"We've been waiting for you," the spirit announced.

The door lock slid into place with a snap, making Adie flinch. The spirit's shimmering arm swept the small room and the candles positioned around every flat surface flared to life, their flames seeming to leap from wick to wick in rapid succession. Several more spirits shimmered into view.

"About time too!" one of them complained, her body solidifying.

"Oh shush Alice, the poor girl's been having a hard time with all the vampire shenanigans," another stated while she, too, materialized to stand by the tall dresser lining the wall adjacent to the front door. "I don't suppose you have any booze stashed in here, Eliza?" she asked the first, opening the cupboard and having a poke about.

Eliza rolled her eyes at her. "It's in the kitchen beside the sink." She pointed the other woman to the only other door leading from the room. "Bring the glasses and other bottles through too Carol, we'll all have a glass. This is a celebration after all."

One by one, each of the spirits took a tumbler as Carol poured it. Raising it in the air they toasted, "Blessed be Mother." And drained the contents in one gulp. Adie threw her head back and swallowed the liquid, imitating the others. It burned from her throat down to the pit of her stomach, leaving her panting for air to cool the inferno. They laughed at her.

"Welcome, Shaman Adrianne, we are honoured by your presence," an elderly woman addressed her, kissing both her cheeks before enveloping her in a surprisingly warm hug. Each of the others followed suit, the last being Eliza.

"Now, I know you have many questions for us, so why don't we get started." Eliza patted her arm, moving away to take her seat by the fire.

"Em... Well, where do I start?" Adie stuttered, still a little awed by her companions.

"Try the beginning dear, that's usually the best place." The Shamans chuckled and murmured their agreement with Eliza.

"Yeah right, good idea. I've been having some strange cravings lately..."

"Are you pregnant?" Alice asked.

Adie sputtered. "I'd need to have had sex for that to happen, so no, I'm not pregnant. I've been craving blood."

"And?"

"And my eyes started glowing at almost the same time as the cravings started."

The elderly shaman tutted and rose to take Adie's hand. "That is only when you noticed it dear. It has been going on for far longer than that. Here." She turned Adie's hand over so it sat palm up, and traced the lines on Adie's palm with her finger. "This line is your life line; see how there is a second fainter line running alongside it?"

"Yeah."

"The second line is your sister's life line. It crosses and intersects with yours until this point; it symbolises your bond with her. This point is when your sister was turned. Notice how your line has become bolder and deeper set after this merging of your life lines?" Adie nodded. "With her death, the bond you share has become stronger. The hunger you feel is hers." She moved her finger to another line and traced it until it intersected with another. "This line is your heritage, there is one significant break in it. This is the point your mother bound your powers when you were very young and only recently has it reappeared."

Adie pointed to another line that forked from the one the old shaman said was her heritage. "So what's that little one?"

"Just a crease dear. Do you see the one that twists itself around it? That is the vampire who marked you. His influence is not all one sided either. Your power has boosted his, but his has also increased yours. And see how his becomes fainter while yours broadens here?" She indicated two areas. "You are able to draw energy from him."

"What about the third big line, what's that one for?"

The old shaman smiled and rolled her hand closed with a tender pat. "Your heart line."

"Wait, what does that one mean?"

Alice laughed. "Rose will tell you nothing about your love line, Sweetie. She reckons it should be left a mystery, more exciting that way."

"Oh... But what are all those little marks for?"

Rose took her hand again and looked closely at it. "That is strange," she muttered. "Harmony, come look at this." 

The shaman each took her hand and studied the criss-cross pattern.

"Well I never," Harmony exclaimed. "I read something about this in one of the old tomes. You don't think it's the same thing do you?"

"Will someone tell me what's going on?" Adie shouted over the loud chatter of the women.

"Well," Harmony began. "The last time it was noted for so many hashes to appear was on the hand of the unblessed daughter of a local witch. The young woman had a rather large following of suitors, all vying for her attention. If my memory is correct, she was bound to a vampire and turned after a goddess tried to have her killed. The reason is a little hazy, but no matter, I think they called her Enchantress at the time."

"What's so special about having a load of boyfriends?"

"It wasn't just the number. After she was turned they seemed to become enslaved by her. Many men fell under her spell. Shape changers died protecting her. It is said that her bite induced such carnal feelings that no man, or woman, could resist her."

"What happened to her?"

"I'm not sure, but I can find out," Harmony said, and vanished with a blink.

Rose chuckled. "Since Harmony has gone off on one of her little tangents, you should tell the rest of us what you have been up to since you arrived."

Adie told them everything, from arriving at the caves and her kidnapping by Devon to the first time her eyes glowed. She even told them about biting Nicolas and being able to control him. She told them of the second mark and how she seemed to have taken Devon's life force when healing Kevin.

"I'm more concerned about what will happen if he tries to do more than that, I mean are there more marks?" Adie asked as she finished recounting her tale.

"He won't be able to give you the third mark because he can't take your blood without it killing him," Rose assured her. "I'd be more concerned with what Vince has planned."

"Between that leech Devon and that murdering cretin of an alpha he has no control over, this place is falling apart!" Eliza fumed. "We have to do something ladies. We have to stop them before they hurt anymore of our people."

Adie smiled, a plan forming in her mind. "I know Vince's pride don't like what he's doing. However, none of them are strong enough to take him on. If we can find someone strong enough, someone we know would act in the best interest of the pride, they won't interfere in the fight."

"Do you have someone in mind?" Carol asked.

"Actually, yes. He's perfect for the job, although he might need a little persuading to take over that size of responsibility. Do you think it would be cheating if we help him out a bit? He's no spring chicken anymore?"

"I think that would depend on the type of help you're suggesting," Rose answered. "And what of Devon, surely he won't stand for a takeover bid when his enforcers do Vince's bidding. Any new comer will interfere with his plans."

"Well, Devon has a meeting planned sometime in the next few days with Alexander something or other, the Master he intends to overthrow. If we can get our man to challenge Vince around the same time, Devon will be otherwise distracted with his own challenge to interfere."

Eliza's lips turned up into a slow satisfied smile. "I like the way you think. Now, tell us what we can do to help this challenger."