When Rowan returned to the library, she seemed angry and in no mood to share with Marcus and Alena whatever happened during her absence. Alena watched Rowan with a thoughtful frown, and when she glanced away, she noticed that Marcus had been watching Rowan too, and their eyes met.

Neither of them had to be psychic to know that the stranger questioned Rowan. Over the last couple of days, the watchers summoned both Marcus and Alena to the main council chamber to questioned them extensively about their intentions, the purposes of the Dark one, and why Rowan traveled with them. Both Marcus and Alena picked up on the fact that this lady who came to fetch Rowan, wasn't an ordinary human.

Rowan's silence worried them. Something about it seemed different. Her mind worried at things she didn't want to or couldn't share with them. They could sense her concern, and they didn't know if it was for herself, them, or all of their sakes.

Her silence worried them, but there was no way she could explain to them what happened, not while they weren't truly alone. Rowan retired early to her rooms and this concerned them even more as she realized it would, but she needed time on her own to think.

Rowan arrived late the next evening to find Alderin in the library with Alena and Marcus. She felt their unease, and she wasn't happy to see how comfortable Alderin made herself. Unarmed and dressed casually, she chatted with the two vampires as if she didn't have a concern in the world. This alone made Rowan wary. She understood Alderin t0o well. She also knew what this was about.

"Ah, you're finally here, I have news," Alderin said in amicable tones, but the hair on the back of Rowan's neck stood on end, "We have decided to assist you, but that help comes at a price that Angel has agreed to pay," the words Alderin spoke seemed casual enough, but the tension that crept into Rowan's manner put the two vampires on their guard. Whatever that help was, she didn't like it, and feeling clearly conveyed itself to them, even though she tried to hide it.

"You may leave now, Rowan," Alderin dismissed Rowan with a challenge in her eyes. Rowan glared at Alderin for only a moment before she turned on her heal and left. Alena tried to prevent Rowan from leaving, but Alderin's command stopped her short.

"I would not do that if I were you. The deal was struck, and if it isn't honored, Rowan will pay the price." The icy tones of Alderin's voice warned Marcus and Alena that there were circumstances at play here that they didn't know about it.

"What deal?" Marcus demanded, and Alena realized that Alderin kept glancing at the portrait behind Marcus.Alena her connection to Marcus to convey to him a sense of alarm.

"I cannot tell you that," Marcus would have moved toward Alderin with menace in his manner, but Alena grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard enough for him to look at her. He frowned when he saw the caution in her eyes and noticed the direction of her stare.

"If she's hurt in any way," Marcus threatened with the promise of retribution in every line of his body, but Alderin didn't respond to the threat.

"They're gone," Alena stated when the sensation of being watched vanished, and a slight noise alerted her to the absence of their watchers.

"I know, I am Alderin," Alderin introduced herself, and Marcus's frown deepened at the sudden change in the atmosphere as he caught on to what just happened.

"Angel has made her choice, don't waste what it bought you," she looked at them with great sadness in her eyes and more than a touch of anger in her voice. Alderin abruptly rose to her feet.

"Clair?" She called out with wry amusement, and there was a hush of sound on the other side of the panel on the opposite wall, but Clair didn't come out.

"I know you're there," Alderin allowed the pretense of anger to slip into her voice. "I want the dark chronicles," Alderin demanded and when nothing happened, a small annoyed frown formed before she shrugged it off. Claire was obviously angry, Alderin deduced, which meant she learned the truth about Rowan's mission.

"We will find nothing here, come with me," Alderin bade Marcus and Alena. They hesitated before following her out the door. They had questions, and they were afraid for Rowan, but they had the distinct impression that Alderin would tell them no more.

Marcus and Alena followed her with reluctance. They were angry at her and at Rowan for whatever choice she made without speaking to them first, which meant that they would never have allowed her to do whatever task she took on.

They entered a library. Alderin bade them to make themselves comfortable, and they didn't have to wait long before Claire brought appeared from the shadows like a wraith with a large, leather-bound volume which seemed to be almost a thousand pages thick. She dumped it on the table with none of her usual care of books.

Claire made angry gestures with her hands, and Alderin seemed taken aback by whatever Claire said.

"This was none of my doing," Alderin snapped, and Claire seemed to hesitate before she gestured at the vampires. Alena glanced at Marcus. Claire left with an angry frown speaking volumes, while Alderin looked concerned at whatever information Claire just gave her.

"Are you all right?" Alena drawled with just the tiniest bite to her voice.

"Not that you give a damn, but no. I have to go do something," Alderin came to her feet with the grace of a leopard and something dangerous in her manner. Marcus and Alena both noted that although her face became expressionless, her eyes were dark with anger.

"Everything you want is in that damn book," Alderin bit out with unexpected venom and went on her way with a swish of cloth. She firmly closed the door behind her.

"What was that all about?" Marcus wondered, and Alena sat back with the air of someone puzzling at something.

"Rowan, I think," Alena revealed. She sensed how angry Marcus was, but Rowan wouldn't do anything stupid, she knew they needed her, but what would these people do to her? A better question yet, what would Rowan deem an acceptable price for the information in that book?

"We have to write it down," Alena reminded with a hard look in her eyes and Marcus agreed. Rowan bought them this chance, and until they were in full possession of the facts, there was nothing they could do.

Helplessly waiting while fate played itself out, didn't sit well with either of them. They kept glancing at the door, waiting for Rowan to return. Time passes slowly for those who wait, and dawn came with no sign of Rowan, or anyone else.

***

Alena came instantly awake when her subconscious mind picked up on movement outside her door. She instinctively prepared to defend herself as something entered the dark room, and as her night vision flared, she recognized Claire. She looked pale, tension radiated from her frame, and she seemed distraught. Alena flitted from beside her bed to right behind Claire, in the blink of an eye.

"You shouldn't be here," Alena said in a menacing voice, and anybody else would have had a heart attack, but Claire seemed to expect it. She turned and touched her hand to Alena's mouth while she shook her head in a negative motion.

"I'll be quiet, but you shouldn't touch me like that," Alena warned. The Watchers provided animal blood in small amounts, and the mere odor of human blood pulsing in Claire's veins tested her fortitude.

Claire looked into Alena's eyes with an absolute lack of fear, and it was somehow as if she could see deep into Alena's soul with those luminous eyes. It was as if she knew more than she should, and again Claire shook her head.

Claire extended her hand, and curiosity made Alena take it. Whatever drove Claire to seek her out, had to be urgent. She followed Claire, and it was like following a shadow. Alena quickly realized where they were headed, and still, she followed as trepidation turned to dread in her bowls.

They came to a standstill outside Rowan's room. Claire pointed from the door to Alena in an obvious, and urgent instruction that Alena should go inside. When Alena moved to obey, Claire touched her arm in a gesture that seemed to caution her. Alena felt her dread turn to something deeper. Claire disappeared down the hall, but Alena didn't even notice. She detected the smell of blood, both that of Rowan and human blood.

Alena opened the door, not knowing what she would find and not expecting Rowan to sit on the bed, hugging her knees while gently rocking back and forth.

Only as Alena came closer did Rowan glance up with a blood covered face. She'd fed, and the scent of more than one human clung to her; Alena didn't need Rowan to say a word.

Alena sat down beside Rowan, who shook as if she were cold to her soul and hugged her close. A low wailing sound escaped from some broken place inside Rowan. She allowed their link to open fully with no restraints and Rowan allowed Alena to feel and see it all. Alena hugged Rowan even closer as she witnessed the horror of what happened to Rowan.

Alena didn't fight the anger that came to life in her, and she was angrier than she had ever been in her life, but Rowan needed her, so Alena tempered those emotions with an iron will.

She felt Rowan's grief congeal into a cold fury, and she whispered words of comfort in the old language, never even knowing if Rowan heard or understood.

Alena picked Rowan up with ease, and Rowan didn't only allow it, she fell asleep against Alena's shoulder while on their way to Marcus's room. He opened the door as if he expected them and took Rowan from her with a gentleness that betrayed his feelings.

He didn't ask a question or demand an explanation as they undressed Rowan and cast the blood-soaked clothes into the fire. They washed her with water that Alena brought from the kitchen and heated inside the fireplace. There were several deep gashes in Rowan's skin, but the wounds were already healing. They also noted a myriad of fading scars which spoke of earlier injuries.

They dressed her in one of Marcus's shirts, and she barely stirred in her sleep. They covered her with blankets, and she finally stopped shivering. Marcus looked up at Alena; his eyes were blazing, his fangs were out, and they glistened in the lamplight.

Alena saw him this angry only once before, and she was only glad his fury wasn't aimed at her.

"Tell me?" Marcus demanded.

"Why don't I show you instead?" Alena asked. He frowned but nodded. Marcus suspected what she wanted him to do, and in the asking had a reason. It wasn't an easy thing, not like the bond between Alena and Rowan; not a thing that could happen from a simple touch.

"Visualize it," Marcus demanded, and she knew he thought she wouldn't be able to sustain the image long enough for him to see it clearly. Alena wanted him to understand what she couldn't tell him out loud, in this place where people watched them even in their sleep, nor could she warn him.

Marcus bit into her wrist, and she kept the images clear in her mind. Both of them underestimated the strength of her blood and her gift. Marcus saw as clearly as if he were with Rowan, and he experienced her emotions with merciless clarity.

Marcus released Alena's wrist, sealed the wound with a few drops of his blood, and she shuddered. He cleaned her skin with gentle fingers before he wiped his mouth, but his eyes were hard as a rock and as cold as the depths of the underworld.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, and she realized exactly what he spoke of; the bond that Helena forged between her and Rowan.

"I could only show you," Alena said, and after a moment his eyes sought Rowan, who slept curled in a tight ball like a small child.

Marcus touched her cheek, and when he glanced at Alena, she reluctantly nodded and left without a word. What needed doing, only Marcus could do, and she would wait.

She knew what happened to Rowan, but she didn't understand Rowan's reasons. They both guarded their emotions well, and those moments of sharing were usually restricted to events that were too powerful for them to contain.