Chapter 2: Kaitlyn - Under the Cover of Night

2

Under the cover of night

Kaitlyn

The Tucson night sky was dark, peaceful along with beautiful, even if it was a little after one in morning. Sitting on the hood of my Chevy Camaro, I felt the wind starting to pick up. It was getting strong enough to create not only the dust storms that were frequent during the late summer of September, but it was also wreaking havoc with my hair.

Through my night vision binoculars, I carefully took in my surroundings. I had been sent down here on a recon job of sorts; she was convinced that this was the place of where the recent heightened activity had been. She was convinced that something was hunting for someone. Or rather a group was starting to form up and they were sophisticated enough to hunt on their own—for whatever they wanted.

“Are you sure about this?” I asked her, as replied to her through my little communicator that was wedged in my ear.

“Per the information that I’m gathering from the computer.” Elizabeth exhausted voice broke through for me on the other end. “It’s like this recent spike in activity, especially down there is like…” I sensed that her tiredness won over her. Then, again, with what she did. Who could truly blame her?

“Active beehive?” I finished for her. I never worked to understand why she stayed up so late. Doing what she did, it needed a lot of time. Along with sleep. “All right.” I assured her. “I’ll check it out and contact you if anything of interests surfaces.”

“Oh!” Elizabeth’s voice came back through the earpiece, jolting me slightly from the loose sitting position I was in, getting my attention. “I forgot to mention this…but she’s here.”

I slanted my gaze towards the driver side of my eye, trying to see what my other “Partner” was doing.

“What do you mean…” I started with a deep, anxious sigh, playing with a piece of my long black hair. “She’s here?”

“She’s here.” Elizabeth repeated, and then silently waited on the other end.

“Did she plan this little rendezvous, or did she do what she always does and crash the party?”

“She didn’t explicitly tell me, only that she was here.”

I hastily replied as I worked on untangling my legs that had been in a sitting mermaid position. I let out a sigh of annoyance, not knowing how that could complicate matters. “Okay,” I bit my lip trying to think of a play. “Lovely, just fucking lovely.”

I tried to think of how her being here really made anything different. But I couldn’t bring myself to reason why.

However, this place…. It was as if being here, I could almost predict that there was gonna be something that would go south on me tonight, that tonight’s recourse would create a deadly chain events that would utterly end with a wake of destruction.

Of course, when you were dealing with these Draugrs with their strength and speed running around, I honestly didn’t know how tonight would end.

The building in question was a shack thrown together on a large concrete foundation wrapped around the entire building in sheet metal; bolt beams sat tight in the foundation as the roof had been thrown together with large broken sheets of aluminum. In the front foyer, there was a single light lamp that flickered on and off repeatedly.

Glancing over my shoulder as the passenger door opened, Lauren joined my presence. She was dressed in brown leather jeans that was complete with a cotton blue lacy T-shirt. Her black heels that were crunching the gravel beneath her, only added five inches to her already ridiculous height. At five feet nine inches, she didn’t much more work. She was also wearing one of her favorite brown leather jackets.

“So, you might wanna check this out,” she said as she leaned up against the side of the door, taking a drag of her vape and passing it to me while at the same time, showing me her phone.

Instead, I reached over and hastily snatched it from her. “Supposedly, the last attack went viral, and people had it recorded.”

I watched the short recording, where it showed that there was a zombie that had run through the town and knocked out some buildings. People were running around like chickens had their heads cut off. the sky filled with screams of terror. Indeed, the playback confirmed that someone had survived long enough to record it and show it to the word. Which told me, these attacks were escalating at such a thronging rate that it was become a pattern. A dangerous one at that.

“Fuck,” I cursed under my breath annoyed. “This is starting to get out of hand.”

“I know,” she replied, trying to snatch the phone back, but I put it my jacket, smiling like the devil, teasing her. “However,” I could feel her tone changing to one that was concern now.

“Something else is not right about tonight.” She sighed, and then drew a deep breath. Her beautiful hazel eyes were thrown like daggers into my blue ones. “And your face gives it away.”

I scrunched my face and threw my hand through my hair, trying to calm myself from what I had just been told from Liz; however, something told me that I wouldn’t be able to.

“Elizabeth just told me that she’s here.” I casted my eyes that were now full of concern. “And that’s not good.”

Lauren simply rolled her eyes in response. “Why in god’s name would she be here too?” She too ran her hand through her hair, also exasperated. “She honestly wouldn’t be trying to find it too, wouldn’t she?”

“Honestly,” I started. “With her, anything is likely.”

Lauren was referring to a girl with whom I had been with for the past few centuries, but as of lately, I hadn’t seen her in years. However, every time stuff like what was going on tonight occurred, she had magically popped up unexpectedly which had always put the rest of us in some sort of bind.

However, that made me ponder something.

Was she behind this, or was she, like the rest of us, chasing whatever information she could get ahold of, to see what was going on, or who was pulling the strings?

However, unlike Lauren and I, she was completely reckless and ran headfirst into everything. It was her personality. Even, if I had tried to train her to control her impatience and rage.

“So, according to the twitter video, it seems like we’re up against more Draugar. They seem to be getting better or stronger. Or... they’re just lucky.” Lauren pointed out.

“I’m betting the latter,” drawing a breath and exhaling. However, first we have other matters to deal with.”

“Yeah,” she replied taking my hand, and slowly walking up with me to the entrance where we spotted a hulking black man guarding the entrance. His torso was as wide as my petite frame, and he had really bulging biceps that looked like they had lives of their own. He was blocking our way in, and last time…well let’s just say I got lucky.

Really lucky.

“We’ll have to charm our way through this one.” Lauren hinted at me using her eyes, as she looked over me like I was her prey. “Last time, we got lucky to not be searched. This time, we may not be.”

She was indeed right. The last time that Lauren and I had gone to a rave, we were extremely lucky that the bouncer hadn’t searched us since we had been carrying our weapons, and that the bouncer had just waived us on through.

For this one, however, I had two of my butterfly daggers stashed away at the base of my lower spine. Lauren was carrying her pistol that was nestled snugly around the base of her ankle, her jeans covering It up completely. She tried to convince me that she wanted to bring another weapon, yet I had told her that between the both of us, we had enough fire power to handle a simple rave.

That, and I also didn’t want to make any sort of mess.

Before we started making our way up to the entrance, I felt something move in the shadows of night, and when I caught it through my sense, I reacted to it, yet…I couldn’t tell what it was.

“What was it?” Lauren asked a little concerned.

“Nothing.” I waved the feeling off, holding on to her hand like a vice grip. My anxiety was really going to try and kick my ass tonight I see. “I thought I saw something move.”

From what my good ole mother told me, she had been checking the activity to where there were several groups of these zombies gathering, and possibly roaming through the Grand Canyon State, just hunting for what they believed what was a girl that could be this Valkyrie. A woman warrior that had come straight out of time, with the ability to wield magic that was just as old.

Although, currently, they had no such luck in gaining any traction; nevertheless, they were hellbent determined and gathering numbers at such an expedited rate that it was almost impossible to keep them at bay. And from what I had been suspecting, just by the sheer volume from the two other raves that had occurred, they were being brought over from different areas. Possibly even different countries.

This was also causing issues in other night clubs such as bar from Phoenix and Flagstaff; followed by Chandler and Scottsdale. Those were public attacks that had occurred, also equally leaving a wake of destruction behind. Yet for this rave—it was by invite only.

Yet, every time they attacked; they had been using some sort of ruse. Sabotaging almost everyone’s drink with a mystery drug; and with that method, they were able to take advantage of their fallen victims, as they tortured them alive, asking questions in relation to whatever it was, they were searching for.

Smart and low-key, even for them. It was also something that unless you actively paid attention, that it was not casually noticed. And with how they were purposefully going about it, they had to have been taught how to do this. Otherwise, they would have been outed from the vast number of people who normally attended these sorts of gatherings.

And while, the early years of these attacks happening—when I first heard about these whispers, they weren’t this sophisticated. No.

            With each failed attempt, they learned on how to capitalize on their prey. They were being told, from what I could understand and gather, to find this Valkyrie. Yet, that was also a long shot since they didn’t know who exactly that person was.

And this was why Elizabeth had been telling me the entire time, through her vague and very cryptic messages. It was like she could sense that the Olden War had started to resurface with such deadly precision.

Walking up with Lauren, I was dressed in my acid washed light skinny jeans that were snug at the waist; I was also wearing one of my more colorful artistic graphic T-shirts, accented with a Blue Faux Moto Jacket, which helped conceal some of my other weapons inside the pockets. My black converse crunched the gravel beneath me as I connected with the ground. I had hopes tonight that I would fully be able to understand what these creatures were missing—their current missing piece.

First though, I had to work my magic, and my charms on this guard.

“Is this,” Lauren started carefully, still holding my hand. “Such a brilliant idea of yours? Or are you acting from pure irrationality?”

“According to Liz, this is where the crest of recent activity has been.” I told her. I like, Lauren, didn’t like how I had been “tasked” to investigate this mess. And I didn’t want to pick a fight with her; I just didn’t want to cause more undue stress for her, this late at night. “And it’s been this way over the past month.”

“The past month?” Her jaw dropped, obviously not liking it. “And she just now sends us to investigate this? Babe. You know I hate this feeling, but this is…”

“Not usual.” I agreed with her. “I feel the same.” I sighed. Our trust in Elizabeth had been falling on hard times as of late, and an indecent like this—just only made the cracks that much deeper. “Clearly she believes that whoever is searching for the Valkyrie will turn up tonight.” I casted my eyes in her general direction. “And viola, that’s why we’re here.”

She let out a sound of disgust. “Again, with her going on with the Valkyries. When is she gonna call it quits? They’re a myth anyway. No one has seen one.”

At the entrance, the bouncer put his hand over the ribbon indicating that we couldn’t go further. His demeanor had told me that he intended to make this rather difficult.

“Let’s see your IDs” The large man said slowly. He shifted his legs apart with such authority and pulled at the edges of his shirt, making sure that they were crisp, straight, and tight. “No entry without ID.”

I smiled, trying to work my charm. “I was coming with my girlfriend to meet someone.” I quickly rummaged through the pockets of my jacket, pretending to come up empty, even though I knew that my ID was safely in my car. Safe from me losing it.

If Dimitra was truly here tonight, then this lie, wouldn’t really be a lie; but for now, I had to charmingly lie my way in.

He intensely eyed me for a moment with curiosity before he finally replied.  “You’re the daughter of the famous White Doctor, aren’t you?” He crept closer to me, and as he did, I suddenly mentally shrank, feeling intimated by his large presence.

“Yeah, Yeah, the doctor.” I mused about her, albeit it was rather vexing. “Just so you know, this isn’t really my scene. I just came to get a friend.” The music was growing louder and louder with each passing second, so I raised my voice up to a half yell. “We’ll be out in a jiff! May we enter?”

I watched him as he thought for a moment, clearly debating with himself on whether he should allow us in. I threw him an innocent with my hypnotic eyes, and when he saw it, he finally sighed in defeat, unlatching the thick black rope that kept the crowd separated from the inside and took a step to the right.

“Just be careful in there young lady,” He spoke politely. “Someone of your size could really end up getting hurt, and I don’t need anyone dying. The very least someone like you.”

This was my constant disadvantage for being a petite girl of my statue; I perpetually looked eighteen without a real chance to enjoy what a childhood was. When you had a history like mine, you didn’t have time to grow up and play with little dolls—you learned how to survive.

Otherwise, you died.

“Thanks,” I gritted my teeth as I pulled Lauren inside with me. The sooner I found out what was happening, the sooner we could leave.

“Thank the Gods.” Lauren said as I drew a sigh of deep sigh of relief. Thankful that the bouncer didn’t search me. “He just let us pass. I was for sure thinking he was gonna pat us down.”

“What can I say?” I smiled at her, throwing a piece of my hair back. “I use my gifts well.”

She eyed me with desire. “The fuck you do hon.” She giggled at the end.

The entrance to this rave was dark and misty; there were different colored streamers that had been hung from the shambles of a door. Clouds upon clouds of dry ice greeted us, that also set the stage for an intense fog setting throughout the entirety of the pub. Which for me, at different points, I sensed that I might not have a clear sight of people that we were supposed to be stalking about.

Nonchalantly walking past the bar, I plucked a drink that a patron had left behind, as well as open. Sniffing it, I quickly put the bottle down, my heightened senses told me what I had already guessed. This was in fact the mystery drug that they had been using. And whenever it involved these, I knew that it would end in disaster. I had to make sure that they didn’t come away with it, or a victim tonight.

Lauren gestured to me that we make our way to the dance floor to blend in, so we didn’t look as suspicious to everyone else. We soon found ourselves dancing along to the beats of the music playing loudly.

“I figured that this would be easier.” I told her, my voice going to the same half yell that I had used outside. “Makes us less of becoming prey for someone.”

“Good idea.” She responded with the same strength of tone. And then, as she had her arms around my waist, she blitzed me with a kiss. Our lips connecting passionately and moving in rhythm to the music. And just like that—she pulled away. “Let’s keep an eye out.”

As we danced, embraced by each other, I never stopped scanning the room, and looking for potential threats. Particularly those shadows that I had felt from outside.

For the first few minutes, everything was peaceful and flowing. The music was doing its intended effect, and then as I looked back at Lauren, she too nodded in agreement that things were quiet. At least that’s how we were both interpreting the surroundings.

Once I figured it was clear, I uncoupled myself from her and walked over to the bar, waving down the bartender, and asking him for a bottle of water. I needed to rest my body if I was gonna be doing any sort running. Sitting in this spot, also afforded me with a distinct advantage—I could watch for trouble with a bird’s eye view.

“Hey,” a lighthearted, girlish voice spoke to me, and I almost jumped ten feet back away. “How are you babe?”

I had to do a double take, to really ensure I saw what I saw. To make sure that I wasn’t being played. But alas, I wasn’t. She was truly here. She was sipping on some water that had been provided, but was she aware that it had been tainted?

“Dimitria?” I said with a fright and jump in my voice as it squeaked. Causally, I looked over her; her amber colored hair dimly shined in the darkness of this pub. Her green eyes looked playful, and bright as well. Even though she was only five foot three, the way she had herself leaning against the bar, made her feel taller, more filled out with her curves. What the hell….”

“I take it, that dear ole mum didn’t tell you?” Her sharp quick reply told me that she was annoyed by that.

“She said you explicitly didn’t tell her, only that you showed up out of the blue.”

She closed her eyes, trying to relax, and then when she opened them, her hands were holding mine. “I mean, the woman doesn’t keep secrets very well. But yes, I’m here.” She pulled me to the dance floor. “Come love, let’s take a dance together—even Lauren can be involved.”

I felt her long, gentle arms embrace my midsection as we swayed into motion of the moves, out bodies fluidity moving as one. I watched as Lauren embraced her from behind, wrapping her up, and pulling her from me, turning her and locking a kiss with her. And then she, likewise, repeated those same moves on me.

While we all made out, my eyes never stopped scanning my blindsides and just as the euphoria was winding down, I saw a few shadows that were moving in the far corner of the room and before I could react, my reckless girlfriend dashed off in pursuit of those shadows to see what we could all learn. I tried to call after her so I could stop her in the moment, but my yelling had been drowned out by the constancy of the loud music being blasted through the rave.

Pushing and shoving my way through the ravers that were here getting lost to the music, or through the drugs that were being taken to alter their reality, I did my best to keep up with whatever Dimitra had found so curious.

Curious and danger were always things that had attracted her dangerous side. She couldn’t avoid danger as much as she wanted to figure something out.

But I was still lost over something.

Was she here, like Lauren and I, over the incidents that happened where people were chasing those responsible for this Valkyrie?

As I finally made to the end of room, I bent myself up against the wall and turned my body the best I could as I worked to eavesdrop on their conversation. When my eyes looked around, I saw that Lauren had followed closely behind me and was on the other side of the wall, taking up the same posture as I had.

I turned my head around the corner to listen in on their conversation, while at the same time, trying to blend into the shadows to avoid being detected.

And as I looked on, I still was puzzled as to why Dimitria was so interested in this.

I heard and then felt the sound of someone being slammed against the wall. And then her voice cut in.

“Who are you working for?” Her feral voice rang out. I could hear her aggression from here, and knew if I didn’t stop her, she would essentially become a one-woman wrecking ball.

“The hell I’ll tell you,” The other person spoke, and as he did, I was able to id the language as Northern European—not quite the Danish I had grown up learning and speaking—but more Icelandic in sense.

“Danish?” Lauren mouthed to me. I had taught her my language when we were younger, and always alone.

“WHO?!” Dimitria screamed now, and once again, used her strength to throw this person into the wall and again, and I knew I had to get in between this. While we needed the info, I didn’t want to cause too much of a mess.

“As I said,” he responded with venom. “Go to hell.” And then I heard her grunt out in pain as she must have been struck from him as he tried to run but then he ran into me, which caused him to back up.

“Tell us!” I shouted at him, as Lauren went to Dimitra’s side. “Who do you work for?”

He laughed as I forcefully shoved him to the ground, and as I drew near him, he lashed out using his legs; however, because of my reflexes, I had caught his leg, and used his weight against him to put him on his stomach.

Before I could reach for my knife, he spun on his back, and used his legs to deliver a sweeping kick that took me to the ground; as he did that, he recovered to a standing position where he started to charge me. He latched on to me, and forcefully drove me back, causing me to bang my head against the wall.

The force from the whiplash made me feel like I could feel blood gushing out. Yet, before I could gain my bearings, he struck me again, bashing my head in, followed by several punches to my stomach, as well as a punch to my mouth, creating a cut and even more blood.

I pushed off him and launched a counter punch the best I could. Sensing my move, he caught my fist, and again threw me down to the ground; however, this time, I would not be outsmarted. I used my legs and swept him with me, as I fell to the ground.

He launched a punch that connected with my rib cage, and I could feel the pain and the wind escape me as I tried to shake it off. He approached me again but before he could—I used my legs and struck him in stomach, as I also simultaneously rolled over on my side.

Painfully rising to my feet, he was able to keep pace with me and rushed me again and shoved me into a wall that was behind me.

Who the hell was he?

Better question, why was he trying to go after Dimitria?

Or did he think that she was one? Did this person think that she was a Valkyrie? 

Just as he was getting ready for another strike, I called on my magic, letting it come to me, and as he got closer, I threw my hand back and the collision threw him back into the same wall that he had thrown Dimitria into.

During his daze, I took a fistful of his shirt, and pulled him to me.

“Talk” My voice going deep and feral. “Why are you here?! Why are you after my friend? The girl?”

“The girl is stupid.” He evilly snorted, as I tightly held on to him, while also reaching for a butterfly dagger I had concealed.  “She doesn’t know that she had been drugged. And now, she’s practically helpless.”

I wordless motioned to Lauren with my eyes to get D out of here and to a safe spot in the rave if it was possible.

“What did you do to her? Who are you working for? Are your cohorts here?”

“What makes you think I’ll tell you,” He laughed. “If I wouldn’t tell her?”

Without hesitation I swiftly and slashed his throat, his entire body crumpling to the ground before me with the blood rushing out of him.

Now I had to race back inside and see how bad D has been drugged, and how deep this was really going.

She was on to something, and they knew it. Its why she had been drugged.

Coming back into the sea of Ravers, I found Lauren with D in the bar section where she was still knocked out.

Lauren was defensive, but I could tell she was nervous, the hairs on her arm were standing up, and when I touched her arm, it helped unlock the tension she was feeling.

“Did you learn anything?” she asked, as she was still clearly agitated.

“No.” I told her gently. “He wouldn’t talk, so I ended him.” I looked back at my mate. “Whatever D was going after; she knew it was important since the person died not revealing anything. “What about D? has she stirred at all?”

Lauren shook her head. “Nope, and I can’t really check her for any injuries right now. Too many eyes.”

“It’s also not the place.” I added on for her. “The way we check each other, I wouldn’t want eyes either.” I looked at the bar, where my water was. “She had a sip of water before we danced, but my water wasn’t tainted.”

“Well, she was here before us.” Lauren pointed out. “We both don’t know how long, so it’s entirely possible that she could have been targeted, and just back there was when the drug hit her.”

“Still…” my thought trailed off. My head was all over the place, trying to dissect everything about tonight. “There’s something not right here.”

“You think we’re missing information?” Lauren asked as she tried to look over my state of mind. “Come, let’s get her and sit in the car and talk this over.”

“Three….” We both heard Dimitria say in her sleep. But was she saying because she was dreaming or because we could have potentially missed something? “Three…”

I couldn’t just leave her here, however at the same time, I felt like I wanted to investigate this place more. Especially for her sake.

“Can you take her to the car?” I gently nudged Lauren and threw her an innocent look with my eyes. “I want to see what I can find out.”

“Fine,” she reached for me and kissed me again. This time, way more passionately than the one from earlier. “Just…” she started as she picked her up. She struggled as she must have forgotten that she was still a little heavy. “Be careful. I wanted to be as low key as possible.”

“Same here, but I think that window passed already.” I replied as Lauren pulled a Glock from behind her back, and gently squeezed it in the small of mine.

“You’ll want that.” She said softly. “In case you run into trouble.” Then she pointed to her leg. “I had to outsmart you somehow.” She flirtatiously winked at me with one eye.

I flashed a flirtatious smile back at her.

And with that she stalked off to the car, while I pushed and shoved my way back through the mindless ravers as I went back to the alley to recover whatever I could. Anything at this point would be helpful.

I tried to put everything that I learned so far and again, it felt out of sorts. Even the twitter video that I had been shown felt out of place.

Yet, this was the place with the most activity.  So why wasn’t this place more active and hunting like the other attacks.

Coming back to the alleyway, and jumping down the step, I came to the body that I had killed finally being able to really get a good look over. As I went about searching the dead body, I pulled out my phone and dialed Brittany’s number.

“Hey sis,” I started to break the ice.

“Hey,” she replied, there was pleasant tone in her voice, yet spending my life around her, I could just sense that something was amiss. “Find anything?”

“It’s more like…” I paused. “Who didn’t I find?”

There was a pause from her, and then a frustrated yell. “You’re fucking kidding me?!”

“I’m glad you know who I’m hinting at.” I smirked since I could tell that she knew that Dimitria had been here. “Mum said that she had come here, but then again when does ever just not spill her secrets?”

“I’m more interested in the matter of why Dimitria was there to begin with?” Brittany started to poke at me with her questions. “Does it have anything to do with what’s been going on?”

“It could,” I said, as I hunched down on my knees, using my dagger to search the body, and possible see if there was anything that could tell me. “Hold on,” I told her as I found something from the jeans pocket of the dead body that was sticking out. “I think I found something.”

“What did you find?” She asked, as she also heard me stabbing the little baggie so I could lift it with my dagger. Inside the clear plastic bag, were little tablets that looked like candy you would find on Halloween. But these were white and green in color. Two different pills. Two different drugs.

Which meant something new. They had learned.

“It looks like,” I told her, still looking over the bag. “They’ve been using two different drugs. That’s how they’ve been getting their victims; through these two drugs. It looks like they’ve been duping the drinks and getting their timing right, which causes their victims to be fooled and caught off guard.”

“That definitely fits from the reports we’ve been getting over here from the House. Even they don’t like what they’re hearing or seeing.” And as I looked on, I also noticed something else too. Something that I missed when I was searching for the body.

“There was something else that I found too.” I told her, as I leaned down, holding the phone to my ear, and unclicked what looked like at first, a necklace of sorts.

“What else was there?” she asked as I held up the neck up to the moonlight.

It was carved out in the symbol of Jormungandr the dragon of Norse Mythology, where it was circling itself and eating its tail, and underneath were the ancient runic symbols that now, I couldn’t remember. The stainless-steel design was wrapped up on an equally stainless-steel braided chain that firmly held it in place.

Yet, beyond that, it wasn’t the only one.

I also found two more around the neck. Yet, when I pulled this one in my hand, why didn’t I feel the others.

“Kaitlyn…” a voice spoke to me, but when I looked around, it was only me and the dead body. “Remember who you are…. Remember your past…...Remember…who you are…”  I quickly shoved the necklace into my pocket.

“Kait, what else did you find?” Brittany asked, trying to break my thought process before I got lost. “Kait?”

Just then, I instantly reached for the Glock that was tucked away and as I heard someone coming into the alleyway, screaming in horror from what she was seeing. However, due to my anxiety, I pulled the trigger of the gun and shot her in the stomach, where she collapsed backwards, her blood spilling out onto the ground in a trail.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I screamed as my emotions broke. My anxiety started to flare up now. “What have I done… what the fuck have I done?”

“Kait,” Brittany was still in my ear, on the other end when she heard the gun go off. “You did that to protect yourself.”

“I killed someone in cold blood.” I panicked. I could really feel my heart crashing like thunder. I felt my hand shake bad, as I continued to hold the gun. I feel paralyzed. Trapped.

“Kait,” she gently called me. “Listen to me. To my voice.”

I did that—and then I also listened to her as she told me to take a deep breath and then another. I repeated this till I felt like I had come down just long enough to process my next move.

I went over to the dead girl’s body and checked her stuff. She also had a cup of alcohol on her, along with a package of cigarettes complete with a lighter. I took the cup and pulled the pack of cigs and the lighter out of her pockets knowing that I would have to use this later. I dragged her body over to the other one that I had slashed and laid them side by side; dousing them with the alcohol and then lighting the lighter and tossed it on the bodies so that the fire fully engulfed and burned their bodies beyond recognition.

I crossed the threshold and pushed and shoved my way through the sea of ravers, but as I was walking slowly, I knew that the little stunt I did wouldn’t last as the smoke caught everyone’s attention and when they looked back, there I was.

Sticking out like a sore thumb.

What happened next was utter chaos. I heard multiple screams and shouts as people started to make their way towards me, and I bolted into a run and rushed to my car, where I was caught by Dimitria who was conscious now, and holding a gun pointed at a few of the attendees, where they froze right in place.

“Back the fuck off,” I heard her snarl as she continued hold me tightly. “Leave us in peace or end up like those not so innocent bastards back there.” The contempt in her anger rising. “I’m not going to say it again. You have three seconds. Three. Two….”

The attendees backed up and turned around to go back to what was left. If this place didn’t catch fire already.

“D,” I started, as I was still trying to control my anxiety. “What happened back there? You…. I saw…” She placed a finger on my soft lips and pulled me into her.

“All part of the ruse,” she explained. “And you went right along with it without even knowing.” She giggled at the end. “Just how we used to be.”

“But you still have a drug abuse problem.” I countered her letting my panic come back. “You know that was dangerous. You could have really died back there.”

“I’m aware.” She agreed. “But I needed that diversion.”

“You did?” I questioned her. “Why?”

“Since we needed to find out what’s happening.” She held on to me and kissed me again. “Since we needed information.” She opened the door on my driver’s side and waved me in with her hand as she also dashed to the other end, and slid in next to me, with Lauren in the back. “I saw the video posted from Twitter. And I’m in agreeance with Lauren on this, the attacks are getting out of control.”

“But we still don’t have a clue about who could behind this, or even why.” Lauren spoke up.

“Actually, I might have found something on that.” I pulled out the necklaces that I had stuffed in my pocket and showed them both what I found. The beautifully craved dragon eating its tail coated in stainless-steel. When I held them up against the light, D took one with the tips of her fingers, and cursed in Danish.

“This cannot be…” her voice shrilled in response to seeing the necklace. “Katie, do you know what this means? There’s only one group of people we both know that could behind this.”

The only one.

The old Danish Circle that I grew up in, training to be this sort of Shield-bearing Maiden.

But what was there reason as to why?

“They haven’t stopped Katie. Not one bit. In fact, I think I’m on to something.”

“What would that be D?” Lauren’s curiosity piqued.

“I think there are people searching for the Valkyrie.” She hinted at the necklace with her eyes. “Our people. The ones who are insane enough to keep up these charades, year after year.”

The Danish Circle held so many unpleasant memories that we all swore to not talk about it, but on a night like tonight, it was simply unavoidable. If my old Circle had truly resurfaced, then the worst was only about come. I knew that they would stop at nothing to get what they wanted.

And what they wanted…. was the Valkyrie. And they thought I held the key.

“Why would they return though?” Lauren asked, confused.

“See Lauren, the one thing that we never spoke about was—no matter how far Kaitlyn got away, she could never truly hide. The circle would constantly come after her. Dimitria explained. “Yet, they were after something else as well; and each year one of them dies. Each year, for the past 9, they managed to hide in plain sight while doing it.”

“They’re hunting again, aren’t they?” I asked her, causing a lump form in the back of throat. A dose of fear trickled down my face.

“They are Kait.” Dimitra’s voice went cold. “They’ve been hunting the Valkyries again. And this year, it feels different than years past.”

“Why?” Lauren asked.

“Since, I had to kill someone who was threatening to expose me. Or rather, trying to expose us, yet as I did, I had a feeling that it would put us all in greater danger.” She bit her lip. “That’s not the only reason why I came back this year.”

I knew about her relationship with Erin. Erin Talked about it enough. “You came for Erin, didn’t you?”

“I did.” She was concerned. We all had deep ties with one another. “She tells me that it’s starting to get worse.” She raked her nails against her jeans. “And that honestly has me worried sick. Yet, I need to figure out why the Circle has returned.”

I decided to compromise with her. “We’ll take you further into Tucson with us.” I could see that that she was in pain. “But you have to do your own angle. You can’t let her suspect were working together.”

“As far as she’s concerned,” she replied. “She’s still under the impression that we hate each other, and honestly I want to keep it that way.” Her eyes locked in on mine.

“Then we will.” I agreed with her. “As soon as we get to the city part, go your own way, but don’t use your magic to get back to her mansion. Take a car.”

“And be a thief?” she chalked up a smile. “Given what we do already, that shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Can you resist killing anymore people?” Lauren asked. She hated having innocent blood be spilled unless it was necessary.

“I can try.” She promised us. “I cannot guarantee of it though. You know Lauren as well as Kaitlyn does, that I kill to survive and protect us. I always have. If I feel threatened, I make every effort to ensure my survival.”

Just then Lauren’s phone rang and when she answered it, she immediately passed it to me. In the background, I could hear people screaming, and what sounded like people running.

“Kait!” Erin said in a panic. Just from how she was starting the call, things were bleak. “We need help, there are too many of them.”

“We’ll be right there love.” I assured her. “I have Dimitria here too.”

“Tell her I love her. But I gotta go.” She paused. “Also, Olivia went to the place like she has before.” And then like that—the call ended. I passed the phone back to her.

“Was that her?” Dimitria asked, still fully of worry. “Was its Erin?”

“It was.” My voice was shallow. “They’ve been attacked. Somewhere in the city.”

“Then it feels like this rave was just there ruse then, and a means to distract us, while the real attack went down.” Lauren hinted.

“Indeed, that’s definitely what seems to have happened.” I replied to her as I was trying to decipher our next moves.

“We better get going then,” Dimitria suggested. “We don’t have a moment to lose.

Lauren and I quickly swapped places in my Camaro, as I did my best to keep an eye on my old ally. She was clearly bothered by the string of events.  After some more thought, I joined her in back, where I held on to her to keep her steady.

“Hey,” I pulled her face to me. “You know you’re going to be okay. We’ve always been there for each other. That much hasn’t changed.”

“Kait…” her voice was in a whisper now. “Can you do me a favor?”

“Yes babe. Anything.” Also whispering to her.

“Until I need to do, what I need to do, and am able to actually join you all, can you…” she was playing with fingers, searching for her words.

“You have my word that I will do my best to protect her.” I took her hand and affectionately kissed it. “I would have done regardless even if you didn’t ask. But I can tell how much this pains you.”

“Thank you.” She returned my affection with an affection of her own. “And…just so you know…”

“Save your strength.” I told her softly. “It’s been a long night and were all exhausted. You’re going to need it for the road ahead.”

“As are you.” She remarked.

And with that, I threw my head back as allowed myself to be overtaken by a memory of mine.

Tonight, Dimitria was right.

Tonight, the old Danish Circle that I had been a part of in my formative years had returned. And now, just as they were in the past, they were hunting the Valkyries.

All we had to do, was figure out why they were, and what it all meant.

Tonight, as I had called it, there was a wake of destruction that had been left behind in its wake, but it also left us with more questions and answers. And now, more than ever, it felt like it was going to be race against the clock to solve what was going on.

Tonight, under the cover of night, as Lauren sped away from the rave, we were in a race against the clock, to stop what was about to go down, and honestly, I didn’t know where that would take us.

All I knew was this: If we were to survive the events that were going to come at us at full force. We had to be ready…. for literally anything.