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Part Three:
 

Rating: PG-13
 

"Well, well, cousin. Don't you have all the luck?"

A voice broke through the thick silence around them, and Ash pulled away from Arianna. He whirled around, pushing her
behind him. When he saw the tall blond boy standing nearby, his muscles relaxed minutely.

"What do you want, Zaid?" Ash said darkly. "I'm busy."

Zaid laughed. "Oh, I can see that." He strode towards them. "Who's that, Ash? Where'd you find her? She can't be from
around here. I know all the pretty girls, and I'd remember this one." He peered behind Ash at Arianna, who gave him a scathing
look.

"She looks feisty," Zaid commented. "Is she?"

"You have no idea," Arianna told him.

Zaid closed his eyes and smiled in appreciation. "What a voice. Like rich chocolate."

"What do you want, Zaid?" Ash asked again.

"Are you keepin' her?" Zaid inquired, ignoring Ash's question. "'Cause if you aren't…"

"You can't have her." Ash was glowering at the other boy, who was clearly older. "Besides-"

"Besides nothing," Arianna cut in. "No one's 'keeping' me. I am not a thing. People don't keep me. I don't know what cave you
grew up in, but where I come from, people don't keep other people."

"She's a witch," Ash said.

"Oh," Zaid said, somewhat apologetically. Not enough, though, for Arianna's liking. "I thought she was vermin."

"She's not." Ash's voice was clipped.

Zaid shrugged one shoulder. "Sorry." He didn't look it, though.

Ash glared at him with a look that plainly said, "Get out." Zaid pretended not to notice.

"So, where are you from?" he asked Arianna.

"New York," she answered, deciding to play the smart-ass.

Zaid rolled his eyes. "I know that," he said. "Where in New York?"

"In a city."

"Look, girl. If you knew me, you wouldn't be-"

"But I don't know you, do I?" she asked calmly. "So, it doesn't matter, now, does it?"

Zaid stared at her for a moment, and then burst out laughing. He slapped Ash on the back. "Oh, you'd better hold on to her,
Ash," he said. "If you let her get away, I'm goin' after her. I'll see you later." Chuckling, he walked away, leaving Ash seething
and Arianna puzzled.

"Ash?" she asked.

He softened at just hearing her say his name.  "What?"

"What did he mean when he said he thought I was vermin?"

"Oh, that." Ash contemplated how to explain without making her mad. "It's a word Night Worlders have for humans, because
they're lower than we are. On the food chain and all that."

"Lower?" she repeated. "Because they're lower? That's disgusting! Is that how people in the Night World think? 'Cause if it is, I
have no intention of becoming part of it."

"Well, only some people think that," he told her.

Arianna narrowed her eyes at him. "Is that how you think?" she asked.

Ash felt as if she were stripping away all his protective layers in that one glance, and baring his soul. He didn't like it.

"Don't answer that," she said quietly. "I don't want to hear you say it." She sighed. "Now what?"

"Let's go to my aunt's house," Ash suggested.  "I still need Zaid to give us a ride to your place."

"Zaid's the one you're going to ask to give us a ride?" Arianna was more than a little shocked. If she had known that she would
have tried to be a little nicer to him.

"Yeah, but don't worry about it," Ash assured her. "He liked you. He's gonna give us that ride."

They began walking again, when Ash stopped and took her arm. "One more thing…"

"What?"

"I want to finish what we started." He gave her a wolfish grin before slipping his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around him and smiled, and Ash was sure that he had never seen anyone more beautiful in his life.

Leaning toward her, Ash gave thanks to the higher powers that saved this girl's life.

Ash flashed his most charming smile. "Aunt Sterling, this is my friend Arianna. She was in a car accident, and the world is soon
going to think she's dead. She's a witch and she's taking this opportunity to join the Night World. She's going to need a place to
stay, so, I was wondering, do you think-"

"She's staying here," Sterling Redfern said firmly. "I know that's what you were getting at, but you should know you shouldn't
even have to ask. I don't need to hear the whole story, but I just know one thing: there is no way on this earth that I am going to
send a young girl who has just learned of her heritage into the Night World alone. She stays here."

"Thank you so much," Arianna said. "I can't tell me what this means to me."

"You seem like a lovely young woman," Ash's aunt told her. "I doubt you'll cause any problems. Unlike my son, or Ash here…"
She winked. Zaid rolled his eyes from where he lounged on the sofa.

"Thanks, Aunt Sterling," Ash said. Turning to his cousin, his manner changed. "Start the car," he told Zaid. "You need to drive
us to the Bronx."

"What are you smoking?" Zaid snorted. "Do you know how far that is?"

"No, and I can't really say I care," Ash said mildly. "Arianna needs to get to her house before the police get there."

"Anything for a pretty lady." Zaid grinned at Arianna as he stood up in one fluid, lazy motion. She smiled at him. He seemed like
her definition of a jerk, but then again, so had Mark. She knew that was just the outer appearance, putting up a front to look
cool in front of the guys. Mark had been like that. She fought back tears as she followed the two blond boys to the garage
door. Ash gave her a concerned look, and put his arm around her, pulling her aside.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly.

Arianna shook her head. "It's nothing." She took a deep breath. "I'm just thinking about Mark."

"He was your boyfriend?" Ash instantly felt jealous of this human who'd been keeper of Arianna's heart.

"Yeah." She gave a small smile. "I loved him."

Ash's jaw tightened. "This must be hard for very you, then."

"You have no idea," she whispered, looking down. Then she raised her head again and her voice gained strength. "But that's
over. There's no use crying, because there's nothing I can do about it. A witch has no possessions. He's gone, but I was given a
chance to keep on living. There must have been a reason for that, so I'm not going to waste my time dwelling on the past." She
sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than Ash. When she looked at him, he saw a determined gleam in her
eyes. "Let's go."

Ash wondered what it was like to love someone that much. He'd been involved with lots of girls, but he'd never even come
close to falling in love. As a matter of fact, he didn't want to. He considered it a weakness he couldn't afford to deal with.

"What's it like?" he asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Being in love. What's it like?"

She smiled sadly. "Wonderful. Exciting. That's if they love you back. If not, it's a living hell. I've experienced both. I only had
four months with him. But we were friends for a lifetime." She took his hand. "Don't worry about me, Ash. I've been through a
lot. I've dealt with and seen things that some people don't even want to believe in. There were times when I didn't even believe
them, and I thought I was just out of my mind. Seeing you convinced me of my sanity, and I don't plan on losing that when I've
just lost everything else. I'll be fine."

Ash smiled at her, and nodded. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm sure you do, and that's what counts."

She laughed and pulled at his arm. "You're … you're … indescribable! So unlike anyone I've ever met, that I don't even know
what you are. But I'm sure that somewhere along the way I'll figure it out."

"Was that a compliment?" he asked. "The 'indescribable' thing."

She shrugged. "I guess so." A car horn interrupted them, along with a telepathic shout from Zaid.

Come on, people! I can't see you, but I can guess what you're doing. Can't you wait until you're in the car? Man, kids
today…Besides, you're the ones that need the ride.

Oh, like you were an such an angel when you were my age, Ash retorted. He grabbed Arianna around the waist and pulled
her out the door and to the car. He opened the back door, and before getting in, he yanked her to him, reeling her in for a
mind-spinning kiss. Dimly she heard Zaid whistling, but it didn't bother her. She'd gotten used to it from her friends. Her friends, the ones she would never see again.

Goddess, she thought, I know you must be watching over me. You saved me from dying today, and there must be a hugely
important reason for that, since the price was my best friends. Not to mention that you dropped an incredibly cute vampire in
my lap, who kisses like a dream. Arianna was breathless when Ash pulled away. He gave her a disarming smile, before bowing
and gesturing to the car.

"Your chariot awaits, my dear," he said gallantly. Arianna rolled her eyes and poked him in the side. She had a habit of poking
boys. They never seemed to mind, just so long as she was touching them. She stepped into the car - a black Honda - and Ash
got in after her.

"Where to, gorgeous?" Zaid asked, casting a glance into the backseat.

"The Bronx," Ash told him.

"Not you, asshole." Zaid shook his head.

Ash stared at him in mock-horror. "Such language, cousin," he said. "And with a lady among us, as well."

"Oh, I'm sure it doesn't bother her," Zaid said, pulling out of the driveway and onto the road. "She's a bad little girl. I can tell."

Arianna feigned being offended. "I'm a good girl," she protested. Then she added: "Sometimes."

"I knew it," Zaid shook his head again. "Like I said before, hold on to her, Ash, or you'll be answering to me."

"Oh, I'm shaking," Ash said dryly.

Zaid popped a cassette into the tape deck. "I don't want to hear you," he told them. "Talk in your heads. Unless…"

Arianna saw him look at her in the rearview mirror, and a moment later heard his voice in her head. Unless you want to
whisper sweet nothings in my ear…

She raised an eyebrow. "Don't hold your breath."

He shrugged. "Just a suggestion."

"What was just a suggestion?" Ash asked.

"Nothing," she told him.

"Oh, come now," Zaid admonished her. "It was more than that." He was silent, and Arianna knew he was telling Ash
something. Her suspicions were confirmed when Ash's eyes blazed yellow, and his fingers curled into fists.

"You bastard," he whispered.

Alarmed, Arianna laid a hand on his arm. "Whatever he's told you, it's not what he told me, otherwise my reaction would have
been the same as yours. So calm down." Ash leaned back in the seat, but he was still tense. He draped an arm around her
shoulders and pulled her close to him.  He seemed thoughtful for a second, and then she heard his voice in her head. It always
seemed to have more of him in it somehow - more of his essence.

Tell me about Mark.

Mark? she asked.  What do you want to know?

Everything.

Well, um… Arianna thought for a second. I'd known him since kindergarten. He was in the same class as I was every
year. No one else had that kind of record. I always had an on and off crush on him, even in elementary school, but in
seventh grade I fell in love. I thought he felt the same way, but I was scared I was wrong. It turns out he'd been in love
with me since fifth grade. We finally got together a few months before the end of eighth grade. We were all lucky. My
friends, that is. Andrew and Denise - they were in love, too. I went out with Andrew for two months last year. And
William - I also went out with him, but only for a month - he loved Vicky. She was my best friend. She'd loved him for
four years. Jenna - well, Jenna was always madly in love with someone new, so, there was no telling with her. Up until
today it was Mike. He was driving. They were actually together for a while. We were all surprised.

It sounds like you all loved each other, Ash commented.

She sighed, and relaxed against him. We did.

Stroking her hair, Ash wondered if he would ever experience that sort of love. He hoped not. It seemed painful.