Indigo Adams had devised another brilliant plan. Eight days in the bush. It was to be a girls' trip, no husbands or boyfriends. It didn’t matter that she had no idea what proper hiking involved or that her last camping trip had been her high school field trip. When Indi got an idea in her mind it was difficult to talk her out of it.

The main purpose of this trip was to track and photograph the elusive phoenix. At least that’s what Indi told herself. Really, she just wanted to avoid being left home alone all day for the next three weeks while her husband was called away on work. She had her almost-teenage daughter, but Jewel was in school all day and at that age where she spent a lot of time hanging with her friends instead of her mother. A trip would make the time go faster.

Recent sightings of the phoenix had been reported in Viscadia Park. Indi had read an article about it in one of the latest wildlife magazines. Not that she subscribed. She’d casually been reading it in the waiting room during a recent trip to the dentist, who, as usual, had told her that her teeth were wonderful but that she really needed to cut back on the sugar or eventually she’d regret it. Indi had smiled with her half-sized vampire canines, nodded, and proceeded to completely ignore his advice, as usual. Anyway, intrigued by the phoenix, she’d hit the internet before she’d even gotten back to her car. Her search results sparked the formation of an idea. She had read everything she could about it and worked out a rough plan. The only thing left to do was to convince the others. That was why today Indi had invited them all over for lunch.

As Indi bounced around the kitchen her soot-coloured silky bob of hair bounced in time with her movement, almost like a dance. She moved about, tidying up cooking instruments and contemplated the best tactics to get them all on board with the idea. Should she suggest it one by one as they turned up or all at once? To be honest she wasn’t even sure who would be the easiest to convince. Kass was such an agreeable person that she would likely have the hardest time saying no. However, Kass also had the strictest work schedule. Surely she had some leave left still? Cat and Amanda on the other hand had much more flexible hours but convincing them might be a little harder. Hiking would probably appeal to Amanda the most but she’d also dislike the prospect of leaving her husband with all the work. He’d probably love the idea of Amanda taking a break though. Maybe Indi should talk to him? Cat wouldn’t mind taking time off. She’d worked hard to create a business that almost ran itself. Indi wasn’t sure how Cat felt about hiking however, and sometimes Cat just liked to object to things for the sake of it. That said, Cat could be surprising too. Indi was sure at least that, if she could convince two of them to come, then the third probably would as well.

She was just pulling the cookies out of the oven when the doorbell rang. She set the tray down carefully, smoothed down her violet coloured summer dress, the one which matched her eyes, and went to go and see who her first guest was. Short, curvy, red-headed, Amanda stood at the door holding a bottle of wine. She was dressed in a white casual short-sleeved shirt, jeans, and brown horse-riding ankle boots. Indi welcomed her inside.

“I’d have brought food but I figured you probably whipped up a bunch already,” Amanda said as she walked through the door.

“You thought correctly,” Indi replied with a smile that almost reached the edges of her face. “Grab a seat. Do you want coffee?”

“No, I’m alright. Thanks.”

Amanda set the wine down on Indi’s bench and nabbed a spot on one of the bar stools.

“What wine did you bring?” Indi asked curiously, as she reached for the bottle to have a look.

“Pinot Noir,” Amanda replied.

Three Pines Vineyard, were the words on the label, situated just above a picture of a green pine tree. ‘Quaint,’ Indi thought happily.

The doorbell rang again. “Grab a cookie,” Indi told Amanda as she walked over to answer it.

“Sup,” Cat said as Indi opened the door. She swept through the door, not waiting for an invitation. She wore her usual dark blue jeans and a black top, the same colour as her long dark locks. It was an inch too short, giving a small glimpse at Cat’s well-toned belly.

“More wine,” Indi commented with a smile, noting the bottle in Cat’s hand as she walked past.

“I figured you probably already had food, and given the way Amanda likes to drink...” Cat shot Amanda knowing look as she set the wine on the bench and took a seat next to her.

“There’s no such thing as too much wine,” Indi replied with a grin.

“Is this an afternoon thing now?” Amanda joked seeing the bottle Cat had brought, and ignoring her other statement.

“Well it could be an afternoon thing. You guys are welcome to stay for dinner too,” Indi replied.

Amanda shook her head. “I have to get back to the horses.”

“Let Sirius take care of them. You always work. You ever think about taking a break. It might be good for you,” Indi encouraged.

Cat’s green eyes narrowed and the edge of her lips curved up in a small smile. “I’m sniffing ulterior motive.”

Indi blushed. “You sniff wrong.”

Cat snorted.

“You guys want some cookies?” Indi offered.

“Sure.” Amanda reached over to grab one.

Cat shrugged and did the same.

Remembering that she had more things in the oven Indi turned and lowered heat.

“What are you cooking?” Cat asked.

“Mini calzones,” Indi replied.

“That’s like pizza, right?” Amanda asked, tucking a long strand of red hair behind one of her ears.

Indi nodded. “Enclosed pizza. They should be almost ready. Hopefully Kass gets here soon.” She pushed her glasses a few millimetres up her nose.

“She probably got swept up in one of her cases,” Cat stated.

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“Wine while we wait?” Amanda suggested with a cheeky grin, ignoring Cat’s roll of the eyes.

Indi nodded, as she got out some wine glasses and placed them on the bench. “What did you bring?” she asked Cat.

“Syrah,” Cat handed Indi the bottle.

“Rocking Horse Lane,” Indi read. “Pinot or Syrah?” she asked holding up both bottles.

Before anyone could answer the doorbell rang again. Indi set down the bottles.

“That’s probably Kass,” Indi said as she walked towards the door.

Short-haired pixie-faced, Kass stood on the doorstep holding a large bag of chips and a coleslaw, and looking hurried. She wore small office type heels, a grey just above the knee length skirt, and a burgundy sleeveless silky button up blouse.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said. “Got caught up at work, had a couple of things my boss wanted done before Monday.”

“It’s a Saturday, Kass,” Cat replied in her distinctive rough voice.

“Don’t you work Saturdays?” Kass retorted, as she shook a one of her short locks of strawberry blonde hair out of her sky coloured eyes.

Cat shrugged. “I go in sometimes. If there’s a particular job that a customer has requested I work on personally, or just to see how they’re going, if I feel like it. If I’ve got something better to do, I do that instead.”

Beside her, Amanda opened the bottle of Pinot and poured two glasses. She handed one to Cat who looked at it disapprovingly. Cat wasn’t much of a drinker but she knew the others liked it. She accepted the glass anyway.

“You want some wine?” Amanda asked Kass as she started to pour a third glass for Indi.

“Sure,” Kass replied.

Amanda poured another one for Kass and handed it to her.

“Thanks.”

“I think the calzones are ready,” Indi said excitedly. “You guys want to sit outside? It’s so nice and sunny.”

“Sounds good,” Amanda replied. Kass nodded. Cat was already off her seat and headed toward the twin glass doors that led out onto the sea-facing balcony.

A calm breeze blew outside. Cat closed her eyes for a moment enjoying the fresh air. She walked to the left and took a seat on the white coloured wicker 3-seater. She took a sip of her wine and admired the view. The house had been built on a slope. Two houses stood further down, each had an amazing view out over the edge of the steep cliffs that separated them and the ocean below. There was enough space between each house that even on the lower floor of Indi’s house, down by the swimming pool, one could still look quite clearly out over the expansive sea without anything to mar the spectacular view.

Amanda came and took a seat next to Cat. She set her wine down on the glass coffee table in front of them and like Cat took a second to enjoy the view. Kass soon joined them, taking the one seater to the left of Cat. A moment later Indi served them up plates of food. Not just calzones, but homemade spring rolls, a fresh tomato salad, and the coleslaw that Kass had brought. She then returned to the kitchen to grab the chips, dip, cookies, and a couple plates.

“You’ve gone overboard, Indi,” Cat remarked once she returned. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“Does anybody want some water?” Indi asked

“I think we’re pretty good for now,” Amanda replied eyeing all the food. “Sit down and have some.”

“I’ll just grab a jug anyway,” Indi said disappearing into the kitchen again. She returned a moment later, jug of water in hand. She set it down on the table and took the one seater opposite Kass. No one talked for a while as they all dug into the food.

“This is delicious, Indi,” Amanda said between mouthfuls.

Once she’d finished eating Kass leaned back in her chair and looked longingly at the pool below. “I could almost go for a swim. This weather’s so warm.”

Indi grinned. “Go on.”

“Bet you can’t jump from here to the pool,” Cat challenged.

Kass laughed but stayed seated.

“I could almost fall asleep,” Amanda said stretching out her arms above her.

“I swear you’ve tanned in the short time we’ve been out here,” Indi commented, envious of Amanda’s olive coloured skin. Being half vampire meant Indi could never tan. She couldn’t even go out in the sun without some serious skin protection. Every morning she was forced to apply layers of protective sunscreen designed so vampires could venture outdoors without their skin blistering. There was nothing Indi wanted more than skin like Amanda’s. There was nothing she loved more than feeling the warm sun on her face. It was why, despite the risk to herself, she’d picked one of the sunniest houses she could find to live in. “I bet a holiday sounds tempting now,” she continued, figuring that now while they were all relaxed was the best time to broach the subject of the Viscadia Park Expedition.

Amanda peered at Indi suspiciously.

“A holiday?” Kass asked.

“I told you she had something planned,” Cat remarked.

Indi nodded. “You guys know what a phoenix is?”

There was a general mixture of affirmation.

“There was one recently spotted in Viscadia Park,” Indi continued, trying to gauge their reactions so far. Amanda seemed hesitant, Kass curious, and she had no idea what Cat was thinking at this point. She pushed on. “Well I was thinking we could take short trip. See if we could find it. Get some pictures of it.”

“What would they be worth?” Cat asked.

Indi hesitated. “Well it would be more of a fun thing,” she replied.

Cat snorted but she didn’t seem too opposed to it yet. Kass looked like she was interested.

“How many days?” Amanda asked.

“Um, just a few, maybe a week.”

“A week!” Amanda repeated. Kass’s face fell.

“Where to?” Cat asked.

“Viscadia Park,” Indi repeated. “I have a map.” She got off her chair and ran inside to retrieve it.

“You’re not going to talk her out of it,” Cat said to Amanda matter-of-factly as Indi disappeared inside.

Amanda sighed. “I don’t have to indulge her.”

Indi returned with a printed map, not topographical, but showing roughly the location of the park and the main trails through it. Despite Amanda’s reservations, she listened patiently as Indi explained where they would hike to.

“So we take this track up to the plateau” Indi said. “There’s another faster track but you have to climb up some pretty steep cliffs. If we go this way we can take a few days, enjoy the scenery. We should get to the campsite on day three and then take one day to explore the area, and then come back out the same way but faster since it’s downhill.”

“I think you’ll find downhill isn’t as fast as you think. So maybe still budget 7 days?” Amanda suggested.

Indi nodded.

“I can’t take that kind of time off work,” Kass replied. “I mean it looks really fun but there’s no way my boss will let me.”

“You ever even been hiking?” Cat asked Indi.

Indi nodded “Back in high school. And I spent a week in the bush once with Falco, sort of.”

Amanda snorted. “What’s the grade of the track?”

Indi found the track description on her phone and handed it to Amanda. “That’s not too bad,” Amanda mused. “Not easy either,” she added seeing Indi’s eyes light up.

“But they say to do in two days so if we take three then it should be pretty easy-going,” Indi said.

Amanda nodded. “There’s only one site with huts,” she added.

“I have a tent,” Indi said.

Amanda sat back, thoughtful.

“What do you have a tent for,” Cat asked incredulously, “if you’ve never been hiking?”

“I’ve been camping,” Indi replied “Just mostly on the beach.” She turned to Kass. “I could hire you as a lawyer for a week?”

Kass laughed. “I don’t think that would fly with my boss.”

“You do all sorts of legal stuff though, right?”

“Yes but everything goes through my boss. He knows you’re my friend.”

“What about a morphing spell? I could look like someone else. I bet Wolf knows one.”

“We could slip something into your boss’s coffee so he spends the whole week off sick, then you can pretend you’re in the office,” Cat suggested. Amanda gave Cat a disapproving look.

"What about my co-workers?” Kass laughed.

“Bribe them,” Cat replied. Amanda put her hands to her face.

“When were you planning on having this trip Indi?” Amanda asked.

Indi looked at her sheepishly and winced hopefully. “Tomorrow?”

Cat gave a raucous laugh. Amanda smiled patiently.

“That’s a little soon, Indi,” she replied. “You probably should have planned this a week ago.”

“I only just came up with the idea on Wednesday.”

“How about next weekend?” Amanda suggested.

“You mean you’ll do it?” Indi asked perking up.

“I’ll talk to Sirius. If he’s okay with it, and assuming Kass can get leave, then sure.”

“Yes!” Indi smiled. She looked at the others. “You guys?”

Cat shrugged “Sure.”

Kass bit her lip.

“You might as well ask your boss,” Amanda told her. “Worst case he says no.”

“I can help if you like,” Cat offered with a mischievous grin. “I can be very persuasive.”

Indi wasn’t sure if Cat meant to seduce the guy or threaten violence.

Kass gave a nervous laugh, “It’s alright, I’ll ask.”

Indi smiled. It was going to be a great trip. She just knew it.