The game had arrived the next day, Thursday. Ebony awoke to a knock on her door. She checked the clock, she had been out for five hours. It was ten o'clock. She pulled on a sweatshirt and old jeans and made her way to the den where she had no doubt the inner circle would be waiting. She noticed Blaise had arrived and Ebony was anxious t o attempt some magick. She also noticed grave looks on the faces of her new friends. Her stomach plunged.
On the table was a box. It was white and shiny, veiled with an alluring aura of mystery. It was the box from her dream. Thierry stood.
"This arrived this morning, Nilsson almost threw it out. The witches have told us it's no bomb, but it contains power. This might be it." He presumed she knew what 'it' was.
"You're the only one who can open it, I think so anyway." Rashel added.
"So…what do we do?" Mary-Lynette asked and everyone looked at Ebony expectantly.
"Well…." She looked puzzled briefly but was saved by Thierry butting in.
"We assemble a team…I think six should do, excluding Ebony. Ash, you know the situation so you can go…."
"If Ash's going, I'm going!" Mary-Lynette insisted.
"Well…okay but BE CAREFUL. We don't want many non-fighters. So that makes Ash, Mary-Lynette um…Blaise we need your magickal ability and Gillian can help you. Now just two more…not you Jez, no wild powers allowed. Quinn and Rashel should round off the group I think. That is…." He turned. "If you want to play Ebony, it's your choice….just remember, he'll come after us all if you don't." Ebony felt weak.
"I'll…I'll" She sucked in a breath. "I'll play"
****
When Ebony finally opened the box lid there was a major argument. Rashel wanted to "CHARRRRRGE" and Gillian wanted "A plan of attack". Thierry solved this problem quite quickly.
"Usually I would agree to a plan, but…" Rashel grinned as he spoke. "There seems to be a time shortage. Any further delay and Darius may presume that Ebony has chosen not to play."
"All right!" Rashel began to read the piece of paper inside as Blaise studied the model town they had found inside. She began. "There is a shadow world, like our own…but different…."
When Rashel was finished, they weren't in Vegas anymore.
