Angel of Destiny:

By: Leandra Drache

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PROLOGUE:

Three small blond boys cowered in a corner of the cave as a monstrous, tar-coloured shadow approached them.

The oldest brother, a five year old, handed the small bundle in his arms to the boy whimpering behind him. Then, picking up some stones, started hurling them at the creature that threatened his brothers’ lives.

"Take that!" He cried vehemently between throws. "Leave us alone, big bully! You meanie! Go away!"

The creature gave the 5 years old boy a once-over, snorted, then with a graceful sweeping gesture, sent the child flying towards a wall.

"Chris!" Screamed his middle brother. The baby in his little arms just wailed out his horror.

Stalking closer, the midnight shadow all of a sudden sprang forward and snatched the baby. With the screeching one year old held tightly in it’s teeth, the beast turned and stalked out of the cave.

"No!" The little two year old screamed. "No! Give him back! Nick!" Glancing at the limp, crumpled form of his older brother, the boy wailed in anguish, "Chris! Nick! Nooo!" Then, having no more strength, he sank down to the cold earth, sobbing helplessly, until dawn finally rose.

* * * * *
PART 1:

"This is not my idea of fun," 18 year old, Destiny McNite declared, her midnight blue eyes surveying the food court of the mall from over her wraparounds. Immediately, she regretted the remark. Destiny knew the reaction she would get in return.

Sure enough, her companion, Devon Corona gave Destiny a berating stare. "This is a mission, it’s not supposed to be fun," he informed her sardonically.

Though Devon was a year younger than Destiny, he had the power to make her feel like a two year old. Lowering her gaze to avoid his disapproving glower, Destiny sighed, "I know."

Glaring at her for a moment longer, Devon finally returned his intense aqua coloured gaze to the food court.

Destiny did not do the same. Instead, what her eyes beheld was a well-built, long legged, seventeen year old boy with a shock of golden hair, chilsed good looks and the ability to make her smile on any given occasion. At least used to be able to make her smile at any time. Now, it wasn’t the same. Their young but close friendship was strained. For weeks now, Destiny’s best friend, the love of her life, had been as distant and harsh as he used to be caring and funny. In fact, now about the only time he ever spoke her was to say how bad she was at something or to order her around.

However, despite the things Devon said to her, Destiny still cared about him more than she would like to admit.

So now, as Destiny sat at a table opposite of Devon, drowning in her thoughts and unconsciously swooning (just a bit) over the once-blond haired boy, he was looking at her with a very pissed off expression, urgently hissing, "Come on, let’s go! Destiny, hello! Can’t you do anything right?"

"Huh? What? Oh! N-now?" Destiny snapped out of her trance.

Devon growled quietly, breathing hard, "Yes now! If we don’t go right this instant, the mission will be ruined! And all because of you!" With that, he dragged Destiny out of her seat and headed towards a group of teenagers about his age standing near the entrance of the mall.

*Why is he so worked up about this meeting?* Destiny speculated as she was hauled behind Devon. *It’s just another assignment Circle Daybreak has sent us on, no biggie, right?*

* * * * *
PART 2:

Towing Destiny McNite behind him, Devon Corona tried to resist the urge to sprint towards a group of teenage SK8R’s that had just entered the mall. Instead, he slowed his pace and worked on slowing his breathing as well.

Devon had begged Thierry Descoudres, Lord of the Night World for days to get this mission, he wasn’t about to screw it up now. The reason Devon had had to beg was because Thierry had thought this particular assignment was too dangerous, even though Devon was one of Circle Daybreak’s best agents.

"You’re human," had been Thierry’s argument.

"Yes sir. But what does that have to do with anything? I’ve been on more perilous assignments than this and survived. What’s different now!" Devon demanded, voice rising as his anger deepened.

Sitting behind his imposing mahogany desk, Thierry’s voice stayed devastatingly calm. "You know perfectly well what’s different, Devon. The Night World hates humans more than ever now. Even Night World escapees. Besides, this is not only an assignment to kill or protect. First and foremost, this is an assignment for information. We can’t have them suspecting that you and Destiny are spies," Thierry explained patiently for the millionth time, "And I know you’re going to take Destiny along," He added with a knowing smile.

Cheeks turning a slight shade of pink, Devon barged on, " Well, yes sir. Of course I would take Destiny, we’re a team. And I know what you’re going to say, this’ll just be another human to worry about, but we can handle it, I promise. Please, Thierry. I need this," Devon pleaded, a helpless look in his eyes, "I’ll never ask for anything more."

It seemed that when Devon had mentioned another human to worry about, Thierry had been ready to comment. However, The Lord of the Night World had then frowned and closed his mouth. Now, cautiously choosing the right words, he prepared to speak again. "Devon, you seem very passionate about this particular assignment. May I ask why?" It was more of a gentle order than a question.

Devon started to reply, but then he bit his lip. Again, he took a deep breath, and again he hesitated. Finally, Devon spoke in a soft, low voice, "Sir, I…I really don’t, don’t want to discuss my feelings at the moment."

"If that is your wish Devon, then I respect it," Thierry smiled understandingly. "But, if you want this assignment, I’ll have to be given a valid reason," he pointed out, becoming serious again.

"Okay. Fine," Devon sighed, looking pained. He knew when he was beaten. "As you know sir, I first became a vampire hunter after they killed my older brother, Chris, then I joined Circle Daybreak. And you also know that I thought Chris had been the only family I had left after my parents were killed. Well, that may not be true."

Thierry’s eyebrows raised, "Oh?"

"Y-yes," stuttered Devon as all his emotions rose in a wave ready to overwhelm him. "I’ve been having dreams. Well, actually, they’re the same dream, I’ve just been having it over and over again, about three little boys. One of them is me, the other is Chris, and the last one, well, I don’t really know. You see, there was a huge black panther that carried him away. I think that the boy might be my little brother and that he was taken to the Dark Kingdom by the shapeshifter."

"Devon, that’s bit far-fetched. Do you have proof?" Thierry had a wincing sort of expression.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Devon stated, speaking with a bit more confidence now. "I know this may still sound a bit vague and unreliable to you, sir, but in my dream right before the three of us run into the cave, I distinctly remember hearing the panther say, ‘Master Chervil will most definitely be pleased with this child.’ So, I’m assuming that Nick, that’s the boy’s name, was taken to the Dark Kingdom, since at the time Chervil Redfern was the lamia that ruled it."

Thierry contemplated this piece of information for a long time. Finally, seeming to have came to a decision, he authorized this, "All things considered, Devon, I have decided to allow you to go on this mission."

* * * * *
PART 3:

"Thank you sir!" Devon smiled gratefully. "I~"

"Don’t thank me yet," Thierry interrupted. "You see, there are some… guidelines, if you will, that you must agree to before I can be content that you and Destiny are the safest possible."

Devon’s face dropped slightly.

Thierry’s lips curved up knowingly, showing his knowledge of Devon’s disappointment. "Oh, they aren’t that bad," he assured Devon. "One, always keep me informed. That means a report everyday."

"But sir~" Devon started.

"No, Devon, this is the deal," Thierry cut him off, then continued, "Second, if anything goes wrong or you think someone may suspect, you get out of that crowd as fast as possible. I don’t really care that stubbornness is in your nature. If you don’t do as I order, I’ll prove to you I’m serious in any way available. Understand?"

Devon sighed, looking just slightly better that miserable, his initial estcasy obviously fading fast, "Yes sir."

Thierry gave a curt nod. "Good. Now, third, do as I command. ALWAYS! I want absolutely no going against my orders, even if it’s against your better judgment. And last but not least, fourth, I think up your identities. Got it?"

"Well, no, but I don’t seem to have a choice," Devon observed, though in reality, both men knew he wasn’t going to obey the Night Lord’s rules. He gave Thierry a questioning glance to confirm anyway. "Right," He went on, "Well, I just want to make one request."

Thierry’s eyebrows raised.

"Yes," proclaimed Devon, "I propose that Destiny and I help you brainstorm our identities."

Rolling his eyes and shaking hid head, Thierry mumbled, "I knew it! Fine, done."

Thinking back to that small victory, Devon’s lips tugged slightly skywards. It was only because of that request that he and Destiny were not heading towards the group of SK8R’s in cashmere sweaters and loafers.

It was really a mystery among all the Daybreak agents how their fearless leader, the one that had been around the longest, adapting to different lifestyles and meeting so many different people could be so clueless about the 20th century.

Devon had once wondered how Thierry could have survived all these centuries if he couldn’t even tell the difference between a gang of bikers and a group of preppies if his life depended on it then realized that it must of been his promise that had kept Thierry alive all these years.

In a way, Devon envied the love Thierry had found. But, contemplating what Thierry had paid for that love made him think again. If he had to pay that dearly for a soulmate, Devon thought, he hoped he never found his at all.

* * * * *
PART 4:

Destiny McNite kicked the boy holding her hand with the side of her running shoe, hoping to wake him out of his reverie. It didn’t work, the pair continued to slow down almost to a stand still. Destiny wished more than ever that she had her signature 4-inch spiked heels on, that would really snap Devon out of his daydream. Instead, she was dressed in huge baggy khakis, running shoes, and a T-shirt bearing the inscription, "Dollhouse". Now she had to admit, the outfit wasn’t horrible and it fit her new identity quite well, but, well, she just hoped none of her friends saw her like this.

All of a sudden, the brown-blonde haired boy jerked, as if just realizing that people passing by were giving him strange looks.

"Finally!" Exclaimed Destiny, her obvious frustration showing. "And you say I’m ruining the mission? If you had stayed in that trance for any longer, those guys over there would have gotten really suspicious. I mean, what kind of people just stand there and stare at you for half an hour without doing anything?"

Devon didn’t even seem to hear her, "You better take your sunglasses off. It doesn’t fit your character too well." He commented absently, and flatly having hardly no emotion at all.

"Ughhhhh!" Cried Destiny throwing up her small hands. "I give up!" With that, she took her partner’s hand in hers and dragged him towards the group of teenagers.

About 50 meters from the group however, Destiny suddenly ducked into a store.

"What are you doing?" Devon hissed in bewilderment.

Destiny didn’t answer. Instead, she kept looking back and forth between a boy in the crowd and Devon which only made his brow crease further. *Yes, yes,* Destiny thought confidently. Even though Devon had dyed his hair chocolate brown and gotten gray contacts, if you looked closely enough the boy in the crowd was most definitely a slightly younger vision of the boy beside her. Of course it was only noticeable if you knew what to look for. *They could be brothers,* Destiny speculated, thinking for a moment that they just might be. *No, Devon doesn’t have any relatives, at least not that I know of and I’m his best friend.*

Wincing now, Devon observed, "Uh, Destiny, people are giving us strange looks."

*It certainly wouldn’t be the first time today,* thought Destiny bitterly, rolling her eyes. Out loud she asked, "You see that guy over there? The one with the blue ‘Hello Kitty’ shirt on?" She pointed out the SK8R, all the while wondering, ‘what sane guy would wear a ‘Hello Kitty’ shirt while trying to blend in?’ "He looks so much like you that he could be your twin.

All of a sudden, Devon had turned pale. His eyes were glazed over, and wide, in an unreadable expression. He mumbled something sounding like, "Maybe he is."

"Do you still think we should do this?" Destiny was starting to lose some of her normal confidence because of Devon’s uncertain look. She’d learned- the hard way- that whenever he was unsure, it meant bad news and Destiny would soon learn that this case was no exception.

Still gazing at his look-alike, Devon regained his composure and answered with more determination than ever, "Yes. Of course we should still do this. I mean we’ve gotten this far, we can’t quit now without trying."

Destiny had to agree. "So, do you have a plan on how to get their attention?"

"Plan?" Devon said it as if it were a foreign language.

Mouth dropping open, Destiny almost screamed, "You mean you don’t know what to do?!?!"

Sheepishly, Devon stuttered, "Well, um…you see-"

"Oh forget it, fearless leader," she shot back, mocking him, "I know how to lure them in."

* * * * *
PART 5:

Devon groaned inwardly in exasperation. Not at Destiny, but at himself. He seemed to be screwing things up much more than usual these days. Ever since the dreams had started two months ago and he had heard about this assignment, Devon had been on edge. Thing after thing, event after event seemed to go wrong, and on his account.

What was worse was the fact that his friendship with Destiny was so strained, it seemed that there was absolutely no hope in saving it. *And,* Devon added to himself now drowning in misery, *what will I do without her? Because if I don’t fix whatever’s wrong with me soon, she’ll probably dump me like a sack of potatoes.*

For example, just now, he had been counted on to have a plan. Instead, he had stuttered like a fool. Yes, a fool was what Devon felt he was right now.

Anyway, Devon had no idea how long he had been in LaLa Land, contemplating his little issues when he felt a sharp jab in his ribs. "Oww…" he started to whine out of habit.

"Quiet Corona!" Destiny hissed, using her ventriloquist act. "I don’t know how you made it as a vampire hunter, "she muttered to herself.

Raising his gaze, Devon’s always-intense-even-when-he’s-out-of-it(-AND-they’re-a-different-colour) eyes spotted two teens his age, maybe older, gliding over, sizing them up at the same time. He didn’t know how Destiny had done it, but she had definitely gotten the SK8R’s attention. Now, as the pair, one female, one male, approached, the rest of the teenagers were following them with their eyes, until they got to the two undercover agents.

Suddenly, Devon had the sinking feeling that they were making a great mistake.

* * * * *
PART 6:

"What is your business, dark witch?" The male lamia demanded, green eyes dark and ravenous.

*Well, they sure don’t waste their time with small talk*, Destiny speculated, mentally raising her perfectly arched eyebrow. She had to work hard at not lifting her hand and proclaiming, "We come in peace. Take us to your leader."

"You mock us?" The girl snapped, coolly dangerous.

Startled, Destiny realized she had forgotten to shield her thoughts. *Stupid!* She silently scolded, this time, putting up a barrier and warning her companion to do the same. "Of course not!" Destiny cried, faking alarm. "All we want is to join your group, not disrespect you!" *Yeah right!* She added, snickering inside.

Both Lamias now held a look of scorn. "What makes you think you are welcome?" The female peered challengingly at the agents from behind her spikey brown bangs.

The boy, green eyes equally dangerous added, "We don’t know anything of you. And you expect us to just let you in?"

"Well, definitely not," Devon finally spoke up, smooth and suave, "But you can’t expect us to tell you all our little secret without spilling some of yours, do you?"

The two vampires considered this for what seemed an eternity as Destiny held her breath. The red-haired male turned to the group behind him and the Devon look-alike nodded. "Our names are Jason Reed and Lunae Shaughnessy." He said bitingly, muscles tensing up like he expected a fight.

"Well, Jason and Lunae," Devon smiled charmingly, not missing a beat, "my name is Devon North and my friend here is Destiny Lennox." He offered his hand while using the other to flick the hair out of his now gray eyes.

"Nice to meet you," beside Devon, Destiny grinned sweetly.

Jason and Lunae just scowled.

*Very friendly,* Devon communicated to Destiny. How he did it, Devon couldn’t say. It was just something he’d been born with but Chris, and now Destiny seemed to be the only people who’d ever replied.

"Come with us," Lunae finally growled at them. She turned and strode away with Jason at her side, obviously assuming Devon and Destiny would follow.

Looking at one another, the two companions shrugged, and silently tailed their guides.

* * * * *

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