Note: Nick, Natalie, Alyce, LaCroix, Katherine Barrington, Madeline, Aristotle, Divia, and Tracy are all from "Forever Knight" which is owned by Sony Tri-Star. Xena, Gabrielle, Eve, Solen, and Hope are from Xena Warrior Princess which is owned by StudiosUSA and created by Rob Tapert and John Schulian. All other characters are fictitious and are of my own creation. Any reference to a real person is coincidental.

Preface [Queen's Hut, Amazon Village 82 AD]

Gabrielle, Bard Queen of the Amazons, writes....

It seemed my revival was not the last.  Several others followed me for good and ill.  These events weighed heavily in the new life that Xena and I were trying to create with our new friends. 

Chapter 1

A frigid wind howled across the northern coast of Greece. Stan Meissner, a preeminent archaeologist, shivered his way out of the shelter, and made his way through the mists. He inhaled deeply and surveyed his surroundings. Then, he removed a yellowed piece of parchment from his knapsack.

"You're around here somewhere, Lady! I can feel it!" he muttered.

For two years, Meissner had searched for Hope, the supposed half-human daughter of Dahak, the Dark One. During this time, he had made several trips between Tucson and various archives in Greece and Italy, but had come up empty. Then, by a stroke of luck, an attack by another ancient threat, Alti the Shamaness, had alerted the museum directors to the possibility of other archaeological finds. Accordingly, those officials had sponsored a special grant for him to return for one last attempt to find his quarry. Now, on the outskirts of what had been Potadeia, he felt that they were close. Only another two miles or so.... he told himself.

****************************

Three hours passed as Meissner and his crew of graduate assistants slowly hiked their way north of the town site. Finally, on a particularly steep hill, they found a cave sealed with a large boulder.

"Ah ha! This must be it!" he exclaimed. "Can somebody please get me some dynamite?"

Michelle Arnold, a lanky blonde-haired PhD student, handed him two of the lethal sticks. "Here you go, Professor," she stated and retreated a safe distance away.

He lit the fuse and joined her on the other side of the clearing. The explosive went off, decimating the barrier, and allowing access to the cavern.

"Let's go!" he urged and cautiously made his way in there. The torch reflected off of the walls, creating an eerie wavering yellow light. As the area had been sealed off for ages, a dank odor that threatened to overwhelm the group's senses. The opening seemed to go on for miles...and the expedition felt their way through the labyrinth of tunnels. 

Finally, after two hours of exploration, Jim Anderson, Meissner's other assistant, made a discovery. It was a wooden box, about six feet long, two feet wide, and three feet deep. "Dr. Meissner! Look what I found!" he called.

The archaeologist sprinted back towards his student. "What is it?" he asked impatiently.

"Look at this! It looks like a coffin," the younger man stated.

Meissner stooped on his knees and, in the flickering torchlight, examined the carvings on the sides of the box. Yes, this was a coffin all right, and, judging from the inscription, in either Macedonian or Thracian, this was indeed his target. "This is it! You've found it, Jim!" he exclaimed.

Hearing his exclamation echoing off of the cave's walls, Michelle ran back to join her companions. "What is it?" she inquired.

"This!" Jim pointed toward the box. 

"Is that her?" the other grad student asked nervously.

"Looks like it," the professor nodded. "Come on, let's carry it out."

They picked up the coffin and slowly found their way out of the cave. Once there, they loaded the container on a makeshift sled for the trip down the mountain.

I've done it!  Meissner smiled gleefully. Once I get her home, she'll take Tucson by storm!


Chapter 2

A week later, David Dubois stood in front of his bedroom mirror pondering his 2 PM meeting with Caitlin Sommers, the library dean. She had been thinking about the events concerning the attack on the library three months earlier. "I wonder what she'll say now?" he worried.

"It's going to be okay, Dave," Angie's voice assured him as if on cue. She walked up behind him and started to massage his shoulders and sooth his frazzled nerves. "Just relax."

"Are you sure?" he continued.

"I'm positive. Hey, you finally received that manuscript. She's happy about that. Just think positively. She won't bite you," his wife advised.

"She's still ticked off about the fracas," he sighed.

"That was hardly your fault!" she debated. "Ares sicced his goon squad on us as I recall. As I recall, you had your inner darkness, Alti, and Caesar to contend with. In that regard, I think that Caitlin needs to talk to Dr. F."

"Does he know?" he inquired anxiously.

"Not as far as I know," she shrugged. "But, he's looking beyond the hospital incident toward the future. And speaking of looking ahead, Pal...breakfast is in 10 minutes." She turned and walked to the kitchen.

**********************

An hour later, Dave sat nervously in his office. His co-workers seemed extra nice to him on that particular day...asking him about things and commenting on the new manuscript. However, he was still dreading his appointment later in the day.

A knock came from the door. "Hey, Dave?" Mike Rancuso's voice called.

"Mike, come on in," the worried librarian directed. "What's up?"

"Well, one of the new professionals is starting today and since, I'm taking her on the tour...," he started.

"Sure, show her in," Dave concurred.

The new person entered the office. She was very slender, with long brown hair, and a professional looking suit. She seemed very familiar to him. "We talked at the ACRL meeting, didn't we?" he asked.

"We sure did," she smiled. "About BI stuff, the Cybrarian, and theological sources."

"Annie Castalaine, right?" he guessed.

"That's amazing! It was a year ago!" she laughed.

"I never forget a face or a good conversation especially dealing with shop talk," he nodded. "So, what's your position?" he inquired.

"Coordinator of Acquisitions," she explained.

He smiled, "And you'll be very good at it, believe me." He turned to Mike. "Who else is starting soon?"

"Three others. Our new archivist is downstairs and the new Head of Reference will be here next week," he explained.

"You'll like the new archivist. Jerry came with me from Alabama," she informed her companions.

"I'm sure," he grinned. Despite his butterflies, he had to hand it to Caitlin, she sure went after and got the best library faculty for the U of A. "Let's do lunch some time."

"Absolutely. Just let me know when and where. Well, I have to get going. Thanks for the tour, Mike," she concluded and walked out of the office.

"No problem," he replied pleasantly. After a minute, he turned back to his friend. "So, what do you think?"

"Caitlin's really has a great coordinator in Annie. She's an excellent bibliographer," Dave complemented.

"I'm glad that you approve," Mike cracked good-naturedly. "By the way, are we a little tense about the job security?"

"A little, yeah," Dave admitted while opening a Pepsi One and taking a sip from the can.

"I would say a lot. You know that Caitlin's behind you...It was good that you took that week off for yourself. It gave her a chance to cool off," Mike noted. "Trust me, you're fine."

"How about this new Head of Reference?" Dave probed.

"You'll like him," his friend related. "He's got a great sense of humor. Serious like you too." He looked at the brown tubing in the corner. "Is that what I think it is?"

Dave studied the container for a minute before answering the question. "Yes, it's the Boccachio manuscript which brought Francesca here in the first place. Getting it here was a big headache and put both of us through more misery than we would have liked, but at least, it's finally here. Dwight Stewart really wants me to scan it in ASAP," he explained.

"That's great. By the way, did your week of solitude result in any sudden insights?" he queried.

"Not really. I think that I will need to do some subject teaching eventually," Dave informed him.

"Straight librarianship doesn't do you justice. That's for sure," he agreed.

"I wonder what Caitlin will think...," Dave worried.

"You two will be in agreement, trust me," Mike assured him. "Everyone who knows you here will expect this decision on your part. You'll just be maximizing your service to the U of A. Well, I have to get back to work. Good to see you back."

"Thanks, Mike," Dave concluded as his friend departed, leaving him alone with the computer once more.

Chapter 3

The day passed by quickly. At 4 PM, Nick rose from his slumber and stretched his arms skyward. He descended the stairs and headed over to the refrigerator. Once there, he retrieved a jade green bottle and tipped it to his lips. While the cow blood did have a sour taste, it assuaged his hunger at least for the moment. Picking out one of his all-black outfits, the vampire detective got dressed and wondered what he would do until his shift started at 11 PM.

Hmm...I think that I'll check in on Alyce and see what she's doing....

*****************************

Three hours later, Alyce sat in her new office, soaking up the surroundings. Between her personal artifacts from Orleans and the Central American exhibits, the new curator was enjoying herself. "I 
can't believe that I'm here!" she exclaimed as she stood in front of her favorite exhibit. On loan, ironically enough, from the Toronto museum was the Tutercanal display. Particularly interesting was the excavators' picture. "It's hard to believe that nobody notices Nick being here, especially with this picture."

"Sometimes it's easiest to hide right under people's noses," a voice cracked mischievously.

Alyce stopped suddenly and felt the area with her enhanced senses. Slowly, a smile formed. "Nick, it's good to see you. I was wondering when you would come by."

"I figured that you would need some time to get settled," he replied while stepping into the light. "So, do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it! To be in the center of the Southwest and with so many friends here! They have been keeping me busy...very busy," she declared.

"Any big exhibits right off the bat?" he inquired.

"Actually, there's going to be a big event down at the convention center next week. Apparently, Stan Meissner, one of the U of A's archaeologists, found something big in Greece. The whole thing should be pretty exciting. By the way, how are the Duboises? I'm afraid that I didn't have a chance to thank them again for that nice evening....," she explained.

"Both of them are always occupied. Dave's working on a few big papers at the moment. I believe that Natalie and Angie are collaborating on a project as well," he replied.

"I can see why you and David are such good friends. You too have a lot in common," she told him.

"Oh, and how's that?" he inquired. Although he agreed with her summation, Nick wanted to hear her opinion.

"He seems to be fighting his inner darkness. In that way, he reminds me of a certain vampire that I know....," she smiled.

"Guilty as charged," he admitted. "Yes, his anger is a constant concern to all of us."

"Somebody mentioned an incident at the library. Was he involved?" she probed.

"We all were. As was LaCroix," he stated.

"LaCroix here?" she shivered.

"He's not here at the moment," he pointed out. Apparently, the manner which the elder vampire had treated her back in Toronto had left an impression. "In fact, I believe that he's back in Toronto."

"Good. Keep him away from me," she told him. After taking a deep breath, she recovered her composure and asked, "By the way, how's Natalie?"

"Well, she stays busy. I mentioned her work with Angie earlier, but she never stops working on cases," he chuckled pleasantly and looked at his watch. "Speaking of cases, I should get going. See you soon." He waved to her and, after making sure that the coast was clear, took off into the night.

Alyce smiled as she watched him vanish into the darkness. It was nice to have friends around when one was just starting out.


Chapter 4 

(Somewhere in Heaven)

Above the clouds and on the other side of St. Peter's gate, two figures stared into a pool of water. In the shimmering liquid, images appeared of the past, present, and the future. In particular, the events 
unfolding in Tucson concerned them. 

One angel, a heavy-set man in life with raven-black hair and a flowing beard, studied the details displayed before them with caution. "There has been a great deal of trouble down there," he noted.

"Yes, Raphael," his companion agreed. This man was a well-built replica of Michelangelo's "David" with blonde hair and, as with his companion, great gray wings coming from his back. "For those individuals, one test has been passed, however, there are more hurdles to be crossed." He 
waved his hand over the pool and the image of an airplane appeared.

"Michael, what is it? What is in that vehicle?" Raphael inquired.

"A source of evil, of darkness created long ago in Britannia. One that only Xena and Gabrielle would know about directly," Michael explained. "Because the latter gave birth to the creature."

Raphael stared incredulously at the other angel. "Hope? But, she was dispatched over two millennia ago!" he protested.

"No, she was only wounded," the other pointed out. "Remember, her father protected her from serious harm even when it appeared that the Destroyer had killed her. Xena had interred Hope in a special tomb outside of Potadeia designed to contain her powers. Now, that the tomb has been opened, the creature will awaken yet again."

"I guess that it is a good thing that Xena and Gabrielle are there to face her. Even by herself, Hope is a handful," Raphael supposed.

"But, she will not be alone," Michael interjected. "For another ancient evil will be released into the world as well. The chain of events has already been set in motion..."

Raphael scratched his head and focused on the pool. The image shifted to an earlier battle in the city of Toronto a year earlier between the indigenous vampires and a stranger of their kind. The latter's killing spree at her brethren's expense set up the final confrontation between her "brother/grandson" Nicholas de Brabant, her "father/son" Lucius of Pompeii, and herself. Only Nicholas' inherent goodness insured that the killings stopped. "But, if Nicholas has dealt with her once, surely..."

Michael shook his head. "Nicholas needed my help to regenerate in time," he explained. "No, Divia is too strong especially if she and Hope join forces. They will need assistance."

"Are we going down there?" Raphael inquired.

"Not unless it is absolutely necessary," his friend told him. "Rather, I was thinking of asking for intermediaries to go in our place. I have already sent word and the three people accepted their roles readily. They only await the right moment."

The other archangel merely nodded. Leave it to Michael to be prepared for all eventualities. Hopefully, he would be right once again.

Chapter 5

(Back in the FK Universe)

An icy wind cut across the city of Toronto. Winter's embrace and the night's dark shroud sent the residents scurrying for cover and the warmth of their homes. However, even as they did so, they heard a demonic laugh rising on the wind and choked on the sudden acrid odor in the air.

On a hillside just to the southeast of downtown and along the waterfront, a junkyard stood desolate and devoid of life save for a sole policeman patrolling it. The guard, a forty-year old gentleman by the name of Daniel Waters, nervously paced through his rounds as if the Devil was on his tail. Strange things had been happening in the city on that day and his nerves were peaking at that particular moment. "Only an hour to go," he muttered uneasily. However, at that moment, the air choked him with growing amounts of ash and the distinct odor of brimstone. "What the?" he asked and rushed toward the source. 

About two rows of cars behind him, he discovered that the ash cloud was forming into a cylinder and then, into the form of a young girl. She stood about four feet tall, her medium-length curly blond hair ruffled about in the wind, and her eyes glinted a crimson-red sheen. "I'm...I'm back! I have done it! I have cheated Death!" she laughed to the sky.

Waters, still transfixed with disbelief, managed to produce his gun, and point it at the intruder. "All...All right! Freeze! Let's make this easy, Miss...." he advised.

She grinned sinisterly. "Oh yes! Let's do! I need to feed."

"Okay, let's go to police headquarters. After you're booked, they'll get you something to eat," he detailed. "Now, why don't you tell me your name?"

The girl's smile widened. "My name is Divia. And, as for your statement...I'm afraid not," she hissed and leapt toward him.

To his credit, Waters shot her three times in the chest. However, this display didn't faze Divia in the slightest as she landed on him, slapped the gun away, bore her fangs, and drained him dry.

"Thanks for the meal," she cackled. "Now, Lucius, we have a score to settle!" With that, she took to the night sky heading for the city.

*********************************

In the back studio of CERK, LaCroix was hard at work producing his last installment of the Nightcrawler, at least from Toronto. While his producers were not happy that the popular show would end on that night, they consented to let him leave on a high note. And for some reason, the vampire felt that it would not be a moment too soon. For the past week, he had felt strange misgivings as if another problem would soon be upon him. "Rubbish," he dismissed the trifling notion and turned the headset on.

"Good Evening, Gentle Listeners, this is the Nightcrawler coming to you one last time. Our topic tonight is foreshadowing. Have you ever felt an impending sense of danger? If so, how do you deal with it? If danger is close by, can we avoid it? Please share your feelings with me. The lines are open...." he crooned.

Then, a sudden surge of pain shot through him. In the nick of time, he muted the microphone before his sudden scream echoed through the booth. Wave after wave of icy daggers hit him. Finally, he collected himself. "I must get a hold of myself," he scolded. Then, he saw the caller light blinking. Restoring the microphone's operation, he stated, "We have a caller, go ahead..."

A momentary silence hung over the radio waves followed by a child's laughter. "Hello, Lucius, I'm back...." she snickered wickedly.

LaCroix nearly dropped his headset. "No, you should be dead!"

"Well, it's not because you and Brother Nicholas didn't try, Father. And I do want to see you both so that I can thank you," the voice sang mock-sweetly.

"You are not welcome, Divia!" he snarled.

"Too bad. Look behind you," she challenged.

He turned to see a pair of glowing red eyes standing out in the darkness. As she stepped into the light, LaCroix saw that it was indeed Divia. At that moment, he understood why he had felt uneasy for much of the previous week.

"Coming in!" she continued and shattered the glass window. Before he could react, Divia backhanded him against the wall. A second later, she held him in a choke hold about a foot off of the ground. "What? No greeting?"

He cursed her wordlessly.

"Yes, Father. I'm back...and I will have you both this time...with a little help from my friends," his daughter coldly stated as she destroyed the console with her free hand, effectively ending the transmission.

"If you're planning to kill me, then get it over with!" he urged.

Divia chuckled coldly, "No, no, no, Lucius....I'm going to give you a head start. I know where dear Nicholas is hiding...and I will deal with him and his friends. So, run to him or don't. In any case, I will hunt both of you down."

"If you can get to him," he challenged.

She sighed knowingly, "Ah yes, I believe that you're referring to his new protectors. Well, I have someone who will neutralize Xena and Gabrielle rather nicely. You know who Dahak is?"

After a second, his eyes stared at her angrily. 

"Ah, I see that you do. Well, it's my turn to tell you a story, Father. On one of his expeditions to Britannia, Caesar took an unknown temple for his own designs. At Ares' goading, Xena traveled to the battlefield and defeated him," she started.

"Yes...she defeated him with Bodaceia's assistance," he recalled.

Divia's eyes glowed an even brighter shade of crimson and her fangs descended. "Well, while this mayhem was going on, Gabrielle went with the other observers to the temple thinking that they worshiped a benevolent god. But, they followed Dahak. In the ceremony that followed, the Blonde sacrificed her purity and unwittingly exposed herself to the Dark One's plans...and the seed of darkness grew within her. The child was ironically named Hope," she laughed incredulously. "While Xena defeated her, she will awake soon and together, we will have our revenge...."

"Somebody will stop you," he protested.

"Ah...yes. Well, not this time, Father. If you will excuse me," she concluded and exited through the broken window. From the darkness, she flipped a broken cell phone back into the booth. "Aren't these devices wonderful?" she baited and departed into the night.

For almost a moment, LaCroix lay on the floor. Then, he painfully rose to his feet. "She...must be stopped," he realized and reached for the phone. "And, as much as I hate to do so, I know who I must see...." He began to dial the phone and set his own plans in motion. Dark times were coming for them all....


Chapter 6

Stan Meissner sat in O' Hare Airport and sipped a cup of coffee nervously. So far, everything had gone according to plan. The box had gone through Customs without a hitch...and now, it was being loaded on the plane for the flight to Tucson. Still, it was hard for him to maintain a sense of calm.

*************************************

Down below in the baggage claim area, the precious coffin sat in the midst of an electronic security net. In addition, two guards patrolled the perimeter. To the airport personnel, nobody could steal the artifact.

However, from within the box, a finger moved and then, an eye blinked. Hope stirred and awoke after a two millennia slumber. She shook her blonde hair and felt her fingers. "Mmm....I must be free," she muttered and raised the lid of the box. Then, she managed to climb out of her prison and looked around the surroundings. "Where am I?" she wondered at the strange place. She remembered to close the lid of the coffin. 

At that moment, the two guards returned from their rounds. "Hey, who are you?" they demanded.

"None of your concern," she hissed through clenched teeth.

"You're under arrest!" one of them informed her.

Hope snickered incredulously. "Go away!" She focused on the men and their guns. Suddenly, the weapons flew from their hands and turned themselves to face their former masters. She blinked and the guns fired themselves, killing the two men. "Too bad..."

"Very good, Daughter," a demonic voice complemented.

Hope beamed and turned to see a column of flame burning behind her. "Father," she replied pleasantly. "It is good to see you."

Dahak continued, "Your purpose is the same as always. You must prepare the way for my coming. I have revived another to assist you." A fiery burst produced Divia from thin air. "You know what you must do. I will be watching." Having said that, the flame burnt itself out.

Divia studied the woman in front of her and hissed. It was the accursed Gabrielle. "I'll kill you before you can tell Xena about me!" she challenged.

Hope shook her head. "I'm not my mother!  Don't ever accuse me of that!" she growled.

Divia saw the wicked anger in her companion's eyes. No, somehow, this wasn't Xena's sidekick. Then, she remembered Dahak's account. The resemblance was incredible! "No, you aren't...my apologies," she admitted. 

"Not a problem," Hope relented. "Drain the bodies and we'll leave shortly."

The vampiress smiled contentedly and fed on Hope's victims. "Thank you," she told her ally.

"You're welcome," the other woman advised. "Can we?"

Divia nodded silently.

"Very well," Hope agreed and teleported them towards further mayhem.

Chapter 7

Nick and Tracy drove back toward the University Precinct building after investigating a particularly grisly murder scene. The victims, a thirty-year old African-American female and a twenty-five year old Caucasian man had been tied to cross-like supports and speared through their mid-sections. 

"It almost looked like a ritual," Tracy theorized.

"Certainly appears that way," Nick agreed. "Let's see if Ramirez has anything."

The two detectives climbed the stairs and entered the bustling squad room.  There, Chris Novak signaled them to come over to her desk.

"What's up, Sergeant?" he asked.

"Captain wants to see you two immediately. He's really panicky about the situation," Chris explained.

"Sure thing. Thanks," Tracy agreed. 

The partners walked towards the door and knocked. "Captain Ramirez?" Nick called.

"Si? Come in!" Ramirez bade.

"What's new?" Tracy asked.

"I was hoping that you could tell me," Ramirez replied. "City Hall's been calling me nonstop looking for details. I don't know what to tell them!"

Nick cleared his throat. "Well, Natalie hasn't made her report out yet. But, the victims were both suspended from supports and speared through their chests. One victim was a African-American female and the other, a Caucasian male," he 
detailed.

"We haven't found any witnesses to the crime although nearby folks reported a group of men and women in long flowing black and red robes with cone-shaped headdresses," Tracy continued.

Ramirez nodded and then heard a knock from the door. "Si?"

Natalie opened the door and entered the room. "Yes, Captain. Thanks. I wanted to let you know that we have a positive ID on those victims. The woman's name was April McAllister and the man was Roland Martin. The faces were untouched and matched the Missing Person reports for them."

The Captain sighed. Two mysteries solved, but an even bigger one had opened in front of them. "And preliminary cause of death?"

"The stab wounds to the chest areas," Natalie reported. "I'll run the tox report when I get downstairs but I think that will be the primary cause of death. Nick, Tracy, can you come with me to the lab for a second? I need to check on some facts...."

"Go ahead," Ramirez told the detectives. "I'll buzz you if I need you."

The three comrades walked out of his office and down the stairs to Examination Room 3B. After they entered, Tracy closed the door behind them and locked it.

"So, what do you both think?" Natalie inquired.

"Looks like a human sacrifice ritual to me," Tracy stated. "But, in this day and age?"

"Have you seen anything like this before, Nick?" Natalie queried.

His mind flashed back over the years....

*************************************

[Brabant 1319]

Nicholas de Brabant wandered the countryside near his ancestral home. Since he, Janette, and LaCroix had left here initially, he had not returned in almost a century's time. Even though everyone had died from his mortal age, the atmosphere had not changed. The grass still smelled as sweet and the air had a hint of Spring in it.

Suddenly, he heard the rustling in the brush and decided to investigate. As he parted the foliage, he discovered a group of men and women circled about a large bonfire. The women were dressed fairly skimpily and their faces were concealed with large garish masks with straw on top. The men were dressed in black and red robes with conical headdresses and chanted to their deity.

"Glory to the goddess! The birth of a new order! May our strength release her from bondage. Now, it is time! Would the Priests of the Flesh and Blood please come forward...," one man, the high priest, bade.

Two men stepped forward. "Glory to the goddess!" they shouted.

"Indeed," the high priest agreed and motioned toward the trees. The men proceeded over to them and climbed the supports which leaned up against them. At the top, they stopped, turned around, and stood on the support.

The priest advanced on them with a long spear. "May you bring about the new order with your gifts," he stated. Then, with cold precision, he stabbed his companions.

Nick was horrified by this act. Granted, as a vampire, he had committed acts of barbarity. But, due either to his residual Crusading instincts, or the love of his home, he refused to let the act go any farther. "Stop!" he commanded.

The leader turned to see Nick fly from the brush, eyes glowing golden and fangs descended. Moving faster than the eye could see, the Brabantine dispatched most of the ceremony's participants in moments.

"Stop!" the leader commanded. "In the name of the god and goddess, I order you to cease your effrontery!"

Nick looked up from his last kill, the steaming blood still dripping from his extended fangs. "Or what? You'll kill me? I'm already dead! I have been over a century!" he challenged. He grabbed the other man and flung him against a nearby tree where he slumped to the ground unconscious.

"No!" a strange voice bellowed. 

"Who?" the vampire wondered and turned. 

The fire flared and a column of flame appeared in its midst. "I am an ancient entity destined to bring change to the world. Join me....," it bade.

Nick laughed, "I think that my master might have something to say about that. No, I think not!" He advanced on the unconscious priest, drained him dry, and broke the latter's neck.

The fire creature screamed in rage. "Suit yourself, Nicholas de Brabant!" Faster than even his vampire-enhanced senses could follow, a burst struck the former crusader and sent him into the brush. 

Nick rose slowly to his feet. "I am not afraid, Demon!" he seethed.

"You should be! You should be!" the demon challenged. "But, I will let you live for tonight. One day, you and yours will account for tonight!" With that, the fire burnt itself out, leaving Nick and the corpses in its wake....

Nick looked towards the sky. Seeing the coming dawn, he took off toward his ancestral castle.

**********************************************

Back in the modern era, Natalie tapped his shoulder. "Earth to Nick. What are you remembering?"

"I...I...have seen this before. It is a demon cult. I broke up a ritual just like the one that apparently went on the west side tonight," he explained. 

"What is it, a religious ritual of some kind?" Tracy probed.

"If you count Satanic worship as a ritual," he explained. "The uniforms matched the descriptions too."

Natalie reached down and picked up the mask. "I pulled this off of McAllister. Is this?" she indicated.

His eyes bugged out. "That's an exact match!"

"And this demon, did you?" Natalie followed.

"It spoke to me after I disposed of its ritual participants. And, the creature promised that mine and my own would pay for my acts. I wonder what else can happen...?" he wondered.

Then, his cell phone went off. "Miles," he replied.

"Nick, it's Alyce. Can you, Natalie, and your partner get down to the airport? We have a problem here!" Alyce reported.

"Alyce, what's going on?" he inquired.

"I can't say, but I think that you should see this box," she demanded.

"We'll be right there," he agreed and hung up. "Ladies, let's go. We have a situation at the airport...She couldn't talk about it on the phone."

Tracy sighed, "One case at a time, guys."

Natalie disagreed, "Alyce wouldn't have called if it wasn't important. Let's find out what this is about."


**********************************

Fifteen minutes later, Alyce still hovered over the box. She couldn't believe what had happened. The museum had been assured that security between Greece and Tucson would be airtight. But, the bodies in the box said otherwise. "How?" she asked.

"I think that I might want to know the same thing!" Meissner seethed. "Dr. Harris, I don't understand...."

"It couldn't have happened here, Dr. Meissner. The police are already on their way," she noted.

"We're here," Nick added as he, Natalie, and Tracy entered the crime scene.  "What happened, Dr. Harris?"

"Well, I had the box loaded onto the plane in Athens. It had tight security in London, Chicago, and here. How could something happen? How could somebody break in?" Meissner demanded.

Tracy inspected the locks on the box. The damage was on the inside of the box, not the outside. "Say, Nick. What do you think?" she asked.

He examined the box as well...and came to the same conclusion. Then, he turned back to Meissner. "What did you put in this box?"

"I can't...", the other protested.

"What was it, Dr. Meissner?" Alyce asked. "You've kept it top secret and told your assistants to keep quiet. What is it?"

"All right. We found a grave...and a woman that we brought back here. She was called Hope," he explained.

"Well, the crypt was opened from within. Whatever Hope is, she escaped from the box and...fled from the scene. Apparently, she left the officers behind in her wake," Tracy informed him. "If you look at the locks, you'll see that I'm right."

The ME walked over to Nick and whispered, "Nick, take a look at the bodies...."

He followed her over to where the guards' bodies had been placed on the ground. 

"Take a look at the necks. Is that what I think it is?" she inquired.

His closer examination revealed two sets of small puncture holes on each man.  "They're vampire marks, all right. But, look, they were each shot at extremely close range. What do you think the ETD was?" he reasoned.

"I was thinking about four to six hours ago. So, that would clear Alyce...and you. But, what would a vampire use a gun for?" Natalie insisted. 

"We usually need the beating heart to feed. This act seems almost like an afterthought as if the killer shot them and then, handed them over to a vampire accomplice," he guessed.

"Hope?" she asked.

"Probably since there was no spilled blood in the coffin. But, whoever or whatever she is, she's not acting alone. Are you going to take care of these bodies?" he added.

She nodded, "I'm taking them back to the lab right now. Then, Ramirez can call Chicago himself. See you later."

"Right," he agreed and walked back over to Tracy and Alyce. The uniforms were now on the scene and sweeping the area for clues. 

"Let's go, Tracy. Dr. Harris, can we give you a lift back to the museum?" he queried.

"Yes, thank you," the curator accepted.

The blonde detective shot her partner a questioning look. 

He shook it off and mouthed "later" to her. Then, he turned to Meissner. "We'll be in touch, Sir," he informed the professor and handed him his card.

The other man nodded in understanding.

Nick got into the Caddy's driver's seat and drove away with Tracy and Alyce.

"So, what is it?" Tracy insisted.

"Alyce, do you know who this 'Hope' is?" Nick quizzed.

"According to Greek legend, she was the daughter of an ancient demonic deity and a human woman. Apparently, the final resting place of the creature was right outside of Potadeia, in northeastern Greece," Alyce explained.

"Potadeia?" Nick tensed. "When was this creature created?"

"According to the records, about the time of Julius Caesar...why?" Alyce 
replied. "Nick, why do you ask?"

"Because there may be a bigger connection than any of us might guess...Potadeia is Gabrielle's hometown. Perhaps, there might be a connection," he postulated.

"I knew that those two would be trouble," Tracy groused.

Nick shot her a warning look and took a hard right turn. "Dave, Angie, and Francesca are all working late tonight at the U of A. If Hope is loose here, that's where she'll appear next," he theorized and, putting his foot down on the accelerator, sped toward the university.

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