Nytehawk stared absently at the ceiling. He had done it again. She mentally kicked herself for not fighting him off longer. She had never wanted this life and never intended to return to it. But what was it about the best laid plans oft going awry? She turned onto her side and now stared at the cold, stone wall.

The weight of another on the bed was soon followed by an arm slipping across her waist and attempting to pull her equine form closer. She gave no resistance, but offered him no help either.

"Stubborn..." Janus whispered, snaking his other arm around her at the point where her neck and shoulder met.

A hundred terms describing him raced through her mind, many quite explicit. But she remained silent as always.

Janus moved the hand at her waist and began to rub her back, stopping high enough to avoid the four scars he himself had caused. Within a few moments, Nyte was asleep, the faint trails her tears had left in her fur going unnoticed. He grinned to himself, thinking it amusing that she could still be put to sleep that way. He slid his arm back across her waist and gently scratched her stomach, soon falling asleep himself.

*********

Outside, watching through the window, a golden-furred delphin clung to the side of the fortress. After a few more moments of watching Janus basically treat her like some giant, life-sized plushie, the watcher left his perch. Gliding to the ground on his golden wings, he looked back to the window to make sure the golden feather he had left was still there. A glint was all he needed to see, then turned and began to walk away. He had failed to protect her before and he'd be damned if he failed her again.

That was almost twenty years ago. She was taken from her mother at a year of age. He ws three at the time and in trying to protect her, managed only to get himself beaten. Then six years ago, there was a repeat of his beating when he attempted to free her. That had been the last he had seen of her.

He walked along the outskirts of the city when, in passing a substantial, four-story stone mansion, he sensed others of his kind He trotted up to a tall, elegant iron gate. As he drew closer to the house, he recognized at least one of the delphins he sensed. An all too familiar female, one he didn't particularity want to see again.


Sophie awoke suddenly from the light sleep she had fallen in to. Had she actually sensed who she thought she had? She cursed and wished her minimal skills were better honed. She glanced at Hunter. He had fallen asleep studying possible leads. She smiled softly at him, then walked toward the window. The golden fur of another delphin caught her attention. She had sensed him. It hadn't taken a rocket scientist to figure that the guardian would appear soon. Her emotions tugged her in different directions. On one hand, she wanted to run out to him; on the other she wanted to put as much distance between them as possible. Realizing, though, that she'd eventually have to confront him, she sighed and walked toward the door.

The golden one stood outside, waiting. A massive wooden door on black iron hinges slowly creaked open and he watched as Sophie stepped through it. She slowly blinked her icy blue eyes and looked at him. "Been a long time, Jerome..."

"What are you doing here, Sophie?"

"Trying to find the very delphin you were supposed to be guarding."

Jerome glared at her.

"Oh don't give me that death-glare. You know damn well that Nyte is like a sister to me."

"And you know that, had I been able to find her, I would have stopped Janus from getting anywhere near her."

"You would have tried to stop him..."

"What?"

"You think I didn't try?"

He looked at her questioningly. "Oh?"

"I'll spare you the gory details, but yeah..." She looked away for a moment then looked back at him. "We need your help on this, J. Everything that was between us aside."

Jerome slowly shook his head in agreement. "Very well. But once we get her back...me and you are gonna have a long talk."

She nodded her head like a scolded child, then lead the golden guardian inside. Just before entering the house, Jerome stopped and looked in the shadows of the trees behind him. He caught a glimpse of deep purple hair vanish into the shadows. He felt it best not to pursue and followed Sophie into the house.

Outside, hidden in the shadows, a small female delphin grinned. She stretched her large, bat-like wings and trotted away. The darkening sky became her cloak ad she vanished from view of anyone watching from the house. She knew more than any of those three and it was almost time to pass along some of her information. "Almost..." she smirked, fully vanishing into the darkness.