudia was serious in expression.

      "Shall I watch someone?" Martyr asked.

      "I suppose you should," Claudia said. "Don't get yourself in trouble, Martyr, just watch the big guy, Oberon."

      "Obi Won," John corrected.

      Claudia shook her head. The proper name was irrelevant to her for the moment. Her logical nature didn't mesh well with faeries or their magic. Claudia was suspicious of them all. "And Martyr, watch out for that Pixie on the leash. His real name is Robin and the appearance of a child is all glamour. He's tried to kill me."

      Martyr nodded slowly then turned to sneak a glimpse of the leashed faerie. "That why he is kept on the leash?"

      "Claudia resembles Maeve, that Elven woman with the crimped blonde hair. I gather she is Obi Won's sister and that Robin is still angry over some past argument between them involving Jean-Daniel who is Maeve's adopted son...he's quite old enough to have outgrown the appropriateness of such affection from a mother I notice."

      "None of these Faerie stories matter," Claudia hissed, "Martyr, it is your place to keep a watch on their leader, just don't get enthralled as John clearly is, keep your head. I have to keep a watch on David's family."

      "I wasn't enthralled," John tried but Claudia's glare reminded him she was practiced at knowing his thoughts. He thought them all so pretty. John sighed. Even Opium and Morpheus who he had stood next to before were more ethereal and beautiful tonight that he would have imagined...and they had been downright attractive part-angels to begin.

      "Alaric," John called when he realized the others had left him. His friend was still close by. He had his son in his arms now. "Oh, I was going to ask you to find out who that House of Nyx guy is, but I don't want you to involve Li'l Alaric."

      "I'll just ask Sascha," Alaric said.

      She was still hanging about Morpheus. "Up to you," John said, "But maybe I could get Morpheus to speak to me." They approached together, John and Alaric with the child. Maya was close to him as well, his sister, two of her arms holding the fluffy white mane of the unicorn and her other two hands pressed to her face in expression of sadness or worry.

      "Sascha," Alaric called to her.

      She blinked her eyes at them, still very much naked and thinner even than she appeared in her clothes.

      "We were worried about you, Sascha," Alaric said, "Is it your own power that makes you able to move without the frame now?"

      Sascha looked down. It wasn't lasting, this ability.

      "Morpheus," John called softly, "what exactly are you doing here?"

      "Oh, Hello, Danjel, I didn't notice you. So sad what has become of this city, it was rather grande as artificial constructions go. I have seen the charred landscape outside the city. A crime."

      Didn't notice him at all? The slender boyish Faerie remained on his unicorn, wept a dark flower that fell to the ground as he looked out at the jagged cityscape. John blinked back disbelief that Morpheus did not have his usual humor about him. He saw the flower touch the ground and then John saw it take root.

      His tear was now a growing vine with delicately curled tendrils and dark purple blooms. This was no minor telekinesis, this was just magic. John winced at the realization that the Sidhe were really so powerful as told in legend.

      John looked up slowly in search for Opium. He did not know her well, but John was sure she was a good friend of Joy. John and Opium shared secrets between them about Joy, things John tried not to think about because they spoke of magic rather than things known. Besides that was Danjel, not John.

      John spotted Opium, riding her unicorn at a trot about one of the craters. That male Faerie of House Nyx was with her, glittery and too beautiful. Even at a distance that one gave John shivers. Still, he strode the distance to meet them.

      Opium's mount was prancing like a Spanish trick horse as John came to them, Opium reclining on its back with inhuman sense of balance or trust in the animal. She looked at John, licked the upper of her gloss black lips. "One of her Daniels," she said in whisper.

      The other faerie dismounted and stood not a meter from John. He was reaching between skin and fabric of his kilt and John forced his gaze upward to not see whatever the faerie intended to show. His eyes were nail blue, John had heard the phrase somewhere, cold and sharp but blue.

      The Faerie raised a hand and held up from it a black rose, something that florists could only produce with dye; not deep red or purple, it was really black. The Elf tucked the rose into his black hair and, as John watched, it grew and twisted until the Elf wore a crown of thorns similar to John's, only this had dark rose buds in it.

      The Elf smiled as Opium trilled a laugh that made all John's bones ache nearly to the point of breaking. "Could be a pleasant addition to the tribe put on the right diet," the Elf said. He had hunger in his expression.

      "He would only become like you and you would then lose interest, Honeythorn." Opium said softly. Honeythorn, it was his name. He paced in front of John, looking toward him with every turn. John stood still, had to watch.

      Honeythorn was in his arms and kissing him. As John realized he hadn't seen this happen, he shoved at the Elf. He was still pacing, had never really been any closer to John, but his grin said he had caused the vision. "Would be fun to watch his dark side come out...and I know his other side is particularly dark."

      "No," John said. "Opium," he called hoping for her to help. Instead he saw her slip from the unicorn. When she kissed him she tasted like blood...and it made John want to cut her open and feast on her insides. A voice called and John turned, the faerie Opium still whole and pressed against him. Joy was there.

      Opium slipped from him, slunk toward his back to put John between herself and Joy. John glared at Joy. She wore the green dress. It tormented him, this dress, the dress she had worn when he betrayed her. The dress he had tricked the guards into gambling for so they would be distracted when he betrayed them in turn. She was smiling, same blackberry shade on her lips and emerald green specks in her brown eyes. Like the dress, same color only the velvet's nap made it seem black where her figure cast shadow. It made all her skin look more pink, like it wasn't only the blood.

      One corner of her lips turned up. God, she was pretty. John watched his right hand move against the velvet and up her left side, he was suddenly close enough. John felt the undulating of Joy's left breast through the fabric that covered only its lower half. He could punch through her ribs and rip out her heart. He could make an amazon of her. Joy tasted like blood. It welled up out of her mouth as from a dying girl.

      "You want me also, John," Estasi said. She was so chocolatey to look at, rich brown against cream slightest kiss of freckles on her chest and shoulders.

      There was a bed, richly decorated, somewhere with stone walls. Estasi was naked, trembling and John knew the fangs would lengthen as his penis hardened. John cackled a laugh, how many forms of bloody penetration could he commit to this body? Her heart could be ripped from her as well. "Yes, take my body, take my blood," Estasi cried out.

      A loud crowd of cheers filled and echoed within the stone-lined room and John raised his head, mouth slicked with other people's blood. He saw there was an archway where Alaric stood, clothed as a soldier of ancient Rome, like a visiGoth mercenary. "They hail the king of the world," Alaric said. Suggestive gesture of finger between lips.

      They were calling his name over and over. John looked down from the balcony and saw a never-ending sea of people were gathered below. They held flags, nearly like the new flag of Goth and others that displayed sword and crown of thorns. John spread his arms, as if to take them all into his embrace and was stabbed in the wrist.

      John turned his head to his right and saw his own arm pinned to a wooden cross beam by a long iron stake and Alaric holding a hammer. "Do it again," John said to him. Alaric smiled and nodded toward John.

      "As you wish," Alaric said in strained words and put all his strength into hammering the stake through John's wrist, between the bones and into the wood.

      "My Lord," another voice said from the left. John turned again. His other arm was already nailed to the cross. Looking somewhat downward at his left side John saw Kit, dressed still as a priest. "You, know, they used to carve statues of Christ and many saints nude and priapic, to show the newly converted pagan masses that their God and holymen were as powerful as this or that dying fertility god."

      "I know," John said and watched Kit's hand cradle his penis, slicked with the blood that flowed from his head where the thorns cut it and his mouth where he had drank of it.

      "Seems the Catholics developed a sense of adam-like shame and had these organs chiseled off all their statues, filled boxes with them in the Vatican. When Angel stole the city they still found ones that had never been restored." Kit was stroking John's penis now. He puckered his lips slightly, thoughtfully. "I won't let them do that to your statues, My Lord. I couldn't have them desecrate your body...your blood. I know how to love you properly." The priest took the organ he spoke of into his mouth.

      John rolled his eyes upward and wept, knew the tears were blood. "Yes, Beloved, you do...great sacrifice."

      Alaric drew the Sword of thorns from his belt as John looked at him. He gave a nod to the women waiting, Opium, Joy, Estasi, and then he thrust the sword into John, tearing open the flesh just below the ribs. The women gathered below to catch the blood in their mouths. The masses below roared with approval.

      Martyr somehow floated up from the crowd and then was suspended upside down, right leg bent and crossed over his left which was nailed to another cross. When John looked at him the fully dressed boy hanging there smiled. "I told them I was not worthy of the same death as you. My people can be quite creative. I do love them."

      John looked to the other side and saw another cross. This one had a boy sitting cross-legged before it, pinned by long nails through shoulders and hips. The boy looked over serenely. "the Pope would not give his blessing to my crusade either, John. I tried, really, had all the youth of Germany and France following after I joined up with Stephan's crew. French bishops had told his followers to go home." The boy laughed. "You and Martyr there have done so much better. You're so much smarter, really, John. All I managed to do was lead the children to their deaths. But you, John, look, your children are immortal."

      John turned from the boy and saw Claudia was there, David lurking at her side as she cradled a child. She looked up at John, all the masses of his followers behind her. He noticed them how pale they all looked. John could not see the baby, only Claudia's fanged smile. "He'll grow to be a great leader, just like you," Claudia said.

      David kissed the side of her neck. He looked to John then, "Don't worry, I'll take care of your mother here. And your son. You'll be so busy when you are a God, after all." 

                      †               †               †

      She was watching closely as Thierry dismounted and stepped closer to his son. It was clear now, as Aje joined them, how Thierry and Aje had originally come to know each other. During the time Thierry's whereabouts were unknown, and Aje had worked for the Darkling Ambassador to Egypt who went by the name Elbereth Ravenstar, no one had known enough about Sidhe to question Elbereth's identity, or realize Elbereth had Thierry's own motives to attack the influential Darkling gathered in Alexandria. Then, Claudia had learned, along with David and everyone else, that Elbereth was Thierry and likewise father to David. Since that time, Claudia had been suspicious of Aje in particular, had wondered at his motives for siding with Thierry, when his later actions showed him to be a defender of all Darkling, and very loyal to the Union.

      Clearly it was that, like Thierry's mother, and through her Thierry, Aje was Sidhe. They must have met through other Sidhe, perhaps at a gathering. Claudia imagined the logical progression of events included some masculine bonding over drink or talk of past conquests of women. Thierry must have confided in Aje, who was probably vastly older, about loosing his son. Perhaps, the fact that Aje had some past with Faye, and that Faye had seen David when younger and Human with Orchid, and being Faye possessed a keen ear for information about those of her kind wandering into her range of hearing, had led Aje to conclude that the rogue Vampyre called David was the same as Thierry's son, taken away by the child's mother. Naturally, having his own past issues with the Vampyres Orchid was related to — first Joy turned Thierry's father and Thierry saw Joy as competing with his mother for his father's affection, and then, when grown, Thierry had formed a relationship with Anne and later she had left him for Shade — Thierry would have seen Orchid's keeping David secreted away and making him a Vampyre as intolerable insult. Sympathizing for reasons of his own, despite his general loyalty to the Union, Aje helped Thierry plan his revenge.

      Watching them now, it was clear Thierry and Aje were still very friendly. They stood together with Raven all attempting to convince David of something. Being linked to him by blood Claudia knew what was said. Regardless of being a Vampyre David was still Sidhe and very much able to assist in their magics. Thierry asked David help him. Aje tried to appear impartial and presented to David as an outsider the logic of helping them despite the anger he felt toward his father.

      Unemotional as she could be at times, Claudia had always tried to be considerate of David's feelings regarding Thierry. Like David, Claudia had grown up most of her childhood with an adoptive father. She could not imagine being seduced by a man, having been in bed with him, perhaps made love, and later discovered that the man was her father - had known all along that he was her father and just not cared that he made his child a lover. Few had believed Thierry's claims that he had not known all along David was his child. Whether Thierry knew or not did little to change the air of Greek Tragedy about the situation.

      "David," Thierry said and held David's shoulders, "you are too like your grandfather. He was one of the family's greatest witches yet he kept to little tricks and still cares little for real magic. And you, my son, gifted with the blood of great hereditary witches, the Pelolobo nobility and the Sidhe along with whatever Orchid gave you...I wish he had never turned you."

      "Not again, Thierry," David said. He rarely called him father. "I sense the real desire you had to find me, wanted to breed the most powerful grandchildren possible, that's why you really hate him now."

      "So it's true I thought of grandchildren, but you had no idea then who you were. You could have been heir to empires, David, and Orchid took that from you! Without offspring you could only be the end of a dynasty no matter what we gave you. You might have already been immortal. He didn't let you live long enough to find out."

      "I repeat again," David said and Claudia knew what was coming. She had heard this story before and didn't need to listen. David would point out that he had been the one to force Orchid's hand, had stolen the blood. And then Thierry, as he always did when hearing this would look absolutely ill at the thought and seem to deny the truth of it. From his point of view the vampires had stolen his father and his lover and lastly his son. Thierry could not stomach David speaking of the desire to share their blood, it was repugnant to him. Thierry could no longer comprehend anyone desiring to be a Vampyre.

      Claudia listened to see if they were finished arguing. This time Raven separated them. She cradled David in her arms. Thierry was not really at peace with his mother either, but seemed to forgive the fact that she remained with his Vampiric father for sake of the Sidhe or tribe of Wolfbreed to which they belonged.

      "Then watch, David," Raven suggested sensibly, "you can join in and lend your power after we begin. You may want to when you see what we really intend and will be welcome."

      "It will be up to me."

      Thierry crossed his arms about his armored chest and fell into conversation with Aje. A call came from elsewhere and Claudia followed the gaze of Thierry to their leader, Obi Won. It was apparent he signaled the commencement of something as Claudia saw nods and gestures in the affirmative. Quickly the Elves of the Sidhe formed a circle outside the original ring now marked with fungal growth.

      Claudia looked to her sides. The lesser Faerie were now forming outer circles, first Pix then Dwarves. The Unicorns Claudia noticed were within the first circle and made her think perhaps they were truly the first and the Elves somehow subject to them in this ceremony, despite the fact they rode the creatures. Perhaps the elegant horned beasts allowed or even enjoyed having the Elves ride upon them.

      They all faced the outside of each circle. Claudia was between Elves and Pix and considering the little she knew of their nature moved to the outside of all four circles which she thought should be safe if Raven was telling David he would approve of the magic.

      Claudia found Faye and Estasi. There was a silent exchange in which they apologized for allowing David to escape, and Claudia then told them not to worry over it after all. The Faerie began to dance, it seemed like a dance. As the movements went on Claudia suspected her original perception was wrong. They were tracing particular patterns over and over with the movement of hands and feet.

      Faye covered her ears and then Estasi and immediately afterward Claudia felt a sort of vibration, an electronic hum and with it heard a high pitched tone. She knew covering the ears was pointless, the energies being drawn up and focused could not be shut out by hands. Still, the noise was powerful, overwhelming.

      The Humans with them were also experiencing it and then in the distance the cries of animals said they sensed the power further out. David was inside the circles, near to the circle of Elves. He seemed aware of the power but unaffected. And John, he was within the circles. Claudia noticed him only now as a blue-white glow formed within the circle of unicorns where all heads were bent low and John was clearly silhouetted, outside the circle of Elves and standing with hands pressed to his eyes. Claudia tried to reach him with her thoughts, but the immense power built by the Sidhe prevented her communication.

      The glow flashed and now the glow encompassed the circle of Elves. Moments only passed and Claudia squinting in the brightness saw the glow was more a field of energy including visible light and that it was moving outward in all directions from the circles. In fact it moved much faster now after passing the Elves.

      It was upon her then, penetrating her. Claudia was in this light and energy and it was in her. Nothing else was existent.

      Bright green grass. It was the first thing Claudia became aware of as the motes left her vision. She bent over, clutching her belly as he child asked what had just passed through them. She could touch his mind. The circles were still there, all the Sidhe. David was actually in the circle of Elves. John was standing along between rings and seemed disoriented, arms lose at his sides, stance wide, eyes searching.

      Claudia could touch his thought again. Horrible vision or nightmare of a crucifixion. He was able to sense her. "Yes, it's me, your vision, it can't have been real, you were here with us all along."

      He was thinking of grass and the scent of flowers. Now Claudia broke off from John and really looked about. It wasn't just here, there was growth everywhere. No rubble appeared. The gathered Humans stood on real grass between laid stone streets. Where bridges had been destroyed and washed out huge trees that should have been hundreds of years old now stood in pairs aside the rivers and grew toward each other until their branches entwined with the durable arch of a suspension bridge. Where there had been dirty pools of polluted water, sparkling pools now glimmered in moonlight. Where half a building stood, the fallen section was mimicked in shape by colonnade of slender evenly-spaced trees or sculpted hedges. In some places stone had been stacked to replace entire faceades complete with glass windows. Foundations of fallen buildings were swept clean, as if scrubbed, and bordered by walkways of large flat stone slabs or green lawns.  Other waterways had sprung up and were crossed by dry stepping stones spaced close to form a fast flowing spray of water or fall. Phosphorescent rocks lay in rows to mark road lanes and sidewalks or in glass globes atop street lights hung with vines. Claudia saw balconies or fences of gleaming wrought metal in intricate patterns. Many buildings which had been left standing but damaged had new artfully etched window panes.

      As Claudia looked for the reaction of these with her she saw a doe cross the grass. Yes, the city had been silent before, now insects chirped busily. Nocturnal creatures were thick through the city.

      "They did this," Claudia said.

      Faye nodded. "Look, there are piles of loose stone and stands of trees as if ready for building." Claudia saw, nearest the bare foundations where entire buildings were gone. And this was only within eyesight. Claudia was sure this magic had passed through and continued its work. How far, she wondered. Might they see news reports within hours of seemingly random freak ocurrences of nature? Might the wave disipte with distance so that on the other side of the world a few extra flowers bloomed in New Zealand this spring?

      Claudia made her way between the Dwarves and Pix to John. He still looked unnerved. "I wouldn't do those things," he said when he saw her. This close he was more obviously disturbed, his eyes swollen from crying, hands trembling.

      "I only got the vaguest image," Claudia said honestly.

      "How could the very darkest part of me even think those things? I just wouldn't."

      "I don't know, John, I don't know what you saw. All I can guess is that one or another of the Faeries showed you those images for their own reason. It might have been to torment you, as you are obviously horrified. Maybe it was to tempt you from your path or even to remind you why you must take the correct path."

      John shook his head. "But when I was seeing these horrible things, I liked it. I wanted those things to happen. How could I?"

      Claudia sighed. "John, snap out of it." She grimaced then seeing this unnerved him more. Claudia took John's left hand and drew him toward her. "Whatever it was, you saw your darkest fears or fantasies as if they were true...real. But they are not real. Clearly you have not actually done the things you remember seeing, I can tell from your reaction. You are no villian, John. The power you have is in check. It makes no difference whether you or not the darkness is in you. It only matters if you let it out. If it horrifies you so, then clearly you will resist those sort of impulses. Won't you?"

      "And if one of those things is being with you?" John asked and looked exhausted on top of upset.

      Claudia nodded. What he meant was, what if he fought all the religious upbringing and denied the hold Humanity or family had on him and agreed wholly to being a Vampyre just because it meant being with her? What John feared was that when he made that one choice he would somehow become evil, that the bloodlust would lead him to do things he couldn't imagine now.

      "I will swear by whatever you like, my father's life, my own blood, my love for you...I am a Vampyre and I am still the same person, still good. I do not rip my loved ones apart in hunger for blood or commit any other horror just because I am now a Vampyre."

      John shrugged weakly. He needed rest. "It's in me, Claudia, don't forget I betrayed you once. And then I betrayed those I betrayed you to. I lead an entire nation. They will do as I say."

      "John, it is healthy, these fears. If you did not remain in awe of your power and know how it could be misused then you would be a bad leader. And you must stop dwelling on that one moment of history. Betraying me has been forgiven and when you freed us, I can't see it as betrayal, it was more like setting the one betrayal right. You never really had their trust I think. They were just using you."

      "Claudy," John sighed, "In the vision I corrupted everyone. I made Alaric into some kind of soldier and executioner. I made Kit go against his vows. I even allowed myself to be worshiped, let everyone including myself partake in heresy and blaspheme. God, I somehow forced you away from me. You took our son to live with David. Even Martyr was part of it, I made him just like me, a false savior. There was so much blood..."

      "John, you don't have to take the blood. I wouldn't force you."

      "But I want it," John whispered.

      Claudia nodded. She felt pleased, happy really, but tried not to show it right now. "Even so, I wouldn't force you. As for David I have explained to you both over and over how I need you both. Your son, John, Our son, even if somehow in the very worst case imaginable I did go somewhere with David and I did take our child, it does not change the fact that he is yours. He isn't even born and he recognizes you. No one can take him from you altogether."

      John nodded weakly.

      "Really," Claudia pressed, "it was only one possibility. No one can say what will happen. What do you want to happen?"

      John turned and looked Claudia in the eyes, "It's what I fear will happen!" he insisted. "I love you so much, and I love our child, but I don't love David. I just have this vision in my head of being sick enough of him to leave you. It would be my fault, don't you see. Part of the darkness. I don't fear that you would steal him. I fear leaving you both."

      "Oh, I see," Claudia said, honestly not having thought of it that way before.

      "Forever is a long time. I believe that you would come back if I did not first come to find you. I don't like it, but I have to be honest...we should always be honest with each other...I can't deny you and David are at odds and so if either of you left I would understand that it was not out of lack of love for me. I can't promise specifically. Of course I already promised to love you, but I can't predict future actions, not really. We all have flaws."

      "It's so dark."

      "You need sleep," Claudia whispered. David could make him sleep by power of suggestion. Claudia wondered if she was able. She caught John's eyes. "sleep," she said as she sent the thought to his mind. "Just sleep, have good dreams."

      "I'm tired," John said. He sank down to the grass. "It's a nice night..."

      It was. Claudia hadn't noticed before. It was much warmer than it had been. The air was cool, but far from freezing, like the most pleasant harvest night. "Yes, go to sleep. I'll bring you blankets and lay by your side. Don't worry. I won't let you become a villian. I can promise that, John. My will is strong. You will never be a villian."

      "I love you," John murmured sleepily. His eyes were closed.

      Claudia smiled. There was darkness in all men and as John would point out, even Christ was tempted. John would be christ-like as far as all good Christians should be, he would never cross the line and commit such a sin of pride as believing he was equal to his god. No, John was less evil than most, Claudia was sure. John's darkness sickened him. It was good, that sickness, like the sickness that told a man not to seduce his children.

      Claudia reached for her child. She did not desire to name him without John but sometimes she called it Son. "Son, you remember this, all men do have darkness in them, but the best, like your father, will never let it out into the world. I wish for you to be like your father. Be a good man. Love people, even if they hurt you."

      "Will they love me?"

      "Probably not...but the good ones will."