The Witches of Eriadne:
Fire Burn - Part 1: Past

by The Space Witches


{Prologue} {Chapter 1} {Chapter 2}


What will Lucas's and Angel's future look like? Lucas and Angel by Lilith
What will Lucas' and Angel's future look like? Lucas and Angel by Lilith


Prologue

January 2269

Angel slowly regained consciousness to find herself on a bed, but it wasn’t her own. Confused and disoriented, she sat up to look at her surroundings. Looking down at herself, she realized she was wearing nothing but her silk robe. She became afraid, not knowing where she was or how she’d gotten there. She found it difficult to concentrate. Her head hurt and something didn’t feel right inside. It was a feeling of utter loneliness, a feeling she wasn’t used to. With her sisters around, she had always felt a presence of someone being there, but now there was nothing.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she become aware that someone else was there with her, and she called out fearfully. Angel shivered again as she saw Galen appear like a black ghost from the shadows. He came toward her, an odd expression on his face, and suddenly she panicked, thinking that somehow the Vorlon had come for them, that Lucas was gone. She tried to freeze him with her ability, but nothing happened. She saw that he was about to speak. It was then that she started screaming for Lucas.

She only stopped when Lucas suddenly appeared beside her. "Be quiet, Angel-Face, everything’s all right."

Angel threw herself into his arms, sobbing, "Lucas, what’s going on? What’s happened?" When he pushed her away, he cast a dark look at Galen, who silently disappeared into the shadows.

Lucas turned back to her and said, "Galen’s helping us. We’re heading for Babylon 5 on board his ship." It was then that Angel realized why she felt so strange; she could no longer sense her sisters, but she knew it was more than the result of being a great distance from them. With mounting horror, she realized that somehow, the link between them had been broken.

"Lucas? My sisters…I can’t feel my sisters…my link…What’s happened?" she asked, and his silence and the cold look in his eyes bored into her. She knew that he’d had something to do with it. Angel screamed at Lucas, "You! This is your doing! What have you done to me?"

He grabbed her painfully and slammed her against the wall. Looking dangerously at her, he told her without emotion or remorse that he’d severed the link, and told her coldly that he couldn’t take her away if her sisters knew about her leaving.

"But why, Lucas? Why have you taken me away? You told me that you were going to stay with me on Eriadne. Why have we left?"

Lucas then moved away from her and told her simply that he’d never had any intention of staying on that world. He went on as she watched in stunned silence, "We’ll go back one day, darlin’, when I’m good and ready, but I have things to do first--things that I can’t do on Eriadne."

Angel became hysterical with anger and protested, "How could you do this to me, take me away like this? How could you break the link with my sisters?"

He walked over, backing her into the wall again. "I don’t have to explain my actions to you, Angel." His voice was low and threatening. Then he switched from being cold and angry to gentle and soothing, telling her as he gently caressed her face that he had to do it, that the others would have sensed her leaving and would have come after them. If that had happened, he would have been taken away from her.

"Is that what you want, Angel-Face?" Lucas asked softly, then waited for her reply. Angel stood silently, trying to understand what had happened and why. She shook her head. She loved him and the thought of him being taken away from her was too much to bear, but she was devastated by no longer being connected to her sisters.

"But Lucas, how will I manage without my sisters, without our link?" Lucas pulled her close and held her for a moment, then pushed her slightly away so he could look into her eyes.

"Oh, you’ll get by, Angel-Face. You don’t really need them. You have me now."

Angel followed behind Lucas and Galen as they walked down the ramp of his ship into the landing bay of Babylon 5. She was apprehensive and reached for Lucas’s hand, needing to gain comfort from his touch. He looked down at her as he came to a stop a little way from the ship and gave her a small smile, then turned to gaze around the landing bay before looking at Galen, who was standing nearby.

"I see you did as I told you and made sure that there was no one here when we arrived." He knew that at any other time, there would be Dockers and Technicians filling the place. He’d wanted to be alone when they arrived; he didn’t want an audience if things got out of hand. So he’d instructed Galen to request that no one be present in the landing bay. [Good thing that not many people question a Technomage when he wants something.]

Galen didn’t say anything in response; he just lifted his hood off his head and watched Angel silently. She became uncomfortable and moved slightly behind Lucas. The whole truce between Galen and Lucas made her uneasy. After she had regained consciousness and recovered from the physical effects of the link with her sisters being broken, she had asked Lucas why Galen was helping them when it was apparent that he was loyal to Gideon. Lucas had told her that he’d taken out a little insurance policy on the Technomage, making sure that he didn’t try anything, and would bring them safe and sound to Babylon 5.

"I’ve delivered you safely as promised. Now, what about the rest of our deal?" asked Galen as he took a step closer to them.

"Ah, yes. Angel. Well now, Technomage, remember what I said about that--she has to choose." Angel moved to face Lucas. She was confused; something she didn’t understand was going on here.

"Lucas, what are you talking about?" she asked nervously as she glanced from him to Galen and back again. She continued, "What do you mean I have to choose? What are my choices?" Lucas looked down at her, and her mouth suddenly went dry at the odd look in his eyes.

Lucas was silent for a moment; he had to play this one carefully. He gave her a gentle smile and raised his hand to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. His voice was so low that only she could hear what he was saying as he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "The choice is between me and the Technomage, darlin’. You have to choose who you want to go with." Angel pulled away from Lucas and looked at him in total surprise and confusion.

She looked back up at Lucas and gave a nervous laugh. "Lucas, I… That’s ridiculous I don’t want to go anywhere. You know I only want to stay here with you." She raised her hands to his chest, but he grabbed her wrists and pushed her away, his face set in a frown.

"Are you sure about that, darlin’? You were mighty angry with me for breaking the link with your sisters and taking you away without telling you. Are you sure about staying? You can go with Galen, and he’ll take you back to your sisters. Hell, a man of his talents may even be able to restore the link." He sighed and looked pointedly at her, then across to Galen. He wanted to see how Magic Man reacted to that. He was pleased when he saw Galen’s intake of breath.

Angel pulled away from Lucas’s hold and turned to look at Galen with disgust, her mind in turmoil at what Lucas had told her. Yes, she had been angry with him for what he’d done, but she loved Lucas and she couldn’t even think about being without him. That was the only reason she was able to get through being cut off from her sisters. And the thought of going with Galen, well, that just plain revolted her.

When she turned to look at Lucas her voice quivered. "Lucas, don’t you love me? Don’t you want me to stay with you?" Lucas smiled at her and pulled her into his arms as he lowered his mouth to give her a quick but breathtaking kiss.

When he released her, he gave her a sexy smile. "Of course I want you stay with me, darlin’."

Angel smiled with relief, but as she turned to Galen, the smile faded, and was replaced with a cold expression. "I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying with Lucas," she informed him coldly.

Galen moved forward and his voice boomed out, "No!" He knew what Lucas was doing--he was playing with her and manipulating her. He now realized that Lucas had never intended to let Angel go. Galen silently cursed himself.

"There, Technomage, she’s made her choice. Time for you to leave." Galen ignored the smug tone in Lucas’s voice as he looked at Angel. He wasn’t going to give up that easily. He had to save her from this man.

"Angel, listen to me! Lucas doesn’t love you. He will never love you. He’s just using you. Can’t you see that?" He watched her reaction, pleased to see her look uncertainly at Lucas. He continued, making sure his voice was gentle, "He was willing to give you up, Angel, when we got here."

Angel listened to Galen, his words making her feel sick inside, and she looked abruptly at Lucas, who was watching the Technomage with an unreadable expression. She turned her attention back to Galen. "That’s a lie! Lucas would never do that! He does love me!" she angrily informed him.

Galen shook his head. "No, Angel, he doesn’t. When I asked him for you, he said he would give you to me." It wasn’t the complete truth, but Galen had to get her to go with him.

Angel turned to Lucas. "That’s not true is it, Lucas?" she asked desperately. This whole scene was making her anxious and confused.

When Lucas spoke, his voice was soothing. "Of course it ain’t, darlin’." He paused and arched an eyebrow at Galen, his tone steely. "Tsk tsk Galen, lying like that. We both know what I said was that we would let Angel make the decision about who she wanted to go with, and now she has, so deal with it." Lucas enjoyed seeing Galen’s face flush with anger and could see that the Magic Man was struggling not to strike at him with his staff. [Good thing I have that bit of insurance.]

Galen watched as Angel gave him a cold smile and turned to move back beside Lucas, who was waiting with his arm ready to hold her. What he did next was an act of desperation. He moved like lightning and grabbed Angel around the waist, dragging her away from Lucas. He tightened his hold as she screamed and kicked, trying to break free, as he backed up towards his ship.

Angel’s heart hammered in her chest as she felt herself being dragged away from Lucas. She tried to break the hold that Galen had around her, but he was too strong. She looked over at Lucas, horrified to see that he was just standing there with his arms crossed, watching and not making a move to stop Galen.

"LUCAS! Help me. Please don’t let him do this. LUCAS!" Her arms stretched out to him as she continued to scream at him.

She was crying now, terrified. Lucas wasn’t making any move to help her and they were getting closer to Galen’s ship. Just as they reached the ramp, she heard Lucas’s strong voice bring Galen to a dead stop. "So I’ll start sending those messages, shall I, Galen? If you break your word to me, I’ve no reason not to." Galen was still holding onto her, but she could feel his hesitation. She looked over at Lucas, who had tilted his head slightly, waiting for Galen’s response. The minutes seem to drag on forever, and Angel struggled against Galen’s hold. Finally, she felt his hold slacken and she was able to break loose. She didn’t hesitate; she sprang forward and ran to Lucas, throwing herself into his arms, shaking as she looked over in shock at Galen.

She felt Lucas moving toward Galen and she went with him, never letting go of him. Lucas pulled away from Angel’s hold and turned to her. "Relax, darlin’, you stay right here while I have a little chat with Magic Man." She nodded hesitantly and let go of the arm she was clutching. He gave her a quick kiss on her forehead and moved to stand directly in front of Galen.

"She’s made her choice." Lucas couldn’t help finding the dark look on Galen’s face amusing, but he also knew that the Technomage was dangerous, and that he had to get rid of him as soon as possible. "Now I suggest you leave."

Galen watched as Lucas turned to saunter back to Angel, who was staring at him. He noticed how she was trembling with fear at what he’d tried to do, and regretted making her afraid. All he’d wanted to do was save her, but he saw that for now, he couldn’t. He didn’t doubt that Lucas would send those messages and expose his order. He couldn’t let those secrets be revealed. For now, he would go, ensuring that those messages were never sent. Then he could focus all his attention on destroying Lucas.

He squared his shoulders. "What about the messages?" His voice was emotionless as he met Lucas’s stare.

Lucas chuckled. Just as he suspected, when it came down to it, the Technomage’s main desire was to protect himself and his order. "I’m a man of my word, Galen. The messages will never reach their destination," Lucas paused for emphasis and then continued slowly, "as long as I’m alive. I’ll make sure that once you’re on your way, they’re intercepted. But remember, if anything ever happens to me, those messages will start arriving at places where you can’t stop them. Now I suggest you leave before I change my mind and make you pay for trying to steal what’s mine."

Galen gave Lucas a stiff nod. He knew he didn’t have a choice at the moment but to let Lucas win this one. As much as he wanted to kill the bastard, he was stalemated. Galen straightened up and pulled his hood over his head. Before he turned to walk up the ramp, he looked at Angel, ignoring the cynical smile that Lucas was directing at him. He had to try one last time. "Please, Angel, come with me. Let me take you back to your sisters. You’ll only end up being hurt by this man."

Angel gave a dry laugh and looked at him with all the hate she felt for the man she had once trusted and believed to be her friend. "Go to hell, Galen. I’d rather die than go anywhere with you," she hissed at him as she walked to stand beside Lucas, who wrapped an arm around her waist.

Galen sighed heavily and looked across at Lucas. "This is not over."

Lucas just arched an eyebrow, and without saying a word in response, turned, and pulling Angel along with him, walked away from Galen’s ship. Galen was about to start climbing the ramp when he saw that Lucas had come to a halt, turning with Angel in front of him, his hands placed where her shoulder and neck joined.

"Oh, Galen, I think it’s in all our interests that you don’t reveal where we are." Galen watched as Lucas paused. When he continued, Lucas’s voice was low and deadly, "We wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to anyone, would we?" Galen’s blood turned cold as he watched Lucas move his hands around Angel’s throat. To a casual observer, it would have looked like nothing more than a caress, but Galen knew that it was a silent threat to Angel’s life if he told Gideon where they were.

Lucas and Angel watched through a small window as Galen’s ship went through its departure sequence and slowly left the landing bay. Angel didn’t really take much notice of the scene in front of her; she was too busy running over in her mind what had just happened. She was particularly focused on the two things that had made her angry. The first was that Lucas had made her choose with whom she wanted to go. Second was that when Galen had dragged her away, Lucas hadn’t moved. Yes, he had stopped Galen, but why did he wait?

Her thoughts were brought back to Lucas. She felt him moving, his arm tightening around her shoulder, indicating that they were leaving. She felt her emotions snap and she pulled away from him. She ignored the frown he gave her as she launched her anger at him. "How could you do that, Lucas?"

Lucas let his arm drop from her shoulders as he gave her a puzzled look. "What are you on about, Angel-Face?"

She felt like screaming, but she kept her voice low, as there were people walking past and she didn’t want to attract their attention. "In there," she paused, throwing an arm in the direction of the landing bay, "you… God, was Galen right, Lucas? Were you really going to let him have me?" When he didn’t say anything, she continued, her voice thick with emotion. "Were you just going to hand me over to him? Tell me, damn you!" Angel was finally getting over the shock of what had happened. She watched as Lucas sighed and when he tried to draw her to him, she backed away. "Don’t!"

Lucas frowned at her movement. He didn’t have time for this, but he could see that if he didn’t do something to assure her, she was going to go off on him. [Time to turn on the charm,] he thought as he gave Angel a gentle look, forcing himself not to lose his temper.

"Angel-Face, I had no intention of ever letting Galen have you. Back on Eriadne, he wanted only one thing in exchange for helping us--you." He paused, watching Angel as she took in what he was saying. "I just let him think that there was a possibility. I told him that I couldn’t give you to him, but that I would let you decide." He walked up to her carefully, pleased when she didn’t move away from him as he placed his hands on her arms.

"I knew that you would choose me, so there was no harm done, now was there?" he asked her softly.

She continued to look at him, unsure. "Really, Lucas?" She trembled as he gave her a wink and smiled that lazy smile.

"Of course, darlin’. We’re a team; I’d never let you go that easily, but I won’t keep you against your will." He lifted his hand to her face and stroked her cheek gently. He could see that she was coming around. It was true that he would never let her go; she was going to prove to be very useful.

She looked up at Lucas and started crying. "I’m sorry, Lucas, I was just so scared. I thought you were going to let him take me, and that I’d never see you again." She didn’t resist as he pulled her into his arms, hugging her as her body was wracked with sobs. He ignored the looks he got from a couple of workers who passed by. When he felt Angel had stopped crying, he pushed her away slightly, raising one hand to brush the tears off her cheeks.

"Now, darlin’, I would never let that happen." He lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her deeply. When he pulled away, he gave her a great big disarming smile. Angel’s concerns started to diminish.

She forcefully pushed away her inner voice that was telling her he was just playing with her and that she was letting herself believe a lie. [He loves me!] she told herself with conviction. Her inner voice went quiet and she looked up lovingly into his face.

"I’m sorry, Lucas. I was just…"

"Frightened," finished Lucas, who then continued as she nodded, "I know you were, Angel-Face, but now everything is gonna be all right. Galen’s not comin’ back, and we are going to make ourselves a life here together for a while before we return to Eriadne." Angel pushed herself into his arms, feeling soothed and comforted, unaware of the cold look in his eyes as he stroked her hair.

Lucas sensed that she had calmed down and that she was back under control. [Good] Now he had to get to work. "We need to get going now, darlin’. We have work to do." Lucas wanted to get started on his plan immediately; he had only a few months to accomplish what he needed before he went back to get his son.

He watched her smile and nod. "What are we going to do, Lucas?" Angel was still not sure what they were doing here; Lucas hadn’t revealed anything to her. But she was back to trusting him and believing him. She never doubted that he had a plan of action. She just didn’t know yet what it was.

Lucas moved to stand beside her, his arm around her waist. "Well, let’s get out of here first, darlin’ and then I’ll tell you," he said with a smile while he thought darkly [Of course, I’ll only tell you what I need you to know.] He felt Angel’s arm come around his waist and she looked up at him, her clear blue eyes shining.

"Yes, Lucas." He gave her a smile of satisfaction and then, still holding her against him, left the landing bay area and headed for the security station. He had the perfect way to get himself onto Babylon 5 without question.

Lucas approached the Security station with a broad smile and his hand pressed against Angel’s back, steering her forward. He’d told her to say nothing, to just follow his lead and stay with him until he told her otherwise.

The man at the station looked up as the couple approached and Lucas spoke to him. "Mr. Allan. Nice to see you again."

He remembered Zack Allan, Chief of B5 Security from the time he’d spent observing from inside Gideon’s head. Best of all, Zack would remember Gideon as a ‘privileged’ guest of Captain Lochley. Lucas concentrated on speaking with Gideon’s voice and accent. "Could I have a quiet word, Mr. Allan? I need your assistance in a confidential matter." He turned to Angel and spoke softly, "Stay put, darlin’. Don’t move a muscle ‘til I get back."

He moved off to one side of the Security station, taking Zack with him. He lowered his voice and spoke quietly into Zack’s ear.

"I need to see Captain Lochley and I don’t want there to be any trace of my having been on B5. I’m on detached assignment from Earthforce and I need some cooperation if I’m to complete my mission. And before you ask, no, I can’t tell you what the mission is about. Can you get my companion and me through Security without leaving any signs of us having been here? I’d consider it a favor, and I’m sure that Captain Lochley would agree."

He watched Zack mull over what he’d said. He’d made sure that he pushed all the right buttons, mentioning Earthforce, secret missions, and Lochley. He saved the big guns just in case. Sure enough, Zack was shaking his head. "I’m sorry, Captain, I can’t just override B5 regulations for you. I have to log you," Allan looked at Angel, "and your companion onto the Security net."

Lucas could see Zack looking at his clothes with some curiosity. Gideon always wore his uniform when he arrived and departed B5. He only changed into civilian clothes when he was with Lochley, so few of her staff had ever seen Gideon out of uniform. Lucas decided to take advantage of this fact.

"Mr. Allan, I wouldn’t be arriving here out of uniform, with a woman who has no identity papers, if this weren’t serious. It’s absolutely essential that there’s no record that I’ve been here. As far as the rest of the universe is concerned, I’m still on the Excalibur, looking for a cure. The fact that I’m here, where the real cure is that close," Lucas held his finger and thumb close together, "is something that Drakh spies would love to know. We can’t afford for that information to leak out."

He watched as Zack’s resistance crumbled. "OK, Captain. I’ll take you through to Captain Lochley, and she can decide what she wants to do."

Lucas walked back to Angel, who had been watching anxiously, and leaned close to whisper to her. "We’re on our way, Angel, just stick with me." They followed Allan through the Security station and on into Babylon 5.

Lucas followed Zack closely, holding Angel’s arm, trying to match the layout of the Station to his memories from inside Gideon’s head. As with the Excalibur, it was a different matter to walk the corridors than it was to watch. As they cut through the Zocolo, he could see that Angel was staring around at the crowds of people, the stalls of goods, the bars, and the general bustle of the place. He could feel her excitement as she looked around her, but could also sense her fear at the number of people pressing around them. He realized that it had probably been years since she’d been in this large a crowd and it was unsettling her. He squeezed her arm gently in reassurance and she looked up at him and smiled gratefully. A sudden surge of fondness for her took him by surprise, but he was pleased with the way she was coping with all the changes he’d been throwing at her. She was holding together well, despite the slight temper tantrum earlier.

Lucas pondered his current position and his future. He was alive in a world very different from his own, where he had no allies and several powerful enemies. He had no credits, no influence, no assets of any kind other than the clothes he stood up in and the woman at his side. For a moment Lucas asked himself why he had brought Angel with him. She was nearly as out of place in this world as he was and her presence gave him no advantage, but somehow the thought of leaving her behind had been unacceptable. It wasn’t just the physical pleasure she gave him, it was something else. Lucas shook his head free of that distraction and concentrated on his immediate future. Another man might have been daunted by the challenges ahead, the prospect of building a new life from nothing. But he wasn’t another man; he was Lucas Buck.

He recognized the corridor approaching Lochley’s office and bent to whisper in Angel’s ear. "We’re gonna meet an old friend of mine here, darlin’, then I’m gonna send you out with this nice man." Lucas gestured at Zack’s back. He saw the fear come into her eyes. "Now don’t panic, Angel-Face, I won’t be long, but I need to talk to this lady in private. You stay with ol’ Zack here, and he’ll take care of you." He would have liked to kiss her to provide her with the reassurance she needed, but knew that would be unwise in public. He squeezed her arm again and gave her one of his sexiest smiles.

Angel calmed instantly and whispered, "Yes, Lucas."

Zack had called on ahead and Captain Lochley was standing, waiting for them, when they entered her office. Lucas gave her his best Space Cadet smile and used Gideon’s voice. "Nice to see you again, Captain. Could you spare me a few minutes? I need your help with a little problem I have."

Lochley looked at him carefully. He could see she was as puzzled by his clothes as Zack had been, so he continued quickly. "I’d like to talk in private, if that’s OK. Perhaps Mr. Allan can take care of my companion for a few moments?"

Lochley nodded and Zack left with Angel. The door to Lochley’s office closed behind them. Lucas moved quickly across the room and pulled Lochley into his arms, kissing her long and hard before she could say a word. When he finally broke the kiss, she leaned her head back and looked up at him in surprise before speaking. "Welcome back, Matt. If you’re always going to greet me like that you can come more often."

Lucas smiled down at her. "Oh, I come often enough when I’m with you, Elizabeth. You have that effect on me. Right now, though, I need your help." Lochley pulled herself away from him and gestured to the sofa by the window. He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the sofa, sat, then pulled her down beside him before leaning forward and kissing her again.

This time she pushed him away. "So what exactly do you want from me, Matt?" Lucas smiled lasciviously. "Apart from the obvious." Lochley smiled back.

"I’m on detached duty, Elizabeth. Totally confidential. I have to meet a contact here on B5, but I can’t afford to leave any trace of having been here. It’s really important, or I wouldn’t ask. Can you help?" Lucas watched her think about it, waiting for the obvious question.

Lochley asked it right on schedule. "Who’s the woman?" She nodded at the closed door. Lucas loved it when people were predictable.

"Believe it or not, that’s my bodyguard." He watched as Lochley’s eyebrows rose in surprise and smiled as he continued, "I know it seems unlikely, but she’s a telekinetic. She can throw things around just by looking at them. They’re a rare breed but there are no better bodyguards in Earthforce, and the fact that they’ve given me one might give you an idea of just how seriously Earth Gov is taking this mission." He mentally prayed that she wouldn’t ask for a demonstration of Angel’s powers. He had a nasty feeling that breaking her link to her sisters had diminished them considerably.

He watched as Lochley considered what he’d told her, all the while holding one of her hands in his and resting his other hand on her knee.

"Is there anything you can tell me?" she asked.

Lucas smiled. "Well, never shoot pool at a place…"

She interrupted, laughing, "…called Pops. Yes, I know that one. So why are you dressed like that? And what’s with the longer hair and phony accent?"

Lucas cursed to himself. He thought he’d been getting Gideon’s voice off perfectly, but apparently not. He allowed himself to slip back into his own accent. "All part of the disguise, darlin’. No one is gonna think Captain Matthew Gideon would walk around in these clothes, with long hair and this voice, now would they?" He leaned forward and looked closely into her eyes. "It’s important that as far as the rest of the Galaxy is concerned, Matthew Gideon is still on board the Excalibur, still looking for the cure. I can’t tell you why, but it’s vital."

He watched as she weakened, then spoke. "Of course, Matt. Anything I can do to help."

Lucas leaned forward and pushed her back down onto the sofa, running his hand up the inside of her thigh, then up her flat stomach to the fastening of her jacket. Kissing her passionately, he started to undo the zipper, then pulled his head back to look down at her. "Well, there is one thing. Got any appointments for the next half hour?" She shook her head and smiled up at him. "Good. Got time for a quickie?"

Her arm came around his neck, pulling his head back down into a kiss. Her other hand started to work down the buttons of his shirt.

Lucas stood, buttoning the collar of his shirt while watching Lochley pull on her pants. [Not bad, but I’ve had better.] He continued to watch as she pulled her boots on, then stood to do up her jacket. Within moments, she was the brusque, efficient Captain Lochley again.

She flowed into his arms and kissed him again before looking up at him to say, "Don’t leave it so long next time." Her hand went to his hair and she ran her fingers through it. "And leave your hair like this. It suits you."

He squeezed her tightly, laughing. "No promises on either score." He made his face fall into more serious lines. "I don’t know when I’ll be able to get back, but you can be sure that I’ll make it as soon as I can." After one last, lingering kiss, he released her and walked towards the door. "So, you’ll speak to Zack?" She nodded.

The door opened, showing Allan and Angel sitting in the waiting area outside. Allan looked slightly embarrassed, while Angel looked like thunder. [Oh, I can see I’m gonna have to give her a few more lessons in who’s boss around here.]

Lucas waited until Allan had gone into Lochley’s office, then grabbed Angel’s arm roughly, whispering, "Got a problem, darlin’?" He squeezed her arm hard and yanked her to her feet. Twisting her arm behind her back, he pushed it up until she whimpered in pain. "Jealousy is such an unattractive feature in a woman. Get over it." He let go of her arm, then pulled her toward him, kissing her gently on the mouth. "I do what I have to, Angel-Face, to make sure we’re safe. OK?" She nodded quickly, her face full of fear. [Perfect]

The door to Lochley’s office slid open as Lucas let Angel go and Zack came out. He came to a halt in front of Lucas and spoke. "Captain Lochley tells me that I should give you any support and assistance you require in your mission, Captain. Is there anything you need?" Lucas could hear from Zack’s tone that he wasn’t happy with the order he’d been given.

"Nothing for the moment, Mr. Allan. If I do, I’ll be in touch."

Lucas turned and left the area, steering Angel in front of him, heading back toward the Zocolo. [Now where the hell is Brown Sector?]


{Prologue} {Chapter 1} {Chapter 2}


The Witches of Eriadne: Fire Burn

{Part 1: Past} {Part 2: Present} {Part 3: Present Perfect} {Part 4: Future} {Part 5: Conditional}


{The Main Gate} {HomePage} {Wytches World} {We are Family} {A Little Artistic Licence} {No, we don't mean "A"riadne} {Our Home Is Our Castle} {The Witches' Diary} {Witches Familiars} {The Gateway} {Webrings]