Dawn Revealed

The jiggling of the mattress awakened Kayla from a deep and fitful sleep. Yawning, she opened her eyes. Surprised to see Angel perched on the edge of the bed. "Hi."

"Hi," Angel replied. She toyed with the satin edge of the blanket on the bed instead of meeting Kayla's curious stare. "So are you shacking up here now?"

"I don't' know," Kayla answered with a shrug. "I just kind of landed here this morning. And here I am. It was kind of a rough night."

"Yeah."

Kayla slid up in the bed. The satin sheets were slick and cool against her skin. Propping her shoulders up against the pillows she studied her friend. Angel was cool and composed as always. The color was back in her cheeks, indicating that she had recently fed. And she had showered and dressed in fresh clothes. None of the leather corsets or fishnet hose Kayla had gotten used to seeing her in. Just simple black jeans and a long sleeved black t-shirt and boots. Angel had even rinsed the dye out her hair and washed away the layers of black ink she used to line her eyes. There was plenty Angel wasn't saying in sitting on the edge of the bed, toying with the corner of the blanket. The question the both of them had pondered but never thought to actually consider. What happens now? "What about you? You sticking around?"

"I don't know," Angel replied. She lifted her eyes and gently tucked the corner of the blanket around Kayla's hip. Kayla appeared sleep rumpled. Her hair disheveled and a sheet wrinkle dented her cheek. Her skin clean and eyes free of the thick layers of pink and purple eye shadow and dark mascara she'd been forced to hide behind. Dressed in a loose t-shirt, probably Bryce's, and cotton boy shorts, she lounged in the bed without a care in the world. Kayla looked the picture of her hard earned freedom. "I didn't think the bastard would ever die. I always assumed hell wouldn't have him and he'd live forever."

Kayla snickered, "Yeah, something like that." She lowered her eyes and whispered her thoughts, speaking them aloud. "I'm glad he's gone. Wherever he is I hope he gets what he deserves."

"I don't know if there's a place bad enough for him," Angel said. In her mind, she had devised such a place. She visited it every time Roark had laid a hand on her. It was the only thing that kept her sane during the hours of torment he'd inflicted upon her. Imaging the fate that would someday await him. She never dreamed though that it would come for him so soon.

Kayla slid her feet along the sheets and tucked her knees under her chin. "He does. I only wished that I hadn't left you behind." Her voice was small and trembling as she recalled the day that she ran in a desperate attempt to save her life. She couldn't save any of them and all but Angel had died at Roark's hand suffering the anger that she'd provoked in him.

Angel's heart went out to Kayla. Lightly she grabbed Kayla's hand and squeezed it in a show of solidarity. If Kayla hadn't left, pushing her into action. She would have never been brave enough to escape Roark on her own. Roark would have killed her eventually. Although, the means she used to free herself from his bonds were decisively different than Kayla's. The result was the same. She was alive. Out of all the girls that walked into Roark's apartment under the lure of money and the promise of the good life. Only she and Kayla survived. That made them special. It made them sisters. And it bound them on a soul deep level.

Kayla grasped on to the thin, feminine fingers wrapped around hers as if they were a life preserver. And in a way they were. Angel's forgiveness meant everything. Angel had suffered. She had suffered. And although the details of their torment hung unspoken in the air between them, they did their best to leave the past in the past. Kayla could only imagine what Roark had done to Angel. Their pasts, interwoven like fine threads in a web, linked them together. No matter what happened, they'd always be bound by that past. By the experiences, both the known and the unknown ones, they'd endured. "I want you to stay," she said.

"I'll think about it." Angel withdrew her hand from Kayla's. She wasn't making any promises. She wanted to stay and explore the friendships beginning to grow. She was coming to care deeply about the people who lived here. And they were becoming the sisters and brothers, the family she'd always wanted.

She wanted to explore the possibilities evolving with Lance. Lance made her heart pound just a bit harder in her chest. And whenever she was around him, a tingling sensation of warmth spread throughout her whole body. But, if she was afraid to open herself up. And she knew, he was an all or nothing kind of guy. He deserved no less than everything. But, she didn't know if she truly had it to give.

"That's all I can ask." Kayla curled her empty fingers into a ball and rested her hand on the covers. Not one to push, she dropped the subject. Instinctively, she knew, no matter what Angel said or how unconvinced Angel was that she belonged here. The brotherhood was too deeply engrained in her for her to just walk away. Life was like that. Love was like that. People were like that. The few that you cared about and that truly cared about you got under your skin and little by little worked their way into your heart until they simply became a part of your very being. And there was no leaving them behind.

Lance caught up with Bryce in the thick of the woods. He should make Bryce sweat it. The way Bryce tried to be casual in his search for the ring was almost laughable. He toed at the decaying leaves as if he were just passing the time. Glanced up at the trees almost carelessly. And Lance was tempted, so tempted to act like he didn't know what his best friend was up to. "What's up?"

Bryce grimaced at Lance's curiosity. But, was not inclined to sate it with an answer. Lance was ever the opportunist and never passed up a chance to rub it in. Lance didn't know he'd chucked the ring off the bluffs the morning of Janine's wedding. And he sure as hell wasn't going to clue his best friend in. Lance would never let him hear the end of it. And yeah, tossing a ring worth that much money hadn't been one of his better moments. But, at the time, it'd seemed like a good idea.

He could ask Lance for help and suffer through the harassment he would undoubtedly unleash. Lance was his best friend. But, that didn't mean he always liked him. When they'd shared an apartment in the city, Lance was constantly stealing his underwear and leaving the dirty pairs on the bathroom floor. What kind of a friend did that? On the upside, Lance was fiercely loyal and always had his back. "Area is free of rogues."

Lance shrugged and nodded as if he were impressed by Bryce's observation. "That a fact?" He kicked at the pile of dried leaves Bryce had gathered up to sift through, scattering them to the wind. The expression on his best friend's face was priceless. "Dane will be pleased by your dedication." Lance sauntered over to a nearby oak tree. Casually crossing one booted foot over the other, he leaned heavily against the trunk. Stuffing his hands in his hip pockets, he fingered the ring. " You think Kayla is going to stick around?"

Bryce glowered at his best friend. He hadn't found the ring yet. And he still had miles and miles of ground left to search. Lance smirked at him like a Cheshire cat. They'd been friends for longer than Bryce could remember. They just clicked. And other than Lance's numerous annoying habits, like loitering when there was something this important to do. They got along just fine. But, Bryce had never wanted to strangle someone so badly in his life. Maybe, if he played along, Lance would get bored and leave. "Kayla hasn't really said what she plans to do. I'm hoping to convince her to stay," he answered.

"Ah, well that's good," Lance said, watching his best friend squirm. Tormenting Bryce was the most fun he'd had in a long time. If the guy was nothing else, he was tenacious. And much like he'd never stopped looking for the girl, he'd never stop looking for the ring. "I guess you'll be needing this then," he said. He pulled the ring out of his hip pocket and dropped it in Bryce's palm. "It wasn't my size anyway. And you're definitely not my type."

"When...?" Bryce stared down at the ring in his palm. The evening sun glinted off the stone. He closed his fingers around the ring and slid it into his pocket. "Thanks."

He wasn't sure when he was going to ask Kayla. But it was going to be sooner than later. He didn't want to put it off. Not when he'd been waiting so long for her to come into his life and he had so many hopes for them. He knew he could make her happy. And the ring was nothing but a small sample of what was to come.

"Brother, I've always got your back." Lance gripped Bryce in an awkward man hug. "Good luck." A part of him knew he was losing his best friend for good. He couldn't compete with a woman and he didn't want to. Immortality was too long to spend alone. And deep down inside he wanted what Bryce had found. He just didn't know if he could handle it. Sometimes, immortality was too long.

Lost in contemplation, Bryce walked in line with Lance. Today their friendship took a decided turn. They'd come full circle and grown both together and apart. Lance had taken care of the ring when Bryce couldn't even bear the sight of it. And in doing so, Lance had watched his back. Kayla was going to be an important part of his life. But, so was Lance. Not really one for conversation. Lance played it cool, like he always did. When words failed, he never tried to find them. He just went with it.

When they reached the wide flat clearing where their home had once stood. Bryce stopped and stared at the splendor of it. Mother Nature didn't waste any time reclaiming what was hers. Thin spindly saplings sprung out of the ground. Tall and reedy grasses covered the charred ash beneath. They'd rebuilt. And time marched bravely forward as it always seemed to do. Birds flittered from branch to branch, chirping at them in annoyance for invading their space. "It seems like a lifetime ago."

"It was." Bryce and he had been in the city on patrol. They were too far away. And by the time they'd arrived to help, it was already too late. The buildings stood in ashes and ruins, burned to cinders. Bodies littered the ground like leaves downed by a hard storm. The brotherhood had lost so much that night. Lucien and dozens of others were gone in the blink of an eye. Standing here on this ground, in this place, Lance could almost feel their presence on the gentle breeze rustling the drying leaves still desperately clinging to the trees. They'd all come so far since that dark time in their history. Learned from their mistakes. Learned to live and to let go. To remember and never forget how short and precious life truly was. Even for an immortal, life was fleeting. And when you had a chance for happiness, you'd better take it while you could. "Lets go."

Chapter 53

The sun dipped low into a bank of clouds. Making them shimmer in shades of vibrant citrine, deep purple plum, and the intense indigo blue of evening. Keene's vigil was almost over. In a few more hours the Rogue Master would be laid to rest. He hadn't expected anyone to join him in guarding the body. But, his brothers had borne their duty and endured the garish light of day for a man they wouldn't mourn. Keene owed his maker this much. Roark had been many things, most of them pure evil. But, he had given Keene life.

Keene said nothing when the Great Father emerged from the woods and stood beside him to guard Roark's body. It was unexpected. But, when it came to this stoic man, Keene had learned to expect the unexpected. The Great Father had killed Roark. But, it wasn't done simply to end it. He'd done it as a kindness and in mercy when Roark had never shown one bit of it to anyone in his long life. Keene had no doubt that if it had been the Great Father bleeding out onto the ground, Roark would not have done the same for him. He would have let him suffer. Die terribly. "Where do you think his soul is now?" he asked.

"I don't know." The Great Father could all but guess at what awaited Roark on the other side. He hoped, whatever it was that Roark found the peace in death that had eluded him in life. The Rogue Master was a complex man. He had been an adversary of worth. Even now, the Great Father regretted how the end had come for Roark. He hadn't wanted to kill him. But, instead of begging for his life or accepting the second chance he had given him, Roark asked to die. And so, he had.

Keene was raised a Christian with a healthy dose of fear for the condemnation of hell. He whispered a soft prayer for Roark's soul. He didn't know if God heard him or if they were all damned by their very nature by the Almighty. He had no words of finery for his petition to the Heavenly Father, just a simple request. That Roark would find peace in the afterlife. Keene had spent his long life hating Roark. And now in the end, there was only bitter relief. His hate had no purpose. And tonight, at moonrise, when he watched the flames consume Roark's body, he'd watch his rage and his hate burn with it.

The sky gave way to the stars and darkness crept over the ground. The moon lazily began its trek across the heavens. Everything was quiet and still, as if the very earth held its breath in anticipation.

Kayla clasped hands tightly with Angel as they approached the brothers circling the pyre. Their former master lay still, lifeless beneath a shroud, at the pinnacle of a stack of logs and kindling. She was filled with an overpowering sense of relief that the man was dead. In a small way she felt guilty for those feelings. It wasn't appropriate to be glad someone was dead. But, at least now, she was certain that he'd never hurt her or anyone else ever again.

Even though she'd seen his body stretched out lifeless in the field, reality finally sank in to Angel's mind. Roark was never coming back. As evil as he had been even someone like him was subject to the laws of nature. He was gone, really gone forever. The pomp and ceremoniousness of the funeral struck a strange cord in her mind. How fitting it was that this was the first funeral she'd ever been to and one she would never forget.

Angel saw a stray tear drip down Kayla's cheek. She didn't understand the remorseful tears that Kayla fought to control. Angel had not one ounce of regret that Roark was dead. And didn't feel guilty about her thoughts in the least. Wherever the bastard ended up it had to be a far cry better than what they'd endured at his hands. Let Kayla cry the tears for the both of them. Angel couldn't find them and she didn't need them.

The Great Father called the assembly on the bluffs to order. He led the prayers to the goddess and to the ancestors. Fate had a way of spiraling and drawing in those who were unwittingly in its path. Roark had been the catalyst that sent fate spinning. In some way, he had affected every life on the bluffs. Altered destinies, the natural course of their lives were meant to take before he crossed their paths. The Great Father lowered the yellow-orange flames of the torch to the patches of dry kindling, setting them ablaze, setting Roark's soul free from its earthly bounds, wafting toward its final destination on billowing clouds of thick, white smoke.

When the last of the kindling was lit, he tossed the torch into the center of the pyre. The fire hissed as it burned through the layers of woven fabric and gnawed at the lifeless flesh. The flames eagerly consumed what remained of the empty vessel that had been Roark. The Great Father bowed, and led Roark's death song. It was a song of few words. But, of great meaning, because for everyone gathered here to bid Roark one final goodbye, the words meant something different to each of them.

Sebastian and stood in the background, watching the body of his former master burn to ash. He, for one, was glad Roark was dead. Finally, Roark had gotten exactly what he'd dealt out over so many centuries and to so many people, death. He advised his spouse to keep quiet and her head bowed out of respect for the religious beliefs of their hosts. The brotherhood's ways were not their ways. But, who was he to argue? Personally, he held little faith in an afterlife.

Living with these people and fitting in, after a seemingly eternity of lawlessness was going to be difficult. But, he had longed for a place to call home, a permanent one. A safe place for his wife free from worry. Living amongst humans, having to hide, change identities, and being constantly on the move, didn't offer many options for laying down roots. When the ceremony ended and the flames died down, he wrapped an arm around her narrow shoulders and said, "Let's go home."

"Home," Starr repeated liking the way the word rolled off her tongue. Leaning into Sebastian, she walked along the narrow, well-worn path to the compound. Sebastian saw the brotherhood as a permanent thing. She wasn't convinced. They'd safe harbor here. But, as for what might come next, she'd have to wait and see.

Angel stared. Entranced by the flames devouring the Rogue Master's body. Her mind was a kaleidoscope of emotions. The tears, both bitter and sweet, rolled down her cheeks. All the pain she'd ever felt. Every tear she couldn't cry burst free like a dam. She cried for her lost past and for her uncertain future. The tears were a release, an end of her pain. She inhaled the acrid smell of smoke. Burying it deep in her memory to call it forth if she ever doubted that Roark was truly dead. Casting one last long glance at the glowing orange tongues of heat and flame before she turned her back on it, on her past, and on him. She whispered a goodbye to the man who had been her torturer, her mentor, and her every nightmare.

Kayla kept tight hold on Angel. Locking her arms tightly around Angel's narrow waist and resting her head on the strong shoulder beneath her cheek. "You're my sister. Don't ever leave me," she whispered in a tremulous voice. Fearful that if she broke the embrace and let go Angel would disappear.

Roark's body was reduced to ash. The pieces of the once great master broke away as the flames consumed everything they tasted. Kayla followed the path of the thick smoke up into the lightening sky of dawn. The acrid woody scent permeated her skin, burrowing its way into her soul. She would never forget the past or the things that he'd done. But if she were going to be whole again, she had to let go and forgive. "Rest well," she said softly.

A gentle hand rested on Kayla's shoulder. Bryce. Yielding to the firmness of his grip, she let him ease her arms open. Lance was there, guiding Angel into his embrace. "I've got you," Lance said in a voice so gentle and filled with concern that Kayla had no doubt, he did.

Kayla sighed as Bryce held her tightly. The warmth of him chased away the last of the black thoughts from her mind. He offered her a comfort that she could find no place else. A solace and peace for her soul that she willingly and openly she accepted.

He had shitty timing. But, he wanted to give her something solid to hold on to. He wanted her to have the promise of forever and whatever might come with it. From the ashes new life began. It took root and flourished, and it became a thing of beauty. Gingerly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. Taking Kayla's hand in his, he slid the ring onto her finger. Searching her eyes, lost in their aquamarine blue, he saw everything he'd ever needed and hoped to find.

The ring sparkled in the dawn. But, it wasn't the dazzling play of light and color that drew her attention. Staring up into his eyes, lost in what she saw in them. He was all she'd ever needed. And he loved her. For everything she was, had ever been, flawed and imperfect, he accepted it all as a part of who she was. And he loved her despite it all. She'd seen her fair share of hell. It was time to let the past be the past and embrace the future, to walk out of the darkness and into the light.