Kiss of the Moon Ch. 10

"Toss me up," Sage told Lock-heart.

"Pardon?" He asked.

"Throw me up and out of the hole so I can get in the air and get scouting," Sage explained.

Lock-heart for a moment felt like telling Sage where to shove her sword but he knew she was right. The moment they knew their battleground and who was where was the moment they would make an attack plan. In simple terms, it would keep them alive.

He crouched down sliding his hands under her feet. Sage kept her wings closed tight so they would go through without catching. She bent her knees to help so she could push off his extended arms. She rested her hands on his head as he got ready to toss her out.

"One, two, three," Lock-heart counted as he tossed her up. The moment Sage's wings were clear of the opening she opened and pumped her wings forcing herself up as shots bounced off her.

Amy was next up the ladder.

AMY… Wolfgang roared in her mind.

Amy winced and paused on the ladder.

You said you would meet me at the town hall, where are you now? He growled.

Were relations building, Amy told him.

If you move from that building before I get to you, I will chain you to our bed for a year, he threatened.

Promise? Amy asked seductively.

She felt his growl in response to her comment; it was a mix of anger and pure lust. Amy shivered and finished climbing the ladder. When everyone was out they moved to the edge of the buildings.

They were ignored as they made their way to the safety of the Were and police run barricades before the welcoming entrance of the Were relations building. Sage landed a few moments after they got behind the barricades. She landed near Amy and Sarge to report.

"Sage point out the snipers to Ted," Sarge commanded.

Sage nodded, she raced to Ted and started to point them out to him.

Amy walked over to the two men who were in charge, one was a police officer the other was one of Amy's staff members, "How are you holding up?" She asked them.

"We are beginning to run low on ammo," the police officer replied.

Amy nodded and turned to Ted, "Ted what is your teams name?"

"Cougars," he replied as he lined up his shot.

Amy grabbed her radio, she checked her channel and pressed the button and brought the microphone to her mouth, "Cougar One this is Renegade One come in over," Amy said into her radio.

"Renegade One this is Cougar One reading you over," crackled out of her radio.

"We're at the heaviest fighting, we are running low on ammo. Can we get assistance over?" Amy asked.

"Renegade one assistance will be there in ten. Standing by," he signed off.

"Renegade One this is Rough necks, hear you need some assistance over," An unfamiliar voice said.

Amy grabbed her radio. "No offence Rough necks, but I don't know you. Over."

"Forgive me ma'am, I know times are turbulent at the moment. My name is Simon Watson," was his reply.

"Watson," Sarge barked into his radio, "Who are you taking your orders from?" Sarge asked.

"No one at present. I shot my Major, he locked down the base and told us we were going to join the fray, we asked about our targets and he said target anyone who looks Were. I shot him knowing the President doesn't want this," Simon replied.

Sarge glanced to Amy, "I've fought with Watson twice, he's a good man Amy."

"I also have the supplies meant for the men who started this," Watson said hoping to sweeten the pot when he got not immediate response. His men wanted to fight, were ready to fight.

Amy nodded to Sarge, giving him the go ahead to tell Simon where they were.

"Were relations building, Know it?" Sarge told him.

"Yes, ETA five minutes. Rough necks standing by," Simon said.

"Renegades standing by," Sarge replied.

Amy glanced around looking for Sage; she wanted to know what was going on. She spotted Sage leant up against a car eating a muesli bar as she waited for her next set of orders.

"Sage, get airborne. Tell me what you see," Amy told her.

Sage finished stuffing the last of her food in her mouth as she stood. She quickly washed it down and jumped into the air.

****

Sage pumped her wings getting her above the snipers. Her eyes scanned the area. She frowned as she saw two unknown convoys, she spotted a SWAT van making its way to Amy and she knew they were going to get bogged down soon. She spotted another SWAT van heading to the courthouse and a third going to the central precinct to help them secure that spot.

What do you see? Amy asked.

SWAT, are another ten minutes away they got ambushed. I can see two convoys heading our way one big, one tiny. Do you want me to see which is friendly and aid them to us? Sage asked as she circled around a building get different vantages.

Yes, Amy replied, Sarge wants to know about the other skirmishes, how are they doing?

The courthouse is on it's last legs, the SWAT have reinforced the Were and police, they are still fighting at central but not for long, Sage told her, I'm going to see who's friendly now unless you need more? Sage waited a moment.

No, nothing for the moment, be careful, Amy cautioned her.

Always, Sage thought to herself. Sage dived down to the smaller convoy; she pulled out of her dive as bullets glanced off her armour. Not friendly, again she thought to herself. She went to the bigger convoy and dove down. The lead car came to a stop and people watched wondering if she was a friend or if she was thinking they were foes. Sage landed on the side rails of the truck and held onto the door.

"You the Rough necks?" She asked.

They all nodded wondering how she knew their code name.

"I'm a Renegade, the boss sent me looking for you," Sage told them choosing not to give them much in the way of knowledge. She hadn't been cleared to tell them anything and because she didn't know them she wasn't taking chances.

"Aren't you a little young to be fighting?" Watson asked.

Sage shrugged in a non-committal way, "I'm not fighting I'm a scout." Sage replied.

Watson had to agree; having eyes in the sky that couldn't be really shot down was a good thing. His only concern was her age. The truck started to move again.

"You don't want to keep going this way," Sage warned.

"Why?" Watson asked curious.

"Three ambush points, four blocked roads and unless you want to ram raid the enemy you really need to turn left," Sage told him.

Watson blinked, so that was the reason she was a scout, "Follow her directions."

"Wait…" Sage told them as mixed bag of Were in various stages of change went to charge. FRIENDS, she yelled at them.

They skid to a halt and studied Sage for long moments. Sage waited for them to decide if they wanted to move on or join.

Can we come? A whispery voice asked.

Sage looked for the source of the voice. Her eyes focused for a moment on a woman who was half way changed into a falcon.

"They want to tag along," Sage told Watson.

Watson leant out of the window, "The more the merrier, mount up," he told them cheerfully.

They split up, the wolves of the group chose to sit on the hoods of the trucks, the panther and two tigers crawled up onto the roof of the cabins. The last few all of them some kind of falcon, hawk or eagle grabbed hold of running rails so they could take flight at a moments notice.

They started to move again following Sage's directions. Sage glanced down a road having heard signs of fighting. She went pale as she watched her mother fall to the ground and a pack of men surround her. She jumped from the truck and started to run to aid her mother. The convoy pulled to a stop and others ran to aid her both humans and Were.

Sage drew the sword from her back as she ran forward. She cut the legs out from a man who was kicking her mother. She spun and her sword cut the head off another. She flicked her sword up to block the swing of a samurai sword. The wielder wasn't trained like Sage; his movements were clumsy with no respect for the beauty of the weapon he held. Sage stepped over her mother and swung slicing the arm off another with a pole.

The Were who had come to help held back the humans, curious as to Sage's abilities.

Her sword caught the samurai sword again; she saw blood on its surface and knew that it was her mother's blood that coated the blade. She felt anger threaten to rise but she pushed it back knowing anger would make her clumsy. She stepped closer to the man with the sword moving the fight away from her injured mother.

Her grip on her sword changed and the samurai slid off her blade. She attacked with a series of chops aimed to cleave a man in half. He blocked her swings slowly gaining confidence. He swung up as Sage stepped aside; she felt a sting of pain across her cheek but ignored it. Her last swing however wasn't a crude chop; it was a reverse butterfly, a move as beautiful as it was deadly. The swerving arch flashed elegantly through the air rapidly. The only indication of her success was when blood splashed her in strong spurts from his sliced neck. He cast her a dazed look as his life's blood surged from his body. She twisted her wrist again and his head went flying.

She glanced around but the men who had been attacking her mother were either dead or on their way to being so. She sheathed her bloody blade and raced back to her mother, kneeling in the rapidly growing pool of blood.

"Ma," Sage said as she looked for a pulse, something to tell her that her mother was still alive.

Bianca took a laboured breath. Sage looked up as a medic knelt and quickly looked her over. He knew nothing of Were physiology if he was treating a human he would have loaded a dose of morphine that would ease the pain of their death. He glanced to Sage who was keeping tears back barely.

"I…" he started to say.

Sage didn't want to hear condolences, she wanted her mother to be okay, to get up and fight beside her. She suddenly grasped a straw, Susan; she could treat her mother's wounds. "Susan… she's back at the Were relations building. She knows her stuff," Sage told them. They were already transferring her to a stretcher. After seeing what Sage could do Watson was willing to bet the fact she could fly wasn't the only reason she was in the Renegades. Even if her mother wasn't going to make it his men were not going to let her body out of their sights until she was claimed by family. It was the least they could do for Sage.

Watson grabbed Sage before she followed her mother into the truck, "I need you up front, you know the way, we don't," he told her gently.

Sage nodded. She hopped into the lead truck wanting to get on way. Watson joined her offering her a towel to wipe the blood away. She refused; bloody armour was the least of her worries at the moment.

"Lets go," she told the driver.

The trucks started and they were moving again, "Right here and straight ahead," she told them. Amy tell Susan to be ready, Sage sent ahead.

What's wrong Sage, Amy asked after she quickly warned Susan.

My ma… Sage didn't elaborate. She felt Amy probing for answers but Sage's mental shields prevented Amy from learning what was wrong with Bianca.

They pulled up behind the barricades. Sage was out of the truck in moments, she grabbed Susan who was instantly trying to tend the wound on her face that was slowly healing on its own.

"Not me," Sage told her.

Bianca was carried forward carefully as ammo and weapons were distributed as well as food and water. Susan stopped fussing over Sage and went to Bianca.

"Put her down over here," Susan ordered as she moved to a spot nearby but out of the way. Sage followed and no one tried to stop her. Susan quickly started to assess Bianca the moment she was placed down. When she was finished she wished Nathanael were here, he might know how to save Bianca. Susan set to work doing as much as she could but Bianca's wounds were too deep and too many. The most worrisome of her wounds was the deep chest wound, none of them were healing as they should, air rattled in her lungs and her heartbeat was slowing.

Susan turned to Sage. Sage tried not to look at Susan's compassionate eyes, it was the answer she didn't want but knew deep down.

"Sage…" Bianca said gently knowing her life was slipping, something had coated the sword, some kind of power that slowed healing down. If Bianca was younger she may have survived but she was over five hundred years old, her body was beginning to show it's age.

"Right here ma," Sage said taking her hand.

"Be strong," Bianca said gently, "Be brave… I love you," Bianca told her. Amy wrapped a comforting arm around Sage.

"Amy…" Bianca said softly.

"Yes Bianca," Amy said softly.

"Sage… take care of Sage," Bianca said, "Be her family…" Bianca said, she had heard of Amy's now rapidly growing family, and of how she treated the new additions with love and kindness giving them a place to call their own. Bianca could have sent Sage back to her father but she needed to know her Were side as well as her Nephalim side.

"It would be an honour," Amy told her.

"Her… father… life…" Bianca was finding it hard to breathe talk.

"He'll have all the access he wants, I won't keep her from him," Amy said correctly guessing what Bianca had been trying to say.

Bianca nodded slightly, her eyes felt heavy, her eyes slowly closed as her breathing and heartbeat slowed further.

"We will meet again," Sage promised trying to keep tears from her eyes.

Bianca's eyes opened and focused on her daughter, "Yes," her eyes remained on her daughter as her heart stopped.

A single tear slid down Sage's face to land on her mother. Amy stood and pulled Sage away. Sage didn't fight Amy. A soldier tucked a blanket around Bianca covering her body. Sage blinked to hold back her tears as she tore her eyes away from the blanket that covered her mother.

Her father's voice filtered into her mind from a memory a few years old: In battle you loose friends and loved ones, alas it is the cost of war. You will discover their fallen bodies and sadly you will hold them as they die. Do not cry; tears will blind you, making your death certain. Put aside their deaths; lock them away. Do not get angry, keep a clear head and only when the battle is done do you cry for your fallen friends.

Sage doubted that her father had meant for her to use his advice so soon in her life but she was glad that he had given her that piece of advice now. She would be strong; she would do as her father told her. She stepped out of Amy's arms and wiped her face, she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, locking away her mother's death, burying it deep into the back of her mind where it would stay until this was over.

Amy watched her carefully for several moments but knew Sage was just blocking out her mother's death for now. Alanna watched Sage for a moment then nodded, she hoped however that the battle would not go past the day, too much might break Sage.

Sage sat and drew her sword to clean it. Her eyes never went to the spot her mother was laying as she cleaned her weapon. Wolfgang joined them moments later. Amy kept her eyes on Sage as a soldier sat next to her and offered her a canteen and a chocolate bar.

Wolfgang wrapped his arms around Amy and buried his face in her neck, Thank goodness you are alright, he said glad that she was safe and unharmed.

Amy didn't respond.

What's wrong? Wolfgang asked.

Sage just watched her mother die, Amy told him sadly.

Bianca? Wolfgang asked.

Amy nodded, She also gave Sage to us to raise, Amy turned to catch his reaction.

A request we will honour, he responded solemnly.

Sage stood when her sword was clean and went to Amy, "My orders?" Sage asked.

Amy studied her for a moment but knew that all Sage wanted was everyone to ignore what had happened and to keep her occupied until the fighting finished. Then and only then she could mourn and prepare her mother for burning, "Get in the air and tell me what you see," Amy told her.

Sage smiled weakly and jumped into the air, pumping her wings to get airborne.

Amy gave her a minute to look around before asking what was going on.

Amy get ready about four army trucks are coming this way… the lead truck has dead Were tied across the bonnet, Sage told her.

Get back here, Amy ordered, "EVERYONE," Amy called out, those who were keeping the others back ducked down and turned to Amy, as they waited they reloaded and sipped water.

"Listen up we have four army trucks coming this way, they are not friendly, they have Were tied across their bonnets. Get prepared to defend," Amy told them all.

Sage landed near Amy to report what else she had see, Amy turned to her, "Amy there is no more fighting, the other two major fights are over, they lost and they are re-grouping here. The ambush points are gone," Sage reported.

Sarge cursed for long moments, "Last stand. They are going to throw everything they can at a full on frontal assault," he told everyone.

Cass loaded her assault riffle and took position next to several policemen.

Susan cursed as she watched a child stumble into the fire zone. She glanced around but she was the closest to the little girl, "Cover me," Susan cried out and ran out into the fire zone. Sarge and Mac cursed when they finally saw what Susan had done. They charged off after her knowing she wouldn't make it there and back without getting harmed. Cass tried to cover them as they raced for the little girl who had stumbled into the hot zone. Sienna, Amy and Wolfgang ran out to join them as they noticed that neither three were wearing their custom made jackets.

Susan stumbled and dropped to her knees, she coughed up blood but ignored it, she had flung off her protective jacket to tend to Bianca and a standard kevlar vest could not stop armour piercing bullets. She wrapped her arms around the little girl and tried to get her back to safety using her own body to shield the child. Sarge fired and grabbed her shoulder, hooking his fingers under the straps of her vest to pull her and her bundle behind him. Sarge dropped a moment after Mac did, the armour piercing bullets doing their jobs.

Wolfgang and Sienna dragged the men back behind the barricade. Susan collapsed and coughed up more blood as Sage and Amy made it to Susan and the little girl. Alanna focused and cast a shield around them. Amy knelt and pulled the girl from Susan's arms then Amy pulled Susan up ready to drag her back behind the line.

"I'm dead Amy… my mind just doesn't know it yet," Susan told her as she coughed up more blood, "Save the girl and leave me."

Amy shook her head, "No," Amy denied as she laid Susan back down and knelt.

"Yes… unless you bite me," Susan told Amy giving her their options, it was simple, bite or die.

"I can't…" Amy told her.

"I want this Amy," Susan said then she coughed more blood, "Not forced if I ask for it."

Amy hesitated.

"Do it," Susan demanded.

Amy tilted Susan's head aside and leant down, she sunk her teeth into Susan's neck drawing blood, letting the properties of her saliva mix and take root in Susan's body. Susan groaned as a tingling sensation crept out from the bite mark, the tingling quickly filled her body. The tingling was almost painful, would have been too if she wasn't already in pain because of gun shot wounds.

Slowly Susan started to feel her breathing become easier, it felt like seconds to her when in fact it was minutes.

Amy I can't hold the shield for much longer, Alanna warned her.

It's okay I can breathe now, Susan told her.

Amy released the bite. Susan rolled onto her side and got ready to start firing. Sage drew her sword ready to fight.