Heaven Sent (con't): Yes, I borrowed a few concepts and characters. Keep that in mind, because I don't want credit for something I didn't think up.

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PART 7:

June 13, 1999: 8:26 PM

Oh, great. The earth is shaking again.

"Wha?" I whine groggily, slowly blinking open my eyes. I notice that the room is dark and wonder how long I have been asleep. Obviously longer than I intended. "What time is it?"

I hear a little giggle beside my ear. "Uncle Nicky slept in!" Selena announces in a sing-song voice.

Beside her, Gabriel is a bit more serious. "Mommy said to waked you up because Thierry wants you to answer phones," he reports, taking his assigned task very sincerely.

Resigned to my fate, I sigh and say, "Go tell your Mommy that I’m up, alright, Gabe? I can find Thierry on my own."

"Okay," he agrees quite amiably and on his way out, takes his unwilling sister by the arm. "Selena, come ON!" he whines, trying to make her budge and finally she listens.

I have to chuckle as they waddle out the door. Little kids are so cute. Then, looking down at the bloodstain on my shirt, I remember that that is not always true.

Quickly, I exchange my soiled shirt for a cleaner ribbed blue one. It would not do for Thierry’s secretary to answer his phone calls in a bloody tee shirt.

As usual, Thierry is in his office, merrily chatting away to some ambassador or other on the phone. "No, I will NOT agree to those terms!" he is proclaiming quite loudly as I walk in.

Mr. Lordy-as Poppy so ardently calls him-is so preoccupied with whoever is on the other line that he does not notice me at all as he says in a very clipped tone, "I will say this once again, I do not agree to your terms. Now, I am sorry, but I really must be going. Good night." And he hangs up the phone with a decisive clank.

I clear my throat, not wanting to assert myself too boldly. I mean, the guy is obviously still a bit pissed.

"Oh, Nick! There you are!" he says, noticing my arrival at last.

"Uh, yeah."

"Okay, well, I’m sure you can figure out what to do. Just remember not to promise anything to anyone and if there are any life and death decisions to be made, you can reach me by my cell phone," he relates this all in one breath and is out the door like a whirlwind before I can recover. "But only life or death!" he calls down the hall one last time and is gone.

I stare after him for a moment, then slowly turn towards his mahogany desk. "Ookay, then," I mutter with a look around the office. It has been a long time since I have really seen this place. Nothing has changed and for that I am glad. The study is still lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with old, leather bound books that have not been touched for decades. There are still magazines strewn under the huge bay window and the desk is a clutter of junk and papers, as usual. Nice to know that I won’t have a hard time finding anything.

Almost as soon as I sink into the huge leather chair, the phone rings. By now, I am thoroughly sunk into the leather and have a hard time getting back up again. How does Thierry put up with this chair?

"Hello?" I speak into the phone, suddenly hoping beyond hope to hear Amaya’s voice.

But of course, it is not her. A weary, old voice on the other end is asking for Thierry, not me.

This continues for the rest of the evening; old people calling for Thierry while I hope every time that it is really Amaya. The pattern is only interrupted twice, when Nilsson comes in with dinner and when Thierry calls to tell me he should be back in half an hur.

Five minutes before ‘Mr. Lordy’ is supposed to be back, the phone rings for the umpteenth time. "Thierry Descoudres’ office," I answer automatically, if a but wearily.

I expect another old person demanding to speak to Thierry, but that is not what I get. "Hello, Angelface," a voice I know all too well mocks me from the other line.

"Keiara, why the hell are you calling me?" I demand, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice. I would also like to know how she knows that I would be the one answering the phone and not Thierry, but keep quiet about that. She might catch onto my fear.

A sarcastically joyous laugh titters into my ear from the phone. "Why shouldn’t I? We’re old friends, aren’t we Angelface?"

"That depends which way you look at it," I retort bitterly. After all, Keiara D’Alimonte, along with her brother Marcellus, were the vampires who killed Leandra.

This just makes Keiara giggle harder. It is definitely not my favorite sound. "But I do have a reason to call you, Angelface," the vampire says, slowly calming down. "You see, I probably shouldn’t warn you at all, but I guess I owe you one. So, I’m just gonna say, in three days, be ready for action. Something’s going to happen to someone you love. The question is, will you be smart enough to figure out who?"

I stiffen at her words. Hasn’t Keiara caused me enough pain? "Maybe I won’t have to figure it out. Maybe you’ll tell me," I suggest coldly, though I know there’s no way she would reveal such precious information.

It is no surprise when the tittering laugh resumes. "Oh, I couldn’t do that, Angelface. It would ruin the game. But perhaps I’ll be nice enough to give you a hint. You’ll see this person tonight, I guarantee it." The sound of the dial tone sounds even before I have time to register what she has said.

Coming to my senses, I look at the display screen on the telephone. Pushing the back button, all I find are the words, ‘not listed’ on the screen.

I slump back in frustration. Three days, what would the date be? Truthfully, I do not even know what today’s date is. I know Thierry keeps a calendar on the desk somewhere. I push papers aside, digging through the mess until I find the small, desktop calendar. Flipping through the pages, I see that in three days, the date will be June 16. My birthday.

CLICK.

I whip my head up towards the door, surprised.

"Hey, Nick. How’d it go?" Mr. Lordy asks quite amicably.

Should I tell Thierry about Keiara? No, not tonight. He probably wants to be with Hannah, I am not about worry him with my problems. "Great!" I pipe up, maybe a bit too cheerfully. Before Thierry can comment, I indicate the huge stack of phone messages. "All for you to sort through in the morning," I comment with a wicked smile.

Thierry laughs and sighs simultaneously. "Joy," he says dryly. "It’s late Nick, you should get some sleep."

I nod. I have not realized how tired I am until now. "G’night."

"G’night."

PART 8:

June 13, 1999: 11:58 PM

Someone is slipping in through my bedroom window. It’s funny though, that instead of hearing it, I feel it.

However, I can not truthfully say that I care. I am still half unconscious; this could very well be a dream. But as soon as I feel the gloved hand over my mouth, I realize there is no way it is that.

"Shh," a voice urges in the darkness.

My eyes can see almost nothing in the near blackness. Only the outline of the figure before me tells me anything at all. This person is tall, tall and female. I should be terrified, but somehow, I know this person. The tension in my body seeps out at the realization.

Soundlessly, the girl pushes me back down in the bed and takes her hand from my mouth, kneeling.

"What are you doing here?" I ask immediately, wishing she would say she had come to stay. That, of course, could probably never be.

"Repaying a debt," Amaya’s words hang dispassionately in the darkness, her voice low. Her lips are right against my ear and her breath tickles my face.

I try to calm my racing heart. "You’re not in debt to me," I reply, a slight tremor taking over my body.

"Don’t be stupid," she retorts coldly, her body agonizingly close to mine but not touching. I guess she remembers this afternoon. "I owe you my life." The words sound resentful.

If I turn my head to look at her right now, our lips would barely be an inch apart. I could do it, I think. But I do not dare. Instead, staring straight at the ceiling, I say, "So, what are you here to say?"

"I know Keiara D’Alimonte called you tonight," she says, completely reserved. "I’m not sure exactly what she told you, but she did say that one person you love is going to die in three days. I’m here to tell you she’s lying. She’s really planning an all out attack on the mansion. She’s just playing with your mind."

Like you? I want to say. Instead, I point out, "She’s tried it before and failed miserably."

"This time she has a much bigger army."

"And where did you hear this?"

"I have my sources."

"Why didn’t you just call?"

The last question makes her pause. When she finally answers, we both know it is a lie. "I have only Thierry’s number and I prefer that he does not know about me."

I want to ask her what the real answer is. Is it because she wanted to see me again? Could I allow myself to hope? But such a question would most likely scare her away. "I could give you my number," I offer so quietly I almost do not hear it myself.

"I need to go," she says, abruptly getting to her feet. The place where she knelt is suddenly so cold it makes me shiver.

With a flutter of the curtains, she is gone, leaving only the faint scent of sunshine in the star filled night.

"Good night," I whisper into the darkness. Perhaps, wherever she is now, she will understand what I really mean.

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PART 9:

June 14, 1999: 5:19 AM

I have been awake and dressed for an hour now. No matter how much I tried, sleep would not come after Amaya left. I am surprised I have not worn a hole in the carpet already with my pacing; my wondering who to believe.

Logically, I have as much reason to trust Amaya as I do Keiara. But if intuition is telling me right, Amaya could very well be my soulmate and that should account for something, should it not?

Why did Amaya really come to me last night? Was it truly to help me or did Keiara send her to mess me up? If it was the latter, she had certainly done a good job.

Well, let’s just think about this for a second. There has to be a way to listen to both of them at the same time. Both warnings or threats or whatever you wanted to call them mention someone I care about getting hurt. Keiara had said I would see that person last night after the phone call. Who had I seen?

Thierry, for one, though I have no idea how Keiara would get to him. The man is surrounded by security everywhere he goes. There are plenty of less heavily guarded people Keiara could kill and it would hurt me just as much.

Destiny. Well, here was someone that Keiara can get to a bit more easily. And she certainly has a score to settle with the witch. Keiara’s soulmate had been killed in a fire that Destiny had been involved in, not to mention that she had broken Marcellus D’Alimonte’s heart. Destiny is a definite possibility.

Gabriel and Selena. I do not know how far Keiara is willing to go for vengeance, but this would be the worst blow to me. And if she manages to get her hands on the twins, she could hurt Destiny as much as me.

Who else? Well, there was the hamster, Slappy Tobias Doris, but I would not be very heartbroken over the rodent. If Keiara went after HIM...well, then she has a smaller brain than I ever imagined.

There is someone I have overlooked, someone I have not named. Who is it?

Amaya. But Keiara could not know that she has anything to do with me, could she? No, the idea is absurd! I have only know Amaya for less than a day and spoken to her a maximum of 20 minutes.

Well, that is everyone I had seen last night. Now, to consider Amaya’s warning. If the mansion is really going to be besieged on my birthday, Thierry would have to know this, that is beyond doubt. Looks like I am going to have to tell him everything, anyway.

Restlessly, I wait for 9:00 to come. There is nothing I would like better than to just burst through his door right now, but I did that once to Delano and Destiny was there. I do not care to relive such an experience again. It was quite humiliating and traumatizing the first time.

On the stroke of nine, I dart out of the room and into Thierry’s suite of rooms, acknowledging the greeting of friends with a smile as I pass.

Outside his bedroom, I knock and wait impatiently for the door to open.

"Shh," Thierry whispers, placing a finger to his lips as he slips out of the room, closing the door behind him. But not before I catch a glimpse of Hannah Snow resting comfortably, a golden creature in the middle of the blue-sheeted bed. I also do not miss the black sleeping bed on the floor and with a glance at Thierry’s rumpled appearance, I have to smile.

"You two are so cute," I can not resist commenting.

Mr. Lordy rolls his eyes at this. "That’s what everyone says. Anyway, what’s so important that you couldn’t wait until I was fully awake?"

Any hint of a smile is immediately erased from my face. Might as well get this over with, I think, and relate the whole story, keeping only to the fundamentals when Amaya comes to play. Still, at the end, I swear that Thierry can see right through me, at how I really feel about her. Thankfully, he keeps silent about anything he knows.

"Well," he says after I am finished. That is all I heard from him for a while as he goes over the information in his head. Finally, he decides, "Since we don’t know if what Amaya said is for real and if it is, telling would probably get her in big trouble with the Night World, we need a reason to gather a whole bunch of Daybreakers together. Keiara gives us the perfect solution, whether she knows it or not."

"What would that be?"

Thierry grins at me. "We’ll just have to have a birthday party for our little Angel. That way, we can rally Circle Daybreak together and not get Amaya in trouble. As for Destiny and the twins, they should be safe enough within the party. Delano’s coming back this afternoon, he can help Destiny keep an eye on the twins. Hopefully, everything will turn out all right."

I can not say that I like the idea of having a birthday party only days after I have become verbal again, but Thierry’s plan makes sense. "So, do you tell them, or do I?" I ask.

I must have let some of my unease slip. "I’ll tell them," Thierry assures me with a smile. "Why don’t you go get some more sleep, Nick. You look like you need it."

"Oh, ha ha," I say dryly. "You don’t look like you slept too well in your camping gear either."

Thierry smiles good-naturedly at my reference to his sleeping bag. "Good-bye, Nick," he says and closes the door to his suite behind me.

"Humph," I pout, pretending to be indignant and failing quite miserably.

Despite my good mood though, I find that sleep still will not come. Amaya still plagues my mind and I begin to wonder if there’s something wrong with me. I mean, I have never been this hung up on a girl, not even Leandra.

I need some fresh air, I think, sitting up abruptly. Where this thought has suddenly sprung from, I do not know, but it does not matter.

"Hey, Nick! Where you goin’?" Ash Redfern, a tall, blond Lamia with ever-changing eyes stops me on the stairs.

I shrug. I can not very well tell him something I myself do not know. "Out," I answer shortly.

He raises a skeptical brow. "All right then. See you later."

"See ya," I call, already halfway out the door.

Without realizing where I am going, I suddenly find myself in the small suburban area where I first met Amaya yesterday. I have no idea why I have brought myself back here, perhaps in hopes that I will see her again? After all, this is as good a place as any to start searching. The question that determines where or not I will actually succeed though, is, does she want to be found?

There are considerably more people here today than yesterday. For the most part, I tower above the crowd (it is unbelievable how short some people can be, even in this day and age) and I use that to my advantage, looking for the dark head I wish to find.

Suddenly, I see a dark figure through the crowd. The height and build is right, but since she is not coming my way, I cannot get a look at the face to make sure.

As quickly and gently as I can manage, I push through the throng of people, trying to reach this girl. "Amaya," I call as I get closer.

The girl keeps going, oblivious to my voice.

"Amaya," I say again and this time, she turns.

"Yes? Were you talking to me?" the stranger asks politely, a pitying look behind her eyes. She must think I am crazy; a gorgeous boy calling for someone who is not there.

Disappointment fills me as I reply, "Sorry. I thought you were someone else." As I return the way I had come, I look back one more time and realize there is no way that girl could have been Amaya. She has none of the predatory grace of a vampire, none of that powerful air.

Turning around with a sigh, I suddenly see a flash of ebony in my peripheral vision. Studying the figure more closely, I see the predatory grace, the aura of power.

This time, there is no doubt in my mind as I plunge through the crowd. My path takes me by the girl I had thought was Amaya and she reaches out to stop me, perhaps concerned about my mental health. I guess most normal people do not go barging down the sidewalk with a vehement look of determination and desperation in their eyes, but I hardly acknowledge her, shaking her hand off my arm without a thought.

Amaya doesn’t seem to notice me until I place a hand on her shoulder. Then, in one quick motion, she suddenly grabs my wrist in an iron grip and twirls around, ready to throw me over her shoulder at a moment’s notice.

The fierce gleam in her eyes dies down a bit when she sees that it is me. Fluidly, she let’s go of my wrist as if it is some parasitic slug. "Oh, it’s you. What do you want?" she demands harshly in a low, dangerous tone.

I run a hand through my hair. What DO I want? I peer around for someplace we can talk in private and notice the alley we had just left the day before. That will do.

"I wouldn’t touch me if I were you, Corona," she says, voice colder than ice, wrenching her arm out of my hand as soon as we are in the alleyway. Her eyes are black and totally opaque, none of her emotions shine through. "What the hell do you want from me?"

"Amaya, about last night…" I trail off, trying to focus on what I want to express. It is hard, with her so close.

When she sees that I am not about to continue, she takes this chance to speak, "Last night should never have happened. It was a fluke. I wouldn’t even have considered warning you if I didn’t hate Keiara so much, so don’t think I actually did it for you."

"Are you sure about that?" I ask skeptically.

Her cold laugh echoes through the alley. "I know what you think about me, Corona. I know what kinds of little fantasies you have in your head and I suggest you erase them immediately because they’re never going to come true."

I am blushing violently at her words, I know, but there is nothing I can say as she barges on quietly, frostily.

"I don’t know where you get your ideas, Corona. I certainly did nothing to help them along. Because unlike in all your little reveries, I really don’t give a damn about you."

That brings my voice back. "I don’t believe you," I say quietly, trying to keep my voice steady.

I can tell she thinks I am mad to even dare contradict her words. Her eyes are so filled with fiery hatred that I am almost inclined to take her seriously as she says, "Believe it, Corona. You’re a damned Daybreaker and I will have nothing to do with the likes of you. You are worse than the vermin I hunt, you might as well be scum." Her voice is deadly, filled with a low and dangerous calm. I can feel the pent up aggression, the barely contained power she is holding back, but I will not back down now. I have decided that I have to warn her about what Keiara said, no matter how unlikely it is that Amaya is the one that Keiara wants to hurt. Amaya HAD admitted she hated the vampire.

"Look, Amaya, about Keiara and last night-"

Her eyes are flashing angrily now, though the rest of her is still encompassed by that deadly calm. "How many times do I have to tell you, Corona? Last night was a mistake; one that I will regret for the rest of my life. I hate you, I loath you, I never want to see you again. I never even want to hear your name spoken in my presence." The whole time, her voice stays low, which disturbs me all the more.

Involuntarily, I flinch at her words. They seem so sincere, but yesterday is still fresh in my mind. There is no way she can truly mean that, not in her deepest heart.

Some of my thoughts must show on my face because Amaya takes one look at me and says, "I said it once before, Corona. Believe it. I don’t want you, I could never want you. The next time I see you, I promise you, it will end in death."

There is no time for me to react before she turns on her heal and is gone. Just like last night.

I sigh dejectedly. How can she have such a profound effect on me? If this is how it feels to have a soulmate, I am not sure how elated I am about it.

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