Seri looked down at the list of acts on her clipboard.  It was 
already four in the morning.  Where did the time go?  She looked back 
up and caught Daniel, one of the guitarists looking at her. She 
smiled at him.  He smiled back and walked over to her.  Daniel was 
something of a quiet guy, it really didn't make any sense that he was 
in a band, but at the same time?you never could tell.  He played 
wonderfully and had a lovely voice; he was in a new band she'd just 
signed a temporary contract with.  They were good, very good in fact, 
but you still never know how the public will react?so the contract 
was for six months with the option to sign for another term of their 
discretion.  She didn't follow all the legal mumbo jumbo; she left 
that to the lawyers. What else were they good for?  
"What's up?" She asked when he reached her.  He smiled down at her, 
of course most people had to look down at her, she was barely five 
foot tall.  "Is it okay if we start with a new number tonight, we've 
been working on it all week, it's good, really good." He said very 
hopefully.  She didn't usually let anyone play any material they 
hadn't auditioned for her already; you never knew what others might 
consider good. She looked back up at him, he looked so earnest, and 
sweet?so hopeful and young.  She hated to dash his hopes.  Besides, 
it was the middle of the week, and there weren't all that many people 
here, so if it didn't go over well, it wouldn't be that major a 
catastrophe.  
She sighed heavily, "Ohhh alright." Then she grinned at him again.  
It rather shocked her when he gave her a quick hug.  Okay it shocked 
the hell out of her, but what was she supposed to do, casual contact 
with another human being was not something she was used to or 
comfortable with.  He turned and hurried back to his band after a few 
excited thank yous.  She watched him go, her eyes trailing him. She 
had to shake her head a few times to remove the shocked look from her 
face.  Then she looked back at the clipboard.  Daniel and his band?
also known as Night's End, were the last band to perform tonight.  
Last call was at five thirty, that's when the band would start 
putting up their gear and the bouncers would start calling cabs. By 
six everyone should be gone and it was home and to bed with her.  
She glanced around. Everything here was under control. She didn't 
feel it though. Thoughts of Asher kept over taking her. She was 
scared for him.  She hated this feeling of helplessness.  She was 
going to have to do something, she just wasn't sure what.  She didn't 
know what was going on exactly only that he was missing.  She didn't 
really have any investigative skills?sure she could track a deer for 
miles in the forest, but that had been a long time ago, and Vampires 
were about as different from deer as sand was from water.  She sighed 
rubbing her temple, then glanced at her watch.  Nothing here needed 
her attention she was taking a break.  She could use a drink.  
She was at the bar when she noticed their arrival.  Jason, and Jean-
Claude she recognized from having met before, Ms. Blake she'd seen in 
the papers.  The other man, she'd never seen, and she would have 
preferred to keep it that way.  Jason pointed her out to the others 
and she had to suppress a sigh.  Why hadn't she figured that they 
would decide to come investigate the newest employee?  She should 
have.  To bad she hadn't had the good sense to call in sick.  
The `jig' as they said `was up.' She smiled grimly and turned to meet 
them. 
 Jason had spotted her quickly enough; for all that she was shorter 
by at least a head then everyone else in the place.  She was at the 
bar and she had a drink in her hand. He wondered what Jean-Claude was 
going to say, he frowned on his employees drinking at work.  He 
turned to Anita and pointed her out.  "That's her, the tiny one by 
the bar?you should have seen her in Asher's chair?it was so cute."  
He grinned innocently at Anita.  They were both only about three 
inches taller then Seri was so he had no room to talk. She had 
obviously seen them since she turned to face them as they 
approached.  His initial reaction returned.  God she looked so young?
except the eyes.  They eyes were just so odd, deep fathomless pools 
that a person could drown in.  They were creepy, but didn't have the 
magical quality a vampire's gaze did.  Well not exactly.  He didn't 
feel a tug of magic when he looked in them, but there was a 
fascination.   He wondered again just how old she was.  
Anita looked in the direction Jason had indicated.  The woman did 
have a child like quality.  The set of her features was young and 
pixie like.  The eyes said older. Of course she'd met vampires that 
had been changed at young ages. The previous Master of the City had 
been changed at about thirteen, she'd had eyes like those and she'd 
been over a thousand.  This woman wasn't a vampire though, and she 
didn't have the look of someone trapped at the physical age of a 
child, rather it was that quality that some people just posses.  The 
bone structure that just seems to remain youthful, childlike, of 
course the eyes told of wisdom beyond her years, way beyond her 
years.  The woman felt different too.  Almost like a lycanthrope, but 
not exactly and she couldn't have guessed what flavor.  The age 
though pressed against her mind and rubbed along her power heavily.  
She had to be over two thousand.  Not the oldest creature she'd ever 
met, but still, that was a rather long time, especially if she wasn't 
a vampire.  
	The fact that she didn't know what Seri was made her 
suspicious.  She didn't trust what she didn't know?human, but hey no 
one was perfect.  It wasn't like she'd already drawn on her and fired 
shots.  She was just ready too.  No crime in that.  She let their 
eyes meet and lock.  No pull there, just a normal curiosity, wonder 
at the amount of time those eyes had seen.  They weren't human eyes, 
she wondered if they had been at some point.  She didn't speak first; 
still trying to gauge the woman and her power, besides Jean-Claude 
was her Master.  Riiight.  When Seri's eyes flicked to Jean-Claude 
there was a flash of recognition?but Jean-Claude didn't appear to 
return it.  Of course lots of people would know Jean-Claude, he'd 
been in the papers and on T.V. just a while back, still it struck her 
as odd.  
	Anita wasn't the only one to notice and find it odd. Edward 
was hanging back slightly, and watching carefully.  It paid to be 
cautious, and you learned more if you watched and listened carefully. 
It could also save your life on occasion.  She matched the 
description he had.  Well, he couldn't be positive, he didn't have a 
photo, but the eyes were a pretty indication.  He hadn't expected her 
to be quite so?'cute' to quote Jason.  She was though, and she didn't 
look like a killer, of course looks could be very deceiving.  He'd 
been sent to find and retrieve her, all the sudden he wasn't certain 
that was such a good idea, but a job was a job, and he always 
finished the job.   That didn't mean however that he couldn't do a 
little research first.  Besides he couldn't be certain she was the 
one, the eyes could be contacts.  He wasn't being honest with 
himself.  She was the `pet' he'd been hired to find.  
	He wanted to curse.  He didn't usually take on jobs like this 
one, sure she had an enemy that was after her, but it was like 
playing body guard, he didn't like to play body guard, but then again 
the pay was very good?even for him.  Of course when someone was 
paying that much money you had to wonder why they wanted it done so 
badly.  If she'd been a loved one it would have made more sense?but 
she'd been described as a pet?she seemed to be a fully functioning 
person with all her mental facilities. Asher wouldn't have hired 
someone unless they were capable of doing the job.  Of course if 
she'd kidnapped Asher, she might have done something to him.  If his 
facts were correct, she was something of a siren.  He'd been warned 
about that, and about the fact that she was a highly skilled 
fighter.  She really didn't look the part?for either.  That didn't 
mean shit though.  Anita didn't look like a force to be reckoned with 
but she was.  This girl could be a serial murder.  On piece of advice 
that may be trite but was always true, never judge a book by its 
cover.  
	Jean-Claude smiled engagingly at Seri.  She was shorter then 
Anita, that had to be a rare feat.  He wondered if it would make 
Anita jealous if he called her ma petite.  His smile practically 
glowed with warmth, and got even warmer when he noticed Anita 
glowering.  Perhaps it would.  Perhaps he would try?he looked at 
Anita from the corner of his eye.  Perhaps not.  His eyes flickered 
the drink in her hand.  It was tomato juice, no alcohol, just juice.  
He did not like for his people to drink on the job.  It made for bad 
form.  Of course when it came to his vampires it was not an issue, 
nor for the lycanthropes he employed, she however wasn't a vampire?
and not a lycanthrope either.  Though she rather smelled of some sort 
of animal?not mammalian?not reptilian.   It was a puzzle, one that 
would be unraveled very shortly.  "You must be Seri?"  He made it a 
question.  She inclined her head, in a rather regal gesture, but did 
not speak.  "I am Jean-Claude."  He added after a moment.  She nodded 
again.  Then frowned suddenly looking down at her watch.  "I'm 
sorry." She said in a breath whisper that tingled along his spine.  
"The next act should have been announced already, would you excuse me 
a moment."   She looked up at him, not meeting his eyes.  He wasn't 
sure if it was because of the famed power of a vampire's stare, or 
something else.  He rather doubted it was because she was afraid to 
meet his gaze.  He spoke to Jason.  "See if there is a problem with 
the next band."  His attention returned to Seri.  "Jason will see to 
it. Now, if you would, we have much to discuss."  He offered her his 
arm.  He had no wish to continue this conversation in the open, they 
would continue in Asher's office.  She looked up at him, rather 
warily, then placed her hand very lightly on his sleeve, the pressure 
so light, he could not feel her hand against his skin, merely the 
warm shadow of it.  She swallowed.  Fear, he could smell it.  He 
placed his hand over hers and lead her back to the office.   Her 
pulse fluttered like butterflies against his hand, she was nervous.  
He smiled, she should be.  
Seri glanced up at Jean-Claude.  He was doing this on purpose, but 
she should have expected less.  He wanted her to be afraid, she was.  
Vampires seemed to thrive off fear.  She shook her head slightly.  
She had had such hopes for this new start, she should have known 
better.  They had been able to defeat Padma because they were bigger 
monsters then he was, and now she had fallen into their laps, 
helpless again.  She hated it.  She hated them, but most of all she 
hated herself.  Anger began to eat its way through fear.  She was not 
going to do this again; she was not going to be another vampire's pet 
for countless decades.  She would not; she'd had more then enough of 
that to last fifty lifetimes.  A slow grin spread across her face, 
she was not helpless, she was the Nightingale, and if they forced 
her, they'd find out just what she was capable of.  
She jerked her hand from Jean-Claude's grasp after they had entered 
the office and closed the door.  It was surprisingly easy.  She 
wasn't sure if that was because she'd surprised him, he'd let her, or 
if she was just stronger then she knew.   She turned so she could 
face the three of them. Jason still occupied with fixing whatever was 
wrong with the Band.  "What is it you wish?"  She asked, ruthlessly 
suppressing the waver that tried to run through her voice.  She did 
her best impression of Fata, straightening her shoulders and raising 
one imperious eyebrow.  She probably looked the fool, but she prayed 
silently to the Goddesses that she manage to retain some semblance of 
dignity.  
Edward watched silently, impressed.  She had been acting like a 
frightened rabbit, and now a lioness appeared.  He wondered where 
she'd learned the trick.  He walked to one of the plush chairs and 
sank into it.  Slouching gracefully, hands crossed over his stomach.  
He wondered if they were going to play twenty questions now, or if 
Jean-Claude had something else in mind.   Jean-Claude to the chair 
behind the desk, going for the commanding presence, he supposed.  Of 
course Jean-Claude never really had a problem keeping attention 
focused on him.  Anita perched on the corner of the desk, playing the 
dutiful human servant.  It was nice acting, but that was all it was, 
acting.  Anita wouldn't be anyone's servant she'd die first.  Pride 
or stubbornness, he wasn't sure.  Seri stood to one side, the focal 
point of all their stares, her shoulders remained back, her spine 
stiff and straight and she managed somehow to appear like a grown 
up.  A first as far as Edward could tell.  
Anita hadn't really cared for the way Jean-Claude was behaving.  Of 
course he was probably doing it to make her jealous, that pissed her 
off even worse, because it was working.   She didn't like that, not 
at all.  She was pleased however that he chose to sit behind the desk 
that meant no more touching. Of course the woman was behaving 
differently now too.  Not as much fear.  There was more anger know, 
she could read it in the lines of her body.  Anita sympathized, you 
could only be scared for so long before you started getting pissed, 
and obviously the girl had a low threshold, so did she.  She smiled.  
There was no reason for this to get ugly.  Yet.  
Jean-Claude's smile had slipped away, leaving a cold blankness, which 
matched Edward's rather nicely.  Seri's eyes locked with Jean-
Claude.  Fear banked behind a coolness that was easy enough to put in 
her eyes, after all it isn't as easy to read eyes that don't have 
irises, just that velvet black.  The silence was thick, sound proof 
walls insulating it from whatever noises where being made by the rest 
of the club.  Jean-Claude finally broke it.  "Where is Asher?"  He 
asked tone disturbingly soft.  Seri could feel it like the brush of 
velvet across naked flesh, but it wasn't the warm caress of a lover, 
it was cold, so very cold.  She smiled at him.  He did very well with 
his voice, many vampires could do tricks, but he was naturally 
gifted.  She took a moment before responding.  "I haven't a clue."  
She let her voice carry its own power.  The softly haunting echo of 
wind through winter tree branches, frigid and lonely.  
Anita shivered at the sound.  It was like trickle of ice creeping 
across her skin, making her teeth chatter.  Jean-Claude met the 
girl's eyes with a smile of admiration.  She knew the tricks, how she 
managed them was another matter, but however she did it, she was 
skilled.   Edward just continued to watch silently, apparently 
unimpressed by the grandstanding.   Jean-Claude knew she wasn't 
lying, well if she was she was superb at it.  He could not detect a 
trace of falseness in her voice or demeanor.  He decided to move 
on.  "What are you?"   He said, this time leaving out the tricks, it 
was ridiculous to use them when the effort was wasted.   
Seri tensed somewhat, her eyes studying him.  She had come here for 
this, she should have done this first?but she had so wanted to 
forget, of course that was not a choice.  She relaxed her shoulders 
suddenly.  Whatever happened, it had been her original plan to ask 
their assistance. It was probably better not to make it any more 
complicated then it already was.  "I'm a Nightingale."  She said very 
simply and sat down in the chair next to Edward.  If they wanted the 
entire story this might take a while and she was tired.  She'd spent 
the entire day being worried about Asher, and the club, and running 
around ordering about recalcitrant musicians.  She had ever right to 
be tired, besides she was sick of trying to hide what she was?either 
part of what she was.  She'd been hiding and running for over two 
thousand years?enough was enough.   
Edward hid his surprise.  He'd known, had guessed, but he hadn't 
expected her to admit to being what she was.  It was another piece of 
the puzzle, if she was horribly dangerous, then why hadn't there been 
a rash of deaths in St. Louis.  In the other cities the deaths had 
all occurred after she had left. Or had appeared to.  He'd thought 
maybe she'd just been really good at hiding her crimes until after 
she was gone.   He wasn't so sure now.  Something odd was going on, 
something very odd indeed. He'd find out in due time.  
	Anita just stared at her.  A nightingale. What the hell did 
that mean?  She'd never heard of were-nightingales, still it was a 
big world and she didn't know everything.  She'd been quiet though 
for the entire interview, she couldn't keep biting her tongue, it 
wasn't going to work anyway.  "How'd that happen?" She demanded.  
Seri's eyes snapped away from Jean-Claude to meet Anita's eyes.  Some 
emotion glittered in the depths, hard and cold.  Seri dropped her 
eyes and began picking at invisible lint on her skirt.  "It's a long 
story?I was cursed a long time ago."  She spoke very quietly, the 
emotion tightly contained. Anita wondered if it was a bid for 
sympathy.  It wasn't going to work if it was.  She'd had experience 
with those cursed before, she was inclined not to like them.  "We've 
got time."  She said very coldly. 
	Seri sighed, and looked back up.  "I had a run in with the 
Goddess Fata, she didn't like that I killed her lover, so she cursed 
me."  She said calmly.  Anita came back with the obvious 
question. "Why did you kill him?" Seri shrugged.  "He and his men 
raped and murder my sister and the other women of the temple where I 
lived."  She hadn't told this story, ever.  She didn't really want to 
tell it now, but it had been thousands of years ago.  Ms. Blake 
obviously still wasn't satisfied.  "Why'd they do that?"  She asked 
next.  Seri had always wondered that herself.  "I don't know, we 
served Eutrepe, Goddess of Music, we did not have many enemies, but 
they were a rather?violent bunch."  She shook her head.  Fata had 
probably ordered it, why was a good question?one she'd never gotten 
to ask, one she hadn't been interested in at the time, she'd only 
been interested in revenge.  
	"How were you able to kill a warrior?"  Edward finally spoke 
up.  He wanted to hear the whole story, to see how much of it matched 
what he had been told.  Seri's head turned in his direction.  She 
studied him again with those huge black eyes, before speaking 
again.  "Eutrepe was offended that they had attacked her temple, and 
the Goddess Poena favored me as well, I was blessed with their 
gifts."  She said very simply.  Edward nodded, then asked.  "What 
were their gifts?"  Genuine curiosity lighting his voice.  Seri 
continued studying him, like he was some new species of insect she'd 
never seen before.  "Eutrepe blessed my voice, and Poena gave me 
strength and fighting skills."  Edward's eyebrows rose.  "Blessed 
your voice?"  Seri shrugged. "Much like a siren's song my voice has 
the power to enthrall."  She leaned back in her chair weary.  She had 
no desire to under go an inquisition tonight.  
	Jean-Claude watched as Death interviewed the nightingale. 
Odd, he seemed now to recall a special nightingale?one of Padma's 
pets. His eyes narrowed on Seri.  "You serve Padma."  He said very 
coolly, no accusation, merely a statement of fact.  She froze at the 
mention of Padma's name.  Her eyes snapping back to Jean-
Claude,  "I?" she swallowed.  "I never served him, but I was in his 
possession for quite some time Jean-Claude."  The last word held a 
plea, one to be recognized by another who has suffered at the same 
sadist's hand.  Jean-Claude remember very well his own years with the 
council.  He wondered what price she had paid for going unknown in 
the council, he was sure she'd made a wonderful little spy.  
	Seri could see the speculation in his eyes and her shoulders 
slumped.  "Believe what you like.  I came here when I heard of his 
humiliation at your hands?I had hoped."  She shook her head. It 
didn't matter.  She felt the sting of regret, she would have to 
leave, to search out a new home, to leave behind the one person?again 
she shook her head.  Such thoughts were useless.  "I shall leave post 
haste."  She said rising.  Jean-Claude stood as well.  "I have not 
given you permission to leave."  He said in a deceptively gentle 
voice.  Her eyes narrowed, and she looked up at him.  "I did not ask 
your permission, you are neither my master nor my friend Jean-Claude, 
but trust that you do not wish to be my enemy."  She used her voice 
like a weapon.  He staggered slightly grabbing the desk. He looked at 
her.  She would make a formidable enemy, which made him wonder how 
Padma could have kept her, without her willingness.  "If you did not 
serve Padma why stay with him for so many years?"  He asked 
suddenly.   
	Seri looked at him for a long silent moment.  "I was stupid 
when we first met, very stupid.  He tried to call my beast; I let 
him, because I remembered Or'gandry and what he'd enjoyed doing with 
young women?Padma I had seen as well at his master's side.  I had no 
wish to experience that.  I refused to return to human form after I 
was in that of the nightingale.  He was not pleased, but finally 
decided to keep me that way."  She smiled a thin self-deprecating 
smile.  "He trapped me with silver jesses, I could not change with it 
binding me, and I could not escape him."  Her eyes were locked with 
his.  His dropped away suddenly to her ankles.  Thin scar tissue 
circled each small ankle.  Silver pressed against her flesh for 
hundreds of years.  It must have hurt.  "How is it you are free of 
him now?"  He continued.  She smiled.  "When he and the others came 
to visit you, he left me in the care of a servant, I escaped then, I 
have been in hiding since, but he seeks me now." She sighed 
heavily.  "I suppose I am something of a challenge for him."  
	Jean-Claude understood what she meant. Padma could never 
resist a challenge, and after Anita's defeat he was probably 
suffering from a wounded ego, finding his little pet Nightingale and 
finally breaking her, would be a lovely balm to that wound.  He 
returned to his seat and clasped his hands in front of him.  "Why 
were you worried for Asher?"  He inquired softly after she had 
finally returned to her chair. He could see her battling the urge to 
rise and leave again.  Personal question obviously.  She finally 
looked up at him again.  "I knew Asher when he came to court, he was 
kind to me."  She said it very simply, but Jean-Claude could hear the 
hidden depths.  Kindness among the council was a very rare thing, and 
she had lived as a pet there for centuries, she must have prized that 
simple kindness very highly.  He nodded; there was no need to pursue 
the subject further.  She did not know where Asher was, she had just 
come in search of aide, and found and old friend.  One who probably 
did not remember her at all.  It was rather sad.  He wondered if 
Asher was aware of who and what she was, he rather doubted it. 
	Anita wasn't sure she liked the turn in questioning.  She 
remembered Padma, the sick sadistic bastard, and if she ever met him 
again she was going to kill him.  If she got the chance, of course 
that was a big if.  The last time they had met he'd almost killed 
Jean-Claude, her and Richard, she'd managed to almost return the 
favor for him and his little triumvirate.  She had actually liked 
Thomas and Gideon, however, and she would rather not kill those two.  
She sure as hell wasn't going to trust someone who had been with him 
for centuries.  "What a sec, she served Padma?"  She turned to glare 
at Jean-Claude, he was being nice to her, she could be a spy and he 
was being nice, she was going to skin him alive.  
	Seri sighed.  "I never served him, I was his pet,  a woman 
trapped in the body of a bird, a captive audience for all his 
depravities."  She paused and laughed a harsh sound. "Oh and keeper 
of his dirty secret."  Anita whirled back on her.  "What secret?"  
Seri smiled.  "Padma has no right to be council, he never killed the 
vampire whose seat he took."  Jean-Claude eyes widened 
slightly.  "Then how?"  He asked.  Seri grinned.  "Before I was 
Padma's pet I was Or'gandry's.  He was a lovely piece of work, he 
didn't know though that I'd ever been human, he just thought I was a 
bird, when his witch Lavinia freed me from imprisonment, I killed 
him.  Padma was the first to discover the body?he claimed the deed as 
his own, then killed Lavinia after finding out about me.  It took him 
years to find me."  Jean-Claude's eyebrows both crawled up his 
forehead.  "Padma did not slay Or'gandry?  I am amazed."  Padma had 
always been the subject of much ridicule among the other council 
members, now he understood why.  Of course the council would not have 
wanted that knowledge to get around.  "The other members know of 
course."  He said question in his voice.  
	Seri nodded hesitantly.  "I think so, I have never heard them 
mention it, but there is little doubt they at least had suspicions.  
Challenges are supposed to be public matters, witnessed by the rest 
of the council.  I ripped out Or'gandry's heart in the privacy of his 
rooms."  Jean-Claude smiled slowly.  "It is little wonder then at the 
antagonism between Padma and Traveler."  Seri shrugged.  "They have 
always been enemies."  Jean-Claude nodded and Anita wanted to scream 
at him.  Her eyes narrowed suddenly. "You said you have a siren's 
voice, is that what you are doing now, lulling him with your voice?"  
She demanded.  Seri gave a small start and looked up at Anita a 
sudden frown wrinkling her brow.  "I?I don't know."  
She'd never considered that she might have that power when simply 
speaking; she had thought it was contingent on her singing.  "I?I 
always thought it was just when I sang."  She added aloud to Ms. 
Blake.  "I don't think I'm doing it, and if I am it is not one 
purpose."  She considered for another long moment.  "Before I did, I 
added what I felt to my words, but that was conscious effort, of 
course I have only my word to offer."  She shrugged weakly.  There 
was no reason for any of them to believe her.  She had been in 
Padma's keeping for centuries and she could have very easily been a 
spy.  
Edward chose that moment to speak again.  "So far I haven't heard a 
lie."  Anita turned to glare at him.  "How would you know?"  He gave 
her that shit eating grin of his that made her want to choke 
him.  "She's why I'm here, I was sent to retrieve her."  Seri paled.  
Padma had hired him, and now she couldn't even run.  Anita's eyes 
narrowed.  "Padma hired you?   To find her? Why the hell did you take 
the job?"  She asked perplexed.  Edward smiled again.  "The pay is 
really good, plus I have competition. Someone else wants her, really 
bad, and they haven't hesitated to kill to make sure they are the 
first to find her."  Seri lost what little color there was left in 
her face.  "Someone else?"  She managed to croak, through a fear 
choked voice, there was only one other she knew who would want her, 
who even knew of her existence.  Edward nodded.  "Someone who likes 
carnage obviously, every body I've found was a new masterpiece of 
torture."  Seri nodded very slowly.  "Fata was always very good at 
that, she could have given lessons."  She laughed, a short expulsion 
of breath.  "She did in fact."  She shook her head trying to clear 
away memories of her times in that garden.  She tried very hard never 
to think about those times in any detail.  Neither Or'gandry nor 
Padma had come close to reaching Fata's level of?evil.   
Anita frowned. Fata?Poena, Eutrepe?Greek Goddesses if she remembered 
correctly.  "You said that Eutrepe and Poena favored you?why haven't 
you turned to them for assistance."  She asked sarcasm thick in her 
voice.  She believed in God?the one and the only.