Amid the Shadows

Hello, thank you so much for the people who have commented. All are greatly received.

The story is a bit of a slow build, hope its not boring you. Things get a bit sexy this time, I have a feeling with Alex and Jensen they'll there be a lot more....

Anna Dreamer

Chapter 8

Sometime during the night Alexis had moved closer and Jensen lay with her in his arms,watching his first sunrise in what felt like forever. She stirred and snuggled in closer.

'It's beautiful isn't it?' she whispered in the gathering morning light. Jensen briefly kissed her temple in response.

He opened his eyes for the second time that day and immediately noticed the lack of warmth and smell of the lady. The bed next to him was cooling quickly, before he could stop himself he leaned over and inhaled the pillow. As he drew back his smile faded quickly. As his thoughts returned to the night before, he realised he'd let Alistair see too much.

Replaying the night before as a spectator, he reviewed his actions. They'd entered the room together and as soon as Alistair had threatened her, he'd rushed to her rescue. It would be used against him, some how Alistair would use it against him, he knew it.

The wheels in his mind, spun faster and faster, the only logical solution, he had to put distance between them. His attachment was growing too fast and already he cared for her, maybe it was more that that...he growled to himself, griping the bed linen roughly and throwing it off himself. He slipped on the shirt he'd discarded the night before.

As he stepped out into the morning air, a thousand things ran through his mind, maybe they could make it work. With every positive notion, ten negatives were stacked against them. As he heard the bathroom door softly open, the image of George and Marianne sprung into his mind, he remembered them together. They were happy. He wanted a piece of that, hadn't he suffered enough? The memory was a two edged sword, while it glimpsed at what could be, it also showed what could not. She was George's daughter and his reaction probably wouldn't be so hopeful.

A reckless Mage and fighter wasn't exactly the ideal candidate prospects for his daughter. Jensen links to his past also cast a shadow.

Taran entered and left them a hostess trolley of food, the smell of freshly cooked food filled the air and most importantly there was coffee. Alexis took one of the small white porcelain cup and filled it with the steaming liquid. She took a sip and tasted something remotely like home. She turned to the patio doors, watching Jensen staring out into the distant, the white shirt he wore bellowing around him.

When she'd awoke this morning she'd felt safe and warm. She could had kicked herself at her own foolishness. How could she feel safe in this hell hole? But with Jensen she did, just for a moment before the whys and whens of how she'd got here came flooding back. She watched him walk back into the bedroom and pour a cup of coffee. He didn't even look at her. She opened her mouth to offer a greeting when the bathroom door slammed close. She really hated that fucking door!.

**

'Where's Paul?' George entered Karl's HQ at his home and addressed his friend.

'One of my guys saw him leaving the estate this morning, early.' Karl was scouting through a pile of papers.

'Have you been to sleep yet?' George sat himself in one of the chairs by the desk.

'Have you?' Karl smirked, momentarily looking up.

'Touché.' George put his head in his hands. 'I managed a few hours.'

A young man dressed in civilian clothes entered the office and handed Karl a piece of paper. He leaned forward and spoke in hushed tones with the wolf. 'Truly?' Karl asked, the young man nodded flicked his gaze to George and then back to his superior. Karl gave a quick shake of his head and indicated the door. The young man bowed and moved away quickly, leaving the two friends alone.

'I keep having the strangest dreams, well I suppose it's really snippets of things.' George looked up.

'About Alex?' Karl asked rolling up his sleeves.

'Mostly, some about Paul, Marianne.'

Karl moved around the desk, taking position in a second chair. He waited patiently.

'Alex is in a cave, she's screaming for my help and in her arms is a man, I can't see his face. But she's screaming for help and I try to get to her but I can't. I try to move, to turn, to reach her but I can't I'm stuck. Then Paul appears and I'm screaming at him to help his sister, he just keep picking up rocks and throwing them at me.' George suddenly burst into an uncomfortable laugh, 'does that seem strange to you?'

Karl stared at his friend in thought, 'No, sometimes the mind projects things we don't always want to see with our eyes.'

'Its been days Karl, I think we need to call in reinforcements.'

Karl nodded, 'I have a security team ready to scout out the address Paul gave us last night. I've had a car of men watching the street throughout the night, so far nothing particularly noticeable has occurred. Also...' Karl stopped, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable.

'Why do I feel like the next thing out of your mouth is not going to make me happy?'

'I gave Paul a file containing some sensitive information.'

'Regarding?' George stiffened.

'A vampire named Alistair.'

Karl watched his reaction, he stood swiftly with a whoosh of air and an exhale of breathe. George began to pace. 'Is this room safe?'

Karl nodded.

'You knew didn't you? as soon as I mentioned my past...' George stopped to look to the wolf asking again. 'Is this room safe?'

'I swept it myself this morning.'

'You really don't trust...' George stopped as a panicked look came over his face.

'At this moment my friend I can't trust anyone until the puzzle had been unravelled and solved. I want you to tell me about Alistair, I want to know how you're involved with this. I could wait for the whole story, but I swear your name and reputation hasn't been affected with the collecting of my intel.'

'First, why are you doing this Karl?'

Karl's face looked puzzled, he sat back and straightened, 'You're my oldest friend George, You've helped me in the past. I know how much you're family means to you.'

'What does it me to you Karl?'

'I don't-'

'You don't think I've noticed how you watch my daughter?' George interrupted.

Karl spluttered and moved to the window. George followed him.

'I know you care for her, in fact I think its much more than that. You've been more of an influence on her than I, more of a confidante and friend. It natural that the relationship between you would grow.'

'I never meant to betray my position or your trust.'

'But?'

'We were together, shortly after her graduation. I reacted badly afterwards, full of remorse and regret. I told her to find someone her own age. I didn't want to take away her freedom George. I've loved her all her life, watched her grow and somewhere inside of me it felt wrong. My instincts got the better of my mind and...'

'Karl' George whispered, 'It's ok.'

'NO! IT IS NOT!' Karl roared.

George let the ringing in his ears dim slightly before he spoke again, 'You introduced her to the idea of Dominic?'

Karl nodded, 'I wanted her to experience life, I just thought...' He tugged at his tie. 'It doesn't matter now, that little bastard is on my hit list.'

'Alistair was my best friend.' Karl's head whirled at the change in topic. 'We were inseparable during school, his parents were odd people and Alistair's birth was not a happy accident.' George moved back to the chairs, he perched on the end and linked his hands.

'We soon found we had a lot of things in common at that age, magic, women, sports. As we grew older, his relationship with his parents totally broke down. After the birth of his brother, his life became unbearable. My parents felt sorry for him, took him in. Much like with myself indulged his ever whim.'

'What happened with his parents?'

'I don't know, Alistair seldom visited them after he took at residence here. I asked my mother about his family once, she told him his mother had had a digression and Alistair had been born afterwards. My father insisted Alistair's uncle was his father. Claude disappeared from society when Alistair's mother Clara return to her husband. No one spoke of it after then. Alistair's father Henry was a very powerful man, politically and magically.'

'So where does that mark fit into all this?' Karl pointed at George's exposed wrist.

'It started years later, we'd finished college, graduated. Fell into what society wanted from us. My father took on both Alistair and I as his apprentices. We worked together well. It was the anniversary of the ending of the wars in the south. Alistair was sent to calm down some of the rumours that had reached the elders of the council. Some rouges where ready to start where the wars had left off. Alistair was so sliver tongued, he'd convinced them he could handle the situation. By this time, him and Marianne had been dating a few months. During that time Alistair hadn't stayed monogamous, he used his position in the council and his abilities to the fullest.'

'So you stepped in where he'd started?' Karl smirked.

'I wish' George let out a laugh, 'I don't think I even registered on her radar. We became friends first.'

'So Alistair came back a changed man, how so? Was he changed to vampire?'

Karl opened a drawer in the desk and pulled out a bottle of malt whiskey. The clink, clink of glasses sounded until he sat across from George and offered him a glass. The only sound in the room was the opening of the bottle and the dribble of amber liquid into the crystal glass. George took a gulp and Karl topped him up.

'No, I thought the rumours about his vampirism were just that. After his return from the south, he produced his report for the council, crossed the T's and dotted the I's. But in his words where the starting of his true feelings. He painted the rogues in a sympathetic light but the council just took it as his young age and inexperience. I remember my father told him after his report that sometimes in council business a man had to 'harden his heart and see the logic'.

George reached absently to his wrist and rolled back his sleeve. He rubbed at the Celtic design.

'The tattoos where just a gimmick for myself and Alistair at first. Then as the months went on, more and more people came to the house. So much so my father had the one of the old servants quarters rebuilt for us.'

'The small outbuilding by the back gates?'

'Yes, things started out as all guys together, we'd drink, practice magic irresponsibly. Then Alistair started bringing politics and texts into the group. Pretty soon people where taking sides, fights broke out and then one day I saw Marianne with the same mark.'

'Taking sides about what?'

'That the council were stifling young talent, that the rogues to the south were being eliminated not to stop a threat, but because magically they where stronger than us. They knew secrets the council wanted to monopolise from other wizards and super naturals.'

'You and Marianne believed him?'

'Completely, I had no reason to doubt him, I was blinded to his faults because he was my best friend, Marianne was blinded because she cared for him. Now I see it for what is was, a chance for me to escape what my father was directing me towards.'

'So when did that doubt start to surface?' Karl downed his drink and poured another.

'Alistair became more and more reclusive, babbling about old magic, old texts, dark magic. Marianne and I started spending more and more time together. When we realised there were feelings between us we decided to resist. That Alistair was a concern and that he needed our help.'

'What did George Sr. say?'

'I approached my father and explained my concerns, he said he'd watch out for my friend.'

'And?'

'My father came into my room one night with Alistair at his side, both were bloody and muddy. My father was screaming, ''did I know?' I didn't know what he was talking about. Time seemed to fly, all the family were then in the study. My mother was attending to my father who was bleeding badly. Alistair was murmuring apologises discarded in a chair.'

'What had happened?'

'He's used the dark arts on one of my father's female advisers and a cousin of Marianne's. What he did to her I can't speak of it. My father had felt the hum of magic as Alistair's actions, it also trigged a ward at the back of the house. My father had gone to investigate. Alistair had been in a rage and attacked him for his interference.'

'Your father knew enough.'

'I took Alistair's side, he was my friend, I was blinded by his ideals and his vision. I packed a bag and we left in what was left of the night.'

'And Marianne?'

'She kept in touch by letter, we moved from place to place. Meeting people, recruiting people for our cause.'

'Your cause?' Karl asked a little confused.

'To over throw the council. Create our own equal equality. '

'Only it wasn't an equality.' Karl made it a statement.

'No Alistair wanted a dictatorship with him as our monarch and leader and the rest of us as his minions. He started, jokingly, referring to himself as the Master, one day it wasn't a joke anymore, people joining the cause referred to him as such.

Marianne came to stay with us after her parents had become suspicious. We sneaked around and spent as much time alone as we could.'

'Alistair treated her like a queen for the first few days, declaring his love and devotion and how they could rule everything and everyone. Marianne panicked, begged me to go home, I refused, thought she was overacting. Alistair's brother started visiting us after a while, that was the first thing that raised some suspicion.

Alistair and I arrange an attack, a raid on an elders home, to leave a message. Only Alistair had arranged a few other surprises as well. The next morning Marianne told me, someone had been killed in the attack and one council member gravely injured.'

'Someone you knew?'

'Some one much closer than that. Two days later Alistair's brother arrived, delivering the message that their father has been murdered and that my father had been injured. I just knew. I couldn't comprehend that he'd had his own father killed and also that my own father...' George took a long breath and finished his drink. He snatched the bottle from Karl and nearly filled his glass.

'We argued soon after, we traded insults, threw magic at each other. Alistair told me I was just like my father, narrow minded. That he'd put his trust in the wrong man. All the years of friendship seemed to crumble away. All I saw was a stranger. So in front of his whole group of minions, I disgraced him and revealed mine and Marianne's relationship. He was devastated and I felt...I liked his pain.'

'You returned here.'

George nodded, 'I told him if we'd meet again, I'd kill him. I remember the look on his face. He was so disbelieving, so shocked. His brother helped us escape after I told him my own thoughts regarding his father's mysterious death.'

'He believed you?'

'At first no, but he believed Marianne and the facts. Alistair's sudden interest in him is what sealed the deal.'

'And your father?'

'He was growing stronger when I arrived home with Marianne, a few day later. I begged his forgiveness, but things were never the same again. A few months later Marianne found out she was pregnant with the twins, we married quietly. When the twins where born the rift between use seemed to ease a little. He loved the children. He died three years after my mother.'

'I remember, Alex was six. That's when I first started guarding her, when you started training Paul. But I've never heard anything of Alistair before this.'

'He just seemed to disappear, we heard rumours over the years of his deeds, his death. I couldn't believe it. The tattoo burned and itched and I knew he was still alive.'

'You think the tattoo still links you?'

'I think it links those remaining of us.'

'Including the brother?'

George nodded, 'He too bears one on his wrist.'

'I couldn't find any connection to a brother, Is this brother still alive? could he be found?'

'Ah Yeah, he's still alive.'

Karl stood and moved to the desk He lifted the phone and pressed a number as he waited and heard it ring in his ear he looked to his friend. 'I'm going to need a name George.'

'Lewis, Lewis Jensen Crane.'

**

Alexis and Jensen made their way down the corridor at Alistair's request. They stood at the foot of the stairs in a hall wall lined with rich colouration of reds and golds. Taran had had cuffed them together and was currently stowing an arsenal of weapons into two backpacks.

Alexis looked around the room, it was beautiful. As she stared at the paintings on the wall this part of the building was quiet. It didn't give off a hum like most rooms, or scream at her like the dinning room did. She shuddered. It was definitely a new part of the house, nothing tried to torment her or touch her. She wondered to herself why it didn't happen in the bedroom? The answer was simple, when Jensen was close she felt better, clearly of mind.

They hadn't spoken most of the morning or afternoon. She'd tried several times, receiving shrugs and grunts in response. So she spent most of her time on the balcony, while he'd stayed on the bed. While he'd been showering, she filtered through some of the some of items in the room. Finding some of her favourite books among some of her stolen belongings, she taken to the balcony with a cup of caffeine and Keats.

As the afternoon was falling into evening, her stone cold coffee mug and a cooling evening breeze had pushed her inside. She closed the window but still stared out into the evening, wondering if she could do this. Could she really find the stone?

Already she could picture the item as she closed her eyes. In the image it glowed and sang with power. As the image shifted she was more aware of where it was located. Where ever it was it was dark and the air smelt damp. She'd never used her power to this extent before. Over the years her father had always wanted to wait. Always promised to train her later, another day. There was always something Paul needed to know right now.

The bang on the door had indicated that time was running out, with a long breathe, she told herself to suck it up and maybe she'd learn to be better along the way. She was looking at a portrait intently when she felt his eyes on her. She didn't look at him. She ignored him, tit for tat.

Jensen pulled on the chains slightly trying to change Alexis' focus. He'd behaved badly all day and he knew it. She hadn't asked for this any more than he had. He felt apologetic. She looked beautiful, there was a rosy glow to her cheeks and the light perfume she wore was addictive. He breathed her in and felt arousal stirring.

Alistair floated down the stairs wearing a robe and little else, Diana trailed behind him. As he spoke her face displayed emotion. Jensen frowned, she almost looked at Alistair with a sneer of disgust. Jensen smirked and flexed his wrists, 'the lapdog might just bite' he muttered.

'Your previsions had been prepared my rose.' Alistair lifted Alexis' hand delicately, his tongue rubbed against fang as he looked her over like meat.

Alex nodded. 'So lets talk time.'

Alistair smiled, 'Indeed, three days.'

'I need a little longer, travel alone may take that long.' Alex reasoned.

'Mmm' Alistair circled the pair. 'I want that stone.'

'I know.' Alexis rubbed at her wrist where the handcuff had rubbed. Alistair removed Alex own grip on the hand and examined the redness. He lifted it to his mouth and felt her tense. Slowly, he moved his tongue over the wound, flicking it slightly over her pulse.