Chapter XI: Walking through Hell

Their fellow Awakened were just starting to gather when Sparky and Midnight arrived.  The Hierarch himself met them, pulling them back to his office along with the Councillors and Jackpot.  Despite having eight people in the room, Bronze Luck had plenty of space.  He offered her one of the seats, but Sparky remained standing.

"We found one of their hideouts," she declared.

"You were performing your own investigation without notifying your superiors?" Marble asked.  She was looking at Midnight.

"I apologise.  There was very little time, and we didn't have the opportunity to alert anyone.  Sparky and I had to act when and how we did, or we would not have been able to recover this information."

"What did you find?" the Hierarch asked.

Sparky slid the mobile from her pocket, unlocking it and showing him the map.  "I confiscated this from one of the local Vigilantes.  This motel was in her history, and she was very cagey about why she had been there.  If the Witch Hunters aren't there now, they were recently."

"Who was your informant?" Flawless Sword enquired.  "How did you find her?"

Sparky explained how she had used Perfect Recall to find the link in the rental records.  "Remember that reference to 'local agents' our Uratha allies heard?  There have been at least a few Vigilantes in the city for years.  That's how they knew so much about us.  The Vigilante known as Sweetie Drops wasn't directly involved with the others.  I believe she didn't know what they were planning when they asked for the information.  I know it was inappropriate, but I have offered her a guarantee that no harm would come to her or her roommate if they gave me this information."

Solar Helm pursed her lips and crossed her arms.  "You expect us to trust this intelligence with only your word?"

"If you don't trust me, can you trust Midnight?"

The Hierarch nodded.  "I trust you both, though it is risky to move forward without vetting the information.  Councillors, your thoughts?"

Dark Ace spoke first.  "I'll readily admit that I'm biased, so of course I believe Midnight.  That said, Sparky has been an upstanding member of this Consilium since she joined, so I say we go."

"Sparky may not be a First Talon, but she is a skilled Arrow," Flawless Sword added.  "I say that we investigate this hotel while also being prepared for battle."

Marble threw her support behind Midnight's word, leaving Solar Helm as the only dissenter.

"Jackpot, your thoughts?"

"With all due respect to both, I'm not sure.  This feels like a trap."

"It could be," Flawless Sword replied.  "But knowing there's a trap is the first step in evading it."  He winked at Sparky.  "I believe it's worth taking the risk."

She wanted to ask how he knew she would recognise the line, but it was not the time.

"We should call the Uratha to assist.  If we go while it's still night, the Kindred can also participate."

"If they get word that we know, they will either relocate or seek to attack us again.  Sparky, how do you know your informants won't alert them?"

"I left them sleeping."

Jackpot sighed, the bit of hopeful enthusiasm in his face gone.  "I understand that you didn't want to move them or expose their identities to the Awakened community, but you have to understand that a Vigilante could arrive at any minute and find them like that.  That jeopardises all of this."

"I know I made a mistake.  However, I do have additional information:  The Witch Hunters are vulnerable to area-of-effect magick.  We just can't target them directly."

Flawless Sword grinned like a child meeting Father Christmas.  "Hierarch, I say we attack while we can.  We may not get another chance like this.  There's a good possibility that we'll suffer losses, but leaving them to entrench themselves will be far more dangerous in the long term."

"I stand with Flawless Sword," Marble said.

"Same here."

"My objection is unchanged."

"As painful as it will be, I agree with Flawless Sword.  If we have a chance to take them by surprise, we have to take it.  Let's put an end to this."

Bronze Luck nodded.  "Very well.  Flawless Sword, assemble a strike force.  Take any members of the other Orders you will need.  If they are present, we will move to overwhelm them.  Ace, contact the Uratha and tell them where to meet our forces.  Jackpot, we will need to alert the Kindred."

"I'm taking every First Talon and most of the rest of the Order.  Fellow Councillors, I would be honoured to enjoy your support."  They all agreed immediately.  Solar Helm may not have approved, but she clearly had no intention to miss a chance for glory.  If Sparky was wrong, she would take the blame, so the other woman had nothing to lose.  "Midnight, we could use your help.  Even if we can't target them, you can ward our own."

Sparky interjected, "I want to go."

"Banner Wardens need to protect their cabals."

"Will all due respect, I know that I was only given that position to protect Midnight.  I might not be able to move well, but I can still be of use."

Flawless Sword regarded her for a moment, then nodded.  "Very well.  You are to protect Midnight Radiance at any cost.  Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

The Hierarch would remain with a few Arrows and the rest of the Consilium members in the event of a counter strike.  Even if the Witch Hunters were present, they would likely not be so foolish as to leave their whole army assembled in one location.  One attack was certain to trigger another, especially if the information was a trap.  If their enemies were trying to draw the militant Awakened from protecting the others, Bronze Luck would call them back to the Great Hall.

Once Flawless Sword claimed the personnel he would need to level the Witch Hunters and probably the motel - though the Consilium would ensure the owner's insurance would pay for it - they returned to the Great Hall.  He stood atop the dais, clearly articulating his orders across the room.

"All First Talons are to report to the front.  All Talons except those listed are to report to the front.  All additional names listed are to report to the front.  The rest are to remain here and protect this sanctum in the event of enemy attack."

He listed the exempted Talons, followed by the non-Arrows he wanted for the battle.  Only three of the battle group were absent, none of them members of the Adamantine Arrow.

"We move out in five minutes."

Sparky used that time to speak with her friends.  "I'm going to help protect Midnight.  Please don't leave until you get an all-clear."

Orchid and the others hugged her.  "Please don't get hurt."

Link sulked in the back.  "I want to fight them, too."

"You have two little girls," Sparky replied.  "If they come here, you'll need to keep your wife safe."

"I know.  I just don't like feeling useless."

Both Sparky and Orchid embraced him, the latter saying, "I've never thought that about you.  None of us have.  Please don't think like that."

When he nodded, they released him.

"What if the Witch Hunters attack here while you're gone?" Star Dust asked.  "What if this is a trap?"

"If that happens, you guys will have Forces barriers to hold them back.  There are plenty of Mages here.  You'll be able to use Forces, Matter, Death, Fate, and anything else you have to fight them.  The Hierarch will call us back, and we'll use Space to get here instantly.  It'll be dangerous, but I know you can protect yourselves."

"If it comes to that, we'll do what we have to do," Orchid said.  "I don't want to use my magick to hurt others, but I won't let them hurt my friends."

"I'm going to be hoping it doesn't come to that," Sparky promised.  At Flawless Sword's whistle, she said, "I'll see you all later."

"To victory," Wild Tart said pumping a fist into the air.  The rest of the cabal echoed her, though the worry in their eyes made clear their concern that Sparky and Midnight would not return.

She took her place next to Midnight in a plain van that would be near the end of a convoy.  The teen was working her magick as Sparky had never seen, placing group wards and protections that would help in the event of resistance.  The Hierarch had issued her tass to replenish her Mana for the battle.  If the enemy fought them, Midnight could use spells to cause gun jams, slippery footing, and other random Fate effects to keep them disoriented and ineffective.  She was not the only Witch in the group, but she was the most powerful.

All nineteen Arrows were armed, carrying weapons they could use with or in place of combat magick.  Using vulgar magick in front of Sleepers would cause Paradox, so mundane weapons had a place together with subtle spells.  Unlike the Banishers, they were unwilling to cause Paradox intentionally and release it into the wild.

There were eight support personnel joining the battle group.  The First Arrows distributed guns to them, though Midnight refused one for the time being.

They checked a map and found the motel was on the outskirts of the city, one of the last stops before the open land of the wider county.  The location afforded open ground, with only a petrol station and a McDonald's near it.  A two-lane county road passed through the area and continued to a small town.

They stopped out of sight of the target to meet their allies.  Lightning Rider himself was commanding an army of Uratha numbering almost forty.  They were gathered at the side of the road, all still in human form, as though they had walked all that way.  Sparky saw Clash off to one side with his pack.

The Mages left their vans to listen as their leaders formed a plan of attack.  Flawless Sword and Marble were in the command vehicle with three First Arrows.  Ace and Solar Helm were in the third van to minimise the risk of all four Councillors getting killed.

"Thank you for coming," Flawless Sword said as he saluted the Uratha.

"This is our city, too.  We're ready to do our part.  Are we waiting for the Kindred?"

"Bronze Luck and Jackpot said they would inform Night Star."  Flawless Sword's mobile rang.  He answered and listened for a moment before grinning.  "They'll be here in two minutes."

Headlights appeared on the street behind them.  Another convoy of vehicles joined theirs, but most were trucks and SUV's instead of vans.  Night Star sat in the passenger's seat of the lead truck.  She waved as they pulled to stop by the Mages' vans.

"I was starting to think you would hold the party without us."  She hopped to the street to join the discussion.  "I have twenty-four Kindred.  Where do you want us?"

"There are three buildings and an open field out there.  If they're still present, expect they'll be taking advantage of the cover the buildings provide to watch the approach.  Given the time of night, we don't expect many civilians, but we still need to do our best to avoid hurting them.

"We've seen that they know how to fight Uratha, so there's a good chance they'll know a few Kindred weaknesses.  That said, I don't think they're expecting you to be helping us.  I'll take the Awakened first and flush them out.  We'll go forward in three prongs:  Kindred from the east, Uratha from the southeast.  We Awakened will stick to the road to draw their attention.

"We have two hours until sunrise.  Get your forces into position and try not to alert them.  Once we've triggered their attack, use your discretion as to where and how to join the battle.  There's no knowing how many could be here, but we expect up to fifty."

"If they're holed up in the motel, we can sweep it and eliminate them," Lightning Rider said.  "The Awakened should take the petrol station.  That places the Kindred in the fast food restaurant.  If any Witch Hunters are in the fields, try to clear them first."

"Sounds like a plan.  Let me know when you're in position."

"If you need to destroy the petrol station, warn us first," Night Star said.  "We need to avoid fire."

"We all do.  If there are no civilians present, we'll blow it before you're on the scene."

They all nodded before departing.  The Uratha slipped across the Gauntlet to use the Shadow, while the Kindred returned to their vehicles and went off-road.  It only took fifteen minutes for both of their allies to get into position.

The lead vehicle reported that all three buildings were devoid of life, even when viewed with magick.  That meant very little given what their enemies could do, but at least it meant there were no civilians present.  Two vans broke from the convey to approach the petrol station with a goal of destroying it preemptively.

They were just pulling into the station when several explosions rocked them.  If not for powerful Forces barriers, both vehicles would have been destroyed together with their occupants.  A call of "grenades" went through the radios as the vans attempted to retreat.

What looked like rockets hit the ground behind them, trapping the vans.  Several more hit the fuel pumps and blew most of the station.  The first explosion opened the large underground tanks, which combusted when the flames reached them.

Despite the smoke, they could see a crater and the remains of the vans.  Most of the Awakened had tried to flee, only to be caught in the final blast radius.  Three of the eight had been able to share a teleport to Sparky's van.

The smoke trails of the rockets originated from the motel.  They did not have time to do much with the knowledge before bullets struck the remaining four vehicles.  The Witch Hunters had concealed nests with machine guns spread across the field.

"We underestimated.  There are at least one hundred of them out there," one of the Arrows called into a wireless transceiver.  "Our barriers won't hold forever."

"Operation Oxidation," Flawless Sword replied.  "Sixty seconds."

An Arrow turned to Sparky.  "We're about to release poison gas.  You know Forces.  Direct it across the field and keep it concentrated."

She nodded and began preparing her spell.  The Witch Hunters were invisible, but she could trace their bullets to find them.  As soon as the gas released, she wrapped a cloud of it behind a barrier of charged air that contained the gas without stopping bullets.

Once she was ready, she allowed her senses to fade, the cloud she controlled becoming her external input.  Countless bullets went through it, striking their barriers.  Minute differences in speed that only her magick could detect indicated where the closest enemy locations were.  She selected a target after first ensuring none of her fellow Mages would take it, then guided the cloud into a Hunter nest and spread it within the small enclosure.  Several guns went silent as they heard men and women choke on whatever toxic substance the Arrows had acquired.

With so many targets fixed in her mind, she brought her attention back to the van.  Her allies' magick was easy to track, so it no longer needed her full attention.

'Good going, Sunny,' her other self praised.  'You have plenty of Mana left.  Go get 'em.'

"What is this stuff?" she asked as she directed her cloud to another location.

"A nerve gas of some kind.  Got it from the Caucus.  Pretty much guaranteed to kill."  The response was grim, his mouth turned into a scowl.  "It won't take them all out, but it's taking off the pressure."

"They're putting on masques.  Operation Tossed Coin," Flawless Sword ordered.

Sparky abandoned her hold on the gas.  She knew what the next one was and turned to Midnight.  "Do you need me to help you target them?"

"If you don't mind."

She opened a mental link to Midnight and shared what locations she knew still held entrenched Witch Hunters.  With Sparky's assistance to target, Midnight started tossing powerful Fate spells like cheap Hallowe'en candy.  Most of her spells were rotes; they saved Mana and time, but Sparky did not know many of them.  The only one she recognised was Exceptional Luck, but it had been inverted to hex they enemies.  Before long, they could hear guns jamming and Hunters cursing.  The magick brought about a partial lull in the battle.

"Move out," someone called.

The other Arrows opened the van doors.  A few Witch Hunters carrying handguns had tried to close on them.  Sparky's comrades pulled their own, allowing Midnight's magick to help their aim as they opened fire before the Vigilantes could react.  The Mages targeted weak points, hitting heads and limbs.  Those Hunters not killed immediately were given no mercy; as Sparky's battlegroup sprinted to an empty machine gun emplacement, they paused to finish those Hunters they passed.  Sparky took Midnight's hand and teleported them into the nest.  Two of the Arrows commandeered the gun while Midnight recharged herself from the tass.

Their evacuation went smoothly, but they had also been at the rear.  Toward the front, they heard much more gunfire and witnessed three Mages fall.

"Any word from our allies?" Sparky asked.

"No, but we're basically on our own right now anyway.  We'll know when they break through on their own fronts.  See if you can identify any Hunters."

Sparky cast her Mage Sight across the area.  Her Gnosis allowed her to reach almost to the motel and fully encompassed the restaurant, where she felt more bullets and the presence of the Kindred.  She noticed a few rock-sized objects flying toward her, but she knocked them back to their point of origin.  Shrapnel flew through the sky accompanied with screams of agony, proof that they had hit their mark.  Sparky could only guess they were grenades; she shuddered at the thought of what could have happened if she had failed to notice them.

She continued to use her senses to sweep the field.  Off in the distance, something large moved.  It was not shooting yet, but it created greater air disturbance than anything else she had yet felt.

"I feel something large moving at three o'clock," she warned.  "The shape is like a mortar, but I'm not sure."

They turned the gun that direction and loosed countless bullets, marking out a swath like they were spraying an aerosol canister against mosquitoes.  Whether they succeeded was impossible to say as they were distracted when the McDonald's burst into flames and the Motel 6 exploded.  Neither had been hit by explosives; both seemed to have been trapped.

Uratha and Kindred screams filled the air.  A few Witch Hunters cheered, but it was short-lived.  With no reason to move slowly remaining, a small swarm of bats and dust clouds descended on those who had revealed their positions by sound, which then transformed into angry Kindred.

Sparky had never witnessed Kindred allowing what they called the "Beast that Haunts the Blood" to overtake them.  They did not become hulking monstrosities as the Uratha did, but they did possess claws and fangs.  They did not bother to sink those fangs into necks, instead tearing their enemies to shreds before seizing their encampments.  Unlike Mages, a Vampire's corpse-like flesh was not particularly susceptible to bullets.  The few Witch Hunters not slaughtered immediately lacked the weapons to combat their latest opponents and fell to the last.

The surviving Uratha were next into the field.  Each one had fully adopted Garau form, which did not make them immune to harm but did enhance their ability to resist it.  They tore into their side of the battle zone while the Hunters were distracted.  Sparky recognised the two in front:  Lightning Rider and Clash.  They released a chilling predator's howl that every Werewolf following them echoed as they tore Vigilantes to pieces.

Within minutes, a few of the Vigilantes were already trying to flee.  Sparky brought her magick to bear once again as she put them to sleep.  Midnight gave her some tass, which Sparky used to continue wielding her attack of somnolence.

The few Hunters alive and alert surrendered or killed themselves.  The survivors of the three supernatural armies released a general cheer once they were certain the battle was finished.

Accounting for their losses was quick.  Twenty-two of the thirty-one Mages remained.  Eight Uratha were dead, five more seriously injured, and they lost four Kindred.  The twelve captives that had not been put to sleep were, allowing the Mages to extract any forms of suicide from their twenty-two prisoners of war.

As Flawless Sword announced Marble's death, Midnight flinched before regaining the stoic countenance she had kept throughout the battle.  Sparky offered a sympathetic shoulder pat.  Ace and Clash had survived, at least; Sparky was unsure Midnight could have retained her self-control if she lost one of her brothers.

Ace and two others skilled with the Life Arcanum began healing the Awakened wounded, while the Uratha tended to their allies using their own magick.  The Kindred needed the blood of the living, which their injured took from the captives under the watchful eyes of their peers to ensure no one accidentally killed a potential source of information.

Sparky only knew one of the Kindred well, but Night Star was not visible anywhere in the field.  With Midnight following, Sparky began checking the vans and machine gun nests for the wayward Prince.  None of the other Kindred showed any sign of having lost their leader, which meant little considering Vampires were not known for having strong emotions.

When one of the Kindred broke from her group to stroll the field, Sparky approached her.

"Where's Night Star?  Is she...?"

"The Prince is over there," she replied, pointing toward the remains of the restaurant.  "She took the brunt of that fire bomb to protect us, but it didn't quite send her to the Second Death."

Midnight followed as Sparky hurried toward the husk of a building.  The damage was reminiscent of the original Hunter attacks, except for the use of bombs.  She found Night Star resting on the remains of a counter in the kitchen, who raised her head at the sound of footsteps and smiled to her visitors.

"Sparky, just the person I wanted to see."

Night Star was covered in deep burns.  Her body was blackened almost like an overcooked hot dog.  What remained of her clothes were scorched rags.  She should have been in agony, but the Kindred were famous for their near-immunity to pain.

"Are going to be okay?  Do you need any help?"

"I'll recover over time, but blood would speed the process."

"We can bring you some of the Witch Hunters."

"My blood is too potent for me to get any power from them.  I need magickal blood."  Night Star's gaze moved to Sparky's neck.  A small smile turned the corners of her mouth as her eyes took a predatory cast.  "I would like yours, if you'll share it."

Midnight placed an arm in front of Sparky.  "Aren't you at risk of Frenzy?  What if you take too much?"

"It's possible, but I have far greater self-control than you seem to realise.  Besides, you have the power to stop me if that happens, Midnight.  I can't risk feeding from my Kindred without finding myself in a blood bond."

"She nearly sacrificed herself for her people," Sparky said before Midnight could raise further objections.  "I respect that.  I'll do it."

She approached the counter and allowed Night Star to grasp her body.  The Vampire Prince pulled herself upright and leant against Sparky.  She felt lips at her neck and a brief pinch as fangs broke the skin.

The act of drinking blood was said to be euphoric for both parties.  Sparky would have called that an understatement had she still been capable of processing thought.  The sensations flooding her mind - euphoria, bliss, ecstasy - were a high better than anything she had ever imagined.  She did not have the experience with drugs that Lemon Zest did, but she knew that nothing could compare.  Even the little bits Sweetie Belle had shared about the feeling of joining with her husband had to be nothing but pale mockeries.

It ended too quickly.  Night Star pulled her fangs from the artery and licked Sparky's neck to close the wounds.  The intoxication ended quickly, but she was still lightheaded and woozy.  The symptoms were likely not only caused by the rapid, large blood loss.  Sparky would have gladly offered her life to enjoy Night Star's embrace again.

She shivered, also not merely an effect of the blood loss.

"I told you I'd make you a woman," Night Star said with a lascivious grin before licking her lips.  Her body was already healing, nearly recovered to how she normally looked.  "I hate to feed and run, but I need to get home before the sun finishes what the Vigilantes couldn't.  Midnight, will you be able to support her?"

"Of course."

Night Star wove her magick and created a robe of shadows much like what Sparky's Exarchal master used.  She hopped to her feet and hugged both women.

"I owe you, Sparky."

With a wink, she was gone.  Midnight offered her shoulders to escort Sparky back to the field.  Sparky saw a few of the Kindred smirk knowingly at her when they noticed her woozy gait.

Flawless Sword was overseeing the beginnings of cleaning the field.  When they approached him, he asked for a report.

Midnight had to speak for both, though Sparky was at least able to summarise her own actions during the battle. After that, Midnight continued, "Night Star was badly injured during the battle.  Sparky offered her own blood to get her back onto her feet.  I was concerned about the risk of Frenzy, but Night Star didn't hurt her."

"I'm just feeling really lightheaded right now, Sir."

"I'm glad you were able to help.  You'll probably both need to help interrogate the captives later, but we'll be holding them for now.  Sparky, go rest up for a while."

Several hours passed in a flurry of activity.  Flawless Sword reported their victory to the Hierarch, but he refused an offer to send others to help them in the cleanup.  There was a risk of more Witch Hunters or other hostiles - such as the Banishers - surprising them.

The first order of business was collecting their prisoners for transport.  When they found there were too many captives to carry in the vans, they arranged to borrow two trucks from the Kindred.  A simple illusion would hide the pile of unconscious bodies from Mortal authorities.

They cremated the enemy corpses, using magick to accelerate the process.  Simple Forces barriers allowed air to feed the fire while containing the smoke and stench.  The final count revealed they had overcome an army of one hundred-seven Witch Hunters.

The Arrows kept what weapons they could, though some had to be reduced in size.  Those that were not worth the effort were destroyed along with the ruined vans.  Matter allowed them to dissolve all traces of armaments.

Sparky remained in one of the vans throughout most of the activity.  When Ace briefly joined her to load confiscated guns, she asked, "Why haven't the police come out?  Hell, forget the police; where's the military?"

"We're covering up most of it.  This is going to go down as a domestic terror attack like the others.  Once we're sure we've got them all, the captives are going to have their memories modified before we give them to the Mortal authorities."

"So they're going down as a crazed militia that attacked our city for ... the 'lulz'?"

He laughed.  "Pretty much.  They won't remember anything to do with us; we'll just plant some crackpot motive in their heads.  Cleaning up won't be easy, but I'm sure the Cauci will handle most of it."

"So unless we missed some Hunters, all we have left are the Banishers?  This seems way too easy."

"I don't think they expected we'd all be working together.  Wherever they got their intel, they either didn't know about the Concord or assumed it wouldn't hold up."  Ace gave her a pat on the back.  "Don't count your chickens quite yet; the Banishers actually have magick to use against us."

When their talk was done, he went back to work.  It was not much longer before the field was cleared and they could depart.

The drive back to the Great Hall was a bizarre mix of sombre and celebratory.  The Banishers were still a threat, but they were a much smaller group.  The only reason the Consilium had not bothered to look for them yet was due to the urgency of the much larger army of Witch Hunters.

Sparky and Midnight once again rode together.  Except for their driver, they were the only ones in the van.  Sparky's injured leg throbbed, necessitating that she stretch it across an entire seat.  Midnight sat behind her, her body limp like a rag doll.  She had not even bothered with a seatbelt.

"What's wrong?" Sparky asked.

Midnight voice was dull, almost lifeless, as she replied, "I don't like being involved with death."  She shook her head, a scowl taking her face.  "This is the third time I've had to help with killing, but it's the first time someone I knew died because of violence."

"Thinking about Marble?"

"Before the Witch Hunters came, she did a reading for her future.  Marble had over a decade left, and she was making plans to groom her successor.  She was going to retire in six years and then spend what time she had left enjoying her 'golden years' while someone else handled the stress of being an Epopt."  A few tears gathered in the corners of Midnight's eyes and slid down her cheeks.  "This was all so stupid!"

Sparky wanted to say something to cheer up her friend, but words failed her.  She did not want to parrot platitudes and empty catchphrases from motivational posters.  She settled for pulling herself up into her seat and reaching back to seize one of Midnight's hand.

Midnight lunged off her seat to hug Sparky tightly, crying into her shoulder.  Sparky rubbed the teen's back until she calmed.  They continued to hold one another for another minute.  Midnight finally sat back, wiping her eyes and cheeks on her sleeves.

"It's only been a week, but look at me.  I'm a wreck.  People around the world deal with stuff like this every day, but they don't lose it this easily."

"Midnight, you're a human girl who's grown up in a peaceful area.  No one would expect you to shrug off what's happened to us."

"You have."  She held up a hand as Sparky opened her mouth to reply.  "I've been living with you, Sparky.  You've been tense, but you've kept a more levelled head than anyone else.  A little anger, some grief, a dash of guilt ... but that's it.  I'd say that I'm worried you'll explode, but you're not that type.  Whatever it is that lets you control yourself so well, I'm glad you have it.  If it weren't for your stability, I don't know if I could have handled this."

"I'd like to say that I'm not as strong as you think I am, but I know you won't believe that."

Midnight graced her with a tiny smile.  "I'm glad you're my friend."

"Same here."  Sparky saw they were only a few blocks from their destination.  She took one of Midnight's hands again.  "Let's do what we can to put this behind us for now and look forward to seeing our friends."

As they approached the Great Hall, the driver began swearing.  Sparky and Midnight looked through the front windshield to see the entirety of the Great Hall and the surrounding area was gone.  It was as if someone had lifted the building from the ground and then shoved its two neighbours together so that there had never been anything between them.

"Those bloody Witch Hunters were a nothing but a goddamn distraction," the driver said.  "We played right into their hands."

They could all feel twisted magick, a complete antithesis of anything Supernal, permeating the place that had once been the centre of their Awakened lives.  The Great Hall had become an Aberrance - an Iris to the Abyss.  Anyone within it when reality broke would have been lost to that anti-Realm.  Sparky was numb, not yet capable of processing anything beyond a single thought:  If her friends had not escaped, death would have been a mercy.

End Part II