The Grey God

"You're far from defenseless, Jonny," she reminded him. "You're the Black God. You can't track them, but I bet you could put a dent in one of them with your power."

"Xander can't even stop them! And I gave away the only vamp who could track them to Damian."

"Tell him you need help," Jenn suggested. Privately, she willed the boy away. She, too, was rattled by the events of the night. Her mind control magic slid around him, ineffective this night.

"He won't help me. Jenn, I can't interrogate or spy on every one of my vamps! I need a solution, now."

"I gave you one. You need someone with Charles' skill. You and Damian have a common enemy, one that threatens both of you. He'll work with you to get rid of the Others," she said with some impatience.

Jonny paced and brooded. Jenn sat down and pulled off her wet boots, slinging them away. Her eyes settled on her blankets. In the time she'd been gone fighting Others, some vamp had left her the head of another dead animal.

This is getting old, she grated to herself. Any hope of getting more sleep this night was gone. She focused on Jonny again, willing him to accept her solution.

He stopped pacing then shook his head.

"Maybe you're right," he said slowly. "Maybe he'll give me Charles back, at least for a day or two."

There's no way in hell, she told herself. Out loud, she replied, "It's a good idea."

"Yeah, it is a good idea."

She didn't say that she thought Damian would run circles around the boy and find a better solution. Jonny needed help with his Others issues. Even she was freaked out by how close they were. Why were the Others lurking in the forest outside the Black God's fortress, if not to kill them all?

"I'll go ask him now," Jonny said.

"You're being very smart about this, Jonny."

He flashed a tight smile. Jenn waited until he disappeared as he Traveled to the White God's headquarters. She stripped down to her underwear and changed into warm clothing, not caring what the vamps saw so long as Jonny wasn't around to get any ideas. The vamps were jittery enough, with the foyer teeming with young vampires who seemed both eager to do something about the excitement and uncertain what.

Jonny hadn't given them any direction, she assessed.

I'm not about to wait around for Others to fry me. Jenn armed herself with as many weapons as she could then left her backpack, expecting the rest to be gone by the time she returned. She left the mansion into the cold night and scouted around. Built into the mountain, half the fortress was tucked into the stone of a small peak. She climbed onto the roof of the mansion then approached the peak. The vantage point from there would let her see anything coming up the driveway or through the forest, though the pines were thick. It was too snowy to move quietly through the forest. At least from the peak, she'd see anything before it got to the fortress, even in the moonlight.