Enemies make further attempts.

So, just another day with the weather in neutral. Time had passed since Kahtenny's hiring, with security beefed up and a few events between then and now... but things were calm now. Kinda... Honest. Yeah. Let's just say that.

Naitachel shucked into his long coat, finishing as much of his tea as he dared without ending up late to one of now various offices, and set the rest aside before reaching for his laptop case and crutches. Mentally, he kissed his mate goodbye, <I will see you later, Radu.> A quiet promise. Later was... well... anywhere within 24 hours, right? He never knew when he might get home anymore.

<I shall eagerly await your return, beloved,> Radu replied as he moved to his bookshelf and plucked another well-worn publication from the shelf.

Soraya came downstairs, still in her pajamas. She had the day off of from the clinic, which was welcome. Who knew internships could be so frazzling and stressful? Then again, she was working at a drug rehabilitation clinic in the Bronx. She knew to expect a difficult situation from the get-go. Still, there was one thing in particular that kept nagging at her... It was on this matter (or, perhaps better put, this person) that she was thinking when she emerged, intent on the coffee that awaited her in the kitchen.

Min ran down the stairs, pulling his shirt on, his feet bare, looking around as if he'd lost something important.

The Seraph paused, thoughtful a moment as he thought of something. <You may wish to keep a mental ear out for... well, perhaps not, knowing him... Never mind.> No, Silver was a curious one, an odd Mara, which made him all the more dangerous. He glanced over at Min as he slung his laptop over a shoulder. "Is something wrong, Min?" Nait did a second-take at Soraya, eyes wide at her disarray, blinking.

"My shoes... and socks... and keys... and wallet... and... um... yeah... No. I'm fine. I'll find them," Min muttered, still looking around.

<I shall remain alert as always,> Radu assured him, seating himself in the high back chair, tome in hand.

Normally the Seraph would offer to help either one of them (Soraya looked like she wasn't much better off than Min in her pajamas, in his opinion), but he had much to do today and wasn't sure he could spare the time. "They... did come home with you, yes?" he asked Min, before asking Soraya curiously, "Are you well? I thought you had clinic today."

The presence of both Min and Naitachel pulled the redhead out of her reverie. "Oh, good morning," she greeted absently, then stopped. "No, day off today. My supervisor took a personal day and said I should do the same," the redhead answered Nait. "Though admittedly that does not mean my brain is disengaged from the clinic, either. Are they gone?" she asked her brother-in-law, frowning.

"Yeah, yeah... they left a little while..." Min looked from Soraya to Nait. "I mean... I'm not sure what you mean... heh..."

Soraya looked askew at Min. "They left a little while?" she prompted, trying to have him elaborate.

"You know... I think I'll look in the living room," Min answered, looking embarrassed.

Naitachel shook his head at Min fondly, sighing. "You may wish to see if one of them wandered home with any of the missing items as souvenirs?" he chuckled. "Ah, so you are sleeping in, I suppose, yes, Soraya? Perhaps you might aid Min in his hunt if he needs aid. I fear I must be off."

"Indeed, you are sure it was not someone who took them?" the redhead concurred with Naitachel, scratching her head through the wild mess that was her curls. "Sleeping in? Well, I guess this can be considered as such, though I was admittedly hoping to catch up on a bit of work, then perhaps actually get to relax."

Katarina entered, dragging two buxom young women in with her. The diminutive blonde frowned, pointing at the table just inside the door. "Now," she growled.

Slowly, the two young women began emptying their pockets.

Soraya watched silently as the pockets in question were emptied, eyebrow arched in Naitachel's direction.

Min's keys, wallet, shoes, socks, watch, comb, and toothbrush were all laid out quickly upon the table.

"All of it," Katarina pressed, her eyes narrowing at the two women.

Arching a brow at Katarina's finds, Naitachel simply shrugged his laptop a bit more securely on his back. "Well, one mystery solved, it seems." He smiled wryly at Soraya, amused. "The office summons. I swear, I had less trouble with magicians. Though these two young ladies seem to have almost equal skill as some of those back then."

Joining the other items upon the table were Min's platinum tie tack, his favorite gold chain, an old photo of the Prince family circa 1935.

The redhead sighed and shook her head. <Though it is rather discomfiting, I admit. What good is all of our security out there if we allow them in through the front door like this? Katarina and Kristov may not be able to catch all of our troublemakers if this keeps up,> she commented. "I take it you had a good time last night, Minhea," she commented absently.

"Oh yeah," Min snickered, though he had the good grace to at least continue looking sheepish.

"Aaand..." Katarina sighed.

"Oh fine," one of the girls hissed, reaching into her ample bosom and withdrawing a very LONG gold chain. "There. Satisfied?"

Golden eyes widened as the pile just kept growing. "Oh... my... John Eagle might have a few words, Min."

Katarina just looked at the other one, who repeated the performance of the first. "Now... let's go." She opened the door from them. "Kristov waits to drive you... ladies... home."

Min just laughed. "I just needed my shoes back," he told the others as he began pocketing the pile.

The redhead shook her head again. "Indeed, John may. Were these women you met at your club?" she asked the vampire as she watched the women be escorted out. "Katarina tends to be driven by the principle of the matter," Soraya answered his jest about the shoes.

"Nope. I met them at Chase’s Automotive," Min answered as he tugged on his shoes.

"Besides, if they come in and do that to you, how long will it be before they wander through the house and do that to myself and Vlad, or to Brianna? Or worse, wander into the East Wing," Soraya pointed out.

"You should not reward bad behavior, Min," Nait sighed, shaking his head and grasping his crutches. "And Soraya is correct--there is no reason they would limit themselves to your generosity."

"They never left the room. Promise," Min snickered. "We were a little... occupied... before they got ready to leave this morning. Everything here was in my room, near the bed. It's a wonder Mac has any belongings left if this is how they usually roll," Min muttered, his eyes still alight with amusement.

Mircea came down the stairs, straightening his tie. "Why are you all congregated around the exit?" he demanded.

Waving a hand, Naitachel turned to go, shaking his head. "In that case, I am off, then." <Minor mishaps,> he told Mircea with a chuckle. "Good morning, Mircea, and to all of you."

Soraya shook her head again and made to fetch her coffee before Mircea emerged. "We are having a party to congratulate Minhea's lady friends on their intrepid endeavors to enrich themselves, unsuccessful as it was. This was the sendoff," she finished wryly. "I need coffee."

"Min, you didn't bring home hookers again, did you?" Mircea frowned.

"No..." Min answered quickly, "at least... I don't think they were hookers. If they were, I should probably have paid them something."

"They were more like self-starters," the redhead finished over her shoulder. "When will you be back, Nait?" she asked the seraph.

"I fear I have no idea," the Seraph returned as he clicked out the door. "I do hope it shall still be 'today', however! Goodbye!" With that, he was off to gather up his motorbike, kicking it to life with a rumble.

Matty came in from the anteroom, holding a disk in his hand. "Here you go, Min. Thought you might like to enjoy the spectacle later. The part where the shorter one puts your watch in her..." He stopped, looking at the others, then smiled. "Just watch. You'll enjoy it."

"What'll it cost me to keep that out of Eagle's hands?" Min asked Matty.

"Urgh," Soraya groaned as she bee-lined it for the kitchen, needing away from this situation. It was doing nothing to relieve her stress. <Pray make sure that stays somewhere Brianna will never find it,> she requested of the two.

Matty laughed out loud. "Too late. Whose cameras do you think I hacked to get the images? I did a little... distorting... but I'm sure he can undo it. He's got some crazy skills." <Of course,> Matty assured her. <Closest she gets to something like this is Barney.>

Soraya was generous when choosing the size of her mug, going for the coffee-shop-sized ones they owned. Of course, she always drank her coffee with plenty of cream and sweetener, but still, the caffeine was even more necessary now than it had been when she had first gotten up.

Min flopped on the couch, turning the disk over in his hand. "Ah yeah... good times."

Perhaps Soraya should have headed in to the clinic after all. Being here was hardly relaxing and still... She sighed, then sipped at her cup as she made her way back toward the entrance, hoping the crowd had dissipated. She curtailed around Mircea and made her way toward the stairs back up, careful not to spill any of her life-saving elixir. "Have a good day, Mircea," she called absently as she began scaling the stairs.

"Rest well today," Mircea replied as he headed toward the garage.

Vlad almost ran into his wife, stopping just short of toppling her, as he dashed down the stairs.

"Urgh, sorry," she apologized profusely at the mess her coffee had just made of his shirt. "I... was distracted. I will get you another."

Vlad laughed. "No worries, beloved. It's not the first time, after all."

"I suppose not," Soraya smiled, downing what little was left in her cup before dashing up the stairs to find Vlad something clean to wear in to the office. <I like your green tie better anyways,> she sent him.

<I'll try to remember that,> Vlad answered, amused.

Soraya smiled as she entered Vlad's closet and quickly rifled through to find him a change of clothes before she noticed a red baseball cap on the floor. Confused, as she had never seen him wear it, she brought it along as she returned to Vlad with his fresh clothes. "What is this?" she asked him, donning it atop her wild mane and modeling it for him.

Happily oblivious, Naitachel gunned his bike and headed off to work. There were some things one could consider a well-timed exit, and for him, this was one of them.

A car swerved in front of the bike, slowing down just ahead of the seraph as another pulled up close behind him. A large van pulled up in the lane right beside him and slowed to match his speed, preventing him from moving from between the other two vehicles.

Naitachel's helmet turned, glancing back at the one behind him, and he considered his options. He truly did not wish to tip the bike, by accident or design. But the van spelled trouble. He drew his feet up on his seat, crouching, ready to leap if need be. Looking up, he sought an overhanging streetlamp. One would do. Unfortunately, the only way out of this was sacrificing his bike. Saddening, but oh well.

The van door flew open and an armed and armored man appeared to reach out toward Naitachel.

Nait leapt straight up, impossibly high for a human, hands reaching for the overhanging lamp. Easy enough to grab and swing around, lose the forward momentum, and simply end up standing on top. His long coat billowed behind him in the air like wings.

The armed man fired off a shot sending a dart of some sort zooming past Naitachel as the cars separated and the van zoomed off.

Naitachel's motorbike wobbled, then fell over, skidding across the highway even as the Seraph swung himself to stand on the lamp, as balanced as a bird. He frowned slightly as he watched the various vehicles race away, then glanced at his coat, where a small tear showed evidence of something having just missed him. Heavens, but this was hardly a good way to start the day. He whipped out his phone from a pocket, calling Tara. "Hello? Tara... Naitachel here. Ah... I think my motorbike needs to be picked up from... hmmm... around highway marker 33, if you would? It had a bit of a mishap."

"Oh, my," Tara breathed. "Are you alright? Do you need an ambulance?"

"Oh, no, no, I am fine, thank you Tara. I believe I simply lost control. And... I may need new crutches. I believe they became a bit bent when the bike slid. Our usual garage, if you will, for the repairs please? I shall find another way to come in. Heavens, I suppose I shall be late, then." Nait debated calling the rest of the family, and shook his head. Easier to tell them in person at the office. Perhaps one of them might be next on the list.

"Don't worry, sir. I'll adjust your schedule accordingly. Just be careful, alright? We're..." She paused, swallowing at the thought before continuing. "We're not ready to lose you yet, sir."

Naitachel chuckled quietly. "Fear not, Tara. The fires of hell have yet to stop me." Thinking, he considered the sky, the time of day... "I shall see you soon, Tara." With that, Naitachel unslung his laptop case and leapt up into the sky, wings sweeping open and free of his coat to beat for height. He thought it best to wait near his bike at least.

Vlad frowned. "I've no idea. It's not mine," he told her.

"Not yours?" Soraya asked, removing the hat from her head and inspecting it as she handed her husband his change of clothes. "I found it in your closet."

Vlad reached for the hat, sniffing it and frowning. "The scent's familiar. I just can't place it."

Soraya frowned further at this. "If it is someone unfamiliar enough that you cannot place it, it means it is not one of the family's..." She thought a few moments, then questioned, "Have you met any of Min's more recent girlfriends? Could that be it?" she asked, thinking it was not so odd a question after this morning's incidents.

Vlad shook his head. "The night of the charity gala. This one was there. And at the funeral. It has become a familiar scent here at home, but... I am uncertain who it is. It's not one of our own."

"Make certain John Eagle gets it then," Mircea said from the doorway. "It seems they two Min walked in aren't the only recent visitors to our home."

Soraya relinquished the hat, along with Vlad's clothes, even more confused than she had been earlier. Somehow she felt as though she should know the owner of this hat as well, though it wasn't clicking. "Well, have a good day, then," she said, standing on toes to kiss Vlad.

Vlad leaned down and kissed her gently but firmly upon the lips, though his eyes looked worried as he tried to place the scent of the hat. "You too," he answered as he made to leave.

Soraya nodded, allowing herself to hold to Vlad's hand a few extra moments, still feeling unsettled. "Do you really have to go to work today?" she asked almost sheepishly.

Vlad frowned. "I'll try to return early."

The redhead nodded and squeezed Vlad's hand, reluctant to let him go, before releasing him. "I shall be here, then," she promised as she stepped back a few steps to allow Vlad room to proceed. "See you tonight."

"As early as possible," Vlad agreed before hurrying down to the car.

With a quick wave in Mircea's direction, Soraya took the cap and proceeded upstairs, wondering what the next step would be. John Eagle was currently busy with other projects and, she thought, out purchasing supplies for increasing their security. That left her home alone with the daily crew as Tommen was already at work, Michael was out for school, and Brianna had left for an early play rehearsal with the twins.

Tara glanced again worriedly at the clock. Should she have sent someone to find him, she wondered.

Naitachel slid to his feet in front of the office building, and waved to the driver. "Thank you again for the ride! Please ask them to call me from Chase's once they know the full extent of repairs!" The Seraph had pressed some extra money on the man for his additional help, and now simply hopped his way inside to work, his bouncy steps utterly odd and his lack of crutches enough to surprise Sam at the security desk. "Good morning, Sam. Sorry to be late."

Sam blinked, coughed, and glanced after the tow truck pulling away from the curb with Nait's bike tied to the bed. "Uh... um... Morning, Mister Prince..."

Nait was already at the elevator and waved as the doors shut. Within a few breaths, he was stepping off and trotting for his office, odd strides light as a bird's.

***

<Uncles,> Vlad sent to Mircea and Radu along the way. <We need to alert Kaht to increase security on Soraya, please.>

<Do you really think that's necessary?> Mircea asked in surprise. <She's already being shadowed everywhere.>

<Yes. That's what I'm worried about,> Vlad answered.

Once in her and Vlad's room, Soraya set the red hat upon a nearby desk, contemplated it a few moments, then, with a sigh, resolved herself to put it out of her head for now. This was a personal day, meant for relaxation, not increased stressed. It was to that end she made her way to the private bathroom and started the bath, placing some scented oils in the pouring water and leaving it to fill.

The sound of soft music wafted from the bathroom where the tub ran. Whoever had turned it on had left a soft curtain of red rose petals across the top of the water.

Soraya froze in her tracks at the sudden sound of music, sudden lump in her throat. She whirled on her heels, looking around for something with which to defend herself. Without much other option, she grabbed a nearby table lamp and, with it in hand, edged toward the bathroom again. With all the security around the mansion now, who could it possibly be other than one of her own playing a prank?

"Hello?" Soraya dared call as she ventured into the restroom, lamp in hand at the ready, heart starting to race. Perhaps she should reconsider this venture and simply go fetch Kristov.

Nobody answered Soraya's call.

Tara looked momentarily stunned but covered it quickly. "Um... good morning, Mister Prince," she said, studiously taking no notice of his odd gait.

Unslinging his laptop bag, Naitachel moved to enter his office. "Good Morning, Tara. The driver for my bike gave me a lift. A very nice man, Bob... has four delightful children... Ah..." Pausing before entering, he smiled sheepishly over his shoulder. "Pardon, but might you find me a new pair of crutches?"

Her eyes widened slightly, but she only nodded. "Of course, sir," she said then. "Right away."

"Thank you. Oh! And please ask Vlad and Mircea to drop in when they arrive... unless they are already here?" He frowned, thinking, not certain how long the drive had been in the truck. He blinked at her wide-eyed gaze, then smiled reassuringly. "I can move without them, Miss Tara. They simply make moving around... easier?" By making people not think twice about his odd way of doing so, in any case. "Until then, however, I would rather stay in the office today."

Quickly, she nodded, then picked up the phone. "Yes, Mister Lewis. I'm sorry to bother you, but someone seems to have taken Mr. Prince's crutches," she began, though the uncertainty in her voice made it clear to anyone who really was listening that she was being dishonest. Clearly, Tara had no skill in lying. "Yes," she continued, "a terrible prank... um... maybe... do you have an extra set down there?" she waited. "Wonderful. Thank you. Please, just send them right up. But... um... discreetly, please? I'd rather not have Mr. Prince made the butt of anyone else's jokes, you know?" Hanging up the phone, she glanced back toward the office and waited for Lewis to send up the replacement crutches.

"Thank you. I think I will be... ah... inside." With that, Nait retreated into the safety of the office. He sat down on his stool with a sigh, setting laptop on the desk, bag and all. Heavens... He would have to tell Radu. But he was not anxious to discuss it with the others, as he knew they would be concerned, perhaps even try to increase his own security. But he had gotten away easy enough, hadn't he?

A soft tap came upon the door. "Mr. Prince," Tara called as she opened it, sneaking the crutches in. "Where should I put these?"

"By the door if you will," Nait answered quietly. "And thank you again."

"Of course, Mister Prince," Tara smiled brightly. She set the crutches just inside the door and moving purposefully back to her desk.

The lack of response kept Soraya on edge, and for once, rather than venturing further in, she began backing out of the bathroom again, slowly, trying to keep from shaking.

Her foot fell then upon something soft. The floor behind her was now strewn with rose petals leading the way back to her bedroom area.

Again, Soraya whirled, heart thundering in her ears and lamp at the ready. "Vlad?" she called, hoping he was simply the one trying to surprise her somehow. Still, the moment her feet touched the lush carpeting of the room, she glanced around and noted her cell phone across the room on the nightstand next to the bed. Could she make it across the whole room safely and reach it?

"Hello?" she called again tightly.

Again, there was no answer to Soraya's call. The phone upon the nightstand lay there, apparently dead. The battery had been removed.

The door now behind her closed and locked with a soft whoosh-click.

Smiling, Naitachel turned to his laptop and began to get to work. He was behind already.

"Is Mr. Prince in?" a familiar voice carried through Naitachel's door.

"I'm sorry, sir, but it doesn't appear you have an appointment. Should I schedule one for you?" Tara answered coldly.

Glancing up, Naitachel frowned slightly, surprised.

"I don't believe I need one," the voice replied to Tara's query. "It doesn't seem anyone else is in there with him right now." He gestured toward her desk calendar.

"I don't write all of our business out on my desk, Mister Archer," Tara spat.

Sighing, Naitachel pushed a few papers aside and thumbed the intercom. "You may as well send him in, Tara."

Tara wanted to protest, but knew that doing so would be undermining Naitachel. "Very well, sir," she replied, though her eyes narrowed at Adam Archer. "You've got five minutes, Mister Archer," she warned him as she thought of who she could send in and under what pretext to save Nait from the man after that.

The sound of the door spurred Soraya into action. Without looking back, she chose to sprint toward the bed, hoping to get to her phone and dial a number, any number, before whoever it was could catch her.

Nothing in the room moved to stop her from reaching the dead phone.

It was only when she reached it and she tried to call Vlad that she realized that it wasn't working. "No," she breathed, turning to run behind the bed, to try to put /something/ between herself and whoever was behind her. Only once there did she dare turn to see who it was in the room with her, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

A man stood there before her in leather and jeans, his face and head covered by a ski mask. His build may have seemed familiar, if difficult to place.

"Come with me quietly. We don't want to alarm Brianna, right?" the voice whispered, muffled and deepened by the thick crocheted fabric.

Soraya instinctually threw her phone at the man, not having any other weapons at her disposal. "I am not going anywhere with you," she answered, though internally she was thoroughly rattled that he knew her daughter's name.

"Just think if she were to come home and find blood among the petals in her mother's room. Don't you think that would upset her?" the voice pressed.

"What do you want from me?" the redhead asked, maintaining her position.

"Come with me quietly," the voice urged again.

The redhead was now feeling her own internal temperature rise. "Okay... okay," she said shakily as she began making her way back around the bed toward her would-be assailant.

"If you try anything, a lot more than you and I are at risk. Just thought you'd want to know that," the man in the mask warned.

"You're going to go to the bookcase of there and pull out the third book. Go down the passage there and straight out. And don't try anything. Please, dear. I don't want to have to hurt you."

Soraya stopped in her tracks, frowning. "What do you mean by that?" she asked him.

"Don't make me show you," the man in the mask warned her. "Please."

Instead of following the instruction, Soraya slowly walked toward the man facing her. "Can I see your face?" she requested, knowing if her suspicions were right about the hat and all of this, then she had to play her cards carefully.

"Not yet," the masked man replied. "Soon. When we're home."

"But I am not sure I can wait that long... if it really is you... who I think you are. I have been hoping for this," she pressed, putting on as seductive of a voice as she could.

"As soon as we're home," he repeated again. "Come on. We have to hurry. The big Indian isn't easy to get past."

Still, Soraya approached the man and gently placed a hand on his chest, looking up into his masked face. "Please? If you do this for me, we can leave more quickly."

"I'm sorry," the masked man said, jabbing a needle into Soraya's neck and emptying the contents.

The moment she felt the needle go in, Soraya gasped and sent fire, as much as she could muster in a short burst, at the man. It was likely not enough, but it was something.

The light overhead seemed to dull and fade there in the already dim passageway. The man in the mask cried out as the heat penetrated his thick leather coat, singing his skin. He stood back until the blackness took hold for Soraya.

"Help!" Soraya called as loudly as she could manage, though darkness quickly overtook her vision. <Not again,> she managed to think, or call out, she wasn't sure which, before she passed out.

Naitachel didn't rise to greet his visitor, though he clicked his screen to simply the background, leaving nothing to be read. A glance showed him his papers were not likely anything that interested the man. "What might I do for you, Mister Archer?"

Archer stormed through the door, a victorious look upon his face. "Naitachel, I've been wanting a chance to talk to you."

Arching a brow, Naitachel set his hands in his lap. "Oh? Why is that?" he asked politely, curious.

"Because I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since we met," Archer replied, looking into Naitachel's eyes. "I've wanted to talk to you about our mutual interests," Archer said.

"Pardon?" Nait asked, off-guard, blinking dazedly.

"You and I have a lot in common," Archer told Naitachel, smiling slickly. "We've got a lot of mutual interests. Together, we could accomplish a great deal."

Naitachel's eyebrows furrowed. Just what was the fellow driving at? "Mister Archer... if you are asking me to again make Dragon collaborate with the government and your branch in particular, I fear you are wasting your time. The answer remains no."

"I think you misunderstand. I'm not asking you to collaborate with the government, Nait. I'm asking you to join me." He took Nait's hand in his own. "I'm offering to become your partner. I can protect you and Dragon Industries. You're going to get swallowed whole out here, Naitachel. Your husband should have realized that. You need someone on your side. Someone who could protect you from all the rest." He patted Naitachel's hand. "Think about it."

Radu beat Matty to Soraya's room, taking the hidden routes he himself had only recently discovered. Arriving near her room he found her, lying upon the ground unconscious. Gathering his niece up in his arms carefully, he cast about for whoever had done this, but was interrupted when Matty sent to him, <Uncle! She's not in her room... I can't find her!>

<It's okay, Matthias. I have her,> Radu assured him, carrying her back toward her own room and compressing the latch to allow him entrance to the room she and his nephew shared.

"What the..." Matty began before noting Radu's look. "Who did this? How did it happen?"

Soraya first groaned uncomfortably, the first signs of stirring, though she jolted awake suddenly, disoriented. "Help!" she called out, renewing her struggle as her body temperature began rising defensively.

As if on cue, Kristov stumbled in, gun drawn, blood running from a gaping wound on the side of his head, soaking through the collar of his shirt. "Put her down..." he demanded weakly, weaving on his feet.

Soraya struggled against Radu's hold gasping. "Let me go!" she demanded, twisting, "Or I will burn you."

Radu laid her gently upon her bed and stepped back as Matty moved to keep Kristov from falling.

It was only once she was on the bed and had squirmed to the opposite side of it, away from those she had perceived as attacking her, that Soraya realized who was, in fact, there with her. "Wh... Radu?" she asked, stunned. "What happened?"

Radu knelt beside the bed, "What do you remember?"

Naitachel blushed warmly, and tugged to retrieve his hand from Archer's. "Ah... Mister Archer... While I am very much flattered, I am... well, truly not interested in a partner of any kind at this time. I am sorry. And besides, I managed to protect myself for a long time before Radu and I met. I should think I am not completely helpless, for all I seem so at times."

"It's good to think you can do things on your own, but you don't know what you're up against. Naitachel, listen to me. You're in over your head. Let me help you," Archer pressed. Rising, he leaned forward, placing a kiss upon the seraph's cheek. "I may well be the only one who really can keep you safe."

The Seraph barked a laugh. "In over my head? I have faced things already set to make a normal man wet himself at the sight. I am not certain we agree what is so terrible to face."

He let go of the seraph's hand as he straightened, still smiling. "Think about it. I'll come back tomorrow. We'll have lunch. And then you can give me your answer."

Standing as well, Nait shook his head. "I am sorry, Mister Archer, but I fear my mind is not likely to change by then." He reached his hand up to touch the spot he'd been kissed thoughtfully. It was rather odd, to feel this man being sincere to him. "Unless you know something I should?" he mused quietly.

"I think you might," Archer disagreed. "I know a great deal you should know, Naitachel." Smiling, he added, "See you tomorrow."

Frowning slightly in puzzlement, Naitachel nodded. "Very well... though I warn again, you may be disappointed. I do apologize in advance." His lips quirked slightly at the corner. "Many have said I am very stubborn. But so be it--lunch it is."

The redhead frowned at Radu a few moments, trying to piece together what had happened. It took her a few moments to recall, and the pieces came out jumbled. "He was in here... locked the door and said I needed to come with him. I thought I could get out past him by sweet-talking him, but he injected me. He had..." she said, shook her head to clear it, then started again, "He put roses on the floor and in my bath... He... He even thought of taking the battery out of my phone," she said, knowing little of what she was saying was making sense, though it made so little sense to her, either. "He seemed familiar, I thought..."

"Familiar, how?" Radu pressed gently.

Again, Soraya shook her head. "I... His voice was muffled, but... and his build, but I cannot place it." She blinked, then glanced over at the table where she had set the red cap. "The hat! It must have been his!"

Radu moved to the hat, sniffing it. He closed his eyes, trying to place the scent.

She looked at Radu questioningly, then, and asked, "Where was I? What happened? He... he had me." Suddenly, she was afraid of what might have been done to her in those moments where she was unconscious.

"You called for help. We responded. It seems he ran in the interim," Radu answered, setting the hat aside for now. Noting her fears, he added, "He had no time between your cry and our arrival to do anything but run, I assure you."

Soraya nodded, blinking back tears. "He was in my room. In OUR room. How did he even get in here?"

Radu nodded. "He was. And Kaht and his dogs are hunting him now. However, I must accept all responsibility for this. I should have made sure he knew of the passages. That you all did. I never thought anyone would find them, and I didn't use them. I had thought they'd remain forgotten," Radu told her sadly. "I am sorry."

"Passages," she answered, remembering the man's instructions on how to proceed. Her thoughts were whirring so quickly she had no idea where to even start. How would they catch him and prevent him from doing this again? Who was it? How extensive were these passages? "He must have been in here before," was what she managed weakly, hugging her legs to her chest and feeling beyond violated. She suddenly found herself fighting the urge to dive for her phone to call Vlad to come get her, to take her somewhere far from here.

"Kaht has dogs?" Matty asked as he tended to the wounded blonde man before him.

"Yes, he does," Radu answered with a sigh. "Wolf dogs. They seemed better able to tolerate our kind than any other, and intelligent enough to be of use. I approved them."

"I thought Uncle Mircea had said no to the dogs," Matty went on. "And how come they haven't shown up on my scanners?"

Soraya looked for her phone, needing to hear Vlad's voice, before realizing she had smashed it against a wall when she had thrown it at the attacker. The greatest question remained - what had he wanted? "He said there was more at stake than he and I," she suddenly recalled, staring at the pieces of her phone forlornly. "Whatever that meant."

"I overrode his decision and, as I said, they seem quite intelligent," Radu replied with a sigh as he passed her his phone. "It means the manor is no longer safe."

"Thank you," Soraya mumbled as she dialed Vlad's memorized number, though she didn't press send right away. "So we have a greater challenge for Kahtenny than we had placed initially... and what do we do until then?" she asked the vampire.

"In the meantime, it seems I shall be assisting with the guarding of the passages. And of you." Radu glanced at Matty, then added sadly, "And the rest of you shall make arrangements to move."

Soraya nodded morosely before sending the call through and putting the phone to her ear, unable to quite process everything that was suddenly happening. And she had just managed to start feeling normal again. Not to mention that she still had a few months left of school. But she didn't want to remain here for that long...

Mircea and Vlad approached Nait's office, glaring at the man who exited as they passed him. "What did he want?" Vlad asked Naitachel curiously after closing the door behind them.

The Seraph sat back down, thoughtful, but waved it aside for now. He was too curious to not meet the man now. And pride dictated he meet just to emphasize that he would not change his stance. "Oh, merely muttering about wishing to be a guardian of sorts. Was that not what he and Taggert were always asking of Dragon? Regardless, he thinks he might persuade me, but so long as he keeps trying, he might avoid mischief. I suppose it is worth the indulgence."

"I'd sooner indulge a poisonous snake," Mircea growled.

Blinking, Nait started. "Oh! That reminds me. I do apologize for asking you both to come, but I did not wish to have you react to... well... Not in front of others, anyway..." Blushing, Nait twined his hands together, and telepathically showed them what had happened. "Ah, a couple vehicles attempted to block mine on the way and in the end I had to abandon my bike for a lamppost rather than let them grasp me. Though I suppose it should be no surprise to have someone attempt something with Radu gone. I am glad neither of you have faced such an attempt as of yet."

"Then Archer shows up out of the blue," Vlad noted. "Convenient."

Naitachel shook his head. "I do not think he was a part of it. He and his know full well I can fly, having seen my wings when we rescued Soraya. An attempt to grab me from the open is foolish, as I can always simply go... up. Yet these tried just that. They may be merely people seeking a ransom of money or somesuch, I imagine."

Mircea's frown deepened. "If you’re going to continue riding that infernal thing, then you need to be guarded. Or armed. Or both."

"At least until we've more effectively weeded out our enemies," Vlad agreed.

Nait laughed softly, curling his tail neatly around his feet. "Armed? Is that even legal? And how does one arm a motorbike, anyway? I can always flee far easier than any car, for one. And, as I just proved, the sky is my element at any time. Worst that happens is I cross planes and be a bit late coming home."

"I'd rather you shot them in the face and made sure they didn't after you again," Mircea replied honestly.

"You know I do not kill, Mircea," Nait sighed. "And to harm anyone on the highway is dangerous to them moreso than myself."

"I know. Doesn't change what I'd prefer." Mircea shrugged.

Spreading his hands helplessly, Naitachel shrugged. "Well, it is no matter now. My bike is in the shop for repairs, and I am none the worse for wear. I shall need a ride home."

"Which shop? I'll go with you to retrieve it," Mircea asked.

"We both will," Vlad corrected.

"Chase's Automotive," Nait supplied. "But they have not yet called to say it is ready. No matter--I am sure it will be done as soon as they can. It is an older vehicle, after all. Though what is nice is that it can handle such tipping better than newer ones."

"I'll call to get an eta on the repairs," Vlad told them, taking out his phone.

Nait nodded, and then smiled reassuringly. "Well, I fear that was all I sought so much attention to discuss. I am sorry to pull you both from your duties and projects, however. It seems so very trivial, I fear, as nothing came of it."

Vlad answered his phone as Mircea shook his head. "No, Naitachel, it is not trivial. There is nothing about your health and safety that is trivial. We need to find whoever it was that tried to grab you and deal with them. I will not have you at risk."

"Uncle?" Vlad asked, glancing at the other two in the room when he noted whose phone was calling him.

Mircea went stock still and silent as Radu filled him in on the latest details.

"It is me," Soraya's voice answered on the other end, unsure now of exactly what to say to him to convey that something had happened without sending him into a panic, either.

Catching Vlad's alarm, Nait's eyebrows rose and he leaned to peer at Vlad's phone. "Heavens... has something occurred there as well?" he whispered uneasily, worried.

"Beloved... what's wrong? What's happened?" Vlad asked, casting a worried look at Nait.

The redhead swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice even. "Is it possible that you come home?" she asked her husband. "I realize you are busy but... well, someone was here."

"What?" Vlad asked, his eyes going wide. "Who? Are you okay?"

Blonde eyebrows rose, very much concerned now. "Is she safe?"

"I am fine," she answered quickly, "shaken, but unhurt." She sighed, and, having hoped to avoid doing this over the phone, relented and relayed the story she had given Radu.

Mircea's expression clouded visibly.

Listening in, Naitachel's eyes widened, and his hands clenched in his lap. "Heavens," he breathed quietly.

Vlad looked caught somewhere between blind panic and murderous rage. "I'll be right home," he said at last. "Stay where Uncle can see you until I get there."

Though she hadn't wanted to send Vlad into a panic, Soraya's very posture seemed to slump in relief at the news that he was on his way home. "I will," she promised. It wasn't as though she felt like so much as wandering into the restroom with the roses still strewn about. "Be careful coming home," she said.

"I have had enough," Mircea muttered. "My brother... my niece... they've declared war. You see that, don't you?" He looked from Vlad to Nait. "You have to see that."

"On who, though?" Nait sighed. "There seems more than one party interested in us."

"Of course, beloved," Vlad assured her, even as he nodded slowly to his uncle. As much as he'd prefer to avoid sending his uncle on a murderous rage, he wasn't far behind him.

Soraya could hear Naitachel and Mircea in the background, though she couldn't quite make out what they were saying. "See you soon," she sighed, then added a quick, "Love you." She hoped she hadn't ruined Naitachel and Mircea’s days as well.

"I love you too," Vlad assured her. "I'll be right there."

Shaking his head, Naitachel waved for Vlad to get going. "Better you take the limo back, then. I will have Tara call me some other means of transportation. Home must be secured first, and someone must tidy up here what chaos has done today."

"I am not leaving you alone," Mircea growled. "Go, Vlad, then send it back. We shall then take Naitachel to retrieve his bike and follow him home. Then..." His frown deepened. "Then we shall see to all that must be handled."

Nait sighed, and turned back to his work, intent on trying to get the whole of Dragon organized so as not to be too thrown off by the morning's events. "Well, in that case best I try and remedy what I may now. We will see you at home, Vlad. Do be careful, please."

"I will," Vlad replied to Naitachel. "You both be careful as well. I'll send a car back right away."

"You'll have to get home then send back yours. We have no other driver at the moment," Mircea hissed. "So hurry up."

Soraya hung up the phone and returned it to Radu. "He is on his way home," she informed him. She considered a few moments, before suggesting, "Perhaps we should have some sort of family meeting? We are hardly all home at the same time anymore, and if moving is in the cards... the others need to know as well," she suggested.

"Agreed," Radu answered quietly.

"Another bygone era," Soraya mumbled softly. This wouldn't be the first home they had had to leave behind, though still every time they moved on, there was sadness. Then she glanced up. "How is Kris? What even happened to him?" she asked, realizing belatedly he had been involved.

"He was injured trying to prevent the intruder from entering the grounds," Matty answered, still trying to patch up the younger of the Xandrescu twins while keeping his fangs in check.

That information made Soraya blanch. "So whoever did this was able enough to best him?" That information sent shivers down her spine. Perhaps this matter was even more urgent that she had realized.

"Why did he not call for assistance," Katarina asked from the doorway before hurrying to her brother's side, additional first aid supplies in hand. "Păcăli..."

"He did," Matty answered. "Jonah and Russ both went to help him. They’re dead."

"Trădători," Kristov whispered weakly to his sister. "Am trădat."

Katarina looked stunned. "He says the intruder had help from within."

Radu only nodded. "I suspected as much."

Soraya's mouth went dry at that. "Dead? And help from within... could whoever it was still be hiding in the tunnels?" Soraya asked... the only other option was that there was yet another traitor in their midst. "Do you... suspect someone in particular?" the redhead asked Radu.

Radu nodded again. Unfortunately, he did.

"Who?" she pressed, growing agitated.

He rose, looking at the others. "You will have visitors to this room momentarily. Matthias will stay with you until Vlad returns. I will make certain the tunnels are clear and seal the entrances as well as I can on my way back to the East wing."

Visitors? "Radu..." Soraya hissed, wanting answers, though she knew he was already on the move. He always kept his counsel until ready to divulge, and she settled for hugging her knees to her chest and staring at the bookshelf where he disappeared.

He moved swiftly, then, unwilling to answer any more questions until he was sure. It wouldn't do to have chaos arise from speculation. He needed to be sure.

Jina rushed in, looking around the room warily before moving to Soraya's side. "Are you injured?" she asked, reaching out to her sister in law.

Soraya shook her head. "I am fine," she assured Jina, nodding to Lisa who was ushering Brianna upstairs to remain away from the chaos. "The problem is more that this means the entire family is at risk," she told Jina sadly.

Jina nodded. "I fear uncle said much the same thing when he called us home."

"When did our worlds become so complicated?" the firestarter asked Jina quietly with a shake of her head.

"When have they not been," Matty mumbled, rising to lift a still weakly protesting Kristov and carry him from the room.

Soraya glanced at Kris sadly, silently wishing a speedy recover. It was true, their lives had always had their fair share of complexities, and yet it felt as though there was more to it now than ever before. Or perhaps that was just a reflection of the times in which they were living. "So, where to next?" she proposed with fake enthusiasm. "Stay here or return to the old world? Chicago? Paris? Seattle? LA?" All she could hope was that no one else would lose their lives in the process.

"I'm not sure," Jina admitted. "Uncle didn't say."

"Los Angeles might do well for your acting careers," she teased, still trying to sound upbeat but silently keeping an ear out for Vlad's arrival. "This will be difficult for Bri. She was born here. She has never lived anywhere other than New York."

"I know," Jina frowned. "But the commercial opportunities for her will be tremendous in LA, right?" she added, trying to mirror Soraya's efforts at optimism.

"Of course," Nait assured, waving to Vlad. He started at Mircea's answer. "Only one? The rest are hurt?"

"Kristov is injured," Mircea replied. "And Russel is dead." He paused a moment before adding, "I'm afraid we've lost our tinkerer for that infernal contraption your ride upon. Jonah is dead as well."

"Heavens!" Nait's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "That is terrible! Oh, this is terrible," he mourned, eyes tinting scarlet with tears. "They were good people. Whoever did this?"

"We don't know yet," Mircea answered, "though Radu has some suspicions. None of which he is willing to share with me just yet, I might add."

Slumping dispiritedly, the Seraph sighed quietly. "Well, this shan't be the first time we have been attacked. I am sorry we have lost two we loved, however. While we await news on the bike, then, best you and I see to business and prepare for this place to run with less supervision, yes?"

"Sir?" Tara's voice carried through the intercom. "Is everything okay?"

Mircea nodded. "We can transfer much of the work to our Los Angeles offices if need be. Radu believes our position there may be more defensible. I agree."

Nait pressed the intercom. "We are fine, Miss Tara. However there has been a bit of trouble at home, so I fear we will need to have schedules adjusted accordingly. Please tell Miss Sophia that Vlad had to go home rather abruptly and may have to take some time off."

"Of course, sir. I'll see to that immediately," Tara replied, sounding worried.

"Thank you, Tara. Oh, and if Chase's Automotive calls, please send it through." Pausing, Nait wondered what he'd forgotten, then blinked, straightening. "Heavens, I nearly forgot! Yes, Mister Archer is meeting myself for lunch tomorrow. Perhaps he will leave us alone after that... I did warn him to expect to be disappointed."

"I think you might have to stand him up," Mircea told Naitachel.

"I'm sorry to interrupt again, sir," Tara's voice came through the intercom again. "There's a Mister McEntire on line two."

"McEntire?" the Seraph asked, not recognizing the name. "What about?" The Seraph huffed. "I think it might simply prove to the man that I shan't change my mind, Mircea," he murmured in an undertone. "After that, it shan't matter anyway, shall it, if we are unavailable?"

"He didn't say, sir. Shall I take a message?" Tara asked.

Debating it, the Seraph shrugged. What harm would it be in taking a call? If it was another suitor, he could make easy excuses now about needing to be with family. "No matter, I may as well hear him out, whoever he is."

"Of course, sir," Tara answered, freeing the line so that Nait could answer it.

"Hello? Is this Mister McEntire?" Nait asked, poking away at his computer in an effort to get the work of three finished for the day in just a few hours. "Mircea, you might as well sit down for a time. Standing shan't hurry things along."

"One can but hope," Mircea sighed.

"Hi, Nait," the sandy blonde haired man's smile could be heard through the line. "Just thought you'd want to know the kid and I got your bike put back together. You can pick it up whenever you're ready, unless you want us to bring it to you. Correction," Mac laughed. "Unless you want ME to bring it to you. It seems the kid's still not venturing farther from the shop than the basement apartment old man Chase gave 'em. Sorry."

"Pardon, Mac, but I did not recognize your last name! Already, then? So then the damage must have been less than I feared! Was it all merely removing my crutches from the frame, then?" Nait laughed into the phone, pleasantly surprised. "Thank you! I think if you could bring it by, we would appreciate it. I have a bit to do at the moment, but it will be pleasant to ride it home again."

"It's done?" Mircea asked, clearly as surprised as Nait.

Mac laughed. "No problem, Nait. Truth is the work was pretty extensive. You banged her up good. The kid's just damned good at what he does, and fast besides. I'll get her right to you," Mac told Nait. "See you in a few."

"Heavens, but we shall have to ask him to be put up for sainthood at some time if he pulls such miracles with mechanics. Though... on second thought, saints tend to die tragically, so rescind that thought. Thank you both! Goodbye, Mac!" Hanging up, he beamed at Mircea. "Yes, Mac and his helper performed a bit of a quick miracle with it. An amazing boy, Josh is."

Vlad ran into the house from the garage, reaching his wife and drawing her to him swiftly.

Soraya didn't resist Vlad's pull and quickly returned his embrace, beyond relieved to return to his safety. "I am sorry," she apologized thickly. "I am starting to feel like rather a liability to this family," she admitted, still holding tightly to him.

"You're no such thing," Jina spat. "Don't talk nonsense like that."

Vlad only smiled, glad to hear someone else say what he was thinking so he himself wouldn't have to.

Soraya laughed humorlessly. "Alright, not a liability, just the one of us apparently most likely to get herself into trouble. Even Nait has managed to avoid it more than I have. Should that earn me some sort of award?" she asked.

"He was almost nabbed this morning too," Vlad confessed, if only to alleviate some of his wife's apparent guilt.

"What?" Soraya asked, pulling away enough to look up at Vlad. "What happened? Is he hurt?"

"No, no, he's fine," Vlad answered quickly. "I promise. He managed to evade them."

"Did he see who it was?" she queried. "So this could all have been coordinated..."

"He didn't see much," Vlad answered truthfully. "He was more concerned with evading them than he was with IDing them at the time."

"Yes, well, I suppose that would take precedence," Soraya agreed. "So leaving New York entirely really would be the best course of action." She would simply have to restart school somewhere else, it seemed, when things had quieted.